Earlier this year we looked at the Royal Navy’s foul weather jacket here. This jacket is commonly issued to all sailors as a protective layer for inclement weather. Far less frequently seen is the accompanying pair of Gore-tex foul weather trousers and it is these that are the subject of the blog tonight:
These trousers are made of moisture vapour permeable of MVP fabric that keeps the larger drops of rain water out, but allows moisture from perspiration to escape from the inside. All the seams of these garments have been taped to prevent water from entering here:
These trousers are designed to be worn over the standard uniform, so the pockets are merely openings, secured with Velcro, that allow access to the uniform pockets beneath:
As it is probable that these trousers will get saturated, a loop is provided at the back of the waist so that they can be hung up to dry:
They are fastened with a zip fly and Velcro tab and a drawstring allows a degree of size adjustment:
As it is likely that these trousers will be put on and taken off whilst the sailor is still wearing his boots, the bottom of each leg has a zip and a Velcro tab allowing them to be opened right up to make donning and removing them easier:
A standard label is sewn into the inside of the trousers with sizing and care instructions. The size of these trousers is small, however they are very generously cut to fit over uniform, so will fit someone who is normally a larger size:
As best as I can work out, foul weather coats are on general issue to all Royal Navy personnel either on land or sea, whilst the trousers are just issued to those aboard ship. This make sense when one considers how rough it can get at sea and that crew still need to perform duties outside in any weather:
