I used to wear a grow bag while paragliding which attracted the occasional comment from my mates.
On a flying holiday in France, I explained that if I were to ever end up in a tree (it happened once but that's another story), having small pockets within easy reach was a good idea. I then produced a wire saw, a whistle, survival blanket, webbing knife and other goodies from various locations. The roll of dental floss caused a few WTF comments. The easiest way to get a rope up a tree was to lower your car keys on the floss which could then be used to pull the rope back up the tree. There were a few lightbulb moments and the local chemist started wondering why the Brits had developed a sudden obsession with oral hygiene.
My flying instructor (Hello HF !) wore leather flying gloves in a PA-28. I thought it was rather OTT until he explained that he was blocking the only exit and in the event of a fire, he would be more likely to get out with a bit of hand protection. A fair point well made.