I love to find products developed by someone who had a need. With a design refined over the past eight years, the Four Roles Over Garment (FROG) is the brainchild of Dan Sparks, an Army and FBI veteran who was looking for a multi-purpose garment.
The name FROG came about because it can be used for these four purposes:
Jacket
Shelter
Blanket
Sleeping bag
In the right environmental conditions, It can be worn all of the time, even while driving, which can be very handy for those who are exposed to the elements while in transit. This is possible thanks to the large #10 side zips which give lots of mobility for your arms including operating machinery and using weapons.
The full front zips make for easy donning and doffing as well as ventilation. You can also open it to access any gear that you wear under FROG. There is also an integrated, oversized hood as well as internal hand warmer pocket.
Shown below is the jacket component by itself. As you can see, it’s sized quite generously and can fit over your kit. For additional camouflage, you can drape a Ghillie over it.
There is a waist cinch so that you can tighten the FROG or hike it up a bit. While it looks long with the incorporated extension panel, it is built with enough room that you can take full strides and maneuver over rocks and logs.
The modular design is really cool. The extension panel can be removed based on weather and features grommets for use as a sleeping pad or shelter.
The extension panel can be zipped open to form a shelter or remain closed and crawled into sleeping bag style.
There have been instances where one FROG has been shared between two users with one wrapping up in the jacket portion and the other using the extension panel to keep warm.
The FROG is manufactured by Wiggy’s and insulated with Lamilite. This is a silicone treated continuous filament insulation that can be washed at home in your machine. Lamilite does a great job of regaining its loft even when vacuum packed. While Dan didn’t give me a specific temperature rating for the FROG, another user released that he had used his in wet conditions below 40 Deg F and remained comfortable.
The FROG comes standard in MultiCam but can also be had in a variety of other colors and patterns including OD Green, Black, Coyote, Royal Blue, Purple, MARPAT and even UCP.
Bungees and 550 cord not supplied but it does come with a stuff sack.
