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Keeping safe and comfortable in arctic conditions is a precarious balancing act between protecting one's self against the cold without overheating. This is particularly true of a soldier's hands and feet while working in the cold, so scientists from Stanford University and the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center are working on energized fabrics that heat up when powered, yet wick away sweat and dry easily.

If there's one constant in military life, it's that the issued kit isn't all that should be – especially when it comes to gloves and boots. It's for this reason that many armed services allow their members to buy items of kit commercially that are better suited, yet still meet military specifications.