Flight suit

Going to camp soon? Have questions about camp? Post them here for those that have gone to answer.

Moderator: Vincent

Post Reply
Lin
Camper
Camper
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2012 11:53 pm

Flight suit

Post by Lin »

Hi everyone,

I'm going for the adult 3-day camp at the end of August (squeeee!) and I want to get a flight suit. My questions:

- Will I be the only one wearing one or do adult campers actually wear these?

- I was thinking of going through the "optional purchase form" to order one. Is that a good idea or bad?

- How are they size-wise? Do they run big or small? It looks like they offer adult small, adult medium, adult large, etc. I'm female, 5'3", 140 pounds. I generally wear size 8-10 pants.... I have no idea what that translates into for a flight suit!

- Oh, and maybe most importantly. . . . do you wear clothes under the suits or do you not?

Thank you SO much!
User avatar
Richasi
Top Gun
Top Gun
Posts: 506
Joined: Sun Aug 11, 2002 9:35 pm
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Contact:

Re: Flight suit

Post by Richasi »

Lin, congrats!

Wearing a flight suit at any stage of Camp is a personal decision. I wore one for a day or two at both youth Camp and Academy, Level I experiences, but most kids did not. When I attended an Adult session in 2003 maybe one out of the entire group wore a flight suit. Most didn't care really. So if YOU are interested in wearing one, go for it! That's what you're there for is it not? :)

Although I can't help you with sizes (I've not worn one since I went to youth camp myself - kind of expensive), I can offer this: wear something underneath it. I guarantee you're gonna get hot and you're gonna want to take that off and if you don't have anything else on... well... ;)

Learned that the hard way.
Space Camp • June 11-16, 1989 - Session 31 - Martin Marietta
Space Academy, Level 1 • June 16-21, 1991 - Session 24 - BDM
Adult Space Academy • September 26-28, 2003 - Session 52 - Discovery
Alumni Camp • June 14-17, 2007 - Session 38 - Challenger
User avatar
p51
HabForum Junkie
HabForum Junkie
Posts: 1058
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:36 am
Location: 2558 miles from Space Camp
Contact:

Post by p51 »

Probably best to call the gift shop and ask about sizes, I bet people come in there and ask all the time.
Check eBay, there's a vendor on there right now who is selling what he says are brand new SC flight suits (we called them "bags" in the Army) for way less than the camp store does.
I wore flight suits in airplanes all the time over the years and have found that t-shirt and a pair of short pants is a good idea underneath. Some military pilots (especially in desert or tropical climates) go 'commando', which I really don't suggest to anyone in a Space Camp environment! 8O
I was lucky enought to find a almost new condition one at a military collectibles show a while back which fit well, so I know what my best size is and have since found some older ones from the 80s that fit me, too (I have posted a lot about that here: http://habforum.hab1.com/viewtopic.php?t=2411).
I'm going in September and already have my own completely personalized (I'm going to be putting the camp 30th anniversary patch on it, though, before I go). One of my hobbies is collecting military flight gear so I have probably a dozen + flight suits from the military, my time in flying in WW2 airplanes, some which are movie props and other places. I recently also scored a real NASA CWU73P flightsuit which fits me. I doubt I'll be bringing that as Nomex is very hot in the summer time.
Skidmark
Space Academy: 2012, 2013 and 2014
Advanced Space Academy: 2016 and 2018

Undefeated for winning mission patch designs!
Official Space Camp Ambassador
User avatar
Hotdog
Top Gun
Top Gun
Posts: 902
Joined: Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:11 am
Location: Rocket City, USA

Post by Hotdog »

Maybe this sizing chart will be of some help

Image
4-time Space Camp/Academy alumni
1989, 1991*, 1992, 1994
*Right Stuff Award Winner
User avatar
p51
HabForum Junkie
HabForum Junkie
Posts: 1058
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:36 am
Location: 2558 miles from Space Camp
Contact:

Post by p51 »

Hotdog wrote:Maybe this sizing chart will be of some help
That'd only help if it was made by the same people who makes the flight suits in question, which I don't think is the case (this is the Gibson & Barnes chart, right?)...
Much like how women often complain that the marked size often means nothing, the same applies for uniform items. It depends on what was intended to be worn underneath it and it does vary from maker to maker.
I still contend that calling the gift shop direct with the question is likely the best way to get a correct answer. That, or the unlikely case of finding someone the same size who already had a suit...
Skidmark
Space Academy: 2012, 2013 and 2014
Advanced Space Academy: 2016 and 2018

Undefeated for winning mission patch designs!
Official Space Camp Ambassador
Lin
Camper
Camper
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2012 11:53 pm

Re: Flight suit

Post by Lin »

Richasi wrote:Lin, congrats!

Wearing a flight suit at any stage of Camp is a personal decision. I wore one for a day or two at both youth Camp and Academy, Level I experiences, but most kids did not. When I attended an Adult session in 2003 maybe one out of the entire group wore a flight suit. Most didn't care really. So if YOU are interested in wearing one, go for it! That's what you're there for is it not? :)

Although I can't help you with sizes (I've not worn one since I went to youth camp myself - kind of expensive), I can offer this: wear something underneath it. I guarantee you're gonna get hot and you're gonna want to take that off and if you don't have anything else on... well... ;)

Learned that the hard way.
Thanks!! :D

That is all great info to have. And that's a good point, that *is* what I will be there for. Plus, when else -- aside from Halloween-- am I possibly ever going to get to wear one?

I hadn't thought about being hot and wanting to take it off! That is, well, a very good point. T-shirt and shorts underneath it is!
Lin
Camper
Camper
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2012 11:53 pm

Post by Lin »

p51 wrote:Probably best to call the gift shop and ask about sizes, I bet people come in there and ask all the time.
Check eBay, there's a vendor on there right now who is selling what he says are brand new SC flight suits (we called them "bags" in the Army) for way less than the camp store does.
I wore flight suits in airplanes all the time over the years and have found that t-shirt and a pair of short pants is a good idea underneath. Some military pilots (especially in desert or tropical climates) go 'commando', which I really don't suggest to anyone in a Space Camp environment! 8O
I was lucky enought to find a almost new condition one at a military collectibles show a while back which fit well, so I know what my best size is and have since found some older ones from the 80s that fit me, too (I have posted a lot about that here: http://habforum.hab1.com/viewtopic.php?t=2411).
I'm going in September and already have my own completely personalized (I'm going to be putting the camp 30th anniversary patch on it, though, before I go). One of my hobbies is collecting military flight gear so I have probably a dozen + flight suits from the military, my time in flying in WW2 airplanes, some which are movie props and other places. I recently also scored a real NASA CWU73P flightsuit which fits me. I doubt I'll be bringing that as Nomex is very hot in the summer time.
Excellent idea to call the gift shop. I will do that.

I checked eBay but didn't see any for sale. Maybe I entered the wrong search terms. I will try again and see if I can turn them up.

Thanks for the link to your posts! That's awesome. I thought I went through all the posts that talked about the suits, but I completely missed that one. Your flight gear and suits sound fantastic! Now I want a suit and patches and a vintage suit and.... oh, I might as well just empty my bank account now!
Lin
Camper
Camper
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2012 11:53 pm

Post by Lin »

Hotdog wrote:Maybe this sizing chart will be of some help

Image

Thanks! I really appreciate it. I think it's true that sizes varies by designer, but at least it gives me some kind of idea. Thanks!!
User avatar
Boomerang
Counselor
Counselor
Posts: 6696
Joined: Sat Jun 30, 2001 8:36 pm
Location: Elizabethtown Kentucky

Post by Boomerang »

One thing about Space Camp's flight suit sizing: they come in small, medium, large, etc. This seems okay in theory however there are no short, tall sizes or anything like that.

So if you go from a small to a medium the size increases as well as the length. Every time the size goes up so does the length of the suit. this makes sizing difficult and may lead to rolled up sleaves or pants legs or very baggy or tight clothes depending on your luck. I wear an XL it fits me well around the midsection but is short on me but an XXL which fits fine length wise looks like a tent on me.

My recommendation, if you are going to buy it from camp, is to get a prepaid package and pick it up when you arrive. That way you can try them on first and find the best fit for you. This is one thing the military and real flight suits learned along time ago which is why you have size and length sizes on them.
Jason original callsign Loverboy
SC 1991
SA Level 1 1993
AC Intermediate 1996
ASA 1998
Corporate Space Camp 2005
AC Counselor Summer 07 callsign Boomerang
Adult Alumni Camp 2007
Adult Alumni Camp 2008
Official Space Camp Ambassador
Lin
Camper
Camper
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2012 11:53 pm

Post by Lin »

Boomerang wrote:One thing about Space Camp's flight suit sizing: they come in small, medium, large, etc. This seems okay in theory however there are no short, tall sizes or anything like that.

So if you go from a small to a medium the size increases as well as the length. Every time the size goes up so does the length of the suit. this makes sizing difficult and may lead to rolled up sleaves or pants legs or very baggy or tight clothes depending on your luck. I wear an XL it fits me well around the midsection but is short on me but an XXL which fits fine length wise looks like a tent on me.

My recommendation, if you are going to buy it from camp, is to get a prepaid package and pick it up when you arrive. That way you can try them on first and find the best fit for you. This is one thing the military and real flight suits learned along time ago which is why you have size and length sizes on them.
Thanks! I spoke to the gift shop on the phone today and that's what they advised me to do, too-- prepay and pick it up when I arrive. That way they can swap out sizes for me if need be.

The length is what I was most concerned about. I'm 5'3", which means I'm on the cusp of petite for most clothes, but the suits don't come that way. Your XL/XXL issue is what I'm afraid I'm going to encounter with medium/large. We'll see. The woman at the gift shop recommended I try a medium, which is what I think I'll do. If I have to decide between fit and length, at least I can do it there, with the option of going either way.

Space camp! :D
Post Reply