Resting in a long game tips requested
 

This is aimed for the seasoned/miltary folks around here... how are you guys resting on the airsoft field?

Might sound stupid but I totally crashed a couple of months ago at OP Operator 2 7-hours into the 16 for the event and have been on a mission to educate myself so I never do that again.

My main culprits I believe were dehydration, lack of rest and blurred vision (no glasses with my eye pro). The one I'm having trouble to work around is a rest schedule.

When you guys are resting in the continous 12+ hour games do you head for a tent or just grab a spot in the field? I'm finding it difficult to know what to do and how to prepare equipment-wise for it. I think I'm going to implement Mckee's advice from another post by doing 30 min of rest per 4 hours of activity to start to train me to pace myself and not burn out, definitely open to suggestions from those of you who live off these long games. :)

I would first look at hydration, nutrition, and fitness.

A camelback and spare clean water takes care of hydration.

Look at the various gels and energy bars to keep fueled. They're made to be easily digested and quickly get to your muscles.

For fitness plan 12 hour activities that will keep you working for a length of time equal to the event. No point in a 20 minute workout that isn't going to approach the amount of endurance needed to grind out a game.

Were you the one who was sleeping in that car in the video from the OP:OP2 AAR? :P

In terms of most airsoft games, with their relatively short durations of 24 hours or less, there doesn't really need to be a hard-and-fast rule about when to sleep, and when not to. You should take your chance to sleep when you can, and just get used to going in and out of sleep. Most of your chances to sleep will likely be dependent on your squad, and on your team's commander.

If command sends your squad out to defend a location, then your squad leader should work out if he can spare people to take a nap. He should be checking in on everyone to see how they're doing, and if anyone needs rest. When you feel tired, you should take the chance to sleep. If you're going to be posted up for a while and the squad leader asks for volunteers for the first sleep shift, you should take it.

If action happens later, you'll be woken up. If you don't take your chance to sleep, and action happens later, you won't get a chance to sleep.

Make sure you don't let yourself fall into a deep sleep, though. Your squad should be waking up the sleepers every 30 minutes (give them about 10 minutes to pass out, then let them sleep for 20) and forcing them to move around, and eat/drink something. Once you hit REM after a hard day's fighting, it'll be hard to drag you out of it.

Really, it's just willpower to keep yourself from crashing. You grab your rest, and force yourself to wake up. It helps if you've got a squad that knows you, and can push you.

If you find it as hard to wake up as I do, and a "sense of responsibility to your squad, and to your team" is not enough (it's just a game, after all), then you certainly shouldn't be sleeping in a tent. Sleep in a building, or on the field. Ideally in a place that once you wake up, you can roll over and stand up in. You need to force yourself to move once you're awake, or you'll fall right back asleep. And, like entering a cold lake, you have to just suck it up and jump right into things. If you're laying in a tent, looking at the door that you have to force yourself to crawl out of, into the cold dark night of milsim shit, it'll suck some morale out of you. If you're just laying in the field, and can roll over, grab your gun, and stand up to talk to your buddy and ask what's been happening, it's quite a bit easier to get up.

So bottom line: rest when you can, and just use will power to get yourself awake before you fall into a deep sleep. Your squad leader should be on top of things, and should be dictating when you sleep. You just need to provide him with appropriate feedback of your status. Lastly, your squad should help to limit the length of your sleep in a single stretch of time, and be able to push you to get up. You're part of a team, so your teammates should be able to do this for you.

No that wasn't me. I was in my teammates tent stripped down to my base-layers attempting to sleep while not throwing up. :)

I have a hydration carrier but I wasn't using it as often as I should. Same goes with nutrition, had bars, jerky all the shit but didn't take the time to fuel up. My fitness level is low so that for sure is a priority in general to take up for next season.

I can generally stay up for long periods of time it's just crashing as hard as I did that game made me realize I'm not doing something right big time.

Balance hydration between water and electrolyte drinks. You can go all water but never all Gatorade. I did that once for a training day and messed with my blood sugar bad, crashed hard. Force yourself to drink too. Don't wait till you're thirsty, you're already very dehydrated by then.

Same with food, force yourself to eat. For a 24 hour game I try to munch on something every 2 hours.

Rest: bring a camping chair and a blanket , it's no bed but you can have some level of comfort without being too comfy. Sit when you can, if you feel sore at any point just take a few mins extra unless you're team desperately needs you right then. Avoid the ground unless you've got something really good to insulate you from the ground. You won't be able to rest when losing body heat.

As a military veteran, I can't understand why people would want to subject themselves to games longer than an hour. Of course I don't understand people who join the infantry either so to each, his own.

I remember during sleep deprivation in Basic and SQ falling asleep while walking. My FTP fell asleep in a ditch when we briefly left the road to avoid being spotted by a truck at night.

Hydration doesnt work the way you guys seem to think.

You cant show up on the day of the game with a bunch of water bottles and think you are good to go. You need to increase your water intake atleast a week, hell even two weeks before a game. That way your body can loose fluids during the game and you will be okay because when you are playing your body cant take in enough fluids and process them in time for you to use them.

As well, anyone who plays sports will tell you. CARB UP. Its not the best diet but a day or two before your game get a ton of carbs in you.

So in all 1-2 weeks before game day start drinking tons of water and STICK TO IT. 1-2 days before the game eat lots of food high in carbs. Then on game day bring your water and snack on proteins. Also skittles, cause I love skittles.

Hydrate well the week leading up to the event (you will piss a lot from it but that is good), carry at least a 3l camelback on you (I fill mine up,with ice then add water, helps keep it cold longer and cools your upper body while wearing it). Then I carry beef jerky in a pouch, gives you salt replenishment as well as protein to replenish.

It's always funny when my old fat ass can last longer in the bush then the skinny youngins

Hard boiled eggs. High calorie-to-weight ratio. Shelf stable for a few days if the shell is unbroken. Roughly the same protein-to-fat ratio as your brain.
Not a replacement for protein bars, but protein bars and other "maybe food" will make you constipated and lethargic. Food bars are convenient, but they're a supplement, not a replacement. Try to pack as much real food as possible (a small orange acts like a cup of coffee after hour 12).
Caffeine makes you jittery, unfocused, dehydrated, then crash, and should be avoided. Then again, if you're a caff addict, going without will do the same thing.
Chew gum, grass, or a button to stay occupied and keep saliva flowing. Flex your calf muscles continually to keep blood flowing and stay awake while laying prone for long periods.
Get rid of foreign objects in your boots, readjust uncomfortable gear, and take a shit (!!! Use a designated pooper or bury your shit properly !!!) as often as possible. Rubbing, chafing, back pain, and holding dunks are incredibly quickly fatiguing. And distracting.

Don't talk, though. There is nothing in the world as good at dulling your senses and dividing your attention as a conversation.

Edit 2:
Please chew non-food objects responsibly.

Ah, okay. I remember seeing a video about someone's name that I recognized. I was just too lazy to go back and find who it was. :P

A lot of the times you have to force yourself to eat or drink, especially as you get exhausted. A lot of the time you just don't feel hungry or thirsty.

Realistically, it's about simply not quitting. That, at the end of it, is how to accomplish 24 hour games. 24 hours is not an especially long period of time, and at all the 24 games I've been to, night time has generally been fairly restful, for at least a couple of hours. Most people tend to peter out during this time, with only a few roving squads actually able to continue through the entire period.

Fitness level certainly plays a part in the not quitting department, as it can make longer term commitments more comfortable, but it's all in the mind.

Firestorm XXX has the right idea, in that it's up to your command to designate proper rest rotation and feed times. If command isn't doing this, then it's up to your squad leader to step in and impose a rest rotation. Calories are important to consume, obviously, but we carry around so much fat with us that there's plenty there when we need it. I don't know how many calories are burned at your typical game (colder games certainly burn more, as does carrying heavy stuff and long patrols), but I don't think it's intense enough for anyone to really bonk or hit the wall. I've never found that there is such a continuous strain on the glycogen system to completely deplete sugar reserves to the point of bonking or wall hitting, especially as I keep some Gatorade on hand.

I have found, however, that while I don't really eat all that much during games where I am active the whole time (sometimes as little as 1000 calories), in the next few days I am a roving monster eating everything in sight, likely in a state of caloric deficiency.

Hydration is certainly important, but you can train to fight without needing as much too. You've got to figure out how much comfort you need to keep you capable and willing to not quit. For some it's a few moments sleep when the opportunity avails, or others it's coffee and fresh fruit.

All of these factors will absolutely make a difference in your level of performance, but to simply make it through to the end, all it takes is a not quitting mindset.

I bombed at risky sun IV, but Rob and I had been up helping setting up the day of, so by the time the game started we had already been up for 16 hours (so don't do that). My level of fitness had gone down quite a bit since the days of running two 24hr games a year and it definitely showed here.

#1 unequivocally is fitness. If you're not in great shape, you won't be able to run 24 hours straight. I WAS in amazing shape and I could do it, but I haven't worked out in a while and the difference is obvious.

#2 hydration, 3L on you and an extra however much you need in your bag. I know how much water I go through and I carry enough.
I also add in stuff to my mix, N.O.xplode (for vasodilation) and a 5hr energy for extra pep over the course of the 3L. Don't drink when you're thirsty, drink every time you get a chance. Because chances are pretty good you will NOT have the chance to drink when you're thirsty. With excellent hydration you should be pissing clear every 1-2 hours or so. You can of course drink less than that if you have trouble finding spots to take a tactical piss or are pee-shy. I just go anywhere I have the chance lol

#3 weight. Don't carry shit you don't need. If you know you'll be frequently back at base, carry enough stuff for FOUR HOURS. That means one meal, protein bar, water, ammo and mags. You don't need a gas stove, sleeping bag, soft shell, or backup gun on you.
If you're planning to be away from your base most of the game, then you carry your softshell, 1-3 meals (depends on metabolism), ammo, NVD, etc.

#4 boots and socks. You NEED extra socks. Good boots are obviously a must. If you're feet get sore or start falling apart because they're soaked, you're out of the game.
goretex socks are amazing, but you still get soaked with sweat, so still carry extra socks.

#5 sleeping on the field. Tents are big "KILL ME" signs. The idea is you don't just want to sleep, but also "live" through the night lol
Some guys bring sleeping bags, I find these are bulky, annoying to haul around, and take too long to get in and out of.
Find decent shelter, buildings, under trees, etc where you're out of the elements. ***Switch to dry socks*** waking up with wet shriveled feet is not only a horrible way to start your day, but can also be very painful and dangerous.
Have comfy gear you can sleep in. My PC supports my back as I sleep and is very comfy, excellent at keeping me warm. Put on a thermal shirt if you get cold at night, I can get away with just using my soft shell. And always bring a toque.
Sleep with your gun and gear on. Nothing worse than getting shot because you had to spend 5 minutes collecting your crap.
Make sure someone knows you're there, so you don't get left behind. Also sucks waking up alone behind enemy lines lol
Cuddle. Don't be homophobic, nights can get cold. Sleep back to back with a buddy if you get colder than your gear can handle. Spooning is optional, whatever floats your boat.

A couple small tips that helped me:
- Only sleep during daylight
- Have a camelbak but at your fob have bottles of water and drink from those. It's easier to track how much you've been drinking
- G2 powder is the shit
- Don't eat weird ethnic food before the game
- Carry advil and tums

the biggest one is PACING.

you don't sprint through a marathon.

A long game is about who's left standing at the end and still able to fight, not who can rack up the most km traveled and kills early in the game.

Never run when you can walk, never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lay down, never lay down when you can sleep.

If you can sit and reload, then you sit and reload. Better if you can get your feet elevated to let the fluids come out of your legs, feet tend to swell. In a long rest period, try taking your boots off when you elevate your feet.

Of course hydration is important, so carry fluids with you. Don't overload yourself, take only what you need onto the field. Ammo, water, radio. Anything else is not needed unless otherwise stated, as in the field is big enough to get lost in, so you may require a compass or map. Otherwise, if the game doesn't call for it, you generally won't need it.

Properly geared/dressed for the weather. Ever weigh yourself with all your shit on you? It might not seem like a lot when you hit the field at first, but over the course of several hours, every ounce and every pound you carry with you will fatigue you faster. When you start running around and it starts sucking up sweat, it'll get heavier.

IF you're at a safezone/forward base milsim, you don't need to carry all of your shit. You can deal with carrying a couple snacks rather than a full mre. Come back to eat. But snack if you need it. High energy stuff that won't make you sugar crash... nuts and stuff like that.

Every litre of water is 2.2 pounds. Ask yourself i you want to carry 3L of water with you at all times? Most of the time you don't need to. If you're properly hydrated, you can still go down with heat exhaustion.

Carry enough to get you back to the safezone/hq so you can fill up again. I went from 2.5 down to 1 - 1.5L with me. Sip at your bladder, drink when you get back to base. Fill the bladder when it needs filling.

I advocate a cooler with ice to have cold drinks, this helps fight off heat exhaustion. A cold drink can turn a situation around very quickly.

Avoid sugary snacks and drinks. Gatorade and such is fine but it's really just sugar water, the actual amount of electrolyte in sports drinks are very low. I have gatorade to maybe a 3-1 ratio. 3L of water to every 1 of sport drink. I stick around that ratio for the whole game.

Actual electrolyte supplements and water will probably help more than sport drinks, potassium is the big one, it will prevent cramps. For me the second is magnesium, my muscles get twitchy when I'm low. Low calcium also contributes to twitchyness. You can just pick up a bottle of potassium and or magnesium (or magnesium citrate) from the drug store and bring a few tabs with you. Sodium is so common in our diets I doubt anyone would ever need to supplement it. Don't go super crazy there's no ODing on potassium or magnesium, but it can give you the shits.

Calcium and sodium are usually things we get enough of already, so take care in supplementing them.

http://alphaman.me/wp-content/upload...on-swanson.jpg

:p

Best Hang Over pills Evar!
a bottle of potassium and or magnesium
Add some Vit C and Advil you will be set


That said, practice is a big part of this. In college I was regularly up crazy nights and working again through the day. You start to recognize your own stages and them in others as well. The first victim is your cognitive, then the attitude fails .You and your mates get bitchy at each others mistakes and shit. It goes fast after that, you can read it in most AAR's from night games.
Up and active for 48 - 72 hours sounds fun but its not. Stick to the shorter games and find other ways to build up your stamina.
Cheers

Haven't been to any 24 hr milsims yet but here's what I did in the military for those long durations (month long) in the field.
The guys above got pretty much all of it, just a few things to add. Depending on weather, you want to be a little bit cold to compensate for when you do start moving again. Get pocket warmers during colder weather and for at night. No need to bring a ruck with you, patrol packs were made for a few hours at a time journeys. Keep some of those small little salt packets you get at diners and what bor, one of those for 1 quart of water for salt, on top of your hydration carrier. Get some of those small sticks of drink mixers, I always find they helped. You don't need to wear your helmet 24/7, sometimes a Bush cap or a baseball cap will do fine. The biggest thing is, every chance you get, sit your ass down to take the strain off of your torso and what not from your plate carriers and what not. Don't be afraid to put your rifle down beside you when you need to.

1. be as fit as you can be
2.hydrate
3.snacks.. regular intake of small amounts of food VS big meal
4. organization, gear that is well organized and fits so you can get it off and on in short order. Drop your gear every chance you get.. provided you are secure and can get up and ready to roll quickly.
5.Priority of work, Weapon, ammo, gear, buddy, self. If you have done everything you need to and there is nothing to do.. sleep.
6. do not run if you can walk, don't walk if you can stand, don't stand if you can sit, don't sit if you can lie down, don't stay awake if you can sleep

Jerky, slimjims, pnut mm's, snickers and a shitload of water is what I keep with me at all times, snacking throughout the day is better, don't sit down and eat one big meal end up with 'itis lol

Eighteen or less hours of play, line up your sleep schedule so you don't need sleep. Usually a one to two hour nap will rejuvenate you to continue. As it is outside of your norm, you will get tired, you will get hungry, you will get dehydrated. Start off by managing your levels of health. Always carry around and drink a lot of water, with electrolyte breaks now and again. Good food with carbs, protein and calories so your body has fuel are also important. Make sure food is easy to carry and easy to eat, trail mix/beef jerky works in a pinch, but it isn't easy to chow down on it when you get hungry. Snacking along the way can help avoid hunger as well, and if you enjoy what you are eating, your moral will stay up. Comfortable and lightweight footwear, with extra dry socks and boots are a must. Keeping your feet happy means keeping your everything happy. Have appropriate dry wicking and warm, or cooling layers to keep you healthy. Go through your gear, ensure you have everything you need, but take time to get lightweight abd ergonomic stuff to use. If you sleep in the field have a layer to bring up your temperature a little, as well as ranger blanket or survival layer. Sleeping on ground is likely to be uncomfortable, so try and find a spot that you can sleep slightly reclined. Start with everything health-wise and then nap from there.

Find your worst enemy and learn how to deal with it. Mine is sun and heat. Learn to rest with eye protection on and your eyes closed or even sleep if you can under any conditions. Lying on a tarp or a ground sheet is still better than sitting in the trench with eyes wide open when you can be resting. Don't wake up and join the crowd when you hear other guys chit-chatting and you don't really feel that tired at the moment unless your are ordered to do so. Use any chance to rest, even if it's a 15 minute nap. You are not taking fire or being a part of active patrol/guard duty, no reason to be on your feet. I noticed that people have this tendency of refusing to rest when they have a chance and going out, talking to guards/people who just got up for a patrol etc. Our boss fixed that issue pretty fast during WW2 event this summer. We woke him up at 6am, he got up and said: " I see you are all rested and don't want to sleep, well, grab your e-tools and go fortify/add camouflage to the trenches than" :) Don't go all crazy and pumped up on energy drinks/caffeine/sugar in the first 5-6 hours like some people do and than drop from exhaustion. Water/food is also very important like many people already said. Take a drink every time you have a chance and refill every time you have a chance, even if your water is not low. Worst case it'll come out as sweat. Still better than dropping down from dehydration. If you are out of water, ask someone instead of going without a drop during long patrol. I don't use any power bars, energy drinks, Gatorade etc but that's just personal preference. Gatorade did save me once from being completely sun-fucked but I just like old school natural food/drink. I usually bring smoked sausage/meat, dry cheese, any kind of good bread from European bakeries and instant mashed potatoes, sometimes hard boiled eggs and canned meat. Meat and bread can be easily consumed in the field, will not go bad even on hot days, way healthier than MRE's and won't give you constipation :) That's basically all the food you need to survive for a few days. That's what real soldiers used for hundreds of years, so it must work :) To make potatoes all you need is 15 minutes, some water, mess kit and a portable Esbit stove which is the same size as your regular pack of smokes... Having some hot food on a cold day/after you wake up is always a good thing. I usually make that during rest times. Brian McIlmoyle likes to treat guys with hot cup of espresso or regular coffee in the morning :) That thing will wake you right up. It's also a good idea to know your body, it's biological clock etc. I am for example a night person, so I try to take watches/go on patrols between 9pm to 4am than rest for an hour or two if possible. Plus I noticed that most people usually become less active/more sleepy during early morning hours. Between 3am and 6-7am. Like other guys already said, make sure that your gear is prepared for a sudden wake up call. Before going to rest reload, refill water, eat, make sure you can put your webbing/rig on within a minute or at least make sure that you can shoot back. At least have a rifle and 3-4 mags within arms reach. Always know where you gear is. Lots of times people come back to the base camp tired, drop their gear, than crawl under a poncho or go down on a blanket and sleep while gear sits 10 meters away. Not good, especially at night.

I would like to point out again ^^^^

This.

I can almost guarantee that I'm the fattest person that you'll see on the field.

I have two blown discs in my back, I played all of NF2 with a 6mm kidney stone aching the whole time. I cut the tip of my thumb off the day before Rhino 1, I got it wrapped up put on my mechanix and played the whole game cursing everytime pressure was applied to it. I've played skrim games with a pulled groin.

Quitting is a choice.

Getting all dizzy and blurred vision, that's a not knowing your limits and going too fast for too long.

Being part of the command structure for both NF2 and NF3 I can you tell that if everyone that's sat in the spawn area "resting" eating chow sleeping etc., just sat at the mortar pit or somewhere on the field they are 5000% more useful then some chair-softer not knowing what their limits are and going to bed. Hell go to bed on the field. Some one can kick you if the bad-guys show up and you can pull a trigger and be useful.

Having people stationary watching arcs and holding ground is HUGELY important. Too many airsofters want to be leet COD operator and push push push when pushing a shift key is a little easier than sprinting from spawn to the kitchen at PRZ for 18 hours.

It's a marathon not a sprint. Sit down someone has to be a guard at the end of the game when you can actually make a difference and not sitting in your car.


To answer your question.
Slow the fuck down.
Slow is smooth.
Smooth is fast.

Eat and drink when you can.
Make sure there's protein. Jerky is awesome.
Get some MRE/IMP'S -=and=- heater bags, warm food is so much better than cold food.
Gatorade is your best friend.
Make sure you get 8.5 hrs of sleep a night every night for a month before the game.

and finally
http://alphaman.me/wp-content/upload...on-swanson.jpg

Alpha Brain and Shroom Tech Sport, lots of both.

Fuck me a lot of info, glad I asked lol.

I know pace and fitness are truly my core problems. At OP OP 2 I was the main comms guy on our squad and it was mentally taxing trying to figure shit out and relay plans and coordinate, I most definitely wasn't prepared for that.

When we finally had some rest time I was wiped out. I remember a teammate saying "you don't look so good" and then not much directly afterwards.

I have a lot to process through this thread so I thank each of you for your contribution. :)

This is really all that you need to gather out of this thread:

http://alphaman.me/wp-content/upload...on-swanson.jpg

As a Force Recon Member and game Staff for NF, I would strongly discourage you from following that bit of advice.

The whole point of eating and drinking properly is so you DONT cop Z's in the field... i.e. crashing.
Having a quick combat nap for a few minutes at 5AM during some downtime is one thing, but racking out at the CP not only is severely looked down upon, but also royally pisses off a lot of others that could not get a spot in the game that would have otherwise played through. If you are lucky enough to get into a NF game (or any other long format Milsim game for that matter), don't piss it away by racking out for a couple of hours at the CP while others are pushing hard.

As long as you hydrate yourself sufficiently, eat properly and are well rested before the game i.e. maybe having a rave the night before NF3 isn't such a good idea....???.... there really is no reason why you cannot make the duration. IF milsim is for you, I encourage you to be as fit as you can be and to learn how to play smart and be fair (with yourself and with other players)

As I understand it better to be out a couple of hours in an event and finish as opposed to half or less and then leave your team short-handed. I plan on tackling NF4 and will be combining a few things in this thread to survive but I highly doubt I'll be up for every minute of a 24 hour event.

Just take sleep when you can. Sitting in a guard position? Establish a routine with your squad so some are up while the rest are dozing. You don't need to sleep in a cot or at base, it can be on the forest floor while at a listening hold or observation position. 30 mins here, an hour there really adds up.

This "pre hydration" drink more the week before BS from the first page of the thread is BS. Your body doesn't "learn" to store more water because you drink more. For fuck sake its the tens........GOOGLE IT.

Staying awake is a mind game, and you need practice to pull it off. If you are not used (or trained) to be sleep fucked, you will fall asleep when your body tells you to fall asleep.

The ONLY way to stay awake when your body tells you to sleep is to have the experience of, and know how to counteract that, and that means practice. In shitty conditions. Not on your couch.

Oh and what Talon said. Good strategy.

There's a lot of good info here, but what you do should be game dependent. I've been at games where we went hard all night, and I've been to games where we took turns racking up during downtime, maybe for an hour max. The games pace dictates your pace, or at least it should. If your being constantly assaulted the your gun is needed. Want to create rack time? Send hit squads times to mess with the enemy while groups of three or four catch some recharge time. Remember you can always sleep when the event is over, but be nice to yourself and use all of your time wisely.

Consider the following. Manning up is good, but don't hurt yourself. I have had to evac someone from a game who got very sick and exhausted. Be smart a space yourself. Number two, be prepared. Sleep and eat well before hand, plan everything out. Don't drive for fourteen hours, stuff your ass full of McDonald's and Pepsi, and the immediately try and play an endurance game. That's just stupid. Third and most importantly; if endurance games aren't for you, don't fuckin' go. They are not for everyone, period, full stop, done! These games are designed for eighteen, twenty-four, thirty-six, etc, of fully emersive combat. If you die out there or quit it ruins it for the others. There are games that have multiple insertions.

Number 1: Only attend if you are ready and these games are right for you.

Number 2: Be appropriately prepared. Eat, sleep, travel, gear, etc.

Number 3: Man up. Your going to be sore, cold, wet, tired, hungry, etc.

To add to that, don't limit yourself!

You may not be able to endure a Milsim game now, but following the advice in Ricochet's post, and all others before him, you definitely can!

I was up over 320lbs and sedentary. I got into Airsoft, and after playing for a couple years, I wanted to be more effective/ experience more of the game's potential.
Using that as a base goal, and structuring my fitness goals around that greater goal, I dropped to 185lbs, and am now at ~230lbs with the muscle mass I've added (I'm 6'3" for reference).

This has affected my life in so many positive ways, I can't even describe them.

Airsoft alone won't make you an athlete, but if you're into it for the long haul, it can be an excellent motivator for personal excellence.

Play play play!

Not a week before, but the day before... being hydrated at the start of the game helps you not die a couple hours in. Proper hydration is not about just pissing clear. It's about your body having enough retained fluids to operate. Your body won't absorb what it needs if you just guzzle 2L of water in one go. It'll just make you piss in about an hour.


Also what hasn't been mentioned here yet:

The day doesn't start when the game starts. It starts when you get up and haul your ass and shit to the field. An 18 hour game is still 24 hours awake or up and around. Saturday morning at 7.. get up, morning routine, shit, shower, shave, eat, load the vehicle, go to the field.. depending where you are, that's 2 hours already let's say. So it's now 9... registration.. chrono, put your gear on, fix other people's shit. Bomb up mags. It's now 10-11... game brief... team brief.. now 12... hit the field.. 18 hours of horseshit on the field, now you're 8 am. Pack your shit, police the field for other people's slobbery cause you brought garbage bags for your own shit right?

Now it's 9 am... prizes, ass grabbing, man scratching, sleepy yawning and maybe help out other teammates or your CP police up the nice stuff they brought to help lead your side to victory.

Maybe it's 10 am now, now drive home or nap and then drive home, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours... what have you.

An 18 hour game is more than 18 hours, plan for the logistics before and after the game and factor that in. Have enough left over at the game to not be a dick and be a real team player. I find a lot of people don't even take it into account and they're done and completely spent at the wrong times.


You guys that drove from the far side of toronto or ottawa the morning of nightfall and drove all the way back at game end: you folks are crazy.

Well this is airsoft...so I don't expect people to be in peak athletic shape, it'd be nice to see the sport evolve that way...however its not at this point. But Blackthorn did touch on a very good point.... staying awake or at least in the game for the duration is indeed a mind game.

It is why you will see guys who are overweight and technically out of shape lasting longer than guys who look like 6' tall grayhounds. Why a dude who's 4 ft nothin can outrun, outgun and last longer than a guy whos 5' 9" and built.

The other very important thing to remember...and this ties into the mental game for those not familiar with this game format or those thinking about it but aren't sure....is that in an 16hr+ Milsim event, you're not running balls out and charging hard the entire time....Sure there will be times when a push might go on for a while or when your team Commander needs a little extra from you or your squad, but over all, there are plenty of opportunities to rest....and not have to sleep.

Catching Z's for 30min to an hour doesn't do anything for your body....its your mind that gets the reset. So getting your head in the game will go much further than trying to Hydrate yourself for a week before the game....LOL!

us fat guys know how to pace ourselves. :P

Blasphemy! The rave before the OP is a TRADITION. Only the truly valiant and badass can survive the rave and operate for the entire op. :cool:

In Soviet Russia, rave MilSims you.

weird because when I hydrate the full week before a longer game I have no issues, if I only hydrate the day before I do. So its not full BS, its been working for me for over 20 years. And not everything you read on Google is true, FYI, "for fuck sakes its the tens" you should know that as well lol


It's also easier to stay awake a full 24 hours straight the first time you switch to a long shift, then it is to switch back and forth. Yes part of it is a mind game, part of it is also having the proper nutrients and proteins in your system for your body to draw on for energy reserves.

The pre-hydration debate is a good example of why you need to know yourself as part of your prep. Just because one guy says don't eat energy bars, just chew on grass and another says don't drink plain water add 6 cups of sugar to each bottle doesn't mean you flat out follow that advice.

That's why I try to leave advice that's very general about stuff like this since the individual has a huge part in the equation.

Welp, having just survived my first "24hr" game last weekend, I definitely recommend eating when ever you get the opportunity. A full belly kept me and my buddy going all day and as long into the night as everyone else was up, and then onto the morning.

Also, don't just dress appropriately, bring appropriate sleeping items.
None of the 4 of us had ever camped in November, and we were all a little under prepared. made for a not very restful night when we did decide to pack it in.

Also, someone already noted, if you're not a caffeine addict, don't touch it, but if you are, make sure you bring some to keep you medicated.
Had one squad mate go down hard due to not having any in over 24 hours. Didn't end well. Headaches, vomiting, etc.

Speaking of Meds, bring mild pain killers. You're going to get sore. Everywhere. having the edge be a little dulled was my saving grace with my ruined knees and back.

There's my $0.02 anyways.

Be careful of pain killers as most thin your blood. I'd maybe use a small dose of ibuprofen in a pinch, maybe Tylenol.

Don't tell me how to live my life



Also I would again like to point out for the 4th-5th time
http://alphaman.me/wp-content/upload...on-swanson.jpg

Hydration is obviously the first thing to tackle. Idk what all these posts are about preparing weeks in advance, I find that quite ridiculous. Here's what kept me through some pretty long exercises:

1. Drink at least 1L of water every 2hrs (one army canteen)
2. If it is cold outside still keep drinking!
3. Pack food that has a massive ammount of calories in it (and is good for you too!)
4. When in doubt, rack out. Even 30min rests can add up to some decent sleep.
5. You need electrolytes! Mio Sport, salty foods, gatorade, etc.

Essentially what it comes down to is hydration. I've been on exercises that lasted days in the field and water is a life saver. Always have it on you and always keep drinking! If you are doing really stressfull work drink more. FOr example I finished a 3L hydro pack in under 45min on a ruck march.

Eat, sleep, drink.

I used to work road construction. 13-14 hours labor, for me it was mostly walking, pounding steaks in the side of the highway or working pipe crew.

We used to get to the site for 6:30 (30 minute drive so we left at 6) have a cup of coffee and start work. I would take maybe and hour break spread out through the day then 30 minutes to our camp at about 7:30 ish and then we got drunk. Like missing a shoe 20 year old white girl drunk (never has so much cheap whiskey been consumed). We would crash around midnight for a few hours then get up the next day and do it again for 6 days, 5 nights.

Food wise I couldn't carry much. I alternated water with water and Gatorade powder, Granola/power bars, the occasional orange and a couple sandwiches. To conserve precious space, I would freeze a bottle of water, wrap it in paper towel and use it was an icepack if necessary.

I also smoked excessively, drank every night, consumed caffeinated beverages on the job (pop or coffee) and ate tons of crap food and I was fine. Mind you I fell asleep in the crew van on the way to the job site holding a coffee and a lit smoke (it went out safely in my fingers).

So what you need to know:

http://alphaman.me/wp-content/upload...on-swanson.jpg

Hydration is key.. I usually just had water and kept the sugar/salt packs from the field rats and added to my water if I needed a boost.. Obviously physical fitness helps a lot also. Some of the things I kept in my TAC or ruck for ex's were proteinbars/energy bar..chocolate bar(by the time I ever got to eat it usually melted and not very nice but did the trick).. Red bull or two.. Last by not least Tabasco as most of the feild rats were pretty blah.. Mind you if your doing a 24hr game and are in possession of food and your in a QRF or trying for a lil Shuteye keep in mind racoons are very mythical creatures and can drag away the 40lbs of rucksack your using for a pillow :)

Had to edit because I forgot to mention.. 24hr game w/ lots of walking (possiblely wet terrain) pack spare set of boots and at least 2/3 pairs of socks + some foot powder.. If you happen to get your feet soaked 2hrs in the rest of the 22hrs won't be so fun..

theres no way it could have been that Gear guy.... /shifty eyes

How old were you when those events were taking place :)? I've done the same for a couple of years while working construction out of town. Every morning you tell yourself: "Today I'm going to sleep as soon as we get back to the motel!" Riiiiight... When I was in my 20's, I could do it 7-14 days in a row, still can do it in my 30's once in a blue moon but age does play big difference. Also, keep in mind that everybody has difference tolerance when it comes to abusing your body.

Something that saved my girlfriend last November was Shoe shaped "Hand" warmers.
Once the temp dropped below 2ºC, she couldn't stop rubbing it in my face how warm her feet were.
Hand warmers also work decently well shoved into a buffer tube to keep a battery warm in up to -10ºC weather.

Hand warmers on the back of the neck are a huge morale boost when you're freezing in the rain. You'd be surprised how much warmer you're tricked into thinking you are.

I was 22 I think? We always said "Lets get wasted and troll for poon!" But this was a second rate campground, in a third rate location. Seriously the closest "store" was 45 minutes away and it sold gas for $1.50. We had no TV, limited internet, no electricity most nights, no cell reception and nothing to do. Everybody showed up on the weekends when we went home.

We would get hammered ass drunk, eat canned stew and just glaze over before going to sleep. You would step outside and get eaten alive by mosquitoes. Seriously at one point the banded together and carried of a golden retriever. So we ended up in the cabin most nights, it would get dark and boring and we would drink and sleep lol.

This is a leadership issue. A very important principle of leadership is monitoring your soldier's health and welfare. I could go on for pages about it but simply put; as a leader your are responsible for your soldiers' well being.

Not ensuring things like water and nourishment intake, as well as sleep and rest are adequate can result in injuries and deterioration of a person ability to function.

Leaders must take these things into consideration when planning. Having people stay awake when it is not needed is unacceptable. Inspections of your soldiers gear (to ensure they have enough water and food as well as acceptable clothing, etc. for the conditions you expect to encounter)) before starting the OP should be an SOP.

For leaders during a long session sleep is paramount to making sound and timely decisions. At all levels there should be both an IC as well as a 2IC who (when in a defensive posture for example) take turns resting so you always have commander present and alert.

While I get what you're saying, and agree, I'm a little reticent to make any direct comparison to 'soldiers' or 'soldiering'.

I put it down to "If I'm not shittered, am hydrated, and eat real food, I'll have a lot more fun. Especially if I'm shittered".

When teams are evenly matched, its great to relax and rest up, shoot the shit, get the cooker going. Coffee brewed. That HQ camping kind of stuff can be lots of fun too...

But when teams arent evenly matched, and your team is losing bodies. Thats the worst. Ive been part of teams where I felt like if we stop for too long to rest, the other team wont have anyone to shoot at lol... and that sucks, because you miss out on all that HQ camping stuff...

My general rest/sleep time is between 1-3. No sense catching a blink while theres still light outside. I dont have night vision and most games are their slowest at the darkest part of the day. I like to sleep as long as i can without effecting the game.

If I can sleep 2 hours and both sides are going just fine without me thats fantastic, thats optimal. If I can only get 30mins to an hour before the other team wonders what happened to our team, well, that sucks, but I just put myself in the other teams shoes and know how much it sucks to win the game with 6 hours still left in the op.

A few little pointers, more generalised than specific:

Drink a few more litres of water the day before (and 1L before you go to bed the night before) a long OP. No point "water loading" weeks or even a few days prior as it doesn't work.

DO NOT oversleep/undersleep prior to a big match. Just sleep to what your body usually takes. You'll feel worse if you stray from your normal cycle. Mind you, quality of sleep outweighs quantity, so have a hot chocolate or something before you shut your eyes and try to stay away from electronics at least an hour prior.

As for sleeping during a game, TBH if you can't go for more than 18 hours without sleep, it's not a sleep issue it's a fitness issue. BUT, if you must sleep, just use your head. Hit up a SL or PC or even someone who is "in the know" as to what's going on. You may find that you can sneak a few minutes here or there. IF you can help it, try not to sleep for more than 40mins. This is basically a magic number, anything less and you usually don't feel rested and anything more (if you are awoken abruptly), you'll feel more lethargic.

NOTE: Make sure that you and your squad have sufficiently cleared an area or enemy BEFORE you take short halts. Take the extra time to clear that last room or clear just over that ridgeline. It'll help prevent you being caught with your pants down.

Keep hydrated during the entirety of the day that an OP is on. If you find yourself being thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Just sip along every 20mins or so. You want to have either clear or a light yellow coloured urine, and piss between 5-7 times a day (that's optimal). If you have sports drinks like Powerade or Gatorade drink the suckers. Depending on how hot the day is try to keep it to 1L water and then drink a 750ml sports drink. Your body needs the extra salts that water alone doesn't provide. And that brings me to my next point.

Take snacks with you. Things like Cliff bars and protein bars are a lifesaver. I can't tell you how many times small morsels of food like that have saved my ass during a 36-72h OP in the boonies. It's not just about hunger, they also have vitamins and minerals that help your body function during excessive working periods.

Kit checks, check your kit EVERY TIME you find yourself having a small break. Check your weapon, mags, equipment, water/food (so you can ration it if need be), everything. Keep a mental note on what you have on you. What mags are full and what are empty and where they are on your rig.

Once you've given yourself a once over, check your mates equipment. Check to see if they have had anything to eat or anything to drink. Distribute ammo if applicable. The onus is on the squad to keep each other combat ready and combat effective. In saying that, the squad is only as effective as the weakest link. Having a good skill set within your squad gives the individual within it the ability to trust that the arcs that they aren't covering, are being covered by someone else.

Kit checks; self checks and buddy checks.

18 Hours
 

You got that right Battleborn, I have been on Military Operation before with little or no sleep...I have stated this to FORCE RECON Members and too ppl who have attended the Nightfall series...You should be physically fit to endure at least 18 hours of combat simulation, especially when the main fighting could happen during the night or at dawn and dusk...I find now especially with CQB OPS alot of ppl like to sit back at the respawn for rest breaks and talk about their last contact as oppose to rearm, replinish fluids/food and get back out there. I can understand if you take time to make a contigency plan to assist in Coy mission...but the whole Squad or Section can not be held back by the few who have peronal admin or are tapped out. Command loses OP's in my observation in Airsoft MILSIM sometimes by not their Battle Plan but the lack of ppl out in the Fight.

That's something I want to post about in the airsoft pet peeves thread.
I have sympathy for the people who just got back from a 2 hour engagement, and had a 30 minute walk back to spawn. But first priority should be to prepare yourself to get back onto the field. If there's time to relax, then you can relax after. If command turns you around and sends you right back out, then you head right back out. You'll feel good about yourself if you force yourself right back out.

Last year the squad that I led was coming back from an exhausting engagement, and were really looking forward to getting a good meal and 30 minutes of rest. We talked to command over the radio to arrange it, and everything. We were so glad to be taking a load off, and getting something other than snacks. When we dragged ourselves into spawn, command told us we were losing an important point, and sent us right back out. It sucked balls, but it felt good to be pushed like that.

Part of it, too, is that those who lead, need to be firm. Command should say "I need this point held, and I want you to do it". The squad leader should be able to give an accurate assessment of his squad, and if there is nothing major (eg someone hasn't been hydrating correctly, or they're diabetic, or their asthma is acting up, or they may have frost bite, or what have you - it's only a game), then he should be disciplined enough to lead by example. The squad leader may be exhausted, but he'll need to be firm enough to go back to his guys and get them moving. And none of this airsoft time. If it's been 6 minutes since the squad leader said "we move in 5 mikes", the squad should be 1 minute down the trail. The first time you do that, a few guys may be short some ammo, or not have their snacks properly packed, and need to rely on their team mates. But do that enough times in an OP, and your squad will know that you 5 minutes is 5 minutes, and they'd better be ready in those 5 minutes.

People may look at you as a dick if you just, out of nowhere, start telling people to be ready, or start the squad moving while you're still sitting back trying to get some BBs into an uncooperative mag. Or if you're in command, and you start telling squads they need to be certain places within tight times, or expecting them to be able to run on little rest (that is all contingent on being a good commander, though. You ARE a dick, if you just arbitrarily send an exhausted squad to go running off into a pointless fight for shits and giggles). But if you make it clear to people at the beginning, what you will be expecting of them, people will take orders much better.

My little spiel to the squads I lead are pieced together from what I pick up from others that I've played under. Somewhere in the spiel, you should include what you expect from your squad, and what the squad can expect from you. You can expect the squad to follow your orders, and to respect given times. Your squad can expect that there will be times where you will push them (amongst many other things).

The point that I was leading to, is to repeat what was already said in the thread: that good leadership can go a long way to keeping you going in a milsim. If someone's calling for "volunteers" to go back out and fight, you may think "eh, I'll go next time. I'm comfy here". If command points at you, and says "you, and the rest of your squad, are moving out in 5 mikes. Get your shit ready." you don't have much of a choice but to push yourself past your limits, and come out feeling fucking good about yourself. I have a better story about "turning my squad around and heading right back out instead of having lunch", than I would have been able to tell someone while I was lounging around resting instead.

Well said...MILSIM, your going to experience fatigue and hunger...just like real soldiers. This is part of it, not just patroling, squirmishing, fighting through the objective or clearing a room or hallway...you could be at an Observation Post for 4 hours and all your doing is observing/recording /radioing intel back to command...alot of variables then just shooting shit

going 18 hours. 24 hours... not really a problem. The problem for me (and could be for others) is driving 4 hours, then playing 18 hours, and then driving 4 hours back home...

the time I use to sleep during a game is only to charge my battery for the drive home. thats it...

if the game is within an hour of where I live, I can do it. But 2+ hours out and Im head nodding the drive back.

I do different scenarios each game. Like do the whole 18 hours, then drive to the nearest onroute after the game and sleep for an hour or 2.

I find that around 3am there isnt much going on in the games Ive been to, and seem like the ideal time to recharge my battery for the drive home after the game.

Now, if I ever do a game where I drive 5+ hours, I'll probably be camping or getting a hotel for after the game. And then sleep isnt a factor at all

hydration - always look at the colour of your urine, it will tell you how well or how lacking of water you are. Darker urine, drink more, light to clear urine - your good. If you have not peed after a few hours of play drink and drink some more.

body sweat is also an indicator on how hydrated you are, if you noticed you have stop sweating then start drinking.

electrolytes tabs are good to add taste and replenish the body, crystal light packets are also good to add some taste if you are drinking a boat load of water and need a break. I typical use a quarter packet every 3rd bottle.

Snacks, like beef jerky, trail mix (the more nuts the better) provide the body with nutrients, energy and it easy to carry and eat on the move.

Chewing tobacco is great when you are trying to stay awake and so you dont give away your teams position at night. However if you dip, drink water because chew will dehydrate you.