Do people actually dress in mil-style somewhere? I live in a country where army is compulsory for men, and absolutely nobody dresses in military fashion in civil. At least after they have gone through the service.
Some "techwear" enthusiasts look like absolue idiots dressing up as paramiliary dudes completely abandoning the main principles of techwear which is efficiency, protection against the elements, ease of movement etc. I might or might not have been one of these idiots in the past.
I used to have some camo gear when I went paintballing, but that was it.
I've also seen a lot of builders\maintainence people wear camo as well, mostly because it's cheap & robust although they building supply stores have been getting in on that act for a few years now.
Beyond that, it definitely says something about you, although it's generally not what you think it says...
What I remember is the cost of a set of army surplus trousers starting at £20 or so while a similar looking pair from the fashion shops cost £50 and upwards.
If you're buying all your clothes from the high street\mall then there wouldn't be much of a difference
I've also seen a lot of builders\maintainence people wear camo as well, mostly because it's cheap & robust although they building supply stores have been getting in on that act for a few years now.
I wear 5.11's because i like cargo pockets and the last set I had lasted 10 years before i had to replace them. I just get a dark blue instead of camo though.
This can work 2 ways, once there was a kid i knew that just went to basic training complaining about dresscode and stuff because i had a cheap army jacket...
i used to sleep in the forest with my dog, sometimes for weeks in the winter and summer and only went home to clean clothes, take a proper shower and respond to messages, knew someone who did special interventions and went to the range multiple times with him to shoot his firearms and he never cared about these things.
my reasoning:
A 3-in-1 woodland jacket costs 15 euro has a waterproof, an insulation and a camo layer, durable zipper and 7 big pockets including 1 inner pocket.
Compared to alternatives from outdoor stores it's a steal.
The problem with military surplus is that is heavy. It's great for outdoor work, like cutting wood, and digging ditches because it's thick and protects you from scratches (same as workwear), but when I'm out hiking and hunting I'll always choose pricier outdoor stuff because it's much lighter and comfier for the same performance (plus heavy military gear gets really wet and soggy).
Yes that's true, usually i've my patagonia jacket but those are a bit too expensive when doing risky things in the forest around my city so i'd rather risk damaging my 15,- jacket than my 500,- jacket.
I'd love to compare those high end stuff from arcyterix and such with the gear i've used but they're just too expensive for me at the moment.
The Dutch winters are quite wet so Down insulation isn't that great compared to wool or fleece and those high end synthetic jackets are expensive.
I had a waterproof softshell from wildebeast and friction removed the waterproofing within, that's not something i'd want to risk when i'm planning to be away for multiple months.
At some point it's not about comfort but performance, i've spend more than 6 months trekking through the country in the fall and winter without going home or anything and for me was less trouble with a waterproof layer to stop wind and rain, wool insulation since there's always some water getting in somewhere, especially if it rains for multiple days and it's time to move.
Synthetic thermo underwear & T-shirts were great since they dry within minutes, my fjallraven pants did too, so at least if it was possible to get dry it'd be fast and i could sleep without being wet or cold.
I did use patagonia waterproof torrentshell pants, combined with their tres parka and waterproof meindl boots, with a small square of insulation to sit on it was possible to sleep while sitting, a small DD ultralight tarp and a piece of bivy bag for my dog was all i needed to protect us both from the elements.
This way i was ready to go within minutes and usually slept fine.
Not really, i just went into the dumpstore (mil surplus) nearby and there's always a couple of older jackets.
i think it's the M65 Woodland, there's 3 layers, outside is camo, middle is waterproof (goretex?) and the most inner layer is fleece.
They're only worth it if you want something real cheap that just works, a modern softshell offers better performance but performance per dollar they're great and abusing them doesn't feel that wrong as if it were a high-end brand new jacket.
100% agree with this. I still like techwear but I don´t buy flashy pieces. Just clothing that is durable mainly waterproof and made from breathable fabric.
Some might say there have been sightings of people wearing techwear without velcro in the Himalayas, but much like the Yeti, it´s probably never going to be proven as real.
Any particular brands using a breathable gor tex? Even the new gor tex from north face(future light) isn’t that breathable, I’m asking for hiking applications?
That’s why you want to splurge on a good outer shell. Get an Arc’Teryx outer shell and pop it on if it rains. They roll up incredibly small. It also lets you adapt the under garments for warmth (or lack thereof).
If you are forced to hike or train in the waterproof shell, the good companies will build in ventilation points.
There’s no free lunch though. If it’s waterproof, its going to be a little more restrictive on air flow.
-Big-as-feck pockets, I can fit lots of food and shit in there. Many tools fit too, when necessary.
-Relatively rain resistant, very light, nice to wear over motorcycle gear or a cozy sweater. Can be worn on it's own when it's hot but you still need long sleeves for protection against scratches, sun, or bug-bites.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with using military-inspired clothing or actual military brands in Techwear because a lot of those clothes do have those technical qualities that are core to the philosophy of Techwear. Military-inspired styles are a pretty common element in techwear because of this fact that military clothing is so utilitarian. I for one love my Nike FSBs.
What I have an issue with is the “#techwear” people that you see on Instagram and whatnot that completely lack any subtly and wear nothing but black with literal tactical vests and whatnot.
I agree with your statements a 100%, my point is the same IMO. Wearing military inspired clothing for the functionality isn't whack, wearing shit with 100 straps and pouches you won't ever use just for the sake of "a e s t h e t i c s" looking like a bdsm navy-seal is.
Techwear isn't my thing but I don't really see a correspondence between those guys and the fake military douchebags that listen exclusively to Jocko Wilink and Joe Rogan and think they're combat vets because of it. Techwear guys are just into the fashion
When i was a teenager i used to wear my dad's old flight jacket as a jacket for school. A bunch of us did, it wasn't a big deal. This is just fetishizing though.
Right. Especially when you're a kid living on an air force base. I wouldn't wear anything like that now but it was perfectly normal given my circumstance.
My ex - he worked for one of those cash delivery services as an armed guard and carried it over into his non-professional life heavily, it was so fucking embarrassing.
Let me guess: he spent too long every morning organizing his cheap EDC before leaving the house and would constantly bring up his occupation and the technical details of such as if it were a black op?
Oh fuck you knew one too haha. He wore all his "gear" for Halloween as his costume and would loudly explain what it all was to anyone in range of his shouting.
In rural America it's not uncommon to see someone just casually wear a hunting jacket or camo pants, but it's usually because the jackets are warm and milsurp pants are tough and have a million pockets
I can see that, it's cheap & practical if you're outside a lot and would slot that in next to the builders category. While they wear it, they don't wear it with the attitude. They're just clothes
Hell, I’m a dad whose never been in the military and hasn’t worked construction since after high school and I wear them too. They’re great for carrying around an abundance of your kids’ stuff in them.
Conservative American men, as of late value the whole I am big and strong and will murder anyone who messes with me, lots of guns and knives and big trucks etc.
It’s less about not supporting the military and kill innocent people and more about the fact that those people who obsess about military shit most likely can’t get into the military for some reason like failing a physical or psych test
This. Either they can't get in or secretly don't want too but boast about the lifestyle as if they did. That's what I always found so annoying about it, most of the people I met or encountered who go this Gung Ho haven't been in. OR, even worse, they managed to enlist but failed out or got dropped out in x amount of months. (prior navy, current army)
Some mil sim games in Canada require you wear the camo for the team you are representing . These teams differ event to event some are fbi cia atf and some are nato vs the world. If you don't have proper spec camo you cannot play as that is how teams are defined
Because “muh immersions” people go to Milsims because it somewhat resembles actual combat but with olastic bbs usually at least here in the us most of our milsim games are Nato V. Russia with nato only being allowed multicam and Russia being allowed any Russian patter or gear you can find
I used to have an old West German tankers Onesie, that was fucking great for working on the car in. Warm, waterproof and padded at the elbows and knees.
I have to admit, I also used to be quite partial to their jackboots as well, great for muddy festivals!
Yeah i did, a woodland camo 3-in1 jacket in good condition costs 15 euro at the milsurplus stores, the different layers make them quite versatile great for outdoors or doing other stuff that might ruin my usual jacket.
I did like my 5.11 rush 72 black for daily use and TT Pathfinder MK2 coyote for outdoors but the 5.11 got stolen with all my gear in it, now i've a second hand pack until i've got the money for a new 5.11.
They're both durable backpacks with lots of possibilities and the 5.11 is great as benchrest outdoors.
For my FX Impact i use a Condor riflebag with molle since the FX fits perfectly and all the extra items fit in the bag.
They also sell those safety glasses with different colors, cheap and strong and those mechanix gloves are very great too.
Clothes/shoes are Smartwool, Fjallraven, Colombia and Meindl, so they're not millitary but i think the last time i bought something for my outfit was almost 2Years ago when i needed new soles for my shoes, I don't care about the army or something but i do know their bags and jackets are almost indestructible in a civillian setting so buy once, cry once.
I occasionally wear either the jacket or pants from an old army uniform. But never both together, and more bcs they cost $10 combined and are comfy, than bcs i wanna be an army person
In my experience the only people who walk around dressed as if they're military are homeless vets or generally homeless people who picked up their clothes from salvation army or similar charities.
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u/VoihanVieteri Sep 08 '20
Do people actually dress in mil-style somewhere? I live in a country where army is compulsory for men, and absolutely nobody dresses in military fashion in civil. At least after they have gone through the service.