Ok, so you're patrolling in the woods, moving silently with your team, and you stop for a quick map check. On the hand signal for a short security halt, the team fans out and quietly takes up positions facing out in 360 degrees. You kneel in the middle of the perimeter, reach up to open your chest pocket and RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP! The separating Velcro shatters the silence.:rolleyes:

Zippers suck.

Artificial fabric sucks.

The Army's product development sucks too.

Velcro has its uses, but not on pockets of tactical uniforms.

One of the best uniforms I ever put on was the old OG 107 jungles. Just give me pockets on the sleeves, issue a new set free every two months and drive on.

TR

Questions:

1. What is the item in this officer's hand? A toothbrush?

2. Providing dental care on a UW mission?

That there looks like GEN-U-INE jawbreakin going on in the UW environment. Never seen anyone pull a tooth at attention before though!! LOL

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Okay, this is just a little thing, but it's been driving me crazy. What's with all this velcro? Maybe some of the proponents out there can give me the reasoning, because I just don't understand. :) Are buttons just that hard to figure out? I mean, hell. Let's see. Buttons: more secure, silent, easilly fixable in the field. Why the velcro/zipper/doodad mania?

--Dan, pet peeved

Ahh........Wasn't thinking about the BDU top needing to be opened to access things such as maps assuming they would be kept elswhere. My bad on that one and then yes velcro would not work there. As for pockets I can see it being unwise there as mentioned.

Velcro Problems, etc.
 

As a knifemaker we have tried using a velcro holding strap over the guard on the leather sheath for years on the old A/F Combat fixed blades. This caused two problems, first is the noise of unhooking the velcro. Second is the problem of velcro hooking everthing else and holding onto it, like lint, plant materials, dirt, etc. This all leads to the velcro not working. I hate trying to clean dirty velcro. Next, are those ZIPPERS made from METAL or PLASTIC? If you get a metal zipper hot and then it touches the skin-you get burnt. I know this first hand from wearing the zipper front logging hickory shirts all the time in the shop while both welding and working at the forge. If your in the desert sun and have to lay down on top of it, your burnt.

I guess that's just my big gripe. There seems to be this drive to get rid of buttons on everything, and replace them with velcro/zippers. Each of which have big problems: velcro is noisy, opens when caught on something, becomes dirty/fouled with dirt/loose threads/foliage, and eventually wears out. Zippers, if they're metal, heat up and can burn; if they're plastic, break; either kind, very difficult to fix in the field.

I'm curious: aside from bureaucratic stupidities, why have buttons been dropped from the design?

What flaws did they have?

Thank you,

Solid

Still had buttons when I was around. We had two uniforms for garrison. The fatigues and field uniforms. The field uniforms were worn in the field. The pants were heavy cotton. The side pockets were large and had large flaps with snaps.
They also came with button suspenders. If it was cold enough there was a set od liners which buttoned into the pants. The only reason I wore a belt was for someplace to carry my genuine folding Buck knife.

Belts may be good to hold up a single pair of lightweight pants but suspenders are necessary t6o bear any weight.

I have a set of those heavy cotton pants you are speaking of and the liner as well. They were my father's. I will see if I can find them in all of my stuff before I ship and take a pic...

James D

Suspenders??? In logging terms they are called "Tail Holdts", "Guy Lines" or "Braces". Anyone showing up to work on a logging side in the Northwest wearing a belt was sent home because they were too green to work in the woods. There are still some very good suspenders made for loggers and timber cutters, they are stiffer so they can hold up more especially when your rigging pants are frozen solid and covered with ice and snow. These "tailholdt" to buttons. just a sec, I'll get my pair hanging up behind me...no brand name on 'em but I can find out down at the rigging shop. Very well made.

Bill, how big are the buttonholes on those braces?

They are still on the desk here, the total length of the buttonhole seems to be right at one inch. The "buttonhole" is comprised of a 1/4 inch punched hole at the bottom with a slit making up the rest of the total length. These are made of good leather attached to a short "belt" type length that's adjustable in the front. This in turn is heavily stitched to the stout but little bit stretchy suspender material. These suspenders are sold in sizes (lengths). They also have nice chrome plated D rings in the front at the top of the leather for hanging the signal whistle and measuring tape from. These are the favorite of Timber Cutters out here, and it has to be first rate rigging for them to use it. Oh yeah, total of four attachment points in the front, two in the back.