# Nordic Combat Uniform project enters field testing phase



## OceanBonfire (12 Nov 2019)

> The Nordic Combat Uniform (NCU) project is now ready to enter the field-testing phase. Some 480 soldiers from all four Nordic countries will be testing the uniform systems from the final prequalified tenderers.
> 
> In these weeks some 480 soldiers, who are going to take a part in the field-testing phase, will be opening the boxes with the sample uniform systems from the tenderers. That will be the beginning of the comprehensive test period running from December 2019 to May 2020.
> 
> ...


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## dapaterson (12 Nov 2019)

What?  An olive drab combat uniform with black boots?


...now, where when have I seen that before...


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## dimsum (12 Nov 2019)

dapaterson said:
			
		

> What?  An olive drab combat uniform with black boots?
> 
> 
> ...now, where when have I seen that before...



Well, it did say that each country would put their own camouflage pattern on it...


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## dangerboy (12 Nov 2019)

I like the whole system approach when it comes to clothing.


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## dapaterson (12 Nov 2019)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> Well, it did say that each country would put their own camouflage pattern on it...



This is the internet.  Why are you bothering me with things like "facts" and "reading the article" and "intelligent comments"?


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## daftandbarmy (12 Nov 2019)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> I like the whole system approach when it comes to clothing.



The Norwegian winter warfare ‘system’, as I recall, went something like ‘ski hard or freeze to death.’ 

They wee also big fans of natural fibres, and not keen on synthetic clothing like, ironically, Helly Hansen Lifa kit. It will be interesting to see if they stick with that philosophy.


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## Spencer100 (12 Nov 2019)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> The Norwegian winter warfare ‘system’, as I recall, went something like ‘ski hard or freeze to death.’
> 
> They wee also big fans of natural fibres, and not keen on synthetic clothing like, ironically, Helly Hansen Lifa kit. It will be interesting to see if they stick with that philosophy.



Funny thing Helly Hansen is owned by Canadian Tire now


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## Loachman (19 Nov 2019)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> The Norwegian winter warfare ‘system’, as I recall, went something like ‘ski hard or freeze to death.’
> 
> They wee also big fans of natural fibres, and not keen on synthetic clothing like, ironically, Helly Hansen Lifa kit. It will be interesting to see if they stick with that philosophy.



I was surprised to see how little they went out with in the early 1980s - a tiny rucksack each, the equivalent of our old combat jacket over a woolen sweater that looked thicker than it was and a zippered cotton turtleneck, a thin rolled-up closed-cell sleeping pad, and strapon roughly-quarter-inch-thick cotton insulation covers for the tops of their unlined leather combat boots. There wasn't much room in their rucksacks for much of a sleeping bag, food, or anything really, and I never saw any toboggans.

And the food in their messes...

But conscripts don't need much comfort.


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## daftandbarmy (19 Nov 2019)

Loachman said:
			
		

> I was surprised to see how little they went out with in the early 1980s - a tiny rucksack each, the equivalent of our old combat jacket over a woolen sweater that looked thicker than it was and a zippered cotton turtleneck, a thin rolled-up closed-cell sleeping pad, and strapon roughly-quarter-inch-thick cotton insulation covers for the tops of their unlined leather combat boots. There wasn't much room in their rucksacks for much of a sleeping bag, food, or anything really, and I never saw any toboggans.
> 
> And the food in their messes...
> 
> But conscripts don't need much comfort.



I did the Allied Winter Course at their Infantry School in Elverum, in East Central Norway, where it gets really cold. Their philosophy is all about ‘traveling light and freezing at night.’ 

From being not a very good skier at the start of the course, 4 weeks later I completed a 30km biathlon carrying 30lbs and a G3 Rifle in under 4 hours, which is their equivalent of our BFT. 

On exercises, we would cover enormous distances, towing toboggans as well, through the eastern mountain ranges at down to 45 below. As soon as you stopped, you burrowed into the snow, by section, and put a tent sheet over top so your collective body heat keeps you alive. For warm kit we had... a sweater and a warm hat.

It was a highly instructive, if miserable, way to learn how much you don’t need to carry during arctic warfare.


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## Loachman (19 Nov 2019)

I had a helicopter when I was there.

And conscripts chopping wood into bite-sized morsels to feed the stoves in the Norgie tents at night.


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## daftandbarmy (19 Nov 2019)

Loachman said:
			
		

> I had a helicopter when I was there.
> 
> And conscripts chopping wood into bite-sized morsels to feed the stoves in the Norgie tents at night.



That's a great ad for any 'stay in school' initiative


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## SeaKingTacco (20 Nov 2019)

Loachman said:
			
		

> I had a helicopter when I was there.
> 
> And conscripts chopping wood into bite-sized morsels to feed the stoves in the Norgie tents at night.



I was there in fall 92. I remember the rain and the mud. We burnt everything we could find in those stoves to keep the tents somewhat dry.

Beautiful country between Bardufoss and Skeboten...


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## daftandbarmy (20 Nov 2019)

Ladies and gentleman, I give you the apogee of military load bearing equipment, the 'Ludwig Bergan', in cockney...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji-hIUIWNjU

It seems ridiculous until you realize they only carry about 30lbs, max, at any one time. The sleeping bag gets lashed on the outside top, boy scout like.

Bizarrely, they produced a modern version... which was exactly like the 1909 version (that I used alot) except it had some nylon parts in place of the leather and cotton. Even more bizarrely, I found one in a surplus store in Victoria a few years ago and bought it.


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## Rifleman62 (20 Nov 2019)

At Suffield, during a Medicine Man, circ 1984 (?), the Royal Green Jackets Pl Sgt carried the extra ammo for redistribution. A very heavy load. Up/down coolees in dismounted attacks during a very hot  July.


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## daftandbarmy (20 Nov 2019)

Rifleman62 said:
			
		

> At Suffield, during a Medicine Man, circ 1984 (?), the Royal Green Jackets Pl Sgt carried the extra ammo for redistribution. A very heavy load. Up/down coolees in dismounted attacks during a very hot  July.



My take away was that the Norgies had a very good logistics system that meant their Infantry were not overburdened. For example, no one has to do laundry at their Infantry school, they just hand in their dirty clothes/ sheets etc at stores and get issued clean ones. We were stunned. 

Nice duvets by the way...


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## OceanBonfire (10 Feb 2022)




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