Some of you may have already seen this guy at one of the Triple Aught Design stores in the San Francisco Bay area but this was my first glimpse of their preview mannequin.
so far, none of these three garments have official names. There is a NYCO Jacket which uses the same 50/50 Nylon Cotton ripstop blend as many of their pants. Inspired by racing jackets, it’s DWR treated and features TAD logo slotted buttons at the cuff. Next, is the new pant which uses the same cut as the Intercept Jean but integrates the new Made in USA, FR Doomsday Canvas fabric. Incidentally, the Intercept Jean is the best selling garment in TAD history.
But, you’re going to see the Primer Henley first which combines the design of the Hunstman Henley with the waffle patterned material of the Primer Crew, so I’ll give you a little closer look. As you can see, it also incorporates the TAD logo slotted buttons down the neck.
It appears that blocked hats are making a come back in the Air Force. While they’ve long been available around Lackland AFB, where Airmen attend Basic Military Training School, they aren’t exactly in the spirit of a wash and wear utility uniform. But, over the past year or so, the service’s top Airman, Gen Mark Welsh and his Senior Enlisted Advisor, CMSgtAF James Cody have been spotted wearing them with their ABUs.
(Chief of Staff Gen Mark Welsh speaks with Airmen during a Dec. 14, 2014, visit at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Photo: SrA Kia Atkins/US Air Force)
Of course, this isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. Airmen wore the stiffened Ridgeway Cap in the 50s and early 60s, until their wear was curtailed around the time the AF phased out Sage Green fatigues.
If this is the style you are looking for, www.blockedhats.com has got you covered.
Like the Ridgeway, these caps have a plastic sidewall, but are much stronger than the original. Additionally, they are modified issue caps and take about four weeks for delivery unless you have a big melon, in which case there will be an additional lead time.
Two big surprises for me this Blade Show. First, Triple Aught Design is exhibiting for the first time. As I looked around their booth, out of the corner of my eye I spotted some MultCam which led to my second surprise.
For years, TAD fans have been asking for them to bring back MultiCam. They are doing it, in limited runs, in three pant styles. First up will be the Force 10s seen here followed by two as-yet-unnamed models. Keep your eyes peeled and your credit card ready and be prepared to mash that ‘F5’ button.
Kitanica has released their Range Shorts in MultiCam Black as a Special Edition release. Constructed of NyCo ripstop, the Range Shorts features a double layer reinforced seat, bar-tacked stress points, and a contoured, Velcro cinching waistband with 7 belt loops. There are a total of 8 pockets on the Range Shorts: 2 hip pockets, 2 rear pockets, 2 side pockets, and 2 cargo pockets. The left and right side pockets are reinforced in the corners with Cordura to prevent knife clip wear.
When Arc’teryx Launched their 2015 LEAF line during SHOT Show they held something back. For years, customers have been asking Arc’teryx for FR Versions of their combat clothing. They listened and the results are variants of the new Enhanced Combat Uniform Assault Pant and Shirt in FR Defender-M fabric from TenCate.
Vancouver BC (June 2015) – For when mission critical doesn’t always include comfort, ARC’TERYX LEAF presents its new Assault Shirt FR and Assault Pant FR – specifically designed to deliver the ultimate in fire protection, durability and lightweight comfort for a range of military and law enforcement activities.
Applying its technical expertise to create functional designs that are the hardest wearing in the field, ARC’TERYX LEAF delivers its most protective and purposeful combat uniform to date with these two new designs that emphasize movement and function, while also focusing on safety with TenCate Defender M with Coolderm™ Technology. Lightweight and breathable, TenCate Defender M with Coolderm™ Technology wicks moisture and perspiration away from the skin, minimizing discomfort in high-heat environments. Created to give troops an extra margin of protection, this everyday textile also utilizes Lenzing FR® fiber, a cellulosic fiber that helps to provide additional heat and flame resistance for improved protection.
Technical, fully featured, and suitable for a variety of combat applications, the Assault Shirt FR is an all-round combat shirt that is designed to fit while wearing body armor or a chest rig. As part of a layering system, the shirt is patterned to allow room for a full range of unrestricted motion and move easily over a next-to-skin layer without binding. Constructed with flame resistant and no melt/no drip textiles, the Assault Shirt FR includes air permeable underarm mesh for breathability and the clean efficient design and meticulous craftsmanship ensure long-term performance.
Designed to work in conjunction with the Assault Shirt FR, the Assault Pant FR is a fully featured flame resistant technical pant appropriate for assault assignments. The reinforced seat, knees and gusseted crotch of the Assault Pant FR provides significant durability and allow enhanced user mobility. The spacious fit allows for seasonal layering, while articulation in the knees and seat allows a full range of unrestricted motion. Integrated pockets in the knees fit removable soft kneepads and/or LEAF Knee Caps. Six pockets are thoughtfully placed for operational function and are equipment compatible.
Emphasizing fire protection, enhanced movement and specific function, the new Assault FR combat uniform delivers unmatched capabilities.
XGO is offering a compression sleeve and its received a lot of interest. In addition to its intended use as a compression garment, it has a little bit of nap on the inside for cooler weather. They’ve sold quite a few to motorcycle and mounted Police Officers as well as to a company that has been hiring Vets in order to cover sleeve tattoos in some applications.
LBX Tactical has released a combat uniform featuring the Caiman camouflage from the LBX Region Pack first seen at SHOT Show 2014. This is the second camouflage from the Pack to be released with a commercial uniform; the first was Inland Taipan, released earlier this year in January.
The uniform consists of a combat shirt with a jersey knit center body and 65/35 PolyCotton ripstop sleeves, and a combat pant made of 65/35 PolyCotton ripstop. Look forward to products featuring the remaining two camouflages in the LBX Region Pack, Mantis and Snow Raptor, in the coming months.
During SHOT Show we gave you a sneak peek of the Forager Cap from FirstSpear. The story was quite popular and for this week’s Friday Focus, we are happy to announce that the Forager is now available for purchase. I’ve got one of the prototypes and I love it.
The Forager Cap features a slightly longer brim than other caps that gives extra shade and has a preformed, foldable bill that makes it a snap to store flat in your pocket. You’ll also notice that there are slits, called eyeglass channels, for the temple pieces of your eyepro that make sure they won’t go anywhere when stored above the brim.
The unique back hook strap combines stretch as well as a great deal of mechanical adjustment thanks to the buckle and loops. The Forager is also lined with an ultra light weight mesh for ventilation and wicking.
The front of the cap has a light weight breathable low nap pile from Velcro that will let you place a FS Cell Tag, PVC Patch or other ID marking. Additionally, the front breathable panel is embroidered with the FS logo if you don’t want to wear a patch.
Standard size currently available in Black, Coyote, and MultiCam. The Small size will be available in 4-6 weeks.
