This goes with my OIF HEMTT Crew. Would they be carrying any water bottles? My guys would have just gotten out of the truck while on the second thunder run. Do they bother attaching water bottles when they are truck crewman? If they would carry water bottles, would it be just one, or two?

Thanks.

Bob

Bob,
What I am getting from the guys that are coming back is that it is so uncomfortable and hard to get out of vehicles with canteens attached to the IBA's, that is where the Camel Bak comes in handy.

Before any one gets a wild hair, this is what SOME OF THE GUYS COMING BACK ARE SAYING, NOT ALL OF THEM.

Oh, depending on the units supply, they can get issued one or two canteens. As for here in the 36th, we get issued two canteens, as a matter of fact, I was always issued two canteens. But know, some if not most units are issuing Camel Baks.

Thanks Pete. I don't have the option of camel backs as you can see. In the next couple of days I need to decide if I attach canteens or not. Right now I am leaning towards not doing it.

Bob

I wouldn't, just throw a couple of mgazine pouches in front and thats all. Maybe try to sratch one out of some type of epoxy putty on them or even sculpt one and hang it inside the vehicle.

Bob,
I just looked at some OBJ Curley pics of 3-15's Support Platoon and it looked like one driver had a canteen, hung from the straps between the front and rear portions of the IBA, under his arm. Other Soldiers in the series of pics that I have have canteens & Camelbaks (infantrymen??), while others do not have canteens (nor Camelbaks) (medics??) and one trooper has his ALICE LBE over his vest. Some of the canteens were in the Woodlands camo MOLLE canteen pouch and others had them in the OD ALICE canteen pouches.
HTH
John

Thanks for your input John. I think that kind of confirms I could get away without having the canteens attached. This is what I am going to go with then.





Bob

Yeah the canteens are pretty painful with just an LBE on and sitting on a bus for half an hour. I can't imagine it in the desert with IBAs on too.

I see you did a great job on switching the magazines to 30rnd ones.

Jeff

all i can give is what i did while we were in iraq, Camelback's attatched to our IBA's, and water bottles in an ice chest in the back of the 1114 cab, hope that helps

Hate to add to your dilema. I was in OIF 1 and I carried two canteens attached to my LBV over my IBA and a camel back. If I was in a humvee, I usually took the camel back off and laid it beside me. Also if in a vehicle I usually had 2 or three bottles of bottled water as well. The bottled water and camel back were my primary sources of water since it was usually colder (Ice in camel back and the bottled water on ice) my canteens were kinda my reserve so to speak, but they were 90% of the time always worn by myself and the unit I was in.

PS. Your figs look outstanding!

Thanks for all the input fellas. I think I will go "without" and call it good. It seems like this would be more of a personal choice. I do have two water bottles showing in the cab. I plan on having an ice chest secured to one of the fenders, per an OIF1 photo I have. If I felt like it I would follow on Pete's suggestion of showing a camelback in the cab too, but that would mean fiddling with the sealed up cab, so I will keep this in mind for when I finally do a Humvee.

Bob