TD’s Carlos Ray pant is designed as a general use range/field pant. It’s made from a cotton/spandex twill fabric, a soft yet rugged fabric which offers a bit of stretch for greater function. The pant features 8 individual rivet reinforced pockets, articulated knees, a gusseted crotch, and a Velcro back panel.
Available in Dark Desert and Urban Gray.
www.tacticaldistributors.com/td-carlos-ray-pant
Velocity Systems has just released their BOSS Rugby shirt in MultiCam. Made with DURO Lambda “NTS” Polyester/Spandex fabric, the BOSS Rugby is moisture wicking, anti-microbial, and NIR – Near Infrared, Les Visible. The rugby-style collar keeps a weapon sling off the base of the wearer’s neck, and it features an active cut which is athletic and mobile. The BOSS Rugby also features envelope pockets on each sleeve, although the MultiCam variant does not feature loop on the pockets.
As a special deal for Soldier Systems Daily readers, Velocity Systems has graciously provided a discount on the MultiCam BOSS Rugby. Use coupon code SSD25 to take $25 off the MultiCam BOSS Rugby. This deal ends 12/31/14 at 11:59pm, so take advantage while you can. It’s a great shirt for a great price!
This combat shirt was developed for the Malaysian military as a jungle uniform by UK specialist manufacturer Crib Gogh. It incorporates a padded shawl-style collar and take up tabs through ought the design. In fact, you may notice padding in several sections of the shirt. This is D3O. Additionally, the back of the shirt features a mesh strip to mitigate overheating while wearing a pack.
Platatac has introduced MultiCam as a color option for the H-Smock, Harry Combat Hoodie, and Harry Hard Jacket 1.2.
H-Smock
The H-Smock is made from 100% cotton ripstop fabric with double stitching and bar tacking on all major seam lines for durability. Sounds great for warm weather wear! The H-Smock features plenty of storage space, with four utility pockets, two zippered map chest pockets, three internal poachers pockets, and two bicep pockets. Additional features include adjustable hood, adjustable cuffs, draw cord waist and hem, reinforced elbow pads, and ITW Nexus hardware.
www.platatac.com/platatac-h-smock-100-cotton.html
Harry Combat Hoodie
Based on Platatac’s Harry Hard Jacket design, the Harry Combat Hoodie is made from a 4-way stretch fleece backed MultiCam Aplha fabric, treated with Nanosphere for water repellency and stain resistance. The Harry Combat Hoodie features two long internal hidden mesh pockets, two external waist pockets, and two bicep pockets (with Velcro loop panels) for plenty of storage space. Additional features include adjustable hem, adjustable wrists, and YYK zips with zip housings.
www.platatac.com/harry-combat-hoody-fleece-backed-nanospherer.html
Harry Hard Jacket 1.2
Also based on Platatac’s Harry Hard Jacket design, the Harry Hard Jacket 1.2 is made from 4-way stretch fabric treated with Nanosphere for water repellency and stain resistance. The Harry Hard Jacket 1.2 features two hidden chest pockets, two external waist pockets, and two bicep pockets for storage space. Additional features include detachable hood which is adjustable with storm flap, adjustable hem, adjustable wrists, Velcro loop panels for patches, and YYK zips with zip housings.
www.platatac.com/harry-hard-jacket-1-2-nanospherer.html
You asked, and they listened. Behold, the long sleeve BOSS Rugby from Velocity Systems. Full production being released for sale soon.
My favorite range shirt is coming very soon in MultiCam. I’m told these will be limited supply.
Developed at the request of an Allied SOF unit, the Cold Weather Smock is the first of a series of items under TYR’s new Huron Tactical Equipment and Clothing line. Over the next few weeks we are going to take a look at several additional new clothing items and packs from this line.
Before we go any further, I want to talk about presentation. This is the first thing you are going to see when you get a Smock; a zippered carrying case with the item’s nomenclature displayed in the front, proudly emblazoned with the Huron logo. Unzip it and you’ll find a piece of craftsmanship. It is a simple thing, but it resonated with me.
Why Develop A Smock?
I’ve been following the development of this Smock for the past several months, getting my initial glimpse during the TYR Tactical open house in Southern Pines. They are now a full year into it, on their 14th iteration of development, and ready to release.
The point here is that, although TYR Tactical founder Jason Beck is a longtime fan of the smock, he did it for the customer. TYR isn’t looking for a big commercial market to validate the investment in time and energy although they’ve already sold 60 before the Smock even hits the market.
“If I sell 200 of this item, I’ll be happy. This is specialized clothing based on customer feedback.”
-Jason Beck
President
TYR Tactical
This softshell garment is manufactured from 4-way stretch fabric, treated with Marathon H100 which repels water, dirt, and oil while still giving the textile breathability and elasticity. Additionally, CSM reinforced rubberized elbows offer protection and grip in rough terrain. Those elbow sections will also accept D3O impact pads, available through TYR Tactical. I can tell you that while those elbows might look like overkill, they make a big difference while in the prone in rocky terrain.
These features combine to make the Huron Smock an excellent 3-season garment. Truth be told, I don’t see you wearing this in temperatures above 70 Deg F, but it will be the heat, when it’s cold outside.
In addition to the obvious pit zips, three other features help with wear in warmer conditions including heavy exertion. First, the hood is removable (leaving behind a stand up collar) and second, the antimicrobial treated mesh lining is moisture wicking to increase comfort and hold down stink from prolonged wear in the field. Finally, the back of the Smock is single layer fabric which is critical for those wearing a pack, external armor carrier, or other load bearing system in order to help avoid overheating.
The Base Design
This is a pretty complicated design with 184 individually cut pieces. That makes for a lot of sewing machine time. They started working with the shoulders because the Smock has to carry up to 25 lbs of kit. A single-piece load bearing yoke was a necessity, and you’ll notice that there is double material across the internal yoke and down the front in order to support the weight of a fully loaded Smock.
Maneuverability and range of motion were also key factors so they added material in the shoulder area to accommodate the deltoids. They also incorporated gussetted pit zips for venting during heavy exertion.
The Smock features simple, Velcro cuff closures. Interestingly, the length of the flap and Velcro adjustment has been modified a couple of times over the course of the Smock’s development as customer feedback dialed the final design in.
Additionally, there are internal drawstrings at the waist and hem for adjustment of load and to keep wind and snow out of the Smock. The barrel locks are sewn in place for one-hand adjustment. They’ve also incorporated 500D Cordura behind the main zipper. This gives it a little more support and won’t bind the zipper like a lighter wight fabric might.
Pockets, Pockets, Pockets
Did you say, “pockets?” Well, believe me, this thing has got them. In fact, the chest area alone has external flapped patch pockets right on top of zippered inset Napoleon pockets, while inside the Smock offers zippered chest pockets. Remember, it was designed to carry 25 lbs of equipment and you can compartment it well, including mesh pockets along the internal skirt of the Smock that will accommodate rations.
Summary of Pockets:
4 Front Pockets
– 2 Top Patch Pockets – Velcro Closure
– 2 Bottom Patch Pockets w/Flap – Button Closure
2 External Napoleon Chest Pockets
– Zipper Closure
2 Internal Napoleon Chest Pockets
– Zipper Closure
5 Internal Base Mesh Pockets Along Skirt of Smock
– Button Closure
2 Side Radio Pockets
– 1 w/Flap and Bungee Retention
– 1 Bungee Retention
2 Rear Poacher Pockets
– Bottom Pockets w/Flap – Button Closure
2 Sleeve Pockets
– Zipper Closure
Depending on the application, TYR uses slotted buttons, Velcro, zippers or a combination of more than one as closures for the pockets.
Internal Magazine Pockets
Inside several of the larger pockets found on the Huron Smock are internal magazine slots that will accommodate 30 rd 5.56 magazines. There are a total of six of these slots. The photo below was taken last Spring of a prototype variant.
Radio Pockets
Interestingly, the two side hip mounted pockets were designed to accept the PRC-148/152 and incorporate cable routing slots so that the cables won’t be exposed.
Developments
As I stated earlier, the hood is removable via button attachment and the version that comes with the Smock is made from the same 4-way stretch softshell material as the rest of the smock. However, TYR is already experimenting with other, optional hoods like this fleece lined one which they whipped up while I was there last week.
I’d also keep my eyes out for a lightweight Smock, made from a different fabric, for hot weather ops in the future.
Colors and Sizing
This is a very specialized piece of kit, currently offered in MultiCam, with other colors to follow. Sizes are Small – 3XLarge. It is very generously cut and unless you plan on wearing a puffy jacket underneath, I’d suggest you go down a size.
I am impressed with the work that has gone into the new Huron Cold Weather Smock. While it may be a bit pricey for many, it is definitely worth considering of you require something along these lines.
LE and military organizations/personnel, contact TYR Tactical for special pricing.
Enjoy this story from November, 2011 (slight updated) on one of my favorite clothing items; the Smock.
Finally, the smock is beginning to gain some traction here in the US. We’ve written about them in the past, mentioning smocks from Drop Zone, the now defunct EOTAC, SOD Gear, Level Peaks, SORD as well as the (then) upcoming Vertx smock. But, we’ve never really talked about them and explained what they are all about.
The smock is literally a concept unlike anything we have in the US. I’ve heard them compared to the M65 field jacket but that idea is simply uniformed. A smock isn’t just a coat.
Rather, the smock is much more than a simple jacket. In addition to use as clothing, the smock is also intended to carry much, if not all of the wearer’s fighting load. They were originally envisioned to carry several days of combat equipment including rations, ammunition, and radios.
Primarily, the smock is a European concept and in particular, used by Commonwealth nations. I got my first SAS smock in 1989 in a trade for a poncho liner during an exercise in Belgium. Its use as an issue garment has traditionally been restricted to Special Forces, yet several nations have adopted it for general issue in one form or another. One example of a much watered down smock on general issue is the Canadian Army’s combat jacket. When this design was initially adopted in the 1960s it was envisioned that the Soldier would carry his ammunition and other fighting load components in the jacket’s pockets. What’s more, the British military now issues a Smock as a general purpose item.
There is very limited use of Smocks by US forces. During the early 1990s, an experimental clothing system called Battle Dress System (BDS) was developed by the US Army Special Operations Command. It was a layered clothing system that eventually became the Lightweight Environmental Protection sub-system of SPEAR. The outermost layer, called the SOF BDU, was a solid grey combat jacket and over trouser. With its solid grey color the item was rejected due to institutional prejudice. When LEP was adopted by SOF years later, it was without the SOF BDU. Interestingly, LEP was even later adopted wholesale for issue to General Purpose Forces Soldiers by the Rapid Equipping Force during the early stages of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Issue items like the SAS Smock are pretty good, but commercial interests have taken them to a whole new level. Britain’s Special Air Sea Services has been manufacturing specialized variants of the smock since the 1980s. Other companies like Canada’s now defunct Drop Zone picked up the torch in the 90s and now, commercial items are more prevalent than the issue garment.
Smocks have made a lot of sense in Northern Europe where the cold, wet climate requires layering. You see, as smocks are coat-like garments they are generally worn layered over shirts. In many climates the US military finds itself in, this would be too warm as a daily wear item. The US issue Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System in all three of its incarnations has offered various technical parka-style shells. It seems as if the US skipped the smock altogether for a time. But, with the advent of the most modern smocks, new fabrics have been introduced into the design essentially making them softshells. Conversely, Australian Mission Pac has developed a MultiCam ripstop 100% Cotton Smock for use in warm climates. Aside from that and a developmental Crye Precision Desert smock, hot weather models are few and far between.
Other interesting concepts have been developed such as the Arktis SF Sleeveless Smock which looks like a hybrid between a smock and a 5.11 shooting vest.
Oftentimes, those with no experience with smocks will criticize the design. They don’t understand that use of a fully featured smock allows the reconfiguration of the load. For example, armor can be worn under the smock. Perhaps a chest rig may be required and perhaps not, but much of the items normally carried on the armor or in a pack can be carried in pockets, readily available.
With even more products hitting the market soon, smocks look to be making an indelible mark on the US market and as they become more and more prevalent, we will begin to see more widespread use, including on the battlefield. Think of the smock as yet another tool in the toolbox and use accordingly. Remember, it’s a tool, not the tool, and you’ll be ok.
