Outdoor Clothing

Often, in our classes, someone will bring up a question about outdoor clothing. These questions mainly focus on color and pattern. As far as outdoor clothing goes, there are generally three camps – the first camp being the outdoor enthusiast whose main purpose is to enjoy the wilderness and who have a desire to be seen or noticed by others. The second camp is the other end of the spectrum, or the people that wish not to be seen or noticed and tend to dress in military-style clothing. The third and final camp is that of the Gray Man. The Gray Man, by wearing clothing in neutral, earth tones, tries not to present either flashy colors or a military-style appearance.

Let's talk about these groups. We’ll call the first group the ‘enthusiast’ camp. These are the people that you find in and around Park City, Utah. For them, it is important to be seen (whether it is from the aspect of safety or a need or desire to show off their fashions). Oftentimes, labels matter to this group. A North Face jacket is purchased both for its bright colors and the name on the label, not necessarily or primarily for the protection that the jacket provides. I do not want anyone to feel targeted by this comment about fashion. We all do it. This is just meant as a discussion on outdoor clothing and why we buy what we buy.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have the individuals that purchase military-style clothing. This group can be broken into two categories. Both categories have similar ideas but go about things differently. Some individuals in this group purchase their outdoor clothing from army surplus stores. This can be cost-effective and can provide an individual with adequate outdoor clothing, but not the best, or even really good. One thing that is very important to understand about military-style clothing is that milspec is never the best -- it just means that it meets a government standard. Other individuals in this group fall into the trap of trying to look like the latest and greatest Special Operations movie hero. Sometimes, these individuals find themselves acting very similarly to the Park City crowd, where labels matter. They find themselves purchasing $600 worth of CRYE Precision clothing -- not because of the capability of the garment but because they saw it on Instagram. I have both CRYE and Patagonia uniforms. They're great. Very comfortable and durable, but they're both in multicam, which can be a problem. One of the biggest problems with military-style clothing is just that: it is military-style clothing. A set of multicam bottoms in the wrong environment will draw just as much attention as a bright red North Face jacket will.

The third camp (the Gray Man) is where I tend to focus most of my outdoor clothing purchases. Most every outdoor clothing brand makes a neutral-tone version of their garments. CRYE Precision makes non-camouflaged uniforms in neutral colors, so if you're looking for the capability but do not want multicam, you can have it. The concept behind the Gray Man is that I can go from the woods to Walmart to a restaurant and not stand out in any environment. One of the benefits of picking the neutral, earth tones is that you have the ability to blend in with an outdoor environment (although not as well as with camouflage). Items can be carried with you to signal or mark your position, such as in the case of needing rescue. An example of this would be a pilot scarf (a 2’ x 2’ blaze-orange, silk square). In my opinion, being the Gray Man is a good goal to have when choosing outdoor clothing.

One of the great joys that we have is we don't have to fall into any one of these camps. We can pick and choose. I own several Cotopaxi bags, all of which have bright colors and stand out. I choose to use these bags when I want people to perceive me in a certain way. I jokingly referred to it as my hippie camouflage. On the other hand, I was very excited yesterday when my brushstroke combat top from Fireforce Ventures finally arrived. I will be wearing my brushstroke camo when I do things like Small Unit Tactics, but I will not be wearing it out to dinner. As fashionable as it is, I do not want the attention it will draw.

I know we've talked a lot about the visual aspect of outdoor clothing but I would like to finish by talking about the capabilities and what I look for. While I was active duty, I wore the uniforms that I was issued. Because I was at 5th Group, I was issued uniforms like CRYE precision and Patagonia. But now that I'm retired, I do not have someone doing the research for me. I get to do it myself. I know the things that I'm looking for: durability, wind resistance, quietness of the fabric and quick-drying capability. This is why I stick mainly to synthetic fabrics or treated canvas materials. I think for the price point, one of the best companies is Kuhl. Their clothing performs very well in the previously mentioned categories and is relatively inexpensive. You may say $100 for a pair of pants is expensive. To this I would agree, if they do not perform. I have a set of Kuhl pants that I have owned for over five years. They have faded in color, but are still very durable and perform to my liking. I have worn cheaper outdoor pants made with similar fabric and design that have not lasted as long. On the more expensive end, my favorite brand is Fjallraven. They make a fabric known as G-1000 that can be waxed to add increased water resistance. I do like this feature, but they are definitely on the higher end of the price range. I will spend my money to get capability.  I encourage you to choose wisely. Spend your money for quality and capability, not for fashion.

—Chris