It is no secret that Ukraine is actively recruiting foreign volunteers to come join it’s ranks in the battle against Russia. In fact, they have created a separate branch of their military dubbed the “International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine” specifically for this purpose.
Politics aside, if you are thinking of joining the ranks and heading over to fight in the conflict you should make sure you come prepared. I do realize that many volunteers are heading with some sort of combat experience whether its police or military based, however there are a lot of volunteers heading with essentially no combat experience. If you are one of these individuals, keep reading.
Full disclosure, I am not going to try to convince you to go or not to go. Everything you read from this point on is to simply ensure you have key items that you would be allowed to transport on a standard international flight. As such, you’ll notice I don’t mention guns, ammo, or other military gear that would be prohibited on an international fight.
Clothing
Based on what I am hearing, the Ukrainian Army will outfit you with some military camo which is nice however you should not rely solely on a military uniform to get you through. Here are some clothing items to bring:
- 5-7 undershirts: they should be loose fitting, simple shirts, preferably in black, grey, or dark green color. Please do not get any compression style shirts, as this material will stick to your skin should you take a round or get burned and make a mess.
- 10-15 pairs of underwear: having been in active duty I can tell you one of the most important and comforting clothing items is a good pair of underwear. I will also tell you that you should be prepared to piss or shit your pants when rounds start flying over your head, it is quite common.
- 2 pairs of longjohns: you’ll thank me on those cold nights.
- 10 pairs of black dress socks: an excellent base layer for your feet that will prevent you from getting blisters.
- 10 pairs of wool socks: preferably black again but get what you can. Wear them overtop of the dress socks.
- Rain jacket and rain pants: You will only need one of each as you should only wear these items if you are not in direct action or forced into it. Rain gear is noisy and will give away your position quickly. Rain gear is also easy to overheat in so you would not want to be wearing it while in contact where you will be sweating.
- Thin liner jacket: a key base layer jacket for those cold days.
- Tactical pants: you do not have to get fancy with these as any type of tactical pant will do. Ideally something that has kneepad inserts but not required.
- 1 neck gator: Ukraine can be a cold place, a neck gator will help keep you warm.
- A black/dark grey ball cap: something to protect your face when the rounds start flying from the comrades next to you.
- A toque: again, just to keep you warm. You will probably be outfitted with a military helmet but it’s nice to have something underneath that.
- Tactical boots: don’t just show up with any pair of boots. Make sure they are tactical boots, such as Lowa, 5.11, Danner, etc. They should also go above your ankle to protect you from rolling your ankle which is easy to do when you are running around dodging rounds and artillery.
Gear
Ideally I would be able to expand greatly on this section. However, since most volunteers are flying on international flights, you will be severely limited by what you can bring here. The good news is, you can still bring many useful items!
- A plate carrier: probably the most important item you can take. At minimum you should be getting one with level 4 plates but I would definitely try to get level 5 plates. Do not get steel ones, instead buy ceramic as they won’t cause rounds to ricochet down into your thighs or up into your neck and head. Make sure your carrier has space for several mags, at minimum 5 mags should fit on there.
- Eyewear: get some eye protection, simple safety glasses will do the job but it’s definitely weather while getting some shooting eye protection. Ideally with clear, and dark lenses.
- Ballistic helmet: there is a good chance you will be given some sort of helmet but bringing a ballistic helmet yourself is not a bad idea.
- Hearing protection: guns are loud and unless you want to go deaf after 2 hours of combat action, I recommend getting some sort of hearing protection. There are great products out there that will also work with ballistic helmets and essentially clip on to them.
- Fixed blade knife: get the best one you can afford, it might save your life.
- Fold out knife: a decent folder, you’ll use it for all sorts of things in combat.
- A watch: you don’t have to get too crazy with them but definitely get something that is durable. I highly recommend a Casio, especially their G-Shock line up as they are very durable and affordable. As long as it has the time and direction you are travelling in, it’ll serve it’s purpose.
- 2 pairs of tactical gloves: simple shooting ones, and another pair that has reinforced knuckles. I highly recommend Mechanix ones as they are cheap and proven.
- Waterproof gloves: for those rainy days.
- Winter gloves: for the extra cold days.
- A med kit: stick to the basics, a few tourniquets, combat gauze, chest seals, Quick Clot.
- Camelbak or water bladder: get one that holds a minimum of 3 litres of water, easily the best way to stay hydrated in action.
- A good water bottle: doesn’t have to be fancy, a simple Nalgene will do the job. Whatever you get, make sure it can fit in a pouch that you can attach to your gear.
- 2 carabiners: get heavy duty ones, you probably won’t max out their weight, but they are so useful in so many different ways.
- Patch with your blood type: stick it to your carrier vest or under your helmet.
- A rucksack: get something big that can fit enough gear to get you through at least 72 hours. There will be many times where you are going to be relying on this thing and living out of it. Any tactical bag will do, just make sure it has a waist strap that will support your shoulders as you lug it around for a day.
- Sleeping bag: the chances of you having a bed in a combat zone are next to nil so bring a sleeping bag. You might even want to consider a small compact pillow but that’s up to you.
- Ranger blanket: basically a military issued blanket that is sometimes marketed as a poncho liner. They are very effective, tough, lightweight and quick drying. Do not bring any other type of blanket with you, it won’t last a day in combat.
- Tactical backpack: something smaller, like 30 litres that will fit all the extra ammo you can carry, another medical pouch, rocket rounds, grenades, etc. Basically a patrol pack for when you’re somewhat situated somewhere and have your rucksack unpacked.
- Headlamp: very useful, get one with a red light. Make sure you bring extra batteries.
- Boot powder: your feet will thank me later.
- Ziploc freezer bags: various sizes so you can store items safely. It will also waterproof things for you. Use a sharpie to write what is in each one so you don’t have to unpack them to find out.
Stay safe and good luck.
Ben