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).