12 minute read
TOD: PLANNING AHEAD
PLANNING AHEAD...
IT MAY SEEM ODD TO BE TALKING ABOUT SPECIFIC GEAR FOR AUTUMN AND WINTER AS MOST OF US ARE THINKING OF MOVING INTO SHORTS AND TEES FOR SUMMER RANGE DAYS, BUT PLANNING AHEAD IS A HUGE PART OF YOUR PERSONAL JOURNEY INTO DEALING WITH WHAT OLD MA NATURE CAN THROW AT YOU! BILL TAKES A LOOK AT HOW YOU CAN START SETTING UP NOW TO BE PREPARED FOR WHEN THE WEATHER CHANGES AGAIN!
Yup, that’s right, it’s June and I’m going to talk about gear for colder weather! That may seem a strange thing to be doing, but it’s at this point each year that my Gear Locker hits the changeover point; the majority of my cold and wet weather gear will be cleaned, repaired if necessary, and be put safely into storage ready for the end of the year, whilst my lighter-weight gear will come out of the boxes ready for some summer airsoft adventures… and I fully intend to get out and ingame this Summer as the last couple have been a bit of a bust!
I’m lucky that I’ve been able to amass my personal kit over many years of playing airsoft, and I fully appreciate that many of you may just be starting your own journeys and will need to build-up your kit options accordingly; however, this article isn’t just here to help you make some ideas and informed
choices, but also to remind more seasoned players that planning does indeed affect performance, and that being prepared will benefit everyone, not just those starting out!
This time of year is actually a brilliant time to be looking at cold weather gear as it’s the end of “winter sale season” with many of the outdoor shops and outfitters. All the “big names” out there will be offering end-of-line deals on fleeces and insulated garments, and picking up a good shell jacket right now can save you some serious bucks; depending on your left-over-after-the-latestAEG-buy-money then shopping around now will get you something in your price range. Although camouflage gear is available think about where you’ll be wearing it. If you buy a simple block colour rather than a camo then you’re also going to end up with something you can wear every day which makes it even better value for money.
But if you do decide that you want to buy into a “camo solution” then planning really is the thing! I made this decision some years back, and I’m pleased to say that I’ve followed the rollout of A-TACS AU from the very start, and have slowly but surely built up different loadouts based on its unique design. It does perform exceptionally well in its intended arid environment but I’ve also found that when it comes to Autumn and Winter in the UK it also has a great application for that time of year. Where I play normally in the South the undergrowth, grasses, and brackens all “brown out” to mottled hues of tan and brown as the temperature starts to drop and AU has proved to work very well when this happens. Going even further into the full Winter months things are still quite brown, and when the snow falls (just gear up and get out there, “snow airsoft is BRILLIANT!) the light background colour used in AU still helps to keep you concealed, especially at the start of the end of the day when the light is flat.
All that said, I choose AU for my Autumn/Winter pattern as between a number of manufacturers you can now create a full range of performance clothing and sleeping gear in it, and that leads me on to the question of wearing the right kit to deal with whatever the weather may throw at us on any given skirmish day. To me it’s really a matter of looking at my role within the game; my choice of role will really dictate which way I go with my kit for the day as a Sunday run-out will need one set whilst a full weekender will mean that you need to stay more flexible in your choices. What do I mean by this? Well, if you are going to be mostly static in a forward obs post then you’ll need to stay well insulated. If however you’re going to be involved in a little light “door kicking” then things are going to be a whole lot more dynamic and you’ll heat up fast!
From a purely physiological perspective your clothing, accessories and footwear choices will be ruled by your activity levels. If you are going to be static for long periods of time, especially on “stag” overnight in the Winter months then your body is going to be mostly dormant, and keeping your crucial body core temperature balanced is going to call for a serious level of insulation and protection. If however you’re going to be hooning around like a tactical banshee then you need to dump body heat fast and deal with moisture transfer effectively. It’s all a bit of a balancing act when it comes down to it; too cold and you risk hypothermia, too hot and your can fall foul of heat exhaustion even on the coldest day of the year.
CHOICES, CHOICES!
The first thing you will need in the Autumn and Winter months is a bigger pack because you’re going to need to haul extra water and rations, along with more clothing layers and a winter weight sleeping and bivvy bag if you’re going to be overnighting. Now it would be lovely to have different sized packs in all the different camouflage patterns you might own but the fact of the matter is that this is one area where “buying right and buying once” really comes into play. I tend to buy my packs or specific roles, this tome for Winter use; I still really like the 5:11 Tactical RUSH packs, and the 72 is perfect for a Winter hauler and luckily my old friend Sean at 0241 Tactical in the USA made some great adjustable pack covers in A-TACS AU (along with many other patterns) which not only add to my overall scheme but also add some additional weather-proofing.
My base uniform for everything is a simple BDU shirt/pant from Propper International or some “C-style” pants with kneepads from Emerson, worn in full winter with a base layer “2nd Skinz” Shirt
and Long John set from Snugpak underneath. The “2nd Skinz” have been designed specifically for use in high energy pursuits and the Coolmax element in the fabric really helps to let you keep your core temperature stable; in the cold they trap air which adds as an insulator, and when you warm up the tiny fibres in the structure actively “wick” moisture away from your skin allowing it to be transferred out of your clothing system, adding to the natural cooling effect of evaporation. The “2nd Skinz” are a comfortable, relaxed fit, and feel great against your skin, but they’re low profile enough not to bunch or inhibit movement when you’re wearing multiple layers over them. You can achieve your insulation and protection from the elements (and here I am discounting wet-weather hardshell which is a separate beast) in two very distinct ways; usually I would always champion a layered approach as this is superbly versatile, but in this instance I’m going to just use a couple of standalone pieces from the Snugpak range of lofted garments. The absolutely classic Sleeka jacket, which many of you will know of or already own and love as I do, uses Snugpaks very own Softie Premier synthetic insulation along with a Paratex Light shell fabric which shrugs off all but the heaviest rainfall; a synthetic fill in my mind is better than down as it retains a much larger proportion of its insulative properties even when wet. In my pack I’ll also carry a pair of the matching Sleeka salopettes, also in AU and made especially for me by the Snugpak guys, which are really the ultimate in “snivel gear” but so worth their weight! Even in size XL they only come in at 840g and pack down small into their own stuff sack; believe me, if you’re on “stag” at zero dark thirty you’re really going to appreciate carrying these. If you REALLY feel the cold then check out the hooded SJ9 jacket as this is the “flagship” of Snugpak’s insulated tactical range; add this to the salopettes instead of the Sleeka and you’re not going to get cold any time soon!
For footwear here I’ve chosen a pair of MOD Brown, Gore Tex lined High Liability boots from HAIX married up with some Smartwool socks. The High Liability model is great for the wet weather months. It’s sturdy, supportive, high in the ankle, and most importantly for the UK it’s a fully waterproof model. In relation to accessories I’m going to come back again to 0241 Tactical as their fleece neck gaiter is perfect, and their fleece watch cap works very well over an AU ballcap to give great insulation. Gloves are doubled up with a micro thin pair of “Thinnies” from outdoor brand Extremities (you’ll find these in all good outdoor stores) under a pair of Oakley SI outers; for the Winter I have a pair of the Oakleys one size up from my usual to accommodate the extra layer when needed. I’ve also thrown in a pair of standalone ALTA kneepads which can be worn over the salopettes if needed to give protection to them, and my poor old knees!
IN GAME GEAR
Airsoft, especially day skirmishing, is all about moving fast, and even in full Winter conditions
carrying a combat load is really going to get your pulse racing and have you heating up fast! It could be argued that dealing effectively with moisture management in your clothing system is even more important during cold weather as if your clothing is wet when you stop moving and your activity levels drop you are going to chill down extremely fast.
I usually tend in this scenario to look for clothing that is going to perform to the maximum, and sadly this doesn’t come cheap. You can use all your usual gear for “in game”, but given the time of year I intend to use it I’m going to need a little extra to see me through, so it’s back to the Snugpak range where two garments really stand out. What I’m looking for is basic protection from wind, sleet, and even snow, but I still want to maintain maximum performance and breathability. Snugpak have taken their Paratex fabric and put it into a “Micro” version of their Vapour Active Wind Top, creating a minimalist garment weighing just 260g in size XL that is perfect for this role; when not needed it scrunches down to about the size of a phone and can easily be stored in a pouch or cargo pocket. I have one that is slightly oversized as I can just throw it on over all my kit if needed, and there’s even a rollaway hood should things turn foul.
The other garment really worthy of consideration for your game loadout ups the ante slightly and is ideal if you really feel the cold. The Vapour Active Soft Shell takes the Wind Top and adds a TS1 Thermal Suede Lining. It still stays protective and minimalist, weighing 440g in size XL, but it adds an extra thermal boost to your setup. Both garments are available in multiple colours and patterns should AU not be your thing, and neither are going to break the bank!
Something you may wish to consider for the Winter months is a set of full seal goggles, especially if you’re going to be working from vehicles; these will keep dust and the elements out of your eyes, but please ensure that you buy a pair with a proper ballistic rating, preferably from your local airsoft store! To these I’ve added an AU Goggle Cover from 0241 Tactical, and to complete my headgear a lightweight jersey Neck Gaiter. A minimalist beanie hat is also good to stuff into a pouch or pocket for when the lid comes off, and a Coyote Tan watch cap from Outdoor Research Tactical (ORT) fits this Bill nicely. To round out the loadout I’ve again gone to ORT for gloves, choosing the lightweight “Ironsight” model which fit snugly and give high levels of protection.
A TOTAL SOLUTION
Rather than rushing at the “latest and greatest” I’ve spent an extended period researching exactly what I need and what I want it to do. All of the items that I’ve featured this month are easily available but are not cheap; if you intend to have an “airsoft career” as long as mine then they should be viewed under the heading “investment” though. Whether you decide to follow the A-TACS route like me is totally YOUR choice, but I believe this article may give you some “pointers” in what to look for.
The last word this time however is going to be about that crucial maintenance; spend some time and really research what is out there to help you keep your kit performing to the optimum standard and deal with it NOW before you store it away. Grangers and Nikwax in Europe both have a superb range of maintenance products so you can keep cleanliness, waterproofness and breathability up to their very highest levels, and all of their treatments, whether it be for boots, gloves, fleeces, soft shells, insulated garments, or hard shells, can be carried out easily and swiftly at home.
Be the “prepared player”; choose your kit carefully and maintain it well. If you do this you’ll be able to stay comfortable in the most extreme conditions and even on the grimmest of Winter days be an absolute asset to your fellow players, your team, or any Site you are a member of… and have a lot of fun too! AA
