TAD Ranger Hoodie

June 24, 2014

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[dcs_fancy_header bgcolor=”#ffffff” color=”#000000″ fweight=”bold”]Just like your favorite pair of Levis, the Ranger Hoodie from Triple Aught Design should be another staple in your EDC gear wardrobe.[/dcs_fancy_header]

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I have some articles of clothing I have owned for over 20 years and I have no intention of ever throwing them away no matter how beat down they get. You know that favorite pair of jeans from college that are perfectly broken in and fit you just right or that been-there-done-that tee shirt you earned the hard way. Call me sentimental or call me a hoarder, either way I hang on to the clothing and gear that has treated me right throughout the years. That is not to say I don’t look for new and improved kit. On the contrary, I am an unapologetic gear head and am always looking for the next best thing to add to my list of must haves and keep sakes. I have to admit, I have a thing for coats. I can’t explain why, but I like them. A lot.

I was recently introduced to the Ranger Hoodie, by Triple Aught Design (TAD). For those unaware, the San Francisco based manufacture makes high quality and technologically advanced clothing and equipment. The Ranger Hoodie has been a TAD staple for years and is one of their hallmark products. While not the new kid on the block, the Ranger Hoodie continues to be a top seller for TAD. Why? Because it is like your favorite pair of Levis; once you put it on, you don’t want to take it off and you will never get rid of it. I will cut to the chase and save you some reading time if you like. This thing is amazingly comfortable, durable, practical and sharp looking to boot. See how easy that was?

You’re welcome.

For those of you more interested in some of the reasons why I want to live in this thing, read on. The Ranger Hoodie is all of those things I mentioned and more.

First, the cut and fit of the Ranger Hoodie is outstanding. It feels substantial without being overbearing. It has an aggressive, active lifestyle look without being overly tacti-cool so you won’t feel like you are walking around looking like some Mall Ninja who spends their time playing first person shooter games after earning their keyboard commando patch on the internet gun forums. The aesthetics of the Hoodie are such that it will feel right at home on the trail, on a stakeout, or strolling down the street in the urban jungle. The Ranger Hoodie can be used as a primary cover garment or a liner for a hard shell. It is highly versatile, provides ample flexibility, range of motion and was designed for the active individual that will span diverse environmental conditions and activities.

TAD has two versions of the Ranger Hoodie. The Ranger Hoodie LT is their lighter weight version of the heavier Ranger Hoodie. At first glance, the Ranger Hoodie looks like a typical fleece jacket. Not so fast. The Ranger Hoodie is made of 10.00 oz. Polartec® Wind Pro®. This material technology provides superior warmth and wind resistance over traditional fleece. It is highly durable, breathes well and has been treated with durable water repellant (DWR). The Polartec® Wind Pro® is also machine washable which is a plus as special cleaning methods are not required.

The Ranger Hoodie has a full front double coil zipper with chin flap and features excessive storage compartments that are strategically placed around the garment. There are six zipper secured pockets in total. The YKK® zippers have pull tabs on them for easy manipulation. Each pocket is lined with a breathable mesh lining. Two medium sized pockets on each bicep are good for storing Scooby snacks, strobes, note pads, media devices or your smart phone. Each pocket contains a rigid D ring if you need to tether items to the hoodie. There is a smaller pocket on the cuff of the left arm. This is perfect for storing small items such as keys or spare cash. Two larger pockets are fitted to either side of the hoodie. The opening spans from the breast down to the top of the hip. These pockets are fairly vast and can store larger items such as maps, gloves, beanies, and other similar sized gear. Like the bicep pockets, they feature the tether system with plastic D ring. The interior mesh lining also has two smaller pockets sewn in which are ideal for spare pens, chemlights, small flashlights etc. The larger pockets are easily unzipped and accessed with either hand which is a nice feature. Lastly there is a rear hunter pocket that is accessed from either the left or right hand side. This pocket is great for carrying a spare shirt, hat or gloves.

As the name implies, the Ranger Hoodie has… well… a hoodie. Go figure. The actual hood is TAD’s own design called the Aero hood. This hood is designed to lie flat on the back when not in use and features a semi rigid brim. This brim serves a few purposes. First, it provides rigidity to the hood so it doesn’t collapse around the head. Second, it acts as a sun shade blocking glare. It also works well as a rain drip, keeping the wet weather away from the face. The hood also sports two rear 1”x1” patch fields for Ranger Eyes or Glint Tape should your mission profile warrant that kind of awesomeness. Speaking of patch fields, the hoodie offers two larger 3”x5” patch fields on either upper arm to accommodate unit or moral patches. There is also a small 1”x1” patch field on the right hip that comes with a glow in the dark TAD logo patch already installed. For those who want to be a rebel and not wear the required 15 pieces of flair, a non-patched version can be ordered as well.

TAD has put a lot of thought into some features that may not be so obvious. The arms are a little long, however that was intentional as the cuffs feature thumb holes. This allows the sleeves to be secured to the hand while donning a hard shell over the hoodie. It also keeps your hands warm. Also, there are pit vents of the non-zippered persuasion. They are actually four small slits under the arm pits that are always open. I found this to be an advantage when wearing a hard shell like the TAD Stealth LT which has zipped pit vents. Simply adjust the vents in the hard shell and the hoodie is already set up to vent without having to take off the shell and unzip a pit vent in the hoodie. Smart thinking. Another feature that is not very obvious is the fact that a single panel of Polartec ® runs from the cuff, up the inner arm, down the side of the torso then terminates at the bottom of the hem. TAD did this to reduce weight and bulk and enable a fuller range of motion. The drop back hem also features an internal waist locking draw cord that allows the user to cinch the bottom of the hoodie preventing unwanted wind from blowing your skirt up so to speak.

Personally I wear my Ranger Hoodie as much as I can. It is my choice for drinking that early morning cup of coffee on the front porch with the morning chill still in the air. I wear it on the trail when the weather is mild to borderline nasty or when winding down by the campfire at night. Even during high activity it breathes very well and the mesh does a good job of circulating the air. For maximum ventilation, all the pockets can be unzipped assuming they don’t have anything in them. When it gets really wet and cold, I double up my Ranger Hoodie with my Stealth LT jacket. They are cut in such a way that they fit together perfectly. In my mind, it is the ideal combination of water and wind resistance, warmth and comfort.

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The Ranger Hoodie is a star performer in my book. It is functional, stylish comfortable and downright bad ass. It even comes in my favorite colors: Black, Loden Green, UE Grey and Coyote Brown. Like most products it also has its flaws. There are a couple of issues as I see it. First, you will want one in every color. I know I do. Second, it may be too comfortable causing girlfriends and wives to hold it hostage. Don’t fret, there is a solution. Get her the TAD Valkyrie Hoodie LT. It is very similar to the Ranger Hoodie but has a more form fitting and flattering cut for her figure. That’s a win-win solution right there if you ask me.

The Ranger Hoodie can be ordered direct from Triple Aught Design for $239.00. It is available in the four above mentioned colors and comes in sizes XS through XXL in either patched or non-patched variants.

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6 COMMENTS

Justus September 3, 2014 At 9:46 PM

Awesome jacket but $239.00 is a bit steep…
Smitty550 June 25, 2014 At 6:15 AM

Hmmmmm…..and its color appears to be “foliage green,” the same as that on my AR furniture.
Erik June 24, 2014 At 1:52 PM

I was curious on your thought on size. I fall as a large on their size chart, but carry a bit too much around the waist, and want something that isn’t a super athletic fit because of the gut. Am I safe with the large out should I consider sizing up?

Thanks.
Henry Fayson June 24, 2014 At 1:34 PM

Do they have a version without a zipper? Just a hoodie version?
- Steve Coulston June 24, 2014 At 1:53 PM
  
  Henry, try this http://store.tripleaughtdesign.com/Flux-Hoodie
  - Steve Coulston June 24, 2014 At 2:13 PM
    
    Erik I am typically an XL for jackets and the xl hoodie fits very nicely so if you measure large you should be ok. If you have concerns give TAD a call before you order. I am sure if you get it and it does fit they would send you one that does. Hope this helps.

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