Joined
·
44 Posts
Thought should be given to selecting clothing as part of your survival gear. There are many factors to consider. Material should be durable but comfortable. It should be a material that can be worn year round. Rip-Stop Cotton is very comfortable in hot climates but it is neither durable (we used to joke in the Grunts that "Rip-Stop" means get a rip and stop wearing it) nor suitable for cold. It frays along edges and always rips out in the seat and just above the knees. That is why they started adding reinforced knees starting with woodlands. Once it rips, it's done! You can sew it but it just rips again along where it was sewed. The heavier weight poly/cotton is extremely durable. I still have Woodlands that I got in 82'. Some people find it uncomfortable in warm climates. I really don't mind it myself. It does have one disadvantage to rip-stop. It fades more. The original Woodlands we received before deploying to Beirut ended up fading terribly in the hot sun of the Med. The black in the pattern ended up turning a light blue/gray. This leads to my next discussion of color/pattern but I'll get to that. There are better materials available today that are both comfortable year round and durable. The Rip-Stop Nylon and the Nylon mixes are good.
Now, on to Color/Pattern. A lot of people feel the need for Camouflage. They feel it is necessary to hide or blend in. Not really. The Japanese in WWII and the VietCong/NVA were very, very good at hiding and for the most part, didn't wear Camo pattern clothing. The Marines in the beginning of WWII issued Frog or Duck Hunter pattern camo but abandoned it. Why? It worked well when issued but faded. Once faded, camo makes you stick out like a sore thumb! Also, camo works to a degree when stationary but works against you while moving. The geometric patterns and angles draws the human eye quicker than a solid background does.
One last factor is cammo pattern. The Military has been searching for years for that magic pattern that blends in all terrain and all climates. It doesn't exist! Woodland works great in....Well, woodland. But we really stuck out in the rubble of what was Beirut. The cammies we wore in Desert Storm worked well in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait but are useless here except in parts of the American SouthWest. I don't know what the hell the Army was thinking with that ACU monstrosity.?????? The only picture I've seen where the guy blends in with that stuff was a joke. The guy is laying on a grayish floral couch. What happens if war breaks out in say.. Korea? I pray for our Soldiers that the Army comes to it's senses. I've heard the rumors that they may switch over to the Multi-Cam. It would be a good thing. I know a LOT of people like Multi-Cam but........ It is NOT the best answer from a Survivalist stand point. When you see photos of groups wearing camo what comes to mind? I'll tell you what, exactly what the liberal media has indoctrinated the public into seeing by using the same cliches over and over. Words like Armed Extremists, Radical Militia's, etc...
Camouflage has more disadvantages than advantages. It draws unwanted attention, It is unable to work everywhere year round, It clashes when wearing different patterns together and it fades. You can't redye it because of the different patterns/colors. If you try, it just ends up a dulled color with slight variations. What's the solution then?
The one color that has been there from the very beginning and is still used today is good old Olive Drab or O.D. It works probably better than anything else in all types of different enviroments and climates. It mixes well with other subdued variations of green, khaki, brown or tan. It comes in a wide variaty of military as well as civilian outdoors clothing. It can be redyed usually quite easily. You can buy O.D. Cargo Pants from a Target Store and wear it with a top from a Surplus Store. Might be some slight differences but they won't really clash. Plus, it doesn't draw the unwanted attention. Much as the perception that a rifle with a wooded stock isn't as lethal as one of those evil black rifles.
In conlusion: stick with clothing in subdued variations of green, brown, khaki or brown. Oh yeah, proper Camouflage, Cover and Concealment depends less on the clothing wore and more on the techniques of utilizing the terrain and tactics but that's a whole discussion in itself.
Now, on to Color/Pattern. A lot of people feel the need for Camouflage. They feel it is necessary to hide or blend in. Not really. The Japanese in WWII and the VietCong/NVA were very, very good at hiding and for the most part, didn't wear Camo pattern clothing. The Marines in the beginning of WWII issued Frog or Duck Hunter pattern camo but abandoned it. Why? It worked well when issued but faded. Once faded, camo makes you stick out like a sore thumb! Also, camo works to a degree when stationary but works against you while moving. The geometric patterns and angles draws the human eye quicker than a solid background does.
One last factor is cammo pattern. The Military has been searching for years for that magic pattern that blends in all terrain and all climates. It doesn't exist! Woodland works great in....Well, woodland. But we really stuck out in the rubble of what was Beirut. The cammies we wore in Desert Storm worked well in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait but are useless here except in parts of the American SouthWest. I don't know what the hell the Army was thinking with that ACU monstrosity.?????? The only picture I've seen where the guy blends in with that stuff was a joke. The guy is laying on a grayish floral couch. What happens if war breaks out in say.. Korea? I pray for our Soldiers that the Army comes to it's senses. I've heard the rumors that they may switch over to the Multi-Cam. It would be a good thing. I know a LOT of people like Multi-Cam but........ It is NOT the best answer from a Survivalist stand point. When you see photos of groups wearing camo what comes to mind? I'll tell you what, exactly what the liberal media has indoctrinated the public into seeing by using the same cliches over and over. Words like Armed Extremists, Radical Militia's, etc...
Camouflage has more disadvantages than advantages. It draws unwanted attention, It is unable to work everywhere year round, It clashes when wearing different patterns together and it fades. You can't redye it because of the different patterns/colors. If you try, it just ends up a dulled color with slight variations. What's the solution then?
The one color that has been there from the very beginning and is still used today is good old Olive Drab or O.D. It works probably better than anything else in all types of different enviroments and climates. It mixes well with other subdued variations of green, khaki, brown or tan. It comes in a wide variaty of military as well as civilian outdoors clothing. It can be redyed usually quite easily. You can buy O.D. Cargo Pants from a Target Store and wear it with a top from a Surplus Store. Might be some slight differences but they won't really clash. Plus, it doesn't draw the unwanted attention. Much as the perception that a rifle with a wooded stock isn't as lethal as one of those evil black rifles.
In conlusion: stick with clothing in subdued variations of green, brown, khaki or brown. Oh yeah, proper Camouflage, Cover and Concealment depends less on the clothing wore and more on the techniques of utilizing the terrain and tactics but that's a whole discussion in itself.
: Guess you can get locked-up for wearing Real Tree huh?
