Timothy Group Blog

If you didn’t grow up in a military family, the terminology around uniforms can be confusing. Here’s what you need to know for CHALLENGE.

Pieces

There are different pieces to a uniform. Of course, everyone needs t-shirts, socks, and shoes of some sort, but the only official military style piece you’ll need to pack for CHALLENGE is the pants, commonly referred to as trousers. You’re welcome to also bring a matching outer shirt (usually referred to as a coat, jacket, or blouse) but it’s not required.

These two pieces are made of a thick, durable cotton or cotton blend fabric. They have reinforced knees and seats and lots of pockets to carry all your necessities.

Patterns

If you enjoy this kind of stuff, you can research for hours about all the military clothing camo patterns throughout modern history. From Frog Skin to Kryptek, they’re grouped into Families, just as if you were classifying animals. You’ll hear acronyms thrown around like footballs at a tailgate party.

The ones that are approved for CHALLENGE are called MultiCam or OCP (Operational Camouflage Pattern). They’re composed of seven shades of browns and greens and have been in use across military branches since the early 2000’s.

The pattern that is most often mistakenly brought to CHALLENGE instead of MultiCam or OCP is called M81 Woodland. One way to recognize (and avoid) Woodland is that one of its four colors is black. It’s a darker and higher contrast pattern.

Procurement

Although you can certainly purchase new trousers and coats, you can also shop second hand. MultiCam/OCP pants should be available at any army surplus store, and I’ve also found them at thrift stores and flea markets… you just have to be careful and know which camo pattern you’re looking for. Your easiest second hand option may be an online surplus store, like venturesurplus.com.

That being said, if you’re having trouble finding what you need, or if you signed up for CHALLENGE with only a couple of weeks to prepare, or if you don’t have the funds to spend on this special outfit, we do have loaners available in several different sizes. First come, first serve.

Prepared

TLDR: If you bring a pair of pants in MultiCam or OCP, you’ll be all set for CHALLENGE.

If you’re unsure whether what you’ve found will work, feel free to ask ahead of time. We’re happy to help you check the pattern or answer questions. The most important thing is showing up ready for the adventure, and we’ll do our best to get you what you need to graduate from CHALLENGE with style.