Hola Mr. Rawles,
¿Qué tal? I enjoy your blog, and I appreciate what you are doing.
In the latest daily edition I noticed the mention of SpecOps Brand [1] gear as being high quality and American made. It is, and I have been very satisfied with all of the Spec-Ops brand gear I have had over the years. It is good stuff. Their clearance section is just the icing on the cake.
Are you also aware of the Tactical Tailor brand [2] gear? They are just outside of Fort Lewis, Washington. It is designed and made in the USA, and it’s extremely high quality gear. I have been very pleased with my Tactical Tailor gear.
When the US Army switched from woodland camouflage to ACU [3], all of Tac Tailor’s woodland gear was at least 60% off. It was an ideal opportunity for me, and I kitted myself out very well as a result. I understand that our military doesn’t change camouflage patterns often, but it can be a good opportunity to save some money on quality military gear when it happens. It certainly worked out well for me (and I happen to prefer woodland to ACU).
I used to be a bigger fan of Blackhawk gear (and I am still a huge fan of their Serpa holsters), but they seem to have changed over the last few years. I guess that’s a hazard with any big business expansion, but these days I prefer Tac Tailor and Spec-ops to Blackhawk.
In any case I hope all is well with you and yours.
¡Vaya con dios! Saludos, – Ignacio
JWR Replies: Thanks for that suggestion. Another true America-made web gear company that I recommend is The Vest Guy [4].
I also agree with your dislike of ACU camouflage. It has aptly been described as “The ideal camouflage pattern to wear when hiding in a gravel quarry.” Frankly I see no utility in it, aside for someone that lives in sagebrush country. The new MultiCam pattern blends in much better in a far wider variety of foliage, and the older BDU Woodland (or the similar DPM pattern colors for those in the UK Commonwealth) are also very practical.