Battle Board

There is no question that our reliance on technology in the battle space of any variety and public safety realm has become greater than the skill sets which preceded it.  While undoubtedly improving effectiveness, the fall back measure which used to be found in Ranger handbooks.  Survival manuals have given way to PDF files on how to program radios, and up-link satellite imagery.  But when all else fails, these basic skills become the keys to maintaining mission completion and team survivability.  Map reading and communication are critical skills, and probably some of the few still being taught today as they were during Vietnam war.  After you’ve tried enough  of the tacticool “admin” pouches to hold your mission maps, op orders (and whatever else it is officer types hold), step up to Battle Board.

Battle Board is a simple concept, which after trial and error has yielded a very effective and functional component of mission management, incident command, and really anything else you can adopt it to.  My take on it was more from a domestic public safety angle, as the original Battle Board has proven itself in theater.  The premise is relatively straight forward.  Allow for storage of key mission-critical documents, while ensuring easy access along with adoptability and modularity.  The later is probably the most unique aspect of Battle Board, when compared to anything else currently in use.  The folio-style zippered container is one thing, but a multi-use surface on which to write and reference, as well as adopt those references to the environment is a feature previously not seen.

The natural implementation for any model of Battle Board  is for maps and Op orders.  I can see an application in UXO and MEDEVAC 9 Line, if used in specific locations, for example off the X.  Range cards can easily be drafted and transferred over to hard copy, and safely carried to and from firing positions.  The acrylic surface is scratch and shatter resistant, and lend itself to a multitude of applications, along with the outer hook and loop.  Fire scene and incident commanders will find the hook and loop handy for accountability, while using the clear surface for scene size-up, resource monitoring and easy access to structure maps and critical locations.  Structure layout for tactical law enforcement applications, access and egress routes and scene sketches, along with ability to store the ever-necessary forms encountered in law enforcement make Battle Board a worthwhile and lasting investment.

The modularity of Battle Board can not be understated.  The durable “leaf” concept allows the larger models to hang visible to a room for a briefing, and several leafs can be linked together in the field to present tactical information in an organized and field-expedient manner.  There inner plastic leafs as well as actual Battle Boards are all compatible, once again being accessible to a variety of missions, and a variety of needs.  From a team leader, to an assistant Chief – the Battle Board concept is a long overdue tool.

The actual Leaf model of Battle Board is a one piece design.  According to the company site “the leaf uses a modular system of straps, loops, and Velcro to pair with any other Battle Board. Use one by itself to protect a map. Add another Leaf for a template or checklist. Add four more to make a grid of panels that link together and fold up to the size of one board. Imagine folding up a travel board game that has four sections that fold into a smaller square. Each Leaf is less than one-quarter of an inch thick, so four linked together folds up to less than an inch. Loops on each Leaf connect to our patent pending quick-change system on other Battle Boards…    Each Leaf has a main zippered pocket, Velcro on the outside, and a pen strip on the inside. As always, our abrasion resistant polycarbonate surface gives you the most durable writing and viewing experience. Thin, ultralight, flexible, and guaranteed for life. ” The Battle Board uses durable 500D Cordura, which offers durability and weight-saving.

A full Mission Tracker model pictured above, is like a portfolio combined with all the features of the Leaf.  It includes:

• Abrasion resistant polycarbonate
• Internal storage compartment with a mesh pouch and the larger size delivers a secondary polycarbonate display
• Internal elastic pen strip
• Outer pocket for keeping track of essentials like pens and protractors
• Elastic pen loops on each side
• Dual handles on the 12×16

Battle Board, like so many effective and mission-enhancing products, was born from a need.  So far it has taken anything I can throw at it.  A few other points: easy to find in a gear bag or inside a vehicle compartment, solid construction, practical to tactical design.

“From our experience making countless iterations of our designs – including breaking a few sewing machines along the way – we bring you the highest quality gear possible, with a lifetime warranty. We want you to be happy with your purchase, and we’ll exchange or replace your board until you are. Battle Boards now come in 50+ designs and combinations, with more on the way. We hope you’ve found the configuration that works the best for you and your mission.”

Material Disclosure

I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.

*The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Spotter Up Magazine, the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.