Tac-Up Gear “Nomad” jacket

Posted on 24/05/2009 by Strike-Hold

Tac-Up Gear (www.tacupgear.com) is a Swedish tactical gear business that was started in 2006 by Martin Sandgren.I’ve been wearing one of their Nomad outdoors jackets (in Olive Green) since last autumn. Throughout this time, I’ve found it to really be ideal lightweight wind and weather-resistant protection. Its feather-light weight makes it extremely comfortable and packable – it scrunches down small enough to fit in a cargo pocket or utility pouch – and its plethora of well-placed pockets means it’s very practical as well. In fact, as a general-purpose outdoors jacket I think it’s almost perfect.Why only “almost perfect” and not “absolutely perfect”? Well, only three things really:

The abrasion-resistant, reinforcing patches of nylon twill on the fore-arms and shoulders areas aren’t water-resistant
The zippers on the chest and waist pockets aren’t as chunky or easy-to-operate as the main front zipper
I can’t help but think that under-arm zippers for ventilation would give it just that little bit more useability and comfort in warmer temperatures

But even with those relatively minor points for improvement, this jacket is great. I really appreciate its feather-light weight, the rip-stop Pertex nylon shell is amazingly wind and rain resistant – whilst also being strong and breathable, the jacket is extremely comfortable to wear and its features also make it quite flexible in how you can use it. I’ve worn it as a light outdoors jacket and found that it’s great for contending with changeable spring-time weather patterns. I’ve also used it as a weather-resistant outer shell in damp drizzly autumn weather and its worked fine. Finally, I’ve even used it as a weather-proof inner lining under a camouflage smock during a very wet week-end tactical exercise in Wales in the winter – and the Nomad kept me warm and dry through-out.There is quite a wide (if not bewildering) range of general purpose / tactical jackets on the market these days – some of them are very technically-advanced, and some of them are fairly basic but totally waterproof. They also range in price from the extremely cheap to the ridiculously expensive. But if you’re looking for an excellent all-round jacket that provides enough protection for everything except a heavy downpour – and at a price that won’t make you cry – then I highly recommend the Nomad Jacket from Tac-Up Gear (www.tacupgear.com).Strike-Hold!Features: