GEAR: OUTRIDER TACTICAL

RANGE READY

“YOUR EQUIPMENT IS OUR PASSION!” THAT’S WHAT THE TEAM BEHIND THE NEW CLOTHING BRAND, OUTRIDER TACTICAL, TELL US AND AFTER TAKING A LOOK AT SOME OF THEIR CLOTHING, BILL THINKS THAT THIS IS A CLAIM WELL-FOUNDED, SO LET’S GET THIS (RANGE) PARTY STARTED!

Tacticool is a thing, right? For me it certainly is as the kind of clothing that you might describe as “tacticool” is the clothing that I wear pretty much every day, but as an old git I’m not buying into the “cool” factor as I left that way behind me many moons ago… although I am old enough that clothes I own are coming back into fashion… AGAIN!!!

“Tactical” clothing has taken on a bit of a life of its own in recent years as more and more of us buy from the brands that create an aspirational feel to the way we’d like to think we live our lives, but in reality very rarely do. How many of us spend all of our time on a range, in a gear locker or armoury, or every day on an airsoft site? In reality, very few, but we still like the kit and caboodle that gives the impression that we do, and what’s wrong with that?

In truth, some of us DO live our lives that way, and I’m on my own range in the woods a couple of days a week, every week test shooting and zeroing. If I’m not on the woods range testing AEGs and GBBs I may well be in another set of woods or on a site somewhere doing or directing photoshoots, and indeed a couple of mornings each week I’m on my “short range” at home working on my own “skills n’ drills”. And then of course there’s time in the workshop, and time in the “gear locker”, so in reality quite a large part of my time is centred around “guns n’ gear” each week, and that’s before I head to a live-fire range or lawd-forbid I actually get out to an airsoft game! Then there’s range days at shows…

Bottom line is that the “tactical lifestyle look” for many of us involved in the airsoft industry is more than just a “look”, it’s the most sensible way to dress… in clothing that was purpose-designed for what we do. Now to me that doesn’t mean wandering around in full “battle rattle” as walking the dog in a plate carrier is best left to the extreme sports crowd who for some reason have adopted this as a “cool training tool”; I kind of get it as you can carry a lot of weight in a well-dispersed and balanced way for endurance training, but I still find it a bit odd when I see someone out with their pooch wearing a 5:11 Tactec, but perhaps that’s just me!

What it DOES mean to me is that I want clothing that’s been designed for dynamic movement and shooting sports without me looking like a Team Six wannabe or the tweed-encrusted lord of the manor. How many times have you seen the guy at the airport or the train station carrying his MOLLE pack, with a patched-up (and not in a “I’ve worn this darn thing to death” way) softshell jacket, coyote tan boots, and an “insert name of favourite firearms accessory manufacturer here” ballcap and thought “oh my, now THAT’S lo-profile”…

I’m not trying to be snippy, but there is such a thing as a time and a place, and when I buy my own

“I WANT CLOTHING (AND BY EXTENSION FOOTWEAR) THAT’S GOING TO BE WELL MADE FROM DECENT FABRICS, THAT HAS BEEN DESIGNED FOR THE USE TO WHICH I INTEND TO SUBJECT IT, PERFORMS WELL AND IS COMFORTABLE IN ALL WAYS, AND DOESN’T IMMEDIATELY SCREAM “LOOKY, LOOKY! SHOOTER WANNABE HERE!””

“tacticool” gear you can bet that a) it’s going to spend most of its life on a range or in a shootingrelated setting, and b) it’s going to get the living bejaysus kicked out of it in short time! Basically I want clothing (and by extension footwear) that’s going to be well made from decent fabrics, that has been designed for the use to which I intend to subject it, performs well and is comfortable in all ways, and doesn’t immediately scream “Looky, looky! Shooter wannabe here!”

And in a nutshell, that’s why I’ve embraced Outrider Tactical, a new clothing brand from Austria.

MADE TO EXCEL

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to their clothing you could look at Outrider Tactical and say “Mmm, just another clothing brand riding on the shooter’s back…” but that’s pretty much true of all tactical clothing brands. What sets Outrider apart for me is that I know the guys behind the brand, know that they’ve been involved at the sharp-end of functional tactical clothing, and know that they work with the right people who have “been there and done that” to ensure that their designs, and how those designs are put together, are 100% fit for purpose. They tell me that...

“Our design team develops the products and sews the prototypes in-house in our development site in Austria from the first idea to the final prototype. It consults experienced partners from the areas of special operations, military, intelligence, law enforcement, sport shooting, survival and outdoor for development and worldwide field testing.”

Again, long story short Outrider Tactical makes clothing for the shooter, and they’re very serious in how they go about it. Knowing this, and knowing them, lets me have confidence in what I get from them.

So what do Outrider Tactical produce? Actually it’s a pretty darn tight line of designs that goes from more comfortable EDC wear like polos and hoodies, right through technical T-shirts and base layers, technical mid-layers and fleeces, up to and including technical outerwear. All of it is built right and fit for purpose, and some of it, in my opinion, does indeed look “cool” although I will point you back to the age/ appreciation of cool statement that I made at the outset…

I’ve been wearing three of their garments for a little while now, and yes, I will admit that there’s nothing particularly technical about the first garment as it’s a pretty standard hoodie… and I do love my hoodies which is somewhat inappropriate for a man of my age, or so I’ve been told, although frankly I don’t give a flying… thing… about “appropriate”! I just like what is comfortable and works for me, and the OT Logo Hoodie certainly works. It’s a simple 70% cotton/30% poly hooded sweatshirt with a big old kangaroo front pocket that you can wear happily on the range, in game, or for a not-so-quiet post-game trip to KFC (sorry, that’s probably just me, and us again…)! It may be simple, but it’s impeccably put together, and the slight brushed finish to the inner fabric surface makes it feel super-snuggly (a technical term for sure!). The Outrider logo is there, but it’s pretty subdued so this is a hoodie I’d feel comfortable wearing virtually anywhere; it’s comfortable, warm, and simple… which again is a bit like me these days so we’re a match made in heaven!

GETTING TECHY WITH IT

Next up I am going to get a bit more technical; one garment that I do wear every single day is a longsleeve zipneck base layer, and the Outrider T.O.R.D. Long Sleeve Zip Shirt in Ranger Green is perfect (it’s also available in plain back, but I do love my Ranger Green!). This long-sleeved shirt is designed for daily use on the range, but is also ideally suited for outdoor activities and sports. A slim fit was chosen by the Outrider design team to prevent pressure points, to achieve an optimal warming effect and to ensure a rapid transport of moisture.

The fabric is extremely comfortable to wear, breathable and dries quickly. The shirt is great as a base in colder weather, but also takes into account that the wearer is moving a lot and deals with heat dispersion effectively. The collar has been ergonomically designed to the shape of the neck, and the end of the zipper is enclosed in a soft flap of fabric to prevent chafing on the neck; the use of overlocked stitching achieves a multidirectional stretch between the material and the seam, without creating excess bulk which can cause discomfort. The length is just right to allow the shirt to be worn tucked in, so that access to any pockets or the belt is always straightforward, but it can of course also be worn loosely over the pants too. An innovative pulse warmer in the wrist area provides a comfortable and versatile sleeve-end and is optimally tailored for combining with liner gloves. The raglan sleeve allows for a seamless and wrinkle-free fit in the shoulder area, and even the logo has been very discreetly placed on the left chest and is colour –matched to be just visible but not overtly obvious.

In terms of outerwear Outrider Tactical offer some pretty clever solutions! The T.O.R.D. Flex Windblock Hoody LW (yes, in Ranger Green!) is an extremely breathable and uncompromising “mid-season” jacket with a light build and low stowage volume for a wide range of tactical and range applications as well as everyday use. The full-time hood is big enough to go over a FAST helmet, but is volume adjustable if you’re just wearing a beanie or ballcap. The seam-free shoulder area offers pack/range bag carriage without pressure points and prevents excess wear on this crucial point, whilst an internal baffle prevents cold air getting inside through the zipper, and the cord-adjustable waist rounds off a closefitting and functional design. The Flex is highly windresistant, extremely breathable, and uses a durable water repellent fabric throughout, a 92% Poly, 8% Spandex mix that works extremely well and offers a great two-way stretch, and a minimal four-way stretch for added wear comfort.

With an innovative low profile yet spacious Flex is pocket arrangement the extremely comfortable

to wear allows a

and the modern styling full range of unrestricted movement. The Flex benefits from two mid-position, mesh-lined hand-warmer pockets, a pocket on both upper arms, and velcro patches for team/ unit patches; there’s also an inner pocket which allows routing for comms cables if you should need them! The Flex is easy to pack and takes up minimal space in a pack, so it’s absolutely ideal if you want to stow it away “just in case”. Overall it’s a superbly designed jacket made of high end fabrics and components, and the finish of it just oozes quality and attention to detail. If you’re in the market for a new performance wind and weather-resistant jacket in the very latest “tacticool” colours then I would thoroughly recommend you take a very close look at the Flex, because I already love it!

So, that’s Outrider Tactical for now, although when possible I’m going to check out their Flex trousers and shorts as well. Thus far I’m really happy with their clothing, and although it’s not the cheapest out there you most certainly do get what you pay for… and that’s comfortable, highperformance “tacticool” gear that you can wear wherever you may be!

For more information on the entire Outrider Tactical range of clothing and accessories simply pay a visit to www.outrider-tactical.com AA