Seasoned soldiers and law enforcement personnel know that keeping warm and dry is as important as being able to shoot straight and accurately, and this is why clothing that doesn’t absorb much water is prized. Synthetic fleece, pioneered in the seventies by the European fishermen and mountaineers exhibits this “warm when wet” capability. Hence seasoned soldiers love synthetic fleece and it now has become a uniform staple.

Synthetic fleece is so common these days that the features and cut of the garment are now becoming the standards by which the garment is judged.

Features and cut are what the Drop Zone Fleece Patrol Jacket is all about. Designed with real world applications in mind, this fleece jacket won’t let you down like other jackets will. First, all of the fleece we use is tested to resist pilling on the outside. (You know, those fuzzy little balls that come from laundering & wearing your fleece and make it look like an old bath mat, those are called pills.) Second, we weigh the fleece to make sure it is at least 12 ounces or higher. (Don’t be fooled by those silly little numbers that marketers throw at you such as 100, 200, or 300 they mean little when it comes to fabric weight. The fabric industry uses ounces per yard or grams per meter. The only discrepancies being whether it is a square yard or linear yard.) Third, we actually test the fiber content to make sure we are actually getting a synthetic fleece. Synthetic fibers are the only ones that actually resist moisture.

The cut of our Drop Zone Deluxe Fleece Jacket is, well, superb. Again its kudos to our designers. The torso of the jacket is contour cut for maximum movement without being baggy. (Other garments are cookie cutter style that require less cutting and sewing. Cheaper yes, but not as comfortable or functional.) The torso is also cut to a bomber length to eliminate bunching up while sitting. The short cut of the torso also interferes less with holsters, belt pouches, and rappelling harnesses.

The shoulders are seamless. Shoulders with seams at the top are cheaper to make, but the real expense comes when wearing a back pack or carrying something on a sling. The weight digs into the shoulder seam creating an uncomfortable pressure point.

The sleeves are contour cut to fit under a variety shell garments with a minimum of binding.

While on the subject of sleeves, we have added elbow abrasion patches of fast drying moisture resistant Supplex® or Tactical Twill™ fabric. The sleeve cuffs are made of the same fabric and adjust with hook & pile. The reason for this is that rib knit cuffs absorb water, and a fleece cuff is bulky, making fit miserable when wearing gloves, shirts, and shells. Our fabric/hook & pile cuff will not absorb much moisture. It is not bulky. The cuff can be snugged up tight or left open for ventilation. Check out the other guys’ cuffs!

Ventilation is very important to avoid overheating and potentially chilling sweat. We added under arm zipped vents to aid in ventilation. Again we ask you to check the competition and look for this important addition. The torso hem secures with shock cord and a cord lock further enhancing the Drop Zone Fleece Patrol Jacket’s ventilating capabilities.

In addition to the seamless shoulder design the shoulders feature epaulets, but our epaulets do more than just hold rank insignia. They are reinforced to allow the extraction of an injured person from a tight area such as an armored vehicle hatch or trench. These epaulets are made of the same material as, and are attached to the Supplex /Tactical Twill shoulder abrasion patches.

While the designers had the Supplex and Tactical Twill fabric out, they added a field dressing pocket to the left sleeve shoulder area as well as an interior hook and pile closed “napoleon” style document pocket.

The hand warmer pockets, closed by zippers, are huge! Big enough for gloves, mitts, side arms, radios or GPS’. These pockets extend from the torso hem to the shoulder reinforcement patches. No dinky kids stuff hear. Again the Supplex/Tactical Twill fabric was rolled out to line the hand warmer pockets enhancing durability (Nothing is as frustrating as a prematurely worn out pocket lining. ) and in effect, wind proofing the front of the garment.

To resist cold winds, the collar is generously left tall, protecting the neck. To protect the collar from whisker stubble, which tears the heck out of fleece, we lined collar with Supplex/Commander fabric.

Cleaning of the Drop Zone Fleece Patrol Jacket is almost child’s play. Just machine wash, gentle cycle, warm water, rinse then hang or machine dry.

The Drop Zone designers have done it again. Superior design, superior cut, superior features, and superior durability. It all adds up to superior performance and comfort for the wearer.