Combat Shirts vs. Regular Blouses

Ok, So Aggressor and I have been having an on going battle between which is better, the combat shirt or the blouse?

Personally I vote in favor of the Combat Shirt. With Combat shirts I stay cooler (Even in the winter it gets warm with a vest and running around), I have more freedom of movement, and I dont worry about something riding up my back or sides.

The biggest problems I have with a blouse is regulating body temperature and feeling restricted in my movement. Maybe that is just me though.

So what are y'alls opinions on this matter.

Combat shirt, blouses get to baggy for me and uncomfortable

Blouse is more versatile. More pockets, more camouflage integrity when not wearing a vest, appropriate for garrison wear, and protects you more from the elements.

Aggressor wrote:Blouse is more versatile. More pockets, more camouflage integrity when not wearing a vest, appropriate for garrison wear, and protects you more from the elements.

1. Cant access most of the pockets on BDU or ACU when wearing a vest.

2. How many times are you in a combat situation where your not wearing a vest or a chest rig...or something? So what does camouflage integrity when not wearing a vest matter?

3. See above answer, Garrison is teh gay anyway.

5. You may have a point here, but your answers are invalid because you have never tried a combat shirt

Combat shirt all day. I loathe the winter up here because I have to put away my combat shirts. They are so much more comfortable and forgiving than a blouse.

Try loose fitting under armour or loose fitting longsleeves under them. It works for me.

Ive been using a blouse the whole time since combat shirts are more expensive and its not at the top of my priorities to get one at the moment. I can see the advantages of a combat shirt, more lighter and keeps you cooler in hot temperatures. Only disadvantage to the combat shirt I see is that the torso area is like a light tan shade for multicam (or foilage for ACU/ABU) which for all intentions is supposed to be covered up by a vest, but for a vest like mine, I have an RRV and if I choose not to put on my hydration pack my concealment ability becomes more compromised, especially in the prone position.

Blouses have that camo advantage when I use less gear, but I find myself having to roll my sleeves up (or just take it off) when it gets too hot. True they have pocket advantage. Earlier on in my airsoft years I used the front pockets to put my maps, kill rag, etc but it got a little difficult having to slide my hand under my chest rig and getting things out in a hurry. Now I use my admin pouch on my vest, dump pouch, and the 8 or so pockets they have on the trousers.

and to those with combat shirts, how is using those in the winter? The winter gore tex parkas and stuff they sell are out of my price range so I typically wear underarmor with the blouse over it.

Like I said, I wear loose fitting long sleeve underarmor in the winter and its fine.

The "sexy-shirt" is a NO-GO on the FOB as a stand-alone garment. You got's to put the blouse on. I never wore mine due to the smell. They had some kind of a really strong chemical smell that just wouldn't wash out and gave me a headache. I hope they fixed that. Most guys really dug them and hated that they couldn't wear them instead of the blouse. I don't have one now mostly due to $$$. That, and I am just a blouse guy. Been doing it too long I guess.

For airsoft I can see how a combat shirt is a plus, hell, a tee works just fine. Deployed? Living for days, weeks in the bush in what is essentially a modified tee shirt? Not on your life. That blouse is very versatile, thick enough to give some protection against the elements, very conducive to "layering" for heating/cooling. Usually made of quicker drying material. Nope, wouldn't go into a protracted real world situation with a combat shirt over using a traditional blouse, but for a day of airsoft? No biggie. In my "not so" humble opinion.

To the argument of heat regulation we all know that Paul just sheds the blouse and keeps fighting while doing chin ups on tree limbs. Case in point.

Andy wrote: I never wore mine due to the smell. They had some kind of a really strong chemical smell that just wouldn't wash out and gave me a headache. I hope they fixed that.

did you have the Gen1 stuff? Because I dont think the Gen1 stuff had the FR stuff in the material so they had to spray it with an FR coating. Now most of them come with an FR material, which I dont like. Its thicker, heavier, and hotter.

Not sure if it was Gen 1. Some still the Army symbol on the front, while others did not. From what the guys said, it did keep you cooler in the summer and was a bit more comfy with armor on. The FRACU's also smelled bad, and had a pinkish tint, when we were first issued them. The smell washed out and the pink eventually turned tanish.

@Piznops....Combat Shirts are quicker drying than a blouse. They are designed to be worn with armor which can get very sweaty very fast. Here's a hint...know what you are talking about before you post, especially when it comes to clothing and gear in a "real world" environment. Some of us have been there. A few times.

Sorry Andy, I'd have thought 20 plus years of service, Ranger school and 16 years of service in spec ops units and combat tours in places where we've both "declared" wars, and those we haven't, might have qualified me for having an "educated opinion," but if not, then Chesty, I certainly will bow to your "superior" opinion. I guess that my time spent well forward of "conventional" forward forces doesn't give me much of a leg to stand on. See you at Airsoft soon, I hope... You can show me a few things.

Ok...everyone calm down and stick to the topic. Lets not start a bar fight here.

blouse, because if all you wear is a chest rig then your torso will not be completely camo, that and blouses help to absorb more of the impact from poops barret

@Pinnops....Sir I do apologize. I do not know you and was not aware of your cred's. I am glad to see another Service Member here.

Stay Safe.

Andy wrote:@Pinnops....Sir I do apologize. I do not know you and was not aware of your cred's. I am glad to see another Service Member here.

Stay Safe.

Thank you Andy, sorry if my reply was a lil too sharp, I let my dander rise a lil too easily these days it seems. It's good to be rubbing elbows with soldiers again, retirement doesn't sit as well with me as it should. I genuinely enjoy the quasi-military atmosphere that airsoft provides. I look forward to seeing you on the field.

Despite your refuting Twitch I still stand by what I said. I think the blouse is more versatile, even if you are covering up the pockets with the vest, doesn't mean the pockets aren't there and available to you.

Aggressor wrote:Despite your refuting Twitch I still stand by what I said. I think the blouse is more versatile, even if you are covering up the pockets with the vest, doesn't mean the pockets aren't there and available to you.

you could do what my dad did and cut the pockets off and turn them around with the opening facing out so you can get to them with armor on. i like the blouse for the winter and the combat shirt seems like it would be good for the summer.

I'm trying to visualize what cutting the pockets out and turning them inside out would look like or mean but I can't figure it out...

Like for ACU's rather than having the pocket open at the center of your chest, opens at the end near your armpits?

All Im saying is, a lot of you guys who are saying you dont like the combat shirt havent actually ever worn a combat shirt. You cant knock it till you try it.

Blackhawk 5 wrote:Like for ACU's rather than having the pocket open at the center of your chest, opens at the end near your armpits?

yeah. not turning them inside out lol but reversing them. cutting the pocket off and sewing it on to where the pocket opens on the outside towards your armpits like kevin said.