It gladdens our hearts to see more and more folks sporting morale patches on their gear and clothing. Not only are patches a great form of personal expression, they’re carrying on a proud tradition. The military patches of soldiers have been adopted by the tactical community as a signal to the like-minded—a means of identifying folks who share similar values and attitudes.
As much as we may revere the military, we don’t want to sport military attire as civilians. That’s a privilege that belongs to those who serve. Wearing tactical patches lets us reflect the style of the military without stealing the look of an actual soldier.
THE RISE OF MORALE PATCHES
Patch culture has its origins in historical stratagems to identify combatants who are on the same side. One famous example is the innovative “blood chit” issued by Pres. George Washington in 1793. Military units carried the blood chits so they could be identified by civilians, who could then seek assistance from them in the event of dire necessity. A number of soldiers wore the blood chits inside their jackets, where they were sewn into the fabric.
You can see how the blood chit may have evolved into military patches. Military units needed a way to easily determine who was a fellow combatant and who was not. The Civil War in particular was a conflict where soldiers found themselves fighting their own countrymen. Some of them took to wearing handmade military patches to display their allegiance. In a time without industrialized mass production, patches could not immediately become part of standardized military attire.
As a standardized insignia, the first American morale patch is believed to be one worn by the 81st Division Wildcats back in World War I. Seeing how this insignia helped improve morale and camaraderie, leading to the creation of unique morale patches for all divisions.
PRACTICAL USES OF TACTICAL PATCHES
The usefulness of insignias is obvious in a military context, but what about everyone else? Is patch culture simply about style? Well, to some extent, the tactical community has embraced patches as a way of expressing kinship with soldiers without actually putting on uniforms or stripes—since wearing those would not be appropriate. Tactical patches let you adopt military style in an acceptable manner.
So just like the original insignias, tactical patches showcase your identity. It’s a way of telling people who you are. Put them on your everyday carry gear, and such EDC patches will signal to others certain key aspects of your stance and personality. They can also help you foster camaraderie with those who appreciate and understand patch culture.
Patches have many practical applications as well—especially for service dog owners. Service dog patches have become a popular form of tactical gear accessories. They provide clear warnings not to pet or disturb a service animal, letting everyone know that this is a working dog! They’re often available as reflective patches, which can provide better visibility at night, improving the safety of these important pets.
HUMOR AND MORALE: FUNNY CUSTOM PATCHES
One of the biggest factors for the growing popularity of tactical patches is the humor and irreverence they offer. Being able to laugh at yourself or your situation is very beneficial for morale. Seeing the hilariously crude slogans or images that patches display is a good way to inspire laughter. If you’re having a rough day, the sight of an amusing patch may get you smiling, and that’ll help boost your spirits.
Since the tactical community overlaps with the outdoor adventuring community, you’ll often see tactical folks putting morale patches on hiking gear. An outdoor trek can be incredibly challenging at times, so it’s important to stay determined and positive. Outdoor gear patches can help a hiker keep up morale and get through the toughest stretches of the trail!
PATCH CULTURE AND PATCH COLLECTING
With so many awesome patches out there, it’s no wonder that the tactical community has embraced the hobby of patch collecting. Gotta grab ‘em all! Well, maybe not, but there sure are a lot of cool patches out there, and you can’t stick every single one on your tactical gear accessories. So what are you gonna do with them?
You can find ways to store patches properly, both to protect and organize them. A collector’s patch panel is designed with a surface that securely accommodates hook and loop patches—they will stick to the panel and not fall off easily. You can even construct your own patch panel, if you feel up to the challenge. Alternatively, you can pick up a high quality patch panel from 14er Tactical.
MODERN MORALE PATCH DESIGN AND CUSTOMIZATION
Getting into patch collecting? You might find yourself wanting to collect patches that fit a particular theme. A large number of patches are military themed, certainly. But you can find other types of patches as well. And even the military themed ones can be divided into a variety of styles and categories. If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, you can seek out a service that makes custom patches.
Text-based humor patches are very popular. Some might say they evince a mean streak, but we think they’re exceptionally funny! Check out some examples here. Patches that say “Nobody Cares, Train Harder” and “Embrace the Suck” and “Suck It Up, Buttercup!” That’s the kind of banter you hear among soldiers, goading each other to do their duty and face up to challenges.
What if you prefer badass military morale patches? That’s not a bad choice. You’ll find patches that clearly display aggressive illustrations—like a tank or a sniper. These patches can be intimidating. They’re funny, no doubt, but they might also make people wary of you. But you know, that may not be such a bad thing!
Nowadays, you’ll even come across pop culture patches, which display slogans and imagery inspired by movies, music or sports. For example, check out these Top Gun patches from 14er Tactical! Whenever you want to express the cockiness of Maverick or the toughness of Iceman, you can show off these badass morale patches.
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