After reading almost all of the interesting subjects people have been writing about it occured to me that very few people talk about what kind of clothing would most likely be needed in a survival situation.
When ever I go into the forest I always wear a bright orange fleece jacket (with reflective tapes sewn onto it), under that I wear a bright red sweatshirt and under that a bright orange t-shirt. My 4 year-old son alwys wears a bright green safety vest. My point being that if you go into the forest all dressed in camo, greens and blacks you will be harder to find then if you glowed like a christmas tree.
But I know that the habit is hard to break. I served in the military (french foriegn legion) along time ago and whenever i am in the forest my first instinct is to want to blend in and move silently. But that way of thinking is of no use to me now.
Does anyone else have any good suggestions on what to wear, when and how?

An option is to add a high visibility items.
Because like you I have the same military induced instinct to blend in (US army 1977-1983).

Some of the aviation type silk (SRU,aircrew) panel markers, and or blaze orange bandana's.

These fold up small and are always available when you want to be visible.

I find it hard to always have on clothes that are high visibility.

Also an aviation type "space" blanket with dual od/orange sides or a heatsheets. These all weigh nothing and take minimal space.

flashman:

I think you will see that a lot of the posters on this forum are not big on cammo. But I must admit a lot of the equipment made for the Military in camo is good stuff, So if you want that type of equipment you are stuck. A catch 22 situation. personnely when I go out I also look like a christmas tree, except for a cover jacket maybe.

Most of my stuff tends to be earth tones, simply cuz that seems to be the predominant colors in most gear. Green bag and tent (civilian colors, not OD), I prefer BDU pants, have a dark green jacket and black fleece (which were gifts). But, I'll usually pack regular T-shirts, usually royal blue or white. Sometimes I'll also pack a hideous orange-yellow fleece vest, or if it's a shorter trip, a red soft shell jacket.

The bandanas are a great idea I might steal. I've also found a few stores here that sell orange and bright pink duct tape. Maybe throw a few rolls around the Nalgene bottle?

I observed how Mors Kochansky was dressed during his DVD "Clothing, Sleeping Bag and Sleep" and his layering system is well thought out. He gave his lecture somewhere in Alberta during the winter at 0°F but for somebody active and working with fire, so his system is versatile. Of course it depends on the weather and the condition.

Basically you need top and bottom polypro or similar (Capilene, etc.) underwear to wick moisture away quickly that sticks to your skin with a minimum of air space without being restrictive. Then on the top you add as many commando wool sweater (with patches) like Brigade Quartermaster's Woolly Pully (they began their business by selling this item during the 70s I think, so you can't go wrong with them) I don't know if your sweatshirts and t-shirts are cotton btw but unless it's during summer, we've all heard "cotton kill".



Same for the pants, wool pants with suspenders (the elbow patches on the commando sweater are well positioned for protecting the wool against the abrasion from the suspenders)

Then a very versatile piece of clothing that adds insulation is a down or synthetic vest, some have a kidney warmer back and have a crew neck baseball knit type of collar to allow room for wearing heavy scarves and putting it under a more serious jacket and are reversible, with blaze orange on one side like this:



Then it's the environment layer, a windbreaker with hood and nylon windpants.

Of course you also need protection for the hands, moskito nets, wide brim cowboy hats are useful to protect against the rain and make a serious difference in fanning to get a fire going, orange bandanas, decent broken in boots with many spare of wool socks, etc. And the wool or synthetic blaze orange watchcap is really versatile and as useful in cold weather as in desert environment and is very compact so you should always have a warm watch cap in your pack even during summer excursions. Since a large percentage of body heat is lost from the neck and head, it's crucial to cover these area.

I almost forgot, another good headgear that is rarely seen yet surprisingly functional is a Tam-O-Shanter type of beret with a red toorie like this:



You can cover your ears by pulling it and the flap brim helps protecting against the wind and tree branches and shrubbery while still allowing good peripheral vision.

The answer to this really depends on the situation and honestly I think you need to be prepared on some level for both "bright colored I need and want to be rescued" situations and also the "I need and want to blend into the crowd or woods" situations. I can see where both would have their place. For me in my vehicles it's the bright colored I want to be rescued but at home and at my office I have clothing that is designed to blend in and not attract attention to me.

With the way things have gotten on public lands during the last 30 years (pot farmers and meth labs whose operators now leave booby traps), when I go into the woods (especially hunting), I wear my cammies under the orange vest and a hat. I can shed those quickly and get into stealth mode.

Then again, I also carry a trip wire detector from the end of my rifle/shotgun barrel.

I still remember those "old days" when traipsing through the woods and you had wandered too close to someone's still, they would put a bullet into a tree, next to you, and you knew to turn around and leave. No problems or complications.

"SURVIVAL SITUATION" IN THE FOREST?

That is a big category. I assume you are addressing the elements. Your comment on "...most likely needed..." is somewhat different that what color.

One "...point being that if you go into the forest all dressed in camo, greens and blacks you will be harder to find..." That is a pleasant way to be in the forest.

To weather the elements, I use USGI Goretex EXCWCS top and bottom. Underneath is a heavy poly set. BDU's next. Commercial silk long johns last. Continually change during the day as needed.


To address being seen - an SDU-5/E strobe at night and a rescue panel for day.

To initiat rescue - ACR PLB MicrOFix

To communicate - VX-7R unblocked for Idaho important frequencies.

To not get lost - Garmin 60CS

Hi flashman

Assuming that you are carrying a backpack you could always use a D12 Reversible Backpack Cover

As you have stated clothing is so important in a survival situation and choosing the correct clothing is essential for the environment most find themselves in. I do prefer muted colours and sometimes will wear camo if I don't want to be seen (mostly British DPM simply because it suits the environment in Northern Europe and has not been bettered). Walking through the forest wearing garish clothes may be useful if you tend to get lost, but being ex - Foreign Legion, I doubt this will happen to you. The downside to wearing garish clothing is that all the wildlife can see you traipsing down the trail also (useful for bear country though). If you wish to get a real feel for the wildlife inhabiting the forest then OG or camo is required together with moving silently.

As for weather protection, I have generally moved away from synthetics except for 2 different fabric technologies, that being Goretex and Gore Windstopper. Polypropylene under garments have been replaced with merino wool, polyester fleeces replaced with merino wool and the windproof layer being cotton Ventile. Synthetics are smelly and have to potential to turn you into a human candle. The Gore materials are used mostly when encountering much higher altitudes above the tree line. There is really no substitute for Goretex socks, gloves or head wear in very cold and wet conditions though. If it is really chucking it down at low level I will wear a S95 goretex liner in conjunction the Ventile jacket and some German Army Goretex trousers (the ones with the braces).
For sub zero temperatures at camp I will either wear an Alpkit Down Jacket or a Snugpak Sleeka Reversible Jacket and trousers (Similar technology to the Snugpak Softie Special Forces sleeping bags).

I don't wear camo but I also never wear blaze orange. Greens including OD and other subdued colors (khaki and tan in the desert) are my primary attire. If I want to be easily seen hot pink surveying ribbon can come out of nowhere. Signal mirrors can be seen at far greater distance than any color attire during the day and chem lights are very visible at night. I've never gone for bright colored clothing.

Not to steal the thread, but how do you like the Snugpack stuff? I've seen some of the sleeping bags and parkas in various catalogs, and wondered about them. Haven't heard much about them (good or bad) in the US.

The Snugpak clothing is quite good and performs quite well for synthetic insulation, but not as well as a high quality down clothing. The advantage of course is that although they are slightly heavier than an equivalent down jacket for the same temperature rating they are not effected by damp and wet conditions so much as down clothing. Wet conditions can destroy the insulation properties of a down jacket or sleeping bag. Once this happens it is then difficult to dry them out. The sleeping bags are synthetic also and are up there with the very best synthetic sleeping bags available, even the Scandinavian makes. I have a couple of different sleeping bags, an Alpkit AD500 (Down) at 1200gms -5 degrees Celsius, a Snugpak Softie SF1 (Synthetic) at 1200gms +3 degrees Celsius and a Vango Venom 300 (Down) at 875gms +3 degrees Celcius. Out of the 3 my favorite bag would have to be the Vango. It performs about the same as the Snugpak Softie SF1 but is a good 300gms lighter and packs down incredibly small. Other synthetic insulation jacket and trousers by Nanok of Norway (Special Forces Tactical Range) are also worth taking a look at. They are very similar but the Snugpak Range is slightly more comprehensive. It has been rumoured that the Snugpak code green range bags such as the Softie merlin 3 are being used by some US special forces units or by some US military service personnel (own purchase) but I couldn't confirm this. It might just marketing hype. So to summarize, they are quite good, they do the job, but the very best down clothing will ultimately be warmer, lighter and a bit more comfortable in use if it is kept dry.

Use layered clothing and have some bright and
some drab clothing, on each trip. Then it is
your choice what you wear as an outer layer.

Under normal wilderness conditions, muted clothing
is best. Nobody wants to look out in nature and see
a bunch of orange, red, yellow clothing and packs.

For special activities like hunting, boating, Mountain-climbing,
Search and Rescue, you probably need bright clothing/gear.

You can buy a few bright colored covers or shells.
In the US, hunting vests are sold in blaze orange,
either polyester slick fabric or poly knit fabric;
they weigh next to nothing, and take up no room.

Europe might have a similar thing. If not, maybe you can
find some bright colors, cheap, at a thrift (second-hand) store.

Gear that blends in, with a safety vest and an obnoxious pack cover in your gear. If you need to be unseen or seen, you are good.

I too carry the blaze orange bandanas when in the woods. I have modified them by adding small brass grommets to the corners so that I can use them as a signal flag if needed.

Since the vast majority of my time in the woods is spent hunting, or preparing for hunting, I wear hunting gear, which does include camoflauge pattern clothing only because that is the only style I can find the items I want in. However, due to regulations, I also have enough blaze orange on to be seen so idiots who shoot first won't mistake me for a deer. Past that, I have enough signal/high vis items with me to pretty much ensure anyone looking for me will see me if they get an unobstructed view.

As for the Tam-O-Shanter, I reckon it helps a lot too if you have a big mop of Bozo-Orange hair. Frankie, please tell me that ain't you, or at least you're wearing a wig if it is.

Yep, layers, and a means of packing them around proper when you have to shed some. I don't care much for tying sleeves around my neck or waist.

I was looking for images on google and I posted that one. I thought it would be funny but actually what I'm talking about is more like what you can find here and it's made of wool (not probably velvet).

Frankie

With all camo, consider how conspicuous you look,
either on the way to the trail-head or even on the
trail. People may go out of their way to snoop into
what you are doing or to relay info (gossip) on what
they saw.

If you must wear camo pants, wear a bright shirt.
Solid colored BDU pants are not noticed much because
cargo pants have been a style for about 8 years in
the US.

Plaid shirts are better than camo shirts, because
when people do see you, they think nothing of it.
When trying to avoid being seen, in the bush, plaid
can work almost as good as camo, sometimes better.

I don't go out into the woods to be seen, but to see. I dress in drab khakis, greens and other earthtones as well as camo. I do have signaling items if I choose to be visible.

I do like brightly dressed hikers....it helps me avoid them.

I agree with many of the posters here that having the obnoxious brights in case of emergency is good but I'd rather not be wearing it all the time. Last year I was on a fun bushwack with an outdated topo to do some exploring. I planned to end my trip by picking up on a "dirt road" up in the mountain and walking it down to the main road and back to my car.
When I finally arrived some hours later, I realized it was a private road with no trespassing signs. It was too late to turn back the way I came, so I figured I'd just make my way down. I started passing some freaky "shacks" and "tent sites", like the homes of mountain people or something. Any way, I turned a corner on the winding road and saw a huge pitbull eyeing me a few hundred yards ahead at what appeared to be a driveway. to make a long story short, I was quite happy to be able to duck into the woods and make my way down back in the woods without being seen!