The Adventurer's Gear Thread

[scotrace]

Hypervent....

Must find... paper bag....

 

[BellyTank]

Thanks for the compliment, Puffy Dad.

Must find... paper bag....

I have a great paper bag from a Royal Geographical Society 1929 Libyan Desert topo mission,
with which your hue of complexion would be perfectly matched.
(was that Churchill, or Yoda)

Kinda greenish...

B
T

 

[Speedster]

"That Pink shirt" is yet another repro- this time, from a German vendor.
It's an interpretation of a Luftwaffe tropical shirt- and it's the nicest example I've seen, with the best styling and detailing. Nice pointy collar, brown metal buttons and the cloth is like... coton/linen/homespun style. After seeing so-so many so-so copies with the vintage styling totally lost on 21st C boys, I pulled the proverbial on this one...

It does actually have a pink-ish hue about it- which is good too.

Thanks
B
K,

B
T

That German vendor...can you reveal a link to him?

 

[cookie]

Sahariana

Sorry-
exactly what's a poor relation..? belt..? referring to my one, or your one..?

Please clarify-

B
T

Sorry BT I did not mean to be perjorative by that old boy ...I meant my template jacket had a more substantial wider belt with a bigger buckle and widish eyelets (in the UK tropical style) that gave it a better look in that area IMHO. By the way is that a belt back safari jacket I see before me in photo 1?. Any chance of some more pix of that back and front?

 

[BellyTank]

Sorry BT I did not mean to be perjorative by that I meant my template jacket had a more substantial wider belt with a bigger buckle and widish eyelets that gave it a better look in that area IMHO.

No problemo at all-o.

Was just wondering specifically what.
You're a meany- calling a piece of (a piece of)vintage clothing a poor relation to a modern confection though...
You hurt my Saharianas feelings...

Take care-

B
T

 

[Feraud]

That is some fine gear BT! Makes me want to hunt tiger.

 

[Nick Charles]

Tank you are the man, great stuff.:eusa_clap

 

[BellyTank]

Thanks a bunch Feraud and Nick-

If I was The Man, then I would want you two as chief minnions.

Alas, I am just A man.

But I think I have my moments- like we all do.

But this is the stuff I love- is it showing..?

So we'll just have to be good friends.

B
T

 

[Alan Eardley]

This is very, very cool BT. The Sahariana, isn't that the Italian M40 Tropical jacket?

Lovely jacket. It's the same basic style as an M40 but it's a nicer jacket than the examples I have seen. The M40 has fewer front buttons (three if my memory serves me) and they are larger and made from wood (!)

A guy named Keith in Hong Kong makes reasonable M40 reproductions (also the collarless version), and the breeches to go with them.

SoF has Afrika Korps 'pink' shirts and trousers as well as the cap.

BT, have you thought about DAK sand goggles (also from SoF)?

Alan

 

[BellyTank]

Hi Alan-

we(me and someone else...) were just discussing the HK Saharianas in another thread- here:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?p=297215&posted=1#post297215

I know "Keith" and his wares, as do a few other FLoungers.

I have another pair (maybe 2)of goggles on the way to me-
proper ones, made from leather and glass.

The wartime Saharianas seem to be all over the place re: details- officialyl and privately tailored examples, etc. and of course there were shirt-style and jacket styles, which confuses the issue further. I'm ignoring the German versions here.

There are some basic æsthetics which make a Sahariana look like a Sahariana- or not the button relationship, the curve in the yoke scalloping- collar shapes- some examples look nicer than others. For example- if the breast pocket buttons line up horizontally with a "front" button, it looks far better than not lining up. Small details- interesting to me...

Alan- Saharianas did seem to traditionally have fruitwood buttons but plastic seems quite common.

I like 'em.

B
T

 

[Alan Eardley]

Saharianas

Hi Alan-

we(me and someone else...) were just discussing the HK Saharianas in another thread- here:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?p=297215&posted=1#post297215

I know "Keith" and his wares, as do a few other FLoungers.

B
T

Followed the link - I agree with your conclusions.

Originals are obtainable and IMO are preferable for a number of reasons, as you say.

Alan

 

[Mojave Jack]

Great galloping gorillas!! So many questions, BT, where to start? OK, the simple one first: which rucksack is that? And where can I get one, of course?

Second, those sunglasses! Awesome! Details?

And those canvas leggings! I've been searching for a servicable pair of those for years. Please tell me you found them in a little shop you know of, and there are many more pairs there for your friends. lol Those and the similarly styled canvas/leather riding boots.

I like your custom safari hat a lot. In fact, my Akubra is a similar color, and I don't really like the issue pug with it either. The shades are not complimentary, and I've been trying to decide what color is should be. If not the cheetah skin, perhaps a forest or slightly darker than sage green?

Cookie, please post pics of your Sahariana , too.

 

[Nick Charles]

speaking of rucks I saw this in the Bass pro catalog the other day

The bob timber lake rucksack $159.

 

[BellyTank]

Rucksacks!!!

OK- here's a sampling- there are more, I'm sure but well buried-

Mojavejack- this is the one you were asking about- it's modern but vintage accurate- see the Rucksack thread- mentioned below for details-


See the new thread- "Show us your Vintage Rucksacks!"
Here: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?p=298112#post298112

B
T

 

[BellyTank]

Great galloping gorillas!! So many questions, BT, where to start? OK, the simple one first: which rucksack is that? And where can I get one, of course?

Second, those sunglasses! Awesome! Details?

And those canvas leggings! I've been searching for a servicable pair of those for years. Please tell me you found them in a little shop you know of, and there are many more pairs there for your friends. lol Those and the similarly styled canvas/leather riding boots.

I like your custom safari hat a lot. In fact, my Akubra is a similar color, and I don't really like the issue pug with it either. The shades are not complimentary, and I've been trying to decide what color is should be. If not the cheetah skin, perhaps a forest or slightly darker than sage green?

Mojavejack- see the Rucksack thread for the Rucksack details-

The sunglasses are early RAF sunglasses with leather side blinkers.
The canvas leggings were from eBay of course- $10.

The Safari hat(not a very flattering photo) is still very much a work in progress. It is actually an Old West style hat, which had a 7" open crown. It's a nice heavy hat, which is what I needed. The tall crown provides much room for styling. The colour is spot-on for my particular vintage safari ?¶sthetic.
I think I prefer a lighter, rather than darker Pug- the Cheetah skin might just be the classic look though- what better than Cheetah skin..?

Thanks for your positive comments!

B
T

 

[BellyTank]

More Khaki! Packing the gear for Cairo...

This is the Summer, 1934 Collection from the House of BT.

Some more Khaki (and friendly...)items, some of which, you guys may or may not have seen before...

I have collected and manufactured an eclectic assortment of British Empire, Italian, German and French Imperial tropical clothing and gear, suitable for my continued outings into the Libyan Desert....
...the period encompassed is mid '20s to mid '40s.

I'd like to think that the 1920's/'30s Desert Explorer would use Military Surplus clothing and gear, blended with his/her own items, in order to have a practically proven, yet personalised collection- so- such an individual would conceivably be in possession of items dating from the late 19thC, through to the '20s/'30s.
That is my ethic, æsthetic and timeline brief- I believe it makes some sense.

Here are a few more ensembles and close-ups of clothing and prop gear.
God bless the digital camera!!!

This group includes a "home made" unlined/non-interlined(totally natural), Khaki drill 3 button jacket, in a "sporty", practical, launder-able cut, with '20s style, cloverleaf collar, reverse pleat breast pockets, welt buttonholes and high-set, muti-pleat belted back/open pleat skirt. The trousers are WW1 pattern German "fatigues" in a broad, crisp herringbone twill, vaguely over-dyed(from white) in khaki, with a rear cinch-belt and used here with Boer War era, non-elastic braces and same era, canvas twill "snake clasp" belt- this belt is a narrower variant, which works with trousers. The hat is nice a white fur felt of undetermined age.

This shot shows detail of the back of the 3 button jacket and HBT trousers.

Sahariana contrived Bush Shirt(a shirt with skirt pockets), which looks great worn without anything beneath and the sleeves rolled up. WW1 Bedford Cord Breeches, broad Boer War waist belt, French water bottle, Enfield Shoulder Bandolier, Paddock Boots with Canvas leggings, and another style of Topee.

French Colonial khaki jacket with multi-pleated belted back and brass buttons. The front-most trousers are the matching pair- the middle pair, I had made, with wide legs and a fishtail cinch-back.

The 3 button jacket, as in the first pic- showing some detail and the "home made" trousers mentioned in the previous pic.

Late War British Khaki Bush Shirt(which the Sahariana styled one was modelled after) and British "Smocks, Drab" in a very faded khaki drill.
These were apparently used by the LRDG in the their desert campaigns.

I hope these long, rambling posts tickle the imagination and highlight the joy and of eclectic collections of "stuff" in assembling a slap-dash, yet practical and period-correct "Vintage Explorer" type impression.
I hope I am as thorough as I think I am- time, family duties and funds allowing.
This is one of the true joys of my life.

What you can get, you get- what you can't, you need to make.


B
T

 

[Speedster]

I'm speechless. Amazing stuff. WOW:eusa_clap :eusa_clap The new King of Khaki.

 

[BellyTank]

But Wait... there's more...

For the Commonwealth Commando on Crete...

Aertex shirt, khaki trou, Smocks Drab, Caps Comforter, RAF sunglasses, mountain cap(my size), Airborne model water bottle and German tropical model.



B
T

 

[BellyTank]

And for a slightly less military look...

Luftwaffe shirt, leather waistcoat, floppy khaki hat and more khaki trousers.

B
T

 

[Speedster]

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Are these trousers modelled on the C.O.W.S. trousers??