Chinese soft shells?

[Highbinder]

Hey guys,

Anyone got any experience with chinese soft shells? The kind that are usually ripoffs of 'legit' brands and often advertised for airsoft and similar.

I'm tempted to get one off the fleabay in order to try Kryptek camouflage: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262049952...49&var=560831721963&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

What d'ya think? Junk or worth a shot?

I really want to get my hands on a Buffalo Active lite shirt as a outer/mid layer for when I'm out and about but it's a bit out of budget the now.

Cheers guys!

 

[stone monkey]

Don't know about the soft shells but a mate bought a TNF copy fleece and jacket combo when he was in China. The fleece soon looked very tatty and the jacket won't stop water or wind

 

[adestu]

I bought a couple of the new issue buffalo style tops and sent them back as i felt they weren't fit for purpose.going to buy the real thing

 

[Claudiasboris]

I've got a couple of the Chinese soft shells (I'd really like the TAD originals but I need to save for a long time).

I think they're okay. They're heavy and bulky, but quite warm and seem to keep the wind out. They claim to be waterproof, but aren't: water-resistant but after a while they wet out and get heavier. Then take ages to dry :/

Construction-wise they're okay but not great: the stitching came undone on one of the waist drawcord managers. Not too difficult to re-stitch, but still.

I got a black one for civvies walking and a "multicam" one for ACF use. I find the multicam one more useful than my issue combat jacket but haven't done any fieldcraft in it.

I find that for the price I paid, about £30-ish each a couple of years ago, they're okay. Not the toughest bit of kit I've got and I wouldn't trust them as my last-ditch **** gear, but as light-ish training gear and casual wear (if you go for the tacticool look) they're not too bad.

Hope that helps.


Claudiasboris

 

[Tonyuk]

I like regatta softshells and have worn them for a few years, i wouldn't expect much from one coming from china though. If there's an issue with it it would be easier to return if bought from a known store or brand. For proper softshell however nothing beats my old rab vapor rise smock, absolutely cracking bit of kit.

Tonyuk

 

[The Lord Poncho]

I have one of the chinese ones - very impressive for the money, warm, windproof, lots of pockets, good sized hood. Absolute bargain. Beware of the sizing though - generally go one or two sizes up to get the body and arm length right, and then you find the cut of the main body can be a little baggy....

 

[Macaroon]

I bought a couple of the new issue buffalo style tops and sent them back as i felt they weren't fit for purpose.going to buy the real thing

I wear one of the issue ones, and as long as you don't think of it as anything like a replacement for a Buffalo they're a great bit of kit; they're completely different bits of kit to serve different roles. Apart from anything else they weigh next to nothing and pack down very small..........Great value, in my book.

 

[adestu]

If theyre made for the british army then god help them

 

[The Lord Poncho]

If theyre made for the british army then god help them

Why do you say that? You get some spot on issued kit these days, and mostly the buffalo style thermal smocks have been well received apart from the 'stickiness' of the fleece liner which makes putting them on over other layers a bit of a fight...

 

[Highbinder]

The reason I was considering one of the chinese soft shells was as an intermediate stepping stone for this spring/summer/autumn, as I'd like to pick up a Buffalo shirt but not sure how much use I'd get out of it before the temp drops again. I'm not one for throwing my money away so if quality/ability of the garment isn't up to scratch I wouldn't want to spend even 40 bob on it.

Might just go for the tried and tested and pick up a smock, https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/sarma-windproof-smock-olive-drab/32653 , looks pretty good. I used to have an Arktis version, loved it apart from the waterproof liner was not in the slightest breathable and it weighed a bloody ton. This version is unlined, and even has the update of having pit zips, which is awesome! And I assume it'd pair nicely with a Buffalo shirt as a mid layer.

I've decided to stay away from hard shells. I figure if the rains ever so heavy it's soaking through a smock I can just layer my poncho over the top. Might not be ideal in all instances (with wild gusts of winds up the bens?) but should be a workable solution to my body: I feel the cold (sleep super cold) but I sweat a lot too!

 

[adestu]

I had two of the issue tops worn mine once collecting firewood and it got a tear on the arm.

 

[homesicksteve]

.......Might just go for the tried and tested and pick up a smock, https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/sarma-windproof-smock-olive-drab/32653 , looks pretty good......

Tried & tested & made in China.

'does look like a good value bit of kit though...

 

[leaky5]

If you look for the 'made in' tab on a lot of the current British army issue MTP, it will say 'China '

Sent from my SM-J500FN using Tapatalk

 

[MountainGhost]

Still looking?

Great price for a great bit of kit http://www.uttings.co.uk/p114623-ridgeline-pintail-smock-teak-rlcpapt/#.VtcRT5OLTVo

Re: China and the quality of goods it makes. I have lived in China for a number of years and have worked with manufacturers on small projects, dealt with factories north and south. The standards can be exceptionally high. But you have to make that known and pay accordingly. All I can say is this: if it's cheap, it's not because it's made in China. It's because it's cheap. And they made it cheap because that's what we asked for.

 

[pedrodog66]

Irrespective of how good the soft shell is, the price seems pretty decent as Kryptek camouflage gear seems to to be more expensive than your regular DPM or MTP camo.