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performance sportswear student in need of help

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carlwilliams 04 Dec 2011
Hi everyone im in need of some help at present i am studying in falmouth in cornwall and im doing a project on mountain rescue in which i have to to come up with a design and make a outfit ie jacket ,i understand what is on the market but what i would like to ask everyone on this forum is what do you need within a MRT jacket ,whats missing ,what would be better ,what would work and benefit you when out in the extreme weather cuffs hoods and so on .

please get back to me with any information you feel may help

many thanks carl williams

email trainspotters1@hotmail.com
 Paul at work 04 Dec 2011
In reply to carlwilliams:

Would it not be better to contact MR teams direct?
Dan Walker 04 Dec 2011
In reply to carlwilliams:
*pocket big enough to take a radio
*drain hole to let water out of pockets
*wired hood to fit comfortably over helmet
*long enough to stay tucked into harness when reaching above head
*no lining/mesh
*fairly tough material
*reflective tape (looks a bit stupid but works well...)
*zips & cuffs that can be adjusted with gloves on

These'd be my personal preferences anyway...
Hope that helps a bit.
Dan
 jadias 04 Dec 2011
In reply to Dan Walker:

More or less the ME Kongur MRT then!
 MarshF 11 Dec 2011
In reply to carlwilliams:

Look at some of the things made by the north face in the mid 90's ie Search & Rescue Mountain Patrol series, RTG series and of course, THE ultimate piece of gear, the heli vest. Tons of pockets, ability to strap ski to your back and an internal hydration system. If these garments were not all hundreds of pounds, made of 15 year old goretex and exceedingly rare they would be the first choice for 'professional' mountain users.
 GarethSL 11 Dec 2011
In reply to carlwilliams:

My list of design features, pattern etc would include:

- Adjustable waist and hem.

- Close fit but stretchy neoprene cuffs, like a drysuit. I imagine MRT's need to take their gloves on and off repetitively during rescues , I find Velcro closures on jackets kind of annoying plus this would be an essentially watertight sleeve.

- Pit zips, waterproof, e.g. RIRI aquazips or YKK aquaseal.

- Waterproof front zip again RIRI or YKK aquaseal.

- 3 way adjustable, helmet compatible hood with stiff peak and flexible wire.

- Two hand pockets with waterproof zips.

- Two front pockets capable of fitting a folded map.

- Tabs on shoulders for attaching radio microphones.

- Super tough face fabric for all parts of the pattern except under the armpits where a lighter more breathable face fabric could be used.

- Reflective patterning for visibility.

- Tight, double stitched seams with high stitch count (22spi Minimum!) and thick seam tape.

- Constructed using as few panels as possible, but with raglan sleeves, gusseted underarms and deeply articulated elbows.

- Finally and most importantly... Use military sizing in centimetres, based on height and width...

i.e. allow the jacket to be available in short regular and long sizes. Far too few jackets are available with these sizes, yet it allows perfect customisation tailored to individual preference and builds with heights available in 10cm increments from for example 160-190 and chests available in 4cm increments from say, 80-120. With any combination of chest and height being available. It also eliminates the need for female sized cuts.
 Pinkney 11 Dec 2011
In reply to Hvit ut:
i have to agree about getting away from velcro cuffs as velcro just doesnt work when iced up, but i wouldnt go for neoprene as you then couldnt do it up over your gloves. i'd instead opt for a bungee/toggle option- quick, easy and reliable.
as for military sizing, its a good idea but in practice... well almost none of my issue kit is what i'd call a good fit
 GarethSL 11 Dec 2011
In reply to Pinkney:
> (In reply to Hvit ut)
> i have to agree about getting away from velcro cuffs as velcro just doesnt work when iced up.

Klattermusen tried to solve that problem with a webbing adjuster... Turned out to be the crappiest piece of shit design ever made imo.

> but i wouldnt go for neoprene as you then couldnt do it up over your gloves.

I guess its personal preference with that one, I tend to do my gloves up over my sleeves, but with shortie gloves I can see the problem, unless it was really stretchy.

> i'd instead opt for a bungee/toggle option- quick, easy and reliable.

Klattermusen also do that for their lightweight jackets... even worse than the webbing idea.


> as for military sizing, its a good idea but in practice... well almost none of my issue kit is what i'd call a good fit

I can imagine and the 95 stuff we used to get really was cut like a bin bag, I guess a more athletic profile for the shoulders and sleeves would help, but that comes from the patterning. The idea was to make the fit and sizing completley customisable for the end user, rather than unfortunate, odd sized people being stuck with jackets that have a poor fit due to not being slim, wide, short or long enough.

 Pinkney 11 Dec 2011
In reply to Hvit ut:
To be honest you may be right with military kit, but you can see how the sizing options may not work as well in the market- as the shops would have to stock so much more.
What was the problem with bungeed cuffs? Just had a quick look at Klattermusen and they didn't seem awful in the photos- the system works well on the cuffs of various gloves so I can't see how it would be any different to use the same design on a coat. The only disadvantage I can think of is the possibility of having a two or three inches of loose bungee flapping
 alasdair19 11 Dec 2011
In reply to carlwilliams: have a look at the ME focused jacket they know a lot also the marmot glenmore.

I'd focus on trousers because the big brands don't! cargo style salopettes, really beefy internal gaiters, clever stretchy top bit, think of a clever way to make them fit most people with varying back to leg ratios.

if your thinking outfit then consider how the gloves work/link with the jacket sleeves.

the hi vis patches are good.

what really matters is fabric though, if I was buying, durability and price are v serious concerns. manufacturers selling at cost is still 4-500 a man per outfit if your going for top spec fabrics.
carlwilliams 15 Dec 2011
In reply to Paul at work:

hi yes i have and they have been very helpful .
carlwilliams 15 Dec 2011
In reply to marshc:

Thanks alot for taking time out to help out i shall check them out
carlwilliams 15 Dec 2011
In reply to Hvit ut:

Hi thanks for replying

you sound like you no you stuff on this one and been a pleasure to read .

Do you feel with the cuffs that having a sailing type stretch over cuff with snow skirt, then the jacket cuff over the lot giving you maximum warmth from extreme weathers seeing as the more your wrists are exposed to bad weather the quicker you become cold .
this would allow you to still have room for gloves while maintaining the warmth in ,,velcro top strapped gloves .

i feel that the more warmth thats kept in the jacket the longer it will give you to stay out in the bad weather which would enable to save life's .

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