Upgrades to Combat Clothing! (pockets on the sleeves & zippers)

[mover1]

I hope you get a pocket on the arm of your shirt. Then we can have a thread on how its too small or gets in the way etc etc.
The way people go on about buying Gucci cadpat gear and packs I would figure that a little pocket on the arm would be a non-issue. The pocket in the brassard is a good idea. I wear a brassard every day at work (it differetiates me from he bin-rats and the lowest common denominator  ;D (MSE ops)
Another good idea (and I found this worked real good.) was to stop packing around a bunch of useless crap I don't need on a regular basis.  I know that a bunch of the warrior types are going to jump on me now and say how when they they are on patrol its imperitve that they have a note pad and that all the kit they carry is mission critical. 
But really life must be great if thats all you can complain about is a pocket.
Speaking of pockets. The Airforce Rain coat, a simple little coat with no pockets on the chest.. just two at the waist and some reflective tabs has been Armyified. Chest pockets and name tapes have been added.    Thanks. Now I have more things to catch and hang me up when i am working with a load

 

[McG]

Cimic and other org don't need this mod.

CIMIC pers also wear the frag vests & balistic plates.

silentbutdeadly ,
I think I may have seen the same Email.  The direction is that this mod will happen prior to deployment (CDS & CLS have both directed this).  However, individual soldiers will not do the mod themselves.

 

[silentbutdeadly]

Yes they don't want the troops making there own mods , but we were told from our higher , that nothing is going to be done at all! Yes Cimic do where that kit also but its not a major issue for them to get in there pockets as does Cbt arms soldiers. For this mission in TFA is alot different for the cbt troops then Cimic.

 

[silentbutdeadly]

And what i mean about the Cimic and other Org. is time and money , if there is an order of march the fighting troops need this done now! If this is directed then why isn't it happening? Life is good when we as troops on the ground are miffed about pockets because we might actually use them better then cig pack holders!

 

[scm77]

Someone already has pockets on his sleeves...

Bigger version

 

[Jay4th]

Yes life is pretty good. ...Eight hours into a foot patrol in 35 celsius you've sweated through your vest and plates so much your mags are soaked and now the useless pockets on your chest are eating (not chafing) your skin. Now life sucks and I can bitch about my pockets. If you dont know why we are bitching, please think before you speak.  SBD and I have purchased the civvy model of the arid cbt shirt to try our mods and hopefully present an improvement in the appropriate forum. Failing that, We are putting nametag velcro and flag velcro on it so if someone pissy happens to see it at least they can jack us up by name. Maybe they will ask why we have done these mods.

 

[KevinB]

Mover1 -- thanks for coming around and adding you usual drivel    Sure you dont work for CTS????


A vast majority of other armies have already done this -- NewsFlash -- combat are not supposed to be designed for Garrision -- but for --- Combat (or the preparations for).

As Jay pointed out
Please note we already have a HUGE anal probe slammed into us via wearing 90+ lbs of gear one our 1st/2nd line - just the basicload...
add in a daypack with extra stuff for a small walk - and your humping a lot of weight thru some pretty shitty terrain/climate.

Nevermind if your doing some sort of assault and have take take extra ammo, and explosives etc. with a ruck.

Now these pockets that are on the front rub up and down with every step and your soaked and the poo dust is acting like a sandpaper slurry with your sweat and shirt...

Yeah everything is just fine. :


As mentioned previously - place large velcro patches on the pocket -- for those who's Wagon Wheel or MP stickier mean so much to them they can put them on -- the rest of the world can put IR tape and flags.

Secondly - yeah it is a huge piss off to comeup on something and need to dig out a digi cam or notbook to record something and either have to take off your daypack or dig under your armour to find it.

 

[KevinB]

FWIW Paraclete's SOF BDU's

 

[silentbutdeadly]

KevinB, 4th and i are going on the weekend to get our shirts(non-issued! >) done up and i will post a pic for everyone to see! plus the one showing the dude from 3VP, i here that was the job of a Mattech within there bltn. I am going to add a pen/pencil/what ever i can get in there pouch on the lower right sleeve!

 

[KevinB]

Get MarkC on board as he is the DCO/OC Admin for 3VP -- I heard 1VP's new mattech is not helpful...

Cant wait to see what you guys come up with -- Cheers

 

[Michael Dorosh]

MichaelD -- you know I think the old OD pants have found a use...

  Add in a regimental T shirt and voila (okay so your "Brit" sweater idea for cooler weather).


Maybe CTS could milk it for a few more years 

That's an excellent idea too; I imagine the green pants have all been shredded by now though....

 

[McG]

As mentioned previously - place large velcro patches on the pocket

That was also mentioned in "the email": velcro patches on both sleeves for wearing of IR flags on both sleeves.  (The guy with the garrison comment could slap a velcro Bde patch on the right sleeve when in Canada)

Someone already has pockets on his sleeves...

I got the impression that the guys in theatre were given the okay to implement thier own program at the PRT & BG level.  However, the direction I saw was pretty clear:  there will be a national solution before the next roto deploys. 

 

[Good2Golf]

Well, having worked aviation life support eqpt for many years and as an aviator working closely with DLR guys, I can say some were excellent and others, well.... :

It boggles my mind that many people's first instincts are to take personal offence at constructive criticism of our gear.  I see absolutely no reason why you can't have a pocket on the shoulder.  My flying gear, both suits and jackets have pockets on them.  There is no "reasonable" scenario I can think of where a shoulder pocket would make you worse than before.  I still find it ironic that the front pockets seem strangely sized for the now defunct C1 mag! ???

Mind you, stupidity happens elsewhere as well.  I was working with a DLR fellow on a one-piece converged flightsuit/crew suit in NOMEX.  DLR rep asked me if I think the air force would mind if we added an extraction strap/handle on the back of the shoulders to aid in crew extraction from armoured vehicles.  I figured no problem...tac hel guys wouldn't have a problem with it, just a check with those higher up the food chain to confirm all would be OK for a converged design.  Well...it got shut down because a fighter guy at national level said that pilots would be made fun of in the mess because of the "handle" on the back...that was the end of that.  Said individual on the light blue side thereafter shut down such things as two-piece CADPAT NOMEX for helo crews, etc...

At least you guys are getting pockets sew on for ops in theatre...a small, if not at least positive step in the right direction.  Sad that it takes the CDS to get involved for some to be helped to see some common sense.  :-\

Cheers,
Duey

 

[George Wallace]

......  Well...it got shut down because a fighter guy at national level said that pilots would be made fun of in the mess because of the "handle" on the back...that was the end of that.  Said individual on the light blue side thereafter shut down such things as two-piece CADPAT NOMEX for helo crews, etc...

I guess he never did any "Carrier Landings" in the Mess...  ;D

 

[Good2Golf]

LOL George!  As an OCdt, I once (luckily) paid half a month's salary as damages in the mid-80's for being part of a rowdy crowd conducting "carrier landings" in the mess at Portage.  We went through two cases of beer glasses and apparently broke two heavy wooden tables (the "carrier") during the evening...one guys needed 10+ stiches after a really bad "landing"...times have changed a bit, I suppose.  :-\

Cheers,
Duey

 

[Matt_Fisher]

Anybody looking for modified cadpat combats with sleeve pockets pm me as I have a source that should do what you're looking for.

 

[Armymedic]

As mentioned previously - place large velcro patches on the pocket -- for those who's Wagon Wheel or MP stickier mean so much to them they can put them on -- the rest of the world can put IR tape and flags.

Or that red cross we are mandated to wear...

 

[Lerch]

Has anyone here done any pocket sewing? I've done a few arm pockets on DPM jackets and they always turned out nice. I had them pleated with the tape buttons and everything. The thing about doing it on CADPAT jackets is getting the right material.

 

[armyvern]

Has anyone here done any pocket sewing? I've done a few arm pockets on DPM jackets and they always turned out nice. I had them pleated with the tape buttons and everything. The thing about doing it on CADPAT jackets is getting the right material.

Another problem is NOT damaging or sewing through the Gortex membrane within the jacket. Currently there is one qualified pers certified to effect repairs to gortex (and he happens to work for me!   ;D). What he can't fix then goes off to the civilian contractor for repair.

 

[mover1]

Ok So now after everyone jumped down my gullet and called me a lesser person because I am not solderly enough to do foot patrols with body armor on in the various exotic locales (been there done that). I am, and would like to offer a small solution to everyones problem, with the chest eating pockets. The solution being .... are you ready.... the airforce has come up with a mechanics coverall sysem with Zip out legs so you can convert them into shorts. and a shirt that has no pockets in the chest but I do belive (after seeing one down town breifly) they have a pocket in the arm. YES THEY ARE CADPAT, and being issued AS WE SPEAK, if anyone needs the stock number please let me know I may be able to get it to you.
So you (those who are serious about changing the combat uniform and not those who are just kit WH*res) can have a little ammuniton and a little more meat in your propsals up your various chains of command. Just send me an e-mail through this site with an alternate (IE CIVVIE OR DIN E-MAIL ADRESS) so I can get this info to you soonest . I may be slow in responding via this means, (computer problems)  that why I ask you to give me an alternate line of communication