Triple Aught Design?

DiscoDavis

Explorer
Patagonia is somewhat comparable, fit is less athletic.

My suggestion for most of this stuff is buy mil surplus. I stay away from most camouflage patterns (unless they're crazy cool or really old) to blend in a bit better for normal work or casual clothes, or to avoid associations with military when traveling. The few things mil surp does not do well are fit/sizing and waterproofness-unless you like wearing full ponchos around town. Surplus stuff is usually made in-country and good but not perfect quality (still waaaay better than today's clothing). I used to say they didn't do comfort well but certain countries do this better than others, Swiss, german, belgian, swedish, etc. I love euro stuff, swedish items in particular look fantastic, you'll see their old 70s jackets on ebay as fashion items regularly. All western euro stuff is hard-wearing and generally bulletproof, if not mostly cotton. The few times that I don't wear an old field jacket or parka, I keep an arcteryx shell and a merino sweater, or a barbour jacket. All my vehicle-kept cold weather gear is Swedish army arctic clothing.

Here's where it gets good:

Knew an Austrian fellow when I was in school over in CH, he would regularly trawl surplus stores in country, bought work shirts, pants, jackets, olive drab parkas etc and then bring them back to his tailor at home to alter. For a while there he had some amazing looking (see: tailored) clothes for almost nothing, and most was Swiss-made! Guy had the Daniel Craig high fashion adventure look nailed down.

These days all I really buy new is t shirts, underwear, and really nice socks. All my christmas presents were socks ;)

For everything that surplus can't do there's always arcteryx shells and tad fleece or merino hoodies.
 

schambach

New member
Patagonia is somewhat comparable, fit is less athletic.

My suggestion for most of this stuff is buy mil surplus. I stay away from most camouflage patterns (unless they're crazy cool or really old) to blend in a bit better for normal work or casual clothes, or to avoid associations with military when traveling. The few things mil surp does not do well are fit/sizing and waterproofness-unless you like wearing full ponchos around town. Surplus stuff is usually made in-country and good but not perfect quality (still waaaay better than today's clothing). I used to say they didn't do comfort well but certain countries do this better than others, Swiss, german, belgian, swedish, etc. I love euro stuff, swedish items in particular look fantastic, you'll see their old 70s jackets on ebay as fashion items regularly. All western euro stuff is hard-wearing and generally bulletproof, if not mostly cotton. The few times that I don't wear an old field jacket or parka, I keep an arcteryx shell and a merino sweater, or a barbour jacket. All my vehicle-kept cold weather gear is Swedish army arctic clothing.

Here's where it gets good:

Knew an Austrian fellow when I was in school over in CH, he would regularly trawl surplus stores in country, bought work shirts, pants, jackets, olive drab parkas etc and then bring them back to his tailor at home to alter. For a while there he had some amazing looking (see: tailored) clothes for almost nothing, and most was Swiss-made! Guy had the Daniel Craig high fashion adventure look nailed down.

These days all I really buy new is t shirts, underwear, and really nice socks. All my christmas presents were socks ;)

For everything that surplus can't do there's always arcteryx shells and tad fleece or merino hoodies.

The best sweater I've ever owned is an Austrian Military surplus piece, apparently made by a company called Dachstein. Absolutely bombproof, and ridiculously warm.
 

e60ral

2016 4Runner Trail w/KDSS
So what company is a less expensive alternative to TAD with similar lines? I can pay those prices, but I really think its ridiculous.

some of the knockoffs on aliexpress have good reviews, i haven't taken the gamble yet and tried any though
 

C7mb

New member
Just received my Stealth Hoodie LT and thought I would give my opinion of it compared to a Chinese knockoff I've owned for a year.

Price: The knockoff jacket blows the TAD jacket out of the water in terms of affordability ($50 compared to $475). This is a huge factor for most people, myself included, and can deter many consumers. That being said, I have learned the hard way that if you want your gear to last long, and function correctly, you may need to spend a bit more. Since most high end technical jackets will run you atleast a few hundred bucks, I would rather pay a bit more for US (or in this case, Canada) made gear than the same offshore mass produced garbage with a %500 markup.

Quality: As expected, the knockoff is nowhere near the same level of quality (for construction and materials) as the TAD alternative. There are noticeable differences in the way these jackets are manufactured. For the knockoff jacket, the main construction is of a soft-shell, neoprene-esque material, all of the seams are stitched, the cuffs are elastic, the Velcro is fake and the zippers feel like they will fail at any point. My jacket in particular has an issue with the fake Velcro body (the part that is actually being sewn onto the jacket), where strands are always coming off, which will eventually lead to the patch disconnecting from the jacket. For the TAD jacket, all of the seams are taped and fused, the minimal stitching is precise and tight, the patch is genuine Velcro material and is sewn to the edge (the knockoff is sewn a millimeter in which makes the edges flare up), and the zippers are taped YKK.

Fit: This is a very subjective area, but the knockoff jacket "fit" me (dimension wise) a bit better. I am 5'6, with an athletic build so I prefer my clothes to be trim through the waist, wider at the shoulders and tapered in the arms. The knockoff jacket fit me right out of the box and I didnt have any real complaints. The TAD jacket on the other hand, took me two tries to purchase the right size. I am a size medium for all of my other TAD shirts, but had to order a small for this jacket for the chest and waist to fit correctly. Even then, the arms of the new jacket are still a bit long.

Comfort/Function: I was quite pleased with my purchase of the knockoff jacket when it first arrived. However, as I used it more, it became obvious that it was not constructed out of the same "high tech" fabrics utilized in the TAD jacket. The material used in the knockoff is quite confortable (from a tactile standpoint), but when it came to weight, breathability and weatherresitance, there was a night and day difference with the TAD jacket. The knockoff would be comfortable for one minute, then heavy, and stuffy the next. I would try to leave the armpit vents open to regulate my heat (especially in the snow), but then my back would still get hot and I would end up unzipping the jacket until I got cold again. During windy conditions, the wind would pass right through it and in the rain, it acted like a sponge. In comparison, the TAD jacket is very light weight (you can barely feel it on you), I have yet to overheat in it, and the hydrophobic qualities are fantastic. Although I havent had a chance to use it in the snow, I think it will make a great all-season jacket. My one qualm is that the front hand pockets are too high.

As you can guess, the finish and quality of the TAD made jacket are leagues above the knockoff. If you want a throwaway jacket that "looks" the same as the Stealth Hoodie, go with the cheap one. If you are not willing to compromise, go with TAD. I hope this helps anyone trying to make a decision. I can provide photos of the two upon request.
 

paranoid56

Adventurer
Just received my Stealth Hoodie LT and thought I would give my opinion of it compared to a Chinese knockoff I've owned for a year.

Price: The knockoff jacket blows the TAD jacket out of the water in terms of affordability ($50 compared to $475). This is a huge factor for most people, myself included, and can deter many consumers. That being said, I have learned the hard way that if you want your gear to last long, and function correctly, you may need to spend a bit more. Since most high end technical jackets will run you atleast a few hundred bucks, I would rather pay a bit more for US (or in this case, Canada) made gear than the same offshore mass produced garbage with a %500 markup.

Quality: As expected, the knockoff is nowhere near the same level of quality (for construction and materials) as the TAD alternative. There are noticeable differences in the way these jackets are manufactured. For the knockoff jacket, the main construction is of a soft-shell, neoprene-esque material, all of the seams are stitched, the cuffs are elastic, the Velcro is fake and the zippers feel like they will fail at any point. My jacket in particular has an issue with the fake Velcro body (the part that is actually being sewn onto the jacket), where strands are always coming off, which will eventually lead to the patch disconnecting from the jacket. For the TAD jacket, all of the seams are taped and fused, the minimal stitching is precise and tight, the patch is genuine Velcro material and is sewn to the edge (the knockoff is sewn a millimeter in which makes the edges flare up), and the zippers are taped YKK.

Fit: This is a very subjective area, but the knockoff jacket "fit" me (dimension wise) a bit better. I am 5'6, with an athletic build so I prefer my clothes to be trim through the waist, wider at the shoulders and tapered in the arms. The knockoff jacket fit me right out of the box and I didnt have any real complaints. The TAD jacket on the other hand, took me two tries to purchase the right size. I am a size medium for all of my other TAD shirts, but had to order a small for this jacket for the chest and waist to fit correctly. Even then, the arms of the new jacket are still a bit long.

Comfort/Function: I was quite pleased with my purchase of the knockoff jacket when it first arrived. However, as I used it more, it became obvious that it was not constructed out of the same "high tech" fabrics utilized in the TAD jacket. The material used in the knockoff is quite confortable (from a tactile standpoint), but when it came to weight, breathability and weatherresitance, there was a night and day difference with the TAD jacket. The knockoff would be comfortable for one minute, then heavy, and stuffy the next. I would try to leave the armpit vents open to regulate my heat (especially in the snow), but then my back would still get hot and I would end up unzipping the jacket until I got cold again. During windy conditions, the wind would pass right through it and in the rain, it acted like a sponge. In comparison, the TAD jacket is very light weight (you can barely feel it on you), I have yet to overheat in it, and the hydrophobic qualities are fantastic. Although I havent had a chance to use it in the snow, I think it will make a great all-season jacket. My one qualm is that the front hand pockets are too high.

As you can guess, the finish and quality of the TAD made jacket are leagues above the knockoff. If you want a throwaway jacket that "looks" the same as the Stealth Hoodie, go with the cheap one. If you are not willing to compromise, go with TAD. I hope this helps anyone trying to make a decision. I can provide photos of the two upon request.

do you have a link to the knockoff you bought? would be nice to see pics of both
 

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