The Ultimate ‘Outside the Wire’ (OTW) Shirt Guide #3 (MT Edition)
The Ultimate ‘Outside the Wire’ (OTW) Shirt Guide #3 (MT Edition)
BLUF at the bottom (and not up front).
Well, summer’s almost here. I previously posted two reviews on the various OTW shirts available in CADPAT-TW and variations thereof four years ago, and an update three years ago. I figured I was due for a CADPAT-MT edition. Yes, we’re all supposed to be issued a hybrid shirt in the future. But for those that can’t/won’t wait any longer, here are my thoughts on what’s out there.
Note: I am not affiliated with any of these companies, and am not profiting in any manner from this review. I’m simply a bit of a geardo with some extra time and money, and wanted to share my experience with others. For reference, I am 5’7”, 150lbs, 38” chest, 31” waist, a size small issued t-shirt, and wear a 6736 Coat, MCU, CADPAT (i.e. combat shirt).
Tests were conducted on four separate days, in the morning, with the sun up, at about 20C, without any extreme weather warnings. I ran two (2) kilometres, at approximately five minutes per kilometre. In addition to one of the below shirts, I wore a CAF issued Fragmentation Protective Vest (FPV) with Team Wendy ESAPI Non-ballistic Training Plates in the front and back, each plate weighing five pounds. The OTWs were worn next-to-skin, and without the coyote brown t-shirt in the pictures. After the run, I sat outside in the shade for approximately 30 minutes. Pictures at the bottom of each shirt’s section to show the length of it untucked and with the wrist cuffs open, compared to how it looks tucked in, with the collar up, and FPV on.
Moisture-wicking is rated on a scale of poor, okay, good, great, and excellent.
Ventilation and drying are rated on a scale of poor, okay, good, great, and excellent.
Fit is rated on a scale of compression, fitted, and loose (see Under Amour’s Fit Guide for reference). All shirts tested are size small, unless otherwise noted.
CADPAT is rated on a scale of poor, okay, good, great, and excellent.
The previous issued Shirt, Hot Weather, Hybrid in CADPAT-TW is added for reference. However, I understand that the Shirt, Combat, Hybrid, SOCEM in CADPAT-MT that will replace it is made differently, with combat cloth sleeves instead of the triplicated cotton.
0. CAF Shirt, Hot Weather, Hybrid (CADPAT-TW)
Material, torso: 60/40 cotton/nylon; rifle green
Material, sleeves: 100% triplicated cotton
Moisture-wicking: good
Ventilation and drying: good
Weight: 349g
Fit: fitted
CADPAT: issued
Features: fire-retardant; loop to hang dry on outside back of neck; lined-collar; PAC zipper with pull string; two shoulder pockets with Velcro, flap opening, and pen slots on outside of shoulder pockets but under pocket flap; and Velcro wrist cuffs
Pros: lined-collar; soft fabric on sleeves; and pen slots don’t interfere with contents of shoulder pockets
Cons: only issued operationally, or if you know how to make friends
Made in: Canada
Price: probably too much
Source: n/a – there are only 10 left on the shelf
1. MILCOT Tactical OTW Combat Shirt (Digi-Tan)
Material, torso: 80/20 cotton/polyester, coyote brown
Material, sleeves: 65/35 polyester/cotton ripstop
Moisture-wicking: okay
Ventilation and drying: okay
Weight: 470g
Fit: fitted
CADPAT: good (4-colour pattern, missing the pink of CADPAT-MT)
Features: YKK zipper; two shoulder pockets with Velcro, with second internal pocket inside, closed by flap with pen slot; eyewear slot on left shoulder pocket; Velcro slot for elbow pads; and Velcro wrist cuffs
Pros: commonly found at many army surplus stores; inexpensive
Cons: moisture management is okay; pen slots feeds through the top of the shoulder pocket flap, which can cause interference with shoulder pocket contents (e.g. notepad)
Made in: Pakistan
Price: $65.00
Source: Surplus d’Armee
Remarks: MILCOT Tactical has since introduced a Gen 2 with mesh ventilation in the armpits
https://i.imgur.com/nbW0Tmu.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/Z8OdWiE.jpeg
2. Mission Ready Gear OTW (Variable Landscape Digital)
Material, torso: 100% polyester, coyote brown
Material, sleeves: 65/35 polyester/cotton ripstop
Moisture-wicking: excellent
Ventilation and drying: excellent
Weight: 475g
Fit: compression
CADPAT: good (4-colour pattern, missing the pink of CADPAT-MT)
Features: YKK zipper; two large shoulder pockets with Velcro, with second internal pocket inside, closed by flap; mesh ventilation in armpits and center of back; Velcro slot for elbow pads; and Velcro wrist cuffs
Pros: torso, and mesh ventilation in the armpits and on the center of the back is excellent for moisture management
Cons: large Velcro shoulder pockets are a little bait for the RSM; the pocket flaps don’t have Velcro for a flag; no pen slots; Velcro wrist cuffs close in the opposite direction (outside-to-in); dryfit torso poses a melting risk
Made in: Pakistan
Price: $90.00
Source: Iron Sights Tactical Shop (no longer available)
Remarks: ISTC has since replaced it with Gen 2 that has US ACU-style shoulder pockets, and a cotton/polyester blend torso
https://i.imgur.com/AKzmS2C.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/qj6Ngj1.jpeg
3. Roman Kurmaz Combat Shirt (Canadian Camo)
Material, torso: unknown (but it feels very similar to merino wool), coyote tan
Material, sleeves: 65/35 polyester/cotton ripstop
Moisture-wicking: great
Ventilation and drying: great
Weight: 404g
Fit: fitted
CADPAT: great, excellent reproduction, but on ripstop material
Features: Crye G3 Combat Shirt-style; YKK zipper; two shoulder pockets with Velcro, with second internal pocket inside, closed by flap with pen slot; Velcro slot for elbow pads; and Velcro wrist cuffs
Pros: the pattern is pretty close to CADPAT-MT, but printed on ripstop; lightweight
Cons: coyote tan is a little bait for the RSM; custom-ordered, so it takes a few months to get; expensive
Made in: secret
Price: $175.00
Source: Roman Kurmaz
Remarks: the default is with the Crye G3-style Velcro on the shoulder pockets (two vertical strips), but I requested the full Velcro pockets. They also have Crye G3-style Combat Pants.
https://i.imgur.com/TzKP50P.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/SDcFbaW.jpeg
4. Tactical Innovations Canada OTW Shirt (Digital Universal Terrain)
Material, torso: 60/40 cotton/polyester, coyote brown
Material, sleeves: 65/35 polyester/cotton ripstop
Moisture-wicking: good
Ventilation and drying: great
Weight: 480g (extra-small)
Fit: fitted
CADPAT: good (4-colour pattern, missing the pink of CADPAT-MT)
Features: YKK zipper; mesh ventilation along armpit and sides of torso; two shoulder pockets with Velcro, closed by flap, with an ECU-style zipper access to the same pocket; Velcro slot for elbow pads; and Velcro wrist cuffs
Pros: very breathable and quick to dry with mesh armpits and sides; extra length torso to stay tucked into your pants
Cons: dual-access shoulder pockets are redundant, and adds bulk and weight; pen slots feeds through the top of the shoulder pocket flap, which can cause interference with shoulder pocket contents (e.g. notepad); and material feels heavy and stiff, even after multiple washings
Made in: Pakistan
Price: $90.00
Source: Battle Rattle Tactical
Remarks: I recommend to order one size smaller than your normal issued t-shirt size. The small felt like a medium
https://i.imgur.com/xQcheJp.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/XwmcvwJ.jpeg
Side-by-side comparison:
I put the shirts in the incorrect order. They are pictured, from left-to-right: Mission Ready Gear, MILCOT Tactical, Roman Kurmaz, and Tactical Innovations Canada.
The MILCOT Tactical, Mission Ready Gear, and Tactical Innovations Canada all use the same 4-colour pattern and shade of colours. The black and green match CADPAT-MT, but the brown and tan are significantly off, and there is no pink.
The Roman Kurmaz appears to be an exact copy of CADPAT-MT, complete with the maple leaf and awkward 3 or E pattern, but on ripstop material. The brown is a little more of a matte purple, but the other four colours all match.
Under NVGs, both with and without IR, the tan is really bright on the MILCOT Tactical, Mission Ready Gear, and Tactical Innovations Canada versions, but the Roman Kurmaz doesn’t light up. However, the coyote tan Velcro on the Roman Kurmaz stands out more under NVGs than the other three. Unfortunately, Roman Kurmaz wasn’t willing to utilize coyote brown Velcro or coyote brown material on the torso.
https://i.imgur.com/fD2PLwY.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/v85tgU9.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/jlzKuDH.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/2fQdrXm.jpeg
Missing in Action:
Not covered in this is the Surplus militaire Pong-Rouge Hybrid Combat Shirt (Adaptive Terrain Digital), which seems to be a combination of the MILCOT Tactical torso, with the Tactical Innovations Canada-style shoulder pocket on the left, and an ECU-style shoulder pocket on the right. I didn’t get it because it didn’t have any unique features that weren’t already covered by the others, besides having two different styles of shoulder pockets.
Ratings / TL;DR:
Favourite: Roman Kurmaz, for the most accurate CADPAT, lightweight material, and quality of craftmanship
Best overall: Tactical Innovations Canada (Battle Rattle Tactical)
Best moisture management: Mission Ready Gear (Iron Sights Tactical Shop), for the mesh ventilation on the armpits and center of the back
On a budget: MILCOT Tactical (Surplus d’Armee), for its affordability, and being commonly available to try on in-person at army surplus stores