9781422287774

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CLOTHING

Clothing protects troops from hostile weather. It is essential for their well-being. Here are the principles that members of elite units follow when selecting clothing for wild areas.

Elite troops use the layer principle. This offers maximum protection and is suitable in all types of climate. The principle is very simple: air is the best form of insulation and the best way of creating it is to trap it between layers of clothing. The more layers soldiers wear, the warmer they will be. If soldiers are too hot, they remove a layer. If they are cold, they add a layer. In a cold climate, it is important that soldiers do not get too hot. This can be as much of a problem as being cold. This is because, if they sweat, the sweat will then cool, drawing away body heat into the air. The first layer a soldier wears is next to the skin. It is called thermal underwear or “long johns.” This is the base layer. The idea is that a thin layer of usually synthetic material will help the soldier remain reasonably dry even if the conditions outside are very wet. A woolen or wool mixture shirt is worn over this. On top of this will be a woolen or good woven fiber sweater or jacket. (Woven fiber tends to be better because it is warmer and more windproof.) The latest and most effective insulating material used by troops is fleece. A soldier’s fleece would be thick and have ventilation zippers. Then the soldier

This British Royal Marine is wearing modern Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM) camouflage with scrim netting on his head and chest.