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Stealth Suits

BKells

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I've been hearing great reviews on these particular pieces of kit. Where can I buy them?
 
Hi Bkells

They are great pieces of kit especially in fall and spring.  I use mine for running as well.  You can get both jacket and pants from Supply Sergeant in the West Edmonton Mall and from the PPCLI kit shop.  I know Suppy Sgt has them in stock as I saw a complete supply on Monday.

Regards

CArrow
 
Thanks for the link, but if someone could provide a picture or a description about them. I'm wondering are they tight fitting, 100% waterproof, gortex... what's the deal with them? Before I go away for the summer again I'd like to improve my kit, and wet-weather gear is a big one that issue-kit lacks.
 
EXCELLENT pieces of kit. They're gortex shells, the jacket with a hood, the pants, well, just pants. You can wear them under your combat shirt and it will keep you relatively warm and dry. I love mine......

 
FFYI, if anyone happens to have an extra bivvy bag you can take it to a tailor and have the suit made to your specs and for a much lower price than the commercial versions.  There's enough material in a bivvy bag to make two full stealth suits.
 
Bkells & ToRN,

What more do you need to know?  The "Stealth Suit" is simply the Goretex layer that is (inanely) sandwiched within the synthetic inner and outer layers of your issued combat jacket.  It is the same stuff that is found on the outer layer of your arctic Parka' removable liner.  If you have the "old" (eg. OG) combat jacket, then pull out the hood.  That "golden" material is goretex.  That is precisely the same material that the Stealth Suit is made of.  

The Stealth Suit can be employed as a stand-alone outer garment (eg. rain-suit) if need be.  However this is NOT the intended purpose because the unprotected Goretex membrane is subject to wear-induced damage or failure.  Hence the term "Stealth".   The intent is that the Goretex layer be worn underneath your outermost layer.  The idea being that the outer layer takes the brunt of the weather, yet everything underneath stays wind and water-proof thanks to the Stealth-suit goretex layer.  You can wear one under the issued combat uniform, a proper smock, or just about any other outer layer.  

In this particular case, photos are a waste of time.  The upper looks like a wind-breaker with an integral hood.  Zippered front closure, snap-closure storm-flap, and a draw-string hood.  The trousers look like (surprise!) - trousers.  Snap waist, no fly, and draw-string cuffs.  

The "Stealth" suit is not rocket-science, nor does it represent the height of design innovation.  I can name you a half-dozen foreign wind/water-proof "outer layer" systems that beat it hands-down for sheer weather-proof performance.  Having said that, those are all external "shell" systems that make a lot of noise, etc.  The "Stealth Suit" is a different (and I would argue superior) approach, consistent with the layered "smock" philosophy.

Simply stated, the "Stealth Suit" is the cat's meow for anyone who spends more than a day at a time in the field.  You just need to know how to use it.  Buy one, and that "albatross" otherwise known as the ICS/IECS Combat Jacket will never go to the field with you again....

 
I've owned my stealth suit for almost a year now and honestly, I think I've used it once. For one thing, my issued rain jacket is faster to throw on and take off as the weather dictates. And look at it this way: If you're rucking in the rain with a stealth suit on, your combat shirt is going to get wet and you'll probably sweat through your T shirt. If you're rucking with your rain gear on, you'll definatly sweat through your T shirt and probably sweat through your combat shirt as well. Either way, you're gonna get soaked. But, if you're just standing around in the rain at least your issued rain jacket will keep both your combat shirt and your T shirt dry. So if you've only got limited space, what are you going to pack?

As for the stealth pants, the main problem is that you can't take them off without taking your combat pants and boots off. Thats alot of effort, in my opinion. If its raining and you're standing around, you'd might as well wear the issued rain pants. Then, if you have to walk somewhere, all it takes is a minute to take the rain pants off.

Its all a matter of opinion, of course. But in my opinion, I should have used that $250 I spent on a stealth suit and got myself some lap dances.
 
Stealth suits are the cat's ass! ( good ;) ). Personally I opted to acquire a civvie market gore-tex shell jacket instead, as I don't like the idea of having to put on and take off the pants in a hurry while in the field.I would rather pull on and off a crummy pair of rainpants over top and stow 'em away as soon as I am finished with them. Instead I got a great deal on a North Face Summit Series gore-tex shell Jacket that came with a fleece removable liner. I have yet to use the fleece in the field, ( opting instead to use the issue one ) but the shell has been a Godsend. Often right into the late fall and early spring I will wear my polypro and it under a combat shirt and that is it! It proves such an effective wind barrier you can stay warm and dry. The advantage of the civvie version I have is the hood has all kinds of mods to it, there are several pockets and zippered vents under the arms to prevent overheating. All this said, if you don't get it for a steal on ebay like I did, you will pay through the nose for it.
 
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