Clothing is very important, like shelter; it protects us from the extremes of this planet and outer space. Yes, outer space.
Think about the effort that the various space programs have taken to protect an astronaut, cosmonaut, or taikonaut from extreme cold, heat, and the almost absolute vacuum of space. Lucky for you, you are only preparing for an emergency on this planet, but that is still a big challenge.
Depending on where you live will depend on the clothing you will need for your emergency preparations. The Pacific Northwest will require an entirely different set of clothing preparations then in the American Southwest. The same goes for a family living in Norway compared to the preps of a family living in Mexico City. This also goes for the urban, suburban, or rural resident.
However, all of these locations will have similarities, for all of these locations and climate
Hat
Everybody needs a hat. I suggest a wide brim hat that has a brim about 3 inches wide all the way around the hat. The full brim will protect your ears, neck and face from the sun's harsh rays. The hat will also reduce the amount of body heat escaping from your head in the cold.
If it is really cold, you will need a second hat.
A US military pile cap, a close fitting cap with flaps that cover the ears; a wool watch cap (beanie); or a towel wrapper around your head will help retain some of your body heat.
Sunglasses
Everyone in the family, especially women, needs sunglasses rated to protect their eyes from the sun’s harmful rays, so these sunglasses need to be rated to block or absorb 99% to 100% of UV-A and UV-B rays. Probably the best sunglasses for this protection are the full wrap-around sunglasses; we saw Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, and Sailors wearing during the recent conflicts in the Middle East. Needless to say, these sunglasses can be a fashion statement or just something to protect your family’s eyes, during an event.
Scarf
Yes, a scarf even for the desert. In the winter and colder areas of the world, you will want a wool scarf. Make sure, the scarf is long enough to wrap around your head and neck to protect your face from the wind. If you or a family member is allergic to wool, acrylic or fleece scarves work pretty well. You also might want to check out merino wool items. I hear they don't get scratchy like regular wool.
Back to the scarf for the desert, this scarf should be long enough to warp around your head to protect your neck, face, and eyes from the intense sunlight found in the desert. The Bedouins call them kufiyya; theirs are made out of wool. For summer, I suggest a cotton one, in these United States; additionally, a cotton scarf can hold an ice cube at the base of your neck to help keep you cool in the summer.
Long-Sleeve Shirt
You will want a long sleeve shirt. The long sleeves will protect you from various dangers such as sun, wind, and biting insects. Depending on the climate, you can layer the shirt with a t-shirt under the shirt and a sweater over the shirt.
Most people will tell you to avoid using cotton in your emergency preparedness preparations. I agree, for the most part. Cotton is a poor fabric for survival. Cotton will hold moisture, dries very slowly, and it doesn't retain your body heat as well as wool and the synthetic fabrics, like polypropylene, when wet. If you can avoid getting wet, say when you are indoors, cotton makes an inexpensive clothing fabric.
I own a few cotton sweaters that I wear during the winter to keep the chill off while in the house. I even wear a cotton sweater when I travel around town in the winter. But I wear a wool or performance fabric, such as thermax, shirt if I go out into the wild for more than a few hours.
Long Pants
You need long pants not shorts. Just like long sleeves, long pants protect you from the sun and flying stuff if you use a chainsaw or string trimmer.
Now don't get me wrong, shorts are cool, (Yes, the pun was intended.) but you are trying to prevent injuries during an emergency. Just like shirts, wool in the winter and cotton in the summer is OK, but avoid getting the cotton items wet.
Undies or No Undies that is the question.
From my understanding, undergarments where originally intended to reduce the need to wash our outer clothing. Our sweat and body oils would dirty the underwear instead of the outer cloths. The outer clothes could be worn many times before needing to be cleaned; this might provide advantageous during an event.
Of course, most ladies are going to require a bra, so they will need to be stored like any other supply. The same goes for the guys that feel the need for underpants.
Another type of undies is, what I call, long johns. Some folks call these items long underwear, thermal underwear, or union suits. Either name, they provide another layer of warmth during the winter.
They come in a variety of material, cotton, wool, and the performance fabrics. For folks allergic to wool, merino wool or fleece may be an option. Avoid cotton long johns, they easily get wet from your sweat.
Socks
I wear wool socks with my boots all year long. I will add a polypro (polypropylene) or nylon sock liner in the winter to help keep my feet warm. For folks allergic to wool, merino wool may be an option.
There are also socks made with the synthetic or performance fabrics.
During the summer, I might wear sandals, but be careful. You can receive an intense sunburn on the top of your feet wearing sandals. You can also wear sandals in the cold, if you wear socks or other insulating material around your feet.
I almost forgot, if your family feels the need for waterproof boots or shoes, you can find gortex socks on the internet. These stretched polytetrafluoroethylene (gortex) socks will provide protection for your feet during wet weather.
Gloves
You will need gloves for every climate, warm ones for winter and the cold, tough ones for when you work in the garden or heavy labor, and specialty gloves for those tasks such as welding, painting, or operating on someone.
Footwear
The last similarity is the need for sandals, shoes, and boots. I suggest getting the best footwear you can afford. If all transportation stops, similar to 9/11/01 in New York, you may have to walk home.
Where to Purchase
I get my emergency clothing from discount stores, charity stores, department stores, military surplus stores, and specialty stores.
I buy my cotton undergarments and cotton socks, colored t-shirts, and inexpensive boots at discount stores. At the department stores, I purchase our jeans and collared shirts.
I visit charity stores every once in a while. I buy my used clothes in the "earth tones," green, brown, and black.
Military surplus stores provide a lot of my emergency preparedness clothing. Most surplus foreign military clothing is wool or cotton. The United States military surplus has polypro long johns, gortex jackets, and other more modern fabrics. Former military clothing seems to be more rugged; plus it is in the earth tone colors.
At specialty stores, I buy my expensive boots or shoes, welding gloves, safety glasses, and other hard to find items.
Military Clothing Technology
Before I go on, I would like to write about the levels of clothing technology in the US military.
In the 1940s-1950s, the US military used wool and cotton in their field gear and clothing. An example is the arctic parka. It had a cotton shell, a wool liner, and an animal fur hood. This level of technology has its limitation, but all of the gear still works. Be careful, some of this equipment is becoming collectible, so prices are increasing.
In the 1960s - 1970s, the US military was changing to synthetic material for their liners for their clothing. The shells such as field jackets and field pants were still made out of cotton, but the liners would be nylon with a polyester core.
From the 1980s onward, the US military had embraced the synthetic fabrics. Rain jackets are now made out of gortex. Uniforms are a combination of nylon and cotton, and liners are polypropylene. You still see wool and cotton, but it is slowly disappearing.
So what do these last three paragraphs have to do with emergency preparedness? They have to deal with technology levels and how to stretch your limited dollars.
Yes, gortex is great, but you may not be able to afford it. So you buy nylon rain jackets. Can't afford polypro long johns; buy military surplus wool long johns. If you can't afford surplus wool long johns, save your money then buy them. The cotton long johns will not protect you from the cold if they get wet from the rain or your sweat.
Need more rugged inexpensive coats with liners, buy surplus foreign military coats. Need more leather boots, buy used military boots.
How Much to Purchase
So, how much clothing do you need? You will have to decide.
I have seven uniforms for work, one clean uniform for each day of the week and a spare at work and home. When I say uniform, I mean an actual uniform. For some people, such as office workers, your uniform may be a tie, dress shirt, dress pants, and underwear.
I have three coats with liners for everyone in the family, a nice coat for everyday wear and two coats that are surplus foreign military. The two coats are split between the family cars. As we add cars, we will purchase more coats for emergency boxes stored in the truck of each car.
I keep many, many pairs of socks on hand. There is nothing like having cold wet feet and changing into a clean pair of dry wool socks.
In footwear, we have three pairs of work shoes or boots, a few pairs of sandals, and surplus military boots in storage.
From looking at third-world countries and other disasters, I believe that clothing will be available, but comfortable and properly fitting footwear will be in short supply. Don't forget a spare pair of arch supports if you need arch support and shoe laces too.
Saving Money
After all is said and done, this is a lot of clothing and footwear. To save money, we buy clothes when they are on sale. I also search the military surplus stores and on-line sites for bargains on boots and surplus clothing. For gloves, hats, and scarfs, we buy at the end of the season when these items are deeply discounted.
I also stock spare clothing for expected guests. The ladies are asked to send gently used bras. The clothing goes in metal drums for secure storage. We had a mouse problem that is the reason for the metal drums.
Storing this Clothing
In my research, I have found two differing opinions on storing bedding, blankets, and clothing. The United States military throws their clothing in a pile. They say this method prevents wear spots that would develop, if the clothing was folded.
Others say that folding allows more items to be placed in the same amount of space when compared to unfolded items. These folks also say the wear spots only develop, if the item is repeatedly folded. Needless to say, you will have to decide how to store your spare clothes.
Appendix A: Common Mistakes
The most common mistake is wearing cotton or failing to have proper clothing for the anticipated weather. If you leave your home, even for a short trip, you need to carry adequate clothing, especially if you are going outdoors away from civilization.
This means carrying a water-proof jacket and pants, warm coat, gloves, scarf and a hat if it’s going to be cold. If it’s going to be hot and sunny, you and your family need to wear a long sleeve shirt, long pants, and wear a wide-brimmed hat. Don’t forget the drinking water, either way.
I can’t say it enough “Wear Proper Clothing for the anticipated weather!
The next mistake is failing to have adequate footwear for you family. If roads are blocked, fuel in short supply, or the bicycle’s tires are flat, you and your family will be able to walk to get help or supplies.
A similar mistake is failing to have proper protective clothing. If you are going to do heavy labor, like moving debris, you will need thick long-wearing gloves. If you are going to run a chain saw, you need ear plugs, eye protection, gloves, chainsaw chaps, and a hardhat. Oh, don’t forget to wear a long sleeved shirt.
The last common mistake is thinking that wearing a camouflage uniform is going to be appropriate or needed after a disaster. It might not.
It seems some people are purchasing lots and lots of camouflage uniforms thinking; they will be fighting some foreign occupying military force. More likely than not, the majority of preppers will be avoiding armed conflict, evacuating from the fighting, and trying to survive the event. In other words, they will be headed to work, trying to earn enough to pay bills; going to parties and other networking events, to find a better paying job; and doing those ordinary everyday activities; your family is doing now.
With that said.
If your threat analysis, created by your family, says you need to plan for an invasion, you need to purchase some camouflage uniforms.
Appendix B: Other Information
How to Blend In
International Business Machines (IBM) has a unique philosophy about uniforms for their service personal. They believed a tech should blend in with the office, so a technician would show up for a service call in coat and tie with a brief case.
The briefcase holds all the tech's tools. The tech removes his coat then works on the machine. Once the technician is finished working, the tech would put the coat back on and leave. Unless someone saw the tech working on a machine, they would think he was a mid-level worker for the office.
In Britain, the road workers, delivery drivers, police and many others wear bright neon green vests or jackets. These bright vests are everywhere. Many people don't notice them, anymore.
How many delivery drivers or tradesman do you see every day? What did they look like?
What about all the white pick-up trucks and vans you see all day long, with and without logos?
For family members that can’t dress as trades’ workers, you may have to adopt other methods of going unnoticed, such as avoiding wearing name-branded clothing with logos. You can also wear suits and dresses in muted colors.
Ladies, you will also need to avoid jewelry. If you want to wear jewelry, I suggest inexpensive costume jewelry. Gentlemen don’t forget your wedding ring.
Remember, wearing jewelry may make you a target for criminals, even during normal times.
Lastly, you will need to carry yourself confidently, look like you know where you’re going, scan the area for possible threats, and avoid possible ‘bad’ areas.
How Not to Blend In
Sometimes you are going to want to stand out, during an emergency. You can do this several ways.
The first way is to move. The human eye reacts to movement. Even if a dark object is on a dark background. If the object moves, a person will see it move.
The second way is to be bright. No, I don't mean smart; I mean like flashing light bright. Use shiny objects to flash light in the direction of your rescuers, airplanes flying over, or towards inhabited areas.
The military signal mirrors, with the grid, are great. If you don't have one that's ok, you can use any shiny surface like a polished metal candy container lid, plain mirror, or compact disk (CD).
Another method is to be bigger than you really are. Wave a blanket, the bigger and brighter the better. Spread out pieces of wreckage if you have it. I keep a couple of orange space blankets handy just for this reason.
The last method is to contrast. If you are on green grass, you need to be wearing red, blue, orange, pink, and ex cetera. If you are on a pink or orange background you need to be wearing brown, black, blue, and ex ceretra.
Washing Clothing during an Emergency
I have heard of a few ways of washing your clothes during an emergency. One method is to obtain a clean, brand-new toilet plunger and two new or used clean 5-gallon buckets with lids.
A small hole is cut in the middle of the lids, big enough for the plunger's handle to be placed through the hole.
The clothes, water, and detergent are placed in the first bucket. Place the lid with the plunger in the hole, and move the plunger up and down.
Do this for a few minutes.
Take out the soapy clothes, ring out, and place the clothes in the second bucket full of clean water. Just like the first bucket, the plunger is moved up and down until the clothes are adequately rinsed.
If your family only has one bucket to use for cleaning clothes, dump the soapy water from the bucket on your garden. If the soapy water is still useable, you can save it to clean another load of clothes, same for the rinse water.
Another method involves a rocking chair and a five-gallon bucket.
Basically, you mount a plastic bucket on the two rockers in the back of the rocking chair. Fill the bucket just like you did in the above method then sit and rock back and forth for a few minutes. Once you think the clothes are clean, remove the clothes from the bucket, and rinse the same as the above method.
Needless to say, using a rocking chair and a five-gallon bucket to wash your clothes would probably only work on delicate clothes.
For families preparing for a longer event, there are several commercial solutions, such as the James Washer. The James washer is basically a 55-gallon drum, cut in half, with a cover and an agitating arm attached. It is expensive.
A less expensive solution is the Magic Wash Portable Washing Machine or the Wonder Wash Portable Laundry Machine. These two devices are similar. They are drums mounted to plastic legs. To use, the clothes, water and detergent are added, and a handle is cranked.
The last method, I will discuss, is the classic washboard and wash tub. The washtub is filled with water, detergent added, and the clothes placed in the warm water. The washboard is placed in the tub, and the soaking clothes are rubbed on the washboard.
Of course, it is harder than it sounds, physically and method wise. Physically, your back and arm muscles will get a workout. Method wise, certain washboards are used for certain clothes. There are glass washboards for delicate clothing and galvanized steel for heavy-duty clothes such as jeans.
Military Surplus Clothing
Depending on your threat analysis, will depend on the color of the military surplus clothing you will buy. I normally avoid the camouflage military clothing. I stick with the green pants, shirts, coats, and other items. Green works in my area of the world. If you live in the desert or urban areas, you may want to focus on the browns.
Now the British Special Air Service, The SAS, have a compromise. They wear green pants and shirts, but wear a loose fitting camouflage pullover or jacket that is about mid-thigh in length.
Foreign Military Surplus Clothing
If you lift weights, the foreign military shirts and coats, except the British military, may be too small in the arms and shoulders. I have heard, the foreign militaries don't put a great emphasis on upper body physical strength like the United States and British military
Formally and Current US Military Clothing
I have heard that the ACUs are delicate. Plus, to me, they don't blend in anywhere.
Note:
As I am writing this appendix, these United States’ military is finishing the process of implementing a new camouflage pattern for the various military branches. The U.S. Army is changing from the Army Combat Uniform (ACU) to a pattern something like multicam. The U.S. Air Force is using a pattern and color similar, called ABU, to the ACU, but it has some blue in the pattern, and the Navy has a blue pattern called the Navy Work Uniform (NWU). Lastly, the Marines have finished changing to the desert and temperate digital patterns
This is good and bad for the prepper.
These United States, in recent decades, has released vast quantities of rugged clothing and equipment to the surplus market, so there will be many bargains on ACU gear and clothing. That is the good.
The bad?
ACU, ABU, and the NWU, to me, are poor choices for a camouflage pattern. There is even an investigation into how the ACU, such a poor camo pattern, was implemented by the U.S. Army.
There is some good here, though. It seems these United States’ Army is seeking bids to dye the ACU gear to coyote brown, so there is the possibility the surplus ACU gear can be dyed, by preppers, to a more useable color.
Spare Parts and Maintenance Items
You will need spare shoe laces, polish for you leather boots and shoes. Thread, needles, scissors, buttons, zippers, snaps, velcro, and other items to repair your clothes. Don't forget the washing detergent to wash your family’s clothes. You will also need to dry them. The low tech solution is to have an outside clothes line, clothes pins, and a wash basket.
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