Opening crates is the best way to obtain new gear and weapons to equip your soldiers with. There are various ways that you can get crates, thse include completing Missions and watching an advertisement video in exchange for one. You also have the option of buying crates using real money which is not really necessary as they can be easily acquired during the game for free. You only have so much room for crates and each crate takes time to unlock so the best strategy is to ensure you are working on unlocking one at all times.