Hey i'm looking for recommendations on gear. I will be on the job and was wondering what gear you have the you consider a must have or gear that you wish you had when you first got on the job. Any advice would be greatly appreciated
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Gear Recommendations
- Thread starter sdm2591
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Kisspik002
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Wait till you def get a job and see what others in your dept are using. I wouldn't buy anything until them as your dept may or may not allow certain gear. Same advice I was given many years ago, wait till you have the job. Best of luck.
lowbuckbob
NES Member
Your gear isn't issued by the department? Just about every department has its own standards for gear to insure uniformity and for liability issues.
Get a reliable flashlight with backup batteries or a backup light. I recommend surefire lights.
Definitely see what, if any, guidelines your department has. Luckily my department doesn't care too much about gear so long as you have the minimum stuff required. Always carry latex or nitrile gloves on you.... Always.
Definitely see what, if any, guidelines your department has. Luckily my department doesn't care too much about gear so long as you have the minimum stuff required. Always carry latex or nitrile gloves on you.... Always.
I carry 2 or 3 flashlights:
1 Large (6D) Maglight with the LED conversion.
1 Small, there are some amazing flashlights out there that will fit in the palm of your hand. Put in back or leg pocket.
Get one of those long cuff keys. Put a cuff key on every keychain you own. Put a cuff key in your wallet. If I could implant one, I'd do it.
When you can afford them, a good pair of sunglasses. You don't lose $100+ sunglasses. My wife has to replace them now due to scratches or parts failure when she lost the $10 specials every other day.
And most importantly, get an Ozark insulated cup. I have the 40 oz one, keeps ice all day in New Orleans heat. Keeps coffee hot all day too, if you swing that way.
On a serious note, if your department does not issue a trauma kit, get one with a tourniquet. May only be one day in your entire career you need it, but when you need it, you need it now.
Edit: Get two knives. One $5 cheapo for dirty work and one that will hold an edge. Cheapo on your strong side, the sharp one on your weak side. Practice weapon retention. If some jackwagon goes for your gun, your strong hand will be occupied.
Double Edit: My eldest child somehow looped his seatbelt around his neck. Having a sharp knife is important when you are a first responder. Don't dull a good knife cutting open boxes. That's why you need 2 of them.
If you don't have assigned/take home rides, get a gear bag. Nothing worse than at the end of an extended shift than sorting your stuff out of a pool ride. Learn to stay organized and keep stuff from getting scattered. I have a seat organizer that hangs from the headrest that saves me from rapid stops. Nothing goes flying.
Realistically, every day I do the Macarena (sp): pat my creds, pat my gun, pat my knives, grab keys and out the door. Almost everything else is just fluff.
1 Large (6D) Maglight with the LED conversion.
1 Small, there are some amazing flashlights out there that will fit in the palm of your hand. Put in back or leg pocket.
Get one of those long cuff keys. Put a cuff key on every keychain you own. Put a cuff key in your wallet. If I could implant one, I'd do it.
When you can afford them, a good pair of sunglasses. You don't lose $100+ sunglasses. My wife has to replace them now due to scratches or parts failure when she lost the $10 specials every other day.
And most importantly, get an Ozark insulated cup. I have the 40 oz one, keeps ice all day in New Orleans heat. Keeps coffee hot all day too, if you swing that way.
On a serious note, if your department does not issue a trauma kit, get one with a tourniquet. May only be one day in your entire career you need it, but when you need it, you need it now.
Edit: Get two knives. One $5 cheapo for dirty work and one that will hold an edge. Cheapo on your strong side, the sharp one on your weak side. Practice weapon retention. If some jackwagon goes for your gun, your strong hand will be occupied.
Double Edit: My eldest child somehow looped his seatbelt around his neck. Having a sharp knife is important when you are a first responder. Don't dull a good knife cutting open boxes. That's why you need 2 of them.
If you don't have assigned/take home rides, get a gear bag. Nothing worse than at the end of an extended shift than sorting your stuff out of a pool ride. Learn to stay organized and keep stuff from getting scattered. I have a seat organizer that hangs from the headrest that saves me from rapid stops. Nothing goes flying.
Realistically, every day I do the Macarena (sp): pat my creds, pat my gun, pat my knives, grab keys and out the door. Almost everything else is just fluff.
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Nitrile gloves, at least a couple pairs, in bright colors. (Two is one, and bright colors make holes or tears more apparent and 'stuff' shows up on them easier. Then you put on fresh ones from your glove pouch because you had at least two pairs.)
Latex is 1990's. It's all about nitrile now - significantly better than latex in every way.
Spare CR123 batteries if that's what your flashlight feeds on, spare handcuff keys, spare pen (sounds minor, but I'm always glad to have a spare tucked into the chicken plate pocket of my vest. When I need it I don't have it, etc.)
Hand sanitizer.
Spare keepers. They vanish into thin air.
Depending on what you'll be riding in, an appropriate comfortable holster. Hated my drop holster when it was forced upon me until I realized how much more comfortable it was, and that it enabled me to actually use the armrests in the boat. My back appreciates that.
Learn to look at what batteries things take. CR123 batteries are neat, but aren't carried at most corner markets down here. I have a hard time finding them at Wally World.
I 'daisy chain' my keepers every time I take them off. I don't lose 1. I lose 4 at a time
. I started looping them on my gunbelt. Haven't lost any in a couple of years.Keep dress uniform in order, in a set place. I have a set at work and one at home at this point. Just polish the brass a little and I'm good to go.
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Every now and then Amazon has a good deal on them. The Surefire branded ones (no idea who actually manufactures them) occasionally go on sale in boxes of 12 or so. Maybe it's 9, I dont remember. Whenever I get low I look out for another sale.
I'm with you on the keepers - I snap them all together and loop them through right by the buckles - harder to lose, but when I do I lose them all at once!
I'm with you on the keepers - I snap them all together and loop them through right by the buckles - harder to lose, but when I do I lose them all at once!
Awesome guys thanks for the tips. Im looking at trying to find a rechargeable equivalent for the 123 batteries and then keeping some throwaways in my pack. Do you guys have a goto for brands as far as lights, knives, or keys. Also does anyone have an opinion on leather or nylon gear.
I personally think the 123 batteries are old tech. I had a caving/spelunking light that used 4 or 6 AA batteries that put out enough light to turn night into day. Not as compact, but way easier to replace the batteries.
I've used both leather and nylon. Nylon is lighter and makes less noise. Probably not an issue in a city, but in the desert you could hear the leather creaking as people breathed.
Your department should/will issue basic gear. It will also, likely, have regulations about gear. When you know what is, and is not, allowed then purchase. That being said, a good flashlight which is always
with you is very handy, as is a knife for cutting seat belts, etc.
with you is very handy, as is a knife for cutting seat belts, etc.
