more questions, rain gear, spats, jackets......

[willysjeep 10]

I've got a few more old gear questions for you all.

 

1) before the red vinyl rain ponchos what was the "official" rain gear? I can't seem to really find pictures or info at all.

 

2) before the red wool jackets did the BSA have anything in the way of an official jacket? I know the really early scout uniforms consisted of like a canvas jacket type shirt. Did they offer anything other than the red woolrich back in the day?

 

3) When did the BSA get rid of canvas spats (leggings) in the uniform?

 

 

[VentureScoutNY 10]

 

1) I have a dark green poncho with BSA buttons on it from my Father who was a Boy Scout in the Early 60's. So I know that Boy Scouts did have an option to wear this poncho in the early 60's. I'm curious why/when they changed the dark green poncho.

 

2) ? No idea

 

3)I am not sure of when the BSA discontinued leggings or spats. It may have been during the same time they changed the red piping on the pockets of the pants. And also maybe around the time the field hat (overseas hat) became phased out? These are just gueses though, we will have to wait for the experts for truth. I think they should bring them back! Charcole grey for Ventureres... I'm dreaming I know...

 

Heres a interesting Link about the Uniform over the years.

 

http://www.madetomeasuremag.com/features/pre2003/968691718.html

[Cutter 10]

I had one of those dard green ponchos when I was a scout in the 60's. They did not hold up very well and were heavy. Mine eventually tore. I used it on a couple of Philmont trips though. I retired it for a lighter nylon Poncho.

 

I also had one of those Jac-Shirts for awhile but they also made a red cloth jacket that was popular.

 

The leggings/spats were still available when I started scouts and my handbook had a picture of a scout with them on. I think some troops must have used them. I think when they redisgned the uniform they were eliminated about that time but I don't know for sure.

 

[willysjeep 10]

I found out more on my own. I just got a 1911 handbook reprint that advises scouts to buy their ponchos and some other equipment locally. It also shows a canvas five button "doughboy" coat and mentions a neckerchief as sort of an afterthought.

 

I found out from this site http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0210/d-wwas.html

that after the BSA officially adopted the neckerchief they got rid of the five button coat and replaced it with a four button canvas coat with a roll collar. This supposedly stayed in service until the post WWII uniform changes. Also, breeches were phased out for trousers at that point and the overseas cap was introduced.

 

Originally the breeches and knickerboickers (baggier than breeches) were made to be worn with canvas leggings. Apparently they were less preferable to knee socks and sort of dissappeared until the shorter leggings came about after WWII.

 

 

I have not yet found any reference to an official poncho made from anything but vinyl. I'm thinking sort of a canvas poncho/ground cloth, just a simple rectangle with a head slit, would look pretty period appropriate for anything before the 60's.

 

 

[mikeb 10]

1) before the red vinyl rain ponchos what was the "official" rain gear? I can't seem to really find pictures or info at all.

 

I used a green vinyl official BSA poncho in the 70's, but I suspect you're looking for something "pre-plastic." I'm guessing you may have to go back to the 30's/40's for that type of thing.

 

2) before the red wool jackets did the BSA have anything in the way of an official jacket? I know the really early scout uniforms consisted of like a canvas jacket type shirt. Did they offer anything other than the red woolrich back in the day?

 

If you monitor eBay as I do you'll find a wide variety of jackets that were used. There probably were several varieties available at any time in the BSA's history.

 

3) When did the BSA get rid of canvas spats (leggings) in the uniform?

 

I'd agree with other posters that leggings were dropped in the 60's.

 

Having an older brother who was "equipped" near the end of the classic canvas years I fell victim to many canvas hand-me-downs. I was never so happy as the occasions when I was able to persuade my father to replace one of those embarassing pieces with newer nylon equipment. Now the stuff is coming back as classics, and seeing it used again puts a smile on my face. Who knows, maybe I'll drag the old stuff out again myself.

[Kahuna 172]

Aloha,

 

I can partly address question 2. In the 50's and 60's there was a zippered windbreaker jacket with a BSA oval patch on the left breast. I think it was red and seem to recall it overlapped the time of the wool jacket by some years.

 

I also agree the spats disappeared sometime in the 60's and would guess before 1965.

[Cutter 10]

When I was a scout in the 60's, they had the jac-shirt and a red poplin jacket that were official. The jacket was (in my opinion) more practical than the jack-shirt. I am on my second jac-shirt. The first one I got after going to Philmont and I had the Bull, OA back patch and Region 7 Canoe Base patches on it. It came with an Explorer patch for the pocket not a BSA patch. The current one if void of any patches but I may put the Bull on it at some point.

 

I also had an official poncho that I took to Philmont but I think I got it before I went. It was dark green rubberized cloth as I recall. It was heavy and did not hold up too well. It tore along the seam where the snaps were, I think. I used it for several years. I think they had a cheaper plastic one too.

 

On the spats issue, I remember them in the catalog and you would sometimes see scouts with them on particularly at flag ceremonies. My first handbook had a picture of a scout wearing them. But, I think they were gone by 1970. So, sometime between 64 and 70 would be my guess. Maybe when the eliminated the button side pockets?

 

I don't use much of my origional scout stuff but here are a few that I still have and use on occassion, Yucca Pack (carry fly fishing gear in it), No. 573 Haversack (carry scout stuff for meetings), Ulster BSA knife that I carry on scouting outings and Overnighter tent (this one is pristine and only camped in a couple times as nylon came in a short time later and it was really too small to use on anything but backpacking and does not have mosquito netting.

 

Cutter

[Trevorum 24]

I had a new pair of olive spats when I was Tenderfoot (1965) but don't remember wearing them past ca. 1967.