Martti,
just a thought...what kind of info do you have on the type of food folks were eating to stay alive-military and loggers, at those temperatures?
A surprisingly lean diet for the FDF, I would have expected a higher fat content.
Would the string vest be cotton Martti?
That loggers jacket is very similar to the British 40 pattern battledress blouse, in design.
There is also an interesting article on choosing right equipment for the Arctic called General principles governing selection of clothing for cold climates, written by Major Paul Siple of U. S. Antarctic Service in 1945. It was written before the widespread use of synthetic materials which makes it also an interesting to read. The author has also included some facts on general clothing design for the Arctics and subarctic climate so it also is suitable reading material for synthetics users. Siple uses two different clothing systems as a basic for Arctic, over- and underdressing. The first one he recommended for people standing still and doing little work while the latter was naturally for skiers etc.Clothing. Light in summer, wind and waterproof. Undergarments must be of wool or [cotton] flannel as they absorb sweat very well. Outer layer should be cool and equipped with large pockets. Best suitable for this purpose are dense cotton fabrics such as faux(?)-, windproof cotton etc. Rubber or rubber tipped boots [with leather top] are the best footwear. Men should be equipped with rubber coated raincoats or rain capes together with rubber coated gaiters against the rain. Equipment are carried with a frame backpack, which should be roomy and with outer pockets and lashes to allow equipment to be attached outside. For camping purposes and drying equipment, the patrols are equipped with two by two meters large waterproof tarpaulin.
Clothing must be light and warm during the wintertime. [Inner layer] Undergarments are the same as in summer. Middle layer undergarments and knee-, wrist- and neck gaiters should be made out of wool. Outer layer should be roomy and equipped with large pockets. Trousers should be straight and similar to skiing trousers [i.e. tapers towards the ankles]. The best material suitable for making these items is a dense and flexible military sarka (i.e. vadmal/hodden/melton) fabric. Other winter equipment includes also a fur coat made of sheep or rabbit or a vest from the same material. Ski boots made out of felt and reinforced with leather bits around the seams and the ski binding attachment are used as a footwear. Snow suit with roomy outer pockets should be made out of strong cotton cloth (e.g. moleskin).
The felt boots have my special interest... Do you have any more info on those?
That doesn't look like it is easily made yourself....
I am just wandering how durable it would be. It wouldn't be hard to make, but if you'd have to do it every day.....
To my best knowledge, the German felt shoes were based on both Finnish and Russian examples. However the Finnish ones were based on a traditional leather design and were "skiable". I have instructions & patterns how to make a pair. They are made of 5mm felt around the toes and a bit thinner felt was used elsewhere. Here is a rather poor quality photograph how they look like. Notice the leather reinforcements around the seams and in the tip.