Tuesday 25 October 2011

5.11 Clothing

As you might have noticed I am quite a fan of 5.11 equipment and 5.11 clothing is also a big hit with me.  I have 5 pairs of 511 "Pants" (Trousers to you and me) 3 cotton - Tactical Pants, 2 poly-cotton Taclite Pants .  Personally I prefer the Taclite Pro Pants in rip stop poly-cotton for comfort, fit, appearance and durability, but the one downside is the issue of flame resistance where the cotton pants win out.

The main problem I have with the cotton 5.11 trousers is the fade rate after washing, especially noticeable in the black.  The Taclite pro pants do not fade as fast. Other than that the cotton pants are pretty good, tough, comfortable, and neat enough after a good iron!

Now with other 5.11 clothing items my preference is reversed, I much prefer the cotton shirts to the taclite version.  I find the cotton less abrasive on my torso.

My favorite item of 5.11 clothing is their socks, I have use these on many occasions in a wide range of conditions and always found them to be comfortable, temperature regulating, moisture wicking and pretty good at dealing with odour.

I also have 2 5.11 jackets in my clothes collection, the Sabre Jacket and a 3 in 1 for different conditions.  The 3-in-1 saw me through some of the coldest conditions in the Peruvian Andies down to -10C. The Sabre jacket is a bit more light weight, but still very warm and unfortunately not very breathable.  That said it is very waterproof and I really like the look and design of this jacket, making it one of my most worn items of 5.11 clothes.

Oh and I also have 3 511 caps in my collection, a black uniform cap,  a 9/11 memorial cap and a desert contractor cap all of which get pretty regular outings. The taclite material of the 9/11 memorial cap especially as it is pretty shower proof.....ideal for the tepid British climate!

One major omission from the 5.11 catalogue though is something other manufacturers like Blackhawk Kneepads.

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