Mk III Combat Boots: Use, Maintenance & Other Stuff.

[Dessert Fox]

Some advice needed:

I‘ve recently been issued a new pair of "Boots, Combat GS MK III Black" that have a little tag attached stating that they are to be treated with "T3000 Silicone water repellent solution".  It also states "No Polishes, Waxes or Grease are to be Applied".

Is this for real?  No polishing?  What is this T3000 stuff?  My local Army Surplus store suggested to use the stuff they sell at Moneysworth & Best.  This is an issue ‘cause I‘m going on course in July and need to break these things in.

In that vein, I‘ve heard one should soak new boots in hot water, then wear them until dry.  Any comments on that?

Thanks in advance,

DF

 

[Mr Magoo]

All boots are issued with that ridiculous caveat.
I don‘t know why. Your boots will have to be
blackened.

You should try and break them in
by simply walking in them. I have heard people say
that soaking boots in warm water allows the boot to
mold easier to your foot. I‘ve never tried it though.

The silicone is an issued sealant agianst moisture
leaking in. It comes in a little tin. Moneysworth
and Best are quite expensive. Some people use other
materials to seal up their boots, mink oil, vaseline,
and so on. Ask your Section Commander once you get
started. Most people blacken boots with Kiwi black
polish.

 

[bossi]

If you‘re going on course in July, you‘ve only got a few weeks to break in your boots (and more importantly, break in your feet ...) - you might prefer to use the time to break them both in by walking in your boots (whereas if you used the "hockey skate" method of soaking the boots, you‘d lose some valuable time). Besides, your boots will get wet enough, soon enough, without any special effort on your part ... (chuckle).

Regarding the issue of boot-blackening/polishing, I think it has something to do with the pebbled finish - excessive polishing would wear it off (and once upon a time heated spoons were used to smooth out the pebbles), which would defeat the purpose of the design (which was to provide a non-reflective surface, with the intent of making your boots slightly less visible/detectable). But, I‘m no expert.

Best hint/advice I ever received was to wear two pairs of socks - thin inner pair, thicker/absorbent outer pair - helps prevent blistering/chafing. If you‘ve got money burning a hole in your pocket, you might want to pick up a couple pairs of "CoolMax" socks to use as the inners (more than one pair, so you can alternate them and let them dry out properly).

Personally I‘ve always found the official issue gray socks way too hot for my feet, so I use 100 per cent cotton in the summer (in my younger days I used American issue socks, but in my later/more mature years I‘ve decided Greb Kodiak socks are just as good, and available closer to home).

Also - WASH YOUR BOOT-BLOUSING BANDS!!! They‘re way too tight when they‘re brand new, and will cut off your circulation to your feet. Once washed, they‘re much more comfortable.

Finally, there are as many opinions out there as there are readers, but here‘s mine on the topic of tucking in your "dust cuffs": Tucking them into the tops of your boots helps keep stuff out of your boot (which is maybe what they were designed for ... ?) Lots of people simply blouse everything, with the resultant "gray sock" look (when their trouser legs ride up, exposing your socks or shins).

I‘m certain your instructors will explain the standard they require, and the best of advice of all is simply "Do what you‘re told". Good Luck!

Dileas Gu Brath
Mark Bossi, Esquire

 

[Brad Sallows]

Ask for the T3000 at your unit‘s QM Stores. The silicone must be applied liberally, and reapplied frequently (I have found it best to apply it a couple of days before a planned field exercise). Do this outside as it is rather aromatic.

 

[Jules Deschenes]

I remember those pebble boots. The pebbles were there for a reason but we were shown how to remove them (yes with a hot spoon) so that we might spit shine them. I agree with Brad. When I do mine (thanks for reminding me, going up north next week) I leave them in the garage to dry. I personally like the Spenco arch supports with Icelandic wool socks. You‘ll have to try the socks to figure what works for you.
Cheers

 

[Mike Bobbitt]

I can‘t remember exactly where I saw it, but it actually does state in "the regs" that you are not to apply polish to combat boots. Apparently, polish causes the leather to break down faster.

The official policy (at the time at least) was to apply CF issue boot blackener, which does not cause "boot rot." Of course, nobody I know of actually uses the stuff, and most instructors will turn you inside out for having blackened (but not polished) boots...

I‘ll also add my advice to the pile for foot comfort. Definitely 2 pairs of socks, I use the issue gray ones for the outers, and the issue black ones (yes, the dress socks) for the inners. Very easy on your feet as the black ones don‘t hold moisture next to your skin. The only other thing I can suggest is to make sure your boots are snug, but not too tight. You only get blisters when your feet slide around.

Good luck.

P.S. DF: Are you more like Rommel or a sugared carnivore?

 

[madorosh]

I‘ll agree here as well - white sport socks inside, grey woolies outside. And I have seen the issue blackener - but we‘ve always been told to polish the boots instead.

You are also not supposed to iron the combat clothing, but a lot of people (especially, it seems, senior NCOs) do. I was told time and again that all you have to do is put the damp combats in the dryer and hang them up as soon as they are dry. But that still won‘t make the pockets on the Mk III shirt sit flat - I usually use safety pins to hold the flaps down, then iron them.

Wonder what we‘ll be told to do with the new boots and combats?

By the way Mike - you asked the question we were all wondering! LOL! I‘m picturing one of the cuties from Red Robin or Moxie‘s pushing a cart full of pie and tarts...

 

[Dessert Fox]

Sorry to disappoint you, lads, but I‘m more like Rommel than a cutie with a cart. That is a tempting vision, though.

I‘m with an Armoured Recon regiment, hence the nickname.

Thanks for all the info/advice. As it stands, I have been issued 2 pairs of combat boots. One has been polished, one not. I have the blackener and the silicone. My plan is to leave the polished ones, apply the blackener and silicone to the other pair, and wait ‘til course to see what the Instructors say. Thoughts on this?

Any other Kit advice? I‘m pretty new at this, so anything would be welcome.

Thanks,
DF

 

[madorosh]

Hey DF

This is going to sound like we‘re picking on you, but we‘re really not. You might like to know that if you‘re in a Canadian reconnaissance unit, our abbreviation for that is "recce" - we get it from the British. It‘s pronounced "Wreckee". The Americans call it "recon." Just a helpful tip. We also abbreviate private "Pte" and not "Pvt" the way the Americans do. We pronounce it "leftenant" not "lootenant" (even though we both spell it "Lieutenant"). Anyway - we‘re here to help, hope this just did.

The only other kit advice I can think of is to NOT turn up the sides of your combat hat so that you look like Robin Hood. Keep them down to keep the sun off your neck. Only officers and cute girls wear the brim folded up.

And not to embarrass you, but we‘re teasing you about your name because you made the very easy mistake of using "dessert" (which means an after dinner treat) rather than desert (which means an arid, barren stretch of land). Hence the comment about the dessert cart!

Where are you doing your course?

 

[bossi]

Mad Orosh - Not sure what officers you‘ve been hanging around with (wearing their combat hats like Robin Hood) - last thing in the world any officer should want to do is "stand out like a sore thumb" (so enemy snipers could pick them off).

Moving right along, one of these days we‘re going to get the new hat - somewhat similar to Tilley, only it‘s camo - not sure if it‘s same as US Army or Marines, but there‘s a photo on the front cover of the Maple Leaf showing a CFSAC team member wearing one while on the range in Australia at the INTERFET match.

DF - have a good time on course, and keep your sense of humour - no matter what, one day you‘ll look back and realise your first years in the Army were the best years.

Dileas Gu Brath
Mark Bossi, Esquire

 

[Dessert Fox]

Hi again,

Happy Canada Day everyone.

It‘s taken me a while to reply since I have been busy preparing for course, which starts tomorrow. Six Weeks! It was supposed to be in Petawawa, but will now be at the Connaught Ranges (near Ottawa). I‘m disappointed at this ‘cause my inlaws live in Pembroke (next to Pet), but c‘est la vie.

Madorosh, I do know the difference between the sandy place and the after dinner treat. It‘s just that I wouldn‘t dream of equating myself with Rommel, hence the extra S. I was just recently in Indigo, where I picked up Panzer Leader, which is Guderian‘s memoires. Looks like I won‘t be able to read it until I‘m done my course, though.

I do know the correct pronunciantion of leftenant. I was an Air Cadet many years ago. Long enough to have forgotten most useful things. Thanks for the reminder about Recce, though. I‘m just not used to seeing it in writing that often.

Thanks for all the helpful hints. I really appreciate it.
I‘ll try and send some reports from the front.

DF

 

[russm]

On the issue of socks:

Two pairs or not, I strongly advise that no one wear cotton next to the skin! It retains moisture, causing blisters and sapping the heat from that extremity when it‘s cold out.

We experimented with just about everything when I did my Army mountain courses in the ‘80s and 90‘s. Ultimately, we found that a very thin poly pro sock next to the skin was great for "wicking" away the moisture. Over that we put a sock made of 60/40 wool/nylon. The wool is great as it actually gets a little warmer when it gets wet and the breakdown of the natural fiber speeds up (ever seen a compost heap steaming on a cold day? Try feeling one!) - the nylon helps the durability of the sock and a little spandex (usually only about 2 or 3 percent) is great for durability, too.

Boots: Black and shiny, regardless of what the label says. There‘s just no way around Kiwi! Best plan: Have a pair just for garrison that look really sharp, then wear your others (with silicone on them or whatever) in the field. Me? I wear jungle boots in the fd in the summer and Danners the rest of the year. I have never worn the issue cbt boot in the fd out of choice (it‘s about as much use as the C79 sight!). ;-D

A word on cotton: Cotton is OK in some situations. In fact, the very moisture-retentive nature of a cotton t-shirt can be a real help in the summer, during the heat of the day. But cotton can literally be a real killer at other times.

There are five ways to lose body heat: Respiration, perspiration, convection, conduction, and radiation. Let‘s say you‘re wearing a sweaty t-shirt under your cbt shirt when the sun goes down. The outside air temperature drops, the wind picks up...and now we have a problem. All you have to do is lie on the ground (which soldiers (esp Infantry ones) do a lot, and you‘re rapidly losing body heat all of the five ways mentioned above.

Now, given that your feet are the furthest point away from your heart and are almost constantly in indirect contact with cold hard surfaces (while your entire body weight maximizes the effects of conductivity), do we really want to be wearing cotton socks? Naaah. BTW, if you‘re a smoker, you have a 40% increased chance of frost bite anyway...wearing cotton socks will simply up that percentage considerably.

Remember that the cooling of a body is a two-way street. The warm blood is pumped away from the heart to the extremities (if it can get there you smokers!!!), but then it gets cold for the trip back which contributes to the cooling of the body core.

There are a number of tricks to keep out tootsies toasty warm and relatively dry to make sure that the blood returning to the body core is also relatively warm.

RussM

 

[Gunner]

Excellent post Russ...is it any wonder RSMs always amaze us!

 

[madorosh]

You‘re right about that one, Gunner. And no wonder my friggin feet are always freezing! Just goes to show you that 7 years of University really doesn‘t teach you jack about what‘s important.

 

[b.scheller]

are there any well known ways maintaining a good pair combat boots (other then shoe polish...)

also what company makes combats for the C.F? i'm pretty sure that a buddy of mine told me once that Canadian boots have a different track style (heel )??

 

[Bert]

The two best ideas are to preserve the leather and make them look black and shiney.

Depending on your kitting from the unit, you might get several varieties of combat boots
(ankles, safety, combat styles).  Personally, I used a weather/water resistant compound
and apply it regularily depending on whether I'm walking thru mud or water.

I used Kiwi Parade Gloss for blackness and a decent shine and a few times I week I apply
(as a final coat) Kiwi Neutral Shoe Polish.  It doesn't make the shine any better, but it provides
a better healthier lustre than black polishes.

 

[chrisf]

Keep whacking the polish too them... it keeps moisture and dirt out, and the leather supple from the oils in the polish.

 

[b.scheller]

whats the general polishing method...mines...slap polish on and then use a rag to spread it all over. let it settle for about a half a minute, then i pick up a brush and brush them until they're shiny and clean!

 

[y2kroachman]

i put polish on them but i dont want them shiny, who wants anything shiny in the bush, i keep them looking matte as possible

 

[Armymedic]

Accepted standard of care is brush shone Cbt boots, whether thats actually "correct" or not.

With Kiwi black, apply a small amount of polish evenly to the entirety of the boot, then after a minute, use a lager brush to buff off excess wax. That will leave you with a mild shine that is easily rubbed of with a bit of dirt or sand.

Always clean your boots before polish. I just use cool water and a stiff bristled brush. And after hard ex's or BFT, I will rinse the inside of my boot to assist in the removal of sweat salt from the insides...

Hope this helps.