When you consider an emergency scenario with your survival at stake, the clothes on your back matter.
Let’s take a look at “tactical” clothing that will help you thrive and survive during a bugout or an extended emergency.
What is Tactical Clothing?
Tactical clothing is part of the special group of tactical gear and equipment that meets the purposes and demands of the military, law enforcement, outdoor enthusiasts, survivalists, and preppers. Special designs are taken into consideration to ensure durability to perform in challenging situations and disaster scenarios and provide a level of comfort, mobility, and practicality as well.
What is Unique About the Design of Tactical Clothing for Survival?
Tactical clothing is made of sturdy materials and designed with efficiency in mind making it the ideal clothing for preppers. For example, tactical clothes are designed to provide you with enough pockets to hold small prepper tools and essentials (including some hidden pockets for weapons).
Insulated tactical clothing can protect your body during various weather conditions and temperatures. Made from insulated materials like thermal and fleece, insulated tactical clothing will trap air between the body and clothing to help prevent chilling and sweating.
Standing out in bright colors is the last thing you want when bugging out during a survival situation. Tactical clothing is purposely designed in neutral or dark color shades to help you blend in with your environment and the dark at night.
Tactical colors:
:: Black
:: Brown
:: Dark Green
:: Gray
:: Navy blue
:: Tan
Why Would a Prepper Need to Wear Tactical Clothing?
When bugging out, you may be faced with many environmental difficulties, especially weather-related. In winter months, you’ll be dealing with cold temperatures and snow with a risk of frostbite and hypothermia. In summer months when faced with hot temperatures, you’ll want to wear moisture-wicking clothes to keep sweat off your body and avoid heat-related illnesses. During the rainy season, you’ll want to wear tactical clothing that will repel the rain and offer some protection from wind.
Tactical clothing made of sturdy materials can also help lessen the risk of insect or other rodent bites. By covering up various parts of your body, it can help you avoid scrapes, cuts, and sunburn from harmful UV rays while outside for long periods of time.
Here are 10 essential pieces of tactical clothing for prepping. These items are designed for durability, functionality, and comfort in various environments.
<1> Tactical Boots
Tactical boots are essential for outdoor work and hiking. They’ll help you keep your feet and ankles dry, warm, supported, and blister-free. Frost bitten feet or a sprained ankle from slipping could be detrimental to your survival efforts.
Tactical boots offer your feet protection, support, and durability even in extreme weather conditions and demanding environments. They’re made with the military, law enforcement officers, and emergency responders in mind, so you can rest assured that they’re made for preppers as well. Choosing the right tactical boots in leather or nylon can impact comfort, performance and survival in the elements.
Tactical boots should provide slip-resistant soles for better traction on uneven terrains and slick surfaces. What sets them apart from standard boots is that they’re designed to provide ankle support while allowing for quick movements.
Consider buying your boots a half size bigger than what you normally wear, so thick wool socks can be worn in cold temperatures.
<2> Tactical Jackets
When it comes to enduring inclement weather, a tactical jacket acts as a barrier between you and cold temperatures, rain, and snow. By staying warm and dry, you can help to lessen your risk of illness. It’s important to hold your body heat and maintain your body temperature by wearing a polyester, nylon, or down jacket with a fleece or wool lining. You want to select materials that are durable but also feel lightweight while you’re on the move during a bugout or working outside.
Most tactical jackets will offer a waterproof outer layer that can be a huge benefit when trying to survive in the outdoors for an extended period. It will also provide you with multiple pockets for additional storage of small prepper tools. Tactical jackets may also feature hidden pockets with zippers and flaps to keep items safe.
<3> Tactical Pants
Originally created to meet the demands of military, law enforcement, and outdoor enthusiasts, tactical pants are specially designed trousers that offer durability and functionality. Tactical pants are made from abrasion-resistant nylon or cotton fabrics to provide optimum protection against the elements and environment.
For preppers facing survival situations, tactical pants can provide full length leg coverage and added functionality. Lots of pockets help you carry tools, gadgets, or personal defense items. Having quick access to essential prepper gear can make a difference in any survival scenario.
4. Tactical Shirts
Tactical shirts are designed to be durable yet comfortable to offer you optimal mobility when moving around in any direction. Reinforced stitching helps avoid ripping while moisture-wicking fabrics ensure breathability when nervously navigating unknown terrains to find safety.
Many tactical shirts are made from a lightweight polyester/spandex blend that offers quick-drying properties and stretchability for mobility. It makes a great base layer that hugs your body without making you feel restricted during movement. The special fabric also lessens the risk of ripping, shrinking, or losing its shape.
5. Tactical Gloves
Tactical gloves are an essential piece of prepper safety gear offering optimal protection, hand dexterity to hold gear, and tactility. In addition to keeping your hands warm in cold temperatures, tactical gloves also lessen the risk of cuts and abrasions while navigating through rough terrain and performing chores like building shelter or chopping wood to build a fire. More importantly, tactical gloves allow you to grip a weapon if your safety is threatened.
When prepping, look for tactical gloves that offer reinforced palms and good grip. Select insulated gloves that offer an extra level of weather protection. Fingerless tactical gloves offer maximum dexterity, allowing a user to feel a weapon and ammo while protecting the hand. Hard knuckle tactical gloves are specially made for hand-to-hand combat.
Leather is a common glove material because it offers comfort, flexibility, and is water-resistant. Gloves made of Kevlar provide a slash-resistant feature when faced with sharp edged objects. Neoprene gloves keep hands dry and provide insulation in both hot and cold temperatures. Polyester gloves are slip-proof making them ideal for holding and carrying objects in wet environments.
<6> Tactical Belt
Tactical belts offer many benefits that ordinary belts can’t provide. Wearing a tactical belt when prepping can comfortably and securely hold all sorts of prepper tools and equipment in addition to weaponry holsters. Made from sturdy polyester or nylon materials, these belts have unique buckles, rings, slots, and other secure attachment points for prepper accessories.
For prepping, you may want to consider a non-concealment tactical belt that falls into the “outdoor adventure” category of tactical belts. This style is designed to hold mobile devices, knives, first aid kits, and other essentials. You want to select a versatile tactical belt that will allow you to keep your survival gear closely accessible while being comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.
<7> Tactical Vests
While a tactical belt allows you to hang essential gear from loop-like attachments, the tactical vest is a piece of clothing that features multiple pockets and pouches for carrying vital items like mobile devices, radios, water bottles, small tools, ammunition, first aid supplies, and other personal items.
Also, a tactical vest can simply provide an extra layer of warmth while allowing for mobility, organization, and in some extreme cases, protection against threating people. You want to select a vest that will stay snug yet comfortable, not too big and not too small. Look for a tactical vest that can accommodate as many survival supplies as possible without it feeling too heavy to wear.
<8> Tactical Caps and Hats
A tactical cap is not the same as a standard baseball cap. Tactical caps are made of heavy-duty materials for optimal durability against harsh environments. Tactical hats are constructed with strong materials and may offer ventilation holes or moisture-wicking bands to keep your head dry from perspiration. In addition to a classic baseball cap style, tactical hats also come in many different styles to accommodate different activities and seasonal elements of the weather.
Trucker-style tactical caps follow a baseball cap design except the back of the hat is all mesh for maximum airflow in warm weather. Fitted tactical caps feature the standard eyelets, front bill and six-panel construction and come in different sizes. Snapback caps come with a plastic, snapping adjustment strap and feature a flat bill instead of a curved bill. Boonie hats feature a wide brim that extends around the hat’s perimeter, with top vent holes and an adjustable drawstring providing maximum protection from the sun.
<9> Tactical Socks
Tactical socks are not only designed for ultimate comfort but also for durability and performance. They’re made from materials that provide cushioning and support. Moisture management properties help in warm climates or wet conditions to maintain dryness and protect against blisters and foot infections from fungus. Tactical socks can be worn for long durations. Some tactical socks offer compression features to help improve circulation and reduce muscle fatigue.
Tactical sock materials:
:: Nylon enhances the stretch and durability in socks for long wear without losing shape.
:: Polyester is lightweight, quick-drying, and helps with moisture management.
:: Spandex adds elasticity to socks, allowing for a snug fit that conforms to the foot’s shape and allow maximum mobility.
:: Wool provides moisture-wicking properties, thermal regulation, and natural odor control even in warm climates.
When selecting a style of tactical socks, there are typically three popular styles: Crew socks reach mid-calf. Over-the-calf socks reach higher to offer more leg coverage. Ankle socks are a lightweight, minimal coverage option that allow for optimum breathability.
<10> Base Layers of Clothing
There are a few base layers of clothing that can be a lifesaver, especially when threatened with a risk of hypothermia (a medical emergency when your body temperature drops too low).
A base layer that touches the skin can be made of thermal to help keep you warm by trapping body heat and wicking away sweat to prevent chills. A mid layer of clothing can be added over the base layer in the form of an insulated jacket or vest made of fleece or wool. Over the mid layer, you can then add an outer layer or waterproof shell like a windbreaker made of breathable fabric to protect against wind, rain, and snow.
Survival Clothes And The Elements
There is a big difference between basic clothing and tactical clothing created to withstand demanding environments.
Tactical clothing is specially made with durable fabrics in strategic muted colors in addition to providing a multitude of pockets for easy access of prepper gear. Tactical clothing from the cap on your head to the socks and boots on your feet and everywhere in between are purposely designed to protect your body from inclement weather, heat, cold, and the overall impact of outdoor survival and work. Whatever the emergency, tactical clothing can help ensure that you maintain your health while allowing you to move freely.
Tactical clothing protects your body parts from over exposure to the elements, keeping you warm, dry, cool, or safe from UV rays and insect bites. Layering clothing can be a prepper’s best defense from dangerous temperatures and weather conditions.
When your survival depends on the clothing you’re wearing, tactical clothing including boots, socks, pants, shirts, vests, jackets, and hats may save your life whether you need to run for cover, hide in the brush, or grab a weapon from a pocket.
