Couple notes:
- CAP authorizes a number of flying uniforms. Some doofus Wings have superseded the National regs for no particularly good reason and go all Nomex. Most Wings don't. The one guy I saw flying in Blues probably had to throw the shirt away afterward from the sweat damage.
- Mist folks I know who wear the zoom bags in CAP do it because slightly oversized, they'll fit over damn near anything you're wearing in Civilian clothes and then you're "in uniform". Toss a zoom bag and black shoes and socks in the trunk of the car and you're able to show up at any moment's notice and not have to worry about the more detailed uniforms.
- Case in point: Murphy said grey jeans. The reg technically doesn't allow jeans. It says slacks. Since its the other popular non-USAF style uniform, the CAP polo shirt combo is the most abused uniform on the planet. Pants aren't right. Black tennis shoes are seen. Etc. National wimps out on describing the thing properly but the photos in the regulation sure ain't showing jeans and tennis shoes. Definitely never was how it was intended. HOWEVER: I'd rather see someone in cotton jeans than freaking nylon polyester slacks. So whatever.
I don't own nor want a zoom bag. And I'll carry proper Colorado winter clothing and put it on over the top of ANY of the CAP uniforms since NONE are proper cold weather gear.
Frankly if someone feels like flying in the mountains around here in winter without real clothes on, they're an idiot. Losing limbs to frostbite after a crash or dying of exposure is really really stupid, especially if your winter clothes are back in your car where you changed out of them to get into a uniform. No thanks. Cite me for a uniform violation and we'll have some pointed words. Surviving in the mountains isn't a game. Feel free to freeze to death in your perfect uniform.
The hardest thing in CAP uniform is proper footwear. The zoom bag at least allows for boots and if you go get good ones instead of mil-surplus crap boots, you can hike your ass out if you need to. The polo uniform is low soles and black leather. That's gonna suck hiking in three feet of snow. So that's another reason for the zoom bag. Not so much your body but what you can put on your feet.
I think BDUs are authorized flight uniforms. That's probably the best way to go in winter. Well except for being frigging camouflaged when you're trying to be found. Stupid stupid stupid.
Best uniform ever was the unauthorized Colorado Ground Team uniform that National nixed and various people's heads rolled. Bright orange flannel shirt from a hunting store and OD green pants with a web belt, and real hiking boots mil-spec or not. They added blue name tapes and a few patches to at least give some sense they were a uniform. Your own real winter parka authorized over it.
Looked fine to me. Smarter for cold weather than anything officially authorized. Also kept hunters from shooting ground teams, a side benefit, shall we say.
CAP doesn't have a proper cold weather uniform. Unofficially, you do what you feel you need to do. John johns and therms silks under a zoom bag will keep you from freezing to death rapidly. You'll freeze to death slowly but by then you've set the remains of the aircraft on fire to garner some attention.
