The Vietnam-era LRRP consisted of six men, when these people went into the jungle on recon, they got to carry:
2 PRC-25 backpack radios fitted with short antennae, and carrying a long antennae and two handsets (1 spare).
Spare radio batteries
1 Starlight Scope
4 Strobe Lights
6 Trip Flares
4 Star Clusters
4 Parachute Flares
4 VS-17 marker panels
4 WP hand grenades
4 CS hand grenades
4 M-72 LAAWs
2 WP rifle grenades with crimped ballistic cartridges
2 pairs 6x30 binoculars
2 Medic Bags
1,500 rounds of 7.62mm linked
120 40mm HE shells
10 40mm Buckshot shells
6 40mm Parachute Flare shells
15 20-round magazines for the XM-21
30 30-round magazines for each M-16
The individials would be armed with:
Team Leader with M-16
Assistant Team Leader with M-79
Radio Telephone Operator with M-16
Scout with XM-21 sniper rifle with scope
Scout with M-16
Scout with M-60
Each man would also carry;
8 quarts of water (at least 4 1qt, and 2 2dt canteens)
2 Smoke hand grenades
2 Compasses
1 M-17A1 chemical protective mask
2 Signal mirrors
2 Battle dressings
6 M-26 or M-33 Frag hand grenades
2 Claymore mines
1 Ka-Bar knife
1 Weapons Cleaning Kit
1 Wrist Watch
1 Poncho
50 Salt Tablets
1 bottle Insect repellant
50m Parachute suspension line
1 Pen Flare
1 map of area
3-5 days LRRP rations
Carabiner with 25m climbing rope
The minimum weight for a 48-hour patrol was 70 pounds per man and loads of up to 100 pounds were not uncommon.
What fun it must have been to sneak through the jungle with 100lbs of gear, trying not to leave a trail or break any branches...and trying not to make any noise...
