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Favorite Issued Kit

I was brought up on the Sten and Bren! 🤣 And the FN.

Here's you, as course senior in Basic, passing on points from the Platoon WO...

presents moses GIF


😁
 
Is that a 'combat ascot', and if so I am so glad we didn't have those when I went thru! I'll never know why we were made to wear the "bush hat' like that on course...
@Eye In The Sky

No. That was the issue combat scarf of the day; not some regimental quiff thing. They were actually quite useful. Made a decent scarf, a mosquito covering for your face and you could use it as a bandage or sling in a pinch.

Wearing the combat hat "Robin Hood" style was as per dress regulations. Even in the field you rarely wore it with the brim down all the way around as it wasn't big enough to keep the rain out of your neck anyway. We did keep reflective tape on the inside of the rear of the brim so that at night you could fold it down on patrol as a marker for the guy behind you in file. Grunts kept the brim down more often than gunners. Go figure.

The hat actually came in two styles. The earlier one (like I'm wearing) is a thinner cloth and was easy to form. Subsequently they issued one made out of a thicker cloth that was hard to form and looked crappy when "Robin Hooded". It ended up looking like Red Green.

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By that time the beret had been adopted with combat dress for "garrison" wear as well so the hat became primarily field wear and therefore was much more often worn with the brim down.

🍻
 
Actually I have to say my favourite piece of issued gear since the new job has to be the liberator head set with the integrated lights in the Mic boom. Fantastic.
 
@Eye In The Sky

The hat actually came in two styles. The earlier one (like I'm wearing) is a thinner cloth and was easy to form. Subsequently they issued one made out of a thicker cloth that was hard to form and looked crappy when "Robin Hooded". It ended up looking like Red Green.

By that time the beret had been adopted with combat dress for "garrison" wear as well so the hat became primarily field wear and therefore was much more often worn with the brim down.

🍻

I only wore the old bush hat in the field, but I've only been around since '89.

I wasn't a fan of the bush hat (although it was better than a beret in an O.P. in Aug), so bought a US style OD one, sewed a Cdn flag on the front of the thing and that was what went on my head once I was past Range Control. Heck, there was almost as much US kit in the trg area as Cdn issued stuff I bet.

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I'm not a fan of the new floppy hat either...too floppy. Not as bad once you get a tailor to remove a bit of the brim...despite some ppl losing their smarties over it.
 
I only wore the old bush hat in the field, but I've only been around since '89.

I wasn't a fan of the bush hat (although it was better than a beret in an O.P. in Aug), so bought a US style OD one, sewed a Cdn flag on the front of the thing and that was what went on my head once I was past Range Control. Heck, there was almost as much US kit in the trg area as Cdn issued stuff I bet.

View attachment 74992

I'm not a fan of the new floppy hat either...too floppy. Not as bad once you get a tailor to remove a bit of the brim...despite some ppl losing their smarties over it.
I prefer the older OD bush hat over the current floppy hat. When not worn Red Green style, the old bush hat was pretty effective at keeping the sun out of your eyes, and off your head, and ears.

That said, I'll likely never sleep under canvas for the King again, so I've got no skin in the game.
 
Just to show you how things take. This is some 25 years later with me as a LegO still wearing an old style combat hat "Robin Hood" style.

Wolf and Gord Calgary early 1990s.jpg

Buddy next to me is a sailor who was the DJA for Manitoba at the time but went on to join the New Zealand Navy as a legal officer. Lawyers - shooting in pairs.

🍻
 
I prefer the older OD bush hat over the current floppy hat. When not worn Red Green style, the old bush hat was pretty effective at keeping the sun out of your eyes, and off your head, and ears.

I won't even wear the current one fishing...I bought a Tilly from Costco. Too hot, too floppy...

That said, I'll likely never sleep under canvas for the King again, so I've got no skin in the game.

I'm hopin' that is a true statement for me too at this point! 😁
 
Just to show you how things take. This is some 25 years later with me as a LegO still wearing an old style combat hat "Robin Hood" style.

View attachment 74993

Buddy next to me is a sailor who was the DJA for Manitoba at the time but went on to join the New Zealand Navy as a legal officer. Lawyers - shooting in pairs.

🍻

And sporting a crew suit to boot! (I still have one of mine from back in the day too...doubt I'll ever fit into it again though). 🙂
 
Actually I have to say my favourite piece of issued gear since the new job has to be the liberator head set with the integrated lights in the Mic boom. Fantastic.

Assuming that's not standard issue to line units? I had to google what it was...

What is the intergrated lights in the mic benefit? Couldn't seem to find a pic of that.
 
Assuming that's not standard issue to line units? I had to google what it was...

What is the intergrated lights in the mic benefit? Couldn't seem to find a pic of that.
They’re not, really should be given how much we spend on hearing loss claims a year.

The lighta are like a super powered head lamp that’s always in front of your face. Very very helpful when trying to plot on your map at 3 am.
 
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