Going on a mission trip. Need help with gear loadout.

[Azrael256]

Ok, so here's the deal: The nice Jewish boy is going on a mission trip with a bunch of Methodists to Ocean Springs, MS.  I figure I won't make any money out of it, no fame will come my way, and this isn't enhancing my chances of getting laid, so it's probably the Right Thing To Do(tm).  Anyway, March 11-18 will be spent doing *something* down there.  We know where we're staying, and we know who's cooking, so 90% of it is squared away.

So, I want everybody's suggestions for gear.  Tools for whatever job we're doing will (allegedly) be provided, so that's not an issue.  I don't know precisely what the mission group is providing, so I'm hauling my own stuff for most things.  Here's my list so far.  Add/delete at will:

Web Gear consisting of
2 1Qt. Canteens
1 E-tool in carrier
1 Compass in pouch
1 Angle-neck flashlight
2 Ammo pouches
1 Buttpack

1 M3 Medic bag with all the usual stuff plus UDPs of common OTC meds (ibupropfen, aspirin, immodium, loratadine, etc.).  I'm also bringing refills for all medical consumables in my luggage.  I have tons of disposable gloves.

1 Cellphone w/car and AC chargers and 1 extra battery
2 GMRS/FPRS radios w/ 2 sets ea. extra batteries
1 Electric lantern (think brakeman's lantern, not camp style) w/1 extra battery.
2 Sets extra batteries for flashlight
2 Sharp pocketknives
1 4 7/8" Buck Vanguard fixed-blade knife (AFAIK it's legal in MS.  Please enlighten me if I'm wrong.)
1 Issue poncho
1 Complete tinderbox
2 Bottles iodine tabs
2 Pairs leather work gloves

For emergency rations:
5 lb. Azzy's patented roto-rootin' keepsake biscuits
2 lb. dried (and I mean real dried, not in plastic with a dessicant) fruit
2 lb. Venison jerky.  The good kind.  An Indian made it.  Seriously.

I haven't picked out my clothing just yet.  That will be done the week prior to the trip as weather dictates, but I'll be carrying my own weight in extra socks no matter what.

I am intentionally avoiding discussion of CCW.

So, any more ideas?

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Maybe a camel to carry all that stuff for you?  

Less is more.

I suppose it depends on particulars of the trip, but your list looks like overkill to me.  Do you really need ammo packs and web gear and E tools?  Three knives?  Two flashlights?  Radios?  

You'll only be there for a week, right?


I'd leave the whole set of web gear at home.  A small backpack (college kid type bookbag) can hold whatever you need without scaring the sheeple.

Canteens are good, but I like Nalgene bottles better.  One is probably enough.  Iodine tablets are sensible, but one bottle is plenty.

One LED headlamp with one spare set of batteries is enough light.

One smallish fixed blade knife (3" blade, more or less) and maybe a Leatherman.

A first aid kit is smart, but it doesn't need to be a military Medic's bag.  They do have hospitals down in Mississippi, ya know...

Work gloves, knee pads, sturdy boots

Gore Tex rain jacket (if you have one)

Sunglasses, a good hat, suncreen

A coupla good paperback books, music player, and the like

[Azrael256]

Do you really need ammo packs and web gear and E tools?

I'm not actually taking ammo in them, just using them for storage.  And you never know when a shovel will come in handy.  As for the medic bag, it's basically a hefty first aid kit.  I'm not worried about treating combat wounds, just patching up various cuts and scrapes.  The M3 isn't exactly a field surgery kit.  You could stuff two of them in the box my boots came in.

The radios are more for the trip there and anytime we have to load up in the vans to go somewhere.  I don't really plan to lug both of them around all the time.  A cellphone will suffice for most everything, but service is supposedly still spotty in some places.

Yeah, two flashlights.  One to illuminate the tire I'm changing, and one so somebody else can locate the necessary tool that just happens to be missing from one of the vans.  Also, one is handheld and one has a nifty little leg thing that lets you stand it up to illuminate the aforementioned tire.  

I'll look for a good set of kneepads.  I hadn't thought of that.  And what's the deal on the nalgene bottles?  Everybody seems to be madly in love with them.  Maybe I'm just out of touch on that one.

[SpookyPistolero]

I might have missed it, but what's the circumstances and terrain of the mission trip? Are you going to be out and about (woods, etc) building a home or in the ghetto repairing a soup kitchen, etc? That information makes all the difference.

I led middle school and later high school youth groups on several trips through high school and college, respectively. Be a minimalist. Less is more, as stated. Did I mention don't take much? Think Buddhism here, being weighed down by your belongings. Think of having way less stuff, including music and cell phones, etc, as a way of leaving the normal constraints and hastles of normal life behind.

Take a simple backpack with very comfy shoulder straps.  A little bigger than normal won't hurt. The specific gear will change drastically based on the first question on what the trip is about, but certain basics remain.

A nalgene is great because they hold a good amount and are indestructible. They can also be strapped to your pack or belt.

Bring a simple first aid kit for minor/intermediate situations. Plan on having gear built around helping others, because you will. An amazing amount of girls (referring to both males and females) go on these things, and most whine and struggle with minor crap, as well as give up at the first sign of not-fun/hard stuff.

Bring just a couple of high energy snacks.

Bring one good flashlight, either lithium or LED.
Bring the LED headlamp.
Bring a leatherman.
Bring a solid 3"+  folder.
Bring duct tape.
Bring a good length of strong rope (not too much, used to strap things down, make a carry sling for the water bottle, helping people up a steep area, etc)
A bic lighter.
Pad of paper + sharpie + pen
Work gloves (after working concrete construction, I like the rubbery mechanix gloves, but leather will also do a good job of keeping uncallous hands in good shape, though the leather ones dont stay on the hand as well for me)
Good workboots (wolverines at walmart are good, and cheap. They survived work in concrete)
Playing cards and a book or two. Dont forget playing cards.
Batteries (any mp3 player, and to loan to cute girls)
2x poncho (also for cute girls)
2x bandanas

Don't be the guy who shows up to a mission trip with $200 in new gear. It's cool with the small stuff, but make what you have work for the most part. Also, no web gear. No web gear.

If food, shelter and work tools are covered, there's not much else you really need.

[SpookyPistolero]

Almost forgot quickties and glowsticks! Every kit of any kind needs quickties and glowsticks.

[Azrael256]

Who makes a good LED headlamp?  I have an older incandescent one I use for cabling, but it does tend to burn through the AAs pretty fast... that, and it makes me look like a coal miner.

[SpookyPistolero]

I've got a rayovac LED headlamp that's survived a lot of backpacking/caving. Works on 3 AAA and has a incandescent/white LED/red LED. To be honest, I would probably reccomend a simple AAA or AA mini-maglite, and the little mouthpiece adaptor you can get for them. The headlamps are a bit of an overkill unless you've got a substantial amount of work to get done in the dark. Plus, they make you look like a dork (/coal miner). Not a problem when in the woods or a cave, maybe so when folks are about.

[280plus]

Duct tape...

[S. Williamson]

Ditto on the duct tape, Zip ties (the longer 15-18" ones), and the head lamp.  I have a nice comfy LED one (think Surefire bright), made by Brinkman, that takes 3 AAAs.  You can borrow it if ya want.

If you get glow sticks, go for green.  They put out more light than any other color, it seems.  

Lowe's/ Home Despot sell these $5-6 Ray-O-Vac lamps that consist of not much more than a lantern battery, bulb, parabolic reflector, and lens.  They're watertight, and float.  I'll tell you how I found this out later...
(If for some G-d forsaken reason you can't afford one, I'll let you borrow this too... might need some washing, though.)

If you have room, a pair of waterproof/ oil resistant boots.  My Stone Creek ones cost about $12.

Oh, and gimme a call sometime.  

[Azrael256]

Ah, yes, muck boots.  I think we discussed those at some point for some reason.  I don't recall why.  I remember telling you that I only use Red Ball...  because I don't know of any other manufacturer.  I think weather will determine just what boots I'm taking.

Is that Ray-O-Vac thingie the one with the blinking red light on the back or something else?  I think I have a pretty good idea how you found that out, but I'm sure the story is fantastic.

I called you last week and got voicemail.  What up, yo?  I gots some neato new toys to play with.  Some neato-spiffy abrasive pads from 3M have come my way, and you'll be most interested in those.  Good for de-gunkifying and polishing all sorts of things.