WE ALL WANT TO BE A WHORE

WHAT TO LOOK FOR - The way I look at it, there are three kinds of people buying gear/kit aside from professional operators. 


1. Those who must have the absolute best, high speed low drag most up to date matching everything and will pay for it without a second thought. These people will make fun of you and stare down their noses if you're not wearing comparable gear and usually have access to more money then most. GEAR SNOB

2. Those who will mix and match to fit their needs and want the quality but aren't overly concerned with brand names or how much it cost them. These people will offer suggestions and compare information looking to help each other out and improve each other. GEAR WHORE

3. Those who just want shiny kit and have absolutely no idea what they are buying. It's on the shelf they want and need it to show off and if it's a high end brand name it just makes them look that much better. These people poor mass amounts of money into the industry and after a while start to look at quality over readily available. GEAR WANNA'BE

Now, I know someone, somewhere just took offence. These are just general concepts from what I've seen in my time. Usually someone will start out in category and shift to another. I bring this up because there are multiple levels of quality and manufacturing out there. You can go from UNDER THE GUN (UTG) to CRYE PRECISION and only know the difference in price and where it came from but you can't tell someone jack about what makes it a good or bad product leaving you with "you get what you pay for". What we all need to do is educate ourselves on what the difference is. I'll start with basic things to look for starting with apparel. I'll use TRIPLE AUGHT DESIGNS (TAD) and MORT as examples. TAD sells a $400.00 dollar shell jacket and MORT sells a $75.00 similar shell jacket. The TAD uses revers zippers, double stitched and tapped seams and uses an extremely high grade of materials to ensure longevity of the product. TAD also puts a good chunk of research and development into ensuring things like ergonomic fit on the areas that will see constant flex and wear. MORT however uses standard fits and materials and you can feel the difference when you hold them. MORT uses a stitch similar to that seen on a t-shirt or sweater and the fit from one jacket despite being the same size is inconsistent. Additionally one of the things to look at is the velcro panels on the shoulders. TAD glues down and rounds out the corners, this is done to keep from snagging and eventually tearing the velcro or worse the jacket. MORT uses square velcro panels and only stitches them down leaving the corners up to catch on other surfaces like door frames, walls or trees. Take a look at the spacing in the stitches as well. On a TAD you'll see a consistent pattern with limited if any difference in the visible stitch spacing. When you look at the similar MORT jacket you can actually see the spacing in the stitching change along the seams and the finished end aren't backed over multiple times to ensure the seams are finished properly. Something else you'll notice is at the joints in places like the shoulder. The TAD has a clean smooth transition from one piece of material to the next which helps with the jackets ability to allow water to run off or shed instead of building up on the seam. MORT, not so much the joints/seams are sharp even jagged looking and in some cases bunched up. This means that when you wear the jacket in heavy rain like we get on the EAST COST, it takes less time for the water to buildup and creep into the jacket making you wet and miserable a lot sooner. Something else when comparing the materials take a look at the percentages used to make it on the manufacturers "TAG".

Now if we look at things like armour and plate carriers, chest rigs pouches and belts. The first thing to look at and the easiest if the strapping used to make up the PALS or MOLLE panels. Look for straight lines and even spacing. Using BLUE FORCE GEAR (BFG) LIGHTWEIGHT MODULAR ARMOUR CARRIER (LMAC) a $260.00 carrier and the CONDOR MODULAR OPERATOR PLATE CARRIER (MOPC) at $100.00 to compare. The strapping on the BFG LMAC is evenly spaced and shows planned consistent stitching and if you hold a strait edge or a ruler up to it 99% of the time it will line up. Looking at the CONDOR MOPC panels you'll often notice that either both or one side the strapping will have uneven loops. Additionally the stitching isn't as consistent. The second thing you'll see is the taped edges. The BFG LMAC doesn't have any and the CONDOR MOPC has them all over. The reason BFG did this is to reduce the amount of environmental wear and damage at the seams while providing a strong clean finish. CONDOR MOPC uses taped and double stitched edges which actually wears out faster, and if you really look at it has all kinds of inconsistencies in the stitching with periodic bunching of the materials or even a misshaped or uneven finish. The quality of the FASTEX buckles used on the carrier is something to consider. BFG LMAC uses polymer as opposed to a cheaper plastics and CONDOR MOPC uses a thick plastic. The fit of the plate pocket its self is something to consider as well. BFG LMAC has the ability to adjust and securely hold the plate ensuring its placement as long as you have properly adjusted the it to fit. CONDOR MOPC has a slightly larger pocket where the plate fits rather sloppily in the pocket and makes it hard to ensure the plate stays where you need it to. The materials used in the manufacturing can be a big tell tail as well. The BFG LAMC uses a 500D CORDURA which has been battle proven by military and law enforcement personnel were the CONDOR MOPC uses a 1000D CORDURA which is equally as nice but increases the weight of the carrier while attempting to improve the longevity of the product despite the quality of stitching. The only thing the CONDOR MOPC can offer over the BFG LMAC is the real-estate that comes with a full cumber bun which you're going to need to use to make up for the loss of space due to improperly spaced loops on the front and back. One thing you'll notice as well, are the shoulder straps. The BFG LAMC has evenly set and when adjusted leaves equal tail amounts. The CONDOR MOPC, not so much, you'll notice when you put it on one side usually sits uneven and when adjusted one side will have a longer tail left hanging. Both carriers allow you to use just about any pouches and configuration you can come up with and will work.

When looking at pouches you want to look for similar things as I've already mentioned. The quality of the stitching and materials as well as the fit to how you physically operate.

A side from all of the above checks and considerations try the stuff out in the store and be sure before you leave. A good gear shop will have demo rigs setup so you can try some of their products. In addition "become a student of the game" and do your research to ensure you are getting what you want and need. Because I'll be the first to tell you, you'll replace it if it doesn't work just right or feel good. And when buying gear you want to buy it once and have it last until you change the way you train and work or you financially get to where you can upgrade.

And as always,focus on the skills and training as you get better then upgrade the gear.