Where Does The Beginner Minuteman Start?

Preparedness, for a long time, has been a reflection of what we see on YouTube. When they’re getting started out for the first time, a lot of new ‘preppers’ or ‘minutemen’ will buy a rifle, a few magazines, a couple hundred rounds of ammo, and toss it all in a safe.

The reality of preparedness is it’s so much more than that. I’m a big believer in the idea that people should be more focused on the training side of things than the gear. I know so many people that have really cool looking kit, but can’t run a mile in less than 10 minutes. That, my friends, is a recipe for disaster.

It’s for this reason I started putting together courses to help you learn the doctrine for the things I deem, as a civilian, to be the most important. The SERE course is up now, with the road map for the remainder of the year including a course on Tracking and Counter-Tracking, and hopefully, a course on combat medicine before the end of the year.

These courses are a great place to start, but we also have a plethora of information on our YouTube channel that dives into defensive positions, land navigation, small unit tactics and strategies, etc.

However, we do still need to talk about gear.

So, you’re new to the ‘minuteman’ arena, want to get some gear, or kit, but don’t really know where to start. That’s OK. I’ll make a few recommendations for where I started and i’ll include only what I liked. Effectively, if I were going to do it over again, this is where I’d start.

Gear List for Noobies

Here is where I’d start.

• Rifle capable of 500+ yard shooting. 16 inch barrels on an AR-15 is a great place to start for this. It doesn’t even need to be sexy. Iron sights are fine for starting out, but if you’d like, I’ve always liked either the Holosun or Eotech Holographics with a magnifier, or, an LPVO. Here are a few I’d recommend that don’t break the bank…
  • Holosun 510C – Actually a great little holographic. I’ve beat the s*** out of mine and it’s always run great, and it’s a few hundred dollars cheaper than an EoTech.
  • Sig Sauer Juliet3 Magnifier – This let’s you run your holographic with a little more versatility. You can reach out a bit farther with a magnifier, but more importantly, it’ll help with target identification.
  • Primary Arms SLX 1-10x LPVO – In my mind, this is a jack of all trades, and master of none. A 1-10x optic gives you the ability to run it for CQB, but more importantly, gives you way more magnification than a 3x magnifier like the Sig Juliet3. The biggest problem with an LPVO is eye relief. Each of these options has it’s pro’s and cons.
• Spare Magazines – Realistically, most prepper groups will tell you to carry 180 rounds, because “that’s what the military does.” This is incorrect. The military also has helicopters, logistics networks, and thousands of people working around the clock to make sure troops have ammunition. You don’t have that. I recommend carrying at least 240 rounds on your person, and another 120 – 150 rounds in your second line gear (your rucksack.) That’s between 360 and 390 rounds of ammo. Yes it is heavy. It’s not terribly convenient. But you are your own resupply.
• Chest Rig – Plate carriers are neat. They’re also heavy and favor standard militaries. The chest rig is the best place to start, because they are extremely affordable and don’t break the bank, but they also give you a lot of capabilities you do not have without one. I’m gonna be honest with you too. As a civilian, an airsoft chest rig today in 2026, is very different from one in 2010. The quality is exceptional these days. I like these to start…
  • ACE TAC S.O.P – pretty good chest rig. I like the support it has with it’s straps, it feels good.
  • Krydex Chest Rig – Just a chest rig that works well.
  • Condor Chest Rig – Remember how I said you need to carry ammo? This isn’t sexy, but it works well.
• Battle belts – These are not a “must have”, but they add a lot of versatility to your kit. You can drop a dump pouch on them, spare mags, medical, holster, etc. More importantly, if something bad happens, these belts don’t just pop off easy, so they can be used as a hand hold to get leverage for lifting or dragging in a pinch.
  • Redemption Battle Belt – This is my only recommendation for this section. The biggest problem with cheaper ones is, well, they can be absolute trash.
• Radio – Arguably, individuals on a team don’t all need a radio. The reality is, with modern electronic warfare, it’s more likely to cause you problems than help if you don’t know what you are doing. If you’re willing to learn more about radios, just pickup the baofeng. It’s versatile, works well, and is lightweight.
  • Baofeng UV-5R – Solid pick.
• Nice Boots – This is honestly the most important part of your kit. I’m not kidding. Guerilla tactics and conflict in general requires troops to be able to move significant distances each day. The likelihood you may need to ‘hoof it’ anywhere from 6 to 16 miles in one day, is high.
  • KEEN Hiking Boots – I love mine.
• IFAK – You need to have an IFAK. Even if you have no idea how to use medical equipment, an IFAK is an Individual First Aid Kit, which means its for you! Remember, as Garand Thumb said, the goal of conflict is to poke more holes in the enemy than they can poke in you. In other words, would you expect to get into a fist fight and not get punched? Probably not, so don’t expect to not get shot. Have a way to fill the hole.
  • Rhino Rescue IFAK – I don’t like the carry case because of it’s shape, but I DO like it for it’s content and because it’s rips off the velcro attachement.
  • Lightning X Spread Eagle – Great as a leg IFAK, meaning you’d store it on your leg.

That’s pretty much it. If you are really just getting started, this is where you should be. This covers 90% of what you need. It’s expensive upfront if you buy it all right now, but, I didn’t do that. I bought what I needed over nearly a decade (including plate carrier, night vision, helmet, BDU, etc.)