Life Span of Common Items

[Cdnwolf]

Just curious what the life span of some of the more common items used by soldiers are... items like boots, BDU, carrying gear?

I was thinking with all the destruction of plants manufacturing these items, a good pair of boots may make a more valuable reward then gold to some soldiers.

[dragoon500ly]

It really depends on the amount of use/abuse that the gear goes through.

Combat Boots are considered to be good for at least 6 months-1 year.
BDUs/ACUs are considered to be servicable for 18-months.
ALICE Gear was considered to be serviceable for up to 5-years.
ITLBV/MOLLE was considered to be servicable for up to 3-years.

Now these are the anticaptated replacement dates for the equipment, it does not include in any way shape or form any hint of reality.

[weswood]

This might come in handy for you non-smokers, but I've come to the conclusion a Bic lighter is good for abour 750- 1,000 flics. For characters who are lighting fires, of course. I would never condone smoking.

[pmulcahy11b]

This might come in handy for you non-smokers, but I've come to the conclusion a Bic lighter is good for abour 750- 1,000 flics. For characters who are lighting fires, of course. I would never condone smoking.

I've never been a smoker, but I always had several Bic lighters when I was in the Army. Good for burning threads off your uniform, useful when shining boots and shoes, good for lighting heat tabs....and I hate to say, Wes, I think you're overestimating greatly the lifetime of the Bic lighter.

[pmulcahy11b]

And C-Rations are good for thousands of years, just ignore the color of the food and that rust on the cans...

[pmulcahy11b]

It also depends on where you are -- go for a training rotation in Panama, and your boots, socks, BDU pants, and shorts are pretty much ruined in short order. In the desert, your goggle lenses are cooked in about three months if you're lucky, cleaning weapons (and just about anything else mechanical) becomes exquisite, and even your teeth can have problems from sand in your food.

[Legbreaker]

I have a pair of boots (issued in 1993) which are still going strong. They might not see the same amount of wear time as they used to, but when I do wear them (about a day a fortnight) they see the same sort of terrain and intensity of use. Besides a few scuff marks and wear on the tread they'd polish up ok enough to almost pass on the parade ground.
But I'm in a relatively cool area and have the time to look after them. If it was hot and humid, and I barely had a few minutes every day to attend to general maintenance, they'd probably have fallen apart a long time ago. It all comes back to what, where and how it's used.

[ArmySGT.]

Let me preface this with saying I am a Civilian now and have been for 5 years.

I still have my two pair of boots from basic in 90. They gone through two pairs of heels but would still work.

I wore them for details that were going to chew up the exteriors. They look like crap but they are black and lace up.

Jungle boots and desert boots maybe a year. I have never been in a Jungle so as far as wet all the time I don't know. The stitch comes apart at the heel first or the interior comes apart and your foot is grating on the seams.

I have the same ruck I bought and except for sun fade it is going strong.

Treat it like you own it and it will last. Something Pvt Snuffy doesn't get until you make him buy the replacement.

[weswood]

I've never been a smoker, but I always had several Bic lighters when I was in the Army. Good for burning threads off your uniform, useful when shining boots and shoes, good for lighting heat tabs....and I hate to say, Wes, I think you're overestimating greatly the lifetime of the Bic lighter.

A standard Bic normally lasts me between 7 & 10 cartons, a carton is 10 packs of 20 ciggarettes, 200 total. A few years ago they did something to the ciggarettes for safety, not sure what, but if you're not actively smoking it, it will go out. Like if you set it down for a few minutes then come back to it, odds are you'll have to relight it.

Of course, lighting a smoke is usually quicker than burning threads and melting shoe polish, but it ought to be damn close.

[Panther Al]

Same here on boots: I have the first pair of tankers I ever had still ( over 10 years ) and have worn them easily 5 days out of 7 over all those years with the exception of the year and a half in the desert. In fact over the past four years they have been worn daily. Nothing fixed, nothing changed. Granted the sole is worn smooth: if I saw anyone with soles as worn as mine while I was in it would have resulted in a truly epic ass chewing. ;)

[Fusilier]

The socks always go first... and you never seem to ever have enough.

[Legbreaker]

And yet I still have and use my very first pair of issue socks received back in February 1991....
AND they don't have a hole in them, nor have they ever needed repair.

Just don't make 'em like they used to....

[Cdnwolf]

Yeah most of the socks are probably made in China now.

[atiff]

Yeah most of the socks are probably made in China now.

{cheeky mode on}
Are you implying something? My daughter is made in China too, nothing wrong with her

(So was my son, depending whose politics you believe)

:)

[Targan]

{cheeky mode on}
Are you implying something? My daughter is made in China too, nothing wrong with her

(So was my son, depending whose politics you believe)

:)

LOL. Let me guess, your son was Made in Taiwan?

[Kilgs]

A few years ago they did something to the ciggarettes for safety, not sure what, but if you're not actively smoking it, it will go out. Like if you set it down for a few minutes then come back to it, odds are you'll have to relight it.


As a fellow smoker, I must provide OT info.

Next time you're smoking, look at your cigarette closely. See those little lines up and down the paper? Those were powdered with gunpowder and magnesium(?) or some other flammable stuff. The legislature put a limit on it but it's still there.

Put your cigarette in an ashtray and watch it burn down to one of those lines, in American cigarettes you can still see a little flare as the powder is ignited and keeps the cigarette burning. The older versions were much more visible.

Based on the theory that if it kept burning, you would need to buy more sooner rather than later.

[dragoon500ly]

came across this on the US Army Quartermaster website,

Shelf life for an MRE is 18 months, unless stored in climate controlled warehouse.

Shelf life for a MCI (Meal, Combat, Individual...replaced by the MRE) is 3 years.

hmmmmmm

[pmulcahy11b]

As an Adjunct, knives have to be almost continually sharpened -- certainly after any heavy use. And some knives get to the point where they basically have to be discarded, because the sharpening wears the blade back to the part of the metal that won't take an edge (some brands of Swiss Army Knives are like this -- always buy the genuine!

[dragoon500ly]

Now, now, be nice! Even Leathermans have feelings!

[Brother in Arms]

I quit smoking six months ago

comercially manufactured ciggarette paper is nitrated this causes the ciggarette to burn down like slow match.

Today they put flame retardant in the ciggarette paper but did not remove the nirtrate.

Cigarettes like american spirits never had the nitrate in the paper so they were not forced to add the flame retardant. It's really stupid that the companies add chemicals instead of remove them for the same effect.

All I know is the safety ciggarettes don't taste the same and they leave a strange smell on you fingers and hands that smells a little like ammonia.