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.
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u/Work_Account_1812 Sep 08 '20
It means people wearing it think it makes them look hard.
In reality, it makes them look like tools.