The Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS ) is a protective clothing system developed in the 1980s by the United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, Natick, Massachusetts. The first generation ECWCS consisted of parka and trousers plus 20 other individual clothing, handwear, headwear and footwear items which are used in various combinations to meet the cold weather environmental requirements of the US military (and others). The Extended Climate Warfighter Clothing System, or Gen III ECWCS, is designed to maintain adequate environmental protection in temperatures ranging between -60 and +40 Fahrenheit (about -51 and +4 Celsius) 1st Generation The entire ECWCS ensemble (1st generation) consists of: undershirt, cold weather, polypropylene [drawers], cold weather, polypropylene shirt, cold weather, polyester fiberpile overall, bib, cold weather, fiberpile liner, cold weather trousers, field liner, cold weather, coat, men's trousers, cold weather, field, nylon and cotton parka, extended cold weather, camouflage trousers, extended cold weather, camouflage parka/trousers, snow camouflage, white glove inserts, cold weather gloves, men's and women's, light duty mitten inserts, cold weather, (trigger finger) mitten shells, cold weather, (trigger finger) mitten set, extreme cold weather mitten shells, snow camouflage, cotton, white, two finger cap, camouflage pattern hood, balaclava socks, men's, nylon, cushion sole, stretch type boots, cold weather (Type I-black) boots, extreme cold weather (Type II-white) suspenders, trousers, M-1950 The system is to be used in an insulated, triple-layering fashion, with the polypropylene undergarments as Layer 1, the polyester shirt/bib, liners and cotton/nylon trousers as Layer 2, and Gore-Tex outer garments as Layer 3. The parka and trousers (which have been adapted to the civilian outdoor clothing market) are themselves constructed in a three-layer fashion consisting of an outer layer of abrasion-resistant taslan nylon, an intermediate layer of durably waterproof, windproof, and Gore-Tex membrane (protected with a layer of nylon tricot and originally in a four-color camouflage print), and a hung inner layer of unlaminated nylon. The whole is seam-sealed. The ECWCS parka The parka – which is a particularly popular component – is characterized by a cobra hood (which fits over a combat helmet) with woven nylon drawstring adjustable pulls and an attachment piece that allows fastening of a fur ruff (early models of the parka lacked this attachment piece). There is a two-way, full-front slide fastener to provide full-face protection, leaving only the eyes uncovered. The parka has Raglan shoulders/sleeves, a non-freezing, double-pull zipper with storm flap and