AFFORDABLE TECHWEAR - Military Brands

You think you got what it takes to join the TECHWEAR BATALION? Better pay attention private, because we're finding out if it's worth trying out military brands as a good option for cheap/affordable techwear.
-In this video-
Helikon Trooper jacket: bit.ly/2Ht1yie
Helikon BDU pants: bit.ly/2Svfpe1
Military 1st website: bit.ly/38s3eV3
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"Gemstones"
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[@CreepsMcPasta]

Damn you're so close to stumbling across my secret of going a layer deeper, and finding reclaimed army surplus sites. Feels good finding interesting looking Gore-tex clothing for the cost of two McDonald's meals

[@jumpman2346]

u into tech wear too!? lol 🔥🔥🔥

[@deez5396]

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@sclr]

Yep! I will drop a hint for you guys cause there are a ton of em: German flecktarn GoreTex parkas. Dye that shizzle black and you got a great jacket.

[@ThisIsAntwon]

Next week: CreepsMcPasta Secrets he DOESN'T Want You to Know 😈

[@deez5396]

@@ThisIsAntwon will you go to prom with me?

[@jubakusha]

I work in security & use Helikon products all the time, really good quality for the price

[@mirosawirzyk5247]

They are based in the town where I live... They make clothes for military too...

[@GanymedeGang]

Techwear were people want to dress like the special ops but don't want to join the military.

[@esaedvik]

Naah, it's not really a military thing. It does have some aesthetics from it though.

[@katz9853]

Why would we?

[@cookiedestroyer402]

@@esaedvik yaah

[@GanymedeGang]

@@katz9853 so we are prepared for the robot apocalypse

[@whatfreedom7]

Throw in a face mask and you have the antifa outfit,lol.

[@corbin7020]

I have some decent experience with military gear and tapering military cargo pants myself. The first couple pairs weren't all that good, but over time I've learned to taper them myself and picked out better military cargos. They are some of my most worn pairs of pants, very versatile and are not "#techwear" cringe, they fit in well with the greyman aesthetic. Before I saved up and got an Acronym jacket, I found a nice olive green waterproof shell with a lot of features and is high quality. I still use it especially for times I go hiking or something rugged. (Lord forbid I damage my grailed acronym lol). Trust me, you could go down the rabbit hole with military surplus.

[@ThisIsAntwon]

Being able to alter stuff is a super valuable skill for sure - things fitting well a lot of the time makes as much difference as buying something expensive. Just don't baby that Acronym too much! 😉

[@phugeycakes7416]

Corbin Very well said, I’m actually taking the plunge into the rabbit hole currently I just tapered my first pants and they look amazing. Do you have any recommended sites for ordering military cargos online?

[@Mazzah96]

Don’t think it’s really a problem to wear cheaper pieces paired with expensive ones. It’s different if your piece is a widely known statement piece paired with Zara denim, like you mentioned. I like to pair my acronym pieces with vintage military stuff all the time. If the aesthetic is right, it can’t be knocked. It’s just that a lot of the imitative fast fashion brands that come into the “techwear” realm are not only derivative, but very cheap as well.

[@hobbitilius]

Some brand recommendations while I'm at it: *Arktis Outdoor* or their Fashion Sisterbrand *ArkAir* for practical but also stylish gear with lot's of experimental colours and camos. *UF Pro* for tacticool gear of the highest standard. This is pretty much the pinnacle when it comes to good value on great gear. *Arc'teryx LEAF* if you want to stay true to the way of the brand or want the best of the best. *Varusteleka* if you want affordable basics or surplus gear. eBay is pretty good for surplus as well of you know what to look for.

[@pedrobrazon6610]

Isnt arc'teryx leaf militar exclusive?

[@rocketman1131]

Pedro Brazon don’t forget alpha industry

[@TheMightyPeppermintor]

​@@pedrobrazon6610 Yeah, it's built for military and security work, but you can get it in selected military stores. If you're not crawling through the Canadian snow, most of the thicker stuff is overkill for civilian use, though.

[@aitor.online]

bruh i just want the arkair dispersion camo

[@AlexsEquipmentCorner]

Don't forget Crye, and can agree on UF Pro got their Striker HTs and I love em

[@tuckerwolfe]

I picked up a 5.11 Tactical hard shell from the local police uniform store that is pretty awesome.

[@KidCracken]

Military gear usually aren't made to have perfect looking stitches or the supersoftest material. It's made to be durable and functional. And I'm more into streetwear and military gear, but i think it looks like those pants have a dope fit.

[@smile--]

Honestly, unless you are rich or just really into techwear, thrifting for black gorpcore stuff is a surprisingly good option since a lot of it fits the techwear aesthetic

[@jockalladrick8255]

When i first got in to techwear i was really let down at how much stuff was just ripped straight from the military world with slight changes to fit. Glad you finally covered this topic

[@T19R0N]

Looks nice! I think that halfway-point between tech ninja and gray man is what I've been going for

[@Volundur9567]

Helikon is a factory worker's friend. Stuff stands up to the work.

[@KidCracken]

I randomly remembered this video while browsing Military1st the other day.. TBH I think it's kinda weird that you normally talk about $500 pants and then knock the quality of army gear based on some of the cheapest you could find.

[@esaedvik]

Helikon-Tex Patriot heavy fleece jacket/hoodie is one of my fav pieces of clothing. A+

[@sclr]

Tapatío hot sauce, just like wearing field shirts, goes with every look. Thank Antwon!

[@Jedwoods]

I still have a Helikon Gunfighter (softshell, slightly heavier than Trooper) that I've had since 2012. It's a little beaten up now but basically been good. I'll confirm that it doesn't handle heavy rain well, and dries slowly after it gets soaked.

[@nuxlac]

This is great! I recommend Hill People Gear for bags, especially for the Gorpcore/Hikercore look you discussed in the video previous.

[@greaze.]

When I tailor my trousers I never bother ripping the seam. I basically build my taper and machine it up at my desired fit. The excess fabric stays inside the leg, hidden - and you can always remove this and they're back to normal.

[@kattodoggo3868]

thats what i do too. You dont know if you will not gain some weight on the way :D

[@DavidMoseer]

Man that jacket fits surprisingly well! Great creativity there with the patches man.. As always, keep up the good work! :-) p.s. let me know how you charge for a hit lol

[@munkeypants1]

Just checked out the jacket’s product description via the link Antwon have above and watched the video demo on the retailer’s site. That jacket is full of great design features - incl some not shown in thus review such as pit vents. Am seriously pondering getting one to layer under my Arc’terex or CP shells

[@cyberneticwarmachine]

Some brands just use military gear. Smack a patch on it. For ex. Mxdvs. 101 inc. gear or mill-tec. Looks dope but if you don't care for the patches. Checke them out.

[@DA80M8]

Crystal hot sauce is my new fave! Great vid

[@pngunfdm]

I got military pants from helikon which I altered at a normal tailor without a problem and it wasn't expensive at all. And they're honestly pretty great :) They fit well, they're durable and have a lot of pockets :) I really recommend this approach

[@Luna-ii4mx]

That first jacket is actually gorgeous

[@arnaspuidokas5464]

Pro-tip for making those military pants look good since I have a ton of them: triple pinch cuff them so there's a slight bit of tension between the cuff and your waist, you'll get that tapered look. I just add some pouches or knee pads and there you go.

[@anarchyandempires5452]

I really like this military/ techwear mix clothing style, much more Cyber America than cyberpunk.

[@carlwest5936]

Bro idk what techwear really covers but Im really into Carhartt and American Workwear, you get really useful pieces for under $100 every time. The 12oz duck canvas jackets are awesome

[@hobbitilius]

About the tapering issue with your pants: I actually have a simialr pair of cargos that my brother altered for me by simply sewing the taper on the outside from just below the cargo pockets to the bottom. All we did was open up the bottom stitch, we didn't even bother with the stitch on the side. Safe for a small bulge below the cargo pockets, you won't even notice the alterations. So it can totally be done, it's just that some seamstresses won't or it'll be to expensive. But if you can do it yourself it's easy.

[@L454RU5]

Cool video, also I thought the construction talk was actually very interesting

[@SnowBall7148]

That jacket is really close to perfection, it just needed the NikeACGAlpine's neck+hood style.

[@Mike-yy4ll]

I used to have an office nearby Splav store (Russian tactical/outdoor gear brand) and, eventually, i changed my entire wardrobe to the highest degree of techwearyness. Everyone said that i looked like a school shooter. I can recommend to buy military stuff in the thrift stores, re-dye them, take to a tailor, add some patches (like Alien-themed, Weyland-Yutani and stuff, whatever you like), wax them if it's cotton using Barbour wax, make your own camo using bleach and stencils.

[@Proud_Fenian]

My go to clothing brand is Sarma TST which is an in-house brand of military surplus based on Finnish military gear made by a company called verusteleka . Makes for great work clothes as well as daily wearing since its all super high quality.

[@Aeknu]

anyone looking for a US military brand to replicate some techwear aesthetic whether it be looks or performance, I would recommend 'Condor' all of their stuff is highly durable and the designs are pretty cool, they have parkas and jackets similar to the ones done on this channel and was a gateway for myself when I was looking to get into techwear! I highly recommend them! They also give some in depth on materials and functionality that the garments are specified for which I haven't seen many other military tactical brands do.

[@eleosone1706]

I have the BRIDGES™ patch, now I need the jacket 🤤 poor man's JK1A-GTKP

[@javaally1203]

Kohl’s sells ZeroXposure high collar military like jackets with water proofing for cheap.. saw one on clearance for 35.

[@firegio123]

Ripperkon recently made a new bolero which I thought would be a pretty neat accessory to check out. It’s a sort of waterproof and wind proof top sleeve that fits over combat shirts. Too bad it’s only available in Germany and eu though.

[@PrestonBaez]

I really like that jacket

[@bjamofficial]

Mil Surp is a great way to get all your molle webbing gear and attachments, like this LIVIQILY Tactical MOLLE Glasses Shockproof Protective Box Portable Outdoor Sunglasses Case I found on Amazon for about 10US. You can find great little molle web compatible pouches too, that are as well made as major brands but far far cheaper. I just found a mesh scarf like the Enfen Leve one for about 20US too... have to see it to recommend it tbf.

[@mirosawirzyk5247]

Anthony Helikon, Texar, Garsing etc Helikon used to have black Gore-Tex jackets for 100$... Garsing makes good alternatives to your NIKE boots... Texar super cool fleece jackets... Helikon has also a grey man collection - nice shirts...

[@samuellikenye3954]

Early gangg

[@psych9079]

those badges are hot, picking up a couple from aoku and a brand called foxbat that has things similar

[@Iktomeone]

Asking brits for hot sauce recommendations is like asking vampires for their favorite garlic recipes.

[@TheMightyPeppermintor]

Military/tactical gear is a bit of a mixed bag in my experience. Being a punk rock kid in Germany I used to rock a Bundeswehr-Parka all the time (after cutting off the flags, of course, because nationalism really isn’t all that punk rock). I still have it and wear it, served me well for nearly 15 years at this point. While some of the brands that military shops sell are insane when it comes to durability, some are complete and utter trash. I’ve had good experiences with Mil-Tec, especially with their bags and even some of their combat boots, and on the high quality tier there’s also Carinthia, Leo Köhler and TacGear, and of course Arc’teryx LEAF - if you even can get your hands on LEAF, but their winter stuff is way too warm anyway if you don’t spend eight hours of your day outside. On the worst end of the whole thing is Brandit. I don’t know if that brand is even available outside of Germany, because they seem to be German, but steer clear of it. They basically sell Gildan, but at even less consistent quality.

[@chrislowry6061]

Definitely check out Kitanica. A bit pricey, but really good stuff.

[@stoneslash]

5.11 tactical the taclite pants are pretty stout and a nice range of sizes and colors.

[@misterdinner3648]

To be fair, you look like you could be a fairly intimidating SAS operative.

[@vect0rwolf]

Not all webbing and accessories are made equal. Cheap molle/pals gear might not properly line up with the usual techsys webbing because they aren’t made to any particular standard. For mods that mate using web to web, there are some quick attachments that are more secure than plain slotted loops which can work themselves out with vigorous agitation.

[@TK4541]

Imagine rocking a modern gorka upper out and about as your primary piece. People would probably think 90s hi tech windbreaker.

[@jerichogreen2409]

If you aren’t a fan of the durability of the first jacket you should review the free soldier soft shell hiking jacket👍

[@TheLaughBreaker]

Valentina mexican hot sauce is so savory that you get the spicy without that strong vinegar taste

[@luckeysleven777]

What's your height and what size on jacket? Thanks!

[@lc4794]

I reccomend russian military gear wich is cheaper and way more durable since they've always designed their equipment to last centuries

[@kamizilla2267]

Does it ship outside of Russia? And where should I look?

[@lc4794]

@@kamizilla2267 yes it does its full of soviet and post soviet surplus on ebay another good website is greyshop russia

[@kamizilla2267]

@@lc4794 ah okay. thanks

[@normmcdonald1347]

louisiana hotsauce, cystal hotsauce, and tobasco. Grew up on all of them in the bayou country, some of the best we have.

[@normmcdonald1347]

just realized how old this video is, hopefully someone will get something from this 😂

[@Luna-ii4mx]

And yes im binging your videos

[@asspukeshit]

Dude that first jacket/pants combo is from TACVASEN, a cheap Chinese clothing manufacturer. I checked and you can buy both directly from them for US $67.97 (shipped) on aliexpress.

[@selsela3140]

My hot sauce recommendation is Queen Majesty Red Habanero & Black Coffee

[@SuperCD93]

Great video Antwon! Can I get an ID for the jacket at 0:53?

[@turkeynapas6576]

1:05 this is a Russian streamer whos name is Ozon671games, я в axye (my english is not on the highest lvl, sorry)

[@TheGrinbery]

Honestly it seems like these pants would work better with boots and not sneakers, hense why the extra fabric at the bottom.it's a very common feature in military style trousers

[@Mezelenja]

Galls and Quatermaster are good military garment websites

[@naegibh]

Man pretty sure i have the same pants in 4 different colourways bc I like them so much for the price but i mean i'm also not really into "traditional" techwear and more so go for a really baggy look with technical aspects lmao

[@pursuenyc1733]

"The Predator Great White Shark" Hot Sauce

[@XAntohax]

This pants is quite trashy, but the jacket is really neat! I know only 2 good quality military brands - Alpha Industries and Spiewak

[@gears8926]

Enshadower is pretty cheap and looks like pretty good quality and is very stylish

[@iblackfeathers]

when you combine acronym with acronym with acronym then you have a matrix. when you subtract from it, you have an abbreviation? yes, i have combined military gear with techwear style for years,even before the label of techwear. to this day it has been about form and function and not for the namesake of techwear. the main thing is while looking for cut and style, it is very, very hard to find stuff if you just go by military brand names. for instance there is a nice jacket from 5.11 tactical and then there's another rain jacket that is extremely baggy and does not look like the picture and is an utter fail. also, avoid buying directly from them online and instead buy from a reseller because they have the worst customer service. their physical stores are ok. just look at their reviews. also well placed velcro is fine but sometimes they go overboard with the bulkiness, the sheer thickness and noise of velcro, and lack of overall mobility for the sake of utility. loaded out admin chest pockets? they approach things from more a utilitarian standpoint that many times form takes a backseat from function. some stuff are over-engineered for durability but then gets too hot and/or too heavy. finding that middleground can be challenging. so that's when i dive into more civilan outdoor gear: pulling from the wisdom of outdoor people... what is thin and light and breathable based on their experience of actual use. overall it's a mix and match of what works.

[@octobr1]

This comment is way too damn long

[@TheAcrnm]

Yes, MGS and DS patches required

[@insertnamehere1685]

What brand were the pants at 0:40 ?

[@Luna-ii4mx]

Thanks for this, its hard to look cool and feel comfortable, especially as a girl 😭 All those sexy clothings are really uncomfortable and not to mention cold. Its also not healthy for our bodies to wear tight pants. This is perfect 👌🐰

[@Founder1Art]

earlyyy !

[@hobbitilius]

While some new-bought military gear can be quite good, where military gwar really shines is surplus. Obviously you won't find much black stuff, but what you'll get will be way better value for money than anything else.

[@jedimike7689]

The distinction here is “stuff from a military themed shop” vs “military issue”. There’s lots of tactical themed stuff that’s just as badly made and sweatshoppy as any fast fashion brand. The fact that the shop has a military theme is no guarantee of quality…

[@VanguardxGaming]

Whoa whoa wait what were the pants with the Nike boots ?

[@user-ph7vg5wp2f]

Like. More videos like this)

[@ariefwings7325]

next make a video about the line that separates techwear, tactical wear, and warcore...

[@schonka2]

I own quite a few products from Helikon-Tex, and they are kinda hit or miss for me. I *love* my very roomy and warm patriot fleece jacket, while the Alpha Tactical Jacket (without Hood) is a bit too tight around the neck but otherwise okay. I like the very baggy CPU Pants but dislike the UTP pants, they just arent comfortable. Their lvl 2 fleece underwear is great, the lvl 1 pants have a weird cut and I cant recommend them.

[@kennyma4904]

Is there a video that's showcases techwear with a medium price range, because I mainly either see videos on high prices for the rich or low prices for the broke.

[@flintheigel6734]

From a vet: 511 has solid apparel.

[@octobr1]

Tabasco is my personal favorite hot sauce

[@judgementfreezone717]

5.11 is a great place for techwear style

[@J94_Film]

what about superdry?

[@Smelly285]

They kinda fit cool tho

[@undercoverscab5570]

Antwon you're already hot enough you don't need any hot sauce

[@spitfire7208]

With the fur?

[@fyzika_]

Helikon-tex pants are baggy as hell on me unfortunately

[@OfficialGotbrick]

yeesh

[@J-S-VAL]

apple bottom jeans made me like n subscribe

[@aroldonolasco9029]

Hey what's up this is *Dashie* Also what was the bag he was using

[@bloodredhorizons3369]

Aroldo Nolasco forgot about the exact name of it but it’s an orbit gear one in a „black foil“ special edition

[@danielsimmich1858]

‘I would legit die before seeing combat’ a pacifist king ✊😔

[@TheMeleeHero]

Pussy....

[@sage-yk5ug]

Why doesn’t anyone tuck their coat or sweater into their cargo pants lol? Gives you a nice silhouette and keeps you way warmer.

[@bloodvow333]

Lapg is decent quality stuff

[@WEF2030SLAVE]

What is that sling bag?

[@EnZoRaHmAn1]

shawty had them apple bottom jeand and them boots with the fur

[@ThisIsAntwon]

The whole club was looking at huuuuur

[@LegendoftheFa11]

She hit the floor

[@daviddanmark13]

The jacket looks like a cheaper quality knock off of the Rothco jacket I have. Should have just bought a Rothco which is inexpensive and great bang for your buck.

[@AnonymousPersonSaysHello]

i think the pants are extra long because they can be bloused

[@T19R0N]

yeeehaw

[@djwhiplash2503]

Fucking lost it at apple bottom jeans

[@SnowBall7148]

The cheapest way? Have the blueprints and DIY. 😆😆😎

[@sarahpeartart]

Army surplus outlets are even cheaper

[@adamm2943]

Sometimes even some of airsoft stuff is cool for custiomization

[@Davierdor]

Where my greyman Bois at