The first thing you'll think when you pick up one of these jersey's is that they are some of the most robust camo jerseys in paintball right now. This was my first thought when I pulled mine out of the box it was shipped in back in February and prior to that I'd had all sorts of offerings from Empire, Invert, SpecOps and select other companies to compare them to. The first thought that sprang to mind when I tried it on though was that it felt a bit like wearing a deflated balloon. I definitely don't mean this in a bad way, it's just the the material that covers the torso on this jersey is unlike anything I've ever placed over my skin in the past. What covers the arms is the same tough material from the ankle area of the pants but the material on the torso is a very elastic feeling silky material. The tag says 67% polyester, 30% cotton, and 3% lycra, perhaps the mystery material is the lycra? (I do a quick google search, it's essentially spandex). Even on the large models of the jersey this material will want to cling to your figure however so if you're a little shy this might not be the model for you. At first try on it doesn't strike you as the most well ventilated material either, but it only takes one gust of air to turn you into a true believer that these jerseys are as well ventilated as any speedball product.
The arms have plenty of real estate for patches, they have pockets underneath said real estate for stowing small items, and the clear plastic pocket under one of the velcro panels is adequate for placing an event or season's pass. The material on the arms feels a little rigid at first, as well as a bit crinkly but after a few days wear, or a wash or two, this feeling begins to disappear. The material on the arms doesn't facilitate ventilation as well as that of the torso but continued movement will allow enough air to pass over and through the jersey to keep the wearer at a comfortable temperature. Also a noteworthy part of the arms is the elbow padding which is well placed and actually does cover the wearer's arms. I point this out because I know some companies throw elbow pads on their jerseys which don't actually end up resting on the elbow at all and end up skewed off to one side when they're needed. These Zulu elbow pads are pretty adequate for crawling through the grass, dirt, and take the bite out of most paintball hits and even encourage some bounces without adding any effort to moving the arms. Like the knee pads on the Zulu pants however, they don't have sufficient padding to carry you through a nasty collision with the ground unscathed.
 |
| Fuzzing or fraying, regardless, we don't like seeing it |
Myself and my team mates have 3 small complaints about these jerseys however. The first is the patch real estate on the arms which we've compared on several models of tactical top. They aren't planted on in a particularly ergonomic fashion and so the wearer's arm will bulge a little bit where they sit because they don't wrap around. The second is the elastic wrists and collar, I don't mind the elastic material personally but some have said it makes them feel a bit like they're wearing a hoody or in some cases, pyjamas. Feedback from the team suggests that a preferred alternative to this would be velcro for the wrists, and a zip up collared neck which might even provide some throat protection. Coincidentally I do have a product which fits this bill and will be reviewing it at a later date. The last gripe of the team is their biggest one: that silky material on the torso. They love the feel, they love the ventilation, what they don't love is that it only takes a very small amount of friction here to cause it to “Fuzz up.” On this area they think a cotton more like that of a t-shirt would be an appropriate choice and some of them regret not ordering a less expensive Sierra jersey to have avoided the fuzzing up in this area. These three complaints aside, not one person I know personally has broken a stitch on their Zulu jerseys yet and they still rock them proudly when they go to the field, and I can tell you one other thing: when it comes to picking members for teams, the guys wearing Zulu V-Tac are the first ones to be snatched up!
That sums up Valken's high end, Gucci equivalent, scenario/milsim products for you. You won't find anything else out there specifically designed for paintball as robust (or expensive) as the Zulu gear without looking to Dye Precision, but then you're looking at higher prices and less variety of camoflage! If money is tight but you gotta have some V-tac love, stay tuned for tomorrow and the next day's review of the Sierra line of jersey and pant. Whether money's an issue or not, Valken's got you covered.
No comments:
Post a Comment