German army para boots. I guarantee they will be the most comfortable place you have ever put your feet. Edit, they also last for years.

Never seen The Patriot tbh, but thanks for the info, it's something I shall have to research further.

Britain became skilled in counterinsurgency post ww2 during the decolonisation of Asia. Historically, for a time they were second to none in field battles eg Waterloo. Constant drilling meant they were well disciplined in battle; keeping formation, holding the line, reloading and firing weapons while under fire etc. It was this that led to problems in the Boer war, and also the American war of independence. When the enemy used guerrilla tactics instead of engaging in the pitched battles they were trained for, they were at a bit of a loss how to respond.

TIL there is more water than air.

A dead giveaway of Barbours falling quality is the lack of pattern matching. Older barbour items featuring the tartan (plaid) check; shirts, hats, bags etc would always match the pattern at the seams, on newer items they can't be bothered to even try (or they won't pay the Chinese factory enough for these small but important details which they are quite capable of, for a price).

Kirby. Solidly built, but the wife says it is "like pushing a small car around".

My greatest fear is outliving my wife. Without me she could carry on the same but with one less lump under her feet, but without her I'd be completely lost.

And they can count. Try taking him out with 3 biscuits and only giving him 2.

Even the largest navy in the world couldn't defend an island against the luftwaffe. They had a relatively small standing army, which could never be described as excellently equipped, and less so after everything was left in Dunkirk, was also ineffective against the luftwaffe. The bulk of Britain's defence came from Hurricane and Spitfire fighter planes, and a dwindling number of pilots bolstered by volunteers from the commonwealth and Poland. Britain's most effective weapon was the ordinary men and women who worked round the clock to build and repair the fighter planes, often whilst being bombed, with unfailing resilience, surpassing even the Germans in terms of output. So with mainland Europe conquered, America still following an isolationist policy, and the Soviets hoping for the best; Britain was indeed alone in defying the Nazis.

In those early days food was the most important thing. We should never forget the bravery of the merchant seamen, including thousands of Americans, that stopped Britain starving to death.

As a wartime leader Churchill is unsurpassed. His pig headed refusal to consider anything bar complete victory over the Nazis, and determination to fight on alone in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds against the greatest military force the world had ever seen, saved our island from the jack boot of fascism. As a peacetime leader he was a typical tory, with few, if any redeeming qualities. By the time of the Korean war, and his second stint as PM, he knew Britain was very much the junior partner in its relationship with the US, and spoke accordingly. Publicly supporting an ally whilst privately questioning the morality of their actions was about all he could do.

The gas Churchill advocated for is what we would now call "tear gas", often used for crowd control and dispersal. Memorandums specifically say "lachrymatory gas". Not nice, but not exactly mustard gas either, and less damaging than bullets.

A genuine M51 us army issue parka is absolutely the coolest looking parka. At nearly 60 years old it'll probably last a lifetime too.

Edit-they are warm, with liner, but were designed for layering underneath. They are not waterproof. Still cool as though.

Logger boots eg cat sequoia, usually have a substantial heel. Dr Martens and Solovair sometimes do runs with a heeled version of the DM/slightly different to DM sole.

No, safety valves were a thing by the 1930s. There is one on the cooker in the picture, and a vent hole, and a lid held by the strength of its seal, designed to fail at a certain pressure. Three failsafes to overcome before catastrophe, and that was in the 1930s.

Direct from manufacturer is the only way to be absolutely certain. A "high street" store which also sells online is a safer bet than an online only seller; there's more incentive to protect your reputation when something tangible is at risk.

Maybe on really old ones. The worst that's ever happened to mine is the safety valve hitting the ceiling.

I have a noco gb40 which has impressed me with the power it can put out of such a small unit, it will easily start a 3.5 derv engine, even after 6 months on the shelf. These are around 100 usd, but there is the smaller, cheaper gb20 which should meet your budget.

Edit-had it approx 4 years, not exactly a lifetime, put a decent life for a jump starter, and still going strong.

Is he walking his way through the soles, or is it the uppers that go first? With soles longevity and comfort are always a trade off, regardless of cost. I've always found the MIE Dr Marten shoes to be very well made, certainly better than the boots, and should be good for a year (that's how long they lasted when I was a boy, we'd kick the shine out of them though, as kids do) They'll hurt like hell until broken in though.

Probably not. It is not unknown for designers to have have their boots made by a reputable maker (I once bought a pair of "Camel" boots that were incredible quality, made in Germany), but without them in hand it is impossible to say.

No worries. Hopefully by the time he needs another pair he'll have seen what works best for his colleagues.

Working with masonry; stone, brick, and block, he will need steel toe caps and will be lucky to get 12 months wear with the amount of abuse they'll get. Timberland pro, Caterpillar, or Haix will at least give him a year (hopefully) of comfortable wear. Don't go cheap on his feet, but bear in mind you'll be buying another pair within a year.

Edit-cleaning the cement off at the end of the day will significantly increase their lifespan.