What to take on a modern day Lewis & Clark expedition?

C

Correia

New member
Ok a weird topic, but this comes about due to all of the recent discussion of sci-fi literature. (Folks on this board have got good taste :) ).

I have a friend who is an aspiring writer, and he came to me with this scenario because I'm his gunnut friend:

The time is the present, a research expedition is being mounted into an unknown territory. (think other-dimensionally) There will be about twenty researchers, and about a dozen security type folks (real professionals). The territory is a compleate mystery, besides the fact that it is habitable, it could be anything from arctic to desert, and inhabited by who-knows what, from dik-dik to dinosaurs.

The team will be on foot, or very light vehicle at the most. They will be dropped off with supplies, and then picked up in a few months. It is unknown how mobile they will have to be during that time.

I have no clue what the plot is, he just wanted my unbiased opinion of what they would probably use.

So the question is: what gear would you pick for the security types not knowing what you could run into? Weapons? Ammo? Specialty items?

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The paramiters are way too general to give anykind of a good answer.Will try.
Rifles-FN-FAL's for light work
-458's for big stuff
Handguns-45 autos and 454 casuls
Some general purpose explosives such as C4
with assorted detonation devieces.
Some claymores-night vision systems-perimeter alarm systems.
A half dozen well trained dogs for security.
A lot will depend on if light vehicls are used then more stuff can be taken.
Ammo would be a combo of soft nose and solids.
This could get very wild if imagination ar elet loose.I think that could cover the basics but I am sure I missed stuff.
ps-With vehicles the night vison batteries could be recharges during the day.Without vehicles the use of a solar panel for recharge.

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Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed.
I'm old and deceitful.
 
I'd bring my satellite linked cell phone so I could call from anywhere for backup, more supplies, airstrikes, female companionship, pizza delivery, etc., etc., etc.....

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Just one of the Good Guys
 
If I can't travel with Good Guy who knows what to bring ;), M14s and M79. If a 40mm HE won't stop a T-Rex, then nothing else which is portable will. Ma Deuce is nice, but heavy and limits mobility. As for hunting Dik Diks, how about a hammer given to someone fleet of foot?
 
308's your choice, 12ga back up with hard alloy slugs for the bigger stuff that gets in close. Stick a T.O.W rack on the vehicle if possible. DBL action revolver in 44 or 45 colt with hand loads as either of these could be used on small or large prey. Would have to use ruger for the dbl action with hot 45colt loads, redhawk or better just take 454super and shoot either. Dont forget the dutch ovens.
 
Canteen, a good flashlight, Chris Reeves Sebenza, Mad Dog fixed blade, some type of rifle such as a SIG Commando, or HK G36K. Some type of sidearm such as a FN Five Seven, or USP Tactical. Frag grenades, smoke grenades, white phosphorous grenades, light sticks, a wind proof lighter, flare gun with flares, flippers, mini oxygen tanks, rain coats, good tents, some sort of GPS system, night vision goggles.
 
If you are going to face dinosaur size predators or even PO'ed brontosaurus, you have to think of some portable antitank
weapons. LAWs, Carl Gustav, or the like.

You don't want to be pumping rounds into something that pick and with such a trivial brain size target.

Stand under one of the skeletons of those guys in a museum. 458's ha ha. Even a 50 BMG is a joke. Unless you have the actual M2 mounted on a Jeep or other light vehicle.

I've seen Barretts fired. Very impressive but nothing I want to be fooling with when some monster is charging at me.

As general carry, full auto 223s with armor piercing rounds. Don't bother with handguns unless you want some real light backups to shoot the evil Magic master when he has you captive in his castle. Unless you seduce his daughter.

How to you carry enough fuel for a few months? A tanker truck with you?

Best deal is to establish a base.
Used unmanned drones for aerial reconnaisance.

Otherwise, do a real Lewis and Clark with pack animals. In that case, the 223s with some squad light machines guns, a Barrett or two and some portable AT.

Trinkets for the noble and beautiful savages.

Sounds like Joel Rosenberg, Brian Daley or
S.M Stirling kind of stuff.

Daley had an M-113 zapped into a magical war. The crew killed a dragon by rolling over its head after it was shot up a bit with 50 BMG and some grenades.

All researchers should go through significant combat training though.
 
Glenn;
I totaly disagree with you.I have been useing a 458 for yrs and I defy you to find a live T-Rex in the state of AZ.Proof positive.

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Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed.
I'm old and deceitful.
 
As with any of your firearms' safties, your biggest asset is square between your own ears. Thorough selections of those who may best acheive the objective is the best first pick. Human resources most always determine the desired outcome.

Very difficult to "design the package" without knowing what "beats of burden" are allowed. The scenario changes radically depending on what quantity of goods can be logistically carried.

Really, the rest is purely blue-sky (which is fun) but if your bud wants to set up an actual scenario, he should specify a bit more. AND, if it was, in actuality, a extra-dimensional effect, I would assume that a very minimal expedition team could do the very quick "look-see," pop back, report & (kinda) have quite a bit more to go on than do we.

Personally, I'd like to hear some more on this ....
 
Well setting aside disease [biggest threat] and exposure.

I would say two M 21's amd the rest of the team armed with G 3's. Some AT-4's and a 81 mm mortar. barbed wire, claymores, anti tank mines, anti personal mines, sensors, etc.

Set up perimenter and camp and use RPV's and balloons for data collection. hmm would wait at least 48 hours before using RPV's to listen for radio traffic. If any radio communications detected then team emits nothing for radio.

BTW if amount of equipment not a problem to get there i would send in 4 M1a1 tanks, they don't need much fuel if they are sitting still and even as a shelter they should be proof against most things short of fire or other intelligent beings.
 
Sorry, Correia. But your friend's present scenario is a suicide mission. Lewis and Clark knew they could eat most animals they might encounter; we don't know beans about the fauna in the dimension-next-door.

If we had an idea what the unmanned probes found out (he did sent probes in, didn't he?), and if we knew if we had time to ship enough supplies in to set up a fortified base camp (better safe than sorry), then an intelligent answer can be given.

On what little we know I suggest M14's for security, M16's for the researchers (in potentially hostile areas no-one should go unarmed), 45's for those who need/want a handgun, at least two supressed .22lr rifles for quiet taking of small animals, and at least two RPG-7V's (the take-down version of the RPG-7) for the not-so-quiet taking of large, nasty animals. Except for the RPG-7V's, everything is in US Government inventories.
 
"If a 40mm HE won't stop a T-Rex, then nothing else which is portable will. "

4V50Gary - You've never fired an AT-4 have you :D

Oh Glamdring - Ever been inside an M1A1? A Porta pottie qualifies higher on my shelter scale then that thing (With the exception of the driver's seat - that's nice and comfey layin down)

No flame intended

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"Freedom is that instant between when someone tells you to do something and when you decide how to respond."
-Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
-Martin Luther King Jr.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by maxinquaye:

Oh Glamdring - Ever been inside an M1A1? A Porta pottie qualifies higher on my shelter scale then that thing (With the exception of the driver's seat - that's nice and comfey layin down)

No flame intended
[/quote]

Well I figure it would be comfy long enough to deal with dino's or etc.

though acid or fire spitting dragon's might be a problem :D
 
Maxinquaye, you're right I never fired an AT-4. Then again, when I wrote my response, I wasn't thinking RPG-7 or any other AT, SAM or missle. Guess I'm just a primative type of guy.
 
4V50 - no, not primative or anything...

I'm just laughing cause when I was in boot camp, we never got to fire a real AT4 - just empty tubes which fired .45 tracers. Anyway, they had this tape on the ground going out in a cone about 35 yards behind the practice area. Before you fired (Even the little .45) you had to yell "Backblast area - all clear". I always thought that was kind of hogwash until I fired a real one in the fleet....GEEZ! Those things are ALL smoke and flame and.....BOOOOM!
I'm not getting down on ya - I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter of thing that go bang in a big way.
The AT4 is exactly such a beast :D
 
2 HK21Es and G3s for the rest of the team.

Sidearm will be the Glock 20 in 10mm Auto.

For those tougher beasts, either a Mk 19 or a HK GMG.
 
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