Topic: In case you're interested...

[wraithnine]

nice!

[Clonehead]

I will have to dig for the pics that I took at the museum. I have some nice shots of that tank.

[Commander_Kurgan]

Hi,
here's a pic of my Fallschirmjäger impression.
Since I've been a paratrooper in our army, playing that role is not a big problem.



PS: I know that the silenced MP40 was a very rare item back then, I just used it in this obviously posed photograph.

[Commander_Kurgan]

FJ conferring by the roadside, Leopoldsburg, Belgium:



FJ in the Ardennes (pics taken in December 2008 on the original battlefield):

[Commander_Kurgan]

Our unit's propaganda poster (the text says "FJR6, all others only play Fallschirmjäger"):



And here my favourite shot of one of our DRK nurses:

[narceron]

everyone is always so impressed by the german military, but how many wars have they won?  They beat, what, the prussians and the French?

I just like how the SS stuff looks, very sinister, very intimidating, reminds me of how I"d like my imperial officers to look.

[Clonehead]

Very impressive Volker! Your uniform looks spot on. I love that mg34 and the panzerfaust.

[DocOutlands]

Pretty sure that's a -42, Clint.  Boxy barrel-shroud w/ oblong cut-outs vs. the tubular shroud with round holes.  Diff's in the flashider and bipod, too, but I can't pin those down in my own head - I just know thye look different.  LOL

KURGAN!!  Those are just marvelous!!  Man, if you messed with the color on the '08 pics and sepia-toned or B&W-flipped ... I'd be hard-pressed to pick out modern from period!

Do y'all make your own uniforms or can you get ready-made kit fairly easily?  I'm asking, because I want to get some of that FJ camo fabric to get a "boonie hat" made to go with my own smock and pants.  Not period, but I'm not a reenactor.    I like boonies and like the pattern.  Same with the Oak A/B patterns.

[Commander_Kurgan]

Yep, it's an MG42.
Properly de-milled, of course, as our Government doesn't like to see real weapons in the hands of law-abiding citizens.

Acquiring the inuforms used to be difficult, but these days you can basically order everything on the internet.
However, there are significant differences as per quality and levels of authenticity.
In our unit you don't get away with altered ex-Swiss or Swedish army stuff, ex-BGS helmets, etc. Custom reproductions are the standard.
I think you can see this in the pics pretty well.
But it's not only the clothes, you also have to radiate some of what made them the men they were back then.

If you need some Splittermuster 31 for your boonie, I suggest you buy yourself a reproduction shelter quarter through Ebay or one of the reputable dealers (just let me know if I can help you locate one). This will give you plenty of material for the hat and maybe another sewing project or two.
If you do it cleverly, you can even make yourself a reversible hat, because the shelter quarter has a darker side and a lighter side.

[wraithnine]

superb volker would love to take part in something like that

[Commander_Kurgan]

Jay, if you want, this could be arranged. 
I'm sure we can outfit you from head to toe with loaner gear.

[Commander_Kurgan]

The way things look, I'll be taking Zambesi Patrol of my Scout Troop on a four-day hike along the Rheinsteig trek.
This is a 320 kilometer long hiking route along the river Rhine.
We won't sleep indoors, but use our shelter halves and tarps to construct shelter and the patrol will take only the bare minimum of equipment.
Let's see how my Leatherstockings are going to do in case it rains for two days in a row and they got to cope with wet firewood.
Hey, nobody said that life is easy if you want to earn the Ranger patch of the Selousi.

[DocOutlands]

Wow!  That sounds like an adventure!  If I did my math/conversions right, I have to say I'd have trouble keeping up.  That looks like an average of 48 miles a day, carrying all your gear.  What fun!

[Commander_Kurgan]

Don't worry, it is impossible to do this daily distance with a gang of kids being your average middle-aged, slightly overweight adult.
We'll see how far we can get. Since the trail faithfully follows the river up on the ridgeline, we will be able to catch a train back North on Thursday afternoon.
Still, it's not an easy job to live outdoors for four days if you're not used to it. No creature features like hot showers and McDonald's, a rocky trail and sleeping under the shelter half at night.
Hey, we will have a nightwatch out, of course.
My guess is that D-Day will be fine and jolly, D+1 and D+2 will be tough and D+3 will be the easiest of the whole tour.

[DocOutlands]

We expect pics.