Tactical clothing

Gloves are the core of the category

Most of the products here are gloves. Mechanix is available as Original and Fastfit in OD Green, Coyote and Covert, and Magpul offers Technical Glove 2.0, Patrol Glove 2.0 and Ranch Gloves.

The difference between the models is less about durability than about fit and how much feel is left in your fingertips. That decides whether the glove stays on when you need to handle a buckle, a radio or a dressing — and a glove you take off at the wrong moment protects nothing. Size matters more than the choice of model: if the palm is loose, the glove wears itself out.

The full range, including disposable nitrile gloves, is under gloves.

Flame resistance closest to the head

Snigel's FR series covers the head and neck with three garments: Annaclava 1.0 (balaclava), FR Beanie -17 (beanie) and FR Neck Gaiter -17 (neck warmer). They are made from flame-resistant material and worn by personnel working near vehicles, weapons or heat — but work just as well as ordinary winter protection. The advantage is that they fit under a helmet and headset without adding bulk. See headwear.

Mid-layers that fit under your load-carrying equipment

Fleece Jacket 1.0 is a mid-layer, not an outer garment. It is meant to be worn under a vest, harness or shell jacket and to insulate without making the shoulders bulky. A mid-layer plus a windproof outer layer keeps you warmer than a single thick garment, and can be adjusted as the pace shifts between waiting and working.

Who shops in this category

• Military and Home Guard personnel supplementing issued equipment with their own gloves and headwear.
• Police, security officers and guards who need garments that work under a vest and harness.
• Hunters and shooters, for whom dexterity matters more than thickness.
• Rescue services and field medics who switch to nitrile gloves when the work begins.
• Prepared civilians who want a pair of gloves and a piece of headwear in their bag all year round.

Making the garments last longer

Gloves and flame-resistant garments are worn out mostly by washing and sunlight, not by the work. Wash cool, skip the fabric softener — it leaves a film in the fabric — and air-dry. Never let the gloves dry on a radiator; the material stiffens and the fit does not come back. Two pairs to alternate between last more than twice as long as one.

Insignia last

Hook-and-loop patches are part of the uniform look: role identification, medic patch, instructor patch and national flag patch. They go on the vest, the backpack or the arm and are changed when the role changes. See patches.