Up to this point I just tuck them into my boots. When I see military pictures the BDUs look very tight and even. I haven't been in the military so I was never taught the proper way. I've seen these blouse bands but don't get it.

Can someone explain to me in 'idiot' terms exactly how the Army/Marines tell you to do it?

tie 'em off below the top of the boot before tieing your boot.  (not 'tight', you don't want circulation problems)

anyone worried about how his/her pant blousing looks has way too much time on their hands.

Quoted: tie 'em off below the top of the boot before tieing your boot.  (not 'tight', you don't want circulation problems) anyone worried about how his/her pant blousing looks has way too much time on their hands.

Haven't been to PNCOC/BNCOC/ANCOC/Drill Sergeant School/etc. have you?

Quoted: Quoted: tie 'em off below the top of the boot before tieing your boot.  (not 'tight', you don't want circulation problems) anyone worried about how his/her pant blousing looks has way too much time on their hands. Haven't been in the military. have you?

Fixed it for ya.

Quoted: Quoted: tie 'em off below the top of the boot before tieing your boot.  (not 'tight', you don't want circulation problems) anyone worried about how his/her pant blousing looks has way too much time on their hands. Haven't been to PNCOC/BNCOC/ANCOC/Drill Sergeant School/etc. have you?

+1 he he he

and it seems someboy hasnt spent hours liquid starching and pressing uniforms, polishing boots to a mirror shine, etc. etc.till you looked like this>>

While in garrison uniform we would tuck them inside the boot and just pull them down around the top of the boot to get that full look. In the field, you could either do it that way or just pull them down over the top of your boot and tie them on the outside then tuck the strings back underneath. That was what I always did.

The Army FM lists the use of "blousing rubbers" or bands as an "alternate" method, listing the tuck method first.  Both are acceptable and within regulations.  If you tuck, you cannot create a "pegged leg" appearance (too tight).

I tucked for years and it works much better in the field than bands/rubbers.

They suck for attaching poncho to wargear.

The green wormies (rubber band like things) do a nice job, and its comfortable.

If you use the elastic velcro straps, you can get a great looking, tight, "tuck".  However, its hard to sit down when done this way.  But it looks wicked good.

I used the Green  blousing rubbers shown above for close to 20 years, cheap and looked professional.
Cause the guys I looked up to and wanted to be like were studs and looked like recruiting posters in Garrison and were savvy field experience Subject matter experts in the field.....

Nothing wrong with looking like a professional Soldier instead of just getting by like Joe shit the rag man......
Soldiering is not all about the  just being good at a few things in the field so you have an excuse to be a shit bag in garrison.....

I used to take a 16" piece of 100 MPH tape and tear it the long way. Then I would wrap it around my BDU bottoms. They never pulled out of my boots but boy did the chiggers love it.

Used the little green elastic thingies with hooks for the whole time I was in the Corps.

We used to just tuck them in and lace up the boots.........

only the REMFs have time to worry about shit like how their blousing job looks, real warriors don't care.

If you must, use the wider elastic/velcro bands, they look sharper.

1. attach the band at the top above your boot.
2. pull pants legs down over band.
3. grab band (through pants) and pull it out from your leg.
4. tuck the pants legs under the band.
5. adjust until it is to your satisfaction.

simple.

those elastic ones would always give me a rash.  i just get my pants a little short and tie em off above my boots.  just pull the bunched part down over the top of your boots to look nice for formations.

if they look all crisp in pics, probably dry cleaning w/heavy starch.

I usually pulled the excess pants material back folded it forward to the outside and taped it with 100mph or electrical tape.  It looked good, like my pants were tailored, didn't get cought on as much shit and never came undone.  I always hated tying the strings inside my boot it would rub against my leg, rub it raw on long humps, and constantly come undone and untucked. (unless I used a square not which was a bitch to get undone)

Sometimes in garrison I would just use he blousing bands.

If I'm going to tuck them in my boots I pull the string out, don't need it. I pull the front tight against my leg and fold both sides back on itself, then I use a blousing rubber under the top of my boots to hold them tight while I lace my boots.

When wearing both BDUs and field pants over them I'll tie the field pants off at the ankle of my boots.

When we were wearing fatiques I never got gigged for having my pants pegged, my sister in law sewed them up for me and they looked sharp when in garrison.

Quoted: webpages.charter.net/d3digital/bootbands.jpg They suck for attaching poncho to wargear.

+1...Almost everyday for nine years. They're dirt cheap and last a long time, in or out of the field. Plus if your sock rolls down from humping, its alot easier to pull it back up with these then if your trousers are tucked.

Quoted: I usually pulled the excess pants material back folded it forward to the outside and taped it with 100mph or electrical tape.  It looked good, like my pants were tailored, didn't get cought on as much shit and never came undone.  I always hated tying the strings inside my boot it would rub against my leg, rub it raw on long humps, and constantly come undone and untucked. (unless I used a square not which was a bitch to get undone)

Same here, but I folded to the inside...big deal.  When you're up and down on your knees a lot (for other than sexual means), the blousing straps just didn't cut it...at least for me.

And after my first pair of summerweight BDU's wore out 2 months out of Security Police training, I wore winterweights for the rest of my time in...those things will take a beating.

I've used the velcro straps that go around the inside of the pantleg and find them to be a lot more comfortable than tucking into the boot. Before I bought a pair of the velcro straps I had problems with my pants material bunching up in one place.

I did it both ways... In the field, I simply taped them off before putting my boots on. I did not like wearing those blousing bands for more than a few hours, so I never used them in the field.

For inspections/down-time (not in the field), I would use the bands or something similar and tuck 'em up. If I had to do Color Guard/something ceremonial, I would go one step further and use a cardboard ring inside the trousers to achieve a squared-off  look.

Quoted: In the Army you tie the leg ties of the pants, then tuck them in your boots. This keeps them in place, and also keeps bugs, dirt, etc., from going up your pants legs. (at least this is the way/reason we USED to do it) .

Oddly enough, when I was younger I used to tuck my pants into my snow boots to go shovel. My grandfather told me it was a bad idea in the winter. He never really explained it (something about snow getting mashed into your boot), but the man was at the Chosin Reservoir with the 1st Marines so I don't argue.

Blousing straps are the way to go. Used them for the whole time wearing BDU's.

I use these.  Longer to put on but gives a cleaner look.  I'm in the AF btw.

I always used the green bands, (in the Corps) but I was taught to fold the bottom of the pant leg up starting with a 1 inch fold, folding over and over (like doing your sleeves) until it was at the top of your boot (longer lengths were better) wrap the band around the boot then unfold one layer and wrap it under the band. The extra material folded stayed right there at the band and helped create the "puffy" bottom of the pant leg.

No Expert

Alrighty, here are some options.  The regulation states (from AR 670-1) that they must present a neat and a non-"peg-legged" appearance.  What's that mean?  There are tons of options.  Some popular ones are:

1 - Using the green cords.  Placing them over your boots, tucking the pant over the outside of the cord and under the inside so that the pant (and cord) sits on top of the boot instead of the leg.  This is VERY comfortable for day to day wear, but do not recommend it for the field.

2 - Using the blousing bands (velcro bands).  There's a couple of ways to use these.  Before putting your boots on, pull the pant leg down, folding it etc., to the desired appearance and applying the band on top, below the boot line.  Put your boots on and the degree of tuck/sag in the pants on top of the boot is up to you.  Better for the field.

3 - A variation on # 2, and it's what I use at formal events in BDU's (i.e. change of responsibility/command ceremonies) is using the blousing bands, and cuffs.  Tuck the cuff of the pants up, and apply blousing bands.  Place blousing cuffs on the inside of the pants and allow them to form a crisp line at the base, over the boot.  Pull your pants up and you're done.  The appearance is a perfectly level line about 2 eyelets below the top of the boot and very comfortable, especially with highly pressed BDU's.  

In all cases if you want to sage the BDU pants over the top of the boot, do not go below more than 3 eyelets to stay within regulations.  Not being in the Army, this won't apply to you, but it's nice.  

Ultimately, how the pants are "tucked in" is up to you.  There are as many ways to do it as there are ways to shine boots.  It comes down to what you need to do.  When I was at Airborne School, we could not have pants bloused with cords or bands.  They MUST be tucked into the boots.  Too easy.  A nice fold and you're done.  Even with the starch washed out of them (BAC rules) they still looked high speed.  Try a couple of different ways and IM with any questions.

SPC Richard A. White, Senior Medic
249th MP Detachment (EACF)
Camp Humphreys, ROK

For pretty garrison (not field) blousing, I had a pair of med/long (i wore Med but the longs gave me some extra fabric to play with)BDU pants and would pull the pants tight around my ankle and make a neat fold to the inside with the excess and pull on a boot.

This makes a pretty bloused look while still being tucked.

In the field, i wore BDU's like pants as in not bloused tied or anything. I wore gators in the snow to keep snow outta my drawers. I caught a little shit for this occasionally, but I didn't care.

I do the same now.

I never used those stupid ties built into the pants. They would dig into my leg.

I either used the straps with the hooks or if I was wearing a freshly starched uniform I'd pull the seems on the right and left really tight, then while still hold using my thumbs to move the back hald into the sides and then wrap the sides around the back... then roll up the tops of my boots (jungles) and pull the laces tight. I always loves how this looked. It's probably not explained very well, but it looks sharp. It better with fresh starches (plus a really hard starched uniform will fight witht he hook straps and something they'll actually work their way out of them.