As some folks know, I’m going to Afghanistan in September. I was pondering the merits of buying body armor, but asked a friend who’s going to Iraq who had been in Afghanistan before what he would recommend.
He told me to skip the body armor and instead build a survival pack, about the size of a fanny pack ("bum bag"for UK, Aussie, and Antipodeans) with waterproof matches, a compass, powerbars, a basic first aid kit and a GPS unit.
I have little to no idea what to look for in one of these, but I’ve been looking on U.S. Cavalry and the like and it seems there’s a large range to choose from. I just need a basic unit that will get a reliable signal, and should be waterproofed and ruggedized. Is the basic USD 199 unit from the sporting goods section of Amazon likely to stand up? Your thoughts are appreciated.