# Who makes marine corps uniforms? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 23, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700 "2013-03-23T00:38:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![matt357](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@matt357](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt357)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/1 "2013-03-23T00:38:50Z")
I’m looking to buy Military fatigues with the marine corps camo pattern called “MARPAT”. I heard a company called propper makes most military clothing but I didn’t see that camo pattern on their site. Who makes it? ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/2 "2013-03-23T02:31:04Z")
You won’t find authentic MARPAT unless you go to a Navy Exchange or Marine Corps Exchange–they’re proprietary patterns held by the USMC (Dept of the Navy). You can find _facsimilie_ patterns, but not exactly the same thing. Why, whatcha lookin’ for? Tripler Why MARPAT, not ACUs? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/3 "2013-03-23T06:53:32Z")
Why not something else entirely, like ATAC!? ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/4 "2013-03-23T15:12:43Z")
I always thought it interesting that genuine Marpat has the Anchor and Globe placed into the pattern as a sort of seal of authenticity.[Marpat image.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MARPAT_desert_pattern.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/5 "2013-03-23T15:29:35Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Why not something else entirely, like ATAC!? Are they issuing those yet fully? I’m still happily wearing OCPs. I’ve got my rig set up just how I like it and am tired of getting new gear. Tripler Yes, I just said that! “I’m tired of getting new gear.” ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/6 "2013-03-23T18:54:27Z")
Haven’t seen any ATAC stuff issued yet. I wish. That should be te Army’s new garrison uniform, IMO. Rumor is that something new is coming this year. I hope so. And as a Drill Sergeant, I’ll get to be first in line to receive them… for free. **matt357** , did you find your uniform yet? Knowing who makes the uniform isn’t really going to help you. You won’t be purchasing it from the manufacturer, anyway. Just go to a reputable website like Ranger Joes, and pick out the uniform you want. It won’t be cheap Chinese rip offs as long as you purchase from a military supply/gear store, and not a paintball/airsoft supply store! ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/7 "2013-03-24T03:29:35Z")
Is there a reason the majority of your posts involve how to purchase military equipment? ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/8 "2013-03-24T03:34:49Z")
Holy crap **Bear\_Nenno** , you’re a drill sergeant? Never met one before, and only seen them in documentaries when they’re on the job. Anyway, I can say hi to one. Cool. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/9 "2013-03-24T03:52:16Z")
From Wiki I learn that [Battle Dress Uniforms](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Dress_Uniform) have been more or less phased out, but the article mentions a feature that I presume has been kept in current uniforms: …BDU’s are printed with infrared-brightened dyes. Near infrared (NIR) Signature Management Technology is used in the uniforms to help prevent detection by NIR Image Converters. These photocathode devices do not detect temperatures, but rather infrared radiation variances. NIR-compliant uniforms use a special fabric that allows soldiers to appear at the same radiation level as the surrounding terrain, thus making them more difficult to detect… Can someone explain “not by temperature but by infrared radiation variance?” I did the intra-Wiki hops but still don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/10 "2013-03-24T03:53:54Z")
> [@bobkitty](#): > > Is there a reason the majority of your posts involve how to purchase military equipment? I wasn’t going to say anything, but I’m glad someone else noticed this too. . . Tripler I’m curious now. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/11 "2013-03-24T13:05:36Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Anyway, I can say hi to one. Cool. Haven’t you seen _any_ movies? You don’t say “hi”. You say, “PVT. LEO BLOOM REPORTING AS ORDERED, DRILL SERGEANT!!” Kids these days…😉 ---
**Author:** ![sidecar\_jon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@sidecar\_jon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidecar_jon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/12 "2013-03-24T14:04:50Z")
Am i right in thinking that a lot of US uniforms are made by Prison inmates? ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/13 "2013-03-24T15:19:19Z")
> [@sidecar\_jon](#): > > Am i right in thinking that a lot of US uniforms are made by Prison inmates? Not that I’m aware of… Lighthouse(s) for the Blind, some Corporations, sure. But I don’t think they do that much uniform production through the prisons anymore. It is a distinct possibility that Propper, Krye Precision, etc uses prisoners in their workforce, but I think it’s pretty slim. Tripler They do make some furniture though. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/14 "2013-03-24T15:50:15Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Haven’t you seen _any_ movies? You don’t say “hi”. You say, “PVT. LEO BLOOM REPORTING AS ORDERED, DRILL SERGEANT!!” > > Kids these days…😉 Actually, IIRC you _start off_ with the “DRILL SERGEANT” part. And good heavens I hope the US Army stabilizes its uniforms some time in this decade. > [@sidecar\_jon](#): > > Am i right in thinking that a lot of US uniforms are made by Prison inmates? The contracts are allocated to mid-sized businesses spread across the USA – we’ve got a few here in the overseas possessions in fact, and ours have no prison labor involved, as the “selling point” is that it brings jobs to the communities. As\*\* Tripler\*\* said, the Prison Industries usually make furniture for government use. ---
**Author:** ![sidecar\_jon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@sidecar\_jon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidecar_jon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/15 "2013-03-24T17:02:28Z")
ah thanks, it’s just reading round the net seems to say a lot of body armor and also electrical equipment is produced in Prisons. Which seems sort of anti competition and a bit “slavey”… If true, but i haven’t really found a story on this i trust. Probably beats sewing mail sacks for anti boredom anyway! ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/16 "2013-03-24T17:32:45Z")
> [@sidecar\_jon](#): > > Am i right in thinking that a lot of US uniforms are made by Prison inmates? A lot of military, and civilian government, office supplies (notebooks, pens etc) are made by Skilcraft (blind people). The pens sort of work, skip a little. Certainly not up to Bic standards. > **[Skilcraft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skilcraft)** > > Skilcraft, often stylized as SKILCRAFT, is the registered trade name of the National Industries for the Blind (NIB). Products made by Skilcraft are created largely by visually impaired or severely disabled individuals. Products bearing the Skilcraft brand are commonly used in United States federal government institutions, including the United States Postal Service. They are also commonly sold in U.S. military base exchanges and commissaries. > In 1938, President Roosevelt signed the Wagner-O'Day A... ---
**Author:** ![sidecar\_jon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@sidecar\_jon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidecar_jon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/17 "2013-03-24T21:17:16Z")
We have a similar organization in the UK though it is currently being decimated in the name of “austerity”. Thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/18 "2013-03-25T00:14:35Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > Not that I’m aware of… Lighthouse(s) for the Blind, some Corporations, sure. But I don’t think they do that much uniform production through the prisons anymore. It is a distinct possibility that Propper, Krye Precision, etc uses prisoners in their workforce, but I think it’s pretty slim. > > Tripler > They do make some furniture though. Apparently prisoners will at least be making ACUs. I can’t find the [Military.com](http://Military.com) article that specifically referenced that that was the contract, but there’s lots of info about the recent [kerfluffle](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/15/business/private-businesses-fight-federal-prisons-for-contracts.html?pagewanted=all) about Unicor getting federal contracts for military uniform production. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/19 "2013-03-25T04:26:12Z")
I noticed it, and just figured he is starting (or joining) an airsoft team or something along those lines. > [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > From Wiki I learn that [Battle Dress Uniforms](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Dress_Uniform) have been more or less phased out, but the article mentions a feature that I presume has been kept in current uniforms: > BDU’s are printed with infrared-brightened dyes. Near infrared (NIR) Signature Management Technology is used in the uniforms to help prevent detection by NIR Image Converters. These photocathode devices do not detect temperatures, but rather infrared radiation variances. NIR-compliant uniforms use a special fabric that allows soldiers to appear at the same radiation level as the surrounding terrain, thus making them more difficult to detect… > Can someone explain “not by temperature but by infrared radiation variance?” I did the intra-Wiki hops but still don’t get it. What it should say is: These devices do not detect [long-wavelength infrared radiation], but rather [electromagnetic] radiation variances [in the visible and near infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum]. That’s what it was trying to say. Even humans can detect electromagnetic radiation variances, it is how we distinguish colors. We can only see a small portion of the spectrum, though. The most common night vision devices (NVGs) in the military, are simply visible light intensifiers. They can only detect electromagnetic radiation (EMR) in the visible spectrum, and a small portion of the near infrared (NIR) spectrum, just outside of visible light. They work by multiplying the few photons present by way of a specially designed photocathode tube. Photons entering the device are multiplied, and the resulting image is displayed on the NVG screen. NVGs cannot detect EMR outside of the visible and NIR spectrum. Thermal imaging devices, on the other hand, detect a range of IR further down the spectrum—long wavelength infrared (LWIR). Humans radiate EMR at the LWIR end of the spectrum, so devices commonly used to detect heat must be sensitive to this portion of the spectrum. Thermal devices that can detect the Long Wavelength Infrared are able to see people and other objects based on the EMR emitted from their heat alone. Most fabric, regardless of the color and pattern printed on it, reflect a lot of NIR light. Much more so than, say, bushes or other common background objects. The NIR Signature Management Technology helps the fabric absorb a similar amount of NIR light as its surrounds. The treatment also ensures that when a NIR light source is shined on the fabric, a camouflage pattern is still seen through the NVGs instead of just a glowing uniform. Here’s a good demonstration: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjv4OW0pPx8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjv4OW0pPx8) ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700/20 "2013-03-25T04:37:06Z")
Here is a good demonstration of NVGs viewing the Visible and NIR portion of the spectrum, and thermals viewing the LWIR portion of the spectrum. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/rAvnMYqj2c0/hqdefault.jpg "Night Vision versus Thermal Imaging") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAvnMYqj2c0) And here is a video showing our new devices which view both! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Mrb1TCgeDPo/hqdefault.jpg "Army's New Thermal / Nightvision AN/PSQ-20") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrb1TCgeDPo) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-marine-corps-uniforms/653700.md?page=2)