Propper International has been a prime government contractor for decades, supplying clothing and individual equipment. They have just released the new ACU cut, for commercial sale in MultiCam and Universal Camouflage Pattern.
For those of you unfamiliar with the new cut, concurrent with the release of the Operational Camouflage Pattern, the service made some changes to the design of the Army Camouflage Uniform.
– Mandarin collar has been replaced with a fold down collar design
– Upper sleeve pocket hook and loop flap closure replaced with a zipper
– Pocket lengthened by one inch
– Elbow patch pad removed and hook and loop for patches removed, but double fabric reinforcement has been retained
– Sleeve pen pocket reduced from three pen channels to two
– Drawstring removed from waistband
– Cord and barrel removed from cargo pocket and replaced with button closure
– Knee patch pad removed and hook and loop for patches removed, but double fabric reinforcement has been retained
– Hook and loop on lower leg pocket flap replaced with button closure
For many, the MultiCam pattern is welcome, considering it outperforms the Army’s OCP. However, many of you may be scratching your heads over the UCP offering. This is because some organizations outside of the Army, continue to use the pattern.
The uniforms are available in 50/50 NYCO or Battle Rip 65/35 PolyCotton in MultiCam and 50/50 NYCO in UCP.
Tags: Propper International
What ones are pictured, the Multicam or the UCP?
Meant OCP… but whatever
OCP is OCP
looks like Multicam to me, I wore both over the course of this weekend and still can’t really distinguish them apart.
If you’ve worn Multicam enough you can, very easily, but most people can’t pic out the differences, and I’ve found most people that matter could actually care less, surprisingly enough. But my experience is not on the conventional side of the house, where the queer eye for the uniform guy tends to be comparable to a falcon, possibly blue in color, is stalking field mice from 1200′ AGL.
Hey now, let’s leave falcons out of this!
I doubt you’ll find many people who can notice the difference. We got some guys in legit Multicam (non-FR) and some in OCP, and if the uniform wasn’t cut differently most of our guys would have no idea.
Of course, I’m not surrounded by TRADOC rangers right now either, so there’s that.
I agree. You really need to have them side by side to notice the differences as they’re slight to the naked eye.
That said, the Propper pants and shirt shown above is in Multicam.
Small sample size but the two Propper uniforms I bought online were the worst quality uniforms I’ve ever gotten. Multiple buttons falling off, all four front pockets stitched shut, strings everywhere, etc.
Four front pockets?
Yeah, two front slash pockets between the two pairs I have. Every single one was stitched half way shut.
I had bad experience with mine too. My Multicam ACU pair in 36L I bought from Optics Planet online came with one leg in 34″ and another in 36″. Made in Costa Rica.
Got my money back though and they let me keep them after I showed them the photo. I cut them into a pair of shorts, so happy with the outcome.
However there seems to be some major challenges and issues with clothing made overseas by Propper Int.
Are those chest pockets actually good for anything? I was surprised that they didn’t change / improve them as well frankly….
I used the hell out of mine in garrison, left side was my wallet, right side fit my smartphone perfectly. YMMV
I do the same with the wallet (carryover from many moons ago when I was conditioned to carry my ID in my left breast pocket at Airborne).
My phone e hasn’t fit in there since I carried an iPhone 4 though
I chose my phone based on fitting in there, Samsung Galaxy 5, now that I’m retired I can go larger.
Came right off of the CPOG.
It’s MultiCam : blotches are smaller and there are kind of vertical stripes in the pattern.
I’m sure PEO Soldier had their reasons but I am NOT a fan of the new ACU cut. They are way too big. I think we had the sizing down with the old UCP ACU cut.
There’s always the Alternate sizing ACUs
And maternity sizing 😉
Truth, they go beyond the preferred “paratrooper baggy” to something in the realm of “I have gained weight, but I’m still slim enough to squeeze into a ML top”.
The new ACU cut (at least the trousers) is actually slightly better than the one I used between 2008-2010. Those were much wider at the thigh and tapered quite aggressively towards the cuffs at the bottom.
The two pairs of new Multicam FRACUs I have been wearing recently (two different US manufacturers) has ‘thinned’ in the thigh and don’t taper that much, so all in all a more straight fit than before.
Just for the sake of comparison, I own a pair of ACU UCP panst from the 2004 when they just came out, those are almost like for like BDU cut, slightly baggy and straight throughout. These are the third ACU cut type I came across over the years and by far my favorite ACU cut so far.
I can see Joe buying these and then being told not to wear them by a uniform Nazi because they are OCP in the new ACU cut, but not the right OCP. For example they are not the FR-ACU in OCP (real Multicam) wearable until 2018, I believe, and they are not the issued ACU’s in OCP (Scorpion) either.
These Propper’s are in Crye’s Multicam, not Army’s OCP camo.
OCP is OCP, or so sayeth the Army. However, there is Multicam OCP and Scorpion OCP. There are also ACUs and FR-ACUs. If you don’t Army, you won’t get this. (Hint – you may wear your FR-ACU in OCP-Multicam until 2018, but not your ACU in OCP-Multicam because it isn’t really Army issued.)
Unless it was issued by the Army.
Does a non FR-ACU in real Multicam exist? I’m not talking real Crye stuff bought by SOCOM through unit purchases.
The Regiment issued them.
Who does the Regiment belong to…SOCOM. Come on SSD, I’m talking about the Thermos of coffee and carton of Marlboro’s in my ALICE rigged for jumping because it’s going to be a long three day EDRE Army, not the special people.
That happened in response to the Regiment being the first Army unit to transition to OCP. I even wrote about it.
Except that these are not the “Army” pants. They are anything but. And they are, once again in Crye Multicam, not the “OCP.
And once again DB, the Army says OCP is OCP, meaning for a limited time, Scorpion And multicam are interchangeable with some rules. OCP is not a specific pattern, scorpion and multicam are.
It’s pointless arguing with you.
OCP is either in Sorpion (until June 2016) or Scorpion W2 (June 2016 onwards). It never was and never will be Multicam. Some units wore Multicam in NyCo while the US Army wore only and only Scorpion and only in FRACU, never in NyCo.
The product shown above and discussed in this thread is Propper’s latest ACU cut in Multicam. In friggin’ Multicam, not Scorpion, not what Army calls OCP etc.
Multicam is product of Crye Precision, once again Ex11A.
Mother of God.
DB, since reading comprehension isn’t your thing just look at the pictures :
https://www.army.mil/article/149543/169379
EF-OCP FR-ACU was real Multicam pattern on a flame retardant uniform. The current issue OCP ACU is Scorpion pattern in a NyCo material with changes to shoulder pockets and collar, etc. That is why those of us actually in the Army are joking that OCP is OCP as far as the Army is concerned, but it is really not.
Ex11…if we’re going to split hairs, Scorpion was in use until 2016, the pattern Army uses now is Scorpion W2. This is probably where most of the confusion in this thread lies.
The original EF-OCP FRACU wasn’t Multicam per se, but its derivative – US Army produced pattern called Scorpion, very similar and close to Multicam but again different.
Scorpion W2 came later and is currently in official use, and as both you and D.B. stated in NyCo stateside and as FRACU in the middle east theater.
Babola, no.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Combat_Uniform#Operation_Enduring_Freedom_Camouflage_Pattern_.28MultiCam.29
OEF-CP is real Multicam, not its Scorpion forefather. SSD has some great articles on the Scorpion to Multicam to Scorpion W2 journey.
Ex11, no.
You lack the knowledge of Scorpion/Multicam/Scorpion W2 patterns and their usage. Read carefully – even the article you linked states “Multicam” not Multicam for OEF-CP.
The reason it states “Multicam” in quotes is because that was what it wasn’t but closely resembled. It was what the Army called Scorpion – a pattern closely based on Multicam, used from 2010 until the talks with Crye broke down around licensing costs few years ago. Then the PEO Soldier came with a not-so-close Multicam and Scorpion derivative – Scorpion W2.
It’s you who need to read a little more on the topic…before you start calling others on it.
Read please
https://ssdaily.tempurl.host/2015/01/08/we-told-you-ocp-multicam/
The original Scorpion never made it past being a test uniform. Then Crye developed it into Multicam which was used as OEF-CP.
Here you go bablola, not that I expect your or DB to actually read any of the articles I have posted in support of my argument. OEF-CP, which is what the Rangers and other units in Afghanistan were issued after 2010 is real Crye Multicam, not Scorpion generation 1 or whatever you are claiming.
http://4/09/30/75th-ranger-regiment-first-unit-to-switch-to-ocp/
Which begs the question – why would anyone sink $50 for a Propper Inc ‘Made in Guatemala’ pair of ACUs in UCP when these can be found as-new on eBay and mil surplus stores for less than $20…and those are GI, US-made from US-made materials.
Because units and agencies don’t shop for surplus. Plus, these are new and in MultiCam.
Read it again.
I was talking about UCP not Multicam. New Propper ACU pants in UCP are $50, multicam are $80.
He, not me.
There are a surprising number of SWAT teams rocking UCP uniforms and dont shope surplus.
Yep
Sure, I was thinking more alongside ordinary Joe Bloggs ordering off the Internet. Cheers.
While not an industry guru, I think the answer is, “because they have a market for it and can make money from marketing the product.” The eBay/surplus store shopper is probably not the customer they’re targeting.
60% price hike on Muticam over UCP pattern?
Nice. I’m pretty sure Crye’s licensing fee isn’t that big and they most likely make few dollars per pair. But when you compound the Multicam licensing cost from the cloth manufacturer to the garment maker, to the retail pricing margin…it all adds up. Still, 60% is a little rich, IMO.
Yet people don’t like Multicam being called Guccicam by some. Wait until Ralph Lauren lands the next contract with Crye…$350 pre-washed fashion cargo pants will be all the rage 😉
The TruSpec versions of these aren’t bad. They fit a little better in the shoulders n chest IMO. Can’t imagine that the Propper versions would be any different. Propper traditionally makes their stuff truer to spec than most other uniform makers. I generally can’t tell the difference between Propper uniforms and the stuff you get from RFI, CIF or MCSS