So during my researching for soft gear (storage bags/chest rigs/etc.) obviously you start to think ‘which color do I want this in’.
I really like the Multicam pattern. Like, really, really like it.
Am I going to look like a wannabe, mall-ninja moron if I show up at, for example, a carbine training class with a multicam chest rig, and my rifle in a multicam bag, etc, etc.?
NOT totally decked out in the stuff like P. Rogers or something (well ok, maybe a pair of pants just for the hell of it.:p), but more than 1 or 2 pieces of gear in said color.
I’m not Mil or LE- just a private citizen whos always had a camo fetish, and who knows how hard first impressions are to change.
Wear what you want, who cares what anyone else thinks?
I for one do not buy any of my gear in camoflauge of any pattern. I keep it simple with solid FG and FDE. For work, LE I buy gear solid black for duty.
I think multicam pants would be taking it a little far but fuck it, if it makes it more fun then go for it. That said when I’ve done classes I tend to smirk a little at kitted out civvies. Wear what you think you would be wearing if you were using the skills being taught in the class.
Camo patterns outside of their operational context scream “look at me.” Observers will associate folks with roles or groups based on the variables you present. For better and worse.
There was a guy in the Vicker’s pistol class I just took that I immediately noticed had a Viking tactics MOLLE Brokos belt . It was multicam and his Safariland holster was black that he had his M&P in.
What I came away noticing most was how good of a shooter he was. And then…That he had some nice gear he’d taken the time to supplant it with.
I don’t see anything wrong with your choice in a chest rig so long as it works and is fluid for you.
I was going to type out a rather lengthy reply here, but you know what- you’re right. Who cares.
It’s not like I’m going to ‘kit out’ to the point of having my socks and underwear multicam…
Honestly, if they sold gear in tigerstripe camo I’d get that just to be unique.:jester:
If I get a few weird looks, well I guess that’ll be karma coming back on me, as I too have had a few chuckles at the folks that show up decked out head to toe in camo.
I’ll just stick to my standard operating procedure- keep daily wear stuff neutral, get everything else in whatever color’s in stock.
As far as I’m concerned, caring about what even your instructor thinks of your fashion sense is like caring about a cosmetic blemish on your weapon. You should be focused on targets, optics, team members, commands, etc. This isnt high school. Nobody should care one way or the other if youre the kind of idiot that shows up in head to toe ATACs or the idiot that doesnt know/care and arrives in old Carhartt overalls.
Attend enough classes and you’ll probably come across more than a few "cool"guys who are just above what they consider that new Multicam fad. We may have more practical gear but theyve decided to only wear “cocoa” Arcteryx pants and a two-tone Outdoor Research soft shell because some people are just a little better than us and they have enough dignity to not draw attention to themselves. At a god damned carbine class. I can understand not walking down the street in a TAD jacket. I cannot understand giving someone shit for showing up to a carbine class prepared with proper equipment.
I agree with not letting others opinions of you influence you. In my case I have some digital camo crap that I got for practical reasons, frankly it was available as opposed to khaki and it would have been much lamer to go around looking for something to not look lame. And at least its multi-cam, with that generic digital camo you can get two fronted for selecting a “shitty” camo and going with camo in general :rolleyes:
For practical reasons like if something were to actually happen you might be better off with solids to try and not make yourself a target but for training get what works.
Yeah, I’ve got some ACU stuff that the guys at work give me crap about, but oh well, it works…and I like ACU, not as much as good ole’ blotchy woodland, but I like it:D
I think we all judge how other folks look - at least to some degree.
This experience of mine pretty well represents how I feel about it though.
I was at a 2 day pistol class, and we’re standing around prior to the start just shooting the shit.
Guy drives up, gets out, and my first thought was that he looks like he just stepped out of a Magpul commercial. Head to toe, he looked like a Magpul Rep. He was wearing soft armor under his cover shirt. Couple of the guys around me laughed and commented.
He ends up on the line next to me, and we talk. He tells me he flew in from out of town (can’t remember if it was out of state or out of town), he works in IT, and he borrowed the gun, mags, belt, holster, and mag pouch from the school.
Long story short, the guy could shoot, and shoot very well.
The second day at noon as we started shooting the standards for a final score, the bottom fell out of the temp. The wind started blowing and it started to snow.
And that guy just kept plugging along, just about oblivious to the weather.
I don’t know for sure, but if you showed up at a carbine class like this, http://intarnet.us/images/zs/2010-MALL-NINJA-SMALL.jpg Yeah, you’ll probably be tagged a “mall ninja”. On the other hand, if you showed up like this, http://www.milism.net/milikilt.jpg with a few mags in the pouch and pull off a “hammered pair” followed by a speed reload and another “hammered pair”. Then you’ve shown some “brass”. Just sayin!
i think what matters most is how well you shoot in the class, how your gear works for you, and how you handle yourself.
you can look like an idiot wearing a t-shirt and jeans or all decked out in multicam.
i doubt anyone’s going to call you a poser if you shoot better than they do, as who wants to say they got outshot by a poser?
I have deliberately gotten away from coyote brown/molle bags and quasi-military clothing for the express reason that I want to blend in. When I carried a molle/tan go-bag for EDC, I got lots of curious comments and questions. When I switched to a green Mountainsmith pack, the questions stopped.
The only exception is my coyote/molle warbelt which I wear only at the range. I chose brown because black gets very hot very quickly, and green is hard to find since tan is so popular.
When I finally get time to take a class, I intend to wear exactly what I do on the street since that is what I will be wearing if I have to go hot in real life. My clothing is mostly subdued “earthy” colors, nothing flashy or expensive for day-to-day wear.
If you want tough gear for a class or work, I have some Duluth Trading Co. fire-hose pants that are pretty much bomb-proof and really comfortable.
I just don’t see how it matters … industry manufacturers all make they same colors because it is primarily pro gear … and that is the color they need to come in.
Now, if you roll up decked out head to toe and it all still has creases in it like you just got it yesterday and such, yeah probably I’d give a second look … but I still wouldn’t really care. I’m not there to be a fashion judge.
That said, there is advantage to varying colors. Different colors can indicate they contain dif stuff.
My FA bag is red and no matter what pile it is in I know exactly what it is … or i can give instruction as to which one it is if I can’t get to it.
Honestly, my shooting performance could go either way, as my first classes will be some form of Handgun1/Carbine1- depending on the crowd, I’ll either be super awesome, or totally blow out.
I guess my whole reasoning for asking this wasn’t about whether I’ll look good or whatever- like I said earlier, I don’t really care, and I’ll just stick with what I normally do anyway. More along testing the water to see if anyone gets pissed off. I’ve seen some people blow up over stuff that’s even more simplistic and inconsequential…
To use a class as an example again, i’m going there to learn not have drama with somebody because I’m Joe Nobody, and they get insulted because I wore something they don’t think I belong in.
I had this happen a couple years back, not to me directly, but there were certain activities I was involved with, and some people got annoyed because a lot of folks would wear surplus BDU pants and jackets. Go figure…
My personal preference is for my gear to be in black or OD green. I don’t really care for khaki, tan, FDE stuff. My plate carrier is OD green while all the pouches on it are black. One of these days I’ll decide to swap out the plate carrier for one in black. Why? Black goes with everything! Right now, I’m only using it for 3-gun so it doesn’t matter if the carpet and curtains don’t match.
If I saw someone show up looking like they’ve just been dipped in a vat of camo paint, I’d probably make a mental note and file it under “WTF?” But, if the major parts their gear were decent (i.e. not airsoft crap) and they showed a certain level of competency with their firearms then I would overlook their fashion choice. Unless it was Mossy Oak. Then I’d think they were Fudds! :rolleyes:
