Playing Soldiers: ACM STEALTH HOODIE (GEN.2-3 LINED)

The mandatory Hollywood pose

This ACM tactical jacket is heavily inspired on Gen.2 and Gen.3 of the Stealth Tactical Hoodie made by a prestigious firm from down-under. The original product costs a little fortune and may be suitable for those professionals whose life or death may depend on it. The copy is good enough for any non-threatening outdoors activities, at a fraction of the cost.

The Stealth jacket should fall in the lined softshell category, as it is made of “Shark Skin” fabric which is wind and rain stopper on the outside, and fleece on the inside. The overall finish is quite good, very well stitched and with no loose threads. The color is a shade of brown similar to the darker blotches in most desert camo patterns. The zipper pulls are color and material matching (unlike the older versions which had cords instead).

At 170cm and 80Kg, quasi-athletic built, size M fits me like a glove. Note that this is not a parka, so if you are accustomed to longer jackets you might find this one a bit short, as it won’t extend beyond your hip-joint. The cut is snug but it does not limit movement, with the help of the flexible and semi-stretchy fabric. The cuffs combine inner elastic with non-pile velcro tabs. The hood is the aero-type with a small visor and the drawstrings routed into the chest pockets. It also comes with a flap to keep it from bellowing in strong wind conditions.

The main zipper is two way and the pulls are on the wrong side (as in the original) so it is a bit tricky to engage at first. The chest pockets are vest/pack friendly, with internal dividers and D-rings to dummy-cord sensitive items. The upper arm pockets are zipper closed too, and have velcro on the outside for patches. All these pockets have slots for earphone wires. The signature wrist pocket on the left sleeve is quite practical for a car key or a garage remote (so you can do the Buzz Lightyear laser gig). There is also a butt-pocket which comes great to stash gloves, scarves and the like when not in use.

Softshells are defined as garments that protect from inclement weather while offering some transpirability. Some people take this as if you could run a marathon in them without a drop of sweat, so they get disappointed and frustrated when they find this untrue. This jacket passed my motorbike windstopping test in really chilly weather (with just a t-shirt underneath), and it truly leaks very very little after an hour in heavy rain. However you cannot expect to be able to do any strenuous activities in it without getting hot and sweaty. You can unzip the armpit openings, but in the sun or walking at a good pace you’d rather take it off.

Chest pocket

I read some negative comments regarding the zippers, but had no problem yet. In fact this jacket is quite rugged and you can machine wash it without fear of fading (you will lose some DWR though), and no bag strap seems abrasive enough to even put a mark the shoulders.