NVA Wool Neck Tube, Surplus

An essential bit of winter kit: the headover or toque.

The German armed forces have used this for ages. This tube-like piece of cloth was originally a Wehrmacht issue item: go ahead and look at any old photos from the eastern front and you'll see the popularity.

The headover was abandoned in West Germany, but the NVA of the DDR continued to produce and issue damn near identical toques. Known affectionately as "Oma" (grandmother) by the troops.

A toque is basically a tubular knitted wool scarf. Fold it into itself once or twice for neck protection, or tug higher to protect the lower face and even the ears. If you want to fully protect your neck and head, buy two of these.

The length varies a bit, usually these are 35 cm / 14" but sometimes shorter.

Army surplus from the DDR

These are NVA surplus, and mostly unissued or in a very good shape.