THE BDU. BUYERS BEWARE! ALL ARE NOT EQUAL!

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1 THE BDU. BUYERS BEWARE! ALL ARE NOT EQUAL! The Battle Dress Utility or BDU is the official combat uniform of the United States Forces. From the late seventies to early 2003 It was worn by all the American military branches. Many police forces, emergency medical services, and security guard companies have selected the BDU for daily uniform use. Special teams such as dog units and Search & Rescue teams use the BDU. The BDU ultimately traces it s roots to the U.S. Airborne Paratrooper Uniform of World War 2, which in turn evolved into the Jungle Fatigue of the Vietnam conflict and finally the BDU of today. Today the BDU has become so popular in paramilitary and civilian circles that many commercial sewing houses have tooled up to make copies! Some copies are good (common) and some copies are very good (rare) Other copies, very bad (very common). The reasons for the BDU s popularity are varied, but the most common reason cited by everyone from civilians to soldiers is the garment s comfort factor. Being a combat uniform the pants are a full roomy cut and feature adjustable waist tabs so the trouser may be sized for the perfect fit. Paramilitary users like the BDU because of the wide range of earth tone coloring and camouflage prints available. These users have noted that all the pockets are double flapped, preventing the pocket buttons from snagging on bushes. The pleats on the pants cargo pockets are swept back to resist snagging as well. Heavy duty, hard core users, point out that the seat, knees, and elbows are double layered for extra durability. Stressed areas are bar tacked or backstitched further increasing durability. There are many fabric types, but only two basic weaves are used in the construction of BDU s. First, a 100% cotton in a ripstop weave is used for hot weather wear. This fabric is extremely comfortable, but unfortunately not that durable. Blends of nylon/cotton and polyester/ cotton ripstop have been developed and are phasing out the cotton ripstop, but it is an expensive fabric when compared to the pure cotton ripstop. The second basic fabric is a twill weave, almost always a cotton synthetic blend. Either a cotton nylon 50/50 blend or a cotton polyester in various percentages. The cotton nylon blend is specified by the military and is the most durable blend. The 50/50 cotton nylon is also very expensive, because it is only the military that uses it and it is printed in special dyes to help defeat night vision equipment! The cotton polyester blends are usually not military specified, but in fact produced to satisfy the demands of the commercial markets that include civilian, police and security users. The cotton polyester blends are more durable than pure cotton fabrics, almost as durable as the nylon cotton blends but are available in the greatest variety of colours and somewhat less expensive. The Battle Dress Utility Comfort Plus! Details, its all in the details! Durability Plus! The Low Down on Fabrics CLOTHINg, Pants & Belts - 2

2 THE BDU. BUYERS BEWARE! ALL ARE NOT EQUAL! The History of BDU s and the Commercial Market Care and feeding the BDU: To maintain the crispness of the camouflage print the BDU s should be laundered, inside out, in a mild soap that is scent removing or at least scent neutral. The BDU s should hang dry, away from the sun. If machine drying, use a low heat. How to Buy a BDU with Confidence In the late seventies all one could find available on the commercial market was used genuine issue BDU s in Woodland, 6 Colour Desert, Olive, and Black or new BDU s from government contract overruns and factory seconds from the same contracts. In those days supply was spotty, and size availability was inconsistent, but you were getting the same BDU s as the soldiers were issued. In the early eighties, shrewd makers of BDU s began to build commercial copies of the genuine BDU, using the military fabrics, but cut corners to reduce costs. Buttons were not attached as well, pocket linings were not as durable, drain holes were eliminated, and straight stitches replaced backstitches & bartacks. These cost cutting measures did not affect the utility of the BDU for commercial and civilian use adversely and it did help to increase size and color availability. In the nineties, military spending had been cut back, hence uniform contractors were looking to civilian markets to keep sewing machines humming. The BDU had been on the commercial market for almost 30 years and had become a fashion staple. With the addition of more manufacturers producing product, the market became extremely retail price competitive. Manufacturers cut corners to reduce costs and remain price competitive. The BDU had now devolved into a poorly made commodity product. The buyer of the BDU faces a hodge podge of BDU choices ranging from the top of the line better than military specification to cheap copies made from low grade fabric in foreign sewing mills. To confuse things even more, some of the contractors that build the genuine article have two quality levels! How to Buy a BDU with Confidence Quite simply purchase ours. Our management does not view them as a commodity piece, but a proper, heavy use, uniform garment. Although we build BDU s for commercial sale, they are aimed at professional users, such as SWAT teams. Not being a commodity, fashion garment, our BBU s aren t cheap, but they won t let you down either. We build our BDU s in the same facility that builds the famous Drop Zone military products, on the same computer controlled machines, by the same fastidious operators. We select the best heavy use polyester/ cotton twill fabrics that wear very well and dry very fast. We use the famous Canadian Military specification buttons that are held on with seam binding tape rather than thread so you should never require a replacement button! Military BDU pants have button flies, a hold over from the sixties when zippers were poor and failures had to be field repaired. Times have changed and zippers are reliable. We use a much handier, heavy duty nylon coil zip from YKK for the fly. All military BDU pants have waist adjustments, that take the waist in four inches. It is made of narrow 5/8" cotton webbing and a metal tabular buckle. Our BDU pants use 1" hook and pile with a six inch adjustment! Buy with confidence. Buy the Drop Zone Better BDU Pant. CLOTHINg, Pants & Belts - 3 No dealer in your area? Order toll free U.S.A. or Canada

3 These are not pussy pants! It is not a commonly known fact, but it is damn near impossible to get a genuine U.S. Government specification BDU pant off the commercial shelf, despite the claims to the contrary made by many producers & sellers of commercially available BDU s. The reasons for this short supply of the real deal, range from government contracts only allowing the overruns and factory seconds to be sold to the public to the sewing factories determining the public would not pay for the very high quality standards (and associated Velcro waist adjusters Seven 2¼" (57mm) belt loops YKK fly zipper Pocket linings are the same fabric as the entire pant! Double butt & knees Hidden clip knife pockets In 1996 we reviewed the BDU pant market and determined a quality unit must be produced. Superior Canadian Military "Sling" Button Tape drawstrings U.S. Military Button better bdu pant by dropzone CLOTHINg, Pants & Belts - 4

4 costs) required by the government specification. Both points are valid. However, regarding price, we feel it is up to the purchaser to determine what is too expensive. Prior to undertaking manufacturing, over the years, we sold hundreds BDU s purchased from other suppliers. We probably purchased almost as many back! We saw butt and knee patches tear off. Inseams come unstitched, and practically every button fall off. Wash them and look out. Shrinkage destroyed them. Puzzling, as these BDU s were from the better factories! In 1996 we reviewed the BDU pant market and determined a quality unit must be produced. Not being based in the U.S. and being very small we could not hope to build a milspec BDU, but undaunted, we determined we could exceed government specifications and offer Police forces and the general public the highest quality BDU pant in North America. We did and these are not pussy pants! We looked at construction, fabrics, and findings (zips, buttons, etc.) and bought the best we could find. We tracked down the finest fabrics. In our solid colors we use a 7.5-ounce per square yard 65/35 poly cotton blend we call Tactical Twill. But it only starts at fabric. The original BDU pant specification called for a button fly that could be repaired in the field. This made sense as the specification was written in the early sixties and zippers still had reliability issues. Times have changed over 40 years and we use YKK zippers for the fly. Waist adjusters used cotton webbing and a metal buckle. Awkward to use and uncomfortable when carrying a backpack with a waist belt. We ve replaced that with a Hook and Loop adjuster. Swat Black Color: Swat Black Originally specified for night time commando raids, sold to swat teams, the BDU pant in black is a fashion basic, and great for casual wear. Perfect for a work uniform! Here is a good shot of the famous Canadian military button. Order: Drop Zone Tactical Grade Better BDU Pants, Swat Black. CLOTHINg, Pants & Belts - 5 No dealer in your area? Order toll free U.S.A. or Canada

5 olive green Much more comfortable. Our Hook and Loop comes from Velcro. Buttons, the scourge of the BDU, and those that have worn them will know what I am talking about will appreciate our solution. We use Canadian Military tape mounted buttons. Unlike the original specification, the Canadian buttons will rarely come loose. The time-honored ritual of re-sewing buttons on your brand new BDU pants has come to an end. Once the fabric and finding issues were nailed, construction was the priority. We use a 4-thread safety lock on the main seams for strength. All stress points are bar tacked on a computer controlled tacking machine. Knee and butt patches are given extra seam allowance to resist lifting. Color: Olive Green Taped drawstrings are used instead of cord drawstrings. Cords make big uncomfortable knots, especially when bloused within the boot! Seasoned vets believe olive green is the best all around colour for camouflage clothing. Olive green is a classic colour for casual wear too! Order: Drop Zone Tactical Grade Better BDU Pant, Olive Green. The pocket linings are the same fabric as the rest of the pant. This prevents premature wear. What are your pockets lined with? True to the original, all pocket flaps are doubled to prevent buttons from snagging. The belt loops are a minimum of 2 making it easy to thread trouser belts. Starting in 2004 a hidden knife pocket will be added to the left hand cargo pocket. This feature has been on the right hand side pocket since The cut is full, baggier than many so called BDU pants, as we build these trousers for professional users. Professionals may be called to climb or run at a moments notice and need the extra room. The Hollywood cut might be great for posers, pussies, and carpet cops but it will not stand the test our customers put them through on a daily basis. The waist is high, helping to keep shirts tucked in and belts on the crest of the hips. Nothing says amateur more than an armed CLOTHINg, Pants & Belts - 6

6 guard with plumber butt! Order the BDU that raises the bar, the Tactical Grade Better BDU from Drop Zone... or... the Garrison Grade Better BDU. A new grade introduced in 2006 at a lower cost. police navy blue Data Sheet For Tactical Grade Better BDU : Better than standard BDU mil-spec construction. Ykk Fly Drop Zone s domestically produced Tactical Twill Fabrics Two hidden knife pockets on pants. Canadian military buttons 52 mm / 2 triple stitched belt loops Drawstring hems Doubled seat Doubled knees Sizing: Waist Size Small: 27" to 31" Medium: 31" to 35" Large: 35" to 39" Extra Large: 39" to 43" Double Extra Large: 43" to 48" Leg Inseam Length Regular: 29" to 32" Long: 32" to 35" Color: Police Navy Blue Our Navy Blue Better BDU pant is one of our biggest sellers. We sell them to SWAT Teams, Security Services, Dog Handlers, Forensic Investigators, EMT s and Tradesmen, all to use as a comfortable, inexpensive, work uniform. Like all our BDU s they are great for casual wear. Order: Drop Zone Tactical Grade Better BDU Pants, Police Navy Blue. CLOTHINg, Pants & Belts - 7 No dealer in your area? Order toll free U.S.A. or Canada

7 desert tan Color Chips Color Code 01 Classic Olive. A standard military uniform color for over 6 decades. Some believe it is the very best general purpose camouflage color yet. Color Code 02 Classic Black. What can we say? The standard Swat color for decades. History shows us it has been popular for night time commando raids. Color: Desert Tan The Tan BDU is considered by many to be the standard for casual travel wear. This pant exceeds the features of the original military specification pant yet without the paramilitary look. Ideal for grassland hunters. Great for arid climates. Order: Drop Zone Tactical Grade Better BDU Pant, Desert Tan. Color Code 03 Classic Navy. A very dark, almost black version of blue. So close to black we have to look twice at it when picking orders. If ever there was a standard police/security uniform color, this is it! Color Code 04 Classic Tan. Call it sand, desert tan, or dust. This is a very light, dusty sand color. An ideal color for hot weather uniforms. Used as a background color for many desert camouflage patterns including ACU Universal. Color Code 09 Khaki. Give our Classic Tan a sprinkle of Olive and you have Khaki. It is lore that the British Army soaked their white uniforms in tea, in an effort to darken them up for warfare in the desert, creating Khaki. Color Code 16 Concrete Grey. We think the name explains it all. A popular police/security uniform color. NOTE: Colors, of the actual finished product, due to variances in output devices, such as monitors and printers, may, or may not, match the chip shown. CLOTHINg, Pants & Belts - 8