Replacing the old Map Case

Even though I am close to getting out of the military, I still have a year or so to go. As I get ready for my annual training time I've come to realize that my old map case no longer works.



It was a gift from an old company commander when I was an MP (not a favorite time in my military career), and I was very happy to get it. Unfortunately it has also been referred to as my "army purse", despite it being olive drab in color, decorated with army patches, and worn from a lot of field use. It has served me well having been taken on flood duty, snow duty, it went with me when I was called up to active dity in '02, and it even went with me to Mississipi and Louisiana. But it's too small : 12" x 8.5" x 4.5":

Often, if I wanted to pack my lunch (and sometimes dinner) and rain/snivel gear, I would have to bring along my Butt Pack as well. But there were times when I did not need to bring my entire LCE (Load Carrying Equipment - also known as web gear) so I would just disconnect it to carry. But that bag has issues too. There is enough room for the food and rain gear, but when I need to pack field manuals too, it would be tight. And the bag did not have any handy carrying straps.



So I have gone ahead and ordered a new day pack. The new packpacks for the Army are more modular. The bag I've ordered is just the day pack. (15" x 15" x 9") It straps on to the larger field pack for the CPF-90 system. This bag has large enough compartments for everything I would need for a quick out and back trip and it has shoulder straps. The only thing is, I wish I could have gotten it in just black.



Now all I need to do is figure out how to get my patches moved over. :)







Verse for today:

Psalm 146, ESV

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.


Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.

Praise the Lord!