Army Cuts the Velcro

Yahoo Buzz ^ | June 16, 2010 | Mike Krumboltz

[greatdefender]

In a move that has the Web buzzing, the U.S. Army has decided to banish Velcro from uniform pants and bring back buttons.

Replacing the fastener on uniforms isn't your traditional front-page news, but the shift has captured the attention of many. A buzzy article from USA Today explains that soldiers told their superiors that the Velcro's stickiness was being affected by the sand of the Afghanistan desert. Pockets weren't staying shut.

The Army surved 2,700 soliders, and 60% of them said they would prefer buttons for their cargo pockets (only 11% wanted to "stick" with Velcro). Authorities listened, and now it looks like the old-fashioned button will be making a return.

The USA Today goes on to mention that the move back to buttons will end up saving the Army nearly $1 per uniform. There is at least one other huge benefit: Unlike Velcro, buttons don't make any noise. In times of conflict and danger, silence can be absolutely vital.

But don't feel too bad for Velcro. It isn't going away from the uniforms completely. It will still be on the sleeves, and under the soldier's nameplates.

Like Post-it Notes and other "Why didn't I think of that?" inventions, the hook and loop fastener has long captured the attention of Web searchers. Envious lookups for "velcro inventor" and "who invented velcro" are always popular in the Search box.

[archy]

Seems to me the obvious solution is a pair of small magnets - one in the flap (inside the fabric), one in pocket (inside the fabric). Works great for cell phone and laptop carriers, and it’s how I secure my scope to my folding carbine (I can pick up the carbine and carry it by the scope, no problem - two 0.25” diameter magnets on the scope rail and two 0.375” diameter magnets in the handguard of the carbine - holds up to 15 pounds, easily holds 5 pounds with LOTS of shaking).

Never clog, never die, never break, no button hole or button to catch on anything, and silent (the fabric between the two keep it silent).

Who do I talk to at the DOD to make this obvious suggestion?

Natick [the army Natick Soldier Systems Center in located in Natick, Massachusetts, which designs, tests and fields uniforms, boots and field gear] tried magnetic fasteners on fatigues back around '69-'70. They get crushed both in the field and during the Army laundering process.

But if yiou really want to chat with 'em, call here:

U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center
Natick Public Affairs Office
(508) 233-4300 or DSN 256-4300.

[stayathomemom]

Can magnets ruin electronic equipment?

[archy]

I’m from the pre-velcro age of USMC “utilities”. [the Army calls them “fatigues; we Marines don’t fatigue.... ;-) ]

Actually, if the truth be told, I am from the pre-zipper age. We had buttons on our utilities, even the “fly” was button.

In general, I agree.

However, our tanker's coveralls, like aviators' flight suits, go on and off a LOT quicker with zippers instead of umpteen billion buttons to undo and button back up.

And inside a tank, anything that burns or melts is a bad idea. Including Velcro.

[Yardstick]

lol!

[PugetSoundSoldier]

In the 70s, I can believe it - ferrites are fragile, and the early neos were extremely fragile and weak. Magnetics has move a LONG way in 40 years, and new neos are extremely strong and resilient and a lot stronger.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Small ones, nope. You can take a small N48 grade neo magnet that is 3/8” diameter and 1/8” thick and wipe it against your credit card and it won’t affect your card at all. But put two of them together and you can hold 6-7 pounds of force. A pair of such magnets on the pocket, and a pair on the flap would give you 14 pounds of retention, which in all honesty is a LOT of force.

[Oceander]

Velcro is a pain in the tuckus, and it does lose its effectiveness over time.