About my final major project, my topic is survival. Nowadays lots of people still suffering war. And humans are fragile when they face danger. Therefore this idea comes to my mind. I want to know what kind of cloth can protect humans in danger situation. Actually, it’s a big challenge for me, because it is a quite broad topic. Meantime it’s hard do research in the beginning. Besides the military uniforms also attract me, because of it’s made by camouflage fabric. And this color could help solders easy to hide in brushwood. Actually , there are lots of animals have same ability. They throughout them skin color to avoid hunt by predictor. Therefore, I will explored more informations about some extreme places and how people surveil in these situation.
Firstly, I went to Imperial War Museum, and there are lots of military transportation, aircraft, and minor naval vessels in various majority exhibition buildings. The most impressive one is an exhibition of military suits. The shape and color of uniforms would help them easy to hide in jungle to avoid by enemy. Meantime ,the helmet also attractive me, because it design by green color and there regrind of meshes. Some animals, such as Chameleon hold an ability to quickly change them skin pattern and colors. And solders have some wild facilities be used in jungle, such as sleeping bag. It inspire a lot.
On the following stage, I wen to the scot polar museum, and i saw lots of tools and different clothes in museum. Local people prefer seal skin as fabric to do clothes or other tools. Seal skin is a wonderful material in polar region, because the seals are easy to hunt. Another main usage of seals skin is water proof. Therefore local people would use at least 2 layer to made cloth or shoes. Inside is fox fur to keep warm, outside layer is seal skin to avoid water.
Throughout FMP, I learn a lot of wild survival skills. And I saw various documentaries of adventure in extreme place, and I try use different elements in my final design.When I making my final outfit, I face different problems. The most difficult problem for me is sleeping bag. I need to make sure sleeping bag can shape a rectangle. Firstly, I try to use iron wire to make sure the shape, but it’s hard to keep shape in reality. Finally, I use velcro in my design, The function of velcro is helping my sleeping bag to sticks in back, and it is a good way to hold the shape of sleeping bag. And I need to saw sleeping bag by my hand, and I use tape sticking in my fabric to make sure the line straight. Another problem for me is sleeves. Actually It is difficult to deal with details in sleeves. And I have 4 layers to sew. Therefore, I need sew by my hands. In conclusion, clothes have various function in different situations. Throughout these research, I know different fabrics suit in different places. For example, in jungle, camouflage is a good choice. Beside, water proof and anti-mosquito also are important in jungle. In polar region, the function of waterproof and warm are significant. In my final out fit, I will use water proof material as main fabric. Meantime, this sleeping bag has another function that when people do not good at swimming, the sleeping bag may save people. About my other design, I use the elements of safety jacket in my design. All in all, I wish my design can express some informations about awareness of unexpected development to people. Because of recently, people are in a safety and steady environment( no including battle). We have been forget we are a part of nurture. In our life, the most important thing is money. We forget the all skills in wild or danger place, and we forget how to hunt by ourselves. We do not has adventure spirt. Therefore, I wish I can express some information about how people adopt environment in the past.
doris793 