Importance of Standards in a Group

This post is different because I really don’t care what you decide to use for group equipment or levels of Physical Fitness. What I do want to talk about are the reasons I and those who are around me decided to have high expectations of ourselves and our equipment.

Standards

Standards are important not just from a perspective of ” This Gear is Best” but also as a determination of effort.

How committed is someone to the group?

Can this person be disciplined to exercise on a schedule and maintain a level of endurance so they are not a burden?

Can their family do the same?

How much effort are they willing to put forth to benefit all in both time and money?

Are they willing to show they want to take care of themselves and not be a burden on the group?

Are they also willing to be a team player as well as a specialist depending on their levels of skill and physical ability?

Can they function independently as well as part of a group?

Common standards seen from experience.

And some of these are just plain insane but…if there aren’t standards people will show up with junk-

30 days food for every person

communications gear for every adult

weapon and minimum of 1000 rounds of ammo for it, each adult

water purification

shelter

You can see where this quickly falls apart as people will follow the least costly path to filling these items. It is also unfair to the group and individuals as a whole when 1 person buys a 50 lb bag of rice, 50 lbs of beans and calls it good when the rest have Mountain House.

Do not be “That Guy”  You know, the one who has an unzeroed rifle, who is a total shit sandwich loosing gear every step he takes, having to borrow or beg everything from shoelaces to lunch.

So, lets talk about standards I have in place and then you can compare them too what you have or may consider upgrading too in the future.

Food-

This is pretty simple. 30 days non perishable food for yourself and family. Cans, bottles, freeze dried or bulk foods and everything needed to prepare them. This includes pots, pans , eating utensil’s and condiments. Grinders for bulk foods especially as well as the knowledge to prepare and cook.

But establish how you will do it locally because having everyone showing up with 500 lbs of dried corn is a bad idea.

I buy a 30 day bucket of freeze dried or a case of 1 type of meals every month. The easy way of doing this is for 1 member of a group to get a business license and wholesale accounts. Then do group buys with tax and shipping divided among everyone. This is definitely not as difficult as you might think over a year, but the person with the license has to keep the books and pay the taxes every month. But its a great tax deduction for the business owner.

I buy bulk bags of rice and other items once or twice a year when its on sale. You can also buy the 5 gal buckets of wheat but Im not huge on eating wheat because of my blood type functions best on meat and veggies.

The important thing with food is to stock what you eat so you can rotate the stocks over time and it never goes bad. If you can store freeze dried as well as stock and rotate your regular menu that’s even better.

Communications gear

This and weapons are where standards are most important because good enough, is absolutely NOT good enough.

If you get nothing else from my blog remember this.

The low end Chinese radios transmit far out of the bands they are set on and are incredibly easy to direction find (DF) because of this. If you show up with one of these “default standard” as some fools online call them, I and people who know the difference will immediately regulate you to the 3rd string.

You are 3rd string based on your lack of knowledge and lack of discipline to learn the difference.

They are NOT, now or ever, Good Enough. End of story

They absolutely suck that bad, and if you continue to believe you own a radio with these you are going to be food for something else. And the people who depend on you as well.

Underestimate your adversaries to your demise.

Team HF radio- lightweight-Low cost-requires learning

 

http://sparks-31.blogspot.com/2015/10/beyond-baofeng-technician-class-on-hf.html

If you ( you better get it) have a ham radio license you need to know morse code. No Im not being a hypocrite here, Im learning to use it as well. This radio kit, and a few broken VCR’s and you are building radios to talk and listen around the world.

Team radios

We use Yeasu HT radios.

The single band 2m first, then the VX series as people come up to speed with us.

The VX-8 or earlier versions of the same radios including the VX-7 which is a favorite. I highly advise if you see them grab them.

  Ive linked the unblocked version. Theres a hint there for you

The AA battery holder, 12v charger and high gain antenna should be a no brainer here guys.

With everyone on the same page with personal radios you only stock supplies for 1 type of radio. Spares are easy and fit everything your team has in 1 box.

KISS= Keep It Simple STUPID is your mantra here.

When your radio craps out in the dark you grab a team mates and you know exactly what to push or set, you just transmit. Either a call for help or a warning.

Its that easy. Your lives can depend on things like radios working. If you aren’t military you don’t get that Im sure, don’t die to realize the truth.

Weapons

Get real here, there really is only 1 system worth looking at as a primary standard if you are in the US. The cry babies will start immediately about the SCAR, AK HK whatever.

In America the rifle we use is the AR

I’m not saying its your only rifle, or if you like it or not. I don’t care, this is a standard. A mutually agreed upon STANDARD

An AR variant made buy the following manufacturers

Colt

BCM-Bravo Company Manufacturing

Daniel Defense

Knights Armament– 3 spare bolts in the spare parts box for each KA because they use a slightly out of spec bolt

Again, this is the agreed apon standard because only these makers publish the Technical Data Package compliance Colt originally developed and use the same metallurgy and MPI inspection Colt does for bolt life of 10,000 rounds.

FN may be complying with the TDP specified by contract with commercial rifles but as of today I cannot find anything saying yes or no.

There is NO “this is as good as that” debate.

None, they aren’t as good, if they were they would have contracts, NSN and brag about it. But they don’t. The AR platform has become a race to the bottom in the US in the last few years with even the big name gunmakers jumping on the bandwagon with bulk purchased parts and questionable quality control.

Mil-spec is a lie repeated so long its become truth, a part that fits doesn’t mean its going to work, it just means it fits

The standard is the standard, play in our pool, play by our rules.

20 high cap magazines, per rifle. Pmag, GI aluminum ( Brownells is an accepted substute) Lancer, absolutely NO ProMags

And webbing to carry at least 10 mags

Ammunition- 77gr OTM Isreali or MK262 Mod1, or comparable- 1000 rounds per rifle minimum.

Again, this is not negotiable or debatable. This is the standard round we use. The 77 gr open tip is shown to be very effective on game , 2 or 4 legs.

You can have as much 62 gr green tip, commercial HP or ball you want. But the 77gr ammo is standard.

Water Purification

Heres where we float a bit depending on filters and potential supply. I like the MSR filters, Ive posted them in multiple posts. You just need to maintain a spare supply of ceramic elements and gaskets.

But the Berkey filters are awesome.

But this is also an area you don’t need to spend a pile of money, because bleach works very well for purifying water. Simple to remember, 2 drops per quart in clear water, 4 drops in murky water and wait 15 minutes

Easy huh? Never say I didn’t give you a simple answer to anything.

Shelter

This can be as simple as a poncho to use as a patrol shelter to bedding used at whatever location we are based at. Lots of variance here and not all bad.

But you have to provide it and not be sleeping out in the rain. Your health is all of our problem.

 

Nowhere does this list change the team gear and MAG gear in the base camp areas.

This is individual gear and sustainment. And it is a standard.

You should be working towards the same level and everyone should be coming up to the group standard and not down to the lowest level

 

Importance of Standards in a Group