Tactical Pants get Digital
Eotac pants have been on the market for almost a year now. One of the most popular tactical pants is the Style 201 Operator pants. These pants are hands down one of the most practical tactical pants you can find on the market. You may even find that these pants are so well designed and comfortable you almost won’t need to wear a tactical vest since the pocket designs will allow you to hold up to six 30rd AR/M16 magazines in the pockets. These pants are made of 100% cotton rip stop and have a gusseted grotch for extra strength. It may be funny to read about someone talking about how the crotch on a pair of tactical pants are re-enforced, but if you’re in hot climates, you’ll need lightweight clothing and durability is always an issue for the lightweight stuff.
The Eotac tactical clothing line is marketed for mostly the non-military style clothing, but they recently release the new digital pattern camo pants due to high demand. These pants are designed similiarly to the original ACU or Army Combat Uniform. The modern digital pattern gives it a more modern look with a proven useful pant design. The fit and manueverability of these pants is superior to some of the other lightweight pants out there. They are so well designed that you won’t notice much of a difference in mobility if you’ve loaded up your mags and are now carrying 180rds of 5.56 in your pants.
The Eotac zip up shirt is also very popular amongst firearm instructors because the back is mesh lined vented bi-swing which provides you with freedom of movement and maximum air flow. Many of our customers that work on the training courses like the ability to zip it down just because it gets hot. The front left pocket has a pen pocket as well as the left shoulder sleeve. On the long sleeve 402 version you can roll up and button the sleeves is it is warming up on you. If you are a firearm instructor this is the shirt you should have in your closet.
I’ve seen a few military style jackets at Army Navy type stores, but most wearers are using them just for the look, but not because they really use it for any practical purpose. There are some military style jackets that have good outdoor applications, but recently the very innovative and emerging tactical apparel company called Eotac, has developed something new. The Eotac 502 Field Jackets is far superior to the Woolrich Elite Algerian jacket that has been on the market for a few years. Both jackets are based on the Algerian style military jacket issued in the 1950’s.
That is the question an Operator may ask themselves while out in the field. There are a lot of so called tactical vests on the market, and there are also several military surplus assault vests, too. Sometimes some of these are good for something, but not always in the best condition or won’t go very well with your present line of tactical clothing. GMG Global Military Gear makes a nice tactical vest that has the ability to retain a sidearm on the front pocket as well as hold several pistol magazines and carbine magazines.
Woolrich entered the tactical apparel market several years ago, as well as Blackhawk gear, Proper and Tru-spec. Most of these clothing companies have good aspects, but recently we’ve seen another Tactical apparel company making very well designed clothing. Eotac is the short version of the Elite Operator Tactical clothing line. Their tactical clothing line has been on the market for barely a year, and some products only a few months, but the design and durability seem to be putting them in the heavy hitter category. The 201 Operator Grade Pants have the best designed ACU tactical pant on the market.
There are four large cargo pockets on the front of the vest. They feature side bellows and drain holes at the bottom of the pockets, elastic webbing on the inside to secure smaller items like magazines or a flashlight, and tuckable flaps w/adjustable snaps. The top pockets also each feature a vertical zippered Napoleon security pocket. The front of the vest secures with a two-way YKK zipper. There are four internal pockets with elastic loops for securing additional gear.
Designed by Larry Vickers, a retired career special operations soldier and firearms expert, Vickers gloves are true operator grade gear. The Vickers Duty glove is a shorter companion to the Mid-Length combat glove that has been on the market.
When you get serious about using a firearm you’ll understand the need for a good pair of gloves. Many of us have experience in plinking on a cold winter afternoon or walking around in the woods during hunting season and feeling the need to keep our hands warm. When using gloves that don’t restrict our ability to use a firearm, well, that’s another story.
A few years ago Woolrich Elite launched their line of tactical apparel with the help of Backyard Outfitter, but after an internal squabble Fernando Coelho split off from the company and launched his own tactical apparel line named Eotac. I noticed a few people mention that most of the Eotac apparel looks like Phase II of the Woolrich Elite line, but there have been some major innovations. We’ve seen some of the new products coming out in 2010 and there seems to be some pretty aggressive steps in the tactical apparel and concealed carry market with the new Eotac line.
The Operator Grade Mechanic Short-Sleeve Shirt is practical and discreet for everyday use. Styled after the popular mechanic shirts worn by industry professionals, it is low profile yet totally functional. The shirt comes with four patches to choose from. Simply sew one on the front of the shirt if you decide to make it look more authentic. Or leave the shirt without the patch for everyday casual wear. Two button-through chest pockets complete the authentic look of the shirt.