What the Uniform should be...

[OldGreyEagle]

Just to beat another dimension of a dead horse, I ask what do you want the uniform to be? How do you see it being used as form follows function or something quippy like that

 

I see the field (dress) uniform as something that is used for meetings, parades, COurts of Honor, anyplace where identificaiton as a scout/scouter is important. I dont see a role for my concept of a uniform in the back country, but thats just me.

[DugNevius]

The uniform just isnt practical in the back country.

[VentureScoutNY]

 

In my opinion the uniform should be what a Scout wears at all Scouting functions. It should be made so that it is useful and practical at both meetings, COH's, parades, and back woods camping. It should look neat but also be made for a beating.

 

Scouts should be identifiable wherever they are. Especially when camping. It's nice to be able to see a Troop of boys with some uniformity. You can tell who is who, by leadership patches etc...

 

They should also make uniforms for both cold and warm weather climates. Basically just offer both shirt and pants in a different heavier material, and a lighter one. When I camp in December I'd like to have my option of a wool shirt. In the summer I'd like something lightweight.

 

Bring back the older styled Campaign hats, the softer ones, and make them official!

 

In closing, we need a uniform that is useful. Not a cute outfit. Something practical yet presentable. A sharp looking uniform that will represent all for what we as Scouters stand for. By staying true to our legacy, it's crucial that we have a unifrom that represents the BSA's past and it's future.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

YIS

[Laurie]

The one thing I don't get about the uniform for camping is that it ends up covered up. Then no one can see the shirt, though the pants are still visible. I actually like the way the uniform holds up (except for the pilling at the collar), but it would be nice to be able to identify who is who in the cold weather--when the shirts usually get covered up.

[Torveaux]

Laurie,

 

What do you think about having the Boy Scout hat have some badge of office device? That would be visible regardless of what was covering the shirt.

 

As for the purposes of the uniform, I agree with VentureScoutNY. The training and camps 'require' the uniform, yet it is supposed to be optional AND it is supposed to be designed for meetings and such, except that the poly/cotton version pretends to be outdoorsy.

 

If the uniform is going to be strictly for meetings and such, it may as well be the slacks and jacket version available for Scouting professionals.

 

Either have a formal (indoor) uniform and an informal (camping) uniform or just realize that the uniform needs to be multi-functional and design it that way.

[hops_scout]

Personally, I'd like to see a multiplatformed uniform.

 

Outdoor uniform

OD BDU pants

Thorlo BSA socks

red or green t-shirt with troop logo

red or green (correspond with above) UA or similar shirt. (long sleeve when needed, short sleeve during summer)

OD BDU shirt

OD Rescue rappel belt

Combat boots or hiking boots

OD boonie or patrol hat

 

Outdoor ceremonies (not too formal)

OD BDU pants

Black boots

BSA socks

OD belt with gold, BSA buckle

Tan Scout shirt

red undershirt (UA is best)

 

Formal Ceremonies (Court of Honor, Veterans' Day, etc)

Polished black boots

BSA socks

OD belt with BSA buckle

Either BDU pants or BSA pants

Tan uniform shirt

red undershirt

Troop or patrol neckerchief

Merit badge sash (OA sash where appropriate)

Red beret for under Star rank

Green beret for Higher ranks

 

 

Color guard

Formal uniform plus white ceremony gloves

 

Troop meetings

Depends on the nature of the meeting. Choose any of the above.

 

Using the method above, you can get as formal or imformal as you would like with little changes. The items are normally useable in more than one type of uniform. They can also be useful for things other than uniform. "UA" refers to the Under Armour material providing ventilation. Rescue rappel belt could be used to bear some weight, but BSA (and I) would not reccommend it alone.

[AK-Eagle]

From a earlier thread...

 

IMHO a new uniform would be based on the current BDU design used by the military and police, NO not camo! Flat green pants and a buff/tan shirt, Loose fitting so they are comfortable for activites when warm or thermals can be worn underneath for cooler climates.

 

Shirt;

Make the shirt so it can be worn tucked in or out and still look good, use the cuff design on the BDU so that the sleeve can be worn rolled up. Deep six the epaulets the buttons are not comforable under shoulder straps or replace the buttons with velcro.

 

Pants;

Put real cargo pockets on the pants sized to fit a scout handbook at a mimimum, if not large cargo pockets a combination flashlight/knife pocket, on the cuffs blousing ribbons to tuck pants into the boots to help keep ticks out.

 

Hat;

There isnt really a one hat for all jobs. I dislike the oversea's hat and for one am glad it went the way of the beret, while they look good in town they really dont belong in the woods. I wear a Tilley in all but the coldest weather and a Campaign hat for COH and for summer camp.

 

Belt;

Bring back the bottle opener leather belt! I have one from Australian scout store with the leather pouch. The WOSM e-store also sells the same style belt. Increase the quality of web belt buckle.

 

Okay enough venting for now

YIS

 

AK-Eagle

Scoutmaster Troop 21

Juneau Alaska

 

[NapowanRed]

I beg to differ. I think the regualar uniform is fine. I worked at a camp all summer and the only time I wasn't wearing my uniform was when I was washing it or in the shower. That's right, I'm so manly that I slept in it. I spent aproximately 1200 hours in my uniform. The only thing that is falling apart is the knee socks. But those of you who are experianced know the old cut at the heel trick...

 

I wouldn't mine seeing a drop in price in the uniform. If I recall corectly it's like 50% polyester and 50% cotton. It is mighty thin and not very flame resistant. I know that this sounds weird, by my uniform has lots of tiny burn holes in it from tending to campfires. I think we could cut costs by using 100% cotton instead of the 50/50...

 

The BDU thing is a nice idea, but that'll run atleast $200 a uniform. I sure don't have $200 to spend on a uniform. I rather use the uniform that I have and whatever winter camping gear I can get at thrift stores. I have cumped in subzero weather with stuff that costed me about $20...

[VentureScoutNY]

 

I like your style NapowanRed. Uniform at all times, I have lived in mine for about 216 hours, no where near as close as you though! Only took my boots off to change socks daily, but slept in the boots all 9 days. I always managed to stay quite clean though, "A Scout is Clean..."

 

 

"A Scout is Thrifty". I can be comfortable camping in really cold temperatures with hand-me-down sweaters and such. You don't need the top of the line NorthFace to survive!

[Eagledad]

>>The BDU thing is a nice idea, but that'll run atleast $200 a uniform.

[Torveaux]

That would be reasonable. As such it should be discarded immediately.

 

First, the anti-BSA crowd would have hissy-fit about Church & State even though it does not really apply to the Constitution (especially in this instance).

 

Second, the anti-military crowd woudl have a hissy-fit because 'Scouting is not a military organization' even though that was the basis used by BP.

 

Third, the anti-change crowd would have a hissy-fit because that is not the same uniform THEY wore and by golly it just doesn't look 'scouty' enough. Nothing wrong with the old uniform. Problems..."la la la.. I can't here you Jeffrey". (apologies to Beverly Hills Cop).

[Proud Eagle]

I personally want no part of a BDU based BSA uniform.

 

BDUs are great for the military, SWAT teams, rescue squads and the like.

 

They are not good for Scout camping.

 

Why?

 

The same reason a M2 Bradley would not make a good troop vehicle.

 

It is overbuilt, too heavy, and not really designed for what we need.

 

BDUs are designed for crawling around on your hands and knees for days in the mud, for lasting months in even the worste climates imaginable, and for being able to be used in any climate zone (meaning they suck equally in every climate zone).

 

On the other hand what is used by the ultra-light backpacking crowd won't work for us either. That stuff is too expensive and will never hold up to use by Scouts.

 

We need something that is in between those two extremes.

 

What exactly that is I don't know.

 

I would like to suggest we need to due something to cut down on patches if we are looking for a true outdoors uniform. You don't see anyone like the military, police, or civi backpackers wearing a shirt that has about 20% of its surface area covered with an extra layer of non-breathable, non-flexible patches and do-dads. Some sort of simple, logically placed, and comfortable insignia and such would be good if we are really going to have a true outdoors uniform. Perhaps have some other system for wearing patches. Though I don't really like clasp backed insignia, I had a set of those on my BDU cap suffer a rather unfortunate failure during a field excercise while I was in the ROTC (decided to discontinue involvement with that, but it was fun while it lasted). We were doing a paintball based excercise, and I was wearing the cap backwards to accomodate the face mask. This placed the rank insignia at the back of my head. Well, during the course of the excersise I was running from one piece of cover to another, doing combat roles, and all of that fun stuff and at some point I must have applied quite a bit of pressure to that insignia on the back of my head. At the end of the excersise I discovered the pins had pushed through the clasps and were imbeded partially in my scalp. Ouch. Maybe velcro, I don't know.

 

And if we really must have a BDU based uniform, can we at least agree that it should be the slightly more comforatable summer BDUs and not the horribly heavy and non-breathable winter BDUs?

[hops_scout]

We could go with the summer weight;)

 

 

[lynncc]

I must be weird. I loved my BDU's. As a nurse I had a choice of 3 uniforms. The horid white dress thing, The green class A or B or the BDU's. Loved my BDU's. So comfortable.

I would go for solid colored green BDU style pants and a tan shirt with sleeves that roll up like the BDU's. They make womens blouses that do that and they are so nice when a cool breeze comes up. Just roll them down.....

 

"BDUs are designed for crawling around on your hands and knees for days in the mud, for lasting months in even the worste climates imaginable, and for being able to be used in any climate zone (meaning they suck equally in every climate zone)." GEE and I thought that's what boys do.

 

My 2 cents.

 

lynn

[theysawyoucomin']

Speaking from the view of a former member of the Union Street Marble Club. (the intials should give it away) I spent a lot of time in what you call BDU's.

 

The Scout Pants really to seem to dry faster, I dont know why.

 

"BDUs" look horrible unless you "blouse" them(Marineese for tucking the bottoms in to an elastic band and having them ride at the top of a combat boot)Lets leave that to the military, some profession police and then all the wanna be psycos

The ties drag and boy would be walking on the backs of them. Plus they were designed to fit some very physically fit people they look comical on fat people(i should know , I am)

 

Many parents complain about the scout pants. there's a flame war going on now with 101 replies---thats controversy.

 

Maybe no one uniform will work for every situation.

The average Marine and the Average Scout are expected to do the same things: play in the mud, run around the woods, hike,perform color guards, looked squared away in the public eye. And do that all in a climate that that varies from 0 and dry and cold, to 30 and raining, to 90 degrees with 90 percent humidity---and that's just upstate NY.

 

Folks it just ain't gonna happen. The "Corps issues gore tex in Norway. BDU's in the tropics and dress blues to impress the kids and pretty young ladies.

 

And though they only get 3% of the Defense budget they have a little more money than we do.

 

As far as scout pants. tell parents to go to ebay. I have helped 10 boys get pants for about 20 bucks. that is less than a pair of jeans. What do shorts for travel soccor or little league cost yet no boy I've ever seen wears blue jeans to a soccer game.