All posts tagged Tactical Clothing

Retiring your summer clothing for your Winter CCW

We got new windows installed on the house this year and for the first time ever, it didn’t feel so cold when I woke up yesterday as it was outside.   I guess all of that green energy improving we did really did make a difference, I guess I’ll know for sure when the heating bills start to come in.   It’s always this time of year that I have to remember to close every window in the house because its warm during the day and it night it gets down to almost freezing and then back through the cycle until Winter comes in full force.   Yesterday I retired my lightweight pants and concealement vests for my new Eotac Style 103 concealed carry vests.   I always have to force myself to wear clothing for awhile to get the real feel and use of each pocket before I really can comment on them.   It was a few years ago that I really started to hate some of my  non-Eotac pants because I always had a heck of a time trying to get my wallet out of them whenever I was driving through toll booths.   When I wore my Eotac pants, it was easy to access every pocket.

I would have to say that the Eotac Style 1o3 concealed carry vests are not heavy weight, but they are not lightweight.   They are also not lined which in my opinion doesn’t matter.  I like the idea of wearing base layer clothing, wearing a T-shirt or polo on top and then the a jacket or vest in the winter, instead of wearing a giant heavy winter coat.   I do not like the idea of basing my concealed carry method around a heavy coat, because there are too many situations in the winter where it can get really hot and keeping my jacket on in those situations can become impractical.   Base layers and vests seem to breath better than all of the winter coats I have.   Although The Eotac vests are being made in the military looking lizard pattern camo, the brown and O.D. Green vests are very outdoor friendly and won’t look too tactical.  I can easily carry 3 full sized Sig 228 magazines in the front pockets as well as a knife and flashlight and the weight does not yank at me.

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Why you should consider buying the proper CCW clothing

I was told about the coming concealed carry and tactical apparel market exposion over 10yrs ago, but things have really exploded in the last 4yrs.   I have seen several companies fail in this market, but mostly to poor marketing or problems in manufacturing.   I recently read an article about the coming cotton price increases so I know there may be yet another shock to the industry.    I never jumped on the CCW clothing bandwagon until about 6 years ago when I started wearing 5.11 tactical shorts.   I slowly go to understand the need for such pocket designs and then branched o ut to other clothing companies after that.   I am very happy with the pants and vests I have been wearing for the last few years and kind of lost interest  in some of the pants I use to wear, but Woolrich has done a great job of designing outerwear for CCW owners.

The Woolrich Elite Parka is a great Fall and Spring outwear accesory to keep you dry on those rainy days where you don’t want to wear something that will absorb water or make you sweat too much.   I’ve worn the Parka on Sept and October and although I did start to sweat wearing it, it kept me dry and was easy to take off and toss in the car without taking up much room.   Now that we are into full blown winter weather, it’s time for sweatshirts and sweaters.   I don’t CCW wearing sweaters as much as I use to, due to the amount of fraying and strings I seem to notice on sweaters.  I guess it’s seeing too many Glock discharges on Dean Speirs website, but I’ll only pocket carry if I have to wear one.   The Woolrich Elite Polyester Fleece is a new product that is CCW friendly and will secure your spare mags.  I’ve carried spare magazines in pockets before and had bullets come loose because if you have enough bouncing around, the bullets may eventually come loose and may cause a moment of embarressment when  your wife finds doing a load of laundry.   Get the right clothing for concealed carry, it’s out there.

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Think about the magazine holders before you buy

I was at a Zombie competition over the weekend and I have to say that this was by far the most professionally run competitions and some of the best tactical gear and firearms I have ever seen on a firing range.   There were several shotgun courses which meant there were plenty of people showing up with shotguns and gear, part of the fun of the competition is that every that competed in this everyone that was there had to lug the gear that used with them at all times.  Even though you still have to see a lot of Made in China on the gear, the designs of holsters and magazine holders has improved.

There were a few tactical vests that I got to see that were specifically designed for shotguns.   I’m doing a little research on what kind of vests these were, but it was impressive.   Uncle Mikes and Fobus make kydex magazine holders which work very well for IDPA or competitive shooting, but they are not the most vesatile for real hard use.   Eventually these holders will get a little loose with hard usesage and you will hear a rattle when moving fast.    Carrying magazines that have straps on them are not the best for competition or CCW because I personally think it’s one more thing to have to flip out of the way.  For combat these work fine and for some competitions they work, but I strongly recommend the use of the Blackhawk single and double stack holders.

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From Summer to Fall and quickly to winter

Up here in the Northeast we never know what kind of morning we are going to wake up to.   This is usually the time of year that I see so many friends and family membes get sick because they leave the house in the morning and jump in their car and hope the cars warms up fast enough to make up for the fact that they were too lazy to put on a coat.   By the time the afternoon rolls around it’s 75F and the jacket or sweatshirt is too hot to wear.   If you are concealing a firearm, you have to think about the possibility of having to take a layer of clothing off during the day without having to take your gun off.   This is one reason I really don’t think about carrying a firearm in a coat, because rarely does one wear a coat all day long.

The Eotac Style 501 half zip sweatshirt is something to consider for cold mornings, but it will make you hot if the weather warms up, from my experience a vest is more appropriate at this time of year because it gives you some level of warmth, but also can be opened up or unzipped.   The Eotac Style 103 concealed carry vests are very comfortable for OWB or paddle holster.   The long length will keep your firearm concealed even while moving.   The front pockets can easily hold and support your spare mags without feeling like you have lead weights pulling on you.  I can tolerate a Sig 229 in 40 S&W and comfortable carry 3 12rd magazines in the forward front pockets.

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The Air 9″ Side Zip MTO 1232 from Original Swat

The first week I wore the Style 1232 I noticed only a little extra weight from the walking I did, but I actually noticed immediately that the soles of my feet were fine.   The inside of the boot fit me well and I did not develope and sores or rough spotss.   My feet also did not sweat real bad and I was working in 80F weather.    The boots didn’t breath as well as sneakers, but who would expect that.   After 2 months of wearing the same boots for almost 6 days a week.   I have had almost no pain my feet and I have actually been able to lift more than I normally can without issues.   I guess it sounds pretty bad to have to talk about my poor physcial health, but just because you are wearing tactical gear, doesn’t mean you have to be the fastest runner on your team.

We were new to the idea of carrying tactical footwear, but our customers basically gave us enough feedback on what they wanted us to carry that we went out and contacted Original Swat to find out about being a dealer.   All of our Staff are presently wearing the product line and we’ll fill you in as time goes by on various styles and what people think of them.   I personally got a hold of the Style 1232 from Original Swat boots and given that I have had my fair share of foot problems, I wasn’t really sure how well my feet were going to handle wearing boots.   I had the unfortunate experience of having foot surgery on both feed in the last few years and my physical movements have been restricted because of the problems.   I was forced to wear sneakers in most situations just because they were much softer on my feet.

 

 

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Positive feedback on the Eotac Mechanic Shirt

If you go through this site and read all of the reviews we have written, there is an obvious bias we have towards the clothing that we sell.   If we had a 25,000 square foot showroom we would consider carrying more brands because we are well aware of the fact that there are some really good products being made, but we’ve narrowed it down to what we like to deal with.   We get the obvious product exchanges from customers because of fit or sizing issues, but we almost never get a return because the product was unwareable.   I have had bad experiences with one item from one company and had to retire the shorts to the good will store because having a pair of shorts ride up on you means you are one step away from lewd conduct if it was in a public place.

The above paragraph may sound funny, but it was true.   I got tired of having to stand up and adjust myself because my undies were showing.   I have never had a problem like that with any of the Woolrich Elite or Eotac shorts.   I prefer the ID pockets on the Eotac shorts by far because of all of the toll booths travelling a I do, it sure makes it nice to bea able to reach and pull your wallet out without having to take my seat belt off.   The Eotac 409 Mechanic shirt is bothe concealed carry friendly and a good tactical shirts and is really marketable towards the undercover and investigations units.   I don’t think carrying a firearm while working as a mechanic is very comfortable or practical, but we recently got a very good response from one of customers on the fit and comfort of this shirt.

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Public Service Announcement- Eotac black pants are in!

The tacticl clothing market has become pretty competitive, especially after seeing some really good stuff coming from 5.11 tactical, Blackhawk and Proper.   After being at SHOT Show and several tactical operations and security expos, we’ve seen more than our fair share of companies trying to hold there own.   I recently read a critical review of someone who claimed there Woolrich Elite pants were not holding up and 5.11 tactical was better.  Well, I got news for you, Woolrich Elite has been in the clothing company for a long time, and if they were not making quality clothing the company wouldn’t be around for over 100yrs.  Many of our customers have different styles of tactical pants for different applications and I’d have to say that I’ve owned and have tried on some really nice stuff from 5.11 tactical and Blackhawk.

Elite Operator Tactical has been in the industry for the shortest time period, but they have a really good group of people designing there products, with lots of experience with working with other clothing companies.    The reality is this, even if you make a sturdy product, the designs of the pants, pockets and materials are going to change.  The Eotac Style 201 pants are very useful if you are toting a Carbine, but due to the size of the cargo pockets, they aren’t good for holding smaller items.   The long awaited inventory of Eotac pants that have been sold out for 6-12 months.   Eotac pants come with a Warranty on the durability of the product so you money is well invested in the line.

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Choosing your footwear is a important as your selection in firearms

Maybe that is a stretch for some people, but I don’t think it’s really that hard to figure out.   Everyday we get in our car to get from point A to Point B because it’s the vehicle we need, but in climates where we have to deal with major seasonal changes, it’s time to put on different tires or drive the 4×4.   The traction on the tires you use says a lot about the type of footwear to use.   You don’t want big over sized tires that can slow your car down, nor do you want to wear shoes or tactical boots that are too heavy.

All of the Original Swat boots have outstanding traction, but you have to think about comfort.   Just as I would suggest you not expect to go into a hostile situation with a Glock 19 and that’s all you need, you may want an M4 or M16A3 in tactical footwear.  Sneakers will always give you speed, but in many of my converstations with SWAT Teams, they always want boots and gloves on due to the high probabilities of dealing with broken glass and hazardous material.  You may want to consider owning atleast 3 types of footwer from original swat.

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Dressed down look without losing your traction

We sell a lot of tactical clothing to Military and Law Enforcement, but we have a large customer base that are CCW holders or outdoorsmen that just like haveing clothing that gives them an edge over traditional store stuff.   There has been a new nitch in the concealed carry market for white collar office concealmeant which has shown up in the gun holster arena.   There has also been a huge trend towards very small and reliable 9mm and even an extremely popular trend towards .380 caliber guns.   Our line of Eotac Style 204 pants are very pocket gun friendly and due to the wide pocket designs are easy to retrieve stowed gear and weapons.

When it comes to shoes, depending on the dress code you have with your co-workers, you should be able to keep an office look, but still keep your traction without having to wear a pair of boots.   Try training for a defensive course with dress shoes and, well, I don’t think you’ll want to drive defensive movement in something like that.   Original Swat boots has an option worth considering, the Classic 6″ M.T. 1151 will give you superior traction compared to standard dress shoes.  These are a step down from what most people consider to be a boot, the SEK9000 is probable on the other end of street work.

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Finding the right combination for carrying

I have to admit that I was not into the AR15 style rifles for more than half of my shooting experiences.   When I first started out shooting firearms, it was with shotguns and 22 caliber rifles.   In the early 1990’s a lot of surplus firearms from the failed Communist Countries came here and could be had for only a few hundred bucks.   At that point, shooting a pie plate was all I really wanted to hit at 100yds and I didn’t see the need to spend $700-$1000 on a gun of a more expensive caliber to do basically the same thing.   There were plenty of SKS, Mosin Nagants, 7.62×54 semi-autos and AK variants for under $400.   As i gained more shooting experience, I learned the limitations of each firearm and graduated to the M4 Carbine as a favorite configuration.

When I was first introduced into the tactical clothing industry, I looked at all of the tactical shirts, tactical pants, tactical vests and jackets in a similiar fashion.    I didn’t think I needed all of those pockets and sometimes, the vests made me think I’m more likely to loose my car keys in one of those.   Well, as I gained more experience in the tactical world, I found some tactical clothing quite useful, I’m not talking about just the combat style tactical pants ect. but just pants with wide hand pockets so I can get mace or a firearm in and out without snagging.  I’ve used a few tactical vests that I though were an overkill for my purposes, and found a favorite which is not as heavy and can actually be worn under a jacket which can conceal it.   I strongly suggest looking into the Eotac tactical clothing, after all they are backed by the same company that owns Bushmaster, Remington, DPMS, Marlin firearm ect.

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