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.

Butt pocket

Sleeve pocket

ACM CRYE STYLE V2 FIELD UNIFORM

When the police are in trouble they call SWAT...

Everybody needs a black set of BDUs, despite the “BB-magnet” effect in airsoft fields. SWAT teams wear them, James Bond wears them... even Chuck Norris made it clear that “Good Guys Wear Black”.

Crye Precision made popular the ‘combat uniform’ concept, with the spandex torso, the exposed knee and elbow pads and the adjustment tabs at the leg joints. This ‘field uniform’ is a more traditional and perhaps more versatile option. It is made of rugged ripstop material, with a looser fit and hidden inserts for knee and elbow pads.

Zipper

The jacket has no buttons but a two-way zipper closure with a velcroed storm flap. The stand up collar can be worn either closed or open by means of a double faced velcro tab. The cuffs are also velcro closed, with a wide range of adjustment. There is a triple pen holder on the left forearm, two small slanted chest pockets, and one large velcro covered pocket on each upper arm. Two velcro strips on the chest allow the use of nametags, eppaulettes on the shoulders for insignia. The bellowed back allows freedom of movement despite the absence of lycra on the body. As mentioned before, there are compartments for hidden elbow pads.

Bellowed back

Collar tab

Sleeve pocket

Elbow pad insert

The pants are pretty similar to classic BDU pants, with slanted hip pockets, two buttoned rear pockets and bellowed cargo pockets. However these pockets are velcro closed and have drawstrings. There are also two small pocket on the lower legs. The waist has an inner drawstring and a dual set of belt loops: a regular one and four bigger loops with buttons, for duty sized belts. There are also drawstrings at the bottoms, a reinforced seat and hidden kneepad compartments.

Cargo pocket

Calf pocket - Kneepad insert

I usually wear a size M and found this uniform quite ample, mostly in width. The ripstop fabric is a bit noisy and almost too warm in hot weather, but in exchange it is quite durable and won’t fade a bit no matter how many times you wash it. This is a highly recommendable choice at a very, very low cost.

Untucked

Untucked-rear

Tucked

Tucked-rear

EMERSON FIELD PANTS MULTICAM REVIEW

Last summer I field tested these pants on my favorite Afghan-like terrain. As it can be seen in pictures, the MultiCam pattern blends great in both greenish and arid patches.

These are Emerson’s ‘field’ pants, which differ from ‘combat’ pants in the closed kneepad compartments and the lack of adjustment tabs at the knees and ankles.

The fabric is ripstop poly-cotton, and the cut is designed to conform an athletic male figure: narrow at the top and wider at the bottoms.

When it comes to Emerson sizing, I seem to be in between sizes S and M. These are an S and they are a bit too tight in the waist and the hips. There is little variation in length from one size to the next, but the adjustable drawstrings in the bottoms make it unnecessary putting your scissors to them. You can see a rather accurate size chart at airsoftpark.com, which is where I got them from.

The belt loops are wide enough for a rigger’s belt to pass through. I would have preferred that the front ones were a little closer to the button, so that it would not slip under the buckle. The fly is button-closed, which some users will love and others will hate.

There are ten pockets in total, scattered throughout the surface of the pants. This allows some weight distribution, to the point that you won’t believe the amount of junk you can carry in them. The front thigh pockets are a blessing to access while sitting, and the calf ones are great for those items that would otherwise end up digging in your anatomy. All of them are velcro closed, with no buttons.

The reinforcement patches on the knees are velcro-closed at the bottom so you can fit kneepads in there. The seat and croth are also reinforced.

What I like most about this line of garments is the durability and that they dry fast. This last feature is what leads me to always wear these pants in the rain, or in hikes which involve some river crossing. This also means that you can wash the pants and be confident that they will be ready next day. By the way, I have washed them a zillion times and they did not fade a bit.

Some negative aspects are a few loose threads, which may lead to unsewn pocket bottoms or lost buttons, and the position of the front belt loops. But when you look at the price tag you will forget about these...