The Gear: Recent Procurements

I bought more stuff.

Wiley-X Romer II Advanced safety glasses: I had a pair of Romer IIs that I just lost. Assuming that these are just as good, I'll take them, otherwise I'll get on Amazon and try to replace the original Romer IIs I got for working in the Middle East.

Desert Tiger Stripe cargo shorts: I don't expect that I'll wear shorts very often in Aberdeen, but they're good to have regardless. I recently tore a couple of small holes in my existing pair of these shorts, which are a desert version of the Vietnam-era tiger stripe utility uniforms. I may keep that pair, but I'd like to take an intact pair with me.

5.11 Rush MOAB 10 and Rush Delivery Messenger Bag: I'll try to use the messenger bag as my every day carry bag in Aberdeen, and the MOAB 10 will be my second carry-on during the flight over. Between the two, I should be able to get a bunch of stuff directly on the plane with me during the trip over. I may be able to use these two for some of the shorter trips I take as well in order to keep my travel weight low - something I'm not traditionally known for.

2 Carhartt Men's Canvas Utility Cargo Pants: The cargo shorts I wore in the Middle East are pretty worn, and a bit snug. These should be a good fit for what I'll be up to in Scotland: lightweight, durable, and comfortable, just like they were in the Middle East.

Morale Patches: 3 TAD Gear Molon Labe patches; 3 Mil Spec Monkey (1 Pirate Skull, 1 Your Mom Sends Me Care Packages, and 1 Spartan Helmet: I have a jacket that takes a patch on one sleeve, and I figure I can also use some additional patches for those 5.11 bags.

Kindle Fire and leather cover: I figure that this year will be easier with a tablet, I've heard good things about the Kindle Fire, and having a version of the Kindle may allow me to save some weight on some of the books I'd like to take to Scotland with me.

Unfortunately, a couple of these orders (some of the morale patches and the cargo shorts) appear to have wound up at my old place in Virginia due to a mistake I made with my settings in PayPal, so I've re-ordered the cargo shorts and I'll see if the originals get forwarded out here.