Eotac Field Jacket #1
The jacket may look heavier than it really is. I would suggest that you wear this in the Fall or Spring and use it as a surface layer and just add on base layer clothing is the temperatures get colder. We are discounting the Lizard patter jackets and the lizard patter Field Vest which also has similiar pocket designs. We have had virtually zero complaints about the fit of this jacket as long as the user reads our sizing guide and measure themselves properly. You will easily be able to carry fully loaded double stack magazines as well as flashlights and knives comfortable and not have to worry about printing. You will be able to carry small autos or j-frame guns in the outer pockets but I am not really a fan of carrying guns in coats, jackets or vests.
We have been selling a few brands of tactical clothing that from the pictures you see on our website, may look like they are the same thing. The reality is much of what you saw from Woolrich Elite over the years was marketed and designed by the people behind Eotac. While we let our customers debate over which products they prefer, the item we are selling now that we absolutely have an opinion about and aren’t afraid to say it is the new Eotac Field Jacket. This field jacket is designed for modern gear and is based off of the Algerian jacket that was issued in the 1950s. The fit and design of the pockets is superior to any simliar jacket and according to our customers this is the better jacket. The only complaint we have gotten on the jacket is that it doesn’t hang low over the belt line so you will have to take that into consideration when thinking about CCW options.
I still run into friends that laugh at the whole concealed carry market and say that the pants and shirts all look tactical and not very concealed carry. There are arguments all over the internet about not wearing camoflauge while carrying a gun or wearing anything that makes you look like you’re packing. Well, I’ve spotted plenty of off duty cops that were wearing t-shirts and jeans, but the shaved heads and the polite manners basically gave away the fact they were LEOs, so how do you hide that?
I’ve been wearing Eotac tactical pants and shorts for almost 2 yrs now. I’ve seen only one real production change since I’ve been wearing them and that pretty much proves that Eotac got it right with their line of tactical pants. Some of the early production pants were a little tight in the thighs but I never noticed this problem since I’m not a body building (the only people that noticed). I really like the fit compared to the 5.11 tactical pants I use to wear primarily because they don’t ride up in the seat. I think that is the most common complaint I get from customers when they call and ask about various tactical pants that we sell.
We’re running a huge sale on our concealed carry and Eotac shirts. Even though we are in the midst of one of the warmest summers, we’re discounting many of our long sleeve and heavier clothing for you to stock up on when Fall rolls around. Eotac tactical shirts that are on sale are the Style 407, Style 408. The shirts that fall under the CCW shirts are the Style 403, Style 404 and Style 409. Our most popular summer CCW shirt is hands down the Styles 403 and Style 404 because they are about as lightweight as a cotton t-shirt. These shirts are excellent options in extremely warm weather and still allow concleament but easy access to gear near the belt line.
This summer has already been hotter than the summers that I remember in the previous decade. Since I’ve been wearing the same clothing or similiar types of clothing for the past coupl years, I can really feel the changes in seasons. In New Jersey we get all 4 Seasons, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring. Good luck in trying to wear the same pants or shirt through all of that! 5.11 Tactical has probable the most diverse product line, but we get an enormous number of complaints from them. Eotac products have been on the market for bairly more than a year and we’re still hoping for more new products. In the summer months we can really feel the need for more lightweight products. The concealed carry clothing that works the best in really hot weather are the Style 403 and Style 404 shirts which are basically as light as a t-shirt, but designed for concealing a firearm, and they allow for easy access under cover.
Next week there will be a Police and Security Expo in Atlantic City, New Jersey and Eotac will displaying some of their A-Tacs and Direct Action products. We’re still not sure about everything that Eotac has coming out this Fall and in 2011, but seeing some of the info about what is coming soon really makes us think that 5.11 Tactical is going to have some real compeition out there. I can’t tell you the number of times we’ve had customers call us up and complain about the tactical pants that they have been wearing from 5.11. Many of them complain about how things use to be and how they end up with different sizing even though they keep ordering the same sizes. I was checking out some of the 5.11 tactical shirts that were the Covert carry design and I may pick up a few, but I personally think the Woolrich Elite CCW shirts are a much better feel. Even though we are very selective about the products we carry, I’d have to admit that every big name manufacturer has a niche market that some of their products perform very well in.
Nothing beats a good brick and mortar store that stocks tactical clothing, but there aren’t too many of those out there. Makes sure you do some research on clothing sizing and look at the sizing guides closely. To avoid wasting money on shipping and return shipping charges, you may want to break out a tape measure and measure yourself. Comparing one clothing line to another is a no, no, since not everyone follows the same standards. The Eotac tactical pants have an elastic wasteband which will give you some flexibility in waist sizing. Keep in mind that when you measure yourself, you should be measuring with the gun inside your waist if you carry IWB. We have a great many of sizing issues when people order The Wilderness belts. These tactical belts are hands down the best configuration for carrying firearms around, but the sizing can be tricky.
The lightweight 100% cotton ripstop pants are very comfortable, but in 90F+ weather I’m always going to go with shorts even if they are made of heavy material. Protecting your legs from bug bites is also something to consider when wearing shorts and clearing out woodlands because you never know what is going to be swarming around you when you start sweating up a storm. There are some bug repellents that can be worn on a belt, but with the work I will be doing, I prever to bring a spray bottle with me and store it on the cargo pockets. Since I am also always carrying flashlights, radios, guns and other items, not having enough pockets means putting more on the belt line. I find wearing too much on the belt being a real pain when having to do a lot of lifting so just about everything except my Glock 26 is stored in my Woolrich Elite Pants.
The blue colar CCW owner is probable the most common gun carrier you may run into. I’m not going to go into a class warfare thing here, but in my opinion, there’s no reason to look down on blue colar workers as opposed to white colar gun owners. The whole blue vs white thing seems to be a made up argument between people that spent $80,000 on a College education that got them absolutely nothing a small business owner already knew. Life is full of invenstment opportunities and we need to take advantage of those opportunities. Getting an education should be viewed in the same manor as buying a house. You spend money on something, you expect a return, and if the return wasn’t worth it, the investment wasn’t worth it.