operation freshman - What do you need to bring/do/avoid...?

Operation Freshman

What you need to bring and pre – battle activity.

As PBI need some time to set the battle arena up before the opening of hostilities on Sunday morning we’d request that you do not arrive at the site until 6pm on the Saturday evening. In addition to avoid, props, pyro or surprises being disturbed prematurely the tunnels past the safe area themselves are out of bounds to all players until the missions begin on Sunday morning.

If you arrive early and find yourself at a loose end there is plenty ot do of a military nature in Portsmouth including:

Royal Armouries
D-Day Museum
Various historic ships to visit in the dockyards including Nelsons flagship Victory and a submarine you can go inside.
Sabre Sales army surplus shop (a veritable treasure trove)
USMC military store (for more modern kit, MREs and earplugs!)

Traditionally players tend to get to Sabre Sales first to rummage through their stock and look around Portsmouth in the afternoon before the event. For those wanting some no frills simple food, the ‘greasy spoon’ café near the amusement arcade across from Sabre is cheap, functional and relatively pleasant food. Similarly the pub round the corner from Sabre Sales with the large beer garden is also quite pleasant.

For sleeping on the Saturday night.

Sleeping Bag
You’ll need a decent sleeping bag as the tunnels get cold, a camp bed or inflatable bed to raise you off the concrete floor is advisable – at the very least bring a roll mat.
Earplugs
The equation of older airsofter + alcohol + small sleeping area = Excessive Snoring means that EARPLUGS are advisable.
Torch
We’ll be enforcing ‘lights out’ and noise curfew from 1am and you may require a torch to light your way if you plan any nocturnal bathroom visits 
For in game use your torch should be 1940s in appearance and of a reasonable power (no maglites, head torches or weapon mounted lights etc)

For the Combat Missions

Eye Protection
First and foremost, remember to pack your eye protection. PBI will bring a couple of spare pairs but obviously these will be limited and really there in case of breakage or loss on the day. While it can detract from the look, full face protection is a good idea for those worried about the close combat element of this battle.

Your Uniform/Civilian Attire
Pretty obvious really, again bare in mind it can be chilly in there and wet on the floor, while we assume most players will arrive in modern civilian dress and change for the battle, if you’re planning on driving to and from the event in your kit remember you could potentially be wet and dirty so a change of clothes is recommended!

Your personal weapon/AEG
Again, a bit of a no brainer. Given the nature of the UCAP site a pistol is often as much use as a SMG. Remember UCAP have a strict 330fps limit with a .20g BB and all guns will be chronoed. If you bring a hot gun them you’ll be running around unarmed! If you have a back up weapon (again period guns only please) do bring it but bear in mind that you will not be allowed to run around carrying a plethora of firearms and will have to choose *one* with which to equip yourself. A change of weapon is permitted should your primary choice fail.

Knife/spanner/screwdriver kills etc are not only permitted but encouraged and all weapons of a ‘hand to hand’ nature must be safe and approved by UCAP and PBI before use.

Pyro and Grenades
Smoke grenades and thermo baric grenades are not permitted for player use. .22 BFGs are recommended but 9mm is acceptable for those without adapters. All other pyro must be bought by UCAP as they have certain brands they prefer/allow. No pea grenades or home made pyro allowed and in the case of ‘heath robinson’ devices – asked to leave.

General Notes

Food and Drink

Lunch is provided as part of your day fee on the Sunday, as is tea and coffee in the safe area throughout the day. You will need to bring your own food (and a means of cooking it) if you are staying with us on Saturday.

It is also recommended to keep a few ‘energy bar’ type snacks on your personal kit to top yourself up with during the battle. Period snacks and food are encouraged but we wont through you out for munching on a tracker bar during a break.

All players are encouraged to carry water with them to avoid de hydration via exertion (civilian staff are exempt form this as water will be provided)

Facilities
Free tea & coffee is available all night/day
Water is available in the safezone
Hot water urn is on all the time
Portaloo is available in the safezone Battery charging available on-site
Chrono available on-site
Burger van is nearby for breakfast
Indian takeaway will deliver to the tunnels on Sat night!

Drugs and Alcohol

Any player found in the possession (or using) illegal (or questionably legal) non prescription drugs will be asked to give the organisers some… no actually they’ll be asked to leave and barred from any future PBI events – not only is it naughty and illegal but mind altering chemicals and high velocity pellet guns are not a winning combination.

Those players taking prescription medicines are asked to inform PBI and UCAP of the nature of any specific illnesses so that in the event of an emergency we can get you the correct care as quickly as possible (diabetic etc).

On a lighter note we’ll be having a pre game ‘social’ in the safe area on the Saturday night that all players are invited to attend. While we want you to have fun please drink moderately as it not only wrecks your day if you’re suffering from a hangover in a fire fight but impacts on your fellow players as well. To that end we ask all player to respect a 1am curfew on drinking, noise and light to provide all players with a decent chance to sleep (again you’ll not regret taking ear plugs).

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted inside the facility