The "New and Improved" ACU

[NoRoadtrippin]

I searched around, of course, hopefully I didn't miss these articles. Looks like it may not be the pattern alone that we see changing. These seem like some great ideas all around, and slow or not, its great that PEO seems to be legitimately interested in what will serve Soldiers better.

http://soldiersystems.net/2008/05/22/acu-testing/

http://soldiersystems.net/2009/09/02/army-combat-pants-update/

http://soldiersystems.net/2009/11/06/fr-acu-trouser-product-improvement-program/

The last link is the most recent article.

[Dozer523]

Those pants are queer.:mad:
Every attempt to improve the ACU makes them worser and worser.:mad::mad::mad:

[longrange1947]

Actually a step past queer into stupid land. :rolleyes:

Who comes up with this stuff?

[The Reaper]

Actually a step past queer into stupid land. :rolleyes:

Who comes up with this stuff?

PEO soldier.

Must be hallucinogenics in the water, or they are letting people in the Pentagon pick the design. That would explain the built-in kneepads.

TR

[Triman19]

If it ain't broke.... the pants could be a bit stronger to help against tearing but other than that why does the Army feel the need to waste money on pointless projects?

[Dozer523]

PEO soldier.
Must be hallucinogenics in the water, or they are letting people in the Pentagon pick the design. That would explain the built-in kneepads.TR first post I read today. This is going to be a good day.:D

[NoRoadtrippin]

I am surprised at some of the responses.

I have never run pants with built in knee pads (e.g. the Crye ones) but I am certainly familiar with the downsides to external ones mentioned in the article. I wear the Hatch neoprene pads and have had the same pair for years now and they are going strong. These velcro, and I had additional velcro added to make them tighter so they won't slip down and so the tails of the strap don't just flap in the wind. However, it happens every now and then that the velcro still catches a twig and pulls open. And after a long movement or day in the field, the trapped sweat sets up some nice potential for cellulitis or heat rash from the straps. It seems to me that built in pads would indeed mitigate all of this.

One of the other major things I saw for the pants in the articles is that they are reinforcing the crotch more and going back to buttons on the cargo pockets. I mean you can't complain about that can you??? The velcro is/was terrible.

[Surgicalcric]

Personally I like the idea of the knee pads being attached to the pants instead of using our current system.

The Crye pants are leaps ahead of what we currently have or what the Army has had in years past, design wise. UCP and its Delta variant is a whole other story.

Why cant Natick just admit they had their heads in their asses and instead of adding brown to it just go with MC instead...

Crip

[Eagle5US]

FWIW...There are guys here running three different variants of uniform designs above...as far as the pants go, the integrated kneepad on the outside of the pants one is thumbs up across the board.
The shirts no one seems excited over - but the pants. Oddly enough, the pants seem to be "word of mouth" the hot ticket.
Only seen multicam...

Eagle

[LongWire]

I have the crye multicam uniform, and it is better in every way, shape and form than any BDU/ACU uniform that I have worn. Better than the Brit uniforms, and some civi version dessert tiger stripe that I was issued. I never got the knee pads so I'm not sure how well they go together, but I will say that I cant see them being bad.
Functionality wise the Crye products, have all the bells and whistles built in. Extra spandex in the ass area for stretch. Spandex dividers within some of the pockets to keep stuff seperated, Etc.. Cotton webbing running into the pockets down to the knees to compensate for the knee pads, or just sag. Great Product, the Army should quit dancing around an cut a deal with Crye.

As far as a MC pattern, the MC had their patterns patented, so that anyone wanting that pattern will have to pay for it. Thats why you don't see any knock offs.

[The Reaper]

Why not just go with the same desing in multi cam? It is too simple and effective of a solution? Hey why not the old jungle fatigues in multicam or even OD? Jesus de madre what are they thinking? Its not that hard to figure out.

Look up what a pair of Crye pants cost and get back to me.

TR

[regular guy]

Just before I made my exit we were the fielders of the new 'high speed' ACU's. What a relief. Crotch was super resilient and buttons on the pants like the BDU's were major points. I don't remember what all they did. But we all gave it a big thumbs up. The secondary set we got trial versions of had some sort of coating on it that wouldn't absorb water. That was hotter than Benning in August. It went straight to the garbage.

They also issued some super high speed Danner's that were completely useless. Weighed about 5 pounds and the feet couldn't breath, so they would get drenched in sweat, then freeze at night.

So in the AAR we said that Uniform A was great, but why they insist on using a uniform pattern that is impractical and hideous. They replied, 'We are working that angle now'

In the end, after my departure, they were issued Multicam's and Merrells. :confused: