The Adventurer's Gear Thread

[Mojave Jack]

Okay,

I'm taking an archaeology (Plains archaeology) course next fall and there are field trips scheduled. Can anybody give me their interpretation as a correct way to dress in traditional fabrics. For work, I generally wear a white, blue or khaki shirt with khaki or grey trousers and an odd coat. I own several safari coats though and want to start looking like a successful archaeologist than some lab nerd.

Yes, I realize modern-day archaeologists wear Patagonia fleeces and REI. But I, like us all are romantics and the romance in my life is with my khaki and tan outfits.

Any thoughts? Milsurp obviously, but my parents, while they permit epaulets and head to toe khaki would draw the line at a forage cap (I typically wear a fedora or other similar lid) jodhpurs and an OD outfit studded with pockets. One of the reasons I'm permitted to dress like I do, is that it's not camo and it's practical workwear.

Thomas

Ah, another archeologist! Welcome!

You're absolutely right about how modern archeologists dress, but it is totally in keeping with the rest of society. "Slob" is apparently the new "cool." I find in desert archeology that cotton works the best, and this is my usual attire:

On really hot days, or days we will be out for a longer period of time, I usually opt for long sleeves, and balance that with shorts or zip offs, as in the pics below:

I find that chambray is absolutely the best material possible for shirts in the desert. They give good sun protection, are light and comfortable, and are generally made for work, so you can move freely in them. The usual blue tends to break up the khaki, too! lol Where you will be on the plains will probably be fairly humid, though, so you may opt for some of the quick dry fabrics. You can still find some pretty traditional cuts. Those types of shirts served me well working in Indiana, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Man, I don't miss that humidity, though! *yucky*

 

[Canadian]

Thanks Jack,

I also wear cotton shirts when traveling through the desert. While it's not humid, it sure is hot (35C on a good day).

What kind of hat were you wearing? I usually wear a cheap fedora or an Aussie cowboy hat (pinned up on one side).

Thomas

 

[shortbow]

When I was into it, most arhaeos I knew in the Southwest dressed pretty much like working cowboys. Right down to the straw western and boots. On one dig in Arizona the women didn't even wear shirts. Some of them got a nice all-over tan while at the same time prettying up the scenery.

 

[James71]

What kind of hat were you wearing? I usually wear a cheap fedora or an Aussie cowboy hat (pinned up on one side).

Thomas

When its pinned up on one side its an Aussie military hat. (The quintessential slouch hat)

We also dont have cowboys in this country. We have Cattlemen.

Theres a hat named "Cattleman" for that very purpose.

 

[Canadian]

James,

Forgive me. I'm an Albertan (Canadian) and we have cowboys, ranchers, ranch hands and cattlemen and they all mean different things depending on who you talk to.

As for what to wear while on an archaeological expedition, I'm still learning. I remember this one time at CFB Suffield where there was a slight chill to the early morning. So I donned a field coat and wool sweater (British commando style) and the afternoon peaked around 35C. The Brits who were running the exercise laughed their heads off when they saw me. My field coat even had a full quilted liner. I nearly sweated to death that day, but we got a ride back to base in a deuce and a half. The next day, in the cold desert morning, I wore a t-shirt and fatigue shirt, webbing and fatigue pants, tucked into combat boots. Much more comfortable than wearing winter kit for summer.

 

[Mojave Jack]

Thanks Jack,

I also wear cotton shirts when traveling through the desert. While it's not humid, it sure is hot (35C on a good day).

What kind of hat were you wearing? I usually wear a cheap fedora or an Aussie cowboy hat (pinned up on one side).

Thomas

I have a couple different ones in those pics. The first one is my Akubra Riverina, bashed ala Mike K.

The Perfect Safari Hat

and the follow up

Akubra Riverina safari-ized

The one in the other two photos is my favorite field hat during cooler months, my bashed Stratton F-42 Sheriff, in tan. Completely rebashed, with a cheapie dark brown wrap-around puggaree added. It's a tough hat, and was an Ebay find, so it was cheap, and is the only hat I currently have at the office for field work. I had to de-stiffen it with some denatured alcohol, because it came like a helmet, and then just bashed it by hand to the current teardrop, and that was it.

During the summer I wear a Sunbody 3" Brim Fedora

It breathes very well, has a cloth headband that is more comfortable than leather, and is stiffer than most but not stiff like wicker furniture. Best of all, at $37 it can't be beat! If I lose it, oh well. If it gets run over by an LAV or a 7-ton, oh well.

 

[scotrace]

Jack -

Nice to see you 'round abouts!

 

[Mojave Jack]

Jack -

Nice to see you 'round abouts!

Thanks, Scott! Been quite busy, with several irons in the fire. Lots of haps in the High Desert! We'll have to catch up soon!

 

[WH1]

http://www.sunbody.com/images/hg3_F_150.jpg[/IMG]

It breathes very well, has a cloth headband that is more comfortable than leather, and is stiffer than most but not stiff like wicker furniture. Best of all, at $37 it can't be beat! If I lose it, oh well. If it gets run over by an LAV or a 7-ton, oh well.

Hopefully if this happens you won't be wearing it. Those LAV-25's are heavy and with 8 wheels they roll for a long time! Oorah Wolfpack!

 

[CLShaeffer]

Looking like a successful archaeologist? Archaeologists on a dig wear the same range of things today's outdoorsy types wear. My archaeology professor showed up at the dig in a white linen sport jacket and panama hat - but only on the first day. Once we broke ground he was in jeans and work shirts. Looking back I realize now he'd have rather worn that stuff everyday... but its just not practical for a working archaeologist. If you're a rich eccentric who is financing teams of local workers to do your digging for you then you can get away with it... but that hasn't happened for many a year. (Thankfully.)

I studied anthropology and archaeology in college, as well, by the way. The summer dig was the last time I actually practiced archaeology but as a documentary film maker the knowledge from the degree comes in very handy. That summer (in Indiana - very hot and humid) I mostly wore a cheapy straw hat, cut-off jeans, socks, and boots. No shirt. The test pits are like ovens during the heat of the day- and once they're more than a few feet deep there is no breeze. It was too hot for me to care too much about how I looked and the rest of the crew had the same attitude. On the hottest days we'd jump in the nearby river during lunch break - and those who forgot swim suits just stripped down to their undies.

Something to consider that I haven't seen mentioned: if you're actually working on a dig expect your clothing to get dirty. Its not usually filthy, but there is no avoiding kneeling and sitting on bare earth. And its generally dusty.

If you're doing field trips to look at sites but you aren't digging then dressing is easy: wear whatever you would when you travel and hike. Cotton for hot weather, wool for cold and wet. And fall in the plains, depending on when and where, could indeed be cold and/or wet. My habit for years has been merino wool socks (good in all temperature ranges and are still comfy when wet), loose fitting cotton pants - usually military surplus cargos in solid colors, and whatever weight of long sleeve shirt fits the season. Always long sleeves, though: long sleeves can be rolled up but short sleeves can't be rolled down.

The socks, actually, were critical. The right sock makes just about any shoe or boot work. For a while I'd wear loosely tied combat or jungle boots - not known for being comfortable footwear but the socks made them work. (I was riding a motorcycle to get around and wanted a boot that I could wear both on and off the bike.) I settled on Smartwool socks but recently found the REI knockoffs work about as well. I may sound silly harping on socks but having spent many, many, many days on my feet in all kinds of climates... trust me, happy feet make for a happy adventurer. Those cool cotton socks might be comfy in the morning when you put them on, but by 2 in the afternoon on a hot day of hiking around they'll be soaked through with sweat and feel more like sandpaper than socks.

I didn't take the wool socks with me to a 3 week remote shoot on a tiny pacific island 4 degrees north of the equator. Big Mistake. My plan was to wear sandals without socks to stay cool but ended up getting heat rash and the sandals rubbing on my skin was *really* irritating. Ended up having to wear the cotton socks I'd brought for the plane to protect my skin... and I recall the sandpaper feel of cheap, wet cotton on heat rash all too well.

Anyway. Just some thoughts. As long as the fabric of your clothes matches the climate and your clothes are cut full enough for you to move around comfortably the style itself doesn't really matter. REI gear lovers chose synthetic and "technical" fabrics. [huh] I tend to go for cotton, linen, wool, oilskin and leather. You'll find your own style in there somewhere: there is a classic cut of clothing in a natural fabric that you look and feel good in while out and about. Its well worth spending some time experimenting with what works for you and over time you match the things that work in the most situations with the style and cut that you like: voila, your own signature look that is more than just a look.

 

[Mr Vim]

In one of the few times I do not wear vintage, or anything nice really, is my exercise and living in Alaska, there is a lot of outdoors to enjoy.

I own a pair of Five Finger "shoes" and practice MovNat, an exercise regime where you don't use any man made equipment but nature to exercise.

I'm currently exploring the area's local paths for good barefooting routes... the problem for this being... bears. I don't want to run alone in the woods with as many bears we have out here so it makes my activities somewhat less than what I'd like.

 

[CLShaeffer]

:eusa_clap

Cool. Never heard of MovNat but it resonates with a lot of other stuff I've been around for years. Went barefoot for a year, myself, and only put in shoes when the weather and wind chill got so cold that exposed skin was frostbitten in less than 60 seconds. Wouldn't trade that experience for the world as I learned a lot.

That said... do be careful. I don't walk barefoot on the lava here. No one does. The natives never did, either, if they could avoid it. The surface of it is glass. The idea that moving and working out in nature is valid. The idea of doing so barefoot is questionable if you don't already know how to move around safely while barefoot. Its a skill and no matter how good you are at it there are some places its just not a good idea.

Just be careful. Its a great theory and has a lot of truth to it. Its not truth itself, though. Wandering around bear country with nothing but shorts on is foolish unless you know exactly what you're doing. I've spent a LOT of time around Western folks (Americans and Europeans) seeking to deepen their connection to nature and you'd be amazed how much questionable stuff happens because no one knows better.

Just for example... how far out do you go? What do you do if you, say, sprain your ankle or fracture a bone while exercising out and about? With just a pair of shorts? Do you follow normal hiking protocol of making sure someone else knows your route and when to check up on you? Carry a first aid kit? GPS? Even relatively minor injuries in the wild can be deadly serious and exercise makes injuries more likely. And exercising barefoot?

Just sayin. You probably know all that already. Some of the hardcore attitude displayed on the MovNat website moved me to comment, though. Sounded a lot like some of the hardcore attitudes I've been around in other "back to nature" types. "Hardcore" and "wise" are rarely found in the same person. I'd would be cautious until I knew where the theory fell on the hardcore/wise continuum.

edit to clarify: the "hardcore" was in the 3rd party comments, not in the content of the site itself or the athlete it features. The guy is definitely doing some very unsafe stuff BUT he knows what he's doing.

 

[Mojave Jack]

Looking like a successful archaeologist? Archaeologists on a dig wear the same range of things today's outdoorsy types wear. My archaeology professor showed up at the dig in a white linen sport jacket and panama hat - but only on the first day. Once we broke ground he was in jeans and work shirts.

I'd re-iterate a few points made by CLSchaeffer, as well. As a professional archeologist (of twelve years), I can attest to many of these points. Many field archeologists readily answer to the appellation "shovel bum," and many dress the part. Long before I was an archeologist, however, I was a Marine, and the constant harping on looking sharp in professional situations has stuck with me. Even as a grad student, in the field (also in Indiana, incidentally, where we did our field school at Mounds State Park) I have always tried to present a professional appearance, earning me the nickname "Banana Republic archeologist," etc. Once, a camera crew from the local news showed up on our dig site. They came straight to me and began interviewing me about the project, ignoring the dig director in tattered jeans and a worn out Rolling Rock t-shirt, ignored the crew chief , who also looked homeless with duct tape holding the toe of his boot together, and ignored the deputy director, whose project it was, because she looked like a bag lady, too. The staff got seriously angry that the news folks wanted to talk to me. Why did they want to talk to me? Because I looked like what people expect an archeologist to look like, and they took me seriously. I'm not saying an Indiana Jones archeologist, but in khaki and so forth and not looking like I woke up after a bender and came to work. That lesson has stuck with me: If you want to be taken seriously as a professional, there are expectations in dress, manners, and comportment.

The socks, actually, were critical. The right sock makes just about any shoe or boot work.

Absolutely, 100 agree. Remember the quote from Forrest Gump, when Lt Dan told Gump and Blue that he had two standing orders, one of which was "take care of your feet."

Lt. Dan: There is one item of G.I. gear that can be the difference between a live grunt and a dead grunt. Socks. Cushioned sole, O.D. green. Try and keep your feet dry.

Those GI socks, BTW, are wool. Eddie Bauer used to carry thick wool socks that were absolutely the best, and I wore them daily, all year, including summer. I wore thin, polypropylene sock liners under them, and the combination was absolutely magic. I never got blisters, never got foot rot, never had the smelly feet that others got on hot Indiana summer projects. Once, while taking local high school class to Conner Prairie, the others teased me about the museum putting my socks on display when they spotted a pair of homespun wool socks in a case of pioneer clothing! lol S'alright, my feet were cool, dry, and healthy!

You'll find your own style in there somewhere: there is a classic cut of clothing in a natural fabric that you look and feel good in while out and about. Its well worth spending some time experimenting with what works for you and over time you match the things that work in the most situations with the style and cut that you like: voila, your own signature look that is more than just a look.

The most valuable advice at this site! You wouldn't be here at the FL if you weren't interested in a more classic style. The funniest thing I've ever hear was a biologist telling me that she didn't buy clothes for style, but strictly for function, as she sat in her Subaru Outback, in a Ganesha t-shirt, REI pants, and Columbia boonie, looking exactly like 99% of her fellow Humboldt State graduates. Everyone is trying to express themselves in one way or another, either their political or philosophical orientation, or their individuality, or whatever, and either consciously or unconsciously. Some are just afraid to break the mold, and express their conformity by accepting the current standards.

Clothes makes the man

 

[Diamondback]

Well said, Jack. I'm no archaeologist, but just in more conventional travels, I've noticed a world of difference in how I'm treated between "rumpled" and "freshly pressed/tucked-in/polished", even with the same exact wardrobe. The latter goes a long way with airport security... I've even had a couple times over the years where some TSA folks standing around behind the checkpoint offered to help me reassemble my laptop-case, so it DOES pay to look and conduct yourself as "Professional".

 

[John in Covina]

Wool socks are the best for me when it's going to be a long hard day on my feet.

 

[PADDY]

A few of my favourite things...

 

[AndyCapone]

Although, this probably belongs either in the concealed carry thread or on the guns thread, I decided this would be a more appropriate place to post the pictures. I designed a holster bag for my Hi Power Pistol that is intended to look like a camera bag or a binocular case. It can be worn on a regular belt, Sam Browne belt by the suspenders or by a shoulder strap in keeping with the "Period/Sam Browne" theme.
The general idea was to carry openly or rather carry concealed "openly"
My "leather man" stitched it for me and the stitches are neither even nor aligned properly, but this is more of a first attempt.

Regards,
Andy capone

 

[John in Covina]

Nice effort and a neat prototype.

 

[JimWagner]

This was actually a steampunk costume for Dragon*Con this year, but it still might be of interest in this thread.

 

[DUKE NUKEM]

The standard military prismatic compasses are actually fairly easy to find, and don't fetch a huge price. I assume that is due to the fact that every NCO and officer was issued one, so there must be thousands around! Mine is a 1918 version, like this one:

The real problem is that if you're actually going to use them, the older compasses don't have a declination adjustment. For my part of the desert, we have a 13 degree East declination. Not being a math whiz, I always have to stop and think about the declination when using a compass without a declination! For you, Nels, you have about a 15 degree West declination.

For daily carry, I have a small pocket compass with a flip up lid. It's a cheapie knock off of the solid brass WWI issue compasses, but it serves the purpose and I don't worry about losing it.

Still, the issue ones can be found, especially doing a search on eBay for "brass compass." For me the trick is finding one with a nice belt pouch that isn't completely worthless. The compasses survive much better than the pouches!

I like that compass. Added to list!!!