I found this place with good deals on some Patagonia products.
If you can put up with the olive color, they seem like a good deal. Also, these look like the early models, wich are lighter than current versions of the DAS and MicroPuff pant.

http://www.diamondbacktactical.com/MARS-Products-Blowout-Sale-C324.aspx

Are these Patagonia peoducts??? (MARS)
S.

Good question. I assumed they were, since they have the same specs as the Patagonia products. They also sell the R1, R2 and capilene underwear, which are all Patagonia products.
I believe MARS is just a clothing system used by the military, but other people could confirm that.

Just checked - Patagonia indeed!
S.

Thanks for checking Sven. I was starting to think that I made a mistake.

Now this is a site that I was happier not knowing about despite the Patagonia deals.

Hey, you can even choose your enemy! How great is that? I have never felt so empowered in my life. Usually someone tells me who is part of some axis of evil. I think I really need to get these micro puff pants to survive the Russian winter. Not sure how revealing the dark green will be against the snow. Hm.
:-)
S.

Edited by svenklingemann on 09/25/2007 10:51:07 MDT.

Terry,
I just came across the info and wanted to share, since I always get good tips at this site and was feeling like a free-rider.
I didn't look much into this site, but I thought it was odd that Patagonia made garments for military use. You can now wonder about their business philosophy. I had a different image of this company.
Sven, you made me laugh!

>Now this is a site that I was happier not knowing about despite the Patagonia deals.

Nothing to be creeped out about. I know a few folks who are regulars from diamondback tactical. They're almost all military folks who want something better than the standard issue stuff.

Most of the rest are paintballers who think it looks cool ;)

Tom

My unit is a little lax on uniform wear. I have the Ranger Green Slingshot and Rainshadow. My new ACU jacket is Event but still pretty bulky compared to the Rainshadow.

The Ranger Green Patagonia is free of logos except for the collar tag.

The new Army hooded windshirt is made by Patagonia in the ACU pattern

What is creepy about Diamondback Tactical? Don't you think that our Soldiers deserve great gear also? What the heck is wrong with Patagonia making clothing for the Military?
Am I missing something here?

AC

I purchased a DAS Parka from Diamondback. Ranger Green is a a green with a little gray in it. The service and shipping may be a little slow at times, so be aware of this. They always DO come through. Thanks to our Troops who defend us to keep our rights to enjoy Free Speech.

AC

Carlos, thanks for the tip, I just scored a DAS Parka there for about $144 and shipping; just in time for winter. Normal price on these is about $250.
My down jacket is certainly lighter and smaller when compressed, but for winter sports where your insulation is going to get wet and abused, synthetics are better.

Jeff, thanks for the shout-out. Wish I had that type of quality gear like the M.A.R.S. Cold Weather Kit back when I served. Mine was primarily cotton and nomex.

How much do these DAS's weigh? Anyone know how big they're cut? I can usually swap between a small or a medium item and even a medium BMW cocoon has room for some layers.

Brett, I am glad you were able to take advantage of that offer. I've been dreaming about getting one, but I just bought another synthetic from Rab recently. I got the MicroPuff pant though.

Christopher: There is a good review of the DAS parka here at BPL. The version in this site looks like the one reviewerd by BPL, which is bit lighter than the new DAS parka. From what I read, I believe that your regular size should allow for layering, but I can't attest to that.

27-30 oz sound right?

Christopher - I'm somewhere between small and medium too. The cut of the DAS is definitely roomy. My medium DAS (2005 model, civilian) easily layers over a base layer, softshell, and down-fill vest. I could definitely get away with a size small if wearing it sans puffy vest, but personally I prefer the medium. The plethora of drawcords allows me to cinch it up nicely for draft control. I think mine weighs in at 26.x oz, after trimming tags, etc.

Edited by PA_Jay on 09/30/2007 14:19:29 MDT.