It is difficult to imagine that a modern soldier would make his way through a snow-covered forest in a heavy greatcoat and stiff boots, and in the rain he would flee from moisture under a bulky raincoat-tent. The soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were dressed that way 20 years ago.
A short jacket was an unaffordable luxury available only to representatives of certain elite military specialties. This clothing can be called comfortable with a stretch, because it was based on a batting material that does not meet modern requirements for thermal conductivity and ergonomics. The jackets were heavy, but the length still allowed for free maneuvering.
The "pilot" type jackets with a fur collar were honored; they were issued exclusively to technical aviation personnel. They were warm, but uncomfortable, completed with wadded or fur trousers, which the military aptly called "romper".
Winter kits were inherited from the USSR army. They consisted of padded trousers and a jacket with a faux fur collar. The kits were given to the personnel for the duration of the hostilities. Batting filler, as you know, is very heavy, when it gets wet it stops heating. To prevent the soldier from getting wet, he was entitled to a raincoat, the officers received ordinary raincoats.
Wadded trousers are not the most comfortable clothing for training or military operations: they make it difficult to move, and when wet, they weigh even more. The fabric from which the trousers were made is fragile, easily torn, wiped. But at that time, such a suit was a good alternative to a rigid overcoat, which did not even allow one to raise a hand high.
It should be noted that over the past fifteen years, the winter clothing of the Ukrainian military has changed significantly. Camouflage “Dubok” appeared, a knitted collar was attached to the jacket, and a hood was added. Manufacturers have provided a removable batting lining. The functionality and appearance have become a little more decent, but the convenience, thermal conductivity and ergonomics of the insulated kit remained at a low level.
The cardinal re-equipment of the Ukrainian army began in 2014.
For the first time in the history of the Ukrainian army, a set of clothes became roughly similar to a modern uniform. The idea of layered clothing for winter is not new, but it turned out to be a breakthrough for the Ukrainian army. The whole world has long been dressing its soldiers according to this principle. If the fighter is hot, he removes the layer, cold - puts on another one under his outerwear.
The set "Dubok" was tested in the field, as a result, significant flaws and shortcomings were revealed, which affected the functional qualities of the product.
Military uniforms should be strong, durable and cheap, but the suit was absolutely impractical to wear in combat conditions: it melted easily, torn, quickly got wet and did not dry well. The natural moisture of the human body was not discharged outside, as it should be, but accumulated under clothing, which could lead to hypothermia.
An impractical and expensive winter kit was never put into mass production. This is what happens when specialists in the production of civilian clothes take on the development of military uniforms.
In 2015, a multi-layer kit was developed, which AVTONOM-CLUB specialists tested in conditions close to combat.
The set consists of 6 independent layers that can be easily combined depending on the weather conditions (some elements have already been written about earlier).
The tests also involved: gloves, a scarf, a winter fleece hat.
Thermal underwear VSU
Thermal underwear is designed to be worn in a cold period of time, and is included in the APU winter clothing set. Testing took place on the basis of the Expert Testing Center in Nikolaev. The center's specialists tested it in the field, and in an environment as close as possible to real combat operations.
The set consists of a long-sleeved T-shirt and pants. Fabric from which the linen is made: jersey and polyester; colored in a uniform, dark green color. According to experts, the composition of the fabric helps to actively remove moisture from the body and helps to effectively retain heat. The seams were stitched with high quality, the experts did not notice any defects in sewing.
The testers noted that the sweatshirt is tailored in a classic cut with stitched sleeves.
The front of the jersey is clearly defined, experts find it uncomfortable when a soldier is dressing while being alerted in low light conditions.
The underpants are also made in a classic style: two parts, stitched with simple seams. In the belt there is an elastic band in the form of a tape two centimeters wide. The fly is not provided.
Thermal underwear weighs a little more than 500 grams.
The thermal underwear test began with a fitting. Experts from the Center for Expert Testing noted that the suit fits the body well. Flat seams are on the outside to avoid chafing. The first fitting did not bring any particular inconvenience, except for the moment of searching for the back and front parts of the jacket.
The experts noted that the underwear does not "crawl", does not restrict movement; the sweatshirt covers the lower back, but the sleeves are not long enough to warm the hands.
In 10-15 minutes after putting on thermal underwear, light tingling sensations went through the body, which became an unpleasant surprise. Subsequently, it turned out that the feeling of discomfort increased during active tests. The reason, according to experts, lies in the fact that there are a lot of synthetic fibers in the fabric.
The test took place in different temperature ranges. In the warm season, 8-12 degrees, in autumn and winter 0 - minus 20.
The experts noted that while the testers were moving slowly, without load, the thermal underwear did not cause discomfort and complaints, but as soon as they switched to active physical exercises, all the disadvantages of the set immediately became visible.
With high physical exertion and active sweating, thermal underwear did not dissipate moisture well, the body became wet and sticky.
At a temperature of minus ten, freezing began after 10 minutes of active movement in the open air. According to experts, such a rapid cooling will lead to the fact that the soldier will quickly stiffen and lose combat effectiveness.
Experts have found that the kit dries quickly enough without additional heating. The AUTONOM-CLUB testers drew attention to the fact that the suit is easy to wash, and after washing it retains its shape, does not deform. The fabric is durable, easy to stretch, but you should choose a set according to individual measurements.
Warm winter suit APU
The insulated suit is designed to be worn in the winter season.
The suit consists of trousers, a jacket with a hood, insulation for the top and bottom of the set.
Winter jacket with wind and moisture protection, made in a traditional raglan cut, with a stand-up collar on a fleece base.
Fastens with a "snake" with two sliders. For ease of opening, a braid is attached to the clasps, which makes it easy to open and close the zipper.
An external Velcro flap additionally protects the zipper from moisture ingress.
There are special drawstrings in the waist area that allow you to adjust the width of the wind jacket.
The windbreaker has two types of pockets - inner and side, they are closed with a zipper.
Sleeves have hidden compartments and special pads to protect the elbows. From below, the sleeve is secured with a valve.
One-piece hood with soft visor. The size of the hood is regulated by two elastic laces equipped with locking locks.
The lining of the jacket is made of olive-colored nylon. The outer fabric contains 53% cotton and 47% polyester. Inside the jacket is an information label containing the product name, country of origin, NATO size and other important information. Including with recommendations for the care of clothes.
It is allowed to wash the kit by hand or in a typewriter, the temperature should not exceed 40 degrees. Ironing is possible, but from the inside, without steaming. It is forbidden to bleach, drying in the machine is prohibited, it is better to ventilate the set outdoors, turning it seamy side up so that the pattern does not fade.
Insulation for the upper part of the set is equipped with a knitted collar with a zipper, the bottom is fixed with a cord. Inside on the left is a closed pocket. Deep, closing pockets are provided at the bottom. The bottom of the sleeve is pulled together with an elastic band.
The trousers of the set are fastened with a zipper and two "Canadian" buttons. On the belt of the trousers there are tightening tapes; six slots for a belt. Classic cut-in pockets on the side of the trousers. On the right, a small pocket for a background radiation meter. Hip pockets - patch, pulled together with a ribbon. Fastened with a flap with 2 buttons.
On the knees and on the back there are pads for additional protection. The bottom of the leg is equipped with elastic ties. Split bottom, zip and Velcro closure. This allows the trousers to be worn directly in the boots. A special hook at the bottom of the leg is attached to the lacing of the shoe.
The trouser seal is held by a drawstring waistband with elastic band. The pants are fastened with buttons and a zipper. There are slits at the bottom - this allows you to put on trousers without removing your boots. The cuts are secured with a two-way zipper.
During the test, the experts found out that in moderately cool calm weather the kit is ideal for autonomous wearing and in these conditions, in their opinion, the suit coped with the task.
The hood completely covered the helmet, and was pulled together in two directions, the pockets are ergonomically located, they are easy to use.
According to experts, winter equipment reliably shelters the subject from wind and cold.
The set is convenient to move around, even with a large amount of equipment. The product did not raise any complaints about low functionality or ergonomics.
The fabric from which the set is sewn is assessed as practical. The sound produced by the suit while moving is average.
The masking properties of the pattern were not taken into account, as this requires additional special tests.
Having tested thermal underwear and a winter insulated suit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the researchers came to the conclusion that things generally correspond to the declared functionality, but require a number of improvements and improvements. So, for example, in their opinion, thermal underwear needs a jacket without a pronounced front and back sides, with longer sleeves with a slot for thumbs on the cuffs.
A winter suit requires even more improvements: first of all, the use of high-quality fabric, a set of suspenders for trousers, additional loops for zippers, for the convenience of fastening them with gloves, etc.
Thus, according to the experts of the Center for Expert Testing, if the products are finalized, then they will fully meet the requirements for clothing for the military today.
