A balaclava , also known as a balaclava helmet or ski mask, is a form of cloth headgear designed
to expose only part of the face. Depending on style and how it's worn only the eyes,
mouth and nose, or just the front of the face are unprotected. Versions with a full face
opening may be rolled into a hat to cover the crown of the head or folded down as a
collar around the neck. The name comes from their use at the Battle
of Balaclava during the Crimean War, referring to a town near Sevastopol in Crimea.
History Traditional balaclavas were knitted from wool.
Modern versions are also made from silk, cotton, polypropylene, neoprene, acrylic or polar
fleece. This type of headgear was known in the 19th
century as an Uhlan cap or a Templar cap. During the Crimean War in 1854 handmade balaclavas
were sent over to the British troops to help protect them from the bitter cold weather.
British troops required this aid, as their own supplies never arrived in time. According
to Richard Rutt in his History of Handknitting, the name "balaclava helmet" was not used during
the war but appears much later, in 1881. Today the military version is known simply as a
"helmet liner". Uses
Warmth and safety
Modern balaclavas are used in outdoor winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling
to protect the face from wind and maintain warmth. They're also popular among motorcyclists.
Firefighters wear a fire-resistant version made of Nomex with a face opening that is
covered by their self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
Electrical workers often wear an arc-flash rated version in conjunction with a face shield
and other PPE while working on energized equipment. Race drivers In Fédération Internationale
de l'Automobile sanctioned events must wear balaclavas made of fire-retardant material
underneath their crash helmets. In racing events, hill-climbs, special stages of rallies
and selective sections of cross-country events entered on the International Sporting Calendar,
all drivers and co-drivers must wear overalls as well as gloves, long underwear, a balaclava,
socks and shoes homologated to the FIA 8856-2000 standard. Drag racing drivers usually wear
balaclavas with just eye holes because of the increased fire risk.
Military and police In the Indian subcontinent, balaclavas are
commonly referred to as monkey caps, due to their typical earth tone colours, and the
fact that they blot out most human facial features. Monkey caps sometimes have a small,
decorative, woollen pom-pom on top. They are commonly worn by troops on Himalayan duty
for protection from the cold. The United States Marine Corps has recently
begun issuing balaclavas with hinged face guards as part of the Flame Resistant Organizational
Gear program. The balaclava became a part of standard OMON
uniform as early as the Perestroyka years of the late 1980s. The original intent was
to protect the identity of the officers to avoid intimidation from organized crime. Due
to increased problems with organized crime of the 90s, TV shots of armed men in black
balaclavas became a staple of sorts. As the organized crime went down, however, balaclavas
became an instrument of intimidation as much as identity protection, as they don't allow
one to see the facial expression of the enforcement officer or identify him conclusively. Armed
Russian police commonly conduct raids and searches of white-collar premises while wearing
balaclavas. Such raids have therefore come to be known in Russia as "maski shows", an
allusion to popular comic TV show of the 1990s. A news media term for men wearing balaclavas
and military uniforms without insignia involved in the 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine
is Polite men or Green men. Concealment
A balaclava may be used for concealment in the course of illegal activities and occupationally
by SWAT and special forces personnel. It may also be used by irregular military forces
or paramilitary organizations to conceal their identities and have been used as an identifying
feature in fictional representations of such groups. The Provisional Irish Republican Army
is known for its members wearing balaclavas in every situation.
British Police in Kent confiscated the War on Terror board game partly due to the inclusion
of a balaclava. Police said it "could be used to conceal someone's identity or could be
used in the course of a criminal act". Some balaclava-wearing sympathisers of Pussy
Riot were arrested in Marseille, France in August 2012 for being in breach of the French
ban on face covering. See also
Anti-flash gear Anti-mask laws
Facekini Knit cap
Mask References
External links Media related to Balaclavas at Wikimedia Commons