Advice needed - Best Winter Gloves?

[armyvern]

I only know what my platoon was told, and our Pl 2ic suggested we get our own pair to wear out in the field when we get back because of the poor quality of the gloves that were issued. He also told us that for sentry duties etc, that he will be requiring us to wear the arctic mitts, but for patrolling and such, we will be permitted to wear our own gloves.

Cool, wear 2nd skin type gloves on the ranges etc!! Better yet, make sure that you have you arctic mitts on for "sentry" duties; yeah those sentry duties that involve weapons handling/challenging/(in the real world - firing). Yeah, that's where I'd make sure I had you wear arctic mitts too; right after you came back from picking me up the can of cadpat paint at the QM.

Your posts are really beginning to scare me. And I don't scare easily. Wow.

 

[Scott]

I don't know where "not eating" came into this thread,

It was a jab relating to this thread.

Personally, I'd suggest that you go through this very "basic" of training with the very 'basics".  You'll lose nary a limb or digit.  And, if nothing else, it will highlight to you the limitations of some of our "wonderful" kit.

Exactly.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Something for those advocating the use of only issued kit, all the time:

"You were lucky. We lived for three months in a paper bag in a septic tank. We used to have to get up at six in the morning, clean the paper bag, eat a crust of stale bread, go to work down t' mill, fourteen hours a day, week-in week-out, for sixpence a week, and when we got home our Dad would thrash us to sleep wi' his belt."


http://www.phespirit.info/montypython/four_yorkshiremen.htm

 

[vonGarvin]

Something for those advocating the use of only issued kit, all the time:

"You were lucky. We lived for three months in a paper bag in a septic tank. We used to have to get up at six in the morning, clean the paper bag, eat a crust of stale bread, go to work down t' mill, fourteen hours a day, week-in week-out, for sixpence a week, and when we got home our Dad would thrash us to sleep wi' his belt."

For TRAINED troops who know what kit works for them, getting your personal kit in order is fine, and in fact I encourage it.  FOR UNTRAINED NOOBS WHO HAVE TO BE WALKED TO DINNER, PUT TO BED AND WOKEN UP IN THE MORNING, I will NOT trust them with their own kit in the field for one reason: they are stupid and I know better.  Full stop.  They are stupid, they will get frost bite, twisted ankles and other injuries, and when the investigation notes that they were wearing some "nomex stuff I read about on the internet", well, guess what happens.

Read your own sig line: " 'The most important qualification of a soldier is fortitude under fatigue and privation. Courage is only second; hardship, poverty and want are the best school for a soldier.' Napoleon"

 

[Deleted member 9665]

For TRAINED troops who know what kit works for them, getting your personal kit in order is fine, and in fact I encourage it.  FOR UNTRAINED NOOBS WHO HAVE TO BE WALKED TO DINNER, PUT TO BED AND WOKEN UP IN THE MORNING, I will NOT trust them with their own kit in the field for one reason: they are stupid and I know better.  Full stop.  They are stupid, they will get frost bite, twisted ankles and other injuries, and when the investigation notes that they were wearing some "nomex stuff I read about on the internet", well, guess what happens.

Read your own sig line: " 'The most important qualification of a soldier is fortitude under fatigue and privation. Courage is only second; hardship, poverty and want are the best school for a soldier.' Napoleon"

I agre...The BMQ is to have every soldier under a certain uniformity...tu do the same thing, to think alike, to be up to STANDARD why should they get civilian things...under what goal does this action goes? Uniformity?, STANDARD?

Not to my point of view

 

[navymich]

I agre...The BMQ is to have every soldier under a certain uniformity...tu do the same thing, to think alike, to be up to STANDARD why should they get civilian things...under what goal does this action goes? Uniformity?, STANDARD?

And yet, according to the students on BMQ that are posting in the thread, it is the instructors of their course(s) that are telling them to buy/bring civilian gear.  I concur with what Hauptmann said earlier, that they should experience it with the standard, issued gear.  I wonder then why they are being told to bring something else?  Does this follow some sort of concurrence that has led them to now have students supposedly "better" prepared?

 

[Franko]

I'll be chatting with one of their instructors tomorrow night over a few pints and get the lowdown on this topic.

It'll be interesting to see it from his POV.

I'll be posting it here for all to see. Hopefully we can put this one to bed shortly thereafter.

Regards

 

[navymich]

RBD, do you have your list of questions besides this one?  Sounds like a long night and lots of pints!  ;D

 

[George Wallace]

People wonder why the Army issues gloves and mitts.  If any of you are wondering why your fingers get cold wearing gloves, think of how much heat one finger will generate, compared to four.  With all your fingers heating each other in mitts, they will stay warmer than if you were wearing gloves.  The time to learn how to and when to use your kit properly, is now.  Civilian gloves and mitts will be a luxury you can play with later.

 

[Deleted member 9665]

I like to to some photographing...(hint : go see my web site) and takking picures in winter was hell.

I found some mittens were 3 fingers are together and the inder has his own house... (figure of speach),  and I also use those mits for my civilian job...as a security agent... and even if I love those mits.. sure would be usefull for shooting... there is no way ill wear them with my uniform...they are black... they are just not standard issue items...

Respect the rules...wear what is issue. nothing more, nothing less.

 

[te. crutch]

http://911supply.ca/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=150&category_id=55&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=55

Granted it wasn't that cold when I went through Farmham, this is what i wore when we were allowed and I never had any issues with dexterity or thermal properties...........

 

[Franko]

RBD, do you have your list of questions besides this one?  Sounds like a long night and lots of pints!  ;D

Oh my yes!

So many to debunk and bring to the attention of one of the staff, one on one....I can't pass it up.

I'll find out if it's as bad as some have said here.

Needless to say, he'll probably go back to St Jean armed with some info and possibly sort out the concerns of some of the members have posted. I've known him for 18 years and he's the type of guy that if he says he'll look into it....he will.

As for a long night of pints, this is what I have available:

- 8 x Boddingtons (to warm up the stomach)

The main course:

- 3 x 40 oz bottles of Scotch of varying tastes
- 1 x Jack Daniels
- 1 x Crown Royal
- 8 x bottles of white wine (mostly German)
- 3 x bottles of red (Niagara / Italian)
- 1 x bottle of Strawberry wine....for the ladies.
- and 4 bottles of assorted Champagne / Sparkling wine

Needless to say the spirits will be flowing and the car keys will be locked away for safe keeping until the morning.

It should be a night of merriment.        :blotto:

Regards

 

[Scott]

And yet, according to the students on BMQ that are posting in the thread, it is the instructors of their course(s) that are telling them to buy/bring civilian gear.

This brings up a good point. If they are being told to do this then it would seem silly for them to just use the issued kit and suffer, would it not? Why stand when you can sit and so on...

I concur with what Hauptmann said earlier, that they should experience it with the standard, issued gear.

100% with you on that!

 

[17thRecceSgt]

And yet, according to the students on BMQ that are posting in the thread, it is the instructors of their course(s) that are telling them to buy/bring civilian gear.   I concur with what Hauptmann said earlier, that they should experience it with the standard, issued gear.  I wonder then why they are being told to bring something else?  Does this follow some sort of concurrence that has led them to now have students supposedly "better" prepared?

Maybe the instr's are seeing the students wearing the old cmbt gloves, knowing they can't be issued the CWW glove that they have, and they know how much they suck.  Or the old cmbt jacket, while the staff is in the GORTEC CADPAT ICES/ICS (whichever) jacket and know how much the old cmbt jacket sucked...

Can anyone weigh in here from the Supply side as to why the SI for Recruits doesn't include even the latest and greatest kit the System gives us?  As I stated, lots of posts on this forum are about how crappy/sub-standard this "new" kit that is issued is...from the TV...to the CADPAT Gortex stuff...boots...etc etc.  I am wondering where the driving force of the SI for recruits in trng doesn't include the new kit...

 

[Hot Lips]

Well RBD that ought to be an accurate recount of your discussion after consuming that much alcohol :...
What you will find, as I have recently experienced, is that there isn't necessarily a standard from platoon to platoon...what one is doing the others may not be...
We had four IAP/BOTP courses going through when I did and there were differences just between our platoons regarding what was "standard"
As well, the kit being issued is old and outdated by present standards...our combat jackets were made in the 70s...now you may say, "that is what we wore"...well hey I believe every generation should want the best for the next generation...I know my grandfather, a WWII vet, used to say and believe just that 
I understand as well, from the staff I had at CFLRS, that the CO is working hard to ensure that recruits have the opportunity to train with the newest, best kit available and newer kit will be seen soon at CFLRS as a result of this forward thinking.

"Train the way you fight, fight the way you train"

HL

 

[Franko]

Well RBD that ought to be an accurate recount of your discussion after consuming that much alcohol :...

I didn't say that we were going to drink all of it     

MRM knows the two of us....now that we've aged a bit I'll be surprised if we can get done the ales and a few shots of Scotch. I know my liver can't handle it like it used to.

Needless to say he'll probably recant what you've said, but again, with a staff perspective...reasons why the things are the way they are.

Recruits only see it from their POV without knowing the full story.

Now onto clothing...

IMHO, there is nothing wrong with having the recruits go through with the newer kit, give them a period of getting to know it's limitations and proper usage prior to getting to their new unit.

Regards

 

[vonGarvin]

As for a long night of pints, this is what I have available:

- 8 x Boddingtons (to warm up the stomach)

The main course:

- 3 x 40 oz bottles of Scotch of varying tastes
- 1 x Jack Daniels
- 1 x Crown Royal
- 8 x bottles of white wine (mostly German)
- 3 x bottles of red (Niagara / Italian)
- 1 x bottle of Strawberry wine....for the ladies.
- and 4 bottles of assorted Champagne / Sparkling wine

Needless to say the spirits will be flowing and the car keys will be locked away for safe keeping until the morning.

It should be a night of merriment.        :blotto:

Regards

Have you alerted the Hospital to have a stomach pump handy?

 

[KevinB]

Sigh -- I'm a huge kit slut... But interestingly enough I seemed to have survived my formative years in issue kit.
It was not until later (since the net was not around then) that the US Rain Jacket was obivous. 
Gloves, socks, etc came later during exchanges and personal trial and error.

We slogged thru a number of places a lot shittier than a week of camping by the fire (at the farce that substitutes for Basic these days) that this thread has inspired.

The CF issues a number of excellent handwear items
Trigger finger mitts as was mentioned earlier
The green leather outer and salt and pepper inner (I love those)
The Arctic Snot wiper mitts
Anti Contact gloves (worn inside the Arctice mitts -- and some times the salt and peppers)

The Black Combat gloves -- not so good -- I though they were replaced by the Green "Yugoslavian Gardening Glove"


In my years of experience I found the best way to stay warm is to get posted to a warm place :-*



 

 

[vonGarvin]

In my years of experience I found the best way to stay warm is to get posted to a warm place :-*

And that is probably the BEST way to stay warm!

 

[KevinB]

;D I'm a plethora of knowledge (albiet most of it utterly useless)