When you see someone with 5.11 Gear or any brand Name Gear

[gabe]

both pairs of 5.11s that I have bought wore out absurdly fast. I know plenty of contractors as well that won't buy them anymore. If I was going to go on an expedition or something I'd invest in some Rail Riders adventure pants.

As it goes, I just get the 12-15$ brand x cargo pants at JC Penney or other similar low end department stores and they work just fine for most stuff. Plus wearing 5.11 stuff in a military town like Jacksonville just highlights you anyways, and not in a good way.

[offcamber]

both pairs of 5.11s that I have bought wore out absurdly fast. I know plenty of contractors as well that won't buy them anymore.

I was hesitant to post as the odd man out, but I also find 5.11 gear completely sub par to other brands, and it tends to be pretty pricey for stuff made in china.

I bought a bunch of their gear when they were having a big sale a while back.. Most of it has failed or fallen apart in some way.

Even the Sabre jacket I bought is garbage.. Though it hasn't fallen apart, the waterproof lining is not breathable and its like a sauna when wearing it doing any kind of activity.

I tried the 5.11 Kool Aid and it tasted like shit.

[gillis]

I avoid acu camo pattern or any current ARMY fatigues. I was raised to never ever "impersonate" a soldier if your not a soldier. That honor should go only to them and I do believe that... However I am not against buying milsur if it is the best for a pouch I need for a bob or backpacking trip... Do I frown upon civs wearing acu to purposely tout around acting mil? Yes!

I'm not x-mil but try to show respect where I can. I wear a lot of real-tree camo.. hehe. hey this might be my chance to ask a question I have always wanted an answer for.

Does it ever bother an enlistee or x-mil to see a guy decked out in "real-tree" camo? I wouldn't think so. Sometimes I feal bad when I see someone with a military licence plate pass my truck that is decked out in "deer hunter" type stickers. Hopefully my support the troops sticker says enough.

[MadMonkey]

I avoid acu camo pattern or any current ARMY fatigues. I was raised to never ever "impersonate" a soldier if your not a soldier. That honor should go only to them and I do believe that... However I am not against buying milsur if it is the best for a pouch I need for a bob or backpacking trip... Do I frown upon civs wearing acu to purposely tout around acting mil? Yes!

I'm not x-mil but try to show respect where I can. I wear a lot of real-tree camo.. hehe. hey this might be my chance to ask a question I have always wanted an answer for.

Does it ever bother an enlistee or x-mil to see a guy decked out in "real-tree" camo? I wouldn't think so. Sometimes I feal bad when I see someone with a military licence plate pass my truck that is decked out in "deer hunter" type stickers. Hopefully my support the troops sticker says enough.

You're overthinking waaay too much stuff.

[Skull_Hide]

Forget you guys and your 5.11 pants, I wear True Spec 24/7's, "kid kid" reason is I love the pockets, they're built very well, they don't stand out too much and they do everything I need them do, except not burn holes in them from sparks and plasma cutters, only bad thing about 65/35 poly cotton.

Now for people wearing "operator" brands or items if its only one item like pants or a bag I figure they just know quality gear and unless they prove me wrong I think they're level headed, however if I see multiple brand name items and you can tell they don't fit it then I know they're a tool. You can get a pretty good idea of who they are by what they wear normally.

[fourway]

People who's professions require them to dress tactical sometimes need to stop at the grocery store or attend a parent teacher meeting or sit in the waiting room of the proctologists office in their work clothes.
I live near an a couple of bases and it's easy to tell who's dressed for work and who's playing soldier.
I dont think most people like wearing their work clothes when they aren't at work.
Hedge Fund Managers go home or stop at their mistresses and change into grey raw silk Tommy Bahama chinos and Travel Company polo shirt...
Doctors hang up the white jacket at work and head for happy hour wearing a distressed teeshirt that says "Free Mustache rides" or "Guys, my eyes are up here"
Professional Firefighters drop their bundle pants on the deck and thankfully put on anything that doesn't reek of burning hair.
Long haul truckers get home and lose the plaid shirt and grubby cowboy hat for the welcome relief of trying on the freshly peeled skin of their latest victim.
High school guidance counselors cant wait to get out of their argyle sweater vests and put on a fake handlebar moustache, a wifebeater tee, a bowler hat, green dan post python skin cowboy boots and black steer hide ass-less leather chaps with silver conchos.

Nobody who isn't a doctor wanders around the surgical supply store dressed in the latest designer white coat and scrubs swapping imaginary medical stories with other pretend doctors.
People don't dress as fire fighters with the excuse that they like being prepared (odd though cause really aren't fires a little more common in anywhere usa than firefights?)

So yeah, I derive chuckles from tactical fashion sightings.

[skelco]

that stuff doesn't look good on anyone, just dumpy looking. Nobody over six or under sixty-five should wear pants with elastic waistbands.

fashion rant over...

edit: ok, maybe I'm being a dick. The bright side is you can make fun of my skinny jeans and cholo shorts

[boomas]

"When you see someone with 5.11 Gear or any brand Name Gear" - I get suspicious. Is it another "tacti-cool" guy? Airsoft player or just a rich soldier wanna be. It may be so , because I have a distant friend who likes to dress in all the cammo clothes he has, put all brand names and go trekking. For some reasons I cannot stand him
Myself, I like brand name gear. It is if I can afford it. But all my gear has the brand tags removed, not to attract attention. Ever walked in a muslim country with a SwissGear bag, with a white cross on it? Do not do it

[Doctorr Fabulous]

I avoid acu camo pattern or any current ARMY fatigues. I was raised to never ever "impersonate" a soldier if your not a soldier. That honor should go only to them and I do believe that... However I am not against buying milsur if it is the best for a pouch I need for a bob or backpacking trip... Do I frown upon civs wearing acu to purposely tout around acting mil? Yes!

I'm not x-mil but try to show respect where I can. I wear a lot of real-tree camo.. hehe. hey this might be my chance to ask a question I have always wanted an answer for.

Does it ever bother an enlistee or x-mil to see a guy decked out in "real-tree" camo? I wouldn't think so. Sometimes I feal bad when I see someone with a military licence plate pass my truck that is decked out in "deer hunter" type stickers. Hopefully my support the troops sticker says enough.

No. Realtree says hunter. I get pissed when I see .civ wearing active military pattern to go hang out somewhere (yeah, you in NYC with the MARPAT cut offs. If you ever read this, you suck.) or soldiers wearing their ACUs out. I'd understand if, say, there was a base nearby, and maybe they were on working hours, but if you're gonna wear a uniform to the bar, don't wear a utility uniform.

The caveat to the above is "rangetime" which is the magical time where I don't care what you wear, so much as where your muzzle points.

[MADic]

Believe it or not, some people just happen to like BDUs or ACUs or whatever and think they are comfertable, practical, or even fashionable. God forbid someone wears a pair of pants they like outside of the house. No one I know who has worn military clothing out and about has ever been impersonating a soldier, nor is it logical to claim that someone wearing MARPAT is somehow stealing any honor from the Marine Corps.

[crypto]

I know that I hate any 'tactical pants' with the elastic waistband and the diaper butt.


They look terrible on everyone, myself included.

All my pants are either wrangler cargo khakis or banana republic at this point, so I'm probably not the best person to talk to about it.

my columbia jackets have an embroidered columbia logo on them, which is large enough to be annoying, but am I going to get an xacto and remove 500 embroidery stitches? hell no.

[whisk.e.rebellion]

The bright side is you can make fun of my ... cholo shorts

Only if you have striped socks pulled up past your knees and are wearing chanclas with them

Meh, the only points I make when it comes to the clothes someone is wearing are:

1) Are you fully dressed? I've seen an old lady running around topless because she was rescuing a bird and had the bird wrapped up in her blouse.

2) Okay, you have a shirt on. Do you have bottoms? I saw a guy walking down the side of a highway wearing a long sleeved shirt, socks, shoes and a backpack but no pants or underpants.

3) Okay, you're fully dressed. Awesome. Gang colors?

The only time I've seen someone wearing "tactical" pants (with the diaper butt) and a riggers belt and wondered WTF was when my neighbors (military) were moving in across the street. Their friends were helping them and one dude gets out of his car wearing tan Altamas, bloused "tactical" pants, a riggers belt and a t-shirt that read POLICE FEDERAL AGENT on the back. I thought that was an odd outfit to wear when helping a friend move. Turns out the guy was Air Force OSI, but I still stand by my original thought.

Personally, I just wear cargos from Old Navy/Target/Wal-Mart/wherever I can buy them for less than $30 a pair and they last me over a year. I have a few pairs of BDU pants (khaki, OD and woodland) but I rarely wear those out.

[gillis]

Believe it or not, some people just happen to like BDUs or ACUs or whatever and think they are comfertable, practical, or even fashionable. God forbid someone wears a pair of pants they like outside of the house. No one I know who has worn military clothing out and about has ever been impersonating a soldier, nor is it logical to claim that someone wearing MARPAT is somehow stealing any honor from the Marine Corps.

I do believe that some people like them, but some things you just don't do out of a show of respect, but it's just my opinion. I've been known to over-think stuff a bit tho, and that's just me. ;}

This is really just one of those formality things that is a pet-peeve of mine.... like the whole world saying... "me and my friend" instead of "my friend and I". It's not that I care all that much, but it can make you come across as not putting others first.. and since I know some people take offence to this I avoid talking like this. The same is true with ARMY Fatigues. Some things are better avoided. If I met someone in either aforementioned circumstances I probably wouldn't even mention it, but I would be cringing inside.. knowing that someday they will likely be miss-understood or offend someone.

[Lotek]

I notice brands that people wear. I notice "tactical" and outdoor brands "Mountain Hardware, Northface, Marmot" etc... Some of that probably comes from my AO where both are prevalent and having worked at an REI.

That said, I bought my first pair of jeans in 15 years recently. I have only had cargo or dress pants since I was in my teens. Currently I own three pairs of LAPG brand cargos. I'm happy with them and they are practical for my life. I work in a manufacturing environment and carry stuff in all my pockets. Also the cotton/poly blend lasts longer in an acidic environment. (True story: I spilled nitric acid on my pants and they barely even discolored).

Bottom line, I notice but tend to think, "hey they are wearing comfortable pants".

[averagemutt]

Heres my take. Some one who is, let me just say "professionally trained in a particular skill set", posseses that "skill set" whether they are wearing multi cam, 5.11, diapers, a taco bell uniform, or anything else. People who are wearing tactical gear, whether they obtain a "skill set" or not, want you to think they do.

I am a 24 year old under graduate college student(amongst a few other things) and guess what? I look like a 24 year old undergraduate college student. And I act like one. I dont let certain elements of my life dictact my personality or how I dress. Im done with that!

When people see me I want them to get the impression that I am relaxed and friendly because I am. If some one chooses to take advantage of me because my apperance seems weak to them in some way. "Skill sets" will insue as necessary. I belive in a nasty bite over a nasty bark.

When I see someone in public strutting tactical gear I assume they take them selves a little to seriously. But thats just my opinion.

[Kommander]

The other day at work one of our newer ex military employees asked me if I was Army or Marines based solely on my Hazard 4 slingpack with attached shemagh. I told him that he was making too many assumptions on too little evidence. I dislike being mistaken for police or military for a variety of reasons and this made me want to throw my pack in the river and get a hippie bag like a Timbuk2 messenger. I do reserve the right to wear my West Point Oakleys and Multicam hat whenever I want but that's because they were gifts from brother who is a fourth year West Point cadet.

[averagemutt]

Another thing to add. You would think that a guy who was well built, with a military style haircut and appearance, and a visible Marine tattoo on his arm, would not attract trouble in a bar. You would be wrong! As I have found out in several countries in Europe as well as our own. While a normal, intelligent, sober person would take note of you and think "this is a person I should not play with". A unintelligent or drunk person will look at the same person and think "how tough is he?" or "I could probably take that guy". Many times its just jealousy, I guy thats maybe had a few drinks, and always wanted to be in the military but that ship, for whatever reason, has sailed for him. That has just been my experience, Im sure there are a lot of ex mill here that have has similar experiences. I wasnt trying to look like a dick or a hard ass, but guess what, thats what you look like when you are active duty! You really cant hide it! There is nothing wrong with it, but it doesnt ALWAYS attract POSITIVE attention. In those situations when I would be confronted I would usually make a joke and laugh it off, I diddnt think that I was a bad ass Seal Team 6 member and to be truthful when I looked in the mirror my hair cut did make my head look like a penis. Some times I would go as far as to buy the guy a drink to diffuse the tension! No thats not as cool as breaking his arm right at the bar counter but thats not who I am.

When my time was done, I couldnt wait to grow my hair longer and look "normal" again. I love the gray man approach! If you CHOOSE to look like a private security merc when your out and about doing your business, just beware that not everyone is gonna look at you and go "that guy is AWESOME and dangerous and I should NOT mess with him." Most people will ignore it or just think your an asshole. A few will WANT to test you. And let me tell you there are a shitload of civilians out there trained and untrained that I would not care to tangle with on my best day. If you diddnt know me personally you could never guess in a million years what my personal experiences have been by looking at me. And I LOVE that.

[Doctorr Fabulous]

averagemutt: A well-built military-looking guy usually does attract more trouble in a bar. Do more research. Every testosterone-fueled young'n'dumb wants to prove that he's good enough to go toe-to-toe with a Marine or soldier. Moreso overseas where not everybody likes the US or our military.

To add to my earlier commentary: most of the fellows I see wearing "tactical" brands in public are old and out-of-shape trainers that I meet through the Marine Corps. The kind of guys that imagine a need for 2-billion pockets and reinforced this'n'thats even though the most strenuous part of their job is the three hour drive to the base to give a weeks worth of classes. The rest appear at gunshows.

That has colored my opinion of the tactical clothing stuff.

[averagemutt]

Sorry Doc Torr, why would you request for me to do research on a topic we both clearly agree on?

[Doctorr Fabulous]

Sorry Doc Torr, why would you request for me to do research on a topic we both clearly agree on?

I meant before you walked into wherever. What I should have said was prep fail.

[Kommander]

While we are sort of on the subject is there a statute of limitations on military tattoos? A guy I work with who has been out for more than a decade recently got some fresh USMC tattoos on his forearms. This struck me as a little weird.

[Doctorr Fabulous]

While we are sort of on the subject is there a statute of limitations on military tattoos? A guy I work with who has been out for more than a decade recently got some fresh USMC tattoos on his forearms. This struck me as a little weird.

Only by fashion standard. I plan to use a moto-tat to cover up something I got on my forearm, likely after I get out. If anyone asks then, I'll be honest and say that I loved the 'Corps. He might have just started to realize how much he really did like it, even though it's not "cool" to like the Marine Corps until you're at least a Staff-piece.

[crypto]

While we are sort of on the subject is there a statute of limitations on military tattoos? A guy I work with who has been out for more than a decade recently got some fresh USMC tattoos on his forearms. This struck me as a little weird.

"always a marine"

[Doctorr Fabulous]

While we are sort of on the subject is there a statute of limitations on military tattoos? A guy I work with who has been out for more than a decade recently got some fresh USMC tattoos on his forearms. This struck me as a little weird.

"always a marine"

You forgot "So why reenlist?"