The “Armory Jacket” is 5.11’s new “casually smart” styled top of an almost classic design, made from a 60% cotton 40% polyester fleece fabric to give a good blend of warmth, toughness and practicality.

The jacket has a full front opening with a single-ended coil zip (annoyingly of the American style with the puller on the right-hand side, not the left as in European styles), a Nylon 6 wind baffle behind the zip and a zip “garage” at the top. The generously sized hood is made of 3 panels with the fleecy side of the fabric away from your skin to avoid irritation, and is fully covered with an outer layer of Nylon 6, which provides a measure of wind and shower resistance as well as abrasion resistance. The front of the hood has a simple drawcord adjustment, but no cord locks. I added my own.

 

5.11 Armory Jacket – Front

The yoke and elbows of the Armory Jacket have Nylon 6 reinforcement panels and the hem and cuffs have soft elastication for a comfortable fit, while the upper right sleeve has a square scope logo embossed velcro loop patch for mounting morale patches etc.

Inside the twin lower front hand-warmer pockets are “pass-through” zips allowing access to inner layers without the need to open the jacket.

 

5.11 Armory Jacket – Pass-through pocket

The Armory Jacket has proved itself useful in the woods and for everyday wear, the thick cotton-rich fleece performing well as a “mid layer” top under a waterproof in damp weather and as a “stand-alone” garment in drier conditions. It has also proved excellent as sleepwear in cold conditions and also as a comfortable pillow.

A tasty bacon sandwich taught me that the fabric shows grease stains very clearly. However, the jacket washes well but takes a long time to dry!

Conclusion

Overall, the Armory Jacket has shown itself to be warm, comfortable, tough and practical, as well as smart enough for everyday wear.

 

5.11 Armory Jacket – Back

The 5.11 Armory Jacket is available in Charcoal with Black contrast panels, “Kangaroo” (tan) with Brown panels, and Lunar (pale grey) with Oxide Red panels in sizes XS-2XL and costs £90.00.

For more information see www.511tacticaleu.com

 

5.11 Armory Jacket – In use

SaveSave

SaveSave