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Posted: 10/7/2006 9:22:00 AM EDT
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Ok, I am a HUGE fan of MARPAT, and have been trying to put together a decent MARPAT set-up for some time now, but the Gear is expensive and very hard to locate. Whereas MultiCam seems readily available and not as expensive. Is MARPAT so Uber Cool and Effective that it is worth the extra hardship and expense to obtain (uniform, field gear, etc.)? Or do you feel MultiCam is more effective and that MARPAT is too dark in color? Sometimes I think MultiCam is too light in color...I just keep going back and forth on this one and would like to hear from you guys. |
I must be a cheap ass too! Somehow I just can't justify paying $200 for a pair of pants..... Marpat seems to be much more reasonable to me.......I think multicam is more of a luxury for the airsoft guys...... |
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While the actual uniform may be expensive there are now other makers of MultiCam uniforms that are pretty well done and not as expensive as the Crye stuff. The GEAR is so much more readily available than MARPAT Gear (ie. vests, backpacks, long underwear, you name it,) that an over all load out would be cheaper in MultiCam. |
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MarPat gear is expensive and hard to find because, except for a couple of items, the Marines don't even use MarPat gear. They use Coyote Brown gear. If you are looking to get set up with stuff that works for the Marine Corps, get MarPat uniforms and CB gear. If you are looking to have every piece of gear made out of the same camo pattern as a uniform, get Multicam, because that is never going to happen with MarPat. |
Well, I've been able to find some gear that was in MARPAT (vests, pouches), but you're right its hard to find and hard to get, because most of it is from overseas and as a result may have questionable quality. The main thing I've wanted is a large pack (4000 CI) that is in MARPAT and while I've been able to find smaller packs that were in MARPAT the only large MARPAT pack is made by ARC'TERYX and they only sell to the USMC, not even to individual Marines. Why the Marines went with a great camo like MARPAT and then decided that they wanted to make themselves large blocks of one color instead of breaking up their pattern as the digital camo was designed by having CB gear is beyond me?  I'd love it if you could just go out and buy a CIRAS in MARPAT, but you can't. |
I don't think they can legally.......that's why there isn't much out there....I could be wrong though |
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My understanding is that the Marines patented the pattern. The EGA is hidden in the uniforms so that Marines buying them know that they are getting real ones and not counterfeits. So all those companies making anything in that pattern and color scheme, unless they have written permission from the Marines, is violating the patent protection. |
Yup, you're right SecNav holds the patent. They keep an iron grip on that thing and even the companies that are allowed to make MARPAT can't sell the stuff to anyone else (civilian or LEO). That is why most the stuff that we can buy comes from overseas or is made overseas and sold here. |
Gene does do gear on request in desert digital. And yes, there is still some existing Esstac gear in woodland you-know-what. I just might know where one could find a very interesting one of a kind rig if one were interested enough. 
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The expense of getting two complete sets of gear issued to every Marine in the Fleet would be excessive. |
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Yeah, well CB gear may help save money for the folks at the Pentagon, but I'd rather have a full digital camo loadout. Again why break up your shape with Digital Camo only to slap over 1/3 of your body in a solid color? Doesn't make sense from a tactical view point of concealment. I have seen solid color vests with MARPAT pouches and they do the job well. The MAIN reason I'm pretty much thinking of staying away from MARPAT and going with MULTICAM is that I can't get a MARPAT pack made by a decent company. The pain in the butt about MULTICAM is that is that the field shirt and trousers are expensive and there is sometimes a six-month wait to get them. However, in terms of tactical gear the MultiCam is a easier and a little less expensive than the MARPAT. |
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MultiCam is an outstanding pattern and should do well for you in any environment, which is more than can be said for MarPat, unless you are looking to get two complete setups. You may come out better getting MultiCam clothing from SKD or somebody else besides Crye. The Crye uniforms are way overpriced for the quality you get. Besides, before long, MultiCam will be available from more manufacturers, while MarPat is never going to be as common. Even Truspec has sample MultiCam uniforms out there. |
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