I recently received several products from Wild Things Tactical (wildthingsgear.com) to review out of their Soft Shell line of clothing. Before receiving the samples, I had only heard of Wild Things from my outdoor adventure experience. I was unaware that they have been providing tactical clothing built to customer spec for many years.
After wearing the samples I spoke with Brian Foley, the product manager for Wild Things, about the Soft Shell and Lightweight Soft Shell lines that they have out. For those of you not familiar with soft shell, it is a very interesting garment. Soft shell provides full range of motion, breathability and stretch for the user. While not waterproof, they describe the garment as being double water repellent. I have worn the soft shell jackets in rain. As long as you are not being hammered by a downpour for hours it seems to bead the water on the surface.
Wild Things soft shell is like a second skin. It is quieter than gortex and insulates much better. As you war it, the body heat you put off with activity actually pushes the moisture away. This becomes great for operators. The garments are designed to be outerwear for those on the move, and body armor can be worn over the top of the garment.
Wild Things Tactical has specifically designed and manufactured technical garments for the military and most of the alphabet agencies. Additionally all of there products are 100% domestic. To that end they carry a certified certificate of compliance. Right now 9 out of 10 products being shipped by them go out with the multi-cam pattern. This was first adopted for Operation Enduring Freedom. I have a pair of the multi-cam pants and they are extremely well done. The process for multi-cam is a 7 step process of dying the fabric to make it look that good.
The price for the Soft Shell Jacket is $399 comes in black, brown and multi-cam. The Lightweight version is $299. The lightweight version has been my favorite so far given the mild climate I live in. Many people have asked me about the price point because it is so steep. Go back to the fact that these products are made in America and given so much detail and it explains it. However, in the spring of 2012, Wild Things will begin offering consumer line that will be very competitively priced.
Products in the new line will include a lightweight soft shell system, a hybrid combat shirt made to go under body armor produced under the Smith & Wesson M&P label, a CCW soft shell, and a new lightweight wind system. They are calling this a lifestyle line indicating its price point and intended market. It looks like Gall’s will be carrying the line for those of you who might.
I would encourage those of you who make a living outside to check out this line of clothing. It definitely fills the void in many areas in regards to blocking wind and rain. With several weights available, it is easy to find the product that will work well with your environment. As they continue to expand into the consumer market, their visibility will grow as the products become more and more affordable.