This thread will be about a series of short informational videos I will be doing on how to modify your clothing and gear.
Why is it important to know how, or even that you can and probably should modify your gear? Because unless every item you own was made 100% to your specifications and solely FOR YOU, then it is a generic item that may not be comfortable to you or work just right. By modifying your gear and equipment you can take something that just "works" for you to something that is "perfect" for you. This is important for your personal gear because it is for YOU, no one else. This would not necessarily apply to community gear unless it is a general modification to improve the gear overall. You have to remember that most of this stuff is for an "OH SHNAP!" situation and that means three things:
1. You will probably wearing or using the gear for an extended period of time.
2. You have to know that it won't get hung up, tear, or fail when you need it most.
3. YOUR LIFE MAY VERY WELL DEPEND ON ITS EASE OF USE, DURABILITY, AND YES EVEN COMFORT.
So the following will be a brief something on each category and a link to the appropriate video.
1. GM: ColorThe most basic, yet one of the most important aspects of gear depending on its use and the situation is its color. The color of your gear simply could be the difference between you blending in or standing out like a beacon, or it could be the difference between being taken as friend or foe. It is also one of the easiest aspects to change depending on what color you are starting with.
For all colors, one way to change the pattern or color (depending on its size) is spray paint. Don't laugh, it works. Just ask Currahee of
www.everycitizenasoldier.org. Check out his rigs in the kit thread or on his site and you'll see what I mean.
Another effective method is to use fabric dye. This stuff works great not only on most clothing but most nylon as well. Now, if the material you are dyeing has a special water resistant or fire retardant coating it may take SEVERAL dye baths for the color to really change, but that's not a problem since you can save and reuse dye. You may want to add more if you are reusing old dye baths and want a darker color to come out. This works best when you want to take a khaki/tan color to a foliage, OD green or darker color. Be aware that while it may be possible to lighten certain colors, I have not had any luck changing the color of a black chest rig using the whitener that's on the market. And if you use harsh chemicals to do so, you may compromise the integrity of the material, so use caution.
2. GM: PhysicalThis basically refers to changing anything physically on the gear or clothing to add comfort or usability to it. For example, how I took the outside pouches off of my current rig and replaced them with MOLLE panels. (see my video here:
) This could also mean adding padding to pack straps to make them more comfortable, or something as simple as adding zipper pulls.
OVERLOOK NOTHING, UNDERESTIMATE NOTHING.An added zipper pull to a pouch may allow quicker access to med supplies, or adding slight padding to an uncomfortable strap could mean the difference between a comfortable hike or constantly shifting the pack and ending up sore or worse.
JUST REMEMBER: KEEP IT SIMPLE, NOT STUPID.I will go into this in more depth once I make the video.
3. GM: CamouflageWhile you are actively changing some physical aspects of your gear with this modification, it does deserve its own section. Here's why.
Nothing is easier to spot in the woods than a man in a tin pot wearing an LBE and carrying a howitzer of a rifle. Let's face it, the human outline is pretty unique when it comes to nature. So the goal here is to break that up. Yes you can help this by using step 1 and using camouflage. But even if your melon is white, orange, green, or black... it still looks like a damn melon! Sniper's often are most thought of when it comes to this kind of camouflage with the use of ghillie suits. But even if you don't take the time, money and effort into making a ghillie... whatever, you can still make yourself less easier to spot from a distance. Adding some local vegetation to your clothing or gear will help with this. Just remember that pulling up a large patch of tall grass all in one area will be very noticeable, especially to the trained observer. You can also add man made materials such as jute and burlap prior to being in the field to help with this. Just remember that NONE of it should interfere with the use and operation of your gear.
