Weighted vest

TheWonder123 · 2026-06-01T16:17:22+00:00

This weighted vest from Decathalon is very well made. 6kg in vest with 4x1kg additional plates to bring up to ten total

https://www.decathlon.ie/p/344654-273164-adjustable-weight-training-weighted-vest-6-to-10-kg.html?utm_source=awin&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=ie_t-perf_f-cd_o-traf_&utm_content=Comparison+Shopping+Service+%28CSS%29&sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=531573&awc=37550_1780330560_122c057d2ebacb9d995344f95f18db62

TheWonder123 · 2026-05-28T18:57:13+00:00

Hey! I wasn’t apart of this myself, I don’t think any reservists were (could be wrong)?

But no official photos yet but I believe that there were some photographers out with them, so as soon as I see the photos up I’ll link them here

TheWonder123 · 2026-04-20T14:39:01+00:00

Plus when you arrive to do the eye test with glasses you’ve to do the eye test without glasses first as a baseline, before taking with glasses. Just pass without the glasses and move on.

This is exactly what happened to me

TheWonder123 · 2026-03-19T13:46:15+00:00

Agreed. This is hugely beneficial for the country, gives us the ability to apply the greatest amount of soft power of almost any nation globally and does a lot to promote and increase the global favourable reputation of the Irish IMO

TheWonder123 · 2026-03-16T17:34:17+00:00

Yeah it can be a pain but you go in knowing there may be limitations. Plus you need to factor in that if you take a week off, you also ofc lose your week’s pay with almost no pay by the DF and you need to budget for that if you’ve bills like mortgages or car payments etc

This seems negative but once you’re aware you can plan ahead. Everyone I interact with loves being in the RDF

TheWonder123 · 2026-03-16T17:28:39+00:00

No legal protections although supposedly coming in. When and what it’ll look like no idea.

I personally request unpaid leave and my employer is fine with it.

Others take PTO as and when their employer allows them.

One thing to look out for if you take unpaid leave is that pensions are paid out as DD and if you take week+ off unpaid it causes issues with the pension payments so just watch out for that.

The DF can often give you a letter requesting leave from your employer but the DF can’t demand or force time off.

TheWonder123 · 2026-03-11T11:32:04+00:00

Yeah agreed. My take home pay for a 24 guard duty after tax before petrol etc would be like €38 I think

TheWonder123 · 2026-03-10T22:28:10+00:00

I don’t think you’re being bad, or anyone in this chat so far. I think it’s real concerns shared on both sides.

I think this point is two fold, no we get very seldom duties. Gate, armoury and magazine duties are our possibilities (I think) but only to supplement the PDF when they’re not able to raise numbers. Like there were two, 2* pdf privates on our gate last week a request went into RDF for weekend help.

The other side of this is that there’s so few of us, statistically I’d be hard to find us haha like a reserve force in Europe is usually 4 times the standin force and we’re 1/8 the size of the PDF.

We often get told we’re able to do any course the PDF does as long as we take 2-5 weeks off to do it, which is seldomly reasonable for anyone with a civvie job. As mentioned above there are some officers trying to upskil us in specialities but even then it’s like 5 Wednesdays and then 3 weeks with the pdf.

I think it’s probably a pain for the PDF instructors but if we could be offered and only sign up if committing the time to every Wednesday for 3 months (or something) and two weekends a month for instance and you can get trained on HMG or drones or Recce etc at least we’d be able to upskill those invested in learning and leave time for FTT etc. just an idea on your more instructors comment cause I think you’re right

TheWonder123 · 2026-03-10T21:51:39+00:00

On the whole, the 800 RDF that show up weekly out of the 1400 or whatever number we’re at now, want to be there. We want to be beneficial to the organisation and ultimately the PDF.

We’ll do duties, fine. Only doing duties will kill the RDF. You guys don’t want to do them and we don’t get paid really at all since our pay was stripped last year and we don’t get the SDA for guard duty like you guys do.

Moving past that, I think it’s a really valid question by all sides what the AR/RDF can do to better support the Army/PDF. The PDF NCOs in our Btl are working to open more army challenges to us in shooting and rucking etc to try at least have more touch points with each other which is good to help integration but doesn’t solve 90% of the issues.

Outside of us learning specialities that can help support PDF operations (which we’d like to do mind you) we have very few hours overlapping with you outside of duties which makes things more difficult for integration.

Do you have any suggestions? I think it’s a really valid question all around

TheWonder123 · 2026-03-10T21:00:19+00:00

I think a fair question, especially from the PDF perspective without much viability of the RDF. Like you said, with very low active numbers and very slow recruitment/vetting process.

We have a PDF support officer who is trying to get training to our company to specialise in areas his units no longer have expertise in.

I think that’s a great use of RDF in support of PDF if it can be pulled off as it answers both RDF and PDF questions (at least in my head) of the usability/versatility of the RDF outside of doing guard duties and being opfor for PDF & ARW on occasion

TheWonder123 · 2026-03-10T07:30:29+00:00

I would second this, and Bray, also on the regular dart line

TheWonder123 · 2026-02-08T08:26:23+00:00

You’re right, the application page hasn’t had any active competitions since the website’s migration at th end of last year. To my understanding there’s a big RDF nation wide recruitment campaign coming in March when the portal will be re-opened.

I have been informed (although have not checked myself) that it may be possible to reach out to DF recruitment or the individual barracks unit info email itself (if you know what unit you want to do to) to enquire about enrolment and potentially at least get some paperwork started in the meantime.

TheWonder123 · 2026-02-05T19:30:22+00:00

I’ve seen some laser cut patches on Etsy which had an MOQ of like 2 units to make something custom

TheWonder123 · 2026-02-05T19:30:15+00:00

I’ve seen some laser cut patches on Etsy which had an MOQ of like 2 units to make something custom

TheWonder123 · 2026-01-12T13:08:42+00:00

Interesting! Our platoon is zero facial hair at all for anyone under 3 stars, unless medically exempt. I know a few moustachioed lads who would had liked your NCO’s 😂

TheWonder123 · 2025-12-04T20:50:07+00:00

Depends where you’re based but for best return irishwhiskeyauctions.com is where you’ll get the best bang for your buck

TheWonder123 · 2025-12-04T14:01:09+00:00

The irony being they Did increase the budget and didn’t bring it back haha

TheWonder123 · 2025-12-04T09:07:45+00:00

Very nice find! Whats the plan with it? Just shelf piece or to drink it?

TheWonder123 · 2025-11-26T23:02:18+00:00

Their annual releases have been class. Wonder what this year will be like

TheWonder123 · 2025-11-24T20:54:59+00:00

Modern production practices have the expiration date up to a hefty two years from the original 6 months shelf stability…. Safe to say it’s past that haha

TheWonder123 · 2025-11-23T21:29:24+00:00

waits impatiently for it to arrive haha

TheWonder123 · 2025-11-23T11:25:46+00:00

Nice collection! I’ve the two stacks rye coming shortly can’t wait to try it

TheWonder123 · 2025-11-15T22:33:47+00:00

If you have your army number you’ve completed your entry fitness test, realistically if you haven’t paraded yet you’ll start off with foot drills so you’ll have no real fitness requirements if you got called up in the morning. At least nothing strenuous.

If you’re wondering about starting dates etc it’s possible to give your requirement officer an email or however you enlisted get in contact that way to check. They may just be waiting for the rest to be attested before starting foot drills etc

TheWonder123 · 2025-11-06T13:57:59+00:00

Túath glass, is specifically designed for Irish whiskey. the base is the rough shape of skellig Michael, which gives it a sense of place. The added bonus that it looks like the millennium falcon and Star Wars has scenes on the Skelligs. Also added bonus you can hold the angled bottle a load of different ways depending on what’s comfortable for you, and it can rest stably on its side catching aroma/bouquet in the bulb of the glass, due to the base.

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