What sort of camouflage gear do the Kent Volunteers wear?

Pattern

The Kent Volunteers wear camouflage clothing in the pattern of British DPM or the official camouflage of the Kent Rangers: MARPAT [Digital Woodland] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MARPAT]

    British DPM    MARPAT

Clothing

The precise nature of items worn by team members is down to personal preference as long as it is British DPM or Megacam and that team badges are affixed as per the uniform guidelines. Players may prefer all in one 'jumpsuits' or combinations of jackets and trousers, or shirts and trousers.

Shirts:          S95 Shirt, S95 Jungle Shirt, MARPAT

Jackets:       S95 Rip-stop Jacket

Trousers:      S95 Cotton, S95 Rip-stop,  DPM M65, MARPAT Trousers

Jumpsuits:    British Army AFV overalls

Shirts

Combat 95 Shirt

Description

• 2 pocket cotton shirt with zip with overlaid buttons.

• Cost £5+  - used 

Pros

• Very Cheap

• Dry quickly

• Lightweight and ideal for playing in mild or hot temperatures.

Cons

• Not water resistant

• Not rip-stop, although are reasonably hardwearing.

• Fewer pockets than S95 Jacket.

Jackets

Combat 95 Jacket

Description

• Ripstop cotton jacket with drawstring waist.that provides element of water resistance

• Heavyweight zip.

• Can be purchased second hand for about £15.

Pros

• Water resistant

• Ripstop and hardwearing

• More pockets than S95 shirt

• Thin enough to act as effective outerlayer when wearing S95 shirt

Cons

• More expensive than S95 shirt

• Bulkier than S95 shirt: offers poorer ventilation

Trousers

S95 Cotton Trousers

Description

• 6 pocket Lightweight cotton trousers.

• Cost: £5+ - used

Pros

• Lightweight

• Cheap

Cons

• Not as hardwearing as alternatives

• Not water resistant

S2000 Ripstop Trousers

• Ripstop version of S2000 Combat Trousers

• Cost c £40 - new

Pros

• Lightweight

• Water resistant

• More windproof than S95 Cotton trousers

• Harder wearing than S95 Cotton trousers

Cons

• Expensive

• Less pocket space than M65

• Rare: Difficult to obtain

Mil-Tec M65 style DPM Trousers

   [picture shows US Woodland rather than DPM coloured M65]

• Description

• DPM pattern trousers in style of US Army M65 trousers with reinforced knees and seat.

• U.S army specification
• Six Pockets
• Draw String Tie Bottoms
• Button Fly & Waist Button
• Belt Loops
• Rip-Stop Poly Cotton Mix
• Cost c£15 - new

Pros

• Lightweight

• Water resistant

• Harder wearing than S95 Cotton trousers

• Very large pockets  that can fit a 100 shot tube

• Button fly

• More stylish and comfortable than S95 cut

Cons

Jumpsuits

British Army AFV Crewmen jumpsuits

Description

• DPM patterned all-in-one suit issued to tank crewmen and drivers of other Armoured Fighting Vehicles.

• 2 Chest Pockets
• 2 Zipped Chest Cargo Pockets
• 2 Waist zipped pockets
• Knee pockets with plastic boards
• 2 Ankle pockets
• Velcro adjustable cuffs
• Grab handles on either shoulder
• Rank Slide on front
• Draw cord waist
• Elasticised bottoms with zip entry
• Velcro and zipped entry to seat area

• Cost c £30

Pros

• All in one suit - easy to wear over other clothing.

Cons

• Can be more expensive than buying separate jacket and trousers.

Recommendation:

If you're just starting out, you probably can't go too wrong by purchasing S95 trousers and shirt. These can be obtained for a combined price of c£10 - £15 so do not represent a significant investment.

MARPAT is also a great investment - the camouflage pattern is superior and the clothing is specifically designed for use with assault vests, having a mandarin collar, arm pockets, calf pockets etc.

It is for this reason that the Kent Rangers  have recently adopted MARPAT as their team uniform.

Tips:

If purchasing a shirt, buy it 1 size too large if you are intending to wear it in the winter: this will allow wearing of more base layers.