Ever wonder what makes life bearable for our soldiers during their lonely and difficult days of deployment?
Apparently, the US military is just as clueless as we are, because they totally neglected to issue some very useful gear that soldiers found very helpful in the field. Take a look at this list of useful but unlikely military gear:
Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, A.K.A. Rooster Juice
What is it with military men, that they need excitement even in the simple act of eating? Last I've heard, packed lunches just didn't do it for them anymore. Sriracha hot sauce, on the other hand, is “devastating” even if you pour it on just plain rice. Another good thing about it is that it doesn't require refrigeration, even after opening.
If you decide to send one to your loved one, look for a red-capped clear bottle with a rooster in front and fiery red sauce inside.
If Rooster juice is not available, Tabasco will do nearly as well.
Glad Wrap
Whether you're fighting in the desert or in swamps, you need Glad Wrap protection for your electronic gear. Just wrap it around your laptop keyboard or your cellphone or what-have-you, and you can be assured they'll work much longer than if they were filled with water or with sand.
And when you take the plastic saran wrap off, the equipment inside looks almost good as new, and can be resold at a good price!
Ziplock bags
For the homesick soldier, anything that feels like “mom” matters. And besides home cooked meals, nothing says “mom” more than clean, dry socks and underwear.
The best way to keep socks and underwear clean and dry through sand storms and jungle rain is by sealing them in ziplock bags. One sandwich-sized bag holds a pair of socks and underpants. Just press the air out before completely sealing the end to save space in your rucksack.
Silly String
For wartime survival, the soldier should never leave home without Silly String in his bag. The US military has yet to find a more effective and more economical way of finding invisible tripwires which, needless to say, can be a bit of a nuisance for our fighting men.
FRED
FRED is the official acronym for “Food Ration Extraction Device.” The people who actually use it call it the “Friggin' Ridiculous Eating Device.”
What is it? Similar to the P38 can opener, it's a can opener, a bottle opener, and a spoon, all in one. It can also be used for cutting wires, slicing tape, opening boxes, driving screws, maintaining firearms and repairing radio.
You can buy them online, or from Australian disposal stores for about 0.50 Australian dollars.
Duct Tape
Duct tape can be used for:
- Patching holes
- Waterproofing
- Protecting skin from blisters
- Repairing wear, tear and cracks on anything, from rucksacks to hummer doors
- Make improvised slings, casts, bandages, etc
- Replacing any rope, rubber or glue products
As a matter of fact, the duct tape has been called “the military's best-kept battlefield secret.” And I know, as a matter of fact, that EMTs too like to keep them on hand. My husband keeps a roll in his glove compartment all the time.
So now, you know what to put in your deployed loved-one's Christmas basket. For more unlikely military gear, please check out kitup.military.com, where I got the information for this article from.
