Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/693549
strap and the shock cord exposed on the butt, we may fasten the jacket in such a way, that nothing rolls in or moves on the wind during action. How to do that? We unstrap the loop, pull one its end through the shock cord and zip the snap. Voilà, if the jacket you bought is too small, you may now be proud of your tactical thong. If, however, you got the correct size, you should feel no discomfort. The sleeves. You think that I forgot about them, huh? Nope... Sleeves are quite ample, even for a smock. Cuffs are fastened with a Velcro, so nothing new here. Moving up, we will notice that elbows are reinforced. At the beginning I thought that those were just additional layers of material, but one day I just accidentally touched it with my finger and discovered that those are pockets closed from the inside. So, one may put there some inserts, like e.g. D3O pads. As I have already mentioned, each sleeve has a pocket fully covered with Velcro and the pocket was sewn on at an angle. If there are still some people who do not know why such a solution, I am eager to explain – it is easier to get inside the pocket with your hand and you do not need to make any excessive or strange moves. After we open the flap, we notice that the pockets are double. Both have sewn- in partition made from the basic material of the jacket, so we have two pockets in one. A cool solution to hide and arrange any small knickknacks. One may notice that on the upper seam, there are vertical stitches in the back, which form four squares. The second and the forth one are pass-through – they create a gap that will perfectly fit for holding a pen. Each of those pockets has a small soft Velcro strap square over them. Identical squares are placed respectively on the neck, below GARM FR logo, and at the top of the hood They are perfect for small IR markers. What is peculiar, the logo of GARM FR, that is a hell hound with letters „FR" below, may also be found on the right sleeve. Just below the cuff. A nice element to look at. What is more, it is embroidered, not just a patch or a label, like in the case of other producers. There are two-way zippers sewn in under armpits. They have been hidden under a fabric latch and have webbing grips. When unfastened, they open vent holes. The holes are quite large, since the zipper starts on the ribs and ends at height of the elbow. pros & cons So much for the pros, now it's time for the cons. As I have already mentioned – the button on the inner side of the hood is too small. The tape is barely holding attached to the rest of the jacket, although I did not use that button at all. It is probably because I have not found any purpose for that one. The second con: protruding threads, in many random places. I did not expect to find such thing on a piece of clothing that is so expensive. I did not expect finding crooked seams as well. It seems that such defects can get even the best producers. To make things clear, those are only aesthetic defects that do not affect the usage of the smock in any way. in use When it comes to wearing the Combat Jacket, I took the risk and took it as outer clothing for hiking in the mountains. New Year's Day, the mountains and two wicked guys trying to walk 30 km in two days with all the equipment on their backs - I was worrying about the breathability of the smock, but I was positively surprised. To describe the situation – temperatures were from –15 to even –20°C in the morning, while due to the wind the wind chill was even 5-6 degrees lower. Under the Combat Jacket, I had a wind stopper fleece, winter thermal underwear, and a combat shirt. During the stops, I did not feel any cold, while when marching everything properly released steam. A nice surprise, bearing in mind the material the jacket is made off. Additionally, I fastened the crotch strap, so the jacket stayed firm – no burns or even the smallest discomfort. For all those people who need tags – such a tag is in the left inner pocket. It contains the information on the fabric content, model, production date, and some other minor stuff. In general, this is a very cool smock. However the number of pockets is lower than in products of other manufacturers, but with a higher price. Well, first of all, you pay for the brand, and second of all (and that reason makes the price much higher) – this is a typical military piece of clothing, flame-retardant. It is very comfortable, looks militantly and uniquely, although the NFM Coyote Brown is very bright. It is difficult to pick the correct size, because the NFM size chart is quite complicated. But if someone manages to do so, this jacket is more than just good. UNIFORMS