You can spend huge money on tactical clothing and/or uniforms but if on a budget there are ways to not overspend and set yourself up well. The entire U.S. military decided to swap to ACU digital camoflauge using the latest in technoly from flame proof, blast resistant, built in insect repellant and antimicrobial fabrics. Having uniforms, gloves and hats that would not burst into flames even if had some fuel on them, or if a IED or grenade went off in your proximity cloth that the blast would not instantly melt as it was force into your skin was huge safety upgrade. All the technology was put inot ACU but the pattern that was supposed to be discrete in wooded, jungle, desert and urban environments was not really great at any much less all and we went back to a couple dozen different patterns and color combinatings. fast and majority of the ACU most unissued was dumped on surplus market for dirt cheap so we can buy ACU pattern that is o.k for most things just not the most discrete for all if shopping on a budget. Also most militaries around the world went through multiple technology upgrades during the GWOT era creating a huge selection of different items never before dreamed of for Tier 1 units much less the average grunt.
GLOVES OF ALL KINDS
SEE MANY MORE GLOVES & REVIEWS
LETS START WITH UNDERWEAR (PUGs)
After seeing way too many injuries fro IEDs, grenades and other truama the military had to find a way to reduce injuries that cost troops their lives and/or legs. The Protective Undergarment (PUGs) were the anser. The pair shown first are made by Short Bark Industries and the final ones are Secure Planet. At 5' 10" and 173 pounds I wear a medium in Secure Planet and Large In Short Barks. Both have similar design where the green cloth is super comfortable four way stretch with the yellow being multiple layers with Kevlar rated to stop fragments from a standard USGI grenade. You can wear them with or without the trauma panels which cover both branches of the the femural areteries in each hip but the pads in the Short Bark are a bit larger covering more area but again Secure Planet being so comfortable they are my daily wear underwear for work and wear Short Barks when work security or go into a city like Atlanta.
I have tested the panels and they inserts will stop 380 acp and if stuff two panels in eaach pocket while they gt bulky will stop up to 9mm. If stack panels I generally put a full size panel in then the next size down over it so don't stress the seams. All PUGs are antimicrobial in case have to lay in a hide and pee your pants rather than be discovered by the enemy or just have to wear the same underwear for several days. They make womens and my wife really likes hers finding them super comfortable but she does not run the trauma panels. I have been wearing PUGs daily for years and yet to have a pair blow a seam or show wear enough to need replacing and they can be found new in package with three pair of underwear and one set of pads for $20 to $30 though see some vendors trying to get %50 or more so shop smart. These are a huge protective upgrade not only for tactical use but if you work with power tools or in a machine environement.
the tags tell a big story
I have gradually added any "new with tags" unisued ACU fatigues I can find. While ACU didn't stay in circulation long even the latest uiforms don't have better cloth and features it just didn't do what the military wanted. The idea was a digital pattern developed in compututers, tested for ability to blend in any terrain in computer modeling and intent was to have a single pattern issued to every branch for every terrain. it was supposed to work in the woods, jungles, deserts, urban, artic or anywhere but once fielded it was determined that while it worked o.k. for a wide range of terrain it didn't work really good for any. the Marine Corp was one of the first to ditch it as didn't want any in the first place opting for their digital woodland and digital deset (MARPAT) patterns. Suddenly every branch had compalints, it was not working in the sesert and most of our troops were in Iraq at the time.
What it did do was introduce a fabric that was first fire proof which if ever had a pair of woodland "ripstop" from the Cold War Era catch fire thats a big deal. Next was in addition to fire proof its is "blast resistant" which means if yur nead a bomb blast, IED, grenade the force of heat and pressure does not force the material into your skin like melting plastic under pressure which ripstop or cotton would cause issues for surgeons to remove the material from areas of the body that were damaged from fragments, heat and more. Next it has built in bug repellant that does not smell and keps troops from slathering themselves in "bug juice" to keep insectx from driving them nuts and smells enough humans and dogs can really pick it up on the wind. Also it is anti-microbial reducing chances of picking up some skin infection if had to wear uniform for days or weeks, urinated in pants during a fight when stopping to take a pee was not possible so just let it go and keep shooting.
The tags not only help guarantee your getting the real deal USGi but have instructions o washing and features of material. If washed properly the built in bug repellant is good for about thirty laaundry cycles before it bgins to wash out. If use a commercial laundry detergent like Tide or most others the U.V. "brightners" designed to kep your street cloths nice and bright will make your uiform twice as visible to night vision equipment or more. I have washed a uniform in the detergent wife prefers (All Free & Clear) which has least UV brightners and really aggressive detergents then another in proper detergent made without U.V. brightners popular with serious hunters and military then other additives and soaps then humg on our back yard fence on a dark night. Whane pan across the line using Gen 2+, Gen 3 and Gen 3 Wite Phosphorus its amazing how much difference the detergent used changes a garments ability to be seen. I even use low or now UV brightener detergents on my Levi's overshirts and especially my carriers for my body armor. Only my "go to church" cloths get U.V.. brightner detergents.
Make sure you get all the features you can in tactical wear. I have managed to accumulate at least eight or ten full ACU uniforms from base shirt to pants and top for both myself and wife. I also have a few sets of mens in sizes small, medium, large, extra large and XX large. Have womens in extra small, small, medium, large and extra large. Have fewr of the really small sizes and really large sizes but if wife or I gained weight or lost we have gear that fits or if have to loan any out can likely fit most folks we might need. As ACU first phased out it was so cheap could buy a full kit for about thirty bucks and when bought in bulk cheap as twenty dollars. Can get used for less nut I prefer new with tags so know all the built in features have not been washed out over a couple years of regular washing. whenever a new pattern that is usefull for our area comes out I get wife and I each a couple of kits then if see some as really low price will get more. My preference right now is USMC Digital Wooland or Multicam but for bargain unirorms there is a bunch of unissued Air Force gear out in the market cheaper than ACU right now.
ACU WORKS JUST FINE FOR ME
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If you want a good hunting kit or tactical uniform at a bargain ACU is my choice. All the latest fetures and cheaper than Chinese copies of other older patterns. I suggest everyone put a few uniforms back for each member of their household just in case. If nothing else makes good working in the yard or greasy car wear. I buy new with tags but lots of vendors have A Grade used that is quite likely new or near new but if tags are missing the better vendors will call it A grade instead of NOS. I did make one buy from a regular vendor who had some new without tags I buy lots of gear from to save enough to load up extra kits I can loan or sell later if never find a use for them.
SCORPION OCP (MULTICAM) 1/4 ZIP BASE SHIRT
USGI OCP (MULTICM) UNIFORM
USGI OCP aka Multicam is one of the more popular patterns I seem to see and brings a bit of a premium. We have several sets for both myself and wife in the Army ground troop issue and the Aircrew issue. I prefer the aircrew issue as it not only has side pockets on the thighs but shin pockets and a thigh pocket thats perfect for a thin profile flashlight or a writing pen. If you click on the photos of the labels to see full size then you will see it has all the advanced fabric features I discussed with the ACU.
USGI OCP (MUTICAM) WOMENS UNIFORM
USGI OCP (MULTICAM) HOT WEATEHER PANTS
When your in a jumgle environment (Even NE Georgia is scorching hot 90 plus degrees and 90 percent humidity for three or more months of the year) you want a few sets of "Hot Weather" uniforms to reduce the misery as much as possible. Especially when know yur ging to layer armor, battle bolts, holsters and such on top the better your uniforms breaths and ventilates the less likely you are to suffer from extreme heat health isues.. I like having at least three wights of uniforms so can dress best for current weather and not have to add layers to keep watm or shed them to stay cool if possible..
MORE UNIFORMS & TACTICAL CLOTHING SOON
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