Designed specifically for wear with a helmet, the Eagle Balaclava features a Nomex® skull cap area to eliminate hot spots and the remainder the material is fashioned from Dri Fire also used by Crye The balaclava also has an elastic adjustment and there are button holes on both sides of the mouth to accommodate boom microphones or Communications and Ear Protection wires.
The Balaclava is available directly from Eagle Industries.
The Ultra Shorts are great if you are looking for a pair of shorts for deployment. They can serve as PT shorts as well as swim trunks and look fine with civilian shirts and flip flops. They are cut long (9″ inseam) and are made from 50D polyester ripstop with a wicking finish so they dry quickly. The Ultra Shorts feature two front pockets and two large back pockets; one with stitched compartments to keep energy gels secure. The shorts also have a zippered security pocket right below the waistband to hold a car key.
Patagonia Ultra Shorts
Available in Desert Clay, Black, Espresso, Wildwood (shown), and Feather Grey. To order, visit Patagonia.
As we have said in the past, for folks seeking quality technical outerwear at a good price point, then Outdoor Research is a great alternative. They combine cutting edge materials with innovative designs and usually have a tactical friendly color option. Case in point is the Revel Jacket in Sandstone/Peat. The light shell is great for warmer climes and features a stowable hood in addition to the fantastic TorsoFlo™ full-length side/pit zips. These two way zips run from elbow all the way to the waist hem. Additionally, teh Revel has two spacious zippered chest pockets as well as an internal chest pocket with media port which doubles as a stuff sack. The elastic cuffs also feature velcro tabs. Finally, the jacket is manufactured from waterproof/breathable 2.5-layer 40D Pertex® Shield DS stretch ripstop fabric. The Pertex brand has been around for some years and has been popular in the UK. Having come back from near financial ruin just a few years ago, Pertex has developed numerous new fabrics such as the Pertex® Shield DS used by OR.
Revel Jacket from Outdoor Research
The cut of the jacket is loose and allows for layering. In addition to Sandstone/Peat the Revel Jacket is available in Oxide/Espresso, Abyss/Eclipse, and Black. It is available from Outdoor Research.
There are a variety of removable pads on the market and while originally developed for motorcycle clothing, one of the best available is the Upgrade Armour by Armourflex. They use a unique high-tech triangular shock absorbing material so that energy can be dispersed evenly over their surface. The pads are breathable, lightweight, flexible, and mold to your body shape. Using their patented Repeat Performance Technology, the pads protect against multi-strikes. Their performance more resembles external hard knee pads than the simple single layer offered by so many other insertable pads. In addition to knee protection, shoulder and elbow kits are also available.
FORCE-10 T-PRO 3L+ IMPACT KNEE PADS
A special version is sold in the US by TAD as the Force-10 T-PRO 3L+ Impact Knee Pads.
Acronym Tec Pants
Well you can say you have now. German firm Acronym produces high quality softgoods with obvious tactical influences. While they have a great eye for performance fabrics including Nextec’s Epic and Stotz Etaproof high-density Cotton, the lines of their clothing may be a bit uncoventional to some. Acronym can be difficult to find but an internet search turned their products up in a variety of specialty stores both here in the US as well as abroad.
Check out this video on the features of Acronym products.
As for the trousers, you have to get a kick out of their version of PALS which they call Tec Sys webbing. Notice the black bands above the cargo pockets. Acronym features Tec Sys on many of their products including clothing and bags. They also produce a variety of PALS compatible pouches.
Acronym can be found on the web at www.acronym.de. Their site includes archives of past collections.
We’ve had out eye on Swedish company Tac-Up Gear for some time and we thought the Nomad Jacket was a great way to introduce them to our readers. Designed as a lightweight, windproof smock it is manufactured from rip-stop polyester. This hooded jacket features eight pockets including on the upper sleeves, flapped Napoleon-style upper and slash lower chest pockets as well as inner pockets.
Tac-Up Gear Nomad Jacket in M90K Desert
The Nomad is currently offered in Green and M90K Desert in sizes Small – XLarge. Available on the web from Tac-Up Gear.
I bought a new shooter’s cap last weekend at REI. I prefer the smooth crown that some call fisherman caps. Kuhl Clothing, manufacturers of the Durakuhl cap claim that it is an “Aussie” style. Whatever the origin, it is comfortable on its own or with a headset. It is fully adjustable for virtually any size head via a cam buckle and features a loop to hang the cap or secure it to your equipment. The material is 67% cotton and 33% nylon giving it a comfortable feel. The green color is reminiscent of WWII uniforms and this combined with the white stitching give it a retro feel. Finally, the bill is well formed and stiff enough to retain its shape.
Durakuhl Cap from Kuhl Clothing
In addition to Olive, the Duhrakuhl cap is also available in Khaki and Brown. Available from Kuhl.
It had looked like the supply of Combat Desert Jackets had dried up but US Elite Gear, purveyors of the hard to find have laid their hands on a limited supply. Once again these are factory seconds with slightly discolored sleeves.
USMC Combat Desert Jacket
Available in Small, Medium, and Large from US Elite Gear.
