stealth suit questions

[gun plumber]

I am looking at buying a stealth suit jacket from the PPCLI kitshop and have just a few questions:
1.Is this piece of kit really worth the 140.00 asking price?By this I mean is it a durable piece of kit,can it stand up to field use?
2.Is it worn as a outer garmet or is it worn as a base layer over a t-shirt,long underware etc?
3.Should I get it one size up,so I can wear the polar fleece sweater under it,or is this defeating its purpose?
4.One main reason I am buying it for is my civilian hobby(Hunting/Camping)and am wondering if anyone uses it for such,and how it works out.
5.Any testimonials as to it's effectiveness?
6.Are the pants worth picking up?
Thanks

GP

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Did you try a search on the forum, I just got at least a page of hits

 

[gun plumber]

used search fuction,got some info,but not all of my questions were awnsered,so this is why I started this with specific questions and not just a general question.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

OK.....good luck

 

[Michael OLeary]

See the comments here by Mark C, ABN RFN, and Ghostwalk, among others:

http://army.ca/forums/threads/24327.0.html

 

[Andyboy]

I'll throw my two cents worth in just because I didn't post anything on the original thread.

I have had a pair of the pants since 92 (the same pair) and since then I don't go in the field without them. In the summer they keep the mozzies off my legs which is good on OPs/patrols and keep the rain out of my boots (I leave my pants unbloused). In the fall they keep the wind off my legs which keeps me warm. I used to really notice my legs sweating in the summer but keeping my pants unbloused lets the air circulate and after 12+years I don't even notice them anymore and actually feel abit weird onthe odd occasion that I don't have them.

At any rate the only other piece of kit I purchased that has gotten as much use are my Danners that I bought at the same time. I have been meaning to get a new pair of pants for the past few years but haven't had the heart to break in a new pair.

 

[silentbutdeadly]

the best buy i ever got from the PPCLI kit shop , use it yr round and i got it a size bigger to fit fleece under so.... go with that , hope it helps!

 

[COBRA-6]

Gun Plumber - here's my two cents:

1. Worth $140? Absolutely, especially if you plan to use it outside the army. It will last if you use it correctly.

2. Worn under outer garmet, you can wear it as an outer for static (ie range/camp) activities, but if you go bush-bashing it may rip.

3. You need to try it on, I like it a little loose, but if it is too big it will bunch up and be uncomfortable under your combats.

4. I've used it while hiking, it packs away tiny and makes a great "what if it rains" backup. However keep point #2 in mind.

5. Highly effective, will keep you much drier than the issued jacket. Particularly usefull when it's wet and cold but you want to be stealthy. I've been on so many patrols where it wasn't raining, but you would get soaked to the bone from dew on the bushes, and come back near hypothermic and useless. I will never do that again!

6. I would say yes, for the reason above. It doesn't need to be raining to get wet, a chilly night and long grass can make life very unpleasant.

I picked mine up at the 1 RCR kit shop, wish they had a website, they have lots of great kit!

Hope this helps

 

[matt22]

Hi, pardon the ignorance, but what is a stealth suit, and why do people seem to want them so much?

 

[big bad john]

I would suggest that you use the search function as this has been asked and answered many times.  You also might want to read the FAQs.  Cheers!

 

[1feral1]

Oakley,

You claim you are a R031 MCPL, mate you should known what one of these are????

Wes

 

[the 48th regulator]

aww leave him alone guys, sometimes it can be tough.  Anyways, this is what everyone is talking about.  And your are to only wear this when out patrolling and nothing else.  It helps to make you the keenest patrollman.  Hat is optional;

 

[big bad john]

Nice merge!

 

[mdh]

Do they  have it in CADPAT?

 

[PPCLI MCpl]

I have both the stealth suit top and bottoms and believe it is the greatest investment I have made in my Infantry career.  My normal system for when I'm on the move is a light to midweight underwear(either MEC power-dry or Under Armour Cold-Gear), the stealth suit and then combats.  These layers keep you dry and block the wind.  I have used it in temperatures as low as -30 and most recently on SARTech pre-selection.  You want to ensure you keep your combat jacket and windpants close for when you stop moving, but I believe the stealth suit is worth every penny.

 

[jjronnie]

I had a question on the effectivess of these Stealth Suits for those who have used them. I was wondering why you wear them under your other combat gear which wets out, doesn't that defeat the purpose of wearing Goretex? I wouldn't think that it would be able to breathe when the outer shirt is soaked? However, i have also noticed that u guys aren't the only ones to do this, apparently the British Goretex was also developed to only be worn under their smocks. I just thought you guys who have used them could set me straight on why you guys do this and if affects the goretex's breathability?

 

[COBRA-6]

Search under "stealth suits", you will find a ton of info on it's use there.

 

[jjronnie]

Yeah I have used the search function, but from what i've read nobody has really mentioned how the goretex breathes when it layered underneath a soaked combat shirt......unless i missed something.

 

[s23256]

jj

You're right the gortex probably does lose most of its ability to breathe when the outer layer is completely soaked and matted down.  However even under these conditions the stealth suit will still keep cold water away from your base layers and block the wind while being significantly less bulky and noisy than the rain suit.  Once it stops raining your combats dry out prety quickly and then the goretex lets any sweat that may have accumulated underneath evaporate away.  It really comes into its own when there is a decent drizzle that isn't enough to completely soak you.  Under these conditions it will keep you dry even while moving fast and sweating.  Also, unlike the rain jacket you can continue to wear it even when it's not raining without overheating instantly.

In answer to your other question the stealth suit is worn underneath the combats becasue it is a single ply gore-tex garment with a relatively thin face fabric.  As such it is not extremely durable and may tear if it gets caught on a branch etc.  Furthermore depending on the make they can be a rather light green or black and wearing them outside the combats would negate the effect of the DPM.

I hope this answers your questions.