Often we work on urban environments while trying to learn about the people or companies we are Red Teaming. Often we need to blend in either on the corporation offices or business casual bars.
Having clothing that performs (read technical fabrics) and look the part is a tricky thing. Add to that the ability to hide your kit and have it handy when you needed, and well... The options aren't many,
We recently found one company that provides us wtth all the things we mentioned above. We tried their Chinos and that's pretty much what we wear now. So, when they contacted to us to try their new Blazer, we jumped right in.
So yes, in our lact trip to the Far East, we had the chance to test, stress test and trash one of the Bluffworks Blazers.
It looks like a normal blazer, but the fabric is 100% polyester with mechanical stretch. This not only gives you durability and easy care, but also makes theblazer ready for abuse. The blazer looks the part. Its trim fitting shape is comfortable and easy to wear. Mobility is great.
But what set this blazer apart, for us, is the ability to hide things.
Yes, there are some hidden pockets, zippered pockets and plenty of room to conceal and keep your travel items and kit.
We carried a Glock 43. It fit perfectly on the side pocket or on the hidden lower back pocket.
Magazines can go into the side zippered pocket. The lower back is also a good place to carry your entry kit, just take it out of the pouch and place it there.
Of course other pieces of kit can go into the blazer, like a trauma kit.
So, how did the blazer performed?
First of all when we unpacked it from a ruck, it came out wrinkle-free. We were able to get to the hotel, quickly switch to a business casual attire for a night in town (AKA gather some intelligence), During the second night, a light rain caught us half way throught the SDR, making the blazer a bit wet. By the time we were back in the hotel, the blazer was already dried. A bit of shaking and it was back in shape.
Next came the folding. We had to change clothing at the location, and the fact that the blazer is synthetic helped with folding it small. It's not light-weight, but it can be folded quite small. It fit without a problem inside a GORUCK Bullet 15. And, again, when we pulled it out, it was ready to go again. No wrinkles.
The final test was the washing. We placed it on the hotel washing machine, and while some of the threads in the lower seams were visible, overall the jacket to a lot of punishment on that machine. Clean and ready to go!
Overall, highly recommended.
Bluffworks have them on pre-order. And even though they are expensive, they are high-quality and serve many purposes. Something we believe in!
Go get one.