Posted: 7/15/2013 6:09:18 PM EDT
| I'm always watching anything I can that shows actual film of the war in Iraq and now Afghanistan. I was wondering if the combat shirts (I'm not sure what they are actually called) that everyone wears now over there is comfortable in that heat. Those shirts look like they would be really hot in that environment or is there something about them that makes them more comfortable than the stuff worn previously? I have a couple that I got in a trade or something that are unworn, I thought they might work for hunting or something. They seem like, just from the material, that they would be really hot, are they? |
You talking about this uniform?
No impact, no idea. Those came out not long after I got out. I would imagine they have a level of comfort cause the Army turned around and copied they same top (go figure... they copied the MARPAT too  )
I wouldnt mind gettin my hands on one though but im a purist... its gotta be as or "like" issued and MARPAT 
ETA: if im not mistaking the torso area has moisture wicking fabric or some such similar to UnderArmor shirts which were AWESOME downrange 
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You talking about this uniform? <a href="http://s969.photobucket.com/user/LARman0311/media/20130418-201049_zps16b64ec1.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i969.photobucket.com/albums/ae177/LARman0311/20130418-201049_zps16b64ec1.jpg</a> No impact, no idea. Those came out not long after I got out. I would imagine they have a level of comfort cause the Army turned around and copied they same top (go figure... they copied the MARPAT too )
I wouldnt mind gettin my hands on one though but im a purist... its gotta be as or "like" issued and MARPAT
ETA: if im not mistaking the torso area has moisture wicking fabric or some such similar to UnderArmor shirts which were AWESOME downrange Yup, that's the one. Mine are the US Army ACU digital pattern. They are US military issue made by Massif and are made from a combination of Nomex/Aramid, cotton, nylon and spandex. I guess they are supposed to be fire resistant and stronger since they are mostly Nomex/Aramid according to the label. I may just use them for hunting where you don't need total camo and for shooting at the outdoor range because the material the sleeves are made of are really tough and would protect you well from burns or rough surfaces that you may shoot on. I always just assumed they were hot because they look hot but if all those guys are using them in that Afghan heat they must be designed to help keep you cool. Plus with the meds I take I get hot very, very easily. I'll break out into a sweat when it's cold enough to see your own breath, I need all the help I can get lol. |
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Back in the Civil War they wore long sleeve wool uniforms and wool underwear, WOOL UNDERWEAR! Not too long after the civil war, when I was in the service, we wore wool uniforms, but at least we had cotton underwear.... Is it ok to ask if you wore blue or grey? LOL. Seriously though, fighting in a wool uniform in any kind of heat must have been brutal... C'mon Wingie....you know you were rockin' the banana hammock back then....... |
| With armor yes they are cooler than wearing the regular top with a t-shirt under your armor. Flame resistant more form fitting, more comfortable and cooler - under armor. I wasn't sure about them when first got them but came around to like them after wearing on a couple of patrols. if I am not wearing armor armor though I like the regular top better. |
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I still get a kick out of remembering the sweat outline of my flack jacket after coming back from a patrol, whether mounted or dismounted. Torso is soaked, arms and lower body, just fine. Lol.
A secret we learned about underarmor is that in the Iraq heat, they dry quick. So what we would do, at least in '04 was shower with the shirt on us after we washed ourselves and then head back to the tent. The shirt was dry before we made it back
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Keep in mind they were designed to wear with body armor. They are considerably cooler than the standard jacket and more comfortable. There is no Velcro or zippers on them that the body armor may press against to cause uncomfort. I don't really see where they would be better if you are not wearing body armor as you could just wear a regular t shirt or underarmour type hot weather shirt.
This is what we wore kind of a mesh on the body and fire retardant camo material on the sleeves |
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While not exactly the same thing we had similar issues with body armor as a LEO. You sweat like a Sasquatch in a sauna under that stuff, although, at that time there wasn't any kind of cooling undershirt which is why many officers wouldn't wear their armor in the heat.
I guess the shirts would be good for backpacking or something since I have no body armor nor need for any. I'm just trying to find a legitimate use for them so they don't just hang in the closet taking up space lol. |
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Those damn polyester uniform shirts and pants were stifling even without body armor. They looked pretty nice, but damn they were HOT! LOL, I hated those uniforms. Yeah they looked nice but, as you said, they were hot! And uncomfortable, I hated that sound they made, oh! and they would catch fire really easily. I once saw a state trooper catch his pant leg on fire from a flare he had lit and tossed onto the ground. It caught a little bit of grass on fire where he was standing and all the sudden trooper leg on fire. He was trying to put the fire out while also trying to maintain the "trooper cool" ...made a pretty hilarious combination. He didn't get hurt or anything but I'm sure those pants didn't survive lol. |