While at an airsoft game over this bank holiday weekend just past, I thought a bit about this conundrum we have now with field cut shirts and 2″ micro PALS belts. These types of belts really came about during a time when combat shirts were all the rage and were sort of the de facto standard everywhere for 10-15 years. They were also great for tucking in. But now we’re not all in the middle east or constantly training for it and combat shirts just aren’t that standard in the same way anymore.
When I look at the normal uniform shirts I have and have been issued, most just aren’t designed with tucking in in mind. CS95 was, PCS isn’t great for it even though I’m used to that and BDUs and most US issued shirts aren’t made that way to my knowledge.
Commercial offerings mostly have a similar issue, I wouldn’t say any generation of Crye field shirt is great for tucking. Especially the G3 which is probably the most widely produced but is cut wide at the base and already comes up large in general sizing anyway. Plus it’s a pretty good weight of NYCO fabric and stiff when new, though the abdomen is at least clear of pockets. I would say the G4 VTX seems perhaps a little lighter and better in that regard but the field shirt also seems to come up super long. You want that bit extra if tucking of course, but excess is no good.
The alternative of course is getting your shirt/jacket length just right in conjunction with the height of your 2″ belt and then not tucking. If your body shape is such and your belt has some width adjustment, then hopefully you’ll have a bit of an option in terms of where you set the belt height wise. However your shirt will need to be quite short and closely fitted around the waist to stop the hem potentially getting in to your pouches, or worse, holster. Holster height and protrusion from body also key in that respect.
I know on myself for example, that a medium-reg Patagonia softshell is both short enough and sufficiently closely fitting that I can wear my 2-part belt where I’d want it and the hem sits nicely just barely touching it with no excess length to potentially cause snags/catch.
If webbing isn’t suited to your task; something to consider.
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