Cold-weather ‘fitness suit’ tested - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Cold-weather ‘fitness suit’ tested

The Navy’s second try at wear-testing cold-weather physical training gear will begin this fall, the service announced.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead has approved the recommendations of the March 28 uniform board, outlined in NavAdmin 149/09.

When the weather gets cooler in Norfolk, Va., Great Lakes, Ill., and Washington, D.C., about 100 people will start testing two separate, but similar, designs of what the Navy is now calling a “fitness suit,” according to Rob Carroll, head of the Navy Uniform Matters Office.

One of the suits is made of nylon, while the other is a laminate material similar to Gore-Tex fabrics. Both designs feature a liner designed to wick moisture away from the body.

“We picked a fall timeframe to ensure we get accurate data,” Carroll said. “Colder weather is when people tend to wear this kind of gear, and we need to make sure it meets that need.”

Last year’s wear test of a single design failed, sending Navy uniform developers back to the drawing board.

The tests are expected to last at least two months, and officials hope that data will allow them to field the selected suit to the fleet sometime in 2011. It will replace the optional blue sweatshirt currently issued to recruits at boot camp and also available in uniform stores. The sweats were approved as a temporary part of the PT uniform in the wake of last year’s unsuccessful wear test.

The message also announces that the Navy will authorize manufacturers who meet the Navy’s standards to produce “high performance” physical training gear. This optional PT uniform will mirror the Navy’s existing uniform, but will be made of more comfortable, moisture-wicking material and is expected to cost more than the issued PT suit.

Also announced was approval for E-6 and below women to wear the E-7 and above khaki maternity blouse until a suitable replacement can be finalized.