Saturday, February 12, 2011

Riverwalker’s Gear - SDS MOLLE II Hydration System


One of the main items you will always need in a survival situation is water. Water is always going to be necessary but it’s also heavy. At approximately 8.34 pounds per gallon, water will be one of the heaviest items you will need to carry. One of the easiest ways to do this is with a hydration pack.

Being a “gear junkie” can be costly as you seek out that essential gear item you know you need but may not be able to afford. Quite often you can find bargains in military surplus gear if you keep your eyes and ears open for a bargain. Luckily, one such opportunity presented itself and an SDS Molle II Hydration System became available at a substantial savings in the cost department. This particular piece of gear was in new condition and only cost $5. This made it an excellent and very affordable gear acquisition.

This is one of the Specialty Defense Systems new Military Hydration Systems. It has a Cordura outer shell for abrasion and wear resistance and the outer shell is laminated to a foam insulated inner lining. This is especially helpful in keeping your drinking water cool in warmer climates. The shoulder straps are integrated into the hydration pack and it has a pull handle to make it easy to locate and remove it from your rucksack or back pack when needed. It also has modular webbing on the pack itself that allows attachment of MOLLE compatible pockets for carrying additional items that may be needed. This particular unit includes a100oz bladder capacity and is the new mil-spec hydration carrier that is now included and replaces the Camelbak system in the new Rifleman Kits. The tag on this unit lists it as Universal Camo (ACU) #5031 UC - NSN 8465-01-524-8362.

Got military surplus gear?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Way cool buy Riverwalker - a little bit of water goes a long way when it hot. Nice thing about these vs. a canteen is they nslosh much less, being far more quiet. Great when still hunting.

Anonymous said...

Not to be nit picky, but water is 8.3 lb / gallon.

Ryan said...

I have been pretty happy with that setup at work. My only nit pick is that they aren't really able to attach to body armor well. You have to have those straps around your shoulders (which are already quite busy) or sort of try and tie the big straps to the webbing on the vest, neither great options.

The next gen multicam one has 4 clips on the sides for that purpose. However unless you wear body armor a lot the difference is superficial. Good buy! If you want to change the color just get a can of spray paint.

riverwalker said...

To: anonymous 6:32

Got it as part of a MOLLE II rucksack that I purchased. Sort of bought a "pig in a poke", bought as is with whatever was inside. Didn't realize it would have a new hydration carrier inside. With a retail of approximately $40 for a hydration carrier, it turned out all right.

Thanks anon.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: anonymous 7:37

I stand corrected. Will edit post.

Thanks anon.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: Ryan

I got an assault vest (which I plan on outfit with a few survival necessities) also in the rucksack and plan to use the two in combination for short day hikes.

I've heard that they use everything from zip ties to paracord to 100mph tape to attach the hydration carrier.I'm considering using some snap-type D-clips to add some lashing straps that will allow it to be attached in a fairly secure manner but still be accessible for use while being easy to remove if necessary.

The lack of attachment points may be why it was still new and hadn't been used. I'm pretty good at doing simple gear mods and should be able to figure something out that will work and be easy to use.

I've already got a Jansport 80 external frame pack with an integrated hydration pack that is located between the frame and pack and have a separate Camelback unit that had been designated for short hikes.

Water is and remains a priority when I'm out and about. I figure it's always better to have more than you need.

I spent a $100 on the MOLLE II rucksack and its contents (sight unseen) and got a really good bargain this time.



Thanks Ryan.

RW

Ken said...

...dang it RW,there goes more on the list...why is it my list always grows in the cold season...lol

...seriously tho,i'm o.k for now,until noise discipline becomes a factor,if i gotta "go light to fight",the bulk of the h2o,stays with the ruck...

riverwalker said...

To: Ken

The hydration carrier could be dumped easily enough if necessary...

Necessary being the determining factor...because it gets way too hot in South Central Texas in the warmer months and you won't last long without water.

Thanks Ken.

RW

Related Posts with Thumbnails