I own a Helikon Patriot Jacket (it's a polish manufacture). It is a direct "copy" of the TAD Ranger hoodie (from what I can compare by the video). This jacket has nearly the same pocket(sizes), sunshield etc. But the Patriot just have one Ipod pocket in the right chest pocket. It does not bother me. What I can say is, that the Patriot might have a better ventilation, because it has long zippers on both sides (not these tiny holes of the TAD version). I never owned a TAD hoodie. Just my two cents
As a recent buyer who got the Ranger LT hoodie last week, it is really cool to see what this product used to be like, I see a few things here that have been really changed , improved , or removed.
It's all about priorities man. I tend to be one of those people who believe that in a lot of cases you get what you pay for. If you are willing to pay less for a decent product instead of dishing out the dough for higher quality, that's fine. But TAD does make very high quality products and in my opinion that's worth it.
This jacket also works down to roughly 0 degrees. I live up in Connecticut and it has kept me REALLY warm up until 0 degrees, and then it gets slightly chilly. just wear a sweater or fleece liner under it, and you're good for really cold temperatures.
I'm in KW I won't be able to wear my Pathfinder hoodie for a couple of months yet. I love their stuff. Check out their Force 10 cargo shorts and pants. High quality and well thought out. Great review Chanderson, keep em coming.
I just got my Ranger a couple days ago and if you can shell out for one, you will not be disappointed. The stitching is literally perfect everywhere on this thing which is something you see across all TAD gear. The material is softer than anything I've touched, its warm, it breathes well, the hood locks down your entire head and fits tight around your face, the cut overall is very nice, and there's storage for pretty much anything you could think of. I'll be buying different colors of this.
i must say after having the ranger hoodie i say that it was quite worth it it has a very high build quality, looks good,and warm enough for me just to wear this in mn during winter
This hoodie looks remarkably similar to the much simpler NATO/British Army issue 'Norwegian' pullover which is lined with a special very miniature loop threading which imitates natural wool to a great extent.I had purchased one recently which is supposed to be worn directly over the skin and can be worn under anything else.There has been seriously cold weather in Britain recently,this simple design is very effective against the cold.
Hi, not a stupid question at all. It means exactly that. The patch version means there is a 4x4 inch velcro backing to attach your patches and the non patch version just means that there is no velcro backing on the arms so you wont be able to attach any patches.
most backpacks have a waist belt for more support. This is why the pockets are up high. If they were in the same position as a regular jacket it would be difficult to get into them
@markeii I''m 1,73m tall and weight 73kg. I wear small (on both) ... I use the parka less then the patriot because it is enough for me. But you can use the parka as a hardshell with the patroit. There is only one option for the parka available! The patriot is NOT wind proofed. It keeps you warm a bit. If it is very cold, I use a wind breaker from 5.11 (packable jacket). It is small and fits into the rear pocket. The Patroit is some kind of water resist. Use the size charts on the site!
@markeii I'm from Germany. Helikon has a retail store here. I don't know, if they would send it to you. Try to get a shop nearby (maybe a web store). Or you have to get more to use the whole shipping rate. i got the parka, the gloves and the patroit jacket from Helikon. The Classic Army jacket is just a normal softshell. Nothing special (so you can get it cheaper somewhere else).
It's a CONDOR Sierra with a few minor changes. This jacket probably has better zippers and I like the elastic cuffs better than the open cuffed with extensions. BUT the sierra has a bigger reinforced area under the forearms and elbows.
Great vid. I have a TAD Stealth v4.0 in M.E. Green with a Ranger v5.0 on the way. If you are in need of a soft shell, TAD's cant be beat. What other Tad Gear do you have? Would love to see vids of it also.
@johndancel the pockets are up high so you can still have access to them while wearing a backpack with a hip belt. its a common design for outdoor clothing.
@MrEhud77 I agree they are good quality. I have a few Condor items my self. I agree as far as the clothing goes. Good on you for open a store! Great idea!
1. Many of my close friends work for condor here in California. I've seen the jackets. They don't even compare my cheap broke ass friend. 2.I do have two jobs so spending the premium for a quality product is no problem. 3. At the last Lion Claws I had my ranger hoodie on, my squad mate had a coyote brown condor jacket on. I'm far more aggressive and my jacket kept up with me, kept the sweat off and kept me cool. He had to take his off.
Had mine for 2 years. The condor one wouldn't last half that much. I also have a job. $230 for 2+ years of high quality and still going strong. Worth. Every. Penny.
Happened to see your question and thought I would chime in about size. In case you have not seen it on their site. Under "Support" there is a size chart. Use it. Also keep in mind the sleeves are very long relative to the other fit considerations. Just some thoughts from experience.
if you covers this before disregard. but the front pockets are high and no lower ones is probably due to the military load out. most of those jackets were based off of military wear. if you wear a kevlar vest with that jacket you cant get to the lower pockets but you cant get in those. just thought it might help.
No problem. How do you the like the Force 10 cargos? I have been considering picking up a pair or 2. Lucky for me I can go to the TAD shop in person as they are located about 1/2 hr from where I live.
@chanderson1 I agree! But keep im mind, that my Patriot costs less then USD70. It has SBS zipper and for me it is the better choice (because of the better ventilation).
on the 05:20 when you areshowing the inside ventilation system...what is that hole next to the ventilation mesh on your left side(viewers right side)??? Thank you!!!
I do agree with you that they are ridiculously overpriced. Even though they are top notch quality I still had a difficult time parting with my money for this jacket. Since I have had it for the past 2 years, it has definitely held up to what they claim as far as durability, comfort and performance. Love this jacket and would completely drop some more cash on another when this one wears out. Remember "expensive" is relative term.
@VAMPIRUSxJV Ok i see .. I found a helikon retail webstore in germany and they ship to sweden :) So i´m gonna order the patriot jacket soon. My plan was to use the patriot fleece jacket as an underlayer and the softshell as a outerlayer . But now you mentioned the parka and i´m concidering to buy that one as a outerlayer instead. Is the parka water and wind resistant ? Witch material do you have ? 50% Nylon / 50% Cotton OR 100% Cotton ? Is it big in size?
The pockets are further up the sides because usual wearers might often wear a harness for abseiling. The price for this thing here in uk is miserable. But nice looking piece of kit huh?
I loved your review, I was wondering how heavy is the material? i was thinking about getting the LT but from what you've shown me it seems to be alright.
@chanderson1 Thanks for the tip, i do live in New Jersey, the weather gets cold however in the fall or spring its still fairly warm. I think i'll go with this one though, thank you!
just bought it and arrived yesterday. Mine a little bit different, it has no pocket on the back that you can keep your raincoat. Maybe they change the design, im not sure. But nvm, its still awesome and perfectly fit for me. :)
Just so others know feel free to look it up their gear when they first started was made in california but are now made in china once they started to produce volume. THis goes for their clothing line. Feel free to search it.
Is this the Loden or ME Green? They only offer the Loden Green but this looks like the ME Green. I wish they had this Jacket in ME Brown like their picture.
@chanderson1 Is this good for the cold weather for Minnesota? i live here and im thinking about getting there Shag master fleece and wondering if it'll be fine for the weather.
It is not waterproof. Although it wicks away water, if your out in pouring rain, it will eventually get soaked. I would go with the stealth hoodie because it is waterproof.
This might be a stupid question. Trying to get my right size. On the website states Variation choice "patch" or "no patch". "No Patch" does that mean no stitch velcro patch on both side arms? Thanks!
god, these things are soo expensive even on ebay! grrrr, i guess ill have to wait until my tutoring job really kicks in. right now, i only have enough money for a bullet belt. one of my friend has one of these and he says its amazing.
No they got their original base selling these to special ops folks who could get what ever they say they need through procurement. If you need $40,000 for a car that's going to get ate up in the course of a 2 month op, $250 for a jacket that you'll use for years isn't bad.
how much you bought this ranger hoodie and where do you get this ? and if i may know , where is this hoodie made from ? china or still made in america ?
"Sheer speculation" what according to you? Seriously wow I am amazed I even gave you the time of day with this comment you made "Hate all you like I had TAD gear and you don't. :D" Thanks for proving my point and cementing who I was dealing with which was a kid. By all means spend your cash foolishly on this product. As I am sure your the type that buys 250 dollar sneakers because it has a sports figure on it and believes it will make him jump higher.
@VAMPIRUSxJV I´m sorry it´s alot of questions, but i really need to know before i order. It will get expencive to send back and forth if it does´nt fit .. Thank you for the reply ! Peace
@rocktruggy03 I own a couple of packs by condor..they are really good quality for a good price (However I have see better quality) But I think for the clothing I will go with Tadgear ( I might need to get both as I'm considering opening a sporting goods store just to weigh the pros and cons of each...But a product being made in the USA is always a plus)
I have the TAD ranger, predator and the spectre, I also have Condor's soft shell and fleece. Both the condor products added together dont come to half of what I paid for the spectre. The Condor jackets are well made, good products, however they are NOTHING compared to TAD's quality, however TAD is nothing compared to Arc'teryx... I have had huge problems with the zippers on Condor products. The zippers are not bound internally which is a pain, nothing worse then trying to fix broken zippers.
a brief comment on why this sweater dosen't have pockets down buy the waist for your hands. this product is somewhat identical to ones issued to US ARMY soldiers. Witch means that it conforms to the standard that soldiers are not suposed to have there hands in there pockets. a wierd rule i know but i dont make the rules....i just follow'em. the loops at the bottom of the sleeves are to keep them kind of "tucked" into the top of your gloves....just puttin in my 2 cents.
This is a picture of the tags in a ranger hoodie. Notice the center tag has the California state flag and the words. "MADE IN CALIFORNIA" stitched into it. imgur. com/R8rBX
@VAMPIRUSxJV Hey man ! I went to bestarmy(dot)cz and found patriot and i dont speak your language , i live in sweden so maby you know if they send to sweden ? Peace
@VAMPIRUSxJV Hey man ! I went to bestarmy(dot)cz and found patriot and i dont speak your language , i live in sweden so maby you know if the send to sweden ? Peace
Well your entire post was based off of sheer speculation. So anything productive to add to your argument or have you given up? Hate all you like. I had TAD gear and you don't. :D
2nd I am sure your one of those consumers that thinks paying for 200 for one of their flashlights will say its worth it when the their torches come out of the same factory in china as the $30 flashlight. In that case be my guest as soon a fool is parted etc.. I am not one to be cheap when investing in good things but that does not mean I am foolish with money either. Paying $100 for a stamp out keychain skeleton tool. Laughable Your paying for a image its called marketing towards people like you
Honestly cant justify paying 230 bucks for this overpriced yuppie backed jacket. The designers of these jackets are from San Francisco and sell these jackets to celebs and other types that have cash to burn.. They have a great marketing team and website but much of that stuff inflates the price of these jackets far to high to justify the cost. It is a good jacket but not 230 bucks. Maybe 130 or 150 tops. Condor jackets are 50 bucks and about 80% as good as these for 5 times the price.
I own a Helikon Patriot Jacket (it's a polish manufacture).
It is a direct "copy" of the TAD Ranger hoodie (from what I can compare by the video).
This jacket has nearly the same pocket(sizes), sunshield etc.
But the Patriot just have one Ipod pocket in the right chest pocket. It does not bother me.
What I can say is, that the Patriot might have a better ventilation, because it has long zippers on both sides (not these tiny holes of the TAD version).
I never owned a TAD hoodie. Just my two cents
As a recent buyer who got the Ranger LT hoodie last week, it is really cool to see what this product used to be like, I see a few things here that have been really changed , improved , or removed.
It's all about priorities man. I tend to be one of those people who believe that in a lot of cases you get what you pay for. If you are willing to pay less for a decent product instead of dishing out the dough for higher quality, that's fine. But TAD does make very high quality products and in my opinion that's worth it.
This jacket also works down to roughly 0 degrees.
I live up in Connecticut and it has kept me REALLY warm up until 0 degrees, and then it gets slightly chilly. just wear a sweater or fleece liner under it, and you're good for really cold temperatures.
I'm in KW I won't be able to wear my Pathfinder hoodie for a couple of months yet. I love their stuff. Check out their Force 10 cargo shorts and pants. High quality and well thought out. Great review Chanderson, keep em coming.
I just got my Ranger a couple days ago and if you can shell out for one, you will not be disappointed. The stitching is literally perfect everywhere on this thing which is something you see across all TAD gear. The material is softer than anything I've touched, its warm, it breathes well, the hood locks down your entire head and fits tight around your face, the cut overall is very nice, and there's storage for pretty much anything you could think of. I'll be buying different colors of this.
Yeah but should I get the LT or regular? Can't decide.
hey chris, great review. your videos are very good. straight to the point, good reviews of the items, very useful information. thanks keep em coming.
i must say after having the ranger hoodie i say that it was quite worth it it has a very high build quality, looks good,and warm enough for me just to wear this in mn during winter
This hoodie looks remarkably similar to the much simpler NATO/British Army issue 'Norwegian' pullover which is lined with a special very miniature loop threading which imitates natural wool to a great extent.I had purchased one recently which is supposed to be worn directly over the skin and can be worn under anything else.There has been seriously cold weather in Britain recently,this simple design is very effective against the cold.
Hi, not a stupid question at all. It means exactly that. The patch version means there is a 4x4 inch velcro backing to attach your patches and the non patch version just means that there is no velcro backing on the arms so you wont be able to attach any patches.
Nice Hoodie!
I Got The Stealth Hoodie, LOVE IT!!!!
Can't Wait For The Fast Pack Vid!!
most backpacks have a waist belt for more support. This is why the pockets are up high. If they were in the same position as a regular jacket it would be difficult to get into them
@markeii
I''m 1,73m tall and weight 73kg. I wear small (on both) ... I use the parka less then the patriot because it is enough for me. But you can use the parka as a hardshell with the patroit.
There is only one option for the parka available!
The patriot is NOT wind proofed. It keeps you warm a bit. If it is very cold, I use a wind breaker from 5.11 (packable jacket). It is small and fits into the rear pocket.
The Patroit is some kind of water resist.
Use the size charts on the site!
@markeii I'm from Germany. Helikon has a retail store here. I don't know, if they would send it to you.
Try to get a shop nearby (maybe a web store).
Or you have to get more to use the whole shipping rate.
i got the parka, the gloves and the patroit jacket from Helikon. The Classic Army jacket is just a normal softshell. Nothing special (so you can get it cheaper somewhere else).
I love my hoodie. It feels like I'm walking around in my pajamas.
It's a CONDOR Sierra with a few minor changes. This jacket probably has better zippers and I like the elastic cuffs better than the open cuffed with extensions. BUT the sierra has a bigger reinforced area under the forearms and elbows.
Good video and very nice jacket!
@338Mac It is quite dense fabric. It is does quite well in blocking the wind and keeping in body heat. Its almost too hot for any weather above 30 F.
Great vid. I have a TAD Stealth v4.0 in M.E. Green with a Ranger v5.0 on the way. If you are in need of a soft shell, TAD's cant be beat. What other Tad Gear do you have? Would love to see vids of it also.
@johndancel the pockets are up high so you can still have access to them while wearing a backpack with a hip belt. its a common design for outdoor clothing.
@MrEhud77
I agree they are good quality. I have a few Condor items my self. I agree as far as the clothing goes. Good on you for open a store! Great idea!
1. Many of my close friends work for condor here in California. I've seen the jackets. They don't even compare my cheap broke ass friend.
2.I do have two jobs so spending the premium for a quality product is no problem.
3. At the last Lion Claws I had my ranger hoodie on, my squad mate had a coyote brown condor jacket on. I'm far more aggressive and my jacket kept up with me, kept the sweat off and kept me cool. He had to take his off.
Awesome, I was looking for a review of this. 5 stars!
Had mine for 2 years. The condor one wouldn't last half that much. I also have a job. $230 for 2+ years of high quality and still going strong.
Worth. Every. Penny.
Happened to see your question and thought I would chime in about size. In case you have not seen it on their site. Under "Support" there is a size chart. Use it. Also keep in mind the sleeves are very long relative to the other fit considerations. Just some thoughts from experience.
if you covers this before disregard. but the front pockets are high and no lower ones is probably due to the military load out. most of those jackets were based off of military wear. if you wear a kevlar vest with that jacket you cant get to the lower pockets but you cant get in those. just thought it might help.
Helikon-Tex POLAND makes them (in a hoodie and non hoodie form) for like $50, great stuff for the price !
Love this hoodie!
No problem. How do you the like the Force 10 cargos? I have been considering picking up a pair or 2. Lucky for me I can go to the TAD shop in person as they are located about 1/2 hr from where I live.
I can tell is great quality and coming from USA and the price is $239.00,
I'll go for it.
I think I paid about $230 for it. I bought mine a few years back and this one is made in the USA
Sorry for the late reply, but this is the ME green. They did not have any other choice at the time.
@chanderson1 I agree!
But keep im mind, that my Patriot costs less then USD70.
It has SBS zipper and for me it is the better choice (because of the better ventilation).
on the 05:20 when you areshowing the inside ventilation system...what is that hole next to the ventilation mesh on your left side(viewers right side)??? Thank you!!!
I live in Wisconsin and I need a slim warm jacket, and this looks like just what I want, but I'm not seeing my size on their website.
Would like to buy it too, but they have never had my size .
I do agree with you that they are ridiculously overpriced. Even though they are top notch quality I still had a difficult time parting with my money for this jacket. Since I have had it for the past 2 years, it has definitely held up to what they claim as far as durability, comfort and performance. Love this jacket and would completely drop some more cash on another when this one wears out. Remember "expensive" is relative term.
@VAMPIRUSxJV Ok i see .. I found a helikon retail webstore in germany and they ship to sweden :) So i´m gonna order the patriot jacket soon. My plan was to use the patriot fleece jacket as an underlayer and the softshell as a outerlayer . But now you mentioned the parka and i´m concidering to buy that one as a outerlayer instead. Is the parka water and wind resistant ? Witch material do you have ? 50% Nylon / 50% Cotton OR 100% Cotton ? Is it big in size?
I wanna try! at least I haven't bring it home.....If Condor has already made the same thing let try it below US$90
The pockets are further up the sides because usual wearers might often wear a harness for abseiling.
The price for this thing here in uk is miserable.
But nice looking piece of kit huh?
I loved your review, I was wondering how heavy is the material? i was thinking about getting the LT but from what you've shown me it seems to be alright.
@chanderson1 Thanks for the tip, i do live in New Jersey, the weather gets cold however in the fall or spring its still fairly warm. I think i'll go with this one though, thank you!
@MrEhud77
I have never encountered a Condor product that I would say is as high quality as "real" tactical nylon.
just bought it and arrived yesterday. Mine a little bit different, it has no pocket on the back that you can keep your raincoat. Maybe they change the design, im not sure. But nvm, its still awesome and perfectly fit for me. :)
Yes, they make slight changes every once in awhile.
Just so others know feel free to look it up their gear when they first started was made in california but are now made in china once they started to produce volume. THis goes for their clothing line. Feel free to search it.
The TAD gear website said it was made in polartec material, is there any polartec tags on this hoodie?
if i'm a large for jackets normally would you recommend buying a medium then?
Is this the Loden or ME Green? They only offer the Loden Green but this looks like the ME Green. I wish they had this Jacket in ME Brown like their picture.
Curious as to what pack you have by TAD? thanks!
Great video btw
Yeah, I've realized that Condor bases pretty much all of their designs off of TAD in my recent search for a new fleece.
good design
@chanderson1 Is this good for the cold weather for Minnesota? i live here and im thinking about getting there Shag master fleece and wondering if it'll be fine for the weather.
It is not waterproof. Although it wicks away water, if your out in pouring rain, it will eventually get soaked. I would go with the stealth hoodie because it is waterproof.
Any promotion discount recently. I wanna buy one
This might be a stupid question. Trying to get my right size. On the website states Variation choice "patch" or "no patch". "No Patch" does that mean no stitch velcro patch on both side arms? Thanks!
god, these things are soo expensive even on ebay! grrrr, i guess ill have to wait until my tutoring job really kicks in. right now, i only have enough money for a bullet belt. one of my friend has one of these and he says its amazing.
What other items have you purchased from TAD Gear?
No they got their original base selling these to special ops folks who could get what ever they say they need through procurement. If you need $40,000 for a car that's going to get ate up in the course of a 2 month op, $250 for a jacket that you'll use for years isn't bad.
what is the difference between this one and the 511 tactical fleece? does the latter have a hood?
@DarkPapps Hi, it is so you can route an earbud through it.
Buena chamarra existe alguna tienda en México CD adonde pueda conseguiría ?
No, no creo que tengan un distribuidor en México.
@@chanderson1 ok muchas gracias que lastima es una buena chamarra saludos
how much you bought this ranger hoodie and where do you get this ? and if i may know , where is this hoodie made from ? china or still made in america ?
@laulenie Thanks for the tip, I'ts very appreciated!
"Sheer speculation" what according to you? Seriously wow I am amazed I even gave you the time of day with this comment you made "Hate all you like I had TAD gear and you don't. :D" Thanks for proving my point and cementing who I was dealing with which was a kid. By all means spend your cash foolishly on this product. As I am sure your the type that buys 250 dollar sneakers because it has a sports figure on it and believes it will make him jump higher.
As far south in Florida as you can get. Key West.
so which one would you recommend?
@VAMPIRUSxJV I´m sorry it´s alot of questions, but i really need to know before i order. It will get expencive to send back and forth if it does´nt fit .. Thank you for the reply !
Peace
Thanks!!!
have you seen any knockoff ranger jackets and are they any good?
@rocktruggy03 I own a couple of packs by condor..they are really good quality for a good price (However I have see better quality) But I think for the clothing I will go with Tadgear ( I might need to get both as I'm considering opening a sporting goods store just to weigh the pros and cons of each...But a product being made in the USA is always a plus)
where can i pick 1 up?
Other way around, the Sierra is based off the Ranger.
I have the TAD ranger, predator and the spectre, I also have Condor's soft shell and fleece. Both the condor products added together dont come to half of what I paid for the spectre. The Condor jackets are well made, good products, however they are NOTHING compared to TAD's quality, however TAD is nothing compared to Arc'teryx... I have had huge problems with the zippers on Condor products. The zippers are not bound internally which is a pain, nothing worse then trying to fix broken zippers.
a brief comment on why this sweater dosen't have pockets down buy the waist for your hands. this product is somewhat identical to ones issued to US ARMY soldiers. Witch means that it conforms to the standard that soldiers are not suposed to have there hands in there pockets. a wierd rule i know but i dont make the rules....i just follow'em. the loops at the bottom of the sleeves are to keep them kind of "tucked" into the top of your gloves....just puttin in my 2 cents.
This is a picture of the tags in a ranger hoodie. Notice the center tag has the California state flag and the words. "MADE IN CALIFORNIA" stitched into it.
imgur. com/R8rBX
Do you know if its similar to polartec; 100, 200, 300???
@mintyvision cool beans
For $230 bucks it should have 18K golden zipper I guess.
Coz, I don't want to buy replica or China version stuff. However, it is amazing if the price lower down to attack more customer like blackhawk or 5.11
condor makes somthing very similar
you call that "cold"...... welcome to Canada
Yes, compared to 100 degree summer temps with 100% humidity, it's cold in the 30's. Welcome to Florida.
@VAMPIRUSxJV Hey man ! I went to bestarmy(dot)cz and found patriot and i dont speak your language , i live in sweden so maby you know if they send to sweden ? Peace
@chanderson1 Thanks for the info!
LOL! It's worth it.
The problem is ....it is too expensive!
@VAMPIRUSxJV Hey man ! I went to bestarmy(dot)cz and found patriot and i dont speak your language , i live in sweden so maby you know if the send to sweden ? Peace
@LiMiTeDxStudios LOL
Yes all of this would be true if they were still actually made in the USA which they are not... Unfortunately they are made in china now.
TAD gear is nice, but they're PRICEY!!
buy a condor and save yourself $100
Well your entire post was based off of sheer speculation. So anything productive to add to your argument or have you given up?
Hate all you like. I had TAD gear and you don't. :D
2nd I am sure your one of those consumers that thinks paying for 200 for one of their flashlights will say its worth it when the their torches come out of the same factory in china as the $30 flashlight. In that case be my guest as soon a fool is parted etc.. I am not one to be cheap when investing in good things but that does not mean I am foolish with money either. Paying $100 for a stamp out keychain skeleton tool. Laughable Your paying for a image its called marketing towards people like you
Honestly cant justify paying 230 bucks for this overpriced yuppie backed jacket. The designers of these jackets are from San Francisco and sell these jackets to celebs and other types that have cash to burn.. They have a great marketing team and website but much of that stuff inflates the price of these jackets far to high to justify the cost. It is a good jacket but not 230 bucks. Maybe 130 or 150 tops. Condor jackets are 50 bucks and about 80% as good as these for 5 times the price.
Other way around, the Sierra is based off the Ranger.