Month: December 2016

Christmas money can be spent any way you want. I was at a tattoo shop today and the line to get in was nearly around the block. Everyone I talked to was there to blow there holiday cash. Wouldn't be my choice to spend my hardly earned xmas money, but to each their own. I prefer to spend mine on something a little more useful, though hardly any more practical. WWII reenacting gear. Naturally Man The Line is my go to source for everything O.D., and although I'm naturally biased, I feel it's appropriate to pitch a few of my most wanted items. So, here are my top three Man The Line items to spend your Christmas money on.  

1. Paratrooper Leather Jump Gloves

Being primarily an airborne reenactor, these are the first item on my list. I've seen all manor of leather gloves being used by reenactors as "jump gloves" but I can honestly and without bias say these are the best reproductions I've seen so far. Many other reproductions look very much like originals, but the feel of these gloves sets them apart. Reproduction gloves tend to be stiff and uncomfortable, and never seem to fit. These are soft and comfy, with a natural color that doesn't stand out like some of those neon yellow jobs I've seen floating around at events in the past. Work them in with a little dirt sweat and water and they'll look great, feel great and form to the shape of your hands for the perfect protection for your fingers. 2. USMC 1941 "782" Upper and Lower Combat Field Equipment Pack PTO is a growing faction of WWII reenacting. Thanks to films like "The Pacific" and "Heartbreak Ridge" many reenactors are being more intrigued by the idea of "stomping through the Solomons." With that new wave of reenacting comes a far greater number of USMC events and impressions. And no piece of gear is more important to a Marine impression than the "782" pack. I started my USMC impression a little over a year ago and have been piecing away at it since then. The 782 is tops on my list of "next to buy" and while I don't have it yet I have gotten my mitts on one of MTL's repros recently. Top notch as always, the most intriguing part of this piece of gear is the price. $80 for both the upper and lower packs is a steal to say the least. You'd pay at least that much for each piece individually at any other site. 3. U.S. M1917 SBR Gas Mask & Carry Bag So this is a fairly new item at Man The Line and I'm very excited to try it out. Much like PTO reenacting, WWI is on its way up in the reenacting world. My obsession with the Great War began with an obsession with Boardwalk Empire, or more specifically with Jimmy Darmody. I loved the idea of a WWI vet coming home, putting on some amazingly slick suits and falling into the hay-day of organized crime. So I've thus begin a WWI impression, more specifically the 134th Infantry Regiment. I had no idea repro gas masks were even a thing, so when I got to play around with one of these bad boys a couple months ago I got very excited. Gas masks are THE most iconic and horrific prop of the war to end all wars. The price is heavy at $239.95, but I can tell you every last penny is worth it when the huns hit you with gas at your next event.   Good shopping to all and happy holidays!!!!

We posted an article on the MTL blog about a month ago telling everyone why we think cold weather events are the best events. Tonight, as I sit in my living room getting ready for an overnight Battle of the Bulge event in Central Minnesota this coming weekend, I’m having second thoughts. I always have second thoughts about doing events like this, for one simple reason. They’re fucking miserable. It seems like every year I forget how much it sucks to sleep outside in below freezing temperatures with nothing but 75-year-old wool to keep my nuts from falling off. Why do I do this to myself??? I stood outside for 5 minutes tonight while the dog went to the bathroom and was still bitching about how cold it was 10 minutes after I came back inside. A week from now I’ll remember it is worth it. It’s worth braving the cold to gain the experience of what it was like to survive in those conditions. Plus once you spend a night out like that you feel like you’re the toughest SOB around for a little while. But for now I’m going to complain, and regret agreeing to do it, and think about backing out (I won’t). The only thing I can do to ease the tension is think of every possible way to keep myself warm for those 24 hours. So, I’ve complied a short list of the “must have” items for a cold weather overnight event. Here goes.

1. Straw

The low temperature this coming Friday, the night of the event, is 4 F. If the forecast turns out to be true, it’ll be the coldest night I’ve ever spent outside. The absolute, no doubt about it, most imperative tool for braving that kind of temperature is a bail of straw. Peel it apart and line the bottom of your foxhole with a solid layer. Its insulating abilities are remarkable, and while it might’ve been a seldom had luxury in the real Bulge, it’s a must have for these events.

2. Real socks

  I like to think I’m a real hard ass when it comes to authenticity, but I’ll admit that even I break down slightly when it comes to these events. You won’t find any handwarmers in my jacket pockets, but you will find a few pairs of high quality, modern cold weather socks on my feet. There’s nothing more to say, you can’t get by without them. Cold hands can always be warmed in pockets, armpits or crotches. Cold feet are on their own and mine won’t survive without real socks.  

3. Esbit stove

  No fires in the bulge, but a covered foxhole with an esbit stove passes muster in my eyes, and there’s nothing better than a tiny, golden red sliver of hope when your nuts are freezing to your leg. Use it to warm fingers, light cigarettes, heat your corn beef hash, anything that’ll keep you going.     4. A foxhole buddy I’ll try not to sound weird here, but nothing warms you up like, snuggling up next to another shivering, miserable buddy. It’s just like cuddling, but without the reward at the end. I’ve spent nights in foxholes by myself and nights with another reenactor. I can tell you the nights spent in the latter situation were infanantely more comfortable.   So, my socks are packed, the straw is bought and paid for, my pockets are stuffed with fuel tablets. Friday night is the big night and I’m already shivering. Wish me luck!