VEST, SURVIVAL, EQUIPMENT TYPE SV-2A

[Mashsig]

I obtained my SV-2A survival vest in the middle 1980s. The store owner told me a US Marine Corp Captain who served in Vietnam brought the vest in.

It was in mint unused condition and it was OD green nylon! I did not hesitate to purchase it.

 

This same store owner had given me his signed copy of Brunningers self published book: "United States Combat Aircrew Survival Equipment" (This was before Schiffer Publishing Ltd.) several month earlier - so I new the vest was an SV-2 as soon as I saw it. I thought the US Navy vest was only in Sage Green.

 

The vest has some unique pockets and is very similar to the US Army OV-1 Survival Vest.

 

Here is the label on the inside of the port side panel:

 

VEST, SURVIVAL, EQUIPMENT TYPE SV-2A

MIL V 81523

H L GARMENT CO.

DSA 100-72-C-0268

DATE OF MFG.

 

Photos of the vest are attached.

[Mashsig]

This is the port side panel.

[Mashsig]

This is the starboard side panel.

[Mashsig]

This photo shows the pencil flare / pilot survival knife pocket on the port side of the vest - opened.

[Mashsig]

This photo shows the pistol pocket opened, which is under the flare/knife pocket on the port side of the vest.

Note the highly sought after and coveted OD green bullet bandoleer attached to a dummy cord - positioned out to the side of the opened pocket between the pistol pocket and the SRU-31/P pocket.

[Mashsig]

This photo shows the starboard side SRU-31/P pocket opened. Note the dummy cords in the various pockets inside the SRU-31/P pocket. These pockets were for the emergency signaling mirror and the whistle. See the last photo which is a US Navy drawing that shows the contents of the SV-2 Vest.

[Mashsig]

This photo shows the port side SRU-31/P pocket opened. Note the dummy cord in the open pocket for the distress signal light.

[Mashsig]

This photo shows the inside starboard side of the vest.

[Mashsig]

This photo shows the inside port side of the vest.

[Mashsig]

This vest has the detachable oxygen bottle pocket. It is shown to the right of the flare/knife pocket on the first vertical Velcro patch on the port side SRU-31/P pocket cover. Photo is attached to the following reply.

[Mashsig]

This is a closeup photo of the port side of the vest that shows the detachable oxygen bottle pocket as described in the previous reply.

[Mashsig]

Here is the US Navy drawing that shows the location of the SV-2 vest components.

[Bob Hudson]

Glad you posted this: I just picked up an SV 2A today from a Marine Vietnam vet (back seater in Phantoms) and the forum has little to nothing on this model. Here's a thread for a later version: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/17195-us-navy-sv-2b-survival-vest/

 

My SV 2A, sadly, did not come with any contents.

[Mashsig]

You are welcome and thank You for the SV-2 thread URL. (When I searched for SV-2 last night - received no results.)

 

Roger that - my SV-2A came without contents.

 

Of course in a way I am glad it did not - because all of the very early SRU-31/P kit bags from the 70s dissolve over time and leave a mess inside the vest.

 

I was never able to find a Vietnam issue SV-2A with contents when I was collecting back in the day. (2001 - 2008)

 

However I did find a lot of the contents from the 70s over the years - some of which I did not know what the items were before Brunninger's book. (I have been collecting US Military Survival kits and equipment since I was 9 years old. And Vietnam nylon and cotton field gear since I was 7 years old.)

 

Unfortunately - I no longer have any early (Vietnam issue) survival kit components for this vest.

 

If you want to make a display using your SV-2A vest - all of the OV-1 vest components (which are still available on eBay) are very similar in appearance - and only a serious survival kit / equipment collector would be able to tell the difference - just by looking.

 

In one of my books are photos of a Marine pilot (on a carrier) checking his SV-2A before a flight - and you can see many of the issue components that were in the Navy requisition pipeline in the 70s. (For example instead of the SRU-31/P - the Marine's SV-2A has the SEEK 2 kit with the light green (almost an "Artillery Olive") color - heavy vinyl plastic outer bag (DSA 700-68-C-0886). Shown on page 135 of Brunniger's book. These were recently available on eBay.

 

The SRU-31/P kit contract number (which has that very light nylon material with a glue backing) is DSA 700-72-C-8055 - had a dark OD green to black color with yellow letters. (I have seen some of the black color bags with white letters) Later in the 80s the color of the outer 31/P kit bags were OD green with black letters.

 

If I find the book - I will post the photos.

[Mashsig]

I found an SV-2A vest online last night. It was either a contract over run or modified - because the shoulder straps are the SV-2 sage green instead of the normal OD green.

 

It was made by the same company as mine and the label is a little easier to read.

 

"H L GARMENT CO."

 

May in fact have been "H. I. Garment CO." (Based on the online label. I had to use a steroscopic flashlight with two red leds and two white leds to make out some of the poorly inked letters on my label.

 

Also just realized I missed a typo - and left off the periods after the H and L in my first post.

 

So my first post for the label (on the inside of the port side panel) should have been:

 

 

VEST, SURVIVAL, EQUIPMENT TYPE SV-2A

MIL V 81523

H. I. GARMENT CO.

DSA 100-72-C-0268

DATE OF MFG.

 

See attached photo.

 

Interestingly the online vest does not have a date stamped out to the right of the "DATE OF MFG." either.

[RustyCanteen]

I think the late Craig Pickrall posted one or two over the years, but I haven't seen his posts lately.

 

Here is an image of a 1970 contract date though.

[RustyCanteen]

More links:

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/146392-sv2-and-lpu-fully-loaded-early-1980s/

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/67725-vietnam-era-f-8-mannequin/

 

Unfortunately a third link had images hosted off-site which are now gone, so I did not bother to post the link here.

[Bob Hudson]

The one I found has a 1972 contract date. I love the leather knife sheath and the nylon 38 holster.

 

 

 

 

[Mashsig]

WOW great photos! Way better resolution than mine. I have to shrink mine down to 20% to get under the Max file upload size.

 

Question - will using www.shrinkpicture.com - allow me to resize my upload images and maintain the quality and still get under the 251kb restriction? - - Thanks

 

 

I agree - I like the SV-2A vest better than the OV-1 vest - because of the pockets and the built in pistol holster .

 

[Mashsig]

ADMIN - thanks for the Links!

[Bob Hudson]

WOW great photos! Way better resolution than mine. I have to shrink mine down to 20% to get under the Max file upload size.

 

Question - will using www.shrinkpicture.com - allow me to resize my upload images and maintain the quality and still get under the 251kb restriction? - - Thanks

 

 

Photos I upload to the forum have a maximum dimension of 1000 pixels. I haven't used shrinkpicture, but the one below was resized in Photoshop and saved at "30" quality on a scale of 1-100. It's 81kb. Saving this same image at Maximum quality would increase the file size to 482kb!

 

[mohawkALSE]

 

I agree - I like the SV-2A vest better than the OV-1 vest - because of the pockets and the built in pistol holster .

 

 

Rubbish! The OV-1 holster can be removed from the pocket and worn as a hip holster once you hit the ground as can its bandolier be worn on the left hip outside of the vest. So there! haha Its interesting on the 1995 contract SV-2B vests they went to a removable holster for a M9 or such pistol vs leaving a internally sewn in holster.

[Mashsig]

You are correct the OV-1 vest nylon holster can be worn on the outside of the vest - and that is why new flight regulations were imposed - because some individuals were not waiting until they hit the ground!

 

How is the OV-1 nylon holster attached to the OV-1 vest?

 

hahaha

[camouflageandtiedye]

On 2/6/2018 at 8:32 PM, Mashsig said:

I obtained my SV-2A survival vest in the middle 1980s. The store owner told me a US Marine Corp Captain who served in Vietnam brought the vest in.

It was in mint unused condition and it was OD green nylon! I did not hesitate to purchase it.

 

This same store owner had given me his signed copy of Brunningers self published book: "United States Combat Aircrew Survival Equipment" (This was before Schiffer Publishing Ltd.) several month earlier - so I new the vest was an SV-2 as soon as I saw it. I thought the US Navy vest was only in Sage Green.

 

The vest has some unique pockets and is very similar to the US Army OV-1 Survival Vest.

 

Here is the label on the inside of the port side panel:

 

VEST, SURVIVAL, EQUIPMENT TYPE SV-2A

MIL V 81523

H L GARMENT CO.

DSA 100-72-C-0268

DATE OF MFG.

 

Photos of the vest are attached.

 

was glad to find this thread after this weekend's haul from a career naval officer and pilot included two beautiful S-V2As

 

the one on the left is dated 1969 and seems completely unused while the one on the right is dated 1972 and seems to have seen some very minor use. interesting to note the differences between the two models, the changes made over three years.

 

a couple of questions: is the example on the left what you are referring to as sage green while the right would be OD? does anyone know an approximate value of each of these? while I certainly appreciate them, they're too immaculate and interesting not to be in the hands of an aviation enthusiast. I cannot find any comparable examples on eBay, currently listed or sold.

[Mashsig]

camouflageandtiedye,

 

Both of your SV-2A vests appear to be the correct OD green color.  Which is consistent with the Marine Corp requirement in Vietnam.  The Navy issue SV-2 and SV-2B vests were sage green - like the Air Force SRU-21/P vest.*

As for what they are worth - collectors do not pay top dollar.  I am certain several of the collectors who are members on this forum can tell you what they are actually worth today.

 

Here is one on eBay right now:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/133492201103?ul_noapp=true

 

The poster has started the bid at $95.00.   It is in excellent condition with a clear legible label. 

 

* Here is a Navy SV-2B sage green vest:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/US-Air-Force-Issued-Vest-Survival-Equipment-Type-SV-2B-NSN-8415-00-139-6174/203073384021?hash=item2f481dee55:g:nlAAAOSwJn1fMYj5

 

Interestingly this vest has OD green parts on it - which implies it was a contract overrun after the war.