Thread: Deployment

I know that there are some military members out there and some prior military as well. I'm sure this has probably been asked before but, Has anyone taken a shaving set on a deployment? If so what did you bring? I will be deployed within the next 6 months or so to Afghanistan by way of a Med Float, i'm sure some of you know what that means. Anything i should know about shaving on a ship? water quality? any unforseen issues you've encountered? Any help is appreciated, thanks again everyone!

josh,

I am not in the military. Nor have I ever been deployed.

That having been said, there is a compact Merkur travel de razor which can be disassembled that is popular with servicemen. Omega also makes an inexpensive "turnback" boar travel brush that is also popular with the troops.

Merkur - Travel Razor - Straight Bar. Nice Leather Case included

Omega #50014 - TurnBack Travel Brush

I didn't straight shave while I was in the Navy, but since you will be taking the slow route to Afghanistan I would recommend: Two straights (stainless would be a plus), strop, brush, soap, mineral oil (blade protection), and a combination coticule/bbw. The stone is about the most versatile all in one stone.

Water quality on-board is typically great. A good general purpose soap like Proraso (it works well in pretty much any water) would be my recommendation. They humidity on-board ships is usually high, so you may consider sealing your straights up somehow like using ziploc's or if space permits a case like the gentleman is selling in the vendors section. There is a place for desiccant in the case to keep things dry.

I knew a chief that did.. he even shaved while the ship was underway.... he would just make sure to shave in the evening when the daily work hours were done.. although he DID have a mach just incase he had to shave on the fly.. When I was in the Navy there were time when we had to shower in salt water so my advice on that is during water hours either don't use your straight or take every precaution to protect the blade from the salt water... If you aren't use to shaving with your straight while movement is going on (My sone is at my feet when I do so i am use to him bumping into me and stuff with out getting nicked) then it would be a very good idea to shave when the ship is somewhat stationary until you get the hang of it. That chief was so good he could shave in 13 foot swells... Personally I would only use the straight at times when you can actually take your time. At the time when I was in I wasn't using straight razors so I have no personal experience, and the chief that i saw using one was only on the ship for a little while, so my info is just speculation at best.

As far as what to take... Usual stuff, blade, strop, some honing stones just in case, alum block definitely, and a shaving soap that will lather in salt water... They are hard to find, but if you have a shaving soap that is made with lotsa coconut oil and caster oil it will lather every time no matter what kind of water. I personally haven't used Poraso... The draw back is high amounts of coconut oil is drying to the skin so make sure to have some glycerine that you can add to it... of course bring your scuttle and brush too. If you don't have your sea legs yet.. don't even try.. until you know how to "Gyro" (for lack of a better word) your body while the ship is moving then it will be futile at best to even try. even BIIIG ships move... I was on a guided missile cruiser and all of us knew how to walk down the Pway's even if it meant putting your feet on the bulkhead for a roll or two.. But that was the Atlantic side.. and of course anyone int he Nautical military knows there is a BIIIIG difference in the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. Shooter is definitely right though.. you have to protect everything from the salty air too.. OH.. and MAKE sure to keep your strop protected too.. salt air will dry out leather like nothing else so you will probably need to care for your stop more often..

Hello, Johshb:

My friends Shooter and jhenry offer good suggestions. I have that Merkur travel razor and it's probably the most compact double edge razor you'll come across. I've replaced the shave head in mine with one from the Edwin Jagger 89 — but that's a personal choice, since I'm not all that fond of Merkur razors. Take along some Derby, Personna "red packs" and Gillette 7 O'Clock "sharp edge" in the yellow packets. Those will give you a a good variety, and they are good blades.

Two straight razors will work nicely. I also recommend keeping a beater around, something like the Monsieur Charles, which is a straight razor with replaceable blades and uses mini-Personna injector blades. You never know when you might need it.

If you wish to step up in price for the brush, try the Edwin Jagger travel brush — I believe it's in pure or best badger — in an aluminum tube casing. It's a good brush.

For soap, try Mama Bear, a glycerine based soap that comes in a travel jar with twist top. Something like that would be ideal for warm weather, although Afghanistan can also get quite cold in winter, depending, of course, on where you are.

Take some aftershave balm, too. That works quite well in dry weather. Nivea has an acceptable variety and reasonably priced. It seems to be scent-free, too. I'm not sure I would use fragrant aftershaves. I never did in Vietnam.

Aside from that, my good friend, stay safe, and keep the you know what lower than the you know what.

Regards,

Obie

I wasnt able to serve due to medical reasons. Went thru MEPS and everything. But I would like to say thank you for your service and keeping our country safe and free. Be safe on your deployment.

Verrrry Sincerely
James

I don't have any particular advice, especially shipborne. The only time I used a straight was in the very early days, in the jungle area of Honduras. We had to go months without resupply. My shaves weren't that great, but you couldn't carry enough cartridges. The locals would strop on the sides of a tire. Only the officers could afford razors. The enlisted asked to have our disposable blades when we were done with them ,poor souls.

My only advice is if you like shaving don't hold back on gear and protect it from every idiot out there.

Josh,
I came back from Afghanistan last year. I'm with the Army though, so I am not sure what your going to be encountering. Will you be on a FOB, COB, Airbase? These places will greatly effect your everyday life. Instead of a backup cartridge razor or DE, I would take an electric if you have it. If you are on a FOB or COB you are very likely to end up on water rations. No showering for days, sometimes weeks. If you run out of water its electric or dry shaving, and I have had enough dry shaves for one lifetime.
Also your job is going be a big factor. Being aviation gave us leeway, and then being MEDEVAC and constantly being on duty even more so, pretty much if we weren't shaved clean a day or two it was well over looked. Still, I wouldn't want to be half way through a straight shave when a 9Line came down, leaving my razor left out in the community bathroom for a few hours wouldn't rub me right.
Lastly, get one of the small pelican cases, the 2"x3"x6" or something like that. They are rugged, dust, air, and moisture sealed. I would also get a box to dry your brush in, so that it doesn't get caked with dust. By the way, Afghanistan is no where near Iraq when it comes to sand storms, lucky you. You should be able to get a unit APO address a month or two before you head out. I would sign up for one of the shaving cream/soap clubs as soon as you get that address. That way you will start receiving a replenish of supplies 3 months or so into the deployment. Also learn to shave cold now, as hot water was non-existent at most of the FOB's I went to, and I went to a lot (circled Afghanistan like a tourist). You might try using the MRE cooking packs to warm up water if you'r desperate, cause cooking the MRE doesn't make it taste any better anyways.
Again, this is only really helpful if you are going to be going to a base/FOB/COB in Afghanistan. I have no experience on a vessel.
If you find out you will be in Kandahar, get some strong strong strong smelling shaving soaps/creams and aftershaves. Trust me, that place smells worse than anywhere else I have ever been in my life. The people around you will probably thank you (if you put on enough for them to even smell you).
That is about all that I can think of. If you want any more insight, or have any more questions let me know. If you find out where you are going (RC-North/West/East/South) send me a PM and I might be able to give you better insight. Best of luck to you, keep your head down, and listen to the big voice - as annoying as it is, it will pay off.
~Lefty

Lefty is spot on. Like him, I was army so boats are a bit of a mystery to me-- but I'm *very* familiar with sand. To further expound on his post:

1. Moon dust: it gets everywhere and everything you own will be covered. No exceptions. There is nothing you can do. You can get a pelican case like he said, or if you are short on cash, you can double or triple ziplock your razors.

2. Hot water: If you are in the south, especially anywhere near Helmand, get in good with the Brits. They are crazy for their tea and they get issued bricks of fuel and cup stands so they can boil water. Use this with your metal canteen cup. Everyone trades a bit of kit, so you can score one very easily.

Ninja edit: http://www.amazon.com/Rothco-518-Can...ef=pd_sim_sg_3

This link is to a canteen cup stove, so all you have to do is pick up the fuel bricks.

First and foremost, safe travels on your deployment. I'm in the sandbox now but took the fast route, nor am I in the military so I have a bit more of a "luxury" of not being on the move...quite stationary and in one place. As for straight shaving on a float, alot of it depends on the size of the ship and the route you'll be taking. I know that you can only divulge but so much info but if you're on one of the hospital ships, this may be less of a problem since they're a bit larger than most other ships. I was a Navy Corpsman actually but spent most of my time on the green side. As for the shaving and the gear, I don't know if I'm proficient enough to use a straight on board a smaller ship if the seas are less than smooth. That plus the whole thing about having the strop and hone may make for more upkeep that could be neglected during periods of increased operational tempo. Either way, my recommendations are as follows: a good DE safety raxor be it a "travel" size or regular, they both come apart; a half dozed "packs" of your replacement blades of choice...Feathers is my favorite brand when I use the DE...I usually str8 shave though, 2-4 pucks of Van Der Hagen shave soap (available at WM)...they come In a plastic "clamshell" inside the box that can be used as your "mug" or "scuttle" while under way so you don't have to worry about losing it or breaking it...when you're through with the soap just toss the empty plastic clamshell and move to the next puck; get a VDH brush while at WM too...this is an inexpensive option when it's all said and done. The biggest single expense is if you get a new DE razor. They can be had from E-Bay for near nothing at times. I have an old Gillette that I purchsed from there as well as a new Merkur that I purchased new. If you go new, look at a $30-$50 price range for it. The soap and brush will set you back all of $10-$15...if you decide to go VDH, they sometimes have a kit that has a brush, soap and a small bowl...may want to consider that too. Whether you go with a DE or a str8, I would echo shooter74743's comments about "humidity on-board ships is usually high, so you may consider sealing your straights up somehow like using ziploc's or if space permits a case like the gentleman is selling in the vendors section. There is a place for desiccant in the case to keep things dry"...consider a couple of packages of the silica dessicant or even a small sache' of rice in your gear bag would do well. If you do decide to take your str8 with the gear, again pay attention to the humidity and salt air. Keep your gear oiled up and dry. I'd still consider taking some DE's as a backup. I shave most days with the str8 but still take the DE in to the latrines with me in case the str8 aint working that day for whatever reason or time gets away from me. All in all, I wish you a safe deployment and speedy return home to the family and your friends...happy shaves.

Originally Posted by joshb1000

I know that there are some military members out there and some prior military as well. I'm sure this has probably been asked before but, Has anyone taken a shaving set on a deployment? If so what did you bring? I will be deployed within the next 6 months or so to Afghanistan by way of a Med Float, i'm sure some of you know what that means. Anything i should know about shaving on a ship? water quality? any unforseen issues you've encountered? Any help is appreciated, thanks again everyone!