View Full Version : Condor Tactical Gear
Hello All,
I was thinking about ordering a plate carrier from Condor Tactical (www.condoroutdoors.com) for my job. I was thinking one of these two:
http://www.condoroutdoor.com/dfpcdefenderplatecarrier.aspx
OR
http://www.condoroutdoor.com/qpc_quick_release_plate_carrier.aspx
Anyone own gear from this company? How well did it hold up? Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Dave
Failure2Stop
03-22-12, 01:26
Condor=airsoft garbage
Search result by typing in "Condor"
https://www.m4carbine.net/gtsearch.php?cx=003496919632624929056%3Adhiwgm0hbaa&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=condor&siteurl=www.m4carbine.net%2Fshowthread.php%3Fp%3D1263474%26posted%3D1%23post1263474&ref=www.m4carbine.net%2Fnewreply.php%3Fdo%3Dnewreply%26noquote%3D1%26p%3D1263473
Condor=airsoft garbage
That bad, huh? I was wondering why it was so cheap...
Did you have a piece of gear that just broke apart? Snitching sucks? etc.?
Failure2Stop
03-22-12, 01:33
That bad, huh? I was wondering why it was so cheap...
Did you have a piece of gear that just broke apart? Snitching sucks? etc.?
See the link in my post above.
motorolahamm
03-22-12, 07:47
Pick yourself up a good carrier on egay or some were desenct prices and still good quality.
I $%%king hate Condor gear; cheap Chi-com shit. BUT, their soft cases are along the same exact quality and design as Voodoo. If you need a case to go from car to range and back, they will work fine.
Also, I have been wearing a Condor soft-shell jacket and fleece jacket for a couple months and the quality is actually just as nice as all the other Chinese-made jackets on the market, they are lacking on pocket placement and some egro's but other than that they are a pretty good deal.
Ok, resume the Condor gear bashing ;)
SWATcop556
03-22-12, 09:33
The only gear that I have found from Condor that has remotely come close to holding up for its intended use was a soft case that only protected a rifle from the trunk to the range and back and their soft shell jackets. DaveL mentioned both and was spot on.
The case is what it is. Not a hard use case but for small trips with little wear and tear its GTG. Their soft shells have been the biggest suprise of them all. I picked one up on a whim as I had read that they were holding up well for guys I trusted. Bought one and its been going strong so I picked up another. One of my buddies at work has one that has finally started showing some loose stitching but its not wherethe jacket would fail or fall apart. During the winter months I pretty much live in a soft shell of some kind so this has seen some use from work to the range.
Any of their "hard use" gear such as PCs and the like are for GAMING ONLY. Do NOT press them into service for anything other than shooting your buddies with paint or plastic balls.
I bought a Condor soft armor carrier and some pouches when I got moved to narcotics (it wasn't my first choice, but I've got three kids and we provide our gear, so I did what I could). Mine is the rip away model and it is going on 3+ years now and is still very serviceable.
It has seen very little "hard use", but it does get worn 2-3 times a day and it has certainly been worked in. For my purposes it is a decent vest considering I only paid $80.
The only piece of Condor gear that is even worth taking a look at is the cheapo soft cases and the soft shells.
Like a few here, I bought the soft shell to try out. Hell, it's less than $100. To my astonishment, it's actually a great piece of gear for the price. I have had some trouble with the zippers. Some of the stitching is starting to fray after a season of hard use. The shell itself is still intact with literally no signs tear or wear for that matter. Granted, it's nothing compared to Arteryx or TAD, but the for price, it can't be beat!
Other than that, condor is airsoft garbage.
DO NOT BUY CONDOR EVER!
Worthless crap. Support the american made berry compliant gear companies.
Curious, has anyone here actually used any Condor gear?
I was going to buy one of the plate cariiers, but got a better deal on a TAG carrier off of Ebay.
I have a Condor Fleece jacket I use at work (restocking a cooler/freezer) and it's holding up well, but I am not "tactical" so won't vouch for it elsewhere.
I have a Condor Magazine Pouch for range use and am not overly impressed, I will be replacing it with the Tactical Tailor equivalent.
You didn't say how/what you plan on using it for.
Range/House use- Condor may work.
Shooting Schools/Downrange-Go with a better brand.
machinegunbob
03-23-12, 09:21
It's junk.Tactical Tailor makes great gear.
I owned one of their PCs a couple years back. Couple mag pouches, too, I think. Thats the extent of my experience with them. So. Not extensive, and not up to date. Ill admit that.
I dont buy from them anymore and you probably shouldnt either, regardless of your intended use. You dont save boatloads of money on them.
That said, I never noticed any failure of any type on any of my equipment from them. Lacking in features, sure. But I believe a lot of the hate they receive is due to their relation to the Airsoft community and has little to no basis in empirical experience. For example, as a tactical stitch bitch I can say that I was far more impressed with the quality of materials and construction on my Condor gear than any of my TT pouches.
I also still have one of their soft cases. Great deal, would buy again. Very cheap, no issues to report apart from size. Doesnt fit some of my larger rifles.
ROUTEMICHIGAN
03-23-12, 13:22
Didn't realize all the hate for Condor- lol. As an "untactical cool" guy and not knowing anything about their airsoft rep- I bought one of their softshells in coyote tan last year cuz I couldn't justify shelling out $600-$700 for a comparable Arcteryx that I was gonna roll around in the rain, dirt and mud; jumping in and out of various vehicles, etc. So far, the jacket has held up remarkably well-- repels water decently and the elbows, shoulders don't show signs of wear. Got a couple of black carbon or grease streaks on it that don't seem to wash out, but no big deal. I also believe in "getting what you pay for" and not skimping as well as buying Made in USA, but so far I have been pleasantly surprised with this piece of kit and the couple pieces of Arcteryx I own are both Made in China-- the list of homegrown stuff is dwindling.
Curious, has anyone here actually used any Condor gear?
Yes, I do.
I know of a defense contractor that bought about 2 dozen of their PC's and a bunch of MOLLE mag pouches (attempting to save money) to use at vetting courses.
The biggest problem with the PC's are the brittle chi-com fast-ex wannabe buckles. They were cracking like crazy.
We never could figure out if the stitching held up because most of the plastic hardware broke first making them useless.
On their mag pouches, most were cut very loose (shitty quality control). Mags were falling out of the pouches during mobile and shoot house scenarios.
Their gear will be fine for some tool who just hangs the gear on a hanger next to his gun safe for looks, but IT IS low quality shit.
Nothing like beating the ol' Condor topic do death every couple months... :suicide:
A friend of mine has a Condor softshell that is a copy of a TAD Gear (I believe) and he has the brand name softshell as well. The Condor was better in every respect and the brand name one is falling apart at the stitching, the Condor is not. Does not make me want to run out and buy a bunch of their stuff but I will surely not throw them under the bus right away.
If you want gear that is made of polyester, fades and in the case of acu turns purple, bad stitching, crap hardware, not berry compliant with the only exception being their multicam that still has poor quality stitching, thread and hardware along with rip off designs, then by all means go ahead.
I have only owned two Condor items ever. A releasable armor plate/armor carrier and a tear away EMT pouch. I will say this the plate carrier was junk, unequivocal junk, it was loose and flimsy and the stitching started pulling out just from hanging pouches on it and moving them around trying to get it to where it was comfortable. The velcro on the plate carrier and EMT pouch both didn't hold up well, loosing its holding ability quickly in my opinion as well. The EMT pouch also didn't impress me in its general construction, but on the flip side it did pretty much what it claimed to, but not very well. On the upside it was a $100 lesson that I ended up getting $90 out of when I sold the junk. Anymore I will stick with quality brands and just save up for items that do their job right.
Failure2Stop
03-23-12, 16:52
A friend of mine has a Condor softshell that is a copy of a TAD Gear (I believe) and he has the brand name softshell as well. The Condor was better in every respect and the brand name one is falling apart at the stitching, the Condor is not. Does not make me want to run out and buy a bunch of their stuff but I will surely not throw them under the bus right away.
I have heard the same, and as I have no personal experience with their clothing or cases, I restrict my comments to their pouches and vests, which I have examined and have seen fail.
For what it's worth, I have seen a lot of "tactical" gear fail, and I have developed a certain kind of "quality" loyalty.
The same person does not use their pouches and vest as he says they are trash as well.
Yes, I do.
I know of a defense contractor that bought about 2 dozen of their PC's and a bunch of MOLLE mag pouches (attempting to save money) to use at vetting courses.
The biggest problem with the PC's are the brittle chi-com fast-ex wannabe buckles. They were cracking like crazy.
We never could figure out if the stitching held up because most of the plastic hardware broke first making them useless.
On their mag pouches, most were cut very loose (shitty quality control). Mags were falling out of the pouches during mobile and shoot house scenarios.
Their gear will be fine for some tool who just hangs the gear on a hanger next to his gun safe for looks, but IT IS low quality shit.
Nothing like beating the ol' Condor topic do death every couple months... :suicide:
Interesting, the mag pouch I had seemed too tight.
Arc'tyrex has publicly stated that they can only afford to make certain items "Made in Canada" because of the huge Chinese immigrant population in western Canada. Either way, you're getting made by Chinese labor!
+1 the soft long gun cases do well as described, vehicle, vehicel to range, etc. Haven't tried their softshell or any other clothing.
Pouches, carriers, etc = spotty junk. I have seen several of their pieces bust out the zippers or edge of pouch stitching; the molle/pals loops are inconsistent in spacing on lots I've looked at.
We used their plate carriers, vests, and pouches in Iraq.
Crap.
Plates were wearing through shortly, pouches fell apart, all sorts of issues.
DDN,
What exactly will you be using the vest for? Depending on your intentions, expected use, and price range, Condor products may be acceptable.
Used items from more reputable companies should also be considered.
the Condor stuff I have been tempted into trying has been a mixed bag. the soft shell that has been mentioned has been adequate and some of the pouches I have seem to be sewn well and hold up with the limited use they have received - strictly light training...
but a padded warbelt that I picked up for $12 isn't worth it. the padding is soft and too small for the material sewn over it and the top rolls over if anything is attached to the molle loops. I suppose I could mess with it and add a stiffener but for $12, I consider this a cheap lesson.
if looking for budget gear, I have pretty good experience with 5.11. but remember "budget" gear is in no way comparable with the good stuff...
if looking for budget gear, I have pretty good experience with 5.11. but remember "budget" gear is in no way comparable with the good stuff...
5.11 is okay for some applications, I happen to like their pistol mag pouches that I have by them, hold 9mm glock mags well even when I fold the cover into the pouch to make the mag an open top pouch, something that my current TAG pouches don't do well. Eventually all five pouches, 3 5.11 and 2 TAG are all going to be on the chopping block. Have an AR double mag pouch on my war belt that so far has held up well as well, though I haven't beat the hell out of it either. That said, the open top pouches that I bought by them weren't great, the elastic was way too tight, and even after three months of stretched over the top of my AR mags trying to wear it in they still damn near required a pair of pliers to pull them off to get my mags out. Their plate carrier is pure shit though in my opinion.
This is not a equipment review but--I must say my experience with the Condor Phantom jacket has been positive so far. Been wearing it every day to work for months now and it has held up well, zippers good, stitching hasn't unravelled, dry in light rain, wind resistant. Yeah, it's Chicom but at $80 it's a good way to see if I liked a softshell. Would I trust their gear- no. Plenty of top tier gear available secondhand, that's where I got almost everything else. (like the Arc'teryx jackets I got later) :D
The best budget gear I have used was diamondback tacticals battlelab gear. I would put it in close to the top companies as far as quality and nicely priced compared to the known best. Unfortunately they don't open battlelab back up until I think May. Another good gear company for a decent price is BDS Tactical.
Failure2Stop
03-29-12, 21:49
Another good gear company for a decent price is BDS Tactical.
I have seen suboptimal performance from BDS on a consistent basis.
I have seen suboptimal performance from BDS on a consistent basis.
Isn't that the company that started by ripping off all of John Willis' (OSOE) gear?
I have seen suboptimal performance from BDS on a consistent basis.
Don't get me wrong I am not a big fan of bds but for american made real cordura nylon gear they have decent prices. Definately beat the piss out of condor, fox, pheonix etc.. the foriegn made gear.
TangoSauce
03-30-12, 00:13
I have the softshell, and it's gtg for the price.
Also have a few pouches and have not had any major issues with them, but they have not been fully put through the paces. I trust the reviews above and would stick with another company.
Not even touching their plate carriers. I'm an Eagle guy myself on that front.
I bought one of their ball caps at a gun show for $10 because it actually fit on my gargantuan dome. After one range trip, the stitching is already coming loose in a couple places.
I have seen people buying their s*** for a couple of years now trying to save a few bucks. It cost them in the end as they usually have to buy twice. Condor = Fail= bad quality
lethal dose
03-30-12, 20:44
Anyone who knows me knows I don't skimp on gear. That being said, I bought a condor riggers belt last April (having never heard of thrm) and wear it daily at work and have had no issues. Maybe just luck. Looking at their products, I'd say I'll wave off from here on out.
motorolahamm
03-31-12, 10:06
Had a rifle case from them no problems. but mainly it was used as a range bag or an extra storage bag while in the closet seemed to hold up even under alot of weight for the two years i used it. but when i go to the field or anywere i would always use a eagle discreet bag.
Our company has been given permission to wear PCs on the field problems leading up to deployment so a bunch of guys are wearing the Condor plate carriers probably as they'll get RFI and it's a cheap interim option. To my surprise, so far there hasn't been any issues with them falling apart. I'll stick with my Mayflower all the same though.
Tennesseevolz
03-31-12, 18:57
I thought condor was crap, until I looked at the tag on my 511 gun case- made in china- according to Condor, they have some made in USA abilility- might not be all bad-
http://www.condoroutdoor.com/about-us.aspx
jbuerke142
04-09-12, 05:42
Eagle, good stuff and made in St. Louis Mo.
kaltesherz
04-10-12, 11:18
Curious, has anyone here actually used any Condor gear?
Yes, I used some of their pouches for a couple of months overseas. I was switched from a SAW to an M4 and my SL had a few shingles that he kicked down as I hated issue pouches. After a couple months the bungees broke off and the stitching was giving out... at that point I asked my SL where the hell he bought this crap... yep, effing Condor.
I will admit I have one of their fleeces and it's held up well, but I'm not using it in any serious capacity. It's designed for kids who want to play Army, not people actually doing it.
Isn't that the company that started by ripping off all of John Willis' (OSOE) gear?
Yes sir it is.....
motorolahamm
04-16-12, 08:57
EAGLE is a good way to go. the Mil contract stuff is made in the usa. But there civilian line is made in the Dominican Republic. but this beats condor all the way plus i have never had a warranty issue with anything eagle. just that there cust svc never respond back to your e-mails
deadlyfire
04-17-12, 01:11
Couldn't agree more with the choir, buy a brand like Eagle. I will never buy Condor.
What would you guys' advice be to a young man (16-18) who already has some Condor crap gear? I have a job, and just like using gear to run through magazine exchanges and learning how to "run a gun" with my buddies. Should I just buy what I can with TT, Eagle, etc. and just get first layer gear (battle belt)?
Unfortunately many young guys don't find legit websites like SKD Tactical and end up going with Cheaper Than Dirt, hitting the (Price: Lowest to Highest) button and buying some low price, low quality POS.
NoveskeFan
06-16-12, 21:28
Have you had any issues with the gear your using now? If your just hanging out with your friends buy what you can afford. If you plan on taking 3+ day classes in the near future, you might want gear more recognized for durability.
What would you guys' advice be to a young man (16-18) who already has some Condor crap gear? I have a job, and just like using gear to run through magazine exchanges and learning how to "run a gun" with my buddies. Should I just buy what I can with TT, Eagle, etc. and just get first layer gear (battle belt)?
Unfortunately many young guys don't find legit websites like SKD Tactical and end up going with Cheaper Than Dirt, hitting the (Price: Lowest to Highest) button and buying some low price, low quality POS.
What would you guys' advice be to a young man (16-18) who already has some Condor crap gear? I have a job, and just like using gear to run through magazine exchanges and learning how to "run a gun" with my buddies. Should I just buy what I can with TT, Eagle, etc. and just get first layer gear (battle belt)?
Unfortunately many young guys don't find legit websites like SKD Tactical and end up going with Cheaper Than Dirt, hitting the (Price: Lowest to Highest) button and buying some low price, low quality POS.
If you aren't going to be running it hard, I would replace items and upgrade as you go or as they fail or begin to fail. Following that, if you are wishing to get into a different set up, say a battle belt since you mentioned it, buy quality so that it will last longer.
kaltesherz
06-16-12, 23:05
What would you guys' advice be to a young man (16-18) who already has some Condor crap gear? I have a job, and just like using gear to run through magazine exchanges and learning how to "run a gun" with my buddies. Should I just buy what I can with TT, Eagle, etc. and just get first layer gear (battle belt)?
Unfortunately many young guys don't find legit websites like SKD Tactical and end up going with Cheaper Than Dirt, hitting the (Price: Lowest to Highest) button and buying some low price, low quality POS.
Go on ebay and buy USGI stuff from Eagle/SDS/LBT- still affordable just much higher quality... crap is still crap
Arc'tyrex has publicly stated that they can only afford to make certain items "Made in Canada" because of the huge Chinese immigrant population in western Canada. Either way, you're getting made by Chinese labor!
It's Canadian labor, regardless of the ethnicity of the workers in Canada. Is something Mexican labor because the factory workers in the USA had come from Mexico earlier in life, even though they go through the same training as their former-European co-workers and the products meet the same QC standards?
pentosinjunkie
06-17-12, 01:57
To the OP, you can buy most of the aforementioned brands frm SKD Tactical. They only deal in top-tier, US-made gear.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 2
Condors' hydration bladder carrier has been great for me. I've taken it hiking and shooting, and although it hasn't been through anything abusive, the stitching is fine after a year of semi-frequent use.
I just bought a Condor plate carrier because I needed one in ACU pattern, not many, if any, of the good brands have ACU anymore. This will only be for if the SHTF while I'm stationed in Saudi Arabi, not for general use. After reading about Condor here I will safety the buckles with 550 cord.
If I ever have to back to Afghan I'll get a Blue Force Gear or Eagle carrier.
I've had tons of Condor and Pantac stuff from my days airsofting a lot - unsurprisingly it's possible to make a comparable product with only slightly inferior materials and workmanship for less money, no argument against that.
The Condor stuff hasn't held up well, while the Pantac stuff I have that was made from 1000D has held - my biggest complaint against the latter is that they are doing 90% copies of Eagle stuff (usually unintentional differences), but are at best a generation or two behind the SKD iterations of that stuff that has better features and only costs $10-20 more.
For shit that hardly gets used, it's actually a decent value. If folks go into that decision knowingly trying to do just that, spend less for something that will exist in storage 98% of the time, and are indifferent about chinese IP abuses, fine. Anybody patient who knows how to use the internet can get top end stuff, US made, for the same price or less.
just seems to never go away. Seriously, whether you're mil, leo, or armed civi, in the final analysis, it really doesn't matter; you use the best thing available to you and drive on. The problem seems to be we have so many choices that we get vapor lock trying to decide.
When I was doing some research for a new chest rig, I came across all sorts of johnnie-homemaker rigs, made in jungle workshops around the world. Some of them made Condor look like Eagle. Talk about humble. But you know what, these cats were rocking them out in real conflicts across the globe.
That being said, it only seems prudent that you would use the best kit that is available and/or affordable to you. As an armed civilian, I don't run airsoft junk, but neither do I run top end gucci gear. I strive for a balance between quality and cost. I want the quality of LBT, but at the prices of TT.
I would also add that it isn't just the materials but also the sewing technique that goes into it. If all you had was 50-50 nyco, you could still make a decent chest rig, if you used nylon thread and the right construction techniques, that would be superior to a cordura rig, made with shitty thread and poor construction techniques.
So Condor. Yeah it will work, but why bother when you have better choices.
JakeBworth
02-19-13, 20:14
As said above, Condor is absolutely crap. I wouldn't issue it to my dog. But if your looking for some decent repro gear, check out Flyye. It can't compare to EI, but it certainly gets the job done without fraying or breaking.
ClearedHot
02-20-13, 02:50
Snitching sucks? etc.?
Yes. Nobody likes a snitch. ;)
And as mentioned by others, Condor products are not exactly built to last or with quality in mind.
sinlessorrow
12-07-13, 00:32
I know its a few months old but a friend of mine came over today to show me his new PC....which happened to be Condor, What shocked me was it said it was made in the USA...Anyone have any info on their made in USA stuff? I honestly have no idea they were even making stuff here.
I looked it up on their website and its the only US made PC they offer.
I've had a Condor hat in ATACS FG for about 3 weeks now and the top velcro patch (for "glint tape" or some such) fell off already. FWIW.
I have 2 thoughts on the whole nylon gear issue. The first is that it's nylon, if it does the job you want it to, drive on, buy all the cheap look good stuff you can afford.
The second is that you really can buy good gear competitively if you look around. Have you checked the EE or ebay? Used gear is plentiful and cheap. Really cheap. Lots of guys end up with bins full of it over the years.
My only experience with Condor wasn't positive but it wasn't catastrophic either. I'm a convoy security type in Afghanistan and prefer single shingles across the front because of the limited space in the MRAP's. I used a Mayflower quad across my IMTV and needed a double for the side. I ran out of time so ran up to the local gear store and the only thing they had was a condor so I bought it. Yes it works. However the PALS webbing is way off, the mags flop around, and it was almost impossible to put a pistol mag on top. I ended up using a ten speed pouch after it arrived in theater and gave away the double to someone.
Pariah Carey
12-10-13, 10:45
I recently bought two Condor plate carriers along with mag and accessory pouches. I wanted to have identical setups for me and a family member to train with, have fun, and be ready for the 1/2 of 1% chance that we would need them in a civilian self-defense situation. I was well-aware of Condor's less than stellar reputation, but ultimately persuaded by positive reviews of their products actually being used by guys like Mrgunsandgear and TNP. And the price just couldn't be beat. For about the cost of one high-end carrier without any pouches I was able to get two carriers and enough pouches for bullets, meds, comms, food, etc. And I'll probably end up getting another one. I'm big on spares.
I totally understand you get what you pay for. Sometimes you really do have to spend the big bucks. I bought an Aimpoint for my AR, a Raven holster for my sidearm, and I use only factory mags. But in this situation I just couldn't justify it and I think I made an informed decision. My goal is to have multiple identical systems for me and my inner circle, to be used for training but ultimately reserved for an extremely unlikely scenario. Bottom line I decided that Condor fit that particular bill the best.
Djstorm100
12-10-13, 12:05
Don't bash one me but I do have this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005VDR07C/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 for few months and yes I can tell the quality is not up to par compare to a few other items I have.
In hind sight does anyone know of something simliar that won't break the bank? I wil say the condor keeps me warm when out and about, just won't hold up to anything other than walking
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