Airsoft Action - January 2021

KIT & GEAR
LOFTED GARMENTS
find an insulated jacket that doesn’t suffer too much
in the wet to be and indispensable bit of kit!
I know that I keep on about a correct and effective
layering system in your gear, but in the winter months
you really need to push up the insulation levels of
your mid-layer so it’s seriously worth considering some
form of lightweight lofted garment. Once upon a
time, everyone would have been saying “get a down
jacket” and, in certain conditions, I’d thoroughly agree
with that. These days though, I pretty much always
go for a synthetic fill rather than down, as synthetics
retain a high percentage of their insulative properties
even when wet, whereas when down gets wet it will
stay wet and will actually try to use your own core
body heat to dry itself, resulting in you being even
colder! Another benefit of a synthetic fill is that you
can compress it (and leave it compressed for extended
periods of time) without causing any damage to its
structure (although you need to dry it out at home
if you pack it away wet!). Most jackets will come
with a compression or stuff sac which can be used to
minimise its size, making it easier to store and carry
with you.
Remember, hypothermia can, ultimately, be a killer
and even in its mildest form can lead to you having
not just a bad day, but a bad time full stop! If you
really don’t want to be “that guy” who causes a
problem for everyone due to lack of forethought and
preparation, then please read on.
I know, I really do, that you could easily look at this
and say that an insulated jacket is “just another piece
of kit to buy, another expensive item of clothing that
won’t get used that much” but in fact, once you own
such a garment I think you’ll be shocked by actually
how much you do use it!
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
All the “big names” out there will offer one, if not
more, insulated jackets in their clothing range and
depending on your left-over-after-the-latest-AEG-buymoney,
then shopping around will get you something
in your price range. Although camouflage insulated
jackets are available, think about where you’ll be
wearing it. If you buy a simple block colour rather
than a camo, then you’re also going to end up with
something you can wear every day, which makes it
even better value for money.
Most good outdoor pursuits stores will now have
in stock a wide selection of both down and synthetic
insulated jackets and some of them are offering some
great gear from the top mountaineering companies as
always. I’ve noticed that there are some seriously good
bargains to be had from the likes of Black Diamond,
RAB, Mountain Equipment, Patagonia, and The North
Face and all of them this year seem to be available in
black or some really cool grey and green tones. Do
be wary of buying “names” though, as there (sadly)
is still a degree of “paying for that” depending on
where you actually make your purchase.
Good models to look for are those that are referred
to as “belay jackets”, as those are purpose designed
to stuff down into your pack for use when you need
them most, i.e. when you stop being active and
become more static. Plus their designs are (more often
than not) more technically cut to fit lower over the
small of the back and abdomen, whereas many of
the more “fashion cut” jackets are waistline cut. I still
have a very old belay pullover filled with Primaloft,
from my time working with Lowe Alpine many years
ago, and it’s a classic!
Of course, there are now many “tactical” brands
that will sell you an insulated jacket and those are
usually jazzed up with a lot of arm-velcro and different
features from the “civvy versions”, but I’ll still go back
to my old faves, Snugpak, when it comes to insulated
gear for military and tactical use. They’ve built on
the success of their best known insulated jacket,
the Softie (a UK Forces “favourite” and if what one
of my friends tells me is right, the USMC too!), to
bring some great models to their clothing collection.
The latest generation of insulated jackets are British
made in the company’s factory in West Yorkshire and
are manufactured using its exclusive Softie Premier
synthetic insulation.
SJ FOR THE WIN!
The Snugpak SJ Range is their go-to model for
tactical all-weather jackets, designed to give you
the perfect outer shell whatever conditions you’re
facing throughout the year. All four jackets in the
range benefit from Snugpak’s hi-tech Paratex Micro
outer and Paratex Light inner, keeping any moisture
away from your skin, so you stay warm, comfortable
and dry, and the Softie Premier filling has excellent
“GOOD MODELS TO LOOK FOR ARE THOSE THAT ARE REFERRED TO AS “BELAY JACKETS”,
AS THOSE ARE PURPOSE DESIGNED TO STUFF DOWN INTO YOUR PACK FOR USE WHEN YOU
NEED THEM MOST, I.E. WHEN YOU STOP BEING ACTIVE AND BECOME MORE STATIC.”
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