Clothing and Equipment

steve jones wrote:

I had a tank suit that I wore on my civvie motor bike. Rode from Bracknel to Munster one very cold winter. Nylon under clothes, track suit, waterproofs, leather jacket and the tank suit on top. Inner silk gloves, gauntlets and waterproof over mits, silk helmet liner and a full face and i froze my arse off. had to stop at every service station to warm up. Had to use the hand dryer to get enough feeling in my hands to be able to undo the helmet strap. boy we were young and stupid once.

Rather you than me Steve

If the army taught me anything, it was the art of keeping warm. Still wear long johns. (Reminds me, must get them laundered)

Teabag wrote:

One thing I never liked was the smell of damp, grotty sleeping bags. Air them all you like but it was still there.

Our sleeping bags came from a sort of central pool in the 70s, all the units in the area used the same ones. They used to stink of rancid sweaty bodies and cheesy feet.

I was issued one once and without thinking, I threw it into the wagon with the rest of my kit. Getting into it at Reinsehlen I found that it had been made for Ronnie Corbett and only came up to my armpits. I never made THAT mistake again !

Dolmetscher wrote:

If the army taught me anything, it was the art of keeping warm. Still wear long johns. (Reminds me, must get them laundered)

Every six months whether they need it or not !!!!

Cor, yes I remember the blanket roll taken from your bed, and the hard floors or ground upon which we tried to snatch short spells of sleep, not to mention the wet bivvies and cam nets plus incessant rain

Dolmetscher wrote:

If the army taught me anything, it was the art of keeping warm. Still wear long johns. (Reminds me, must get them laundered)

are they of the army type"with hole in back..........for the use of!!!!?

Don't know what era you lot come from. I'm used to a sleeping system with stuff sack on an American camp bed with liner and Goretex outer. Also a supplementary lightweight gonkbag for when the evenings get a tad too warm

I'm from the "Needing them, not feeding them" generation".

brum wrote:

Teabag wrote:

One thing I never liked was the smell of damp, grotty sleeping bags. Air them all you like but it was still there.

Our sleeping bags came from a sort of central pool in the 70s, all the units in the area used the same ones. They used to stink of rancid sweaty bodies and cheesy feet.

I was issued one once and without thinking, I threw it into the wagon with the rest of my kit. Getting into it at Reinsehlen I found that it had been made for Ronnie Corbett and only came up to my armpits. I never made THAT mistake again !

Wondered what had happened to mine!

Geeneff wrote:

Don't know what era you lot come from. I'm used to a sleeping system with stuff sack on an American camp bed with liner and Goretex outer. Also a supplementary lightweight gonkbag for when the evenings get a tad too warm

I wish!!

I did have a bundeswehr parka, not sure where I got it from, probably 21 Panzer at Augustdorf, now that was a great bit of kit. Had to unstich the "Fahne" though.

Lightweight sleeping systems on tick for Belize, Afghanistan, Kuwait, great piece of kit. The Northern Europe sleeper was brilliant with the Gore Tex outer bag which could be used as a Bivi Bag.

The buying of your own kit was the main issue we had. The hierarchy came to realise that we fought (trained) better with better personal kit and it was tolerated, if not per individual unit accepted, that we bought, wore and maintained our own kit.

I started off with German Para Boots and a German sleeping bag which had arms! and a flap which you could flip up the lower half so very warm when in the gun pit...

I ended up buying all sorts. Chest Rigs as in the back of a 432/warrior/saxon sitting on pouches is a touch uncomfortable. Mini binoculars, model kit, knifes, cooker, torches, cam cream (I used good stuff or else I looked like a spotty teen), bergan (prior to PLCE), 5 litre watter bladder.

Issue kit was ok but left a lot to be desired...

I bought a Battery Scarf once, it was deducted from my pay in instalments over a period!

Did you ever find a better tin opener than the ubiquitous one from Compo packs? They take some beating!

They still issued hob-nail boots when I was serving. Also, the wonderful green underpants.

alan8376 wrote:

Did you ever find a better tin opener than the ubiquitous one from Compo packs? They take some beating!

Good point !

I think the Swiss Army knife has a better one though.

Dolmetscher wrote:

Also, the wonderful green underpants.

Ah yes, "Drawers, Drac" !

Shelldrake wrote:

I bought a Battery Scarf once, it was deducted from my pay in instalments over a period!

We too had Battery scarves inflicted on us. Bloody daft Yank idea.

I still have a stable belt from my "N" Battery (The Eagle Troop) days, purchased from the PRI.

QOH take the prize for cheek though. Cpls and above had to wear a metal cypher badge, above the chevrons on No 2 dress, which we had to pay for out of our own pockets.

alan8376 wrote:

Did you ever find a better tin opener than the ubiquitous one from Compo packs? They take some beating!

Still carry one in my wallet and it is over 30 years old. Never heard of scarves but we had cravats at 2 Sqn 21st Signal Regt. Blue with red hands on them. Of course I wish to buy one SSM!

I'm in the red hand gang!

the battery scarfs............are they duracell or eveready?

reg

reg wrote:

the battery scarfs............are they duracell or eveready?

reg

BOOM BOOM tish!

My daughter is in the NZ army TF, and they still get issued the same tin openers and hexi burners as we did. She had some ration packs at home and fed everyone during the recent disaster from rat packs cooked on a hexi burner.

How about the izal toilet paper we had in barracks.......so smooth & soft..Hmmmm.


reg

reg wrote:

How about the izal toilet paper we had in barracks.......so smooth & soft..Hmmmm.


reg

what do you think us slop jockeys used for grease proof paper YUM YUM........................

That stuff was bloody awful. I'm sorry for being so graphic but... when arse was wiped, that stuff just smeared the shite everywhere. I t was T O R T U R E

Themaadone wrote:

That stuff was bloody awful. I'm sorry for being so graphic but... when arse was wiped, that stuff just smeared the shite everywhere. I t was T O R T U R E

yeah gave a whole knew meaning to the word SKIDMARK..............