Helmet liners for the US troops but for us?

[MPIKE]

Yes I know but read below. .  this thread will go one of two ways. positively or south quickly  :

I'm posting this on behalf of a relative who has inquired about a need for our troops to use these homemade knitted items.  She works with the elderly and is part of some knitters' club. I am told in the knitting circles there has been a lot of talk of making these helmet liners as a group project...

Is this something that would be well recieved by our troops??.  I have no idea but I guess it would offer some benefits other than the polartec version we have been issued.  (one that comes to mind is that Wool doesn't melt). 

It seems to be gaining quite a momentum in the US with volunteers rallying together so the thought is to perhaps see what the demand would be for a Canadian version..

http://www.operationhomefront.org/Community/knitters.shtml
http://www.geocities.com/helmetliner/

So I defer to the forum and your constructive comments would be appreciated.. and NO I don't knit ;D .

 

[1feral1]

There is nothing wrong with your post mate.

Yes it gets rather cold in Iraq in the winter, and this may go over well, who knows. Its a good idea for the ladies on the home front.

During WW2 my Mom and her sisters on the farm in Saskatchewwan used to knit wool socks for the lads overseas, and I am sure they were happy to receive such things, and back home I am sure they felt they were helping out somehow.

I wear a Nomex flash hood in our LAV. These are quite popular with our troops in black and tan. They are  issued and can also be privately purchased too.

Cheers,

Wes

 

[Good2Golf]

...so long as they didn't have that thick cable/rib pattern on them, it might not be a bad idea.  I would prefer not to wear something that reminded me of those itchy, goofy-looking mittens my Grandma used to knit for me and my bro.  Better to have a thinner yarn with a finer knit to it, similar to Wes' nomex 'clava.

Cheers,
Duey

p.s.  it would be best if made out of a reasonably fire-resistent material (wool, etc...), the synthetics are on the out right now in theatre...and certainly where the face is concerned.  Wool is ok, since it chars vice melts.

 

[TMM]

I topic I know something about! I am a knitter and if I knew where and how to get these to Canadian troops I'd mention it at the next knitters guild meeting in September.

None of you need to worry about itchy, bulky wool. The manufacturing of wool has come a long way even in the past 10-15 years. I knit almost exclusively with wool and I use the stuff that almost indestructible - machine wash and dry on hot.

Tell you what - if someone is willing(wool-ing ) to test drive these I'll gladly knit up a couple, one in a thin wool and one in a medium weight. For the samples I'd like to use yarn I already have, so one of them might be a wool/nylon blend. OF course anything for field use would be wool only but as I said these would be prototypes.

First one to send me a PM asking for it gets it!

 

[MPIKE]

Thanks all ..I will let the group know your thoughts.. I know of at least six from my unit deploying on the next roto who may have one of these in their x-mas stocking. ;D

If there is anyone else out there whose has a point I would like to hear it...

TMM, let me know how your prototypes make out and if your knitters club picks this up too.. maybe there is a need at Home for others to feel involved..

Cheers