What will you be wearing when the world ends?

I wanted to take a step away from our normal politically driven blog and to touch on something else we here are all very passionate about. Survival. This ties in and is relevant as many think that we will be facing a collapse of some sort that will result in our world ending as we know it, even for a short amount of time, and our need to survive. To this end I want to ask you;

 What will you be wearing when the world ends? (SHTF clothing).

This is a question that I think many of our compatriots take for granted. Based on some of the groups I have met with I began to worry that many have not really taken the time to think about this question before running out to their nearest Army/Navy Surplus and loading up.

1.) What type of environment are you in?

This question is pretty straightforward, and will help determine the base layer of clothing. If you are in the hot and humid areas you may want to stray away from denim as a leg covering. If you are going to be forging streams etc you may want to think about clothing that will dry quickly. Wicking clothes to help keep you warm or cool (wicking will remove moisture from your skin which in the heat will allow it to evaporate quicker providing a cooling, whereas in the cold it will keep the sweat from making you cold).

2.) Where are you going to be traveling through?

This is one of those things that Americans often overlook when planning a wardrobe through other countries that ultimately may lead to making themselves into targets. But even further is this marks you as an outsider even inside our country, the Brazilian cowboy hat may not garner a second glance if you are moving through the desert southwest, but it may get more than a couple double looks if you were moving through Gary, IN. Think about the route you are going to be taking and the types of people that you may encounter. Nondescript clothing may serve your needs better if you are trying to move unmolested.

3.) Is military surplus the best?

Difficult question to answer. Yes, mil surplus gear is both rugged and is suitable for most types of environment that you will encounter, but in a SHTF scenario we may be looking at military and/or police in military uniforms moving about to try and restore order, or impose a martial law on the area you are in or traveling through. Do you want to be seen as a possible deserter? Or be stopped for looking like a militant? Even if your end goal is to dissent against a police state, the ability to blend in will make your actions much more effective and make sure you last a little bit longer.

As an extension, a lot of us in the community have fallen on the habit of using military style bags, they are rugged and large and fit our needs. Recently I have been converting my bags all over to civilian hiking bags after I was approached on numerous hikes by people thinking I was Border Patrol (wearing tan pants and green shirt with military style day pack).

Johnny Cochran. Photo: MATTHEW RAINWATERS

Smelly Old Hiker via summit org

We all need to be conscious of where we are and what we look like. If you dress up like Rambo, then do not be surprised when people react like Sheriff Teasle.