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Camelbaks

insanebikerboy

Internet killed the television star
pilot
None
Contributor
I use the Ambush, it's my second Camelbak and I really like it in the cockpit. I had a bigger one, the name escapes me, but I came to realize there's no need to carry so much crap in the cockpit and the larger bag would just get in the way as I was flying. The Ambush will hold my checklist and kneeboard and I can put my spare flashlight, a few chemlights and a few Clif Bars in there too.

If I am going on a cross country or into the desert from the boat I'll grab my bigger bag, throw it in back, and adjust the load dependent on the mission. Mainly, I'll have extra water in there.



Where is this hook you speak of?
Airframers make ours and bolt it just behind the inside shoulder of each pilot.
 

MasterBates

Well-Known Member
My HSL squadron bought the cheap camelback knockoffs that were growing mold before we even landed. Those things sucked, and if you got them clean, they made everything taste like plastic.

My VAW squadron bought the ones that were supposed to fit inside the CMU-33, and we never figured out how to make them fit, as they would not fit in my vest, and I have the biggest gear in the squadron. Construction/moldproof was 100 times better. NFOs found good places for them in the back, pilots ended up mostly flying with 1 quart plastic bottles and cans of soda. (for as large as the plane is, the E-2 cockpit is not very roomy)

No matter what model you get, DO NOT get the knockoff ones. They suck.
 

BACONATOR

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
It also depends on what you do in your fleet squadron, and you may do vastly different dets as a 2P and HAC. I never bought a camel-back kickbag until I got to this hot ass sandy place. I had a small one (strictly water) for hiking, but I got a big backpack for here.

Flying around in the D for 5 hours, you may just want storage for water, drinks, food, and overnight supplies on the days you do PMCs to another ship and may have to shutdown for MX bullshit.

Out here, I use my kickbag for very different things. Storing frozen water bottles to melt during the flights, some snacks as well, but also to carry all my M4 magazines, CSEL, Knife and multi-tool (getting a military style bag with a weaved outer layer is perfect for all that).

If you want to get one as early as the HTs, maybe just get a small camelback with a pouch for snacks. Food and drink taken care of. You can also use your helmet bag to carry clothes in, in the interim before you know where you're going to be flying operationally in the future. A small camel back with a small pocket should be like 80 bucks or so. Not gonna break the bank.

You can use the carabiner to attack said camel back to your helmet bag to make for easy transport out to the aircraft.

Later on down the line, carabiners will also prove invaluable to attach PCLs, goggles, rifle, etc to your kickbag (in the event you do a 2515th det and have to be out of the chocks in 15 minutes from the radio crackling MEDEVAC X3 while sleeping in your hooch).

It's all personal and whatever works best for you is the ticket.
 

insanebikerboy

Internet killed the television star
pilot
None
Contributor
Flying around in the D for 5 hours
Sierras do the D for 5 hours??

in the event you do a 2515th det and have to be out of the chocks in 15 minutes from the radio crackling MEDEVAC X3 while sleeping in your hooch).
Hooches in Kuwait? More like apartments! I'd gladly spend 12 months where you are compared to 6 months on the boat.
 

KBayDog

Well-Known Member
Hooches in Kuwait? More like apartments! I'd gladly spend 12 months where you are compared to 6 months on the boat.

I don't know, man. Supposedly the Starbucks isn't going to be 24/7 anymore. My last boat "Proudly Brewed Starbucks Coffee" in the wardroom. At least that's what the sign said. I guess that Starbucks owns Maxwell House? (BTW, the $300/mo wardroom dues would buy a shit-ton of Starbucks in the real world, but alas, it apparently only pays for cardboard pizza and moldy fruit.)

At least you'll continue to be able to buy rubbers at the Buehring exchange. (I still can't figure that one out.)
 

BACONATOR

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Sierras do the D for 5 hours??


Hooches in Kuwait? More like apartments! I'd gladly spend 12 months where you are compared to 6 months on the boat.

Iraqistan, my friend.

At least you'll continue to be able to buy rubbers at the Buehring exchange. (I still can't figure that one out.)

I don't know, I've seen more attractive white chicks here than I've seen in Guam... just sayin.
 

phrogpilot73

Well-Known Member
No matter what model you get, DO NOT get the knockoff ones. They suck.
Not all Camelbak knockoffs suck. I recently purchased a knockoff, for a couple of reasons - and I'm very happy with it.

I try to support my USNA classmates in their entrepreneurial endeavors (i.e. I bought the Night Vision Pen), and I have a classmate that took his experiences as an Infantry Officer to develop & build a pretty solid Camelbak competitor. I'm going to be tossing most of my Camelbaks now that I own a Geigerrig. Some pretty nice features built in, pressurized bladder, can completely remove the bladder and turn it inside out to run through a dishwasher, three different pack sizes, the ability to attach an inline purification system, etc... Plus - it's fun to see Bob with a full beard throwing the pack out of the window of his truck at 60 mph, blowing it up with what is essentially an MRE bomb, etc... (he's got some entertaining YouTube videos). For Camelbaks, my favorite is still the Stealth, it lays as flat as you can get a Camelbak to lay and was actually comfortable to wear under my flight gear. It's the only one I'm keeping when I do my wholesale clearing out of Camelbaks....

At least you'll continue to be able to buy rubbers at the Buehring exchange. (I still can't figure that one out.)
Dude, it's to keep sand/moisture out of the barrel of your rifle... Seriously... :)

For flying - CONUS, I fly with a Nav Bag that sits next to my seat. It's got sectionals, approach plates, ANTTP, checklist, and L-charts in it. Maybe a 1:50. In the map case I usually throw my checklist, appropriate sectional and a bottle of water. If it's a long flight, I'll bring a camelbak - if not, I just toss a couple bottles of water from the squadron geedunk in my nav bag/mapcase. FCF hops? FCF checklist, kneeboard, water, and approach plate. Why no sectional? I know where I'm testing and don't need it. But if the shit hits the fan, I need an approach plate.

OCONUS - I flew with a "hit bag", one of my camelbaks with a lot of space, skivvies, socks, wallet, smokes (you can barter with them!), hammock (for a night in the Boeing Hotel), etc... Plus nav bag, and primary camelbak.

CONUS Airshow? Motrin & Water + nav bag. Lots and lots of motrin & water.
 

KBayDog

Well-Known Member
For flying - CONUS, I fly with a Nav Bag that sits next to my seat. It's got sectionals, approach plates, ANTTP...

ANTTP CONUS? What, oh wise Chicken Patcher, is the max effective range of a Mk1 Mod 0 LED stoplight?

As for FCF, I threw the San Dog TAC in there for the, uh, rare occasion that I had to move my FCF working area more scenic...I mean, uh, if I had to move for traffic deconfliction. Yeah, that's the ticket. ;)
 

lowflier03

So no $hit there I was
pilot
There is actually a NAVAIR authorized Camelbak that you can attach to your vest if you wanted to go that route. I've seen 2 different versions, 1 mounts on the front like the rest of the pouches, and 1 mounts on the back like a traditional camelbak. The PMA 202 website has the details in addition to all the other gucci gear you are allowed to have your squadron purchase via the SOA catalog.
 

RobLyman

- hawk Pilot
pilot
None
I've got two Camelbaks, both issued. The only time I have used one is the all-day-at-the-M4-range days. A frozen one liter bottle of water in the Blackhawk door becomes drinkable in no time with the temps in the hundred and teens in the shade and close to 130 in the cockpit. We have the hooks behind our heads like the 60S, but the HUD cord hangs on that. Throw in a FLIR controller and two M-4s mounted at the aft end of the center console, plus an SKL dangling somewhere in there, and there is little room for anything else like a camelbak. The Air Warrior armor and vest make wearing anything on my body a hazard to aft cyclic movement. My gut doesn't help in that department either. All my other stuff goes in a backpack in the back of the aircraft.

Its funny, but I don't remember a need for that much water when I was in the HTs.

For those saying Buering CHUs are better than the ship, you might be right. But that isn't saying much if you compare Buering to some of the holes we operate out of (for 12 months).
 
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