Personal Clothing System A User’s Guide The Defence

Personal Clothing System
A User’s Guide
The Defence Clothing Team
Contents
The Key Parts
How to Wear It
Combat Uniform
Lightweight Jacket
Combat Trousers
Windproof Smock
Care & Maintenance
Ancillary Items
T-Shirt
Thermal Shirt
Thermal Smock
Lightweight Waterproof Suit
Boots
Operational Specific Items
UBACS
2-in-1 Jacket

Personal Clothing System
The Key Parts
Combat Uniform Ancillary Items
Key Features:
Built in arm protection.
Designed to work with body armour
Reduce snag hazards
Common pockets on arms on all outer garments
Better temperature control
Personal Clothing System (PCS) consists of Combat Uniform and Ancillary Items. Combat Uniform is what you wear on the outside. Ancillary Items are what you wear underneath to keep you warm and comfortable.

How to Wear It
Temperate/ Body Armour
(ie Summer or Winter when wearing Body Armour)
Cold – no Body Armour
(ie Winter)
Hot – with Body Armour
(ie Desert)
Base Layer Mid-Layer Thermal Layer Outer Layer Body Armour
T-Shirt Thermal Shirt LWJ
(optional) (if cold)
T-Shirt Thermal Shirt Thermal Smock Windproof
(if needed) Smock
The Thermal Smock and Windproof Smock are not designed to wear under Body Armour. Use them when you take it off or when doing other training.
UBACS
The LWJ and UBACS are the only garments designed to be worn under Body armour.

Combat Uniform Key Components
Lightweight Jacket Combat Trousers Windproof Smock
Combat Uniform is what you wear on the outside. It has the best performing camouflage in the world. Whatever you do, you must wear one of these garments (or a waterproof) on the outside

Lightweight Jacket
What is it for?
The Lightweight Jacket (LWJ) is your main top to wear in the field if you are in UK wearing body armour. It has been designed to wear under body armour and to be as comfortable as possible when wearing it.

Lightweight Jacket
How to Wear It
Zip and Touch & Close Fastenings
It has a zip and “touch and close” (ie Velcro) fastenings as buttons cause pressure points under body armour
If it is hot you can leave the zip undone to let air circulate.
Sleeves can be worn up if it is hot and you are told it’s ok
Wear the LWJ untucked. It lets the air circulate to keep you cool.

Lightweight Jacket
Pockets
Breast Map Pocket with Compass Pocket
The LWJ has Map Pockets, both sides, secured by “Touch & Close” fastenings to eliminate pressure points when worn with body armour.
The left breast map pocket has an internal note-book/compass pocket. The right breast map pocket has internal pen pockets. Both are angled for easy access.
Both map pockets also have internal beckets (loops) for securing items as required.

Lightweight Jacket
Collar
Collar secured to prevent chafing
If you are wearing Body Armour, turn the collar up to stop your neck getting chafed.
Fasten it with the securing tab to keep it in place.

Lightweight Jacket
Rank Slide
Rank Slide secured with Touch & Close fastening
The rank slide epaulette is held in place with touch and close fastening to prevent pressure points.
It is secured in a pocket to stop it catching on things and coming undone
Wear only the issued MTP rank slide in the field. In barracks you can wear “regimental” rank slides but only on a plain background.

Lightweight Jacket
Sleeves
Forearm protection pockets
Shrouded Cuff Buttons
The pockets on the biceps are to store items when you are wearing body armour. The pockets are angled so you can get into them easily. They have beckets (loops) to allow you to secure things.
The forearm pockets allow protection pads to be fitted when issued for operations
The cuff buttons are shrouded to stop them catching on things like cam nets.
Bicep Pocket

Lightweight Jacket
Badges
The Bicep Pockets have touch & close fastening to allow Combat ID badges to be fitted if issued.
Blanking plates protect the touch & close from damage
You are allowed 2 badges per blanking plate – TRF and Qual Badge on the Right, Union Flag and Formation Badge on the Left
Bicep Pocket and Blanking Plate

Combat Uniform
Care & Maintenance
Wash and dry the Combat Uniform as per the instructions – 400C and normal tumble dry. Don’t nuke it!
DON’T iron the Touch & Close fastening. It will melt it.
DO iron the uniform normally. But don’t try and press creases in it. You will damage it.
Washing and Ironing have no effect on the clothing IRR properties.

Combat Trousers – Key Features

Combat Trousers
Belt Loops and Waist Pockets
Reinforced Belt Loops
Mesh Lining to pockets
The trousers have reinforced belt loops. This is to cope with the load when you are wearing Pelvic Protection systems on operations.
The loops closest the waist pockets have additional fastening points to allow you to secure items.
The pockets are lined with mesh to allow better air circulation
The left hand pocket has an extra zip pocket to secure things like loose change.

Combat Trousers – Reinforced Seat & Crotch
The Trousers have a panel to reduce wear and tear in the crotch and the seat. In the warm weather version this is reinforced.
The hip pocket has a flap with a shrouded button to stop it catching on things.

Combat Trousers – Thigh Pockets and Cuff Securing
Angled Thigh Pocket with Shrouded Button
The Thigh Pockets are for carrying maps, notebooks etc when you are in the field.
They have been angled to make them easier to get into when sat down or wearing body armour.
The buttons are shrouded to stop them catching
The ties at the cuff allow you to secure your trousers to stop things climbing up your legs. If its hot you can loosen them to allow better air circulation (but do them up when it gets dark and the bugs come out)

Windproof Smock
What is it for?
The Windproof Smock is your main top to wear in UK when its cold. It has not been designed to wear under body armour. Instead it is what you should put on when you take body armour off. It has been designed to allow temperature regulation if you start working hard, and to provide protection from the wind and light showers.

Windproof Smock – Pockets, External
The Smock has an external pocket on the left breast pocket for carrying a compass. The button hole is to fasten the lanyard to it so you don’t lose the compass.
Like the Lightweight Jacket, buttons on the smock have been shrouded, and it has the same arm pockets so you can carry SOP kit in the same place no matter what you are wearing.

Windproof Smock – Pockets, Internal
Map pocket with pen holders
Handwarmer Pocket
The smock has two large map pockets with pen pockets inside.
At the waist, there are two handwarmer pockets for when its cold and wearing gloves are impractical.

Windproof Smock – Temperature Regulation
Upper torso mesh lining
Pit Zips
The cloth of the smock is windproof and treated to be showerproof. The hood is there if the weather is really bad.
The top half of the smock is lined with mesh to help air circulation to keep you cool when you’re working hard.
“Pit zips” can be opened when you are working very hard to help cool you down.

Ancillary Items Key Components
UBACS
Thermal Smock
Thermal Shirt

Thermal Shirt
Caged Zip
Thumb-loops
The Thermal Shirt, made of lightweight micro-fleece material, provides a base layer for insulation.
It has a caged zip at the neck to prevent chafing and thumb-loops at the wrist to secure the sleeves and act as handwarmers.

Thermal Smock
Adjustable Neck
Shower-proof Hood
Handwarmer Pockets
Heat Regulation Zips
The Thermal Smock provides a lightweight mid-layer for thermal insulation. It is showerproof with a lightweight fleece inner.
It has handwarmer pockets, an adjustable neck and a shower proof hood stowed in the collar.
“Pit-zips” and side zips allow heat regulation.

Under Body Armour Combat Shirt (UBACS)
Caged Zip
High Wicking Material
Bicep Pocket
Forearm Protection Pocket The UBACS is a combat shirt to wear under body armour in hot weather. It is only issued for operations or overseas exercises.
It has a highly breathable and fast sweat wicking torso to help heat regulation under body armour.
Forearm pockets allow arm protection pads to be worn if issued while it has the same bicep pocket arrangement and other features as the rest of the PCS ensemble

Lightweight Waterproof Suit
The Lightweight Waterproof Suit is highly breathable, light and can be packed down small so it can be easily carried.
The material breathes better than previous designs with “pit-zips” for thermal regulation.
Full length leg zips help getting the trousers on easily while a fleece lined collar in the jacket stops drips going down the neck.
There is no hood as personnel will either be wearing it over a Windproof or Thermal Smock, which have hoods, or will be wearing a helmet. This means it can pack down smaller.