basic webbing loadout

well, standard ww2 brit webbing is fine for airsoft, 2 pouches, belt, cross straps, waterbottle and carrier,,,,,, the only thing i wouldnt worry about getting straight away is an entrenching tool. you might want to get a gasmask case ( lightwiehgt or GS ) handy for carrying gear such as bottles of bb's, pistol, etc.

ah right-o

i might just purchase an entrenching tool, for reasons unknown to myself i wouldnt actually mind digging trenches and foxholes etc, used to build 'forts' when i was younger, must be some of that in me

Also, the best , and cheapest place to get it all from is sabre sales, down portsmouth way.

If you're not local, they do mail order, and you can phone up and specify what you want, which is ww2 style, with brass buckles and brass poppers.

yeah, il have a look at their website

also, does anyone know if webbing from soldier of fortune is any good?? i have heard bad things

You want this:

Note as evo says:

Popper closure on the ammo pouches
Brass fittings throughout.

Skeleton rather than envelope water bottle carrier as it lets you do more or less any period in the war, envelop carriers are not 'airborne' ones as some cheeky sods try and sell them but post 1943 types. Same with lightweight ressie assault cases, everyone got them by 44 not just airborne.... dealers tack the word airborne on to justify charging you three times more for something.

Personally i'd bin the e-tool and cover.. you *never* use it and the helve falls out and costs a tenner to replace each time, as Nige says get a lightweight ressie case its much more useful.

I have an etool on mine for re-enacting as i keep my boot cleaning kit and clothes brush and spare blanco in the etool case.

SOF are great for some things worse for others.

Their 37 pat webbing is very expensive.

As Evo says , Sabre sales, you really dont need to go anywhere else for webbing.

nice, out of curiosity gadge, where did you get your webbing from?

Sabre sales.

Best thing you can do is look at the pull down drop menu kit guides for hallmashires and south staffords and commandoes.

All the recomended suppliers are the best and or cheapest option.

ah excellent. i could make a reasonable start on my kit build up right now, but im still going to wait

as far as regiments are concerned, might go for engineer, but might not have any to improve flexibility at events

REME or RE?

Airborne or leg?

TBH you've two years before you can get a game in anyway so you've plenty of time to build up kit.

yeah, im 2 years until i can play with CiA, but i can play at my local sites and get the experience and knowledge that most of the CiA world already have.

i definitely know theres another 3 WW2 players at my 'local' club so wouldnt be on my own

i was thinking just RE, and most likely airborne (im a huge fan of the film 'a bridge too far')

Right then for an airborne RE impression its *exactly* the same kit as the south staffords kit in the drop down but with a change of cap badge (and or para wings if its parachute trained RE).

The only notable difference would be the insignia on your battledress but as you're unlikely to want to wear battledress (a denison is far more practical for airsofting and what would be worn in the field) its a moot point.

so could i get away with not buying BD, and get a denison smock (plus insignia) and maybe some denims (or would denims be pointless) and still look roughly right? (plus south staffs kit?)

You're lucky i'm bored and in the mood to rewrite the stuff that reading existing threads would tell you

Dont buy denims, denims were worn as work ware and occasionally by line troop in europe in very hot weather, in the med KD is more likely.

You want BD trousers.

Unless you're re-enacting and doing parades, going to the pub or a duty NCO or similar you're *never* going to use a BD jacket. I've worn mine with my denison once or twice and even in january in the rian it was too hot and i ended up taking it off.

You dont put *any* insignia on a denison other than rank on the right sleeve only or shoulders and is parachute infantry qualified jump wings (always best to leave these off unless you've actually jumped as it cna offend some folks)

A good starting kit woud be:

Maroon beret and RE cap badge get a large 40s type one from WPG not a modern one, they are too small.
Denision smock (save up and get a ranger camp from SOF for £100, best buy you'll get)
BD trousers (cheapest best bet is spearhead on ebay)
belt, two basic pouches, cross braces, assault ressie case and water bottle from sabre sales
anklets
DMS boots
2 colour scrim scarf.

That will look spot on and you can wear a t-shirt under the denny until you can afford a collarless shirt, you can carry ammo, water and snacks in that ammount of webbing, DMS boots are cheaper than ammo boots and less upkeep and grip better on hard surfaces.

Cost woudl be about:
Beret and capbadge £15 What price glory and ebay
BD trousers £50 Spearhead on ebay
Denison £100 Soldier of Fortune
Webbing £30 Sabre Sales
Anklets £4 Sabre sales
Scarf £5 sabre sales
Boots £15 sabre sales

About £220

Unfortunately there is no one stip shop without either being ripped off or flogged stuff they think they can get away with selling you cos you're new and they think they can offload tosh onto you.

thanks gadge, i know it doesn't seem like it but i REALLY appreciate it

looks like thats going to be my kit 'bible' so to speak

also iv read one of your articles about british kit, i thought it was very good

Thanks much appreciated.

No seriously though there is a wealth of good info an discussion on here and the pull down guides are very good.

For re-enacting i always advise someone to get a credible 'walking out' outfit first and get the sexy combat stuff last but as an airsfoter you need to go about it the other way.

My advice is to get that 'outer layer' spot on an d you can wear what you like as an undershirt, socks etc.

Helmets, ruck sacks and all that jazz come later and you dont really need them.

The main thing is the correct combination of kit.

Europe its nearly always wool for combat troops, almost certainly always for airborne or sf as they needed clothes they would not freeze to death in sleeping in the open at night (you dont drop with a sleeping bag!)

Mediteranian, sicily you're looking at khaki drill BD replacing in some or all of the wool BD but sensible lads kept wool trousers as the KD ones dont last very long on african rocky sand or mediteranian hillsides.

Avoid the temptaion to pick and mix kit that you think is either cool or comfy, the best guide in the world is period photos... get three or four pics of the unit you want to do and do what the average guy is doing or most of them are wearing.

yeah, the drop down guides are very very useful for an analysis on what kit to buy, and a few details about it. I was going to do reenactment, but the kit regulations are far more stringent.

WW2 airsofting is like 'bargain-reenactment' (hopefully dont start an argument here) and you get to have a bloody good time while youre doing it which is why i swapped.

some areas from reenactment i really want to continue on is authentic food wrapping. someone i know in the Living History Association 1st airborne recce has printable authentic looking food labels, for chocolate and tins of food and the like, so might use some of that

cant wait until im old enough to join you guys on games (my kit will be improved by that time)

Rob

I'd always argue (personally) that the British small pack is 'essential' wear.

After using a DIY 1937 pat webbing rig of DEATH at PR4 I found the most useful item (and envied) on my person was the small pack, the ability to sling an extra water bottle or two in there, an additional camo throw over - all this sort of thing - even enough to have a full cooked breakkie ontop of the 4 story building at Senny mid-game and under fire.

Well that gives you a tidy advantage, also allows more space to shove various odds an ends when using ww2 airsoft gear.

Comrades,
If you are in Combat then you wear Fighting Order, so you wear a small Pack and Respirator, This is so you can survive/ support yourself in the Combat Zone.
If you get bumped then you could fight in Skeleton Order sure..., but you should in Combat, if you are in a stand up fight be wearing Fighting Order, as a Soldier has to shave and eat as well as fight.

If you check the Historical Documents you will see the correct look and Scale of Issue.