4/7/07 - Patterned after their feature-laden tactical soft shell, the Stealth Softshell Hoodie; TAD Gear has yet again outdone themselves with the Gen 2 Ranger Hoodie. This is now by FAR, my favourite fleece jacket. I like my SPEAR and USMC Peckham fleece jackets, but I think they'll be gathering dust in the closet as the Ranger Hoodie just offers so much more. It's also a great-looking jacket to boot.

TAD Gear did a smart thing, in my opinion, by incorporating the utility of the successful Stealth Softshell's features into their Ranger Hoodie. By doing that, they've set it apart from the rest - no other tactical fleece offers this many standard features. The features were carried over from both the Gen 1 and Gen 2 Stealth hoodies. The general cut and size is that of the Gen 2 hoodie, with 1" additional length in the sleeves and 1" wider in the arm pit.

Colour comparison to Eagle MJK

Fabric comparison to USMC (Peckham) fleece

Front unzipped

Zipped up partially

Zipped up fully

• Aero hood - The TAD Gear Aero Hood folds neatly against the back when not needed. The Ranger Hoodie hood is of the Gen 1 type - without the rain bill. It's more form fitting to keep the draft out and the head warm. Saves having to carry around a beanie cap.
• Velcro swatches on shoulders - on each shoulder is the Gen 2-sized 4" x 3" loop velcro patch for attachment of ID or flag patches.

Collar/interior detail

Hood up

Side view of Aero hood

Side-entry pockets

Waist adjustment

Shoulder pocket

D-ring in shoulder pocket

Pen/slim flashlight pocket and pass-thru port

D-ring and mesh pocket in side-entry pocket

Sleeve/forearm pocket and thumb-hole cuffs

Sizing - The Ranger Hoodie is sized like the Gen 2 Stealth Softshell - form fitting, but with enough room for an additional light insulating layer underneath. The medium size is shown here. I can wear it over the Scout Hoodie or a sweatshirt. For wind and rain protection, the Predator fits over it with room to spare (because of its low bulk and fit), as does the PCU L4 windshirt and other shells. The only additional feature I think would be nice to have are pit zips, in case you're wearing gear over the jacket and can't really open up the front for ventilation. Mobility is great; and movements are unrestricted.

The Ranger Hoodie has a wide usable temperature range - it's breathable so it doesn't get stuffy, even when it's a bit warm for a fleece jacket. If the weather doesn't call for a wet-weather jacket, I predict that the Ranger Hoodie will be the go-to choice as a general use jacket as it's so dang comfortable, and has all the pockets you'd ever need to organize your stuff.

2/28/08 - Updated and improved for 2008 is TAD Gear's V3.0 Ranger Hoodie. It's the follow-on to the V2.0 Ranger Hoodie shown above, which after about 10 months of use, remains my favourite fleece hoodie (until this V3.0 came out). As before, it's patterned similarly to the Stealth Softshell Hoodie, and some of the updates for the V3.0 follow those seen on the new SS V3.0 Stealth Hoodie and Jacket.

TAD Gear did a smart thing, in my opinion, by incorporating the utility of the successful Stealth Softshell's features into their Ranger Hoodie. By doing that, they've set it apart from the rest - no other tactical fleece offers this many standard features. The features were carried over from both the Gen 1 and Gen 2 Stealth hoodies. The general cut and size is that of the Stealth hoodie, with 1" additional length in the sleeves and 1" wider in the arm pit.

Front view, thumb holes used

Thumbs/hands out

Side view

Extended bill on hood

Rear pocket access

• Aero hood - The TAD Gear Aero Hood folds neatly against the back when not needed. The V3.0 Ranger Hoodie hood now has the extended bill which offers more protection. Some people don't like attached hoods - I do. It saves having to carry around a beanie cap and I've never had one get in the way.
• Velcro swatches on shoulders - The size of the velcro shoulder patch has been increased to 4" x 4" from 4" x 3", and moved to the shoulder pockets instead of above them.

Collar/interior detail

Side entry chest pocket

Sleeve pocket and velcro patch

Quick-access sleeve pocket

Inside of Duck pocket and waist adjustments

Removable glow-in-the-dark logo on velcro patch

Sizing - The V3.0 Ranger Hoodie is sized the same as the V2.0 - like TAD's 2 Stealth Softshell - form fitting, but with enough room for an additional light insulating layer underneath like the Scout Hoodie or a sweatshirt. I've worn the Predator and other hardshells over it for additional cold weather protection, which fits over it with room to spare (because of its low bulk and fit). Mobility is great; and movements are unrestricted. By the way, the cool patches shown in the photos are available from TAD here.

Like the V2.0 Ranger Hoodie, the V3.0 has a wide usable temperature range - it's breathable so it doesn't get too stuffy, even when it's a bit warm for a fleece jacket. As I predicted, if the weather doesn't call for a wet-weather jacket or soft shell, the Ranger Hoodie has become one of my favourite go-to choices as a general use jacket in cold or chilly weather because of its comfort, and all-round utility. It's even pretty good in the wet. It just keeps getting better with each version.

4/1/07 - TAD Gear's Scout Hoodie is a lightweight fleece hoodie for stand-alone use in warmer weather or layering in cooler weather. For now, it's only available in the version 3.0 Multi-Environment green. The M.E. green is the Scout has slightly more yellow in it than that of the Stealth Softshell - but it's pretty close for a different fabric from different manufacturers.

Overall front view

Hood down

• Thumb Hole cuffs - The wrist cuffs have a thumb hole, so that the cuffs can be worn over the hand. The sleeves are slightly longer to accomodate that feature. They prevent the cuffs from riding up when gloves are worn over them, or the Scout is worn under a shell.

Under Predator hard shell

Colour comparison

Thumb hole cuffs

Sizing and wearing - The Scout has a generous cut but doesn't look overly baggy when worn alone over a t-shirt. I'd estimate the warmth of the Scout to be equivalent to a lightweight sweatshirt when worn alone - just right for spring or summer evenings when the sun goes down. The material is not wind-resistant (and is very breathable), so a shell is recommended if it's cold and windy. That's where it works well as an insulative layer. It's lightweight and low bulk, and I found it to be a perfect compliment to the Predator Hardshell featured below (almost like it was made for it). The thumb holes prevent the Scout sleeves from riding up when putting a shell over it. I also tried it under the PCU Level 4 Windshirt and Level 5 jacket and it didn't feel bulky or restrictive at all. Whether it's for hard outdoor use under a shell or worn at home relaxing, the Scout will work well in either setting.

3/6/07 - Three years in the making, TAD Gear has finally released their Predator Hardshell Jacket. Designed as a mid-weight waterproof hardshell, TAD has loaded it with features that will be familiar to those who own TAD's Stealth Softshell Hoodies with their unique 'look'. TAD Gear was one of the first pioneers of the tactical soft shell concept, by incorporating military and LE-oriented features in their soft shells not found on similar garments in the civilian market.

There have been some tactical hardshells on the market for a while (the military ECWCS gore-tex suit, for example), and when designing the Predator, TAD researched many of the available hardshells on the market; from both the military and civilian/mountaineering sectors. Arc'teryx and their Alpha jacket, of course, served as an inspiration, as TAD Gear has always recognized Arc'teryx as a leader in innovation, forward-thinking design and quality in the industry. In this industry, there is no one company that has invented every new feature, and each company learns from its peers and combines common elements in existing designs with new features to make the garments uniquely theirs. With the Predator Hardshell, TAD Gear did just that.

The Predator is available (for now) in a limited run of their M.E. (Multi Environment) green - and is a close match for the TAD Stealth Hoodie. Just a bit on the grayer side. The material used is a 3-layer waterproof, breathable fabric with DWR - essentially equivalent to Gore-tex. TAD is using the leading industrial textile sources for many of their hardshell and softshell fabrics. They custom order their fabrics from the same companies that produce the textiles used by the top mountain brands such as Patagonia.

Overall front view

Hood rolled up

Hood down

• Stand-up collar with fully adjustable hood - The hood is a 3-panel mountaineering design with low profile rain bill. It'll fit over most ballistic and climbing helmets. There are three shock cord adjustments. The front adjustments control the size of the front opening. The one in the middle of the back of the head adjusts the front-back distance of the hood, while the cord at the nape of the neck adjusts the height. All the adjustments are easy to use and I can adjust the size and shape of the face opening to suit my needs. All adjustments are one-handed. I'm able to adjust the hood so that it was snug enough around my head to move with it when I looked from side to side, or up and down. If the hood is too loose, my head will move inside it and I'd be looking at the inside of the hood. Even though the material is non-elastic, there's enough material at the base of the hood to provide some slack. There's a flap sewn to the inside of the collar which velcros inside the hood when not in use. When the hood is rolled up, the flap goes over the rolled-up hood and attaches to the two velcro patches on the outside of the collar. To unroll the hood, the flap is simply pulled off the velcro and the hood deployed. No zippers to contend with.
• Velcro swatches on shoulders - on each shoulder is a 5" x 4" loop velcro patch for attachment of ID, or flag patches.

Colour comparison to Stealth hoodie

Hood flap

Hood flap

Front hood adjustments

Rear hood adjustments

Hood adjusted

Pit zips

Collar details

Shoulder pockets

Side pockets

Wrist cuffs

Sizing - When I first received the Predator, one thing I noticed was that it was roomier than the Arcteryx Alpha and other softshells from TAD. The medium size I have was in between a medium and a large, I reckoned. I asked Patrick at TAD about the sizing, and he explained:

"We cut the hardshell roomier than most to accommodate bulky winter layers. We compared about 6 different hardshells from all leading mountain brands as well as the ECWCS. Ours was not the roomiest, but I felt the extra bit of room allowed for a much freer range of movement with the thickest 300 weight fleece mid layer and base layers underneath. I also tried the initial prototype shells on with a 200 weight polartec, plus a LE type IIIA body armour underneath. I actually reduced some areas and increased others. These are now less wide than our original 2 prototypes, but longer in sleeve and under arm hole for the best full arm rotation even with layers. The shell if selected for the correct body size should allow a full overhead press with no exposed wrist at the cuffs. Also, if going totally prone and arms positioned to fire down range, the cuffs should be long enough to avoid creep as well. Our hard shells should fit 90% of average body types."

I tried the Predator over a number of different mid layers and also with my SPEAR and TAD Gear Ranger hoodie fleece jacket. Both the SPEAR and Ranger fleece jackets work perfectly with the Predator - both in length and sizing; although the SPEAR is bulkier than the Ranger. I should mention that while the medium Predator is roomier, it's not as long in the sleeves or torso as a 'large' size jacket would be - those proportions are still optimized for a a size 'medium' person, so you should purchase your actual size. The mobility-cut arms accomodate the bulky fleece layer underneath without any problem. If you're looking for a full-featured tactical hardshell at a reasonable price, the Predator would be a good choice.

12/21/06 - Hailing from down under is Rammite Australia's Merino Layering System, shown here with more of their military items available from MissionPac. Rammite is based in Perth Western Australia and their entire operation is run inside Australia from selection of the merino wool to the final making of the garment in Perth.

Some of the advantages of wool are durability, insulation for both hot and cold climates, absorbance (wicking), flame resistance (natural fibers are recommended if exposure to flame is a risk), resilience, odour and static resistance. However, I'm very cautious when it comes to wool products, as I'm one of those individuals in the minority whose skin can get irritated even by the fine fibers of Merino wool, which I mentioned in my writeup on the Arc'teryx Emissary T-shirt. There's no such thing as an 'allergy' to wool, but rather a hyper-sensitivity of some individuals to the thickness of fibers. I asked Ric from Rammite to expound on the subject, and this is what he explained:

"The main quality of Rammite is our selection of the wool we uses in our products. Most wool used in next to skin products cannot be worn by 5 to 10% of the population. This is due to the itch factor which is proportional to the micron count and the comfort factor of the wool being used. The thickness of an individual wool fibre is measured in microns and 18.5 to 19.5 is the industry standard (our fibre is 18.5 microns). There should be no problems with comfort regarding micron count as long as it is below 19.5 microns.
The "comfort factor" measures how many fibres in a given sample are over 30 microns; this is normally expressed in a percentage; for example, 90% meaning that 10% of the fibres are over 30 microns. Fibres over 30 microns make wool itchy to the skin, so to make wool comfortable the comfort factor percentage has to be kept over 95% (5% 30 micron wool). We keep a very close eye on the comfort factor of our wool (96%-97.5%) from the farm gate to the finished cloth, this gives our garment's very little to no itch."

With that in mind, I asked Ric to send me only one of his items, not the entire line, just in case I had trouble with it. I selected the Light Weight Short Sleeved T-shirt, available in OD, charcoal and black. The shirt was designed to be worn under webbing/body armour, so the sleeve seams are kept off the webbing/body armour pressure points on top of the shoulder (see photos below). The shirt is longer than normal, which allows the tail to be below the webbing/trouser belt to stop it riding up when used in vehicle/mounted ops with body armour on. The sleeves are also longer than normal, ending just above the crook of the elbow. I like this feature, as there's less chance of it riding up under the arms when worn under another layer. All seams are flat, as well, for comfort under gear. Rammite has good relations with the Australian special forces, which has allowed them to improve their products from lessons learnt on the ground.

Upon taking the shirt out of the package (it comes in its own little wool stuff sack) and putting it on, I did feel a very slight hint of prickle, which I don't feel when wearing cotton or synthetic-based garments, and only with wool. But it wasn't close to being bad enough to deter me, so I threw it on. I wore it for about 30 hours straight right out of the packaging the first time, and it felt fine after a short while and I forgot that it was wool. While it doesn't feel as 'silky' as most other synthetic fabrics, it didn't ever get uncomfortable, nor did I break out in any rash whatsoever. The real test was when I went running. Usually, sweat, combined with anything that's irritating can make me itch while cooling down, but the shirt felt just fine, much to my relief. It dried quickly, and never felt clammy. After the first wash, it softened up more. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed. The shirt performed very well throughout a range of temperatures during every day wear and exercise.

Just a quick note on sizing - I usually wear a size medium top. Rammite sent me a size large which wasn't as loose as some other size large t-shirts I have to begin with, and it shrunk maybe about 5% from brand new when I machine washed and dried it the first time. It's a perfect fit now - not tight, just right (see photos). So, bear that in mind, that you might want to purchase the next size up for a relaxed fit.