ACTION MAN

Ski Patrol / Mountain Troops 1966

Period: Painted Head

Dates: 1966 until 1969

Cat No: Various

Based on Action Soldier figure:

Ski Patrol Description:

"Kit out your Action Man for every phase of military service with these authentic true-scale equipment sets", read the Equipment Manual. The Ski Patrol / Mountain Troops figure, is basically an accessorised Action Soldier. The Action Man Ski Patrol outfit ran throughout the 1960s, and was later replaced by by a similar looking Royal Marines Mountain and Arctic uniform in 1971. In 2017 a 50th Anniversary edition of this figure was released. Originally, the accessories could be bought separately and included:

Action Man Ski Patrol Sets:

93635100 (and 34110):

ACTION MAN SKI PATROL: Winter camouflage two-piece ski parka (draw-string top and trousers), boots (short black) goggles (green with white rim), mittens, skis (silver tips), poles, Equipment Manual.

936350090 (and 34109):

ACTION MAN MOUNTAIN TROOPS: Back pack (white), belt, snow shoes, ice axe, climbing rope, 6 x hand grenades. Equipment Manual.

Action Man Ski Patrol Equipment Cards:

93735650 (and 34207):

SKI PATROL : M-1 rifle, cartridge belt, 2 x quad cartridge sections (white), 6 x grenades

Notes:

The Ski Patrol Mountain trooper is a fully accessorised Action Soldier ready for the first sign of snow. The white cartridge belts were only available separately on the equipment card and were the same as the Navy Dress Parade belt. The Mountain Troops Set did not make it into the 1968 Equipment Manual. Goggles and rifle have elastic straps. Early ski poles had silver tips with red wrist straps. They are fragile and are often glue repaired at the extremities. These early skis (unlike subsequent issues) had a 'figure of eight' spring arrangement and metal sole plate for securing boots, which in practice was not that tight a fit, and the condition of the sole edge on the boots would lessen the connection. Many accessories were available for pocket money prices, and it would have taken a few trips to the toy shop to get a completely kitted out US Soldier. The Army Manual (that was included with the boxed Action Soldier) had details of how to set up this figure, and the accessories available.