Jacket/Smock musings....

[Van-Wild]

More than a few moons ago I learnt what to put in my smock pockets to aid in surviving behind enemy lines. Twas an interesting bit of training. Here's what was seen as essential (I still have the notes) and how I carried it:

Left Inside pocket:

Foldable water bottle 1ltr
Puri-tabs

Right inside pocket:

Emergency Ration (inside a large zip lock bag)
1 x BITB meal
2 x Energy Bars
5 x Rehydrate sachets
5 x Coffee Sachets

Top left outside pocket:

Notebook and pencils
Compass

Top right outside pocket:

Torch
Lighter & lip balm (wrapped in gaffa tape, linked together with 1m of paracord)

Bottom left outside pocket:

Gloves
Warm hat
Buff

Bottom right outside pocket

Leatherman multi-tool (with 1m of paracord tied in)

On my belt I had a Mora HD and a Bacho folding saw.

The idea being I'm not static surviving, I'm legging it back to my mates.

So back to my musing.....

What do you carry in your jacket pockets? And how often do you actually use the stuff in there? Of course, I'm sure we aren't all out in the sticks running from the pretend enemy and living off our wits. But when I'm out in the woods, I weirdly still carry some of the above stuff in the same pockets!

What say ye? Shall we muse a little....

 

[Chris]

More than a few moons ago I learnt what to put in my smock pockets to aid in surviving behind enemy lines. Twas an interesting bit of training. Here's what was seen as essential (I still have the notes) and how I carried it:

Left Inside pocket:

Foldable water bottle 1ltr
Puri-tabs

Right inside pocket:

Emergency Ration (inside a large zip lock bag)
1 x BITB meal
2 x Energy Bars
5 x Rehydrate sachets
5 x Coffee Sachets

Top left outside pocket:

Notebook and pencils
Compass

Top right outside pocket:

Torch
Lighter & lip balm (wrapped in gaffa tape, linked together with 1m of paracord)

Bottom left outside pocket:

Gloves
Warm hat
Buff

Bottom right outside pocket

Leatherman multi-tool (with 1m of paracord tied in)

On my belt I had a Mora HD and a Bacho folding saw.

The idea being I'm not static surviving, I'm legging it back to my mates.

So back to my musing.....

What do you carry in your jacket pockets? And how often do you actually use the stuff in there? Of course, I'm sure we aren't all out in the sticks running from the pretend enemy and living off our wits. But when I'm out in the woods, I weirdly still carry some of the above stuff in the same pockets!

What say ye? Shall we muse a little....

Top left outer pocket for me will have a dressing (bandage, not Caesar) and CAT (tourniquet, not feline). Bottom right and bottom left outer pockets are largely the same for me as you’ve stated above, although with the dog I tend to keep treats and poo bags in the outer bottom left pocket these days, and warm gear in the top flap of whatever bag I am carrying.

Inner left zip pocket is usually important stuff like car key and wallet.

Really these days I try to keep the contents of my pockets minimal, and if I am outdoors doing ‘outdoorsy’ things I very seldom don’t have a daysack with me.

 

[MikeLA]

Chances are in a real situation your pockets would be full of as much ammunition as possible and inside pocket would have been a beret bottom pockets if lucky gloves and hat. Top pockets notebook and pens pertractor compass penknife small torch and whistle but most of that would be out replaces with a snack or two. Missed stuff but it’s been a while. Mates who saw active service told me everything was binned with pockets were full of extra rounds.

 

[MikeLA]

Civilian wise navigation eqpt, penknife whistle torch still. With snacks hat and gloves

 

[Van-Wild]

Chances are in a real situation your pockets would be full of as much ammunition as possible and inside pocket would have been a beret bottom pockets if lucky gloves and hat. Top pockets notebook and pens pertractor compass penknife small torch and whistle but most of that would be out replaces with a snack or two. Missed stuff but it’s been a while. Mates who saw active service told me everything was binned with pockets were full of extra rounds.

Chances are, in a real situation I would of also had my belt kit. I never went anywhere without my belt kit! No matter what. I never understood why guys would think it's a good idea to remove your ammunition from the very thing designed to carry it and put it in a smock, which most definitely isn't designed to carry said ammunition quietly.... . But each to their own, you can't judge tactics if you weren't there!

 

[MikeLA]

I agree but i remember reading an account of one of the battles in the falklands were they even ditched their webbing to go faster

 

[Chris]

A lot of load carriage in more recent conflicts is done through the medium of MOLLE pouches on body armour, as body armour is just unused real estate + webbing can be a reet pain in combination with armour and a daysack.

Body armour also makes smock pockets a bit of a mare to get to, so lots of the general ‘smock carry’ things got redistributed to pouches and daysack.

That said, I have not found the need to wear Osprey or Virtus in my bushcraft adventures, as whilst the youth of today are apparently quite tooled up, I’ve not encountered any in the woods of rural Lincolnshire. Perhaps they’re just good at camouflage and concealment.

I’ve been debating modifying a civilian (US) shooter’s belt for outdoor purposes as I do miss smock pockets in hot weather and a small, low profile pouch or two would come in handy.

 

[Van-Wild]

A lot of load carriage in more recent conflicts is done through the medium of MOLLE pouches on body armour, as body armour is just unused real estate + webbing can be a reet pain in combination with armour and a daysack.

Body armour also makes smock pockets a bit of a mare to get to, so lots of the general ‘smock carry’ things got redistributed to pouches and daysack.

That said, I have not found the need to wear Osprey or Virtus in my bushcraft adventures, as whilst the youth of today are apparently quite tooled up, I’ve not encountered any in the woods of rural Lincolnshire. Perhaps they’re just good at camouflage and concealment.

I’ve been debating modifying a civilian (US) shooter’s belt for outdoor purposes as I do miss smock pockets in hot weather and a small, low profile pouch or two would come in handy.

A low profile pouch is a good idea. As you say, in more recent conflicts (2005 onwards) MOLLE really came into being. And in the beginning there were pouches. Loads of em! PLCE webbing became obsolete almost overnight.

But I don't live in that world anymore. I do like a smock though.......

 

[TeeDee]

Some people will mock it.

But I'm still a big fan of having my name written in my underpants.

Laugh if you will , but I've always found my way home.

Coincidence ?? I don't think so...

 

[Van-Wild]

Some people will mock it.

But I'm still a big fan of having my name written in my underpants.

Laugh if you will , but I've always found my way home.

Coincidence ?? I don't think so...

At least the dreaded pants thief will know who they stole them from eh!

 

[Laurentius]

It rather depends on whether I am wearing a jacket or not and how many pockets. As a rule I like to carry essentials in belt pouches as in summer I find a jacket rather hot to wear and it will be rolled up in my haversack or backpack.

 

[demographic]

Roll of little placky bags for dog eggs.
Secateurs for guerrilla gardening/path maintenance usage.
Two quid floppy frisbee for the dog to catch.
Sometimes a hat.

 

[gllct0]

I have a superb golfing woolly jumper with a wind stopper lining, very toasty.