Cast Gear Combat T-Shirt

More cool kit from Cast Gear, and I got this shirt for review from my friends over at Airsplat (click HERE to check it out).  Today, we are looking at the Cast Gear Combat T-Shirt.  It comes in a variety of different colors (woodland, urban, and C-Cam - all digital style), and it runs from size Small to Double Extra Large).  Here's a look at it.

As you can tell, it's got a base color on the torso, camo on the sleeves, and then black on the wrists and neck.  It's made of 100% cotton so it will definitely be comfortable.

First cool feature - pockets on the left sleeve, and it can hold whatever you want - a memo pad, a battery - even an iPhone.  Wait - what's that?  You'd like to put a memo pad in there but then you wonder where you'd put your pens?  Ah - no need to worry my friend - just scroll down...

And BAM!  There you have it - a spot to hold pens on the sleeves.  Well-played, Cast...well-played indeed.

Here's a look at the back and as you can probably tell, the idea behind the shirt is two-fold: eliminate the BDU blouse AND yet keep the camouflage.  And this does just that.  Put a plate carrier or a vest on and you keep your arms camouflaged but without all the weight of a full BDU blouse (and yes - they are called 'blouses').

Comfortable - yes indeed.  Dry-wick - nope.  But it's also pretty light-weight so while making it from some sort of 'sweat-wicking' material would have been nice, it's still a quality shirt, and to me - the overall features make it a win.  Check out all the different styles of these shirts HERE over at Airsplat.

 

Keep on firin',

Carp

Cast Gear Tactical Hoodie

Welcome back to CQB Radio, gals and gents.  Today we are taking a look at the Cast Gear Tactical Hoodie from Airsplat.  You can CLICK HERE to see it over on the Airsplat website.  How did I get this one?  Glad you asked.  When I was speaking to my contact over at Airsplat, they mentioned that they'd like to have some of their new Cast Gear items reviewed, so this is the first of a bunch of their items we will be looking at on the CQB Radio blog.

So Cast Tactical Hoodie.  Here's a look...

and here are the specs:
- Available in sizes Small through Double-extra large.
- Made of 60% cottom and 40% polyester; 10 ounce brushed fleece for warmth and softness
- Fully jersey-knit lined hood
- Thumb-holes on the sleeves cuffs
- Front kangaroo pockets
- Zippered side vents
- Hook-and-Loop closures on the side for open-carry
- Available in: Urban Digital, Woodland Digital, C-Cam, Black, Navy, Gray, and Camel Tan

The front pockets - comfortable and nicely placed.  The zippers are easy to use and though that may sound like a no-brainer - try getting a sweatshirt that has crummy zippers and you'll see why it's worth mentioning.

The thumb holes in the sleeve cuffs give you something like a fingerless glove built right into the sweatshirt.  Amazing how covering a just a little of your hand can give you some much-desired additional warmth in the colder weather.  The cuffs also have some elastic in them and this allows for your hand to be comfortable and also snug in the cuff.

On both the left and right upper arms are pockets with a patch panel on the outside.  These are large pockets in which you could easily hold a pad a paper, a mag, more other items.  They also have a pull built into them so that you can access them easily even with gloves on.

On the side, you can see that there is hook-and-loop at the bottom, with a zipper about 15 inches long that runs up the side of the hoodie.  This gives you the option to run a holster or any other larger pouch on the side of your body without having to worry about how you'll access it.  Also, if you unzip the zipper, you'll let in air to cool you down.

Another cool feature is the speaker-microphone holder on the shoulder.  If you have a mic that you can to clip onto your hoodie, well with this little cloth 'flap' of sorts, you can hook it on your right shoulder.

The hood - it works.  It fits nicely even with a hat on.

I've worn this one for a while, and I like it.  It's warm and comfortable, even though Urban Digital is not exactly subtle while walking around town, I didn't feel like I was walking around in a BDU blouse (yes, that's what they are called).  I've also got one of these in black - that one is just as nice.  

The cost for one of these bad-boys is $44.99.  If you are looking for a hoodie that is more than just cool looking but is also functional, this is a great option.  I've talked to the folks at Cast Gear and they seem like a solid group of individuals.  Check them out by CLICKING HERE and then check this item out over at Airsplat by CLICKING HERE.  

Tactical Operator BDU Pants from Rothco

A lot of us want to wear something other than just standard camo BDUs when we are airsofting, and Airsplat has brought us an inexpensive option from Rothco.  These are the Rothco Tactical Operator BDU Pants and you can get them by clicking HERE.  Take a look at them below.

Here are the specs:
- 55% cotton, 45% polyester
- Adjustable waist tabs
- Button fly
- Two front slash pockets
- Two button-down back pockets
- Two thigh pockets
- Reinforced knees and seat
- Double-stitched seans
- Drawstrings on the ankles
- 1 7/8 inch belt loops
- Cost at Airsplat: $25.49
- Colors available: Tan and Black

As you can see, I took a bunch of pics so you can have a sense of what these pants have to offer.  If you like the shirt I'm wearing, a review of them is coming soon, but you can check out Cast Gear HERE.

But back to the pants.  They come in a variety of sizes, and as you can see they have a button front, button fly, and adjustable waist tabs, so as long as you get them in a size close to yours, you can adjust them to loosen up or tighten up a bit.

A big deal for me is the knee area of pants. If I have to crawl around on a the ground, I want something that's durable.  Well, these guys have reinforced knees, so - check.

The large cargo (thigh) pockets offer you plenty of space to store items,  They are button-down pockets, so if you need quick access to something, I'd recommend you leave them un-buttoned, but just be aware that whatever you have in there is more likely to fall out if you don't have them secured shut.  Your call.  But bottom line, you've got lots of storage space in your cargo pockets.

Here's a look at the side.  Standard side pockets (no buttons - which I prefer).

"I LIKE BIG BUTTS AND I CANNOT LIE..."

Sorry.  Anyhow, back pockets are button-down as well and you can see, just with the 6 pockets, you've got storage space for dead rags, a granola bar - whatever you can fit in them.

 

As you can see here, there are ties on the ankles if you so desire.

These pants were notably comfortable to wear.  They don't repel water like something that has less cotton, but you sacrifice that for overall comfort I think.  I wore these to work one day and didn't feel like I was in some sort of BDU.  Overall, for less than $30, I think these are a good deal at Airsplat.  Could you get a more rugged pair of tactical pants out there?  Certainly (5.11 is a good option), and you'll pay twice as much for them (the 5.11 tactical pants run over $50).  For a basic, comfortable pair of non-100% cotton tactical pants, these are worth checking out.  Head over to Airsplat (click HERE) to check them out.

- Carp