Mountain/Cold Weather Clothing System (or Cold Weather Layering System, CWLS)
The Marine Corps requires a Mountain/Cold Weather Clothing System with improvements that provide:
- Better moisture management
- More flexibility in layering to better adapt to changing environment and level of protection needed (-40°F to 70°F temperature, wet/dry, wind, camouflage, activity level).
- Faster drying time
- Lighter weights
- Lower pack volume
- Improved Marine performance/effectiveness in harsh climates
Components
- Underwear
- Silkweight Underwear (later replaced by FR version)
- Underwear/Light insulation
- Grid Fleece Underwear (later replaced by FR version)
- Soft Shell/Insulation
- Wind Pro Fleece Jacket
- Hard Shell
- Lightweight Exposure Suit (lightweight hard-shell rain suit)
- Extreme Cold Weather
- Happy Suit (extreme cold weather jacket, trousers, booties)
- Camouflage
- Snow Camouflage Overwhite(jacket, trouser, pack cover)
- Handwear
- Mitten System and Liner
- Headwear
- Fleece Cap
Similar System
References
- MCWCS APBI [2007] [2007] [2008] [2009] [2010]
- http://www.marcorsyscom.usmc.mil/sites/pmice/InfoPapers/Clothing/SnowCamo.pdf [2007] [2008] [2009]
- http://www.polartec.com/markets/military/usmc-cold-weather-layering-system.aspx
- http://www.polartec.com/uploads/pdfs/POL_Mil_USMC_CWLS.pdf
See Also: /ECWCS, /ECWCS/GEN2/SyntheticFleeceSuit, /ECWCS/GEN3, /ECWCS/GEN3/Level1, /ECWCS/GEN3/Level2, /ECWCS/GEN3/Level3, /ECWCS/GEN3/Level6, /ECWCS/GEN3/Level7, /ECWCS/LWCWUS, /ECWCS/PolypropyleneUnderwear, /FR/FROG, /MC/FleecePullover, /MCWCS/FleeceCap, /MCWCS/GridFleeceUnderwear, /MCWCS/GridFleeceUnderwearFR, /MCWCS/SilkweightUnderwear, /MCWCS/SilkweightUnderwearFR, /MCWCS/WindProFleeceJacket, /cloth/Commercial, /headwear/MicroFleeceCap