OUTDOOR TACTICAL OUTDOOR DEVELOPMENT
THREADS AND TREADS IN THIS MONTH’S INSTALMENT OF HIS ONGOING SERIES IN RELATION TO NOT ONLY SURVIVING THE GAME DAY ENVIRONMENT, BUT ACTUALLY THRIVING IN IT, JON TAKES A STEP BACK IN TIME TO LOOK AT THE DEVELOPMENT OF CLOTHING SYSTEMS, AND BRINGS IT BANG UP TO DATE TO HOW YOU CAN PREPARE YOURSELF TO EXCEL EVEN IN THE HARSHEST CONDITIONS YOU MAY ENCOUNTER!
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ast month I looked at why failing to prepare is potentially preparing to fail. We spoke about preparation from booking a game day, preparing your weapon systems, and clothing. In this issue I would like to take you all on a journey into understanding the importance of and some of the technology and development involved in the clothing we wear. I’ll try to avoid going to “James May” on the subject but you’ll have to humour me as it’s quite important and the science works. So, what are we wearing and I guess more importantly, why are we wearing it? It looks “Ally”, right? Well sure it does and that is cool but there’s a whole lot more to it. Our modern clothing, specifically the Military and Law Enforcement, has had billions of dollars of research and development poured into it. It’s lightweight, strong, warm, waterproof and in some cases can stop bullets. This clothing is practical. This clothing is incredible but it hasn’t always been like that. Military, Law Enforcement and Outdoor clothing has come a long way in the last 100 years! In WW1 a British Soldiers webbing (1908 pattern)
alone could weigh up to 70 lbs or 32 kg, that’s before you add the weight of the heavy woollen uniforms, leather, boots and their weapons. The uniform around the turn of the century and through two World Wars was heavy, cumbersome and by today’s standards, ineffective. A soldier would have been slow, easily fatigued and although the British Army were one of the
first military forces to adopt drab or coloured to the environment clothing, a soldier was easy to spot in the open. Add the weight of a good downpour and the mud that would have stuck to these woollen pieces, it must have been hellish for them.
“IN WW1 A BRITISH SOLDIERS WEBBING (1908 PATTERN) ALONE COULD WEIGH UP TO 70 LBS OR 32 KG, THAT’S BEFORE YOU ADD THE WEIGHT OF THE HEAVY WOOLLEN UNIFORMS, LEATHER, BOOTS AND THEIR WEAPONS. THE UNIFORM AROUND THE TURN OF THE CENTURY AND THROUGH TWO WORLD WARS WAS HEAVY, CUMBERSOME AND BY TODAY’S STANDARDS, INEFFECTIVE” 38
DECEMBER 2021
