PMCI December 2019 | Page 16

CLAW GEAR INSTRUCTOR SHIRT MKII Any brand grows based upon the standard of what they produce, the quality of their service, and the testimonials of the users more and more of us are turning to Clawgear for clothing and accessories. Bill now looks at a couple of their latest models in depth. I’ve been working directly with the guys at Clawgear for a few years now and I’ve been really overjoyed to see them gaining slow but certain growth in the tactical clothing market, and given my background in technical clothing and fabrics they have not disappointed me with the new garments, and indeed gear, that they have produced. After a great deal of interaction with them I’ve come to trust the merits of their technical clothing systems and they have always had total confidence in the products they send me to test and evaluate; this process continues as a “two-way street” to this day. The very latest garments to come my way show that whilst Clawgear continue to innovate, they don’t necessarily throw out what are great existing designs, but instead improve on them! For a while during the summer months I’ve been using their excellent Instructor Shirt on the range when testing (and when shooting abroad with friends) and it’s really become a bit of a “go to” garment for me. The Instructor Shirt MKII has been developed specifically for use at shooting ranges and training facilities, and Clawgear have designed this unique shirt to fulfill the requirements of comfort and utilitarian configuration whilst maintaining a pared-back, cool look. The Instructor Shirt is exceptionally versatile as it i features velcro mounting points and zip pockets on both sleeves, and a hidden side pocket for a mobile phone including cable outlet has also been included. It’s a simple T-shirt design, but the cut is generous to aid with dynamic movement whilst shooting, and the 60% cotton, 40% Polyester fabric mix is both durable and comfortable next to the skin. However, as I tend to shoot for real in “hot places” the short-sleeved option is not always the best, and I longed for a model that would give me more coverage and perhaps a little more protection for the lower arm. Enter the Instructor Shirt MKII LS! Inspired by the popularity of the original, the long sleeve version has been developed as for use primarily on the shooting range and for instructors. Due to its versatility, it is also suitable for a variety of other tasks, including, as Clawgear put it “professional level light operations”. The fabric of the torso maintains the great feel of the original for use and comfort under plate carriers. The technical design of the sleeves ensures extremely high freedom of movement, and they are made of a very durable, stretchy and water-repellent 87% polyamide, 16 13% polyurethane fabric mix; combining this shirt with a light, water repellant vest gives you superb protection whilst maintaining high levels of breathability. The two upper arm pockets provide sufficient storage space for range cards and small items, while the loop surfaces offer space for ID badges if required. The shirt also features an extended torso to avoid slipping out of your trousers, and overall the main 60% cotton, 40% Polyester torso fabric is quick drying, breathable and comfortable. Both the Instructor Shirts are available in a range of plain colours, so they will fit pretty much anywhere you choose to use them too. Clawgear will never be the cheapest option on the block, but as they say, you get what you pay for and in this case that’s an awful lot of comfort, performance and durability! For more information on the superb range of gear from Clawgear please do visit www.clawgear.com