As a goon, each year I end up putting myself through a lot of physical stress. The typical result of this is that I end up pretty hurt or worn out by the end of the convention. One year I went home on crutches, another year I had to skip several days of work because my feet wouldnt let me stand on them, and yet another I recieved a 2nd degree sunburn. So, after each year I try to do a personal 'after action report' about what worked and what I wish I had done. This year, I noticed that I returned home no worse for wear (baring some liver damage and lack of sleep). So I figured I'd share with you folks some of the things I did that made Defcon less exhausting.
Feet: Ditch the combat boots, stick with hiking shoes or some solid sneakers. I got me a set of Super Feet inserts for my shoes. I dont think I can recommend these highly enough. Other than my feet being a tad sore Saturday night, I had no problems. I also ditched the tube socks in favor of medium thickness Merino wool hiking socks. All in all, my feet were happy all of con. Those that do a lot of hiking will tell you, as long as you keep your feet happy, the rest of you will be too.
Torso: All the running around makes you sweat quite a bit. This really isnt a problem till you stop and cool off, then the sweat dries and can make you quite unhappy. I decided to try wearing a base layer of Under Armor this year. I went with an Under Armor boxer short and an Under Armor Tactical Heat Gear t-shirt. This stuff fucking rules. I was cool and happy all weekend.
Gear: I have a problem staying hydrated. I simply forget to drink water when I am inside (back at the AP the 110 degree temps were a constant reminder). The result is that I get dehydrated and end up pretty worse for wear. So this year I decided to carry a small 400ml Nalgene bottle with me. I found that a Tactical Tailor Flash Bang / Smoke Grenade Pouch will hold this bottle perfectly. In addition to that I also carried a tube of NUUN Active Hydration tablets with me. These are nice because they are sugar free. One of them in a full nalgene bottle every few hours helped keep me alert.
This was the second year I carried my Blackhawk Discreet Radio Harness. Basically it looks like a shoulder holster, but holds our big goon radios. Sadly these seem to be out of production, as I have found it to be the most comfortable way to carry a large radio, particularly if you only intend on staying on one channel.
Not having to hang a microphone off me was nice as well. Several folks asked where we got our 'secret service' style ear pieces. We get them from a place called Earphone Connect. They make similar rigs for just about every HAM and commercial HT out there (for you Yaesu FT-50 owners, you'll find the radio on their site listed as a Vertex VX-50).
Overall I think I found the right balance of gear. I didnt find myself wishing I had something else on me, nor did I feel that I was overloaded with gear.
Feet: Ditch the combat boots, stick with hiking shoes or some solid sneakers. I got me a set of Super Feet inserts for my shoes. I dont think I can recommend these highly enough. Other than my feet being a tad sore Saturday night, I had no problems. I also ditched the tube socks in favor of medium thickness Merino wool hiking socks. All in all, my feet were happy all of con. Those that do a lot of hiking will tell you, as long as you keep your feet happy, the rest of you will be too.
Torso: All the running around makes you sweat quite a bit. This really isnt a problem till you stop and cool off, then the sweat dries and can make you quite unhappy. I decided to try wearing a base layer of Under Armor this year. I went with an Under Armor boxer short and an Under Armor Tactical Heat Gear t-shirt. This stuff fucking rules. I was cool and happy all weekend.
Gear: I have a problem staying hydrated. I simply forget to drink water when I am inside (back at the AP the 110 degree temps were a constant reminder). The result is that I get dehydrated and end up pretty worse for wear. So this year I decided to carry a small 400ml Nalgene bottle with me. I found that a Tactical Tailor Flash Bang / Smoke Grenade Pouch will hold this bottle perfectly. In addition to that I also carried a tube of NUUN Active Hydration tablets with me. These are nice because they are sugar free. One of them in a full nalgene bottle every few hours helped keep me alert.
This was the second year I carried my Blackhawk Discreet Radio Harness. Basically it looks like a shoulder holster, but holds our big goon radios. Sadly these seem to be out of production, as I have found it to be the most comfortable way to carry a large radio, particularly if you only intend on staying on one channel.
Not having to hang a microphone off me was nice as well. Several folks asked where we got our 'secret service' style ear pieces. We get them from a place called Earphone Connect. They make similar rigs for just about every HAM and commercial HT out there (for you Yaesu FT-50 owners, you'll find the radio on their site listed as a Vertex VX-50).
Overall I think I found the right balance of gear. I didnt find myself wishing I had something else on me, nor did I feel that I was overloaded with gear.
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