Fieldcraft Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

DMack

DMack

1SG
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 15, 2006
725
0
55
FL
#1
First off, to the MODS... if this is not the appropriate forum, I apologize ahead of time, and can move this to the fitting forum.

Ok, today, I called Tactical Concealment and ordered some supplies to use in my training classes. I am getting more and more requests for my Stalking Sessions, Personal Concealment, Urban / Vehicle / Rural Hides... and all of my "Old School" Ghillies are about worn out.

For the Law Enforcement "Sniper"... (I like to use the word MARKSMAN) having a full concealment rig is not always the right answer. I've tried several other commercially available "TOG's" and found them to be a bit lacking.

I came across Tactical Concealment and gave them a shout. I spent a good forty minutes or so talking with them, and they got me all fixed up with a few things I think that will benefit the Law Enforcement Marksman Team.

This space will be used to show the products that I ordered, give my first impressions, and as I build / garnish / use the products, I will show pictures and give input on how it performs.

I am located in North Florida, so we have a more "woodland" style natural veg here... but, I will also use it in Urban Hides and such.

So, stay tuned... I am VERY excited to get my rigs and start fitting them to my needs. I will be using the ATACS Mosquito ATACS mesh Viper with Backdrape, and the MULTICAM MULTICAM Viper with Backdrape...

I also want to say that I was VERY impressed with the attention I received on the phone. My questions were answered professionally, and the conversation was outstanding. I look forward to doing business with this company in the future.

My goal is to bring this product to the Law Enforcement Community and put it to the test to see if it can perform in that environment... I believe it will shine in rural operations and surveillance.

Stay tuned!

Cheers,

DMack
 
#3
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

SS... we talked for a long while, and I decided on both designs to see which would be the best choice for durability and ability to stay cool.

I'm 6'3 and 245 pounds, so they were concerned that the Viper may be a bit snug on me, but I am confident that if they are too snug, the company will make it right.

To say that I am excited to give it a go, is an understatement... as soon as the box gets delivered, I will update this thread with some initial pictures.

I'm working on a new Boonie now... I'll add that too.

v/r

DMack
 
#5
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Update*

I spoke with them today, and they said my products will ship by tomorrow or Friday at the latest. So, I should have them in my hands by the middle / end of next week.

Once the box arrives, pictures and initial impressions will be added, along with the full garnishing stage...

I'm pretty excited!
 
#9
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

I've got a box of jute, and a new boonie all netted up, just waiting for these to arrive... should be any day now.
 
#10
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Ok. The brown truck arrived today, and dropped off a nice little box from Tactical Concealment. Inside, was two Cobra Hoods with Back Drape. One was the new ATACS mesh, the other was a heavier MULTICAM mesh... both were beyonid my expectations as far as quality, and stitching. Inside was also some natural jute, some rice grass, some other garnish material, all in the natural color. This will work, since I have tons of colored jute, and burlap.

I put the back drape on both hoods, and started a little bit of garnish on the MULTICAM Cobra Hood, just to get a drift... it's very easy to tie, and fits very well.

I'm in the middle of packing for a move, and I'm teaching a class this weekend... so, I will have tons of time for pictures and close up detail come Friday evening. I'm stopping the garnishment process, because I want to do it in stages, and take pictures.

The initial impression of the kit?

WOW.

'Nuff Said.

To be continued...
 
#12
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Guys... I'm SO sorry about this... I finished the class with John, only to haul butt down to Orlando for Swat Roundup. I will be home tomorrow, and will get some pictures up.

I take full responsibility on this... I dropped the ball, sorry to keep you hanging.

Just for record though, the Cobra Hood is amazing kit. Garnishes up really nicely!!!
 
#14
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Update... I got back from SWAT Roundup, only to get knocked to the ground with a serious upper respiratory infection. Man, it knocked the wind out of my sails...

Once I can stand without coughing my lungs out, I will add pictures. I have a class coming up soon, and these will be used in it. There will be some real world photos taken during the observation / individual concealment phase...

Again, my apologies on slacking... it's not like me. But, I have a lot of irons in the fire right now, so to speak...

More to come.
 
#15
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

I've been planning on getting a Multicam Cobra Hood & some Armadillo Chaps from TC. Good to see they're exceeding your expectations! They definitely make some of the best looking ghillies I've ever seen.
 
#16
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

AM,

Again, huge apologies for my slacking. I really feel like a can of smashed biscuits!

I can tell you this... the Multi-Cam Cobra Hood is very robust, well made, and I think would last the long haul. It's different from a traditional ghillie, being that it's more of a shoulder / hood drape, with a detachable back drape, than a full on ghillie. To do a ton of low crawling, you will need a chest piece to slide on. It garnishes very well, and the Muilti Cam helps the garment blend in very naturally.

I'm not too fond of how the back drape garnishes, more when I get off my dead rear end and demonstrate in the pictures... but, it works. They sewed the attachment points in a "wave" pattern, instead of a mesh pattern. This leaves a bit of a dead spot here and there... but, as I said, it works.

I love the feature that you can turn the back drape where the garnish is against your body, and when you are prone, in your FPS, you can flip the back drape over your head / rifle, and it acts as a nice top cover. Works very, very well.

The ATACS Cobra I got is the new "Mosquito" mesh. It's very light weight, but honestly, I would not go on full call outs with it. It would be the bees knees for hunting and static surveillance, where you would not be doing a ton of crawling around.

More to follow. Time to self medicate and pass out.

Cheers,

DMack
 
#17
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Ok, as promised... I got off my dead but and took some pictures today. My humble apologies to those of you that are interested in this kit... I want to do it justice, but being sick as all get out hasn't helped any.

So, here are some shots from my front yard... Both are Cobra Hoods with Back Drape, one in Multi-Cam (heavier material) the other is the new Mosquito Netting in ATACS. I have garnished the Multi-Cam Cobra Hood, but not the ATACS one yet. Most end users that will buy this product, already know about garnishing a ghillie type suit, or will soon learn, so this thread is not about the garnishment. It is straight forward, with generous attachment points, made from gutted 550 chord, bar tacked very well.

This is the ATACS pattern Cobra Hood, in the Mosquito Netting... notice the full back drape. It is completely removable, or reversible. That way, you can use it as a top cover if you turn the garnish in towards your body. Or you can remove it and use it as a camo blanket, for your spotter, etc...
TC7.jpg


Close up of the hood / buckle set up for the back drape. Notice the grid style attachment points... very nice!
TC12.jpg
 
#18
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

The ATACS camo pattern is very nicely done, and even though the material is very sheer, it shows up well. The Mosquito Net is very breathable, and light. My only concerns is that the bar tacked points will not hold up with lots of low crawling. I don't believe this hood was designed for that. However, in a static position, this would be the bee's knees!
TC13.jpg


This is the underside of the garnished Cobra Hood in Multi-Cam. The material is heavier, and very robust. It would be a bit hotter than the Mosquito Netting, but would outlast it hands down. It's still not as hot as a traditional Mil style ghillie...
TC8.jpg
 
#19
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

As you can see, the underside is lighter than the top / garnish side. This really is not a concern to me, for when you wear it, the underside is not visible. Very well made...
TC11.jpg
 
#20
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Here is the Multi-Cam Cobra Hood with Back Drape fully garnished, minus natural veg. I did use some of Tactical Concealment's Pine Grass... which I really like. You have to soak it, to get it pliable, but it loops very nicely, and dries in place.
TC10.jpg


TC2.jpg


There is a mixture of synthetic jute, natural jute, and some burlap in my garnishment. I really like the synthetic jute I got from Tactical Concealment. It does not hang up in bushes like the natural jute seems to do... after some more time in the rig, I will be able to speak more informatively on it.
TC1.jpg
 
#21
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

A nifty feature I like on this rig, is the ability to roll up the back drape... the chords and quick ties are included on the hood...

TC14.jpg


TC15.jpg
 
#22
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Last but not least, I threw it in the wood line by my house... sorry that I didn't have an assistant to help me get kitted up. Pics of this thing in full use, in a real world environment will be coming soon.

TC9.jpg
 
#23
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Bottom line up front... I was looking for something that would work in the Law Enforcement field... knowing that a fully garnished MIL SPEC style ghillie is overkill to most LE Sniper Teams... this seemed to fit the bill. I ordered blind, without ever having seen the product. Mike at Tactical Concealment took plenty of time to answer my questions, and set me up with these rigs. I have no doubt that this will catch on... it's easy to use, easy to don, easy to garnish, and won't cook your brain housing group.

My sincere apologies for slacking on this. Been very busy, and this bug knocked the wind out of my sails. If you have any questions, or want to see anything in particular on this... don't hesitate to ask me. I wish for nothing but the end consumer to be fully aware of what he or she is buying.

So far, I like this product a lot.

TC4.jpg


TC3.jpg

Stay safe out there...

Cheers!

DMack
 
#25
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Exo... I try to tell it like it is. I am no headline national name dude... just a cat that trains a lot, and uses kit to it's fullest. For the LE community, I believe this is a winner. I'm gonna test it out on some hides soon, with a local department, and get some real world feedback.

Is it a full blown Sniper School MILSPEC Ghillie? No. But, my initial tests are very positive. I just can't wait to kick this bug and get it out and get it muddy, wet, dirty, stanky, smelly, ripe, et al.

Cheers Brother... be safe out there.
 
#26
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Dmack. We talked earleier tonight on the phone and i signed up for this forum today. I looked at the pictures and this looks VERY nice. I can speak for my whole team that we can't wait to get to your training facility and help you test this out. This has also inspired me to change my own ghillie a bit. Right now i have an old woodland jacket as a base and it is all shoulders and back but i think I'm going to change to a multicam base and bring it further over the shoulders for more upright stalking and surveillance. I initially set mine up as traditional military that works great in prone but i have found through real world experience that prone doesnt always work. You know the woods around here and sometimes you have to raise up to see anything. Can't wait to get there. See you soon and thank you for all you do
 
#27
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

good pics dmack
was interested in seeing an opinion on the atacs mesh drape, seemed flimsy to me.
no doubt, their multicam vipers, cobras and roid hoods are top notch. built like tanks. great to throw on and go.
 
#29
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

RST... It is an honor to help you and your team. Welcome to the Hide... Tons of legit information on here. Let's do lunch again soon, and I will give this to you to try. I really think its the ticket for what we do...

Stay safe Brother. See you soon.
 
#30
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Ok... I just handed my rig off to a local agency, for them to give it a go. They will be conducting some training with it, and promised me pictures and input. My next class is a few weeks out, so this will generate some valuable input before my class starts. Plus, it needs to be weathered a bit...

More to come!

Cheers,

DMack
 
#31
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Got the rigs in my hands today and thanks again for the t&e opportunity. My first impression....SWEET. Dmack I will give you updates and pics regularly. I got with my guy on the team who is big in photography and we plan to set things up in various terrains in our area and take some pics. I really like the pine grass. It adds that texture you would normally only get from natural vegetation. I personally can't wait to help you on this venture and stay tuned faithful readers. Real world use pictures and comments to follow by Dmack. I owe it to him to make the posts since he spent his own money to make this suit and is so gracious to allow us to try it out for real. I also just want to say i must be one of the luckiest people on the planet to know him and be able to be trained by him. Trust me when I tell you, he really knows his stuff and is one of the most gracious and squared away guys I know. Thank you again Dmack.
 
#33
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Tons of pics taken today in various terrain. Many positive comments, only a few negative. I'm on the road tonight and tomorrow... Should post pics by Sunday. It's great kit for what I intend to use it for.

Stay tuned...

Cheers!
 
#34
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

RST... It's people like you that make what I do worthwhile. I can't wait to get you and your team on the range... Great times ahead.

Stay safe Brother.

1*
 
#35
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Ok everyone... thank you for your patience. I believe I am finally over my plague... but, I still have that annoying hack. Now, I am behind the computer and can add the pictures that RSTsup sent to me. I spoke with him in depth on the phone... and here are his comments.

"First impressions of both suits is very sturdy and well put together. The chest strap tends to ride up and choke a bit especially with the added weight of garnish but I suspect this will be a non issue when you are dressed out for an op.

The atacs suit at first seemed flimsy but after looking further it is actually very sturdy. I pulled and tugged on the mosquito netting and really stressed it but it did not fail or rip as I suspected. One of my other guys has the atacs suit and is going to garnish it up a bit. This is his first try so I thought it would be neat to see what he comes up with. He knows to make sure nothing is permanent so it can be changed later."

I was TDY again, and could not be out in the field with them... but, this is straight from them, real world opinions. Their views shadow my own initial observations.

About the only negative thing I can come up with right away, is the underside of the back drape. The MULTI-Cam pattern is only printed on the garnish side, and the underside is very light. Actually, in bright sunlight... it is almost shiny. The fix on this, would be to mist it with Krylon... but, I will make sure to bring this up to Mike at Tactical Concealment. Here is a view, taken from a cell phone, of the rig hung up so you can see...

2011-11-18_15-12-04_940.jpg
 
#40
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Here it is, wadded up and thrown in the grass... had it been on a shooter, and in the tall grass, it would be effectively invisible.
2011-11-18_12-14-48_161.jpg


Another angle... same area.
2011-11-18_12-13-10_831.jpg
 
#41
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

So far, the team that is training with it have given me thumbs up. Of note, the only negative finding was the brightness of the underside of the back drape. Krylon will fix it... but, maybe if they printed the multi-cam on both sides, it would be a non issue.

Another observation is that the kydex clips / straps tend to ride up and give a bit of a choke to the wearer when the back drape is garnished, and worn down... this can also be a fitment issue... straps not tight, etc.

I felt it a bit, with just a T-Shirt on, in my front driveway... but, I have yet to wear it with my call out kit on. That will happen in the next week or so.

As a Law Enforcement Marksman / Perimeter Team / Surveillance Officer / etc... the need for a full military style ghillie is not needed very often. This untraditional shoulder / hood is the hot ticket in my honest opinion. So far, I like it a lot... and the team that is using it now seems to be very satisfied with it.

However, there are still many scenarios to test this in. I find it interesting that RST originally thought the same thing I did about the Mosquito netting... but after messing with it a bit, found that it was much more robust than originally given credit for.

Once it gets garnished up, it will be put through some exercises as well.

Stay tuned!

Be safe out there...

DMack
 
#42
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Great Info as always DMack. This looks like the perfect ticket for the Florida and southern wooded areas.
I also personally know DMack and can 100 percent tell anyone that his knowledge and skills are without question.
But more than that is his true dedication and professionalism sharing his knowledge to those who may call upon it to save lives.
I have yet to have the Honor of one of his full training classes (Yet) but what he has taught me so far has completely changed the way I approach the Tactical realm.
This is IMHO the very best forum on the internet and instead of people arguing over brands, there is real useful info and I am glad to be apart of this.
Thanks again Brother.

Don
 
#43
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

I currently run a coyote Cobra hood here in southern CA. I can attest, the tactical concealment gear is most definitely top notch and perfect for the LEO mission. My only complaint with the Cobra is I always deploy with a pack. Having to wear a pack over the top of the jute is cumbersome and extremely bulky. And with the pack on the outside of he Cobra, you loose the camoflage of the jute on your back. I am working on a ghillie drape to strap to my pack to resolve this issue. The Cobra is fairly form fitting and wearing the pack under it is out of the question.
Bottom line is, if you deploy with a pack, get the Viper hood. It gives you the ability to wear the hood and pack, and the drape is designed to be worn over the top of the pack.
 
#44
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Ok, I heard from the team that is using my Cobra Hood. All in all, they really like it. As mentioned... the "shiny" underside of the back drape really shows if not careful. When walking upright, wearing the back drape down, the edges curl and expose the light/bright underside of the drape. I plan on spraying the underside with Krylon... and passing the information off to Tactical Concealment for them to address.

The pluses are too many to list. It's light, it's cool, it's ventilated well, and it stows in a stuff sack very easily. It dons and doffs easily, and seems to be easy to crawl with.

The neck issue, with the buckle sliding up is non existent when wearing a full BDU type shirt under it. This is something I expected would fix itself and it did.

My garnishment won some praises with the team. They did not have to add any natural VEG in any of the training areas, and they used it in a variety of terrain. On your way to your FPP, if you garnish it with local VEG, it would be completely cloaked.

They even reported that sitting upright, there was enough cover to keep the shooter exposed.

Again, I have not personally worn it yet, but I will in a few weeks once I get it back.

Here is a series of pictures.

As you can see, this was a complaint. The drape curls up, exposing the light underside of the garment. The wearer felt it could be fixed using a removable belt or some sort of tie down strap. Also, what the Colonel stated, it is not very pack friendly.

DSC02421.jpg
 
#45
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

Somewhere in these pictures, is a shooter...
DSC02422.jpg


You can see a bit of a bump here... nothing that some natural VEG wouldn't take care of...
DSC02424.jpg


Same Position... the Shooter just stood up.
DSC02425.jpg
 
#47
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

He ventured out into the sunlight, and lost his concealment here...
DSC02428.jpg


Stood up... note, these pictures are fairly close. At 50 yards away or more, it would blend almost perfectly.
DSC02429.jpg
 
#50
Re: Tactical Concealment to be used in my classes

It stands out a bit here... but, again... at further distance, I'm sure it would blend much better. Also, there is no natural veg in the ghillie...
DSC02434.jpg


DSC02435.jpg
 
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