All the equipment knee-pads, hear-defenders, ballistic glasses, CIRAS, pouches etc... is provided and part of the package.
Personal clothing wise : what you would wear for 2 days under central European weather in late October bearing in mind you will be outdoors from 8:30 AM till 16:00 PM . Weather is not too dissimilar to the UK with temperature averaging between 3/13 Celsius, 1/3 chances of rain, but exceptionally be ready for temperatures drop. 3 layers principles is fine, versatile and sufficient.
- head : a wholly hat or sport cap depending on your volume of hair
- hands : usual shooting gloves. I use mechanix as they are tough, very cheap but like a good second skin without loosing fingers feeling.
- upper body :
1st layer. I personally like the "Norwegian" British army shirts as they are good quality/price ratio.
2nd " . Any Fleece will do. I climbed Mont Blanc with a 150 grams one and was fine. The old US Army black one is very warm (300 grms) and has re-enforced patches and arm-pits ventilation.
On a mild day, 2 layers are enough.
If it goes colder or wetter put on the 3rd lawer . I like soft-shells. the Condor Summit is great for the price : snug ard the neck, has a folding hood and protects well agst wind & light rain. Down side is the drying time when soaked. If in the field I'd avoid synthetic fibers as they don't like camp fires, ropes friction or flying hot brass, but for a 2 days class sleeping in hotel, it is perfect.
If you are thinking ahead, depending on your activities, for a week trecking/living in the field, looking for a "one does it all", then a Gorka is very hard to beat for the price and has a non-military look and is therefore more discrete .
I always take, even in summer, a gortex jacket in case there is a serious downpour. I invested long time ago in a fantastic Tad Gear for climbing, hiking, skiing etc but any cheap civi or army surplus one, even a dirt cheap "nylon" one will do as we won't hike ard and breathability is therefore not an issue then.
- Trousers . Anything really but bear in mind Jeans take ages to dry when wet . Any surplus BDU trousers with cargo pockets do the trick for very little money. Poly-rip-top material are great in all seasons, dry very quickly and if the temperature drops you can still wear women tights underneath, you don't have to tell. Suspender-belts are of course personal taste & optional ... I don't like the Velcro pockets closing on the 5.11 but they are though and very comfy even if a bit "tacticool cliché".
- Shoes : any good hiking shoes. Sport shoes are ok in summer but not so much in muddy or wet terrain.
The above is just my personal opinion and I am not preaching or claiming to be knowledgeable.
At the end of the day, no investment required, if you wear the same sort of clothing you would wear for a Bisley day you will be absolutely 100% fine.
Cant wait to see you guys there
