Boots on the Ground
chemical protection and whilst this could be supplemented by a chemically resistant layer, this has not yet been done and will add to the heat burden and cost.
When it comes to boots, we are really around the bottom of the CDI index. Any woman who goes for a man in overboots has some serious issues! Effectively, we now get into a three- horse race between hazmat boots, some form of membrane with or without carbon, and then the butyl overboot. The first category, the hazmat boot, is very much role-specific. This involves dealing with the widest variety of possible chemicals, not just those optimised for the battlefield. There are still the traditional galoshes or ‘wellington’ boots, as well as the shaped butyl rubber boot, but improvements in barrier technology are producing more comfortable items like the Haix Fire Hunter Extreme. The key to this however, is the phrase ‘increased’
chemical protection – as ever it pays to check the NFPA level! TSWG worked with leading US boot manufacturers Falcon and Globe, and barrier specialists Gore, to create their CB Terrorism Footwear Element, but again this only takes the wearer out to NFPA 1994 (2007), so while it was more comfortable, it remained a hybrid hazmat boot – and closer to the Bluecher product, of which more later. For the true NFPA 1991, you find yourself at the high viscosity PVC alloy, such as the Onguard range, though there does need to be some checking of the suit. Certainly, some users thought that when they bought their ‘decon’ suit with the integral sock, they would not need to tape around the top of the boot. Depending on the manufacturing of the suit – certainly those that were stitched – they were often stitched on the sole of the foot. When chemicals seeped into the boot they found that the stress of walking had separated the seams
slightly, and the downward pressure and weight forced the chemical through the seam into the foot, which is not ideal! Whilst not a boot (or for that matter a suit) issue, it does pay to think about the ensemble as a whole, and not take silly chances. A new product line is now the CBRN boot, this is essentially a normal combat boot, but with added CBRN protection. The logic behind this is that, outside of the Cold War scenario, you never really know when you are going to be subject to a CBRN attack, and whilst the overboot is fine for the ‘lashing of mustard’ end of the scale, how much of a challenge is this nowadays? It means that the user does not need to either carry an additional pair of boots, nor does he have to fish his overboots out of his Bergen (and since most soldiers cannot be bothered to pack a respirator, quite what chance the overboots will have !) and fiddle with various straps and clasps. Brigitte Huerten, Product Manager from Bluecher, explained the
CBRNeWORLD
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