Will be heading back "over there" in a couple months. First time I shipped stuff home in a Rubbermaid storage tub that was the only thing available at the limited exchange. It worked, but only because I 100mph taped it. Any suggestions from the current availability "gorilla" type boxes that will survive at least one round trip? Don't need a $500 bullet proof unsinkable unit. Thanks all.

How about the heavy. waxed boxes they use to ship fish back to the states from Alaska?

A Warfighter bag from London Bridge when they have a sale?

I have an original warfighter bag I keep emergency type stuff in. It's freaking huge. I looked on their website, and I don't see it listed.

Don't pay full price for their stuff...they have big sales several times per year.

Does it have to be a hardsided unit?
There are a number of London Bridge load-out bags that would fit moving "soft" stuff... but not protective of hard valuables.

what about this ??

Not military, but have moved things long distances


Akro Mills


Most sizes are available on Amazon.

Our people were always issued gear bags thru GSA referred to as "body bags" for deployment. As an inexpensive alternative I have a couple DeWalt Tough Chest 63 gallon job boxes that I bought at Home Depot for transporting heavy tools. I have not tried shipping them but they are on wheels and seem to be bomb proof.

Are you shipping your gear via USPS or a connex?

If the former, I recommend a simple gorilla box footlocker like THIS. It is strong, lightweight, and cost-effective. They are also USPS approved for shipping. Mine was loaded to the gills and survived a return trip intact. It was not damaged and I used it for several years afterward.

If the latter, you have several more options. Most guys used a rolling toolbox like THIS. This are not too expensive and even if they are heavily loaded, they have wheels that make it easier to move around on smoother surfaces.

Good Luck and be safe.

My personal method ( always been a travel light sort of guy) was to only take the stuff I truly needed.( for both deployments I only took about 1/2 my issue gear to start with) and as the mission evolved could identify things I would not need. I found it much easier to simply ship a small box every couple weeks as opposed to some big footlocker thing.

I helped a guy move stuff to and from a storage unit that had retired after 20 years in the Army. He had a bunch of containers similar to this one. Some had built in twist type lock. They seems very well made.

https://www.google.com/shoppin...wAQ8wIIkwMwAQ%20]box

When I shipped stuff home from AFG in the fall of 2014, twice I used the cheap gorilla boxes

Then later I did what Captain127 did just shipped a small or medium size box home every couple of weeks.

Army issued gear that I would have to turn back into CIF, I lugged it home with me.

Having been out of the Army since '92 I'm curious about the need to ship stuff back and forth as part of a deployment. What kinds of stuff are you having to ship? Are you shipping it yourself or is the govt. shipping it for you?

As the others have said, I find shipping several smaller packages back is the best way. Otherwise I have used the cheaper trunks/gorilla boxes like Marc in FL linked to. Good luck, be safe !

I used guitar shipping boxes. Worked wonders. I've also used the Gorilla boxes.

I believe the weight limit is 75 pounds so you need to watch out for that.

Another method you might use is to put the items in a body bag before the Gorilla box so even if the box cracks, at least the items will still be in there. That's how we got resupplied on multi day patrol. Water, ammo, batteries and MREs packed into a body bag, Blackhawk would hover over a drop zone and kick the bags out of the door. A team would go retrieve the body bags.

Sorry, can't help. When I deployed......it went in a sea bag....or it didn't go!

Home depot:


https://www.homedepot.com/p/IR...ack-296004/300735811


https://www.homedepot.com/p/IR...ack-296003/300735830


Stanley makes one that's semi-pelican case like. (W/wheels! easier to lug around )

https://www.homedepot.com/p/St...ox-037025H/202300294


What about getting a newer plastic foot locker?

quote:

Originally posted by 1gkek:
Having been out of the Army since '92 I'm curious about the need to ship stuff back and forth as part of a deployment. What kinds of stuff are you having to ship? Are you shipping it yourself or is the govt. shipping it for you?

Been to AFG eight (8) times since 2001. When you go, you are there for a few change of seasons. A lot has changed since '92 with regards to our military. If your unit has dedicated airlift, you can pack your stuff in containers known as ISU-90s. If you do not have dedicated air, then you are limited in how much you can take. Thus the need to ship stuff back/forth.

quote:

Originally posted by 1gkek:
Having been out of the Army since '92 I'm curious about the need to ship stuff back and forth as part of a deployment. What kinds of stuff are you having to ship? Are you shipping it yourself or is the govt. shipping it for you?

When I went, it was just a huge PITA in general.

First, once we all got to Ft. Hood before heading overseas, we were issues entirely new gear (everything) in the new Scorpion pattern. So all of our ACU gear had to be shipped back. Then, once I got to Africa, we ended up needing half the crap we brought so THAT got shipped home...I think I ended up with three duffel bags and two gorilla hardcases by the end of it all.

The last time my wife deployed (7 years ago), she had one of these:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ste...ocker-Black/16415912

A lot depends on how your stuff is getting there, and how often you think you'll have to move it around. All but a few of my trips involved several airplanes, and I was always a part of the crew for one of them. For the few times when I rotated partway through or out (the plane stayed), I was able to stash a box or two in the ISU90 that belonged to my section. In one case, I shipped a bunch of stuff back through the base postal office (which honors USPS package rates).

If you are palletizing your stuff as a chalk, and will be a part of unpaletizing it once there...then you have more options. If you're staying in tents...if you're going to move around, or if there is any chance of coming or going on civilian planes (chartered commercial like global air)...then your options change.

Once I had to come back through commercial air through frankfort, and when we stopped in Banghor, the newly created "TSA" stole all my knives. Ironically, I was able to keep carrying my M16. Gotta love the TSA fucknuts.

One more thing to consider....your luggage needs to be lockable generally, and your luggage may become your furniture. Also, if someone else is handling your luggage (off pallet), the larger and heavier it is...the more likely they are to damage it.