Morale patch collecting is one of the top tactical lifestyle hobbies. The patches sure can liven up a home or office and give it that “military heritage” feel. If you’re just getting into the hobby, you may be thinking of getting your patches framed to hang up as home office decor. But there’s another alternative to consider—putting ‘em on a tactical patch panel display.
You can purchase a specialized patch panel display. If you want to save yourself the trouble of building one, and wish to ensure the quality of the display, that may be the best option. Of course, you can choose to make the display yourself. We’ve got tips on how to construct a DIY patch panel, along with patch collection ideas for the display itself.
A Quick Primer on Morale Patches
Morale patches (or tactical patches as they are often called) originated in the military. They have a proud history. Or perhaps, we should say, an irreverent history! Many patches expressed the humor of soldiers, which could be crude, sarcastic or impudent. The ability to see the lighter side of army training or military life kept up morale—and still does so to this day.
Precursors to the modern tactical patch are believed to have been used by some soldiers during the Civil War. Since mass production of patches did not yet exist at the time, the practice was far from widespread. That would change by 1917, when the US Army’s 81st Division Wildcats adopted morale patches bearing the image of a wildcat (what else). Since that happened, tactical patches have become popular among service members. Interesting, isn’t it? (For more info about how morale patches came to be and what they’re for, check out this article.)
Today, you’re likely to see tactical folks sporting morale patches on their backpacks, range bags and other gear. It’s often a good way to signal to others your interest in tactical preparedness.
What Is a Tactical Patch Panel?
Your tactical patch collection can make for great home office decor. It’s a great conversation piece. If clients or friends come visit you, they can admire your collection and chat with you about them. This can be a great way to establish or build upon social connections. You might even get people interested in the hobby and begin trading morale patches with them!
So how do you set up your tactical patch panel display? We suggest that you take a look at the 14er Morale Patch Panel as an example. It’s a high quality product that uses a durable hook-and-loop fastener mounting surface. The high-thickness material is 600D ballistic nylon, a fabric used for military applications. As for the dimensions of the patch panel, that comes to 18 inches in length and 24 inches in width. It can handily display up to 16 tactical patches—possibly more, depending on their individual sizes.
DIY Patch Panel Making
To build a tactical patch panel display, you’ll need a few materials that you can source from an office supplies store. The main requirement is a mounting surface—something to which you can attach your tactical patches. We recommend going with a material that will let you apply or remove the patches with ease. You probably don’t want the patches to be mounted permanently.
For the mounting surface, you can use felt or Velcro (aka hook-and-loop fastener material, to use the generic term). It depends on your preference, budget and the availability of the product. You might want to test the material first to see how strongly it secures the patches on its surface.
The project also requires a solid backing board on which to affix the mounting surface. We suggest that you purchase a readymade picture frame. This item comes with a back panel that can be separated from the frame. Measure the back panel, then cut the mounting surface to fit. Apply an adhesive to the back panel, fix the mounting surface to it, then wait for the adhesive to dry.
Finally, reattach the back panel to the frame. Your DIY patch panel is ready to use! You can then stick a selection of tactical patches onto the mounting surface. Arrange them however you like! Then hang up the picture frame on a wall in your home office or wherever you prefer.
Patch Collection Ideas
How are you gonna display your morale patch collection? How do you decide on which patches to select for mounting? And how will the patches be arranged on the display surface?
You have several options. One is to focus on the aesthetics of the display. The overall appearance of the patches as a collection should be pleasing—especially to you. That means choosing patches according to how well they combine to make a good-looking display.
Another option is to determine a specific theme. The patch collection ideas expressed should be related to that theme. For example, you could go for “funniest patches” as a theme! You’ll pick out patches with humorous images or hilarious catchphrases. Now that’s gonna be a fun display to get visitors doubled over with laughter!
More specific themes are also possible. Let’s say you’re a big fan of the Top Gun film franchise. You can put together a collection of Top Gun patches and create a display from them. This is a good way to share your interests while livening up your home office decor.
Other Ways of Arranging and Displaying Patches
You may have more patches in collection than you can display on a wall-mounted panel. That’s fine! We suggest that you keep the rest of your collection in booklets. These can keep your patches safe and secure, but also provide a handy means of exhibiting them. You can even come up with a system for storing the collection in booklets, which makes it easy for you to find an individual patch.
A roll-up patch panel is another good option. The 14er Morale Patch Panel is an example of this type of product. While it can be displayed on a wall, it can also be used as portable storage for your patches. Roll up the panel and secure it in a bag when you go visit a friend. You can then pull it out and display your collection anytime!
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