While most will likely associate tactical gear with defence and law enforcement, it is becoming more popular among fire and rescue teams, hunters, survivalists and just your average Joe. In this post, we’ll go over what tactical gear is and just about anything else you should know about it.
So, what exactly is tactical gear? Tactical gear differs from regular clothing and accessories because it serves a specific purpose. It can generally be thought of as the gear that law enforcement, military and fire and rescue personnel use to do their jobs. This can include pants, gloves, vests, accessories, and firearms to name just a few items.
Although tactical gear will largely encompass similar products, it is important to remember that tactical gear isn’t necessarily the same for all purposes. What is meant by this is that the tactical gear worn by a military or police officer may not be the same as the gear for a hunter. A police officer may require a bullet proof vest while a hunter may require clothing with extra pockets for food and water, such as a utility vest.
As the world has seemingly always been at war in some capacity, vast stockpiles of military tactical gear has amassed globally. The term “tactical gear” has been used to rebrand unused or unneeded military gear that has accumulated over the years in an effort to sell it to the general public.
The demand for tactical gear has continued to increase in recent years as the general public has become familiar with its many uses. Even the most average of Joe’s can find a use for a rugged tactical flashlight or military camouflage print pants. Thus, with their unique abilities, this tactical gear is no longer a market geared toward a specific demographic. Just about anyone can benefit from its uses.
Having said that, let’s delve into what exactly makes up a tactical gear outfit.
As an average citizen it is unlikely that you will ever need a full-on tactical gear outfit. However, it is good to know each of the various items that make up a tactical outfit, as each item tends to serve a specific purpose. From there, you can gather which ones are right for you and your needs.
Although when we think of tactical gear and the technological innovations that have made it popular, it is easy to dismiss some of the more basic and seemingly less impressive items. One of those would be the backpack.
But don’t let the seemingly less impressiveness fool you, because backpacks themselves have also gone through some interesting innovations. Given the modest canvas knapsack’s humble beginnings as a way to transport and protect items of need, the modern tactical gear backpacks could be considered a technological marvel by comparison.
As quoted from THEUSMARINES.com, “From internal frames that help distribute weight to modular lightweight load-carrying equipment (MOLLE) with lines of heavy-duty nylon for easy attachment, the modern backpack is not something to dismiss. In many cases, it is an integral part of a tactical outfit.”
Tactical trousers are not your regular chinos, jeans or yoga pants, as you might imagine. They include many deep pockets, perfect for carrying all manner of other tactical gear. They also require a special stitching which makes them stronger, able to hold items that are heavier and deal with movement in many different directions. Some may also include inserts for kneepads. Most importantly, they aren’t produced for aesthetic purposes, but they are made for comfort as well as utility.
Boots are the typical tactical footwear worn by the pros. You may have heard of the dreaded trench foot, also known as immersion foot syndrome, which is caused by feet being wet for too long. It was first termed during the Great War when soldiers were sat in wet damp trenches for days, weeks or even months on end. It was common for their feet blister up and become extremely painful in some cases and numb in others due to Trench Foot.
Taking care of your feat in the field is vital, thus footwear may be the most important aspect of a full tactical gear outfit, with durability, comfort, including breathability, and waterproofing is the name of the game when it comes to tactical boots. Because a foot injury or pain can not only end whatever your mission is, but it can also put you in danger.
Distinct from your run-of-the-mill everyday watch, a tactical watch has many interesting features, one of which being watertight. But, additionally, some tactical watches can even monitor your biometrics and give you vital data on the status of your body. This data can prove crucial while out in the field, on a hike or on a hunt.
Depending on the activity you are planning, if it involves climbing with your hands and feet, gloves may be important. Some tactical gloves include pressure-point padding that minimises potential injuries and special lining to protect against extreme weather conditions.
Although we haven’t gotten into too many accessories of tactical gear, there are quite a few, and one way to carry all of those items is with a good tactical belt with holsters.
Your backpack will bear the brunt of carrying your heavier items, but there are a few that you’ll want to have attached to your belt so that you can get to them easily and swiftly. A few of those items would be a tactical flashlight and a tactical knife. If you are carrying a side arm, that would also likely be holstered and attached to your tactical belt. Keep in mind that a tactical belt can carry a lot of weight, so you can also attach other items to the belt without fear of it tearing or breaking.
With this particular item, you may be thinking of Kevlar bullet-proof vests, but there is also what is termed a utility vest.
A utility vest serves essentially the same purpose as your tactical pants or your tactical belt. It is a vest with multiple deep compartments for you to carry as many items as you can without weighing yourself down.
Back to the body armour. Not all body armours are bullet-proof, and they come with different degrees of protection. But the main application of body armour is what you would imagine, to protect from assault or accidental harm.
Getting into tactical gear for self-defence, the first on the list is a tactical knife. Tactical knives don’t necessarily have to be used for defence, however. They can be use as a tool as well. There are a variety of different kinds. Some come straight, some are foldable and either way they are easy to conceal. And they are great to simply give an impression of intimidation if you find yourself in a sticky combative spot.
Some may not immediately think of a torch, or flashlight, as a self-defence tool, but they can be extremely useful in that capacity. Because of their extremely powerful light output, tactical torches are very useful for blinding a would-be attacker or simply causing a distraction. And if a physical confrontation ensues, their extremely durable nature makes them ideal as a striking tool.
In addition to self-defence, they can also be useful for low light marksmanship, such as night hunting. They are a truly multi-purpose tool. Learn more about what makes a torch tactical here. Learn about the various uses for tactical lights here.
Lastly of course we have firearms. Although, in Europe it isn’t as easy to get a licensed firearm as other parts of the world, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention it. There isn’t much else to say here, but we always advocate for the responsible and legal use of firearms.
Peli Products is the worldwide leader in the manufacture of high-performance protective cases and advanced lighting solutions. Our cases are world renowned for their IP67 watertight, airtight, dustproof and crushproof properties and thus they are especially suitable for the transport and protection of firearms, such as rifles and pistols. If you’d like to know more about all of our cases, we encourage you to check out our full case catalogue by clicking on the button below.
In addition to cases, Peli produces a wide variety of tactical torches with features such as light output of upwards of 1000 Lumens and run times that measure in days, not just hours. To learn more about our selection of tactical lights, click on the button below.