View Full Version : Field Liners
aaroniguana
03-01-2008, 09:27
I posted my gear list the other night, it was repeatedly suggested that I replace my fleece pants with military field pant liners. So I dug my old A3 bag out of the back of the closet and lo and behold I not only have a pair of pant liners, I also have an old field jacket liner. Got me to thinking...
What if I replaced the buttons on the pants with velcro tabs, put velcro tabs instead of a zipper on the jacket liner to make it a "zip-up" and made it possible to button the bottoms to the top? Making it an insulated suit of sorts to wear under my Marmot Precip or alone in camp. Together the tops and bottoms weigh .2 ounces more than just my generic thrift shop fleece top, never mind the fleece pants. The only worry would be the OD color and the wayward hunter. I can sew big orange ripstop nylon Xs on it, heh.
Thoughts?
toddhiker
03-01-2008, 09:45
Sounds good to me.
What does each piece weigh?
Thanks
Dirtygaiters
03-01-2008, 17:06
Just don't sew big orange concentric circles on it and you should be able to avoid being shot. I'm also curious what these pieces weigh. I checked around for these after reading those posts and saw a couple on ebay, with close up photos. It looks like they are made of 1.1 ripstop and some sort of synthetic insulation. Could be very interesting if they are 10 ounces or less and actually are warmer than fleece, since they seem to sell for $10 at most...especially considering that the comparable products by Montbell, Patagonia, and Integral Designs all cost $100+.
my medium field jacket liner is 12.2 oz.
aaroniguana
03-01-2008, 20:20
12 oz for the jacket and 9 for the pants. That's before modifications, but removing about 10 buttons and add a few velcro tabs, so call it 22 ounces for a solid and proven layer of insulation. Under $15 for anyone (that's eBay prices). I may have hit upon something.
I won't be hiking for another three months, so somebody try it out and let me know.
Dirtygaiters
03-01-2008, 20:34
12 oz for the jacket and 9 for the pants. That's before modifications, but removing about 10 buttons and add a few velcro tabs, so call it 22 ounces for a solid and proven layer of insulation. Under $15 for anyone (that's eBay prices). I may have hit upon something.
I won't be hiking for another three months, so somebody try it out and let me know.
9 ounces ain't bad. My fleece long underwear weigh about 8 ounces. OTOH, the Patagonia Micropuff pants weigh 15 ounces (though they use Climashield now so the Micropuffs are probably warm as ****).
I'm getting some field liners. This is looking very appealing. I'll post a quikc summary when I get a chance to test then out.
Tipi Walter
03-01-2008, 20:37
I've used both the bottoms and the tops for years, both on backpacking trips and at the tipi. Why? Cuz I could get them cheap and with a little adjustment they worked pretty good by themselves.
The pants of course are too short just by themselves but under rainpants they work well. For the top I added two GI buttons and presto! Had a fleece top. The first pictorial shows Little Mitten with a pair of the pants, the other show yours truly Uncle Fungus wearing his standard load.:)
The pants of course are too short just by themselves but under rainpants they work well.
Yeah, I didn't realize they were so short. When I ordered mine however, I received an email from the surplus store telling me that they were out of regular length, but that they were actually only calf length. They asked if they could send me the long (which were in stock), and said I would probably be happy since they would be ankle length. They said many people choose the long for this reason.
aaroniguana
03-01-2008, 22:31
I've used both the bottoms and the tops for years, both on backpacking trips and at the tipi. Why? Cuz I could get them cheap and with a little adjustment they worked pretty good by themselves.
I should have known that any idea I might have had was old hat ;)
at least Iknow they'll work as a mid layer.
Dirtygaiters
03-04-2008, 02:20
I just got a pair and I'm not really sure I like them. They're size large. They weigh about 9.8 ounces and they stuff to a size perhaps 40-50% larger than my 8 ounce fleece pants. I'm pretty sure they'd be warmer, but then again, they only come down to my ankles. Hmm, I'm going to have to do some field testing on these...
Dirtygaiters
03-04-2008, 03:24
Actually, scratch that. I did a test out in 25 degree weather and found the field liners to be so much warmer. I could bring a 3.5 ounce pair of silk long underwear to layer under my 8 ounce fleece pants (total weight more than the field liners) and still be much colder than the field liners, worn over my hiking pants and under my rain pants. The field liners are much warmer for their weight than fleece.
http://www.rddusa.com/U-S-G-I-M-65-Pants-Liner-Military-Army-Liners-Army-Clothing-Military-Surplus-Military-Gear-Camouflage-Clothing-Army-Navy-Surplus-Vintage-Urban-Wear-Out-Wear-Us-Gi.html
...$3.50 a pair.
Dirtygaiters
03-04-2008, 16:17
http://www.rddusa.com/U-S-G-I-M-65-Pants-Liner-Military-Army-Liners-Army-Clothing-Military-Surplus-Military-Gear-Camouflage-Clothing-Army-Navy-Surplus-Vintage-Urban-Wear-Out-Wear-Us-Gi.html
...$3.50 a pair.
But $8.98 for shipping. It looks like these run for about $10 on ebay. I haven't found any in the local surplus stores, though, so I wonder how much they cost if purchased locally.
But $8.98 for shipping. It looks like these run for about $10 on ebay. I haven't found any in the local surplus stores, though, so I wonder how much they cost if purchased locally.
Not sure, but I just ordered a pair off ebay, $3-and change plus shipping brought it up to $9. Less than I pay for a pair of jeans, that's for sure.:eek: