5.11 Clothing and Equipment

5.11 have got to be one of, if not my favourite tactical brand.  The 5.11 range offers apparel including the legendary 511 tactical pant, jackets and even 5.11 belts, as well as a full range of bags and backpacks.

The 5.11 Tactical Pant is the product that started it all, way back in 1967 when at the top of Half Dome in California USA Royal Robins and his wife Liz noticed that that gear they were wearing for climbing was far from fit for purpose and they set about designing a pair of trousers that were stylish, functional and rugged enough for the rigours of climbing and outdoor pursuits.  The name 5.11 comes from a virtually impossible difficulty level of a climb, the normal scoring system being 5.0 as the easiest and 5.10 being the hardest, 5.11 was therefore presumed to be impossible.

Over the years the 5.11 tactical pant evolved and was adopted by the FBI training centre as their uniform pant, and for a long time the pant was in fact restricted to FBI personnel.  Commercially though the Royal Robins parent company was not doing so well and the 5.11 branch was spun off to develop the 5.11 Tactical Range and Royal Robins focused on the out doors industry.  5.11 Tactical is now one of the worlds largest suppliers of Law Enforcement Equipment.

5.11 now offer a bigger range of tactical pants with specific EMS pants, Security Trousers, light weight trousers, TDU and unform trousers as well as covert and casual pants and trousers in nylon, twill, various different weights of rip stop polyester and cotton canvas.  5.11 also now even offer two varieties of pants which contain a "stretch" material the Stryke and Traverse Pants.

For me though some of the best 5.11 products are the bags, more specifically the Rush series of Backpacks which offer some incredibly well thought out features and design elements along with the build quality and durability you would expect from anything 5.11 produce.  The Rush bags are available in 3 sizes each named after the hours of deployment they were designed to serve, 12,24, and 72 respectively.  For me the 24 is the ideal size for almost any situation, the compression straps mean it packs down as hand-luggage or a normal day sack just fine, yet there is actually tons of carrying capacity in there....easily enough for 48 hours.

5.11 Belts are a popular companion purchase to the tactical pants with the non metallic TDU belt coming in almost all the available colours that the pants do, and even offering their "Double Duty Belt" which is Coyote brown on one side and black on the other.  For those looking for something a bit more rugged, the trainer and operator tactical belts offer 1&3/4" and 2" belts with steel buckles which can support a huge strain.  These belts are also more rigid than the TDU belts and are therefore more suited to loading pouches as they are less likely to twist.

Military Boots

There are a wide variety of military boots available in the UK from a broad range of international manufacturers all the slightly different boot needs of the various military branches in each of their specific roles.

One of the easiest ways to break down the military boot market is by manufacturer.  I will look first at the two economically priced mass produced brands before I look in more detail at the hand made top end boots which are more popular with the military than the police.

Magnum make a small range of military boots, these days narrowed mainly to the Scorpion light weight patrol boots which have been the UK MOD issue tender boot for several years running.  In the past Magnum have experimented with a broader range of military footwear, including the first (and I think only) full multicam boot in existence!  This included a sole constructed from multicoloured rubber, not just a painted on finish, so the multicam would not wear off even as the sole wears down.  However Magnums alternative styles did not prove popular with military users and they have narrowed their focus back to the police and security boot market.

Bates Military boots have crossed over between police and military more successfully than Magnum, mainly due to the popularity of the Bates Falcon Boot with the highly elite and well regarded UK Special Boat Service (SBS).  The Bates Falcon has a very unique tread pattern that has proved to have exceptional grip qualities on wet metal surfaces, eg. the hull or deck or a ship or boat.  Other than the specific needs of the SBS when doing ship assaults the Bates range are not specifically military boots, they are much more a police boot, aimed at the urban patrol/pursuit user.

The more popular military boots are from the German hand made manufacturers mainly Lowa, Altberg, Meindl, Haix and Hanwag, but not forgetting the relative new comer to the scene Turkish company YDS.  Between these brands there is actually not that much to choose from, it is really just personal preference.  All of these brands of military boots boast outstanding reputations for quality and durability as well as comfort.

Review of Handcuffs for Sale in the UK

There are 4 main types of Handcuffs for Sale in the UK, the more traditional rigid, semi-rigid and chain link style metal handcuffs and then the fourth type, plasticuffs.

When it comes to preference most police or security officers prefer the rigid type of handcuffs, though these are harder to find on sale in the UK as the original manufacturer and patent holder of this design (Hiatts) went out of business whilst still in possession of the license and no one was quite sure if they could legally manufacture rigid cuffs.  Rigid handcuffs have long been the most popular as they offer the maximum amount of control over a detainee with the minimum amount of force (and risk).  Users however do have to be trained on this type of cuff to avoid legal repercussions if the detainee suffers an injury whilst cuffed.  Rigid cuffs are now available for sale in the UK from the manufacturer THC.

During the void left by Hiats liquidation ASP (most famous for it's batons) released their semi rigid, or hinged cuffs.  These were a half way house between rigid and chain link handcuffs offering some degree of lateral control if gripped in the centre.  Whilst these were much more effective than chain link they were still not any were near as good or popular as the rigid handcuffs.  ASP do these hinged cuff style in steel, available in black, blue, yellow and pink and a light weight rust resistant powdered aluminium.

Chain link handcuffs are the most widely available cuffs on sale and have been produced by a wide range of manufacturers from the tactical, to the novelty.  The leading manufacturer is probably ASP again for the tactical market, and probably Ann-Summers for the non tactical market.  Chain link handcuffs offer the least control over a suspect and do not allow for "stacking" whilst cuffing.

Plasticuffs are designed for mass detention, offering a cheap, disposable solution to restraining detainees as they have to be cut off to be released.  Plasticuffs are a quick and easy option and due to the tight nature of the binding on the wrists offer excellent control over anyone bound in the them.  Plasticuffs are mainly sold by ASP, Monadnock and Deenside.

Police Bags

There are a wide variety of police bags on the market from a huge number of manufacturers and at vastly different price points.  At the top end of the market brands like Arcteryx or Blackhawk can set you back hundreds of pounds for a gucci rucksack or medium sized holdall, in the middle 5.11 offers quality at an acceptable price and at the bottom end a plain black sports bag from Sports Direct might cost you less than a tenner and you can probably stuff most of your kit in there just as easily (but getting the right piece out again in a hurry might be the problem!!!).

A suitable police bag has to offer a certain range of basic features for most officers:

1. A decent size main compartment for most kit; folders, fleece, custodian etc
2. A decent selection of pockets for organizing smaller kit; PNB, Phone, Cuffs, etc
3. Shoulder strap and carrying handles (it is not until you don't have one or the other of these that you miss them!!)
4. Hard-wearing, heavy duty construction. (Police bags get slung around on a daily basis, often over loaded with kit)
5. Sensible weight (Lugging your police bag around all day can be a massive chore if it weights a tonne even before you have loaded it)
6. Water resistance (probably not necessary to be totally water proof but the bag should be able to withstand being caught in a shower without all your kit getting soaked.

When choosing a police bag there are 3 main types, rucksack, holdall and load out.  A rucksack is ideal if you are going to be on the move for a prolonged period, it is by far the most comfortable method of transporting a load and also leaves you with both hands free (ideal for cyclists).  The disadvantage of this kind of police bag is it is hard to access items at the bottom of the bag.

The Holdall or kit bag is probably the most common kind of police bag, a semi rigid rectangular shaped bag often with a divider in the middle and a selection of pockets on the outside and often inside the lid on some of the better designed models.  These kinds of bags allow for easy division of kit and the best access without having to unload everything each time.

Load out police bags are more for PSU roles when you need to get a helmet, boots, coveralls etc all in the bag along side all your normal duty kit.  The best designed bags can be worn as both a rucksack and also used like a kit bag (some also have wheels and an extending handle but I have never found this a particularly essential feature on a police bag.)

As mentioned earlier, when choosing a police bag price is going to be a major factor, but not at the expense of quality!  I have seen one range of products that seems to differentiate itself on price but the quality of their bags and the weight of their kit bags especially is a major let down.  Multiple reports of their day sack failing within a few months of light use for example was common place.  My favourite brand, which you will pay a bit more for, but it is worth it for quality is 5.11, though I have seen a lot of good stuff at a very reasonable price point from the up and coming Op. Zulu brand.

LOWA Boots

If you are looking for quality military boots look no further than Lowa!  These German made hand-crafted boots have set the standard for years in reliable, comfortable, durable footwear and are a long standing favourite of military service personnel the world over.

Lowa do offer a "commercial" range of boots to the outdoors market but these are not to be confused with the "Task Force Collection" of tactical boots.  There are 3 main core Lowa boots in the Task Force Collection (in descending price order) the Combat, Mountain and Patrol.

The Lowa Combat Boots is the highest ankle boot at 9 1/2 inches offering fantastic ankle support and combined with its Gore-Tex lining offers fantastic waterproof protection from wading through shallow water or walking through long grass. You can normally find these online for about £155.00.

The Lowa Mountain Boot is the same basic concept as the Combat but with a slightly lower ankle height of 8 inches this boot is preferred by those who want a bit more freedom and flexibility in the calf.  (I have a pair of these myself and love them).  You can normally find these for about £150.00.

The Lowa Patrol Boot is the same height as the Mountain GTX boot but does not have the Gore-Tex lining.  Now whilst this boot won't offer the same level of water resistance a lot of users find a non Gore-Tex boot more versatile.  When properly looked after with polish and wax these lowa boots will be highly water resistant against brief submersion or patrolling moderate rain and have the added benefit that if completely submerged they will dry out a lot faster than any of the Gore-Tex lined Lowa Boots.  These normally retail for about £140.00.

There are also Desert Lowa Boots like the Zephry Mid, which is a low cut light weight highly breathable suede boot in a coyote tan colour. (This boot is on a slightly narrower last than normal which some users like, but I wouldn't recommend these lowa boots for load carrying).  The Para Recon's are also a very popular style, though mostly used for a "casual" on base boot they are renowned for their comfort and light weight and are often used for PT.

Now you may be looking at the price of these boots and thinking they are not for you, but whilst I certainly wouldn't recommend these as Cadet Boots, if you are a serious user the boots will pay for themselves over their long lifetime.

Fenix Torches

I have grown to like Fenix Torches more and more over the last few years, having initially been wary of them as a new pretender to the thrown compared to the longer established brands like Led Lenser, Surefire and even Maglite who have dominated the police market for the last decade. (Surefire torches much more so dominant in the military than police and un armed security).  However as the years have passed those early adopters of Fenix have yet to turn against them and I continue to hear almost exclusively positive feedback from end users suggesting that the products are built to a quality that lasts and that their product claims hold water.

I was initially a little suspicious of Fenix being just another cheap Chinese made torch company, cramming in a lot of functions and claiming powerful outputs and long run times at a very (almost "Too") reasonable price.  On a like for like price comparison you will normally find that Fenix boasts IPX8 water resistance where a competitor might claim their torch is simply weatherproof for example. (Now IPX8 is an ambigious term as it simply means better than IPX7 - Submersible to 1m for 30 mins, but even so it is the highest IP standard available for rating.)  Even their lowest priced ~£11.95 Fenix E01 Torch offers IPX-8!

At the top end of the price range is the Fenix TK40 which offers a blistering 630 lumen output on its brightest setting and a heroic 1200 min run time on it's most economical settings.  Unlike a lot of torches at the top end of the market the TK40 can also run on standard AA batteries as well as the high performance Ni-MH batteries it is really designed to run on, although you will not get the same performance on the AA as you will with the Ni-MH.

There is also a wide range of tactical accessories for Fenix torches from remote trigger switches and red filters to traffic cones and white light diffusers which make the torches highly versatile and suitable for everyone from recreational and professional shooters, to traffic officers and even photographers. 

Bates Boots

Bates Boots are a popular police boot brand, a big rival to Magnum in the USA, though not such a big competitor in the UK market currently.

Magnum have dominated Bates due to their longer standing tradition of providing boots in the UK, although they have making boots since Andrew Jackson Bates founded the company in in 1885!  It was not until 1960 however that Bates focused their efforts on making specialist shoes for the US navy and shortly after that that they became a specialist tactical footwear manufacturer exclusively. Since the 60's Bates have expanded internationally and their boots can now be found on up to 70 elite military units around the world!

In terms of performance Bates Boots are made from high specification materials and will last for several years of serious duty use as a police or security officer.  Unfortunately the Bates focus on the US market does mean they have not got some of the necessary EU certifications like EN20347 which is the standard for professional occupational footwear or the SRA, B or C slip resistance.  That is not to say Bates boots would fail these tests as they are built to very exacting standards, however they are built for the US market where the EU standards are simply not relevant so they have not bothered to put the products through the testing process to get the certificates!

Most front line end users however would not really worry about these certifications if buying boots for themselves, however corporate buyers who are issuing boots to staff or employees should definitely consider the implications of issuing non certified boots.

One of the most well known Bates boots is the Falcon boot which was popularised by the British SBS because of their unique sole tread pattern which maximizes grip on wet metallic surfaces....ideal for ships and boats!!! This reputation as the boot of choice by one of the most elite special forces units in the word quickly made the Bates Falcon boot and the wider Bates brand a highly respected industry name!  However, the Falcon boot is a specialist piece of footwear that fulfils a niche role and I would not recommend it for standard foot patrol or duty use.