12/29/08 - Two new additions to TAD Gear's (Triple Aught Design) 'Green Label" (natural fibers) Merino Wool Garment line for 2008-2009 are the Merino Praetorian Full Zip Hoodie and the Special Service Sweater. TAD Gear's ever-expanding wool garment line gives the tactical/military community designs catering to their needs, in nice, subdued colours - something that you're not likely to find at the local REI or ski shop.

The Praetorian and Special Service Sweater (SSS) are also part of TAD's A.C.E. (A.ll C.limate E.lementals) layering system, which describes their highly versatile, component apparel system. Each piece of the ACE system represents a component in an overall total system that can be worn autonomously or as part of layering combination. The ACE System offers performance and functionality from base and mid layers to outerwear. Three other items from the ACE system: the Regulator Base layers, Equilibrium Full Zip Sweater, and the Flux Pullover Hoodie were featured previously (above). These were made from New Zealand Extra Fine Merino Wool, but the Praetorian and SSS are made from Australian Merino wool instead.

Extra Fine Grade Australian Merino Wool - With the Praetorian and Special Service Sweater (along with some other items like the Brain Case Watch Cap and Proline Neck Gaiter) TAD Gear is using Australian Merino vs. the New Zealand Merino used for the earlier garments. When I asked TAD why the change, Patrick answered that this was done to make the garments easier to care for. The Australian Merino is processed and finished differently than the NZ wool to make it more pill resistant and machine washable in cold gentle cycle. For people like me, who did not grow up with wool and are used to machine washing all their clothes, this makes it more user friendly. Wool garments do pill, and the Australian Merino keeps that at bay longer.

As mentioned in previous writeups, some of the many benefits of wool is that it's naturally fire resistant, breathable, durable, used in both hot and cold climates, odour and static resistant, and will keep you warm even when wet. It will not melt or stick to when exposed to flame. The Praetorian and Special Service Sweater are available in additional colours to the ones previously available. Besides the previously available M.E. (Multi Environment) Green, they're now made in Sith Black, M.E. Brown (shown here) and U.E. Gray. Readers of my previous writeups on all wool garments might remember that I've mentioned that I have very sensiitve skin and fall in the small percentage of people that can find even Merino wool scratchy. However, all of TAD's merino products have the least amount of itch (none to almost none) that I've experienced with any merino wool product which is due to the fine micron thickness of the extra/super fine merino wool selected for these garments. I've found the Australian merino used in both these garments to be itch-free.

Weave - As seen in the photo below, the Special Service Sweater has a high stretch index rib knit pattern, similar to the familiar commando sweater, but not as large of pronounced. The Praetorian Hoodie has a smoother, non-ribbed 4-way stretch knit. The M.E. Brown is a very nice-looking shade of medium brown which goes well with MultiCam, other earth tones, and just about anything else. I prefer it much more to a lighter tan colour.

Special Service Sweater - The Special Service Sweater is a medium-weight, full front zip, TAD Gear-update on the classic heavy ribbed knit pattern, snug next-to-body fit of the legendary British 'commando sweater' with a stand up zip collar instead of the crew neck of the commando sweater. The size Medium is shown here, and for reference I'm 5' 7" and 155 lbs with a 43" chest. I found the fit under the arms is a bit snug, but not enough to be restrictive. The SSS is designed more as a layering piece to be worn under a shell or over a thin base layer, not as a baggy and bulky sweater, hence the streamlined cut. Even so, it's stretchy enough that I was able to layer it over a sweatshirt without it being too tight.

The full zip front makes it easy to don and doff, or wear with the front completely open. This is useful for regulating temperature, something you can't do with a commando sweater. Zip it up when cold, then zip it open when it starts getting too warm. The collar is 5" tall and can be worn up, or folded over in half, or partially unzipped. Depends on the look you want or how chilly it is and how much of your neck you want covered. Either way, I found all ways quite comfortable. It's stretchy so it's not binding around the neck.

Full zip, open

Collar up

Rear

There's a front internal pocket over the left breast, with a vertical zipper opening. It's large; about 6" tall and 8" deep as it extends all the way to the side/sleeve seam. The pocket material itself is wool. Due to its location, flat items like a wallet instead of bulky ones work better.

The shoulders and elbows are reinforced with an additional layer of merino wool; of the same fine/smooth knit as the Praetorian Hoodie, it looks like. This is a nice touch, especially on high-wear areas like the elbows. The elbow reinforcements cover the bottom of the fore arms and extend all the way down to the ends of the cuffs. The shoulder reinforcements help protect the tops of the shoulders against backpack or shoulder bag straps.

Collar detail

Front pocket

Elbow reinforcements

Cuffs turned back

The sleeves are "Alpine length" (long), and the cuffs are designed to be worn turned back under normal usage. If extended coverage is needed for the hands, the cuffs can be worn down. They're long enough to cover the hand when extended. I don't find the turned-back cuffs bulky, nor do they get in the way. One of the practical advantages to having a double layer cuff is that it helps keep the wrists warmer. The wrists are often exposed or neglected when it comes to insulation. Even most heavy jackets have rib/elastic cuffs that don't provide much warmth for the wrists. The arteries that carry blood to the hands are close to the surface, and keeping the wrists warmer is a factor in keeping the hands warm. The turned back double layer cuffs of the Special Service Sweater help keep the hands warmer, especially with short cuff gloves.

Made to the highest industry standards, this full zip sweater is made in a newly updated higher stretch classic heavy ribbed knit pattern which hugs the body for a streamlined fit without being restricting. This updated ribbed knit pattern is tried and trued is inspired by the legendary "commando sweaters" of the SAS and the fishermen sweaters of icy Northern Europe. For this 2008-2009 season, our newly sourced Australian Merino yarns provide unparalleled comfort, the full zip allows for easy on and off, and the modern add-on of the chest pocket gives that extra bit of storage when needed. Our Special Service Sweater is ideal worn alone or underneath one of our shells for maximum versatility as part of our A.C.E. performance layering system. The next generation of Merino apparel is here.

Praetorian Full Zip Hoodie - The Praetorian Full ZIp Hoodie (shown below in M.E. Brown) is a very versatile garment suitable for layering or stand-alone wear.
First, a note on sizing: I normally wear a size Medium, but the Praetorian shown here is size small. The Praetorian is casual cut for their size, and if you prefer to wear it as a stand-alone garment over a thin layer, or as a layering piece under another jacket or shell, then you might want to order one size down from what you normally wear. If you prefer a baggy fit and want to wear it over bulkier garments, then order your size. For comparison, the small Praetorian fits me the same as the medium Special Service Sweater.

I like hoodies, and the Praetorian is one of the sharpest I've seen, especially in the brown colour. It has TAD's signature Aero hood design, which folds flatter than other hoods. With the wool, however, which has some weight and no stiffness to it, the hood won't really lay flat against the back, but drape naturally. Perfectly colour-matched YKK covert zippers are used and flat cover-stitch seams in some areas for functionality and aesthetics.

Praetorian zipped open

Partially zipped, cuffs turned back

Hand warmer pockets

Hood up

There's a zippered 'Napoleon' pocket on the left breast for flat items, measuring about 6.5" tall x 5.5" wide. There are also two side-entry hand warmer pockets in the front, with reinforced openings. These are about 9" tall and 6" wide. The elbows/forearms are covered in a double layer of the same wool knit, and extend all the way to the cuffs. The cuffs are longer, and have thumbholes to keep them in place when the hoodie is worn under a shell or with gloves. The cuffs can be turned back if the thumbhole feature isn't used.

The sides of the Praetorian are scalloped at the bottom hem, so it's easier to access pants side pockets. I've found this feature nice to have, and it gives the Praetorian a different look.

Collar and hood details

Front pocket

Hand warmer pockets

Thumbhole cuffs

Impressions and notes - One of the first things I noticed with the Praetorian and Special Service Sweater when holding them is that they are actually quite substantial. While the fabric is thinner on the Praetorian, it's no lighter because the knit is denser. The ribbed knit of the Special Service Sweater has more 'loft' to it, has a more open knit and is less dense. These two garments have weight to them and practically no stiffness so they will drape instead of puff up like fleece.

Both these Merino wool garments are slightly heavier and more dense than their synthetic equivalents, but due the the breathability of the wool fibers themselves, you're less likely to get stuffy when you sweat than with a synthetic fleece top (synthetic fibers do not soak up moisture - they wick it away. Wool fibers actually absorb moisture). When soaking wet, wool garments are heavier than synthetics and take longer to dry because the wool fibers are hydrophilic and absorb moisture more readily than synthetic ones. Dunk a wool garment into water with a synthetic one, squeeze out the excess water and compare the weights and you'll see. This is less of an issue with thin base layers. The tags recommend a cold gentle cycle when machine washing, and laying them flat to dry. However, I'd found that I can machine dry these wool garments on the air only or low heat setting without them shrinking. Note that while these garments are pill-resistant, they will pill with use, like any other wool garment and get a bit fuzzier than when they were new. This does not affect performance whatsoever.

I found both the Praetorian and Special Service Sweater to be about as warm as a medium-heavy weight sweatshirt. The Praetorian has a slight edge over the Special Service Sweater when it comes to wind resistance due to the tighter knit. This is relative, as they're not designed to be wind resistant. A windbreaking shell is necessary if that's needed. Neither feel stuffy, and they layer well under TAD's hard and soft shells. I wore the Praetorian under the Raptor hardshell jacket on a recent cold, rainy day and was grateful for the additional warmth the hood provided under the Raptor's hood.

The great thing about these two garments is that I can wear them just about anywhere. Paired with 'tactical'/military clothing or worn with everyday street clothes, both will do double-duty equally well and can be dressed up or down. Around town, the Praetorian is more casual, the Special Service Sweater more 'smart casual'. Personally, I prefer the more casual look of the Praetorian than the Special Service Sweater, which can acheive a smart, preppy look with an edge depending on the pants you wear it with. I'm more of a hoodie person than a sweatshirt/sweater person, personality wise. I also like having the hand warmer pockets on the hoodie, as it's more comfortable to walk with my hands there than in my pants pockets. The way wool drapes and looks adds a touch of class to these garments, and sets them apart from the cottons and synthetics.

Worn with military or tactical clothing, they take on a rugged, outdoor look and don't look out of place at the range or in the field. Quite the 'multi-environment' clothing line.