5.11 Tactical Shirt

Having spent a fair amount of time in the great outdoors doing various activities, I have found out first-hand how much difference some good clothing can make. However I have never spent much money on clothing as I survived a long time making do with second-hand military surplus gear. So, I can honestly say that things have moved on from a 95 DPM shirt, as I discovered in this test!

Here I have a black long-sleeved shirt from the 5.11 Tactical range, sourced from the UK based Military 1st online store. I was really quite surprised how much thought and development has gone into the making of a shirt, and there are a lot of features. Made from 100% cotton, straight out of the packaging you can tell that this is a quality item – far better quality than the outdoor shirts on offer in Civvy Street. In fact this shirt seems very good value in comparison.

Stitched Up

The shirt is triple stitched all over, meaning that is it not going to fall apart any time soon. The most important feature of this shirt is 5.11’s ‘heat management system’ which essentially consists of a covered mesh vent that covers the width of your back and extends from your shoulders down to just below your shoulder blades. This system is constructed of moisture-wicking Drilex material. The system also includes stitched eyelets in the underarms to help dispel heat. Other features included pen pockets on the left shoulder, hidden document and chest pockets making a total of six pockets. There are even straps to keep your sleeves rolled up.

All these little features are well thought out and add up to make a very practical and resilient shirt. Even the buttons are made of melamine designed to be anti-crack and anti-chip!

Fit For Purpose

I have been wearing this shirt a lot and the heat management system alone makes this shirt a good purchase – on hot days it’s nice to have a quality shirt that gives you protection yet still helps you stay cool!

Priced at £40.50 (inc. P&P), it comes available in sizes from XS to XXL and in navy, tundra, green, coyote brown, khaki and black colours.

My thanks to www.military1st.co.uk for the loan of this shirt for test; check out all their tactical gear online and if you have any questions email them with your requirements and they will help you find the right clothing.

E: [email protected] www.military1st.co.uk