Long time lurker, occasional poster here...

As a chuckle, I found it necessary to expound on the comfort of gear, specifically duty gear (and the uniform requirements thereof) for just a moment.

Backstory:

I'm a full-time LEO assigned to a special investigative unit tasked with tracking down fugitives with high felony warrants. We utilize unmarked vehicles, including the occasional undercover car and surveillance van. Up until recently, some of us were plainclothes interspersed with US Marshals, FBI and drug task force folks. Well, the powers that be (you know, the ones that sit behind a desk and haven't been on the road in 20 years) decided that we all need to be in uniform. With at least a little bit of forethought, we went to green 5.11 BDU's to wear under our already utilized armor carriers (Point Blank R20D MOLLE). Long story short, they issued us the BDU shirt, rather than the combat shirt. In ever-present "groundpounder-bucking-the-system" style, I purchased one of the combat shirts (5.11 Tactical Rapid Assault Shirt - which is awesomer becuz it's tactical!). I was always fighting a stiff neck from the collar of the BDU shirt pulling forward and felt like I was wearing a trash bag due to the cut of the shirt (which I was ordered NOT to have modified/tailored in any way). Now, I realize it's 5.11 choadiness, but they're version of OD green made it difficult, nay impossible to find another brand that matched, so now, looking like a slightly squishy, has-been male model, I'm ten times more comfortable than I was in the BDU shirt. No bunching under the vest, no pulling on the collar, I can roll my sleeves without having to iron them to get them to look decent, and when I take my vest off I don't look like I just rolled out of bed from a three day bender.

So, what's the point of all this? Having the right gear makes a big difference. Whether it be comfort, safety, or having the right tools on hand, being a gear nerd has its merits. I've always been a gear guy, but the evolution of such usually means (at least in my case,) that the gear locker gets thinned out as you dial in on the right gear for the right job. We'll always have some stuff laying around, but it's amazing when you have the right gear how much more effective and enjoyable the job can be.

I know I'm not telling any of the military or LE veterans anything new, so thanks for entertaining my giddiness. I guess I was just so daggone happy now that I'm comfortable, I had to share. Now for my next trick, replacing my crappy vest and upgrading my belt...


And a big thank you to all the members for knowledge and intel that everyone shares!