are the heavy looking uniforms/ helmets etc worn by US military personnel as hot to wear in the searing heat of desert conditions- such as Iraq, as they look? If so, how do they stay cool/ function?
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I have not tested the US uniform but I have tried other uniforms. And they can be quite cool. The clothes provide shade and their light colors help reflect sunlight away. There is some distance between the uniform and the skin which helps protect from the heat, the uniform have opening which allow the breeze to get under the uniform helping to stay cool. A good undershirt will also help the sweat evaporate to further cool you down. A good uniform adjusted properly is quite cool in the hot desert and I have no doubt that the US military is inept at making good uniforms like this.
That being said in an actual war condition the uniform is just one layer you carry. One of the hottest things you can wear is body armor. I have worn body armor in the winter just to help keep warm. The body armor traps the air well on the body preventing any sweat and heat from escaping your body. Similarly the equipment belts and vests also push the uniform close to your body making it impossible to get a good breeze or to get the sweat to evaporate.
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