Vests for Survival

[Mortblanc]

It is nice to be old enough to be considered "eccentric"!

I my area we have extremes of weather. Winter you wear artic gear, summer you strip to the skin. In between an eccentric old man can get away with quite a bit. That is especially true in the rural areas, but also goes for a visit to the village.

I have come to love my tweed jackets and wear them as daily gear. Nice outside and inside pockets for essential gear while looking quite middle class professional.

I often wear a piece of British bush kit that I have grown to love. The age old "safari jacket". I throw it on over a tee shirt with jeans or cargo pants and hiking boots, don my Tilly "tin hat" and I am ready for whatever lions tigers and bears pop out from behind the serving line at the buffet. It has become my standard wear for spring and autumn.

Now this does set me apart from the normal man my age in my area. Most wear what I call the "old geezer uniform"; walking shorts, golf shirt (always tucked in), dark socks, white Rebocks, cell phone holster on the belt and a baseball hat.

In the winter they simply trade the walking shorts for a pair of kakis from the Gap.

What this means is that the entire U.S. population over the age of 45 looks like a group of tourists on holiday.

I have discovered that in my daily roaming about I establish patterns and expectations. In the local stores people expect to see me wearing my slightly different gear. If I do not wear it they ask if I am OK.

While they might give me a strange once over look the first time they see me that quickly fades to acceptance. and since most middle aged to older men tend to be a bit on the lumpy side naturally a few more lumps in the jacket are easily camouflaged.

Now my second thought; what are you carrying in the vest that would cause you concern if you were caught with it?

Your laws do limit you to fairly harmless pocket contents, so what do you care if the guy in the local chip shop suspects that you are carrying a concealed water bottle?

My advice, If you want to wear a vest then get a nice one and wear it daily until the locals start expecting to see you in it. And they will!

You will soon find yourself being referred too as "the guy in the vest". So what?