Saturday, May 14, 2005 11:43 PM
ryanseals
New definition of "hot"
Yes, according to Ryan, it's really heating up in the sandbox, and it's only the beginning. From what I've seen, temperatures have been around 100 degrees in and around Baghdad, and I've heard they can exceed 130 degrees (tell me if you've heard higher).
One thing that I've heard soldiers really appreciate having when it gets hot over there is Under Armour -- a type of material, or clothing, that is designed with extreme heat in mind and can really make living and working in Iraq or elsewhere more comfortable when it gets hot. It helps them stay much more cool and dry than they would in traditional cotton clothes.
A site I like to order the gear from for Ryan is GoldmanBros.com. They delivered quickly and have a really large selection. You can order T-shirts in Army brown (loose shirts or tight), as well as underwear (boxers, briefs and boxer briefs). There's also a full assortment of “heat gear” for “extreme heat.” They also have socks, gloves, and bags -- the bags seem kind of weird.
These things are more pricey than your regular Fruit of the Loom stuff, but I think they can make a difference in a soldier's comfort and are worth it. Maybe a couple of shirts will make him more comfortable on those really hot days. I haven't bought any of the “extreme heat” stuff, but I've heard good things about the regular, loose Army shirts and underwear.
One piece of advice: Goldman Bros. will ship items free to APO addresses. However, I'd advise against this. My package arrived in plastic-bag type packaging and with a label on it saying what was inside. I don't think it would stand up to a trip overseas, but maybe they package it differently if you are sending it to an APO address (doubt it, though). Best to ship it to yourself, then over to Iraq. On certain orders you get free shipping to your house, anyway. I also might advise against putting what's in the box on the customs form -- not everyone is a thief, but hey, it's hot, and these things are expensive and probably in demand. You can usually put “Bonafide gift for soldier“ on the customs form, and it's fine.
Hope this helps, if you're interested!
-- Christy