Stencils and Stamps

[Fetter]

I see that some people have been going out to get a personal stamp for themselves at an office supply store, but before I do that I want to make sure it is actually warranted. Don't we get issued some type of stamp for our names?

I have 1" and 1/2" white medical tape. 1" clear med tape to cover the ink from stamped name tapes.

I am in the process of making my own 1" and 1/2" stencil of my last name in all caps and "stencil" font.

Got regular sharpies, laundry markers, metallic for my black socks, and the big sharpie for company PT shirts.

Are there certain items that need to be neatly stamped/stenciled as opposed to hand written?

Thanks

 

[whitesoxnation]

After in-processing the stamp won't save you much sleep. You wont use it to label anything that you can't label by hand writing your name. You will get issued a more rudimentary stamp kit, but it's not worth the time to bother. You will end up stenciling your footlocker, wall locker, utilities, war belt, canteens and pouches, pack, t-shirts, cover, and a few other things.

 

[Kodiak]

Just use the stencils they give you, it's much easier assuming you don't have a really long last name.

 

[Mr. Blonde]

It's usually staff dependent on what you can get away with but I finally broke down and bought a stamp at office depot after week 6, it was worth it. Re-labeling gear after lights out after a day on one of many of the fun muddy courses when I could of been sleeping in between fire watch shifts sucked balls. Can't hurt to bring one and if you get to keep it it's worth its weight in gold. Get the standard font, all caps, self-inking, 1/2" (?, it's been awhile...) for about $20.

P.S. the kits they give you are pieces of shit, unless you have super-glue the letters kept falling off the backing

 

[Vegas]

You can bring all the trash you want but at the end of the day they issue everything you NEED. Plus everything you bring you have to keep track of and carry around. There are only a few things I think are worth getting in advance, Headlamp(red LED) LEDs last a lot longer, 2 pair extra pt shorts if you can get them, Map pens( STAEDTLER permanent fine point ), waterproof note pad( http://www.amazon.com/Rite-Rain-Tac...=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1241161843&sr=8-14 ) LOTS of Boot bands(a pack of 10 would be good) and one or two pictures, otherwise it will be issued to you or you don't need it.

 

[theblakeness]

My top three essentials:

-Headlamp (Moonbeams are pieces of shit and break fast)
-Boot Socks (I thought the socks they issue were crap, gave blisters, and shrunk in the wash)
-Compression Shorts (Chafed legs are the most god awful thing on earth in the field)


I went ahead and bought a stamp kit from one of those moto stores in Q-town during libo just because it seemed handy, but it wasnt a life saver or anything. Certainly did fine without it. A lot of people rigged their own stencil templates out of the stencils we were issued...Seemed like a waste of time to me, but to each his own..

 

[Mr. Blonde]

My top three essentials:

-Headlamp (Moonbeams are pieces of shit and break fast)
-Boot Socks (I thought the socks they issue were crap, gave blisters, and shrunk in the wash)
-Compression Shorts (Chafed legs are the most god awful thing on earth in the field)


I went ahead and bought a stamp kit from one of those moto stores in Q-town during libo just because it seemed handy, but it wasnt a life saver or anything. Certainly did fine without it. A lot of people rigged their own stencil templates out of the stencils we were issued...Seemed like a waste of time to me, but to each his own..

Agreed, to each his own. I agree with your list 100%, and I'll add one thing that helped me - someone said bring dry erase fine point map pens, I would also bring some clear, self laminating sheets. Once you make a nice 5-paragraph skeleton, you can laminate it and write on it with the map pens. Not only can you re-use it, but it won't turn into a soggy piece of shit when you go into the field.

 

[Fetter]

My top three essentials:

-Headlamp (Moonbeams are pieces of shit and break fast)
-Boot Socks (I thought the socks they issue were crap, gave blisters, and shrunk in the wash)
-Compression Shorts (Chafed legs are the most god awful thing on earth in the field)


I went ahead and bought a stamp kit from one of those moto stores in Q-town during libo just because it seemed handy, but it wasnt a life saver or anything. Certainly did fine without it. A lot of people rigged their own stencil templates out of the stencils we were issued...Seemed like a waste of time to me, but to each his own..

I thought compression shorts were not allowed...must be another of those platoon variable issues.

 

[MettGT]

I thought compression shorts were not allowed...must be another of those platoon variable issues.

The only time they weren't allowed for us was under silkies because they'd show (don't get caught not wearing your jock though). It's not like they're going to check what kind of underwear you're wearing in the field or on a hump.

 

[Swanee]

Agreed, to each his own. I agree with your list 100%, and I'll add one thing that helped me - someone said bring dry erase fine point map pens, I would also bring some clear, self laminating sheets. Once you make a nice 5-paragraph skeleton, you can laminate it and write on it with the map pens. Not only can you re-use it, but it won't turn into a soggy piece of shit when you go into the field.

You can guy a really good field skeleton at AM Bolonoise in QTown for like $20.

I didn't need a stamp kit, but a headlamp is a must. So is body glide, as our platoon wasn't allowed to wear anything but skivvies. As far as stamps goes i made a stencil with the issued one, it worked fine. Do it in sharpie the first time, then touch it up after. Use the shoe polish for the big company letter and platoon numbers on front and back. It only takes about 15 mins to mark your gear for the next day. It isn't that bad.

 

[Vegas]

You can guy a really good field skeleton at AM Bolonoise in QTown for like $20.

I didn't need a stamp kit, but a headlamp is a must. So is body glide, as our platoon wasn't allowed to wear anything but skivvies. As far as stamps goes i made a stencil with the issued one, it worked fine. Do it in sharpie the first time, then touch it up after. Use the shoe polish for the big company letter and platoon numbers on front and back. It only takes about 15 mins to mark your gear for the next day. It isn't that bad.

Body glide was issued this past summer, see if you can get your hands on a can of spray paint we had some guys bring it and we all spray painted our company letter on the back with the stencil of course, somehow by gods good grace our platoon sergeant provided us with a new can to make new shirts and touch up old ones every few days. If you cant swing that do it on your first libo.

 

[whitesoxnation]

You can guy a really good field skeleton at AM Bolonoise in QTown for like $20.

I didn't need a stamp kit, but a headlamp is a must. So is body glide, as our platoon wasn't allowed to wear anything but skivvies. As far as stamps goes i made a stencil with the issued one, it worked fine. Do it in sharpie the first time, then touch it up after. Use the shoe polish for the big company letter and platoon numbers on front and back. It only takes about 15 mins to mark your gear for the next day. It isn't that bad.

Bring one of the big fat sharpies for the company/platoon letters/numbers

Just make sure to color within the lines... lol. One time our squad was lined up waiting for the next squad to get far away for us to start the fartlek. So we're just standing there in PT gear getting bit by bugs and yelled at for whatever.

Then our Platoon SGT noticed that one candidate's shirt was marked a little sloppily, I swear I thought he was going to get dropped right there, our Platoon SGT was pissed... he later gave him a chit for "not coloring within the lines"

 

[Spekkio]

-Boot Socks (I thought the socks they issue were crap, gave blisters, and shrunk in the wash)

Any suggestion as to brand/material to buy?

 

[Mr. Blonde]

Any suggestion as to brand/material to buy?

Thorlo boot socks, black or olive drab. Also, if you wear a pair of silk dress socks underneath the thorlo's it cuts down on friction and helps with blisters.

 

[Spekkio]

Thanks for the suggestion, but those socks are acrylic, which is a nono for shipboard wear (and thus a nono for the plant here). I was asking about boot socks because the command here is switching to the NWU in about a month, and as everyone pointed out the uni shop's boot socks suck.