SERE/Land survival info

[brabus]

How does the flightsuit work out for dudes who go w/ a bunch of snow? I just know that thing's about as water proof as a ziploc bag w/ 69 holes in it. I just prefer not to be soaking wet the entire time...or at least I want to minimize it. Seems the flightsuit would be no problem in the summer, but I'm not so sure about right now.

[Toasty]

I wore BDU's in the field, because I went in November and the temps were something like 14 at night. I'd recommend it.

"2" on the headlamp. Get something powerful, it will be a big help.

[Guest Boom]

Don't wear a flightsuit (I was joking). Don't wear Maurader boots either. Buy some good quality socks also. Bring a Gortex jacket also if you can.

[pawnman]

How does the flightsuit work out for dudes who go w/ a bunch of snow? I just know that thing's about as water proof as a ziploc bag w/ 69 holes in it. I just prefer not to be soaking wet the entire time...or at least I want to minimize it. Seems the flightsuit would be no problem in the summer, but I'm not so sure about right now.

I wore mine in early April, still snow on the ground. Yes, it does get wet easily, but it dries much faster as well. I appreciated the extra pockets. I was the only member of my element that didn't have my own Gore-Tex, and I wasn't about to spend that kind of money for a week in the woods.

[ViperDriver77]

I just got back and there was about 4 feet of snow. It was beginning to melt during the day which made for a very wet week. My $.02, definitely bring good socks (Smart Wool or something that wicks away sweat), and a headlamp. I took the Gore-tex but really only wore the pants. You don't really need the jacket unless it's raining. A good set of moisture wicking thermals were nice too since you're sweating your ass off during the day snowshoeing up and down the mountains. The issue thermals blow. I took my Hot Chillys thermals and they worked great. I would also recommend a good Leatherman.

[Guest Global]

Also, I would bring a good knife. The ones they give you are .

[Guest Kula Shaker]

Agree on the good headlamp. Bring your own face camo - it's faster and better by far than the issued stuff.

What would have been the nicest over all is if I'd had EARPLUGS at night. There were enough people that snored at night that made me wish I had earplugs.

I survived w/out goretex in a flight suit, so yes it can be done. I'll admit to being cold a couple of times, but I expected to be uncomfortable once in a while at SERE. I didn't really use anything more than what was on the SERE equipment lists.

Don't forget earplugs

Also, the internet that the Survival Inn offers is worthless. Their bandwidth is non-existent and you might as well not have it because you'd be lucky to even get Google to load just the home page in less than 10 minutes. I asked the front desk and they said they knew about, sent e-mails, but it was out of their hands. So if you got something important you need to do on the internet, don't count on staying on base because you'll probably have to go find a hotspot in town...

Edited March 24, 2008 by Kula Shaker

[brabus]

I ended up wearing gortex pants and just the jacket they provided. I wore my every day bellview gortex boots...though my feet were fucking freezing when we weren't moving. I can't tell you what the wx will be like in a couple weeks, but last week and this week it's cold as balls...so expect to freeze your ass off, especially at night. The only extra thing I brought that I'm glad I did was a headlamp and my under armour coldgear. There's really not much else I wish I had, except maybe the gortex jacket (but only b/c dealing w/ the poncho is annoying).

[JeepGuyC17]

I hadn't been issued gore tex yet, but I found some for cheap on Ebay, and it was worth every penny, especially during evasion phase where you may have to sit/lay down in the snow for an extended period of time. When your bros are crowding around the fire in the evening to dry off, you'll be nice and dry allready. Other things I was really glad I brought were a headlamp (get an LED one and spring for a couple sets of lithum batteries, the incandescent ones don't last a day in the cold) as well as squeeze tube face paint and a small pair of needlenose pliers if you go in the winter. The pliers are great for having to untie tiny frozen 550 cord knots without taking your gloves off.

[brabus]

The pliers are great for having to untie tiny frozen 550 cord knots without taking your gloves off.

Damn, wish I would have thought of that. Undoing those frozen knots at midnight sucks!

Just to clarify...they lady told me all ranks up through O-5 will share a room.

That's the way it's been for a while AFAIK. All of us were paired w/ "like" roommates (i.e. rated O's). It really isn't that bad and there's a safe in each room that you can put all your valuables in while your away (just uses a 4 digit pin you set).

[pawnman]

Trust me, after you get back from the field, you won't care that you have a room mate, because you still get to sleep in a real bed. I never appreciated civilization more than that first night back.

Hell yeah. Straight to Final Point for a cholesterol burger and a pitcher of beer.

[Guest EN_GRAD]

Are there any uniform rules while out in the field? IE: Can I wear desert gortex pants with my flightsuit?

[slacker]

Are there any uniform rules while out in the field? IE: Can I wear desert gortex pants with my flightsuit?

You'll have morning inspections, complete with demerits. Shaving is a bitch and so is keeping the boots polished. Kidding.

I'd skip the flight suit and go with BDUs. If you need a more "real" experience, then ask to stay in the woods until next class comes thru. Clothing doesn't make the experience any less real. I felt that BDUs offered more flexibility than a bag, also, it's easier to take a nature dump.

[brabus]

All of us in our group wore flightsuits, w/ some of us wearing gortex pants over them purely for waterproof purposes. It's really not a big deal wearing a flightsuit...and that's when there was 6ft of snow and it still snowing, so really, no reason to wear BDUs.

[nsplayr]

I'm getting ready to head out to SERE in a few weeks and just finished up an appointment with the eye doc. I was asking him about extended-wear contacts, assuming I could get some and wear them for the field portion of SERE (as changing lenses daily in the woods isn't really feasible). He told me no go on that and that most people wear glasses/prescription sunglasses while at SERE. Does that check? What have other people done?

My main problem is that the prescription sunglasses I have (the issues ones) blow and I've never felt I can see as sharply in them. Also, they're not wrap-around and I'd never consider them for wear in a snowy environment where there's lots of glare from the ground. I've got very light eyes so it kinda makes me picky about sunglasses I guess...

Was thinking about getting some prescription Wiley X or ESS glasses since they'd be useful in the future as well, but they're not exactly cheap and after Christmas I am kinda cheap. Any advice on what others have done in the past?

Thanks

Edited December 30, 2008 by nsplayr

[Mike Honcho]

Pretty sure this has been talked about before, so you might get shacked for not reading around...

Having said that, we were briefed that if you wore contacts in the field, you'd be recycled/sent home. Trust me, you don't want to dick with contacts at SERE. I was glad I didn't wear mine and they even took the glasses off of my face before the "counseling" sessions. Contacts for academics were ok.

Just have a glasses strap before you get there. All they had were the old-school style, and the croakies were much more comfortable.

Have fun up there. Rent a car and get to Spokane when you're able, it's a good time.

Edited December 31, 2008 by Mike Honcho

[Flare]

Unless something has changed since I went 4 years ago, they will absolutely, positively not let you wear contacts out in the field, or to the RT lab. I don't even wear glasses, but I do remember them saying that multiple times.

[JeepGuyC17]

There were even a couple guys there with me that wore the gas mask inserts with the rubber strap. Looked goofy as hell, but it gets the job done, and those things are pretty much impervious to getting bent/sat on/falling off your head etc

[ChkHandleDn]

Are they sticklers w/ regards to rank/patches sewn on the BDUs out in the field? I want to wear the BDUs in the field, but I get promoted a few days prior to my arrival at SERE. I really don't want to get rank/wings sewn on BDUs I'll never wear again if I don't have to.

[Jon - Trident Home Loans]

I'm up at SERE now and they could care less what you have on your uniform when you're in the field or doing RT. When you're on base you need to be in a proper uniform.

[ChkHandleDn]

I figured I'd add my two cents for summer since most of the previously mentioned items to bring were for winter.

-Buy a mosquito net for the head. I slept in mine and didn't have any problems. Those that didn't have one, weren't so lucky. (The sell these at the survival BX--sold out at times though)

-100% deet. Two bottles at least. Mosquitos are non-stop during the summer. (Can be bought at the BX, sometimes sold out though)

-Wear BDUs instead of the flight suit in the field. The skeeters nailed peeps right through the bag, but I never had a problem with them while in BDUs. It's also easier to take off the top when hiking...and shitting.

-Gortex pants. Fvck the jacket. It was a waste of space even when it was raining. The panchos were adequate. But the gortex pants were money. If you have 'em, bring 'em.

-As mentioned before, bring a headlamp

-Don't bring a camel back. I brought mine and it was a PITA. They make you carry a water bag on you at all times anyway.

-Buy the $99 Stars and Stripes Shuttle pass. You'll go into town almost every night for dinner during academics...or at least you should. It's 100% reimbursable.

[XL0901]

-Don't bring a camel back. I brought mine and it was a PITA. They make you carry a water bag on you at all times anyway.

Depends on the instructor...I had mine the whole time and it was awesome. If you have one definitely bring it with you to survival, and then clear it with your instructor before you take it to the field. There were a few groups that had to use the water bag even if you had a camelback.

[bomber1]

I'd take a camelback. My technique was to fill up my canteens and water bag, then dump my canteens into my camelback and drink (poor out) my water bag. Don't know if it was legal but nobody ever questioned me. I also put my camelback inside my rucksack and ran the drink straw out of the top of the ruck.

Bomber

[brabus]

That's what I did, except our leader dude didn't give a shit if we had the water bag full if we were filling a camelbak in it's place. Then again, one morning it backfired on me when I pulled on my line to get more "reach" and pulled it right out of the camelbak. Leading to me being drenched down the backside in 20 deg weather with it snowing. Not cool!

[BQZip01]

Most of the stuff here seems to refer to wearing goretex pants. God bless my former career field where I was issued a full set, but it seems to me they may be a hindrance during the July/August session I'm planning on going to...or are they...?

Head lamps (recommended by several people who attended SERE previously) also seem to be a useful item.

dry, well-fitting socks prevent blisters, so having moleskin or an equivalent kind of sock seem to be a must. Thoughts?

Sneaking food/having authorized food seems to be a must if you can get away with it, but I have no desire to get kicked out or repeat the experience. Thoughts?

Any other things?