Intermediate LBV Assembly
Once you have set up your
basic LBE or LBV you may wish to customize it somewhat. The two most common and
most useful items with regards to customization are the SAW pouch and the
buttpack.
SAW stands for Squad Automatic
Weapon, which is a light, and very nifty, machinegun. You can look it up on the
web by searching with the words “SAW” and “M249” and “Minimi”. It is a much
beloved weapon by all who have used it.
The SAW pouch is a
semi-rigid square pouch with a Velcro and snap fastened lid designed to hold
one box of 200 rounds of belted 5.56x45mm NATO machinegun ammo. It is most
often used by regular non-SAW bearing infantrymen to carry necessities like
toilet paper, food, etc. It is just the right size to carry useful small items.
See Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The SAW pouch may be
mounted in the center rear of your belt by moving the canteens off to the side,
or a pair of SAW pouches may be mounted in lieu of the regular ammo pouches. If
you mount only one in place of an ammo pouch be aware that you will begin to be
very uncomfortable after a while because your load is not evenly distributed.
It is always best to load up evenly.
When mounting the SAW pouch
note that there are either one large or two small cloth loops on the back in
addition to the mounting clips. See Figure 2.
Figure 2.
It will necessitate partial
disassembly of your LBV in order to slide the pouch on to mount it if your LBV
is already done, but once mounted, it isn’t easy to lose. The pouch is meant to
carry roughly 10 pounds under harsh battlefield conditions. One of the authors
likes to fill his with 12 gauge shotgun shells, so don’t be afraid to load it
up.
If you have mounted a first
aid pouch on one of your suspenders or shoulder pads, you will notice that the
other pad has an area that is not being used. This is an excellent place to
mount a radio pouch. See Figure 3. Radio pouches are readily available online,
and a very good idea when hiking. You will be able to securely carry a radio or
a cell phone, plus spare batteries, in a properly designed pouch.
Figure 3.
The buttpack is also a very
useful carry item. If you refer to Figure 4 you will see two plastic D rings on
the back of the vest.
Figure 4.
These rings are meant to
attach a military issue buttpack. The buttpack in Figure 5 is a fairly
inexpensive and very useful piece of equipment readily available online. If you
get a sleeping bag that is designed to go into a “stuff bag” you will be able
to shove it completely into a buttpack and secure it to your vest. One
advantage of a properly laid out vest is that it largely does away with the
need for a rucksack for trips of less than five days in length. You may wish to
carry other items in the pack, and it is very rugged, so don’t hesitate to
carry whatever weight you consider comfortable.
Figure 5.
Another useful item is a
Camelbak canteen (http://www.camelbak.com/).
See figure 6. This is a large water bladder in a mounting pouch meant to be
placed on the upper part of the LBV. The pouch will also come with carry
straps, so that it may be taken off or carried separately. It does away with the need for two
individual canteens, is far more secure, and is a lot easier to use. It is
easier to use because they come with a “bite tube” The bite tube is a tube that
runs from the bottom of the bladder to a position that ends next to the
wearer’s jaw. Water flows once the user puts the tube into his mouth and bites
gently on the end which opens a valve. This item is strongly suggested since it
holds more water than two canteens, is more accessible, is more comfortable to
carry, and frees up space on your pistol belt.
Figure 6.
For comfort’s sake, you may
wish to get a “fat boy” belt extender for your pistol belt. This is a useful
inexpensive item that adds another four inches or so to you belt length. Even a
skinny guy will appreciate this item when wearing thick clothing and/or body
armor. They can be purchased at www.rangerjoes.com,
or www.stationhouse.com See Figure
7.
Figure 7.
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