By Sun Xingwei, Hu Jian'an and Lyu Lei

BEIJING, Oct. 20 -- Frontier defense troops stationed in China's high altitude areas will be equipped with a batch of new cold protective outfits produced by clothing suppliers for the China National Mountaineering Team and the Polar Research Institute of China.

On the basis of in-depth investigations in the frontier defense troop units, headed by the relevant departments of the Logistic Support Department under the Central Military Commission (CMC), the PLA Western Theater Command and the PLA Joint Logistic Support Force jointly cooperated with civil enterprises on the R&D of the series of cold protective outfits suitable to the plateau's alpine climate.

It is learnt that the new cold protective outfits consist of five categories including sleeping bags, multi-purpose snow camouflage clothing, boots, down training coats, and down cotton-padded jackets and pants. Through the adoption of new technologies and materials, the protective function of new outfits has been greatly enhanced, while the weight is further reduced. For example, the new type-20 individual sleeping bag, combining the type-17 single tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad in function, is only half the size of its predecessors, and can be applied to cold plateau environment with the altitudes above 5,000 meters and the temperature below minus 40°C.

The new outfits will be delivered to frontier defense frontline soldiers in the near future.