Blackhawk recently expanded the warrior wear line which includes this snazzy 3 layer jacket system. Each layer is designed to be used on its own or used in any combination with the other layers. As you might guessed, layer 1 gives the lightest element protection and layer 3 gives the most. The materials and constuction used are quite modern resulting in a functional and styln' system. Each layer is sized appropriately for layering so one doesn't need to worry about different sizes. I have a full 3 layer set of smalls and I was pleased how well they fit on top of each other. This is accomplished with layer 1 being semi-fitted, layer 2 casual, and layer 3 baggy.
LAYER 1 - The Training Jacket
Layer 1 works well for the cool environment work-out jacket. The material has some stretch in it for good range of motion and is overall super light. For how thin it is, it has surprising water and wind resistance. I poured some water on it as a test and all I managed to do was watch it bead up and slide off getting the normal shirt I was wearing wet. The collar area and inner sleeve ends are bonus comfy made with micro-fleece brushed tricot lining. In the spirit of a training jacket the zipper is a cool YKK version called semi auto locking. Basically it is spring loaded so it is always up or down. It is easy to manually toggle, but when running around it stays in place so it isn't clanging around. Shock cord and barrel locks are built into the waist area to cinch things up and later adjust when desired. There is only one small pocket on the left shoulder, which is in the spirit of the jacket design, good for pens or an ipod sized device. A hole is in the interior of this pocket so one can route their headphones internally to keep wires more secure than flopping around directly from pocket to ear. On the note of pockets, I would liked to have standard lower side pockets on this jacket. They shouldn't cause too much bulk and would be a nice place to keep one's hands warm when idle times occur. A good sized loop is under the tag for hanging of the jacket. The training jacket works great for adding a layer of warmth when used with the other layers. Kinda pricey for being such a lightweight jacket, but that appears to be the price of fancy materials. End result, layer 1 accomplishes its design goal being a jacket that adds wind protection and a little warmth, but is lightweight and flexible enough to not be in the way when excercising.
Recommended place of purchase: <www.lapolicegear.com>
LAYER 2 - The Ops Jacket
The meat of the jacket system is layer 2, The Ops Jacket. The sizing and thickness is what most expect out of a medium jacket, but it has additional element protection and features. I'm not sure what the main shell material is, but Blackhawk calls it a Durable water-resistant (DWR) soft-shell. All of the outer seams have been sealed by being covered with textured non-slip material and a large batch has been added to the elbows for added durability. The interior is made up of a combination of fleece/tricot and soft mesh to give warmth yet ventilation as well to the right places. The main zipper is that sweet semi auto locking kind as seen on the training jacket. I wonder about how long it will keep its spring/lock ability, but worst case it just becomes a regular floppy zipper. The other external pockets all have waterproof sealed zippers which have little metal tabs and pull cords including custom textured warrior wear tabs. The indented tear-drop shape of the pull tab makes a nice intuitive grip. Symmetrical pockets include 2 side hand pockets, 2 lower internal pockets, and 2 zippers open in the back exterior for access to the same pocket to create a "tailbone" pocket. Inside the hand pockets are convenient shock cord pull tabs so the waist can be be easily cinched. This can later be adjusted with the tiny cordlocks that control the shock cord located at the lower front interior of the jacket. The waist cinch system is separated by grommet holes keeping the pull tabs and cord-locks in place so you don't have to worry about their placement shifting. For asymmetrical pockets there is one on the upper front left externally and slightly lower internally. Just for clarification the would be the left hand side of the user. I can only guess these pockets are only on the left side to be setup for right hand dominant use and leave the right side area more clear for firearms. Either way, I wish the pockets were on the right side as well. I don't think they would get in the way and would give more organization while delivering ambidextrous functionality. A good sized loop is under the tag for hanging of the jacket. Overall feels nice, great performance for its weight and thickness while looking sharp at the same time.
Recommended place of purchase: <www.lapolicegear.com>
LAYER 3 - The Element Shell
When you know the weather is going to be the suck, this is when you want layer 3. The Element Shell is water and wind proof based on a breathable 3-layer laminate hard-shell. All seams have been sealed internally to insure the water-proof performance. External pockets include 2 large side hand pockets and 2 shoulder pockets. Each pocket has water-proof zipper seals and use the nice custom zipper pulls as seen on the ops jacket. The same zipper setups, except with double sliders, are used on the sides for long pit-zips to allow easy ventilation control. Only the upper slider comes with a zipper pull so if one finds themselves preferring to unzip in a up to down motion, the pull can be removed and installed onto the lower slider. The main opening of the jacket uses a dual-direction zipper which is then made weather-proof with a flap that stays in place with velcro. Many areas include shock-cord and cordlock setups which are at the waist/tailbone area, the frontal bottom, and in the hood on both the opening compression and horizontal "headband" compression. The headband and tailbone cordlocks are a little harder to get to since located on the exterior and interior back sides respectively, but their existence is appreciated for adjustability. Another cool thing about the hood is that the upper back of the jacket has a built in pocket where the hood can be stored when not in use. This is much nicer than having a hood flop around when you don't really need it. As you may have guessed, deployment of the hood from the pocket is easier than stowing which requires taking the jacket off to do effectively. The collar area interior has a nice patch of fleece for comfort making this be the only area one might need to worry about getting wet. Even if a full interior drenching somehow occurs, the fleece is thin enough to dry reasonably fast. The cuffs are adjustable using loop velcro and rubbery straps with velcro compatible hooks built in. The velco dot is good for holding the straps when full hand opening is desired and the longer velcro strips allow the cuffs to be tightened on up. I like the rubber straps since they appear durable and conform to the arm curve. Since there isn't additional padding, the Layer 3 Element shell isn't made for the harsh cold, however it makes a great shell ready for adventures including hurricanes. Don't forget, what Layer 3 lacks in warmth can easily be solved with layers 1 and 2. When combined you got yourself a mean cold and water fighting jacket package.
Recommended place of purchase: <www.lapolicegear.com>
