I joined in 1989 and the issued webbing was canvas, with a heavy metal framed nylon Para bergen.
Advice on surplus clothing
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I joined in 1989 and the issued webbing was canvas, with a heavy metal framed nylon Para bergen.
Thanks. Later than I expected then. Canvas here was replaced by the Vietnam era. Cotton fatigues were still around until about1978 or so. Metal framed ALICE packs (although the pack itself was about 400 or 600 denier synthetic) were actually still pretty new then.
I was chatting to an oppo only yesterday as he watched me service my kit, he was one of the first soldiers to be issued synthetic (green) webbing around 1987, for an op tour, while the rest of the Army were in the canvas gear (1958 pattern).
Obviously, it went 'missing' within days. They say there is only one thief in the Army, everyone else is just trying to get their stuff back!
I think the ALICE packs were probably way ahead of their time, the design hasn't changed too much and the Aussies/Kiwis use a similar version.
We, in the British Army, are just about to get a new set of field gear made by a UK firm http://blog.source-military.com/
Obviously, it went 'missing' within days. They say there is only one thief in the Army, everyone else is just trying to get their stuff back!
I think the ALICE packs were probably way ahead of their time, the design hasn't changed too much and the Aussies/Kiwis use a similar version.
We, in the British Army, are just about to get a new set of field gear made by a UK firm http://blog.source-military.com/
If i recall, 58 pattern canvas webbing was issued to some units right up till the mid to late 1990s. Not the finest of stuff to my mind, but an improvement on what came before it. It got massively heavy and shrunk when it got wet, and the 'large pack' that clipped to it via circa 300 buckles and straps was an abortion. Mine only became slightly more acceptable once the large and floppy 'kidney pouches' were replaced with three water bottle pouches, the poncho roll stuck on top of the water bottle pouches (when I couldn't get away with dispensing with it altogether), the whole lot held together with bungies to tighten it up and stop bounce when running, and the belt padded with an after market 'hippo pad'. Oh and the so called 'large pack' chinned off into the nearest dustbin and replaced by something larger and more fit for purpose.
Despite all of this, I heard that the main driver for the British army adopting the nylon PLCE webbing to replace it was nothing to do with comfort, and everything to do with the ease with which it could be decontaminated in an NBC (Nuclear Biological Chemical) environment .
Despite all of this, I heard that the main driver for the British army adopting the nylon PLCE webbing to replace it was nothing to do with comfort, and everything to do with the ease with which it could be decontaminated in an NBC (Nuclear Biological Chemical) environment .
My nephew did his basic a couple of years ago, and for that they were issued 58' pattern webbing.
I can't believe I'm going to say this...I grew up in the Canadian Rockies and just at that right age someone said to me, ''If you wear bright clothes in the bush, Sasquatch will snatch you.'' This was pre Henderson's so the friendly Sasquatch thing hadn't happened yet and the snatching thing stuck. Most of my clothes I wear hiking/bushcrafting or anything like that are dark, sometimes army surplus. The army surplus stuff is often harder to wreck and the quality (usually) has a predictability. I bought a pair of cargo trousers from a high st. chain that looked the job and it was like wearing a very absorbent mop on each leg through a long hike with a fairly full backpack, lesson learned. I try to balance out the army surplus and the civilian gear but where it's being used for practical reasons, you can call me all the wannabe's you like, that is what is needed. These days where I am in England there's things much scarier than Sasquatch and the legendary creature has not put in an appearance even after the longest of pub crawls.
'58 pattern in the British Army now!? Sorry can't believe that. I work in Bicester Depot and know that '58 has been withdrawn, even the reserves have the new kit. It must have been more than a few years ago, if not, the QM needs to be given the Mess Webley.
Spot on with this Lord Poncho. I went through Sandhurst in '94-'95 and was issued Green PLCE. Got to my first unit in Germany (3 Tk Tptr Sqn) and was issued '58 webbing, not a feckin scooby how to assemble it. Luckily we went to Bosnia/Croatia the next year and got PLCE and CS95, only threw my jungle boots out the other year. Boots appear to be the only kit that doesn't shrink in the wardrobe.
I use army surplus flecktarn stuff myself, Danish and German. I do make a point of warning people to use only military issue, some of the guys I used to airsoft with bought cheap junk from the far east and after a days play they had white patches on knees and elbows from crawling around
I always stick with genuine issue clothing, when I used to airsoft some guys got copies of flecktarn from the far east because it was cheaper to get brand new than genuine stuff (I OTOH was using 2nd hand surplus - shirts £5 and £10 trousers!) and after the first game their brand new 'repro' £35 flecktarn BDU's had white patches on the knees and elbows where they had been crawling around. False economy eh lads?
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