19 Nov Spar-Tac ARES Combat Uniform – Before You Buy
Spar-Tac ARES Combat Uniform – Before You Buy
In today’s blog we will be talking about a combat uniform that may or may not be known to you, but it definitely deserves more attention in our opinion. Today we will have a closer look at the Spar-Tac ARES combat uniform.
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Now, before we truly dive into the subject, let’s first introduce you to the company behind this clothing called Spar-Tac.
Introducing Spar-Tac
Spar-Tac is a Croatian company which was founded in 2009 and they mainly focus on the research, development and production of tactical apparel and equipment. This for police, military and emergency services.
They combine tailoring expertise with mil-spec materials and the combat experience of active SWAT and SOF units. This to create functional apparel for the most demanding tasks. And above that all their products are proudly made here in Europe.
Also an important asset of Spar-Tac is that they make their clothing as affordable as possible while maintaining high in quality. This because most special operation forces require more than just one uniform and spending 400 to 600 Euros on just one set isn’t cheap for anyone. So having introduced the company to you, let’s go over to their products and let’s start off with probably the most important one their pants.
Spar-Tac ARES Combat Pants
Used Materials
To begin we’ll talk about the materials Spar-Tac uses for these. Depending on the color or pattern you choose the composition can vary a bit, but this is the case with every brand. In overall the camouflage versions come in a 50/50 cotton/polyamide ratio of Ripstop NYCO Cordura.
The single color versions come in a 60/40 polyester cotton ratio whereas they are also Ripstop woven and some even have hydrophobic coatings.
Ripstop
As just mentioned Spar-Tac produces all their clothing with a Ripstop weave rather than a twill weave to provide durable clothing and as the name itself says, it stops rips.
Now, let’s have a look at the features and for this we will start at the waist and work our way down.
Features
Overall
Firstly, an overall feature which we think is very important is that these pants provide a maximum mobility without using any stretch materials. Since as we all know stretch materials are more prone to get punctures or rips.
Waist Adjustment
The first feature when it comes to the waist is the fact that these pants are easily adjustable in waist circumference with 2 elastic Velcro straps.
Belt Loops
The belt loops can be used with belts up to 55 millimeters and the stitching is done extra securely so it can withstand heavy belt loads.
Bottom Pockets
On the back we find 2 large but very slim pockets with velcro closures.
Closure System
If we go back to the front, we see that the pants use a Velcro and zipper to close the pants.
Hip Pockets
Going to the hips we have the hip pockets. These have an extra low cut so they are easy accessible even when wearing loaded belts, in addition to that they have a reinforced piece of fabric for all your clip tools like for example a knife or multi-tool, so rips won’t take place anymore.
Quadricep Pockets
Furthermore we find 2 pockets on the quadriceps which are mainly used for storing a flashlight, pistol magazine, knife or anything similar in shape.
If we look further down the pants we find another 2 pockets, one on each leg, which holds the shock cords of the knee pads for vertical adjustments.
Cargo Pockets
Next to that we find a large cargo pocket, one on each leg, which uses a Velcro closure system and a zipper for an extra secure storage.
Knee pads
The Spar-Tac ARES combat pants are designed to be used with the Spar-Tac half open knee pads, these are internally secured with Velcros. You can also use other knee pads but you might need to make adjustments in order to make them fit the pants.
On the back of the pants we find 4 Velcro adjustment straps on each leg for the horizontal placement of the knee pads, in addition to that they are designed to be low profile and avoid a knee cavity. And above that, they allow for a perfect personal fit.
Lower Leg Pockets & Adjustments
Even further below we find another slim but tall pocket on each leg with a Velcro closure system. And at last you have the ability to adjust your ankle circumference with a low profile Velcro strap on each leg.
Having talked about the pants, let’s have a deeper dive into the knee pads.
Another thing that is very noticeable is that Spar-Tac prefers to use Velcro instead of zippers, since they are light in weight and more easy to fix. So they only use zippers where really needed.
Spar-Tac ARES Knee Pads
These feature a black padding to absorb impacts and a hard plastic shell to prevent damage from sharp objects.
What is highly noticeable, is that these knee pads stay very well in place in the pants even when making very aggressive movements. And in addition to that, the benefit of this system is that you don’t destroy the pants, but the knee pads and that is much cheaper to replace.
So that was it when it comes to the pants and the knee pads, so now let’s have a look at the Spar-Tac ARES combat shirt.
Spar-Tac ARES Combat Shirt
Materials Used
Also here we will start with the materials used. When it comes to the sleeves, shoulders and collar. They use the same composition as the pants and also here the composition may vary depending on your choice for color and pattern.
The material used for the torso has a 98/2 ratio of cotton and elastin. In addition, it features are to cool the body down when soaked wet and it will dry very quickly.
Let’s now look into the features of the combat shirt.
Features
Shoulders & Collar
On top the Ripstop material prevents weakening from sling usage and the collar prevents the sling digging into your neck.
Upper Arm Velcro Spots & Pockets
Firstly noticeable is the large Velcro spot. This is divided in several pieces to be more comfortable. Behind the 2 large strips there are pockets to store a pen or glasses or anything similar in shape. And behind that, we have a pocket with a zipper closure.
Reinforced Elbows
The elbows can’t hold any pads, but who uses those anyway. What they do have is a reinforced piece of fabric that can withstand more abrasion and they add to your comfort.
Lower Arm Pockets
Even further down the shirt has 2 small storage compartments for your chemlights, sharpies or anything similar in shape and behind that we have another zipper closed pocket.
Cuffs
On the backside these are slightly longer to prevent exposing your skin when bending or folding your arms.
In addition they feature a Velcro closure system, but what is really special about these is that they have a high cut which opens up all the way to the elbow cavity which makes it easier accessible for your medic and it also helps you cool down.
So now that we’ve talked about the complete uniform let’s have a look at our findings.
Our Findings
Our Experience With Combat Clothing
The first thing you need to know is that we already have quite some experience with various pants and shirts from the different manufacturers, this partially thanks to the input of some of our team members.
We were extremely skeptical!
When it comes to the Spar-Tac clothing we are going to be extremely honest with you guys. At first we were very skeptical and didn’t know whether they could compete with other brands that are usually more expensive. But once we started using these we completely changed our mind in a good way and you could say we’re actually quite surprised with them, amazed even.
And this comes from the guys who have worn Cry Precision uniforms for the last 4 years.
Our Findings After Usage
We believe Spar-Tac has done some great stuff with their products, they are lightweight compared to others on the market and it is smart to go full Ripstop.
Findings About The ARES Pants
The pants are really great and that is especially the case for their design, meaning no more saggy pants, the low cut of the hip pockets is a smart and practical move and in addition the knee pads don’t drop out anymore unlike with our Crye Gen3 combat pants.
Findings About The ARES Shirt
As for the shirt, it is surprisingly different in a good way, the material on the torso is lightweight and feels comfortable and the cooldown feature of it works really well. Also the high cut on the sleeves is just really practical.
Comparison against other more “popular” brands
To us personally some of the better known apparel is sometimes overcomplicated and has unnecessary features and a complex product is hard to fix when it fails. And sometimes simpler is just better.
If we have to put it in words on how these compare to other manufacturers, we have to say that Spar-Tac is all about functionality whereas other brands these days mainly focus on luxury. And as you more experienced guys may know, luxury isn’t always functional. For example; too many zippers, additional paddings and heavy duty materials don’t always contribute to the functionality of the product.
“Made for what they are meant for!”
We’ve already seen and heard of Croatian special forces that have been using these uniforms for over 7 years and they are still going strong.
So in overall we can say that these are absolute great quality that is made to last with no unnecessary whistles and bells. These are made for what they are meant for!
Available Patterns & Colors
The current available patterns are CROPAT woodland, CROPAT desert, CROPAT navy, US woodland, black, green, gray, tan and dark blue. Soon they will also be releasing these uniforms in Crye Multicam®, Multicam Black®, NKamo, ranger green and coyote brown.
Also their knee pads are available in various colors, namely black, gray, green and coyote brown. So there’s something for everyone.
Thanks for reading our blog
“Spar-Tac ARES Combat Uniform – Before You Buy”
So guys, if you are looking for a quality tactical but affordable uniform from Spar-Tac you can find them on our shop shop.reconbrothers.com, you can also find our combo packs with an all year around discount, to make it a bit more affordable. Our combo packs contain the knee pads, the pants and the shirt.
If you liked the blog, make sure to subscribe for more, let us know which camos or colors you would go for in the comments down below.
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