What, exactly, is "kit"?

[diver 85]

It's a term the Brits use to indicate their gear.

They need to learn to speak English----then...............

 

[John_B]

They need to learn to speak English----then...............

I spent an entire summer in England and Ireland back in the early nineties. I went there thinking I spoke English; I came home realizing I spoke American.

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

No matter how you define it, if its related at all to diving you better know it involves money ;-)

 

[diver 85]

I spent an entire summer in England and Ireland back in the early nineties. I went there thinking I spoke English; I came home realizing I spoke American.

that's very true---a much better language.........too

 

[Gunrock0811]

i'm a US Marine and i never used the word "kit" to call my gear. more like "S*IT"..as in..."that's my s*it on the deck." "My s*it is heavy!" "daggonit! i need to buy expensive s*it!!"

Semper Fi
-ed

 

[mongodives]

Kit, started with the Brits, it refers to all the junk they individually carry to go to war. Somehow it crept into the civilian world as the S*** we carry for whatever we are doing.
It has crept into the military lexicon of people who on a regular basis work/train/fight with people who are Brits or have been trained by Brits.
A good number of US servicemembers call it TA-50 or my *****************.

 

[J.R.]

Aw... we 'mericans got "kit"... as in "tool kit" and "first aid kit"... inherently a compilation of all of the elements we can think of bundled into a (more or less) easy carrying package... or at leas roughly co-located.

Now... "kits" vary from "sets" in that "sets" are generally composed of all of the similar type items you can think of bundled into a (more or less) easy carrying or roughly co-located area.

"Gear" is another compilaton term... very similar to "kit" in application it is often used when the establishment of a more "extreme sports" context is desired...

... and then there's "stuff"... like "kit" or "gear"... it is a broad general reference to all equipment, accessories, nice-to-haves, "gee... I forgot I had this", "wow... need to get THAT fixed someday" and "how did this get in here" things we feel inclined to haul with us to do whatever it is we decide to do... "stuff" has a much more casual or "common man" context to it...

... an then there's S**T... which is, as Gunrock0811 pointed out, kind of a marine thing... which is a universe all of it's own...

 

[WVDiver]

No one has mentioned "rig" in this conversation. A word I often use when discussing my scuba gear setup. While the word has many and varied definitions, in this instance, it is likely a carry over from a skydiving term meaning, a parachute system.

 

[Dantheengineer]

It was George Bernard Shaw who said, 'England and America are two countries separated by the same language.'
O'corse he went on to say "Americans adore me and will go on adoring me until I say something nice about them."

I believe your bang on with the kit definitions by the by........
Although i doubt you'll discover the origins. In a place where it can "rain cats and dogs" the history becomes unclear.
Dan

 

[SteveAD]

It was George Bernard Shaw who said, 'England and America are two countries separated by the same language.'
O'corse he went on to say "Americans adore me and will go on adoring me until I say something nice about them."

I believe your bang on with the kit definitions by the by........
Although i doubt you'll discover the origins. In a place where it can "rain cats and dogs" the history becomes unclear.
Dan

If you're going to quote, quote right. "...two countries separated by a common language."

and now back to our program, already in progress