The Web-tex Soft Shell in Olive Drab

This review is more of a long term test drive due to the fact that I’ve owned this softshell now for almost 2 years now, so hopefully you get to see a decent review based on its overall performance in its time with me.

Now with the recent weather showing, the only thing predictable month to month with the British weather is that at some time, it will rain. Whether that’s as a light drizzle or a monsoon style downpour, it will happen at some point. With that in mind airsofters who play outdoors for any duration of time should really prepare for such an eventuality. In my case I invested in the Webtex soft shell, mainly due to the mass availability of it within the UK.  When I placed the order, I realised this jacket wouldn’t hold up to a constant downpour that could happen in a day long rain storm, but for a couple of hours, I expected good things from the jacket. I chose the olive drab colour over tan or black simply because it allowed me a great deal of flexibility, both on the airsoft field with different loadouts or in the real world walking around the town or fields nearby.

                                                             Tactical pose on a dog walk in the local woods

It delivered.

The soft shell has been with me now for a long time as previously mentioned, seeing use not only on the airsoft field but also out on casual trips, be that an outdoor activity such as dog walks across the hills near me or even trips to the zoo, the jacket has held firm and more importantly has kept me dry.

                                                  A close up showing the fleece inner on the softshell                                    

I’m not the most technically minded when it comes to the makeup of the jacket but the material used has allowed me to wear it in cold temperatures with just a t-shirt underneath it in the winter, due to the fleece layer on the inside of the jacke. However thanks to its breathability I have been able to wear the jacket recently when the weather has gone from 20C to 10C and back again,with the soft shell holding strong each time with no need for me to change out of it into something else.  For those like me who are into wearing some sort of patches on your arm, the soft shell has Velcro located on the upper arms allowing the user to attach all sorts of patchy goodness onto themselves.  The durability of the jacket speaks for itself. I’ve had mine for almost two years now and used it quite regularly for a variety of tasks and there isn’t even a bit of stitching loose on it yet.  The fact it has stayed strong for so long goes out to prove that although we all wish  we could have that £400 soft shell as used by a tier 1 unit, it’s not necessary when you  can get hold of perfectly good, useable and most importantly affordable jackets for £50 these days.

So as a last word, with the cold months apparently approaching, I recommend you get yourself one of these quick to help fend off some of the impending rain and cold.

Custom Sniper Equipment presents: The Ghillie Cape

Mention an airsoft sniper in your local sites safe zone and one of two images are brought to mind. The first is the Call of Duty enthusiast who wanders around the field with the first rifle he could buy, playing in an assault style role just armed with a high powered rifle. The second is the one that has had hundreds of pounds worth of upgrades installed on his beloved rifle, which he treats more like one of his children then an airsoft gun. A person who is more than happy to spend an hour watching over a certain area, lying in wait for sometimes just one kill that justifies to him all the hard work in getting that one unseen kill on your unsuspecting foe.

If you are that second type, then this is a piece of equipment you need in your gear bag.

But first, a little bit of background on Custom Sniper Equipment. Created at the beginning of 2012 by an ex British Army Sniper, Custom Sniper Equipment seeks to produce a milspec quality product that is useful not only to those currently serving but also to the airsoft community. Having spent a day with Paul learning how to make these capes, I can assure you that lots of hot glue burns, sweat and tears go into producing these capes with each one having almost ten hours invested in them.
Like so many others out there, I didn’t see the appeal at first of using a cape in an airsoft environment, be that in a skirmish or milsim role.  But eventually curiosity got the better of me and I decided to purchase one with a team mate of mine.
Upon first wearing the cape outdoors on the skirmish field, I was shocked by not only how effective it was at breaking up my shape but also how its practical design meant I could still access my plate carrier and get my magazines out of their pouches. I was shocked by how well the cape allowed me to blend into the scrubs around me, meaning I managed quite a few sneaky kills with the OPFOR none the wiser as to my position!

The ultimate test for the cape however was on a milsim event a couple of weeks later. I was sent out as part of a two man sniper element to conduct reconnaissance of the AO and report back any enemy movement to our HQ. Out in the elements I can safely report that the cape held its own, allowing me to get into over watch positions and thanks to its heat insulating abilities, stay warm for hours when the cold started to really bite at my fellow operators. My only regret with taking the cape out for the operation was that I didn’t allow myself any chances of taking pictures due to the work we had to do on the ground!

The only problem I found was attempting to transport the cape around in my Bergen with the rest of my kit became quite hard with it often getting caught on branches if I failed to store it properly. However since then after consulting with Paul I had a custom made carry bag made in a digital woodland style pattern that keeps the cape secure during transit but allows quick access when it’s needed.

Custom Sniper Equipment currently sells the Ghillie cape for £110 excluding postage and packing, but expect a small delay from the initial order to the capes arrival on your doorstep due to each cape being created specifically for each individual. For more information or to order a cape, simply search Custom Sniper Equipment on Google or check out the Facebook page here!

As a final treat, 5 virtual man points to whoever can locate the Ghillie cape in this picture.

Thanks to Custom Sniper Equipment for providing the pictures used in this article.