Quote:Posted by Johnny Paratrooper | Aug 7, 2021      

Tying down your accessories, like optics, lasers, and lights to your weapons is very important.

Why?

Because when you run around in the woods, shoot your weapon, and do some other wild nonsense in search of the perfect adventure, you are gonna lose your stuff.

I tie down my canteens, compass, GPS, and other various piece of kit I need; Like notebooks. Namely because this is a lot of stuff to keep track off, most of it is camouflaged or subdued, and I don’t have the ability to buy new stuff when I am running around the jungle, woodlands, downtown, or deserts. Our gear is nice, expensive, and you invest a lot of time making sure its working properly and dialed in just right.

Once you get tired enough, you will overlook things you ordinarily would not have; Especially in the dark. Leaving behind the most important gear when you need it most.

During the Carbine shoot last weekend, I met some interesting new folks, saw some old faces, and said goodbye to many cans of beer. But one thing that I noticed is that no-one has any of their weapon accessories tied down, and only a few even asked why I have my stuff tied down.

This is the rifle I was using.

Certainly we can debate which knot to use, and where; But the primary objective is to make sure your stuff doesn’t simply fall off of your weapon. You want to feel the change in balance from it hanging off your weapon. Especially at night.

Allow me to paint a picture for you. As an armorer, I had to tie down and maintain tie downs on all pieces of weapon accessories from $25,000 Thermal Weapon Optics to $250 Surefire lights for nearly 200 Paratroopers. Granted, this is usually performed as a squad level task, but, mistakes would be made regardless of the posted standard. And the Platoon and Company level armorers worked as a team. Even still, despite the proper mounting and torquing of accessories, attachments, and optics; If we engaged in maneuvers for a couple weeks in the woods running around and shooting; Optics, lights and other accessories would disappear off of our weapons.

Eaten alive by the Green Monster.

What are the odds of you losing an accessory off of you weapon after a trip in the woods for a couple weeks? Well that’s actually easier to answer than you think. If 200 Troopers went into the woods for a training exercise, at least one of them would have an optic or accessory fall off. The tie down saved them a great deal of embarrassment, walking hands across the training site for hours, doing pushups, as well as a statement of charges to purchase the lost item.

Tying down your gear is a tedious process, and takes some trial and error. You also don’t want to make the mistake of tying down you gear in a manor that induces a malfunction, limits the operability of the weapon or equipment, and most likely, melts under high round counts or gets snagged during use.

I recommend putting on your favorite album, or favorite “guntuber”, and begin the process of tying down your kit.