Best SHTF clothes question and discussion

[RoadWarrior]

deffo better we all don't dress the same as NR said, city/urban/rural or semi-rural....or we cud get stereotyped like our yank cousins ! I personally prefer jeans for work/going out on the piss....but at home/relaxing and doing stuff outside/walking/school run even... I prefer camo...this being used/ex german army flectarn trousers.....when washed they dry a hell of a lot quicker than denim and are high quality stitched/seams etc....boot wise I wear steely DMs scuffed to death now or if im out walking got some karrimor goretex black leather boots,my mates in the RN marines so ive been giving him a shopping list but so far the new wool socks he got me are great(how sad is that ...socks=great !) ,usually wear band t shirts as in punk or heavy metal....this way it looks normal ...a bit fashionable dare I say ....usually wear a baseball hat or wool hat as im "folically challenged..by choice !! usually a zip up fleece top..green or grey...and a snorkel type waterproof short jacket with loadsa pockets in black ...with zip off fake fur bit round the hood part (that I singed recently when I had a big fire going in the garden ..lol) I don't even stand out where I live either.

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these would be my SHTF clothes ...to get back to the thread...I wear these most days so I would only change a few things ...got long sleeved ex army tops too very tight fitting and can wear t shirts on top of these too.....also when out walking atup harians wall last month it was lashing down so put my german goretex parker ontop of the snorkel jackey ..fits spot on too ...dry as a bone ....well made stuff this ex army stuff is .!

[bigpaul]

most of my stuff is camo, camo jacket, camo hoodies, camo t shirts...but then I do live in the countryside where this is normal working gear, I wear blue cheap jeans(£10 per pair) normally, camo trousers only for hunting! Mercury MX2 walking boots and a camo cap, I didn't set out to buy camo gear its just that I can get it in my size, there's a lot of stuff out there that will only fit skinnies.

[Mopster]

(26 May 2013, 07:40)River Song Wrote: I think someone said that the first rule of defence is to be invisible.
Sadly, camo, whether brown/green or urban blues/greys does not make you invisible
it makes you stand out like a sore thumb

Personally I go for black as far as possible - I respectfully disagree with NR that it is a shoot me colour.
It is very neutral.

Baselayer = Bladerunner t-shirt. NB - Bladerunner material is NOT stab proof - they are slash proof.
Shirt + Jumper.
I have as top layer a Berghaus Gore-Tex jacket. Very non-descript and very windproof and rainproof.
In winter - it is lined with something warm.
Trousers? - I dont wear jeans. I dislike the feel of them on my beautiful legs.
I recently started wearing cargo pants - Oh my - what a revelation. All those pockets!. I can do without
a handbag. Got a lovely pair from M+S - and then I discovered ScrewFix.
They have these black working trousers called "SITE" Beagle at £16.99 with a special until 3rd June 2013
of two pairs for £22. If I've got a serious rain problem to contend with then a pair of slip-on Berghaus
over trousers.
Shoes? Well I've never been Imelda Marcos darling and white stilettos don't work in a SHTF situation innit!
Any decent boot that's comfortable.

Thats it for me

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Also my mother told me the golden rule ....

"Black goes with anything darling"

I had a look at the slash proof t-shirts and they're quite expensive 60 quid for a long sleeved one. Would you recommend it?

[bigpaul]

(26 May 2013, 10:46)Mopster Wrote: I had a look at the slash proof t-shirts and they're quite expensive 60 quid for a long sleeved one. Would you recommend it?

only if you live in a gangs "territory".

[Mopster]

good point

[NorthernRaider]

(26 May 2013, 10:46)Mopster Wrote: I had a look at the slash proof t-shirts and they're quite expensive 60 quid for a long sleeved one. Would you recommend it?

C,mon lad we cannot do the risk asessment for you can we, You need to assess the risks yourself, EG if you live in a city , does the city have a high crime rate, is their strong ethnic or religous divisions, do you travel a lot at night, do you pass through dangerous neighbourhoods, do you use public transport, do you carry stuff that is nickable, do you wear the sort of fashion cloths gangs may stab you for?. Basically if your a young urbanite reliant of public services then YES if you were my son I would insist on something along those lines, probably a Knife proof jacket failing that a cordura and rmoured bikers jacket.

[bigpaul]

(26 May 2013, 11:04)Mopster Wrote: good point

well, do you?? if not spend your money on something more useable for your situation.

[NorthernRaider]

We at Castle NR are in a Quandry because our sone wants to do a specific course at a specific uni that is in a high risk shithole of a town, do i let him go, if so do i equip him with protective gear, or do i play safe and send him some place safer?

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The only extra point i would like to make is dont be a fool and think the police will help you if you get into difficulty, they cant and wont.

[Grumpy Grandpa]

Question answered comprehensively NR, my thanks. I rather think though, that we will in the long run, wear whatever comes to hand, when it comes to hand and in as many layers as we need to stay warm and dry.

[Little Lou]

Just to add my thanks to Grumpy Grandpa's to everyone who's posted in this thread - especially NR for pointing out the drawback of jeans.

I had no idea. I knew I needed warm clothing, I've stashed lots of it, but the importance of pockets in particular had completely passed me by. If I can spread the weight down my legs as well as round my body then I can carry that much more in my BOB. I wish I'd had GG's guts to ask the question in the first place, and am just desperately grateful that he did.

For myself, I've little of value to contribute, except maybe a couple of pointers I've picked up from night location work in TV. These are:

The importance of thermal underwear, especially the unglamorous long-johns. Sorry, River Song, but they're even more crucial for girlies. The less leg-fur we have, the more we need the extra coverage.

The usefulness of large size women's tights to be worn by men as well as women under their trousers. Honest. If you can't find a pair big enough then cut off the toes, but try it for yourself and you'll see how much warmer it makes you. Naturally I take no responsibility for any subsequent complications in your personal lives.

A hat. Any hat. Couldn't be more crucial, a) for warmth, and b) for security. The last bit only applies to those of us with longer hair, but I was taught this when working on a film project on a 'peace line' in N.I. and subsequently discovered the painful truth of it during my first battle re-enactment.
Long hair, especially in a pony tail, can and will be grabbed by anyone wanting to get you, and needs to be as much hidden and under your control as possible. My second time in battle I had my own hair squashed under a helmet, and enjoyed the delightful experience of spinning a male 'Spanish' warrior three times my weight in a dizzying circle because the idiot was sporting a pony tail.
It was rather fun, actually...

Fleeing the thread quickly before our more hirsute members take umbrage...

Louise