Why do US soldiers wear kneepads around their ankles?

[3Dguy]

As the subject stated, I was curious as to why they do this. From the pictures I've seen, it seems to be common practice. Thanks!

[Frens]

they wear kneedpads around their ankles when the dont need them but they want them ready to use... kneedpads are unconfortable to wear for long perionds of time

[Vandervahn]

The main reason should be that many feel them uncomfortable to wear for a longer time, however good they are ventilated and restrained. IMO its more comfortable to wear them at the ankles and pull them up when needed, than to run around all day wearing them properly and have sweaty knees.

Once your knees are wet with sweat and you remove or pull down the pads, the sudden drop of temperature at the knees is neither comfortable nor healthy.

Edit: too slow...

[kuneho]

I've been playing airsoft for a veeery long time now. The only reason the knee pads are down is that the straps are poorly designed. After so much movement like walking or running, the knee pads just lose traction and falls down to the ankles. It just takes too much effort to pull up the pads back to your knees when you are in a patrol. A split second grabbing those pads could mean life and death. So, soldiers just leave them down there.

I've also been into aggressive inline skating before I joined airsofting. When you have knee pads over your pants, and you have to wear the pads really tightly. Your pants will sweat a lot. It will be very uncomfortable.

Wearing hard shell pads inside the pants isn't a good idea either. Your pants will shred once you hit concrete. I'd recommend the soft / gell type pads to be worn under the pants.

For over the pants, there are some custom made BDU's that have holes in them where knee pad straps will be inserted. That prevents pads from sliding down.

[LaoSexMachine]

They are uncomfortable for long patrols and they tend to slide down themselves.

[lt tahoe]

Well, you may have been playing airsoft for a long time, but he asked about soldiers, and everyone else is right on that one. The issue Bijan's pads stay up pretty well; but they are hot and sweaty, and you don't want to wear them all day when it's 130 degrees F.

[simple jumper]

I talked with one guy who ued to wear them on his jumps (he was a paratrooper) he'd hit his ankle once on a rock a nearly shattered it so ever sicne that jump we'd always wear them on his ankle for an extra bit of safety. Didn't change his landings much but he said he liked knowing they were there.

[snake]

I always like them to protect my shins

My 2 cents

Be Safe
Snake

[RGRBOX]

weak ankles.... back in my day as a Paratrooper, we had the soft black sports knee pads, you'd find volloyball players wearing.. they would be around the knees for the jump but I'd always pull them down afterwards.. not very comfortable to patrol in..

[maw]

now the inevitable: so why do 82nd abn wear kneepads...
just kidding.

[3Dguy]

Thank you very much guys!

[rokdoc]

now the inevitable: so why do 82nd abn wear kneepads...
just kidding.

Muhahahahahahahha......I hear the All American is a new gay *** position. ;-)

[California Joe]

Nice talk maw and doc.

Christ I've laid tile everywhere in this stupid house and I wear kneepads while working, but when I'm walking around I shove them down. It's kinda common sense.

[oregongrunt]

They are uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time because they rub the back of your legs. Also, they tend to work their way down your leg so we let them fall down until needed. Airsofters have no idea what it's like.

[oregongrunt]

Muhahahahahahahha......I hear the All American is a new gay *** position. ;-)
Only in 82nd, not my unit.

[Nokkvi]

now the inevitable: so why do 82nd abn wear kneepads...
just kidding.

I heard they were switching their unit des. from 82nd ABN to the 69th

[CQB_Operator]

there is a new generation of knee pads with less problems
http://www.snapnkneel.com/

[RGRBOX]

Only in 82nd, not my unit.
Probably the Support Bn.. Riggers...

You right about the Airsofters... those guys are all about getting their pictures taken..

Go to one of their web sites if you doubt me...

[rokdoc]

Only in 82nd, not my unit.

What, your unit has gay *** positions? Hah.

In all seriousness, the kneepad pocket in the ACU was supposed to solve the kneepad issue, but it was horribly executed. The Bijan pads suck, too, but they're the best we can get, until some new products are tested.

[B 2/75]

there is a new generation of knee pads with less problems
http://www.snapnkneel.com/

You've gotta be kidding... right?

You don't actually think that those dinky little clips are going to keep them on, do ya? Hell, those are the same kind of clips that are on my boy's suspenders LOL



Here's the REAL reason that the kneepads are always down around their ankles... those are real soldiers, and don't wear garters. The FOBbits, airsofters and posers are better equipped in that department, and have their patella protectors always up in the "ready" position.

[RGRBOX]

You've gotta be kidding... right?

You don't actually think that those dinky little clips are going to keep them on, do ya? Hell, those are the same kind of clips that are on my boy's suspenders LOL



Here's the REAL reason that the kneepads are always down around their ankles... those are real soldiers, and don't wear garters. The FOBbits, airsofters and posers are better equipped in that department, and have their patella protectors always up in the "ready" position.

stupid fvcker....rofl rofl rofl rofl I almost pissed myself....

And I had always though it was because of the fvcking poor elastics in those fvcking vollyball knee pads they were giving us....

Hell I remember getting them in white, and having to dye them black back in my Bat days... those along with the tan sapper gloves... my hands were always black from doing that crap..

[GLax]

i was a big fan of the one kneepad on one by my ankle. i only have one good knee to kneel on so it didnt really make a difference. sometimes when we'd have to do a raid or something, we'd wear extra elbowpads on our shins. if anyone has ever been in one of those houses, you prolly know about those damn tables that are like shin high and hurt like hell when you smash your leg on them.

[ISMilREP]

Knee pads tend to restrict movement alot (at least mine do), and, like he other gentlemen on this thread have said, they fall down by themselves. Personally, i'm too lazy to pull them back up, because to do that requires alot of bending over, not preferable when wearing IBA...

[oregongrunt]

What, your unit has gay *** positions? Hah.

In all seriousness, the kneepad pocket in the ACU was supposed to solve the kneepad issue, but it was horribly executed. The Bijan pads suck, too, but they're the best we can get, until some new products are tested.
What, no sense of humor?

[crazyman]

yknow, i honestly never was bothered by wearin kneepads for a long time...IF they were situated right. if the pants underneath were all folded over that got annoying real quick

[Durandal]

I've been playing airsoft for a veeery long time now...

rofl rofl rofl

[kuneho]

Ooh, you must be delta.

[LaoSexMachine]

Well, playing airsoft and patrolling in the hot ass sun is not the same. Cause like I said before They are uncomfortable on long patrols.

[kuneho]

Sorry, that was aimed at Durandal. They just make me cry when they put down airsoft, since it's only a sport and we don't shoot live ammo at each other.

Sorry, I can't join the military as my father's wish. (He was a Lt.Col in served as Battalion Commander for 21st Inf "Invincible" Battaltion, 5 Inf Division, based in Isabela, Philippines in 1988-1989. The poor little battalion's named after him. So touching. He died 3 months as Bn Cmr, boohoo. No daddy, no real guns. But hey, I got my knee pads and I can play soldier.)

[Swedish_Marine]

I have a pair of Hatch kneepads. I´ve only used them once so far, but I must say that they get quite uncomfortable after a few hours. Even if it´s sub zero temperatures you sweat like a pig at the back of your knees, and the straps on the pads rub against your legs, causing heat rash that itch and burns like a sonovabitch. Whenever we´re in woodland terrain, I won´t wear them because the ground is mostly soft, but when in urban terrain, I wouldn´t want to be without them, because it gives you comfort when kneeling.

[Death.]

As the subject stated, I was curious as to why they do this. From the pictures I've seen, it seems to be common practice. Thanks!

It's cuz they want to look like airsofters. Duh.

:P

I'm an airsofter myself,haha

AS Would be much cooler amongst you types if it was all made in the USA,oorah

[kuneho]

To re-cap the forum rules for those who don't abide by them, it's never too late, thank you for your cooperation:

5. Don't be a poser. Being yourself is good enough; there's no need to try to be something you're not. If you don't know something, ask and people will respect you for your honesty.

6. Don't hijack a good conversation thread with an off-topic political or flame war. Posts of this nature will be deleted from now on.

1. Be civil to your fellow forum user. They'll respect you if you respect them.

[RGRBOX]

Knee pads were always uncomfortable... but they did make you look kool... if looking kool is what you wanted to look like... I myself, just wanted to save my knees on jumps... which they barly did.. on the other hand if you lost yours then you were totally fvcked... they were part of the uniform..

Now, remember those black ancle braces they were giving out to test... I did take those, and they worked well.. they wanted us to wear them on the insode of the boots... but that didn't work.. I would take out the jell pads, and wear them on the outside of my boots.. then once I got to the Alpa, Alpa, I'd take them off and put them in my ruck... that was a good piece of kit... saved my ankles in the end...

[Durandal]

Sorry, that was aimed at Durandal. They just make me cry when they put down airsoft, since it's only a sport and we don't shoot live ammo at each other.


*sigh*

I am not mocking airsoft, just mocking the use of airsoft when used as an explanation why real soldiers do what they do.

Its sort of like me giving a reason for why because I use Knee Pads when I lay down floor.

Airsoft is cool if that is your thing, everyone has hobbies. I am simply tired airsoft kids laying down words of wisdom about crap that has nothing to do with airsoft...

...like that one kid who claimed the Beretta 92 sucked because the airsoft version made by company X sucked.

rofl

That $hit cracks me up.

[Durandal]

To re-cap the forum rules for those who don't abide by them, it's never too late, thank you for your cooperation:

rofl rofl rofl

[RGRBOX]

*sigh*

I am not mocking airsoft,

can I knock airsoft... this isn't the airsoft board is it... wouldn't want to break any rules...p-)

[ronin2172]

Knee pads were always uncomfortable... but they did make you look kool... if looking kool is what you wanted to look like... I myself, just wanted to save my knees on jumps... which they barly did.. on the other hand if you lost yours then you were totally fvcked... they were part of the uniform..

Now, remember those black ancle braces they were giving out to test... I did take those, and they worked well.. they wanted us to wear them on the insode of the boots... but that didn't work.. I would take out the jell pads, and wear them on the outside of my boots.. then once I got to the Alpa, Alpa, I'd take them off and put them in my ruck... that was a good piece of kit... saved my ankles in the end...
Just out of curiosity how would a kneepad save your knee during a jump? Are you sure you don't mean a knee brace?

[RGRBOX]

Just out of curiosity how would a kneepad save your knee during a jump? Are you sure you don't mean a knee brace?
We used to jump often on hard surfaced DZs. In fact there's a landing strip on Sicily DZ at Bragg, and we used to do Airport Parachute assaults. Remember that Airports are perfect for Airborne assaults because of their size, and once taken you can land additional troops. Anyway, you never know what kind of PLF your going to do... but if it's a front PLF the chances are your going to land on your knees... I don't know who came up with the idea of wearing knee pads on jumps, but they saved me a few times...

[Mountain Man]

they wear kneedpads around their ankles when the dont need them but they want them ready to use... kneedpads are unconfortable to wear for long perionds of time


That is right on. When you stage a lot as opposed to walking the straps dig in so I slip mine down on my non-kneeling leg. On the ankle they are not too far to pull up and start using. Beats having to dig in your bag for them.

And no, I use mine in conjunction with real bullets ;-) :hug: