In the Empire Magazine Interview, HF says this about his gear:
"It's a bizarre costume if you stop to consider it, a man wearing a leather jacket in generally hot locales. But I understood that if he's carrying a whip, he might as well wear a leather jacket because it doesn't make any ******* sense anyway."
I love Mr. Ford like an adoptive father and a roll model and I think he's absolutely right about the jacket. I think the rest of the outfit, sans jacket, works in hot weather. I know, I wear some variation of it year round, even in the summer.
I would have to agree with Ford on the gear. I buy the gear in spite of the practicality of it. Wool pants are too difficult to take care of. Leather isn't practical for hot weather and it's too expensive to just beat up. A bullwhip is pretty useless. A good fedora probably didn't cost nearly as much back then, so it would be more practical back then, but today a good fedora costs an arm and a leg.
It handn't dawned on me that they were wool when I wrote that. I always wear cotton pants and never have a problem with heat. Some hot days it's actually cooler with long pants.
In desert locales, though, it gets awfully cold when the sun goes down. Sometimes you have to endure being hot to survive being cold in the same 24 hours. A leather jacket goes a long way in preventing bug bites as well.
And he wasn't wearing that jacket in the Cairo marketplace, was he?
Soldiers all over the world wear wool trousers in all climates, so what doesn't make sense to some isn't questioned at all by others.
I don't think the gear is near as crazy as one thinks. I find it very practical.
Wool pants make sense. So would a cotton shirt. Sturdy, popular, and typical of the time.
I think HF's issues are mainly with the leather jacket and felt hat. Neither is good for warm climates, especially humid jungles. There would have been better jacket materials for desert cold. And that hat! Even in the days of hat wearing, straw would have trumped felt in warmer areas.
[quote="Chewbacca Jones"]Now Belloq... he dressed for the climate!/quote]
I'll agree with you there. A pith helmet makes your head cooler than a fedora and takes low tree branches better. A Panama is stylin' and cooling, though I think you'd be crazy to wear shorts in the jungle.
Renderking Fisk wrote: I think the rest of the outfit, sans jacket, works in hot weather.
WOOL pants??
Wool is a terrific outdoor fabric even in summer if the weight is right. It has been a traditional woodsmen fabric for ages. Its popularity has wained somewhat in recent decades as nylon outperforms it across the board in warmer temps. Still all of my hiking and running socks are wool regardless of season.
In the outdoor industry cotton is persona non grata.
Chewbacca Jones wrote:Wool pants make sense. So would a cotton shirt. Sturdy, popular, and typical of the time.
I think HF's issues are mainly with the leather jacket and felt hat. Neither is good for warm climates, especially humid jungles. There would have been better jacket materials for desert cold. And that hat! Even in the days of hat wearing, straw would have trumped felt in warmer areas.
Now Belloq... he dressed for the climate!
The issue with the felt hat, from the character's perspective, makes sense once you know the hat's origin from LC. Its a lucky charm or an avatar representing the resilience and determination needed to be who young Henry Jones Jr. is. Practically, give me my mesh fedora for the jungle. I will keep the whip and the .45 Revolver though !
Argonaut wrote:I suppose it could get pretty cold at night in the desert, but in the day I doubt I could survive in anything more than cotton clothing.
I survived just fine wearing (heavy, East German police) wool trousers on a hot day in Los Angeles.
To be honest, cotton pants would've been more comfortable in the day, but even I found it cold that night when the sun went down.
Nice outfit! I think of Big Bad Voodoo Daddies...Zoot Suit Riot!
Same reason why does Captain Jack Sparrow wear what he does being in the Caribbean! Sometimes you wonder what costume / prop people are thinking during character development!
Serial Hero wrote:
You also have to remember that what is considered impractical by today’s standards was the norm for the period the films were set in.
Which is why I'm totally fine with Indy's gear. It looks practical enough for the period, and that's all that matters. It looks sort of like something Indy could easily obtain back then. I don't think it's as practical for me to try to dress like Indy in my everyday life, though. I doubt Indy would wear the same clothes and gear if he was around today.
Argonaut wrote:Which is why I'm totally fine with Indy's gear. It looks practical enough for the period, and that's all that matters. It looks sort of like something Indy could easily obtain back then. I don't think it's as practical for me to try to dress like Indy in my everyday life, though. I doubt Indy would wear the same clothes and gear if he was around today.
I’m sure if the films were set today he would have cargo pants, a safari type shirt (maybe with those little tabs to keep his sleeves rolled up), modern hiking boots, a shoulder bag or day pack, and an old ball cap. He may or may not have a pistol, as traveling with a firearm is a lot more difficult now a days (you can’t just throw one in your suitcase anymore. There are all kinds of silly regulations you have to deal with while traveling abroad).
Wool will also tend to keep you warm, even when it is wet, so when the nightime temps fall, I'd pick wool over cotton any day. When cotton gets wet it takes a long time to dry. Think about today's denim jeans. When they get wet, you're soaking for hours until you can get them off.
I think Indy's whole outfit was suited for a character in the 1930's. Men wore hats and jackets, although I also question the choice of leather for jungle expeditions. The whip is a product of imagination, though, but one that has stood the test of time for a movie character. The boots are not well suited for Tibetian mountains, desert sands, or South American jungles.
Although it all seems impractical today, consider the times.
A lot of our GI gear was made of wool, even for action in the Pacific. Even when I was in the service during the Vietnam days, a lot of clothing was made of wool.
So, considering the time, I can't argue a whole lot. Except for the fact that he didn't have to wear a heavy leather jacket in South America, Egypt, India, ,etc. However, I have observed that a leather jacket becomes like a second skin. It keeps you cool when it's hot and warm when it's cool. Who cares. Anything else would not have worked.
I just received my copy of Empire last night, and that paragraph with Harrison commenting on the gear had me splitting my sides with laughter. My wife (listening to music on her laptop with headphones on), just looked down at me lying on the floor, convulsed with mirth, and said: "Whatever you are reading is not that funny."
As far as I'm concerned, that was worth the price of the whole ($10) magazine!!!
So if you jump into a river wearing wool pants, do they still shrink a lot while they're on you? I'm thinking that would be an odd sight and an inconvenience if you're in the middle of an adventure.
Ozraptor wrote:I wonder how he coped wearing the new heavier jacket in Hawaii? Perhaps being in the shade (relatively speaking) it wasn't so bad…
They had a padded jacket made that could have a special ice filled rubber bladder inserted within the liner. It was used for a lot of the filming in Hawaii and acted as marginal protection in some of the rougher contact scenes. just kidding.
whipwarrior wrote:I just received my copy of Empire last night, and that paragraph with Harrison commenting on the gear had me splitting my sides with laughter. My wife (listening to music on her laptop with headphones on), just looked down at me lying on the floor, convulsed with mirth, and said: "Whatever you are reading is not that funny."
As far as I'm concerned, that was worth the price of the whole ($10) magazine!!!
And also the journalist interviews: "What are you, French?"
I was nodding my head and saying, "see, I knew it!" out loud while my girlfriend was looking at me and saying, "are you reading about Harrison Ford again?"
Ozraptor wrote:I wonder how he coped wearing the new heavier jacket in Hawaii? Perhaps being in the shade (relatively speaking) it wasn't so bad…
I can tell you right now that leather jackets in Hawaii are not a good idea. D= I can't even stand wearing pants right now it's so hot! The first week I was here (winter, the rainy season) I got away with pants, and it stays pretty comfortable with the tradewinds, but even so... long sleeves and pants aren't really tolerable for me here. Even wearing a thin jacket walking in between classes is too hot.
BUT this could also be because I learned to live in shorts and tanks last summer. I suppose if you're a pants and long-sleeves type person you might be able to stand it better.
Before polyester and other modern fabrics wool was much more common. Until Lycra became available, wool was used for bicycle jerseys. I have a friend who still uses them. He says that wool "breathes" better and you don't get as sweaty or stinky after a long ride.
Harrison is probably no more into the IJ movie as Sean Connery was into James Bond. It's a make believe role that as an actor Harrison enters into for the time required on set to make the movie and make the big bucks.
And in that vein, the clothing is 'make believe' too. I don't think they were ever chosen with too much practicality or historical accuracy involved in the process.
But they are 'nice' fantasy items and the hat in particular (along with the whip symbolise the character of Indy) is VERY NICE.
But I wouldn't dissect the practicalities of the clothing too much. Some folk love to dress as a member of the USS Enterprise..etc, If you enjoy wearing the ensemble, then that's what matters
Fur felt hats are worn all over the world in hot climates. They breath very well and are much better protection from the sun than many of the cheap straw hats available. The Aussies wear wide brimmed felt hats all the time. They know the dangers of the sun. I think it is odd to say that a felt hat is impractical.
A leather jacket is excellent for protection from the sun also. It’s also much more protective against abrasion and sharp foliage than fabric. I’ve worn my G&B Expo in pretty hot climates and have been very comfortable. I would rather be slightly warm than get a bad burn.
The boots aren’t too bad for hiking when the environment is dry. But they are definitely not water resistant. I remember hiking on Maui with my 405’s while it was raining and I got a pretty bad blister from them due to my socks being soaked. Not fun.
I hike and explore with a bullwhip all the time. It is an important part of my gear and I don’t go into the wilderness with out one.
I can’t comment on wool pants. I tend to wear BDU trousers.
The bag is quite useful. For a very brief period I used my MKVII but tend to prefer gear that doesn’t swing around in front of me when I’m climbing, etc. I prefer a back pack or butt pack as my preferred set-up. I think that a shoulder bag is quite useful though for everyday use.
I don’t carry a gun as of yet. I much prefer a good fixed blade and an SAK.
So, really, I think that Indy’s gear is actually quite practical in many ways. Especially given the time period it is set in. I often think that H. Ford tries too hard to distinguish himself from the characters he plays by making fun of them.
I hike and explore with a bullwhip all the time. It is an important part of my gear and I don’t go into the wilderness with out one.
Hey EDGE
I have often thought of doing the same, but did not know if it would be useful(fun for sure). What length do you carry with yourself, and have you had an occasion to use it??
Thanks!!
Bowie
I was up exploring ghost town sites the other day and was wishing I had brought my whip along. The Wested and the bag came in handy. The snow was too wet and deep for Aldens though.
Argonaut wrote:I suppose it could get pretty cold at night in the desert, but in the day I doubt I could survive in anything more than cotton clothing.
I survived just fine wearing (heavy, East German police) wool trousers on a hot day in Los Angeles.
To be honest, cotton pants would've been more comfortable in the day, but even I found it cold that night when the sun went down.
Dude... you live in Alberta, you don't know from hot. My wife, a Calgarian, often remarks how those cool dry late autum days here (Tennessee) are "just like a Calgary summers day"
Then wouldn't I be TOO hot coming from snowy wintery November to sunny California and then wearing winter wool police pants if I don't know from hot? Hades ain't hot enough for me.
It often gets hotter in Calgary than in LA in the summer (and Calgary never gets as hot as it gets in the prairies where I grew up). Though for Tennessee, I have no point of reference at all. ... and I thought Atlanta in November was too freakin' cold.
And never call a fella 'dude'... that's just mean.
Snakewhip_Sable wrote:Then wouldn't I be TOO hot coming from snowy wintery November to sunny California and then wearing winter wool police pants if I don't know from hot? Hades ain't hot enough for me.
It often gets hotter in Calgary than in LA in the summer (and Calgary never gets as hot as it gets in the prairies where I grew up). Though for Tennessee, I have no point of reference at all. ... and I thought Atlanta in November was too freakin' cold.
And never call a fella 'dude'... that's just mean.
My first visit to AB., 3 June of '01 It was freakin' snowing out there... that is just so wrong, on so many levels. Still and all, I would move there in a heartbeat, loveliest place I have ever been. You are quite lucky
I remember that vividly. It was a very, very, very upsetting freak occurance. It happened also a day we flew a technician in from Texas and he commented how he expected and wished to have seen snow on his first visit to Canada. We make sure we watch what he says when he's here.
The only other time it snowed in June was 1996, and that was only for an hour and it was gone in an hour. The next day was just like summer again.
Sometimes I think there's some nutjob experimenting with a weather machine in the mountains and he rains it down on us for beta testing.
I have often thought of doing the same, but did not know if it would be useful(fun for sure). What length do you carry with yourself, and have you had an occasion to use it??
Thanks!!
Bowie
Bowie,
I have two whips that I maintain as my primary “hiking” whips. One is 8 feet and the other is somewhere closer to 7 feet. Which one I use depends only on my random choosing at the moment but I tend to prefer the 8 footer. I have used a whip on many occasions to scare off animals and as a climbing aid for both myself and others but I find more than anything that I’m comforted by just it being present. I know it sounds silly but it makes me happy so that’s how it is.
I’ve gotten all kinds looks and remarks from folks over the years. Everything from people thinking it is cool to out right jeering to people visibly being nervous to a simple smirk and eye roll. But more often than not I get people generally being interested and asking questions which I’m more than happy to answer.
GENERAL DISCLAIMER: The whips that I use for hiking and exploring have been wrapped around rough tree bark, scraped against rocks, dragged through the dirt and mud, rained on, used to support my own weight, cracked on all manner of abrasive surface and generally abused. ALL of these whips were built by me and I retain the right to use them for stupid things with the knowledge that I can make a new one. I DO NOT recommend doing any of these things to your very expensive Morgan, Strain, Winrich, DelCarpio, Midwest, Murphy, Wojiciki, etc. You do so at your own personal and financial risk.
The_Edge wrote:I have used a whip on many occasions to scare off animals and as a climbing aid for both myself and others but I find more than anything that I’m comforted by just it being present. I know it sounds silly but it makes me happy so that’s how it is.
Thanks Edge. The animal factor was my main reason, and I would have liked to have had one with me on a few occasions. I'd like to see your work, got any pics??? And... let the passers by say what they will, you're the one with the whip besides you should see the pig sticker I take with me "adventures"
I grew up in the deserts of Arizona and have always worn long pants, they are cooler, wool can be almost as cool as cotton, depending on the weight. A fur felt hat? Never went a day without one. I was working cattle and training horses 10-15 a day and you do stay cooler and warmer, but your body has to adjust to always wearing a hat. A leather jacket, well didn't have one, but i wish I had had one. I wore chaps often, especially when looking for cattle in mesquite thickets, same idea just on your legs and it was good to have protection from the sun, some days if you didn't have your chaps you'd get a sunburn through your pants. I was thinking though that I think if I had had a leather jacket I would have had one with cotton lining in the sleeves too. The satin doesn't breath and really, I think feels just as warm. A whip? I hated the days I was without one, and on those days without I ended up using the pig tail end of my rope as a whip.
Just my 2 cents.
