Super Snivel Gear

Submitted by Eric Daniel

I recently had an opportunity to check out the ADS GEN III ECWCS (Extended Cold Weather Clothing System) but more readily known as snivel gear.

The ADS package, for that’s really what it is, a fully integrated layering system (ranging from level I to level VII), is designed to provide tailored comfort in climates ranging from mild (60F) to the brutal ( -40F) in all conditions, including wet, dry, and windy.

For my part, I sampled the level I and II garments, which included both tops and bottoms, as well as briefs.  The ADS system is a “next to skin” system, meaning you wear it in place of your regular t-shirt and underwear (no, you will not go up in a ball of flames if you wear the level II long johns over your army issue boxers, but ADS just designed the system as a stand alone product, not requiring specific issue clothing to function properly.)

The level I and II garments are brown in color (the level III and up are foliage green) and made of a variety of synthetic fabrics, including Polartec Power Dry (for fast wicking and drying.)  Construction across the board is solid, with all seams, even on the “silkweight” level I garments, heavily reinforced to prevent fraying in the field.  The level I tops and bottoms are made of the same lightweight fabric, and are intended to be worn as the next to skin base of the system, providing good mild environment insulation, coupled with moisture wicking for dryness.  The level II garments are made from a thicker “checkerboard” pattern of the same Polartec fabric, for increased insulation, and can be worn as either an additional layer for the level I garments, or as a stand alone base layer for even colder conditions.  In addition, the level II top features silkweight fabric panels running from cuff to ribs, for better moisture wicking, as well as a mid chest zipper and mock turtleneck collar, for additional neck insulation as well as ventilation.

To properly evaluate the garments, I did a number of tests.  The first involved taking the level II garments to the field with me for a three day drill at Camp Pendleton.  Following an eight mile cross-country march with tactical load, I was thoroughly soaked with sweat, and in the 40 degree air and wind, freezing to death, so I stripped off my ACU blouse and army issue t-shirt, and slipped on the ECWCS top. 

The effect was immediate and dramatic.  With my blouse back on to cut the wind, and though thoroughly saturated with sweat, I did not feel chilled in the least, and though I was still perspiring, the level II top did a very good job of keeping me warm.

To test the bottoms, I decided to wear just them and my ACUs that night and sleep wrapped up in my poncho liner and poncho.  Normally, during this time of year, it gets too cold for me to get away with just the poncho liner, but between the liner and the level II snivel gear, I was comfortable, and slept that way all three nights.

To test the level I stuff I decided to see just how wet I could get and still stay warm, so I spent a day logging (thinning out the oak and pine population at my place on an overcast 55 degree day) and then did a couple of bike rides in the early morning air (between 38-45 degrees.)  While logging, I wore a cotton overshirt as protection against wood chips and debris, as well as to provide a wind brake, and though both became saturated, I was never cold.  In fact, I never overheated either, with the combination of evaporative cooling and the fabric insulation balancing nicely to keep me comfortable.  Out biking it was a little bit of a different story.  Once up to operating temperature, and with direct wind contact, I did get a little chilled, though, but only when I was moving.  Once I stopped (there was no wind blowing), however, the level I top did an excellent job of providing adequate insulation. 

Overall, I’d have to say I was thoroughly impressed with the effectiveness of the garments.  In both cases, neither the level I nor the level II garments felt bulky or binding, and even when soaked, they still retained their shape and didn’t sag like wool is wont to do, so they were comfortable to wear for long periods and could be easily worn under the duty uniform without having to increase the size to account for the additional layers.  Moreover, I know their system goes to VII, but I think I’d be hard pressed personally to find a situation where I’d need more than what I already have, though admittedly, training at Camp Pendleton is a far cry from the -20 icebox conditions I used to train in at Yakima.  One thing I was going to comment on, though, was the price; individually, the level I shirt is $32 and the level II shirt is $68, while the level I bottoms are $30 and the level IIs are $45, which makes one set of each, respectively, $62 and $113, which, for someone who was issued white wool button up long johns in 1988, is a lot of money.  Then I started looking around, and if you can find something comparable in performance to these duds for only twice the price, I would tell you to go get a case and hand them out for Christmas, because, compared to other products of similar design, these are a pretty good bargain (I still like my woolies though.)  Moreover, ADS offers package deals, which allow you to get combinations at a significant price reduction.  For example, the base layer package will run you $130 total for a pair of level I and II tops and bottoms, a savings of $45.

Check out the ADS Generation III ECWCS here.

Carmex, The Stick that Clicks

 

Submitted by Eric Daniel

While out on AT recently I made an interesting discovery.  Carmex brand lip balm.  Ok, granted, it wasn’t an honest to God real discovery - I’ve known about Carmex lip balm for ages (I have a bazillion of those jars all over the place) and I know that Carmex comes in squeeze tubes now, as well as the traditional stick.  But for years, while in the field, I’ve almost exclusively relied on either ChapStick brand lip balm, or the GI issue stuff the medics hand out when we go to the field. 

Now, the one issue I’ve always had with my ChapStick is that it always seems to unscrew in my pocket.  As you may or may not know, the lip balm is in a tube with a little wheel crank at the bottom of the tube.  You turn the wheel, which drives a threaded rod in the center of the tube, which pushes the lip balm up out of the tube, so you can use it.  Well, rolling around in my pocket always seems to crank that wheel in the proper direction to push the stick out (I wonder if the fellers in Australia have this problem), which means that I have to crank it back in every time I want to use it.  This isn’t a deal breaker or a therapy requiring issue, it’s just annoying to have to “reset” your ChapStick every time you want to use it.

Well, apparently, the folk over at Carmex must have been having the same problem I was, since on their tubed lip balm, the wheel at the bottom of the tube has a friction lock on it.  This lock (and I’ve no clue how it operates, except to say that you can hear it “click” as you crank the wheel) provides sufficient friction on that central rod that it won’t accidentally advance the stick in your pocket, which, all things considered, I thought was a good bit of attention to detail.

Now, if only I could police up all those little jars and get them converted to sticks.

Check out Carmex products here.

Eucerin Hand Cream

Submitted by Mike

All it (Bag Balm – ED) really is is lanolin in a carrier like mineral oil or petrolatum.

I used this stuff for years but have found Eucerin cream in the tub and in the tube a better product. The tube can be carried easily in the field and will be used more because you can carry it in your pocket.

ED -- Mike, I did a little dumpster diving and boy does Eucerin offer a lot of stuff.  I assume the product you're referencing is their "original" formula (pictured here.)  As you said, the Eucerin is a lanolin based product, though based on their product description it appears to be a more highly refined form of lanolin.  Eucerin is available at most drug stores and department storts.

Learn more about Eucerin here.

Trudeau "boardroom" travel mug

Submitted by Ken C

I have had the Trudeau "boardroom" travel mug for almost two years and love it. This is no boardroom item - although it looks great and drinks great, it is tough as nails. Mine has a couple of pretty good dings in it and the lip is a little rough in one spot from sliding down the side of a mountain, but it keeps my coffee hot in winter and - most importantly - it keeps the coffee in the mug (as long as I remembered to twist the top shut).

The mug was a gift from my wife and she purchased it at Starbucks and I wanted to get one for my wife for Valentines but they do not carry them any longer. After two+ hours of searching online today, I found this website and followed the trail of internet cookie crumbs to finally find one about 60 miles away. I like my cup so much that I will make that drive to buy her one. I could not find one at any of the online retailers that Trudeau lists on their website except LaPrima.com, but I did find them at Amazon.com and KlinQ.com – but I wanted it for tomorrow anyway so I am off to Cafeggio Coffee in San Antonio to pick it up.

Now, if Trudeau could just come up with a way to remind me to twist the lid shut...

ED -- Ken, I assume this is the mug you're talking about.  You're right, finding one can be a challenge.  In addition, I noticed it only comes in two colors; pink and avocado, and KlinQ was the only site to offer the avocado.  Nothing like taking a pink travel mug on route recon :)

Check out the Trudeau travel mug here

Big Bad Bag Balm

Submitted by Eric Daniel

“I gotta tell you boys, the next reporter who asks me how hot it was over here, I’m going to bust him right in the mouth.”

These were the parting words MG Ronald H. Griffith, CDR 1st Armored Division, had for us as we departed Saudi Arabia following the conclusion of the 91 Gulf War, and I couldn’t have agreed more.

We arrived in December of 1990 and as soon as we hit the ground it started to rain.  Everything, our gear, our equipment, and our weapons, got soaked.  Moreover, it never quit raining.  It rained so much that our clothes started to rot.  We began to think the presence of so many BDU wearing soldiers (we hadn’t been issued DCUs and would not receive any till the night before we flew home) had confused the clouds and fooled them into thinking that we were a bunch of wayward shrubberies in need of a little irrigating.

When it wasn’t raining, it was bitterly cold, and dry, and windy, and it was this that proved more destructive than all that water.  Now, as a 3-year veteran of Germany I’d been exposed to a whole lot of wet and mud, and I’d been Bavaria cold, but I’d never experienced an honest to God high desert cold, like you get out at NTC or up in Yakima (where I lived for 3 miserable years) so this was something new.  The cold dry wind literally desiccated my exposed skin; my lips chapped, and the skin in my finger joints cracked and bled.

The only thing I could think of doing was to rub some GAA (Grease, Automotive and Artillery) into my hands and put my nomex gloves on.  I don’t think the GAA helped my hands heal but it did do a fair job of keeping sand and grit out of the cracks and eventually I recovered.

Lesson learned.

Thanks to that Gulf War experience, I learned the value of hand cream.  Moreover, the stuff I’ve come to swear by, thanks to an ex-wife with a horse addiction, was Bag Balm, a lanolin (wool wax) based product originally developed for the dairy cattle industry.  It’s just the thing for treating cracked skin, irritations, minor cuts, or rashes, and it is easily absorbed by the skin.

It’s available in a small “person sized” tin, a larger “cow sized” tin, and a “dairy farm” sized tub.  My recommendation is get the “cow” tin, but get it from a feed store or from an on-line vet supply store, don’t buy it in the cosmetic section of your local store (where you’ll find it 3x as expensive.)  Also, as an additional lesson learned, this stuff can become quite fluid when it warms up (think Baghdad/Barstow/Badger Gap warm) so either keep it in a Ziploc bag in your CVC bag or put some into a squeeze tube for use on the road during the summer.

Learn more about Bag Balm here.

Ancient Chinese secret

Submitted by Eric Daniel

Now, for the first time ever, as seen on TV, you too can experience the Far East secret to a good night’s sleep…

Ok, I don’t know about all of that, or its hypoallergenic qualities, or its chakra centering, aroma therapeutic, or healing benefits, but if you’re looking for a good pillow, buckwheat hulls are hard to beat.

I’ve known about these pillows for a number of years, but my favorite pillow, 25+ years running, has been a feather filled pillow I picked up in an Army-Navy surplus store.  Well, good as that feather pillow has been to me, it is an absolute albatross for taking to the field.  It’s heavy, it doesn’t work worth a flip when wet, its difficult to clean, and it takes up a lot of space in my kit bag.  Consequently, when in the field I have traditionally resorted to a wadded up poncho liner, gortex jacket, or even my BDUs to serve as a means of keeping my head out of the mud.

With this last trip to Iraq, though, I’d finally had enough.  I was going to get me a real pillow (having my ole “favorite” shipped over was not an option.)  The one I settled on was a small sized buckwheat hull filled pillow.  Disregarding all of the metaphysical qualities listed, I opted for one of these simply as a trial and error experiment.  What I ended up with, however, was a new traveling companion.

As you may or may not know, buckwheat hull pillows are filled with, well… buckwheat hulls.  These “nutshells” don’t compact like feathers, so the pillow breathes well, and they’re very conductive thermally, so they don’t get really hot when you sleep with them.  Furthermore, they absorb moisture well, so they don’t get slimy like poncho liners do when you sweat, which is nice for places like Iraq, and they absorb vibrations well, so they are nice to have when flying first class courtesy Military Airlift Command (yes yes, I know, MAC, SAC, and TAC are gone, but I do love the classic names.)

The pillow I got was a small "travel" sized one (12x16 inches or there about.)  This was big enough to work, yet small enough to fit into my CVC bag or to wedge under my neck while riding in a C-130.  For 8 months, I packed that sucker with me everywhere I went, only to have to throw it away when I rotated home (the navy Chief running the customs inspection station determined that the organic filler (which was grown and processed in the United States) was considered an agricultural product, and was not allowed back into the country.  Next time I’ll just ship it home in the CONEX.

Get a Buckwheat hull pillow here

Down under dining

Submitted by Eric Daniel

When Brian and Ian mentioned a down under device called the splade in the titanium spork commentary, I have to admit I was a little skeptical.  Sure they do things a little different in Australia but a utensil that is a combination fork, spoon, AND knife?  It’s a damn swiss army knife on a stick, I thought.  But, remembering the old story of the King, the Marine, and the tale of the flying fish, I decided to check it out.

Please allow me introduce you to the Splayed.  A staple in Australian department stores for over 50 years, the splayd is indeed a combination spoon/knife/fork.  Shaped like a square edged shovel with teeth, the splayd has a sharp edge on one side for cutting.  Admittedly I was a little concerned about putting anything in my mouth with a self described cutting edge, but seeing as how these things have been around for so long and since it would seem that the citizens of Australia haven’t all cut their tongues off with one, that they are probably safe to use by the common Joe.

Moreover, since a set of Splayds come in a handsome velvet covered box (8 to a box, so there’s one for every member of the squad), their use is sure to add a touch of elegance to what would otherwise be another ho hum MRE feast.

Get your set of Splayds here

The do it all bag

Submitted by Eric Daniel

Back in the day, everyone had one. It didn’t matter if you were going to the field for 45 days of gunnery at Grafenwhoer or maneuver training in Hoenfels, or day tripping out to the LTA, it was the one thing you always took with you. It was versatile, reliable, indestructible, and would do everything you asked of it, though I must admit I never once saw it used for the purpose for which it was intended.

I am, of course, referring to the helmet bag. Intended, I suppose, given the bag’s padded liner, to protect an aviator’s helmet from scratches and damage, the nylon bag was an almost universal accessory in the Armor community (where we called it the CVC bag after the Combat Vehicle Crewman helmet we wore.) Large enough to hold an MRE or two, your half-gallon coffee thermos, binos, a notebook, pogy bait, and your nomex hood and gloves, the CVC bag was a universal carryall. Moreover, it was also your traveling companion and record keeper as many folks would have the patches of the various units they’d served with sewn on to the bag (I’ve seen many a seasoned campaigner in the airport with ten or more unit patches on their bag.)

Constructed of padded nylon fabric and featuring two internal and two external pockets, the bag had a single zipper across the top as well as an external clip, which is where you probably actually put your helmet, since I don’t think I ever say anyone actually put a helmet into one of these. Never an issue item in the units I served with (again, this may just be an aviator thing) the bags were cheap enough to buy such that if yours got lost or destroyed you didn’t sweat buying a new one.

Get your CVC bag here

The quest for the holy grail

Submitted by Eric Daniel

Me and favorite things don’t get along. Seems every time I decide I like something and incorporate it into my routine, the manufacturer decides that it’s time to move on, leaving me in the unenviable position of having to scour the world (or at least eBay) looking for a replacement for my most recently discontinued favorite thing.

One of my more recent "quests" has been for a replacement coffee cup. While, in the great scheme of things, a good coffee cup might seem a trivial thing, for me, coffee is one of those touchstone rituals that makes all the insanity that goes with combat survivable.

My long time favorite cup of choice was a short, fat 16 oz. cup made for Starbucks. This cup was of double walled aluminum construction, with a foam non-skid pad on the bottom (I supplement the pad with a square of Velcro for absolute stability.) It was absolutely brilliant, so quite naturally, Starbuck quit distributing them years ago (you can literally only find them on eBay now.) Unfortunately for me, when I last rotated out of Iraq, my veteran Starbucks cup decided not to come with me (some lucky sod is going to get an early Christmas present when they find that cup in a humvee) so I’ve been questing ever since for a replacement.

My new cup of choice is the Thermos-Nissan JMF502 drink/food mug. While taller than my old Starbucks cup (Velcro on the bottom of this thing is a must), one nifty feature this cup has that my old mug didn’t have is a second lid to completely seal in the contents of the mug (the lid on the Starbucks was a press-in lid, the lids on the Thermos mug are screw on with rubber gasket seals.) This means that you can put anything in the mug, close it up, and toss it in your CVC bag without having to worry about the contents spilling everywhere.

Be forewarned however, once word gets out that I like this thing, Thermos is likely to get out of the vacuum bottle business all together. Get yours now while supplies last.

Buy a Thermos travel mug here

Caution - low flying liquids

Submitted by Dan Smith

This might seem trivial but here goes. While part of a Security Alert Team "SAT" we often had to eat lunch in the vehicle and seems like during that time we would have to respond and our drink cups would spill and fly all over.  Solution= short sections of plactic pipe,screws and a phillips screwdriver scrounged from Civil Engineers.  Caught some flak from some captain for putting holes in the vehicle but was worth it.

ED- Here's another option - use velcro.  For those of you who spend a lot of time in vehicles (mounted patrols, MSR security, convoy escort, etc.) get yourself some velcro (it can be purchased in 2" wide rolls) and put a "square" of velcro somewhere handy and tack some to the bottom of your favorite travel cup.  This will not only stabilize the cup, but it will also give you a place to stow the cup when not in use.

Buy some velcro here