Budget impression - need help with belt/webbing colour .....

I'm struggling with the belt, however. Despite having Y-straps, mag pouches, bread bags etc in olive, I can't find any reference to olive webbing belts, only tan - assumedly there were'nt any ??

Hi,having recently spoken to Richard Underwood regarding "tropical" webbing, I can confirm that the belts were indeed olive colour. You could possibly colour the webbing you have ?

I know that I could buy a 2-prong leather belt for £15-ish posted, or various black leather/DDR buckle combinations for less, but I am really trying to spend as little as possible - if I have something in the bits boxes that I can adapt then I'd prefer to do that.

The buckle would have been the normal Heer buckle type. I can't suggest how you'd attach that.

dylon olive green dye sorts out tan webbing.

I'm struggling with the belt, however. Despite having Y-straps, mag pouches, bread bags etc in olive, I can't find any reference to olive webbing belts, only tan - assumedly there were'nt any ??

Hi,having recently spoken to Richard Underwood regarding "tropical" webbing, I can confirm that the belts were indeed olive colour. You could possibly colour the webbing you have ?

Ahh, that's good news

When I stated that the belt webbing was the 'wrong' colour that's due to it being olive, ie the wrong colour if the belt's were all tan, as I'd thought - if they were actually green, that's perfect.

Looks like the belt webbing is sorted then, just need to sort a buckle now .................. hmmm

The dylon works well - I've got a post-war bread bag, and a few other pouches, which I'm going to dye; even if they look 'washed out' that looks fine anyway.

I think we need to address the shade of 'olive'. For german webbing it wasn't the same as say the US olive. It usually appears as a green tint to a base of tan. It's subtle. We are not really talking breadbag olive. Against an olive DAK tunic it would still look light.

I think we need to address the shade of 'olive'. For german webbing it wasn't the same as say the US olive. It usually appears as a green tint to a base of tan. It's subtle. We are not really talking breadbag olive. Against an olive DAK tunic it would still look light.

Fair point - the webbing/strapping that I was hoping to use is a similar shade to the 'standard' repro breadbag / mag pouch green.

What colour is the webbing/belt in this pic (from Kompanie 14 website), tan or olive ? >

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He's Luftwaffe, not Heer. What impression are you doing?

The belt looks like the standard repro DAK shade. It may be original, who can say from that pic? They did fade out.
Dunno about the Y straps, they look darker than anything I've seen before. I have very few bits of original German webbing, none are as dark as that. That doesn't mean there wasn't dark colour web. It's very obviously brown/olive as opposed to green/olive if you catch my drift.

Steiner >

Depends on what I can put together for how little, tbh, but I'm probably edging towards FJ, as there's more leeway then as to colours and types of gear, and they were in/around various theatres.

I've got >

* Either Brit lightweights (with no side pocket so no date giveaway) or Belgian Moon & Ball trousers (1956 vintage so quite faded - Italian-esq ?), with post-war green/grey gaiters & cut-down assault/para boots.
* Blue, '60's uniform collared shirt (= lufty ?)
* Para style helmet, with leather chin strap
* Cheap M43-style camo cap (but will likely cover it with either grey or blue felt/cotton drill) OR possibly try to pick up a cheap post-war blue side cap if definately going for FJ.

* Looking at either a cheap camo smock (but re Gadge's 'too much camo thread' not sure on this one - couple of Sumpf smocks on e-bay currently but may not be big enough), possibly a cheap Swedish or DDR tunic, or a modified set of heavyweight Dutch coveralls, in a para smock style - cut the legs off & use spare material to sew 2x fake shoulder pocket flaps and make a green helmet cover). Biggest issue with clothing is that it needs to be 48"+ chest, and that then becomes expensive. I've even looked at buying a zelt and making a smock but Zelt's arn't cheap either !

Webbing - obviously not sure yet - I've got fabric from a '58 large pack to make mag pouches, and a post-war bread bag.

Weapon - I'm modifying a spare AK, to look more like a MP44, used with either standard or long '74 mags as the curve is nearer the correct item.

Poacher >

Yes, that makes sense (sadly )

Get a splinter zelt and wear that, it covers 70% of your uniform and kit so details wont be so important. Good for Heer and Lufty and better than a smock.
Yes, it rains in Tunisia, ask George Lucas, and gets cold in the rest of the desert.

Using a Zelt is probably the best idea, likely to be most authentic and certainly worth looking at.

I noticed some Italian camo jackets on e-bay, which would probably work and weren't too badly priced, but again they're tight on size

I think I'm going to scrap the fabric belt idea, in favour of trying to find a cheap leather one, either as a 2-prong 'Officers' type or an EM version, with a DDR buckle.