Arrowhead Tactical Apparel™ has recently released its new Standoff Concealment Hoodie Mk.II. It’s a new and improved version of the company’s original Standoff Concealment Hoodie. It now offers greater versatility for casual wear.

The hoodie (sometimes spelled “hoody”) is a type of sweatshirt with an attached hood. Although the hooded sweatshirt originated in the 1930s as a utilitarian garment to keep workers warm, hooded garments can trace their origins back to 12th Century Medieval Europe. The term “hoodie” first entered popular usage in the 1990s. Although hoodie once had a negative connotation, being associated with criminality and rebellion, the iconic hooded sweatshirt nowadays transcends age and social class.

Hoodies have become a modern-day wardrobe staple, essential for today’s casual lifestyle. They’re a big part of cool-weather styles. They’re surprisingly versatile and can be worn in many different ways. They can be worn dressed up and dressed down. A good hoodie over a fitted baselayer is a great garment combo for brisk days when the weather isn’t too extreme.

Hoodies aren’t only practical. They can also be tactical. And we’re not talking about hiding one’s face and identity. Several companies currently concealment hoodies designed specifically for concealed carry. These purpose designed hoodies feature hand pockets with concealed “pass-throughs” that allow for discreet access to appendix-carry items.

The pass-throughs allow you to preemptively access and, if necessary, draw your weapon in total concealment when faced with an apparent threat, thus putting you ahead of the game in the OODA loop (Observe–Orient–Decide–Act decision-making cycle, developed by retired USAF Colonel John Boyd). They’re purpose-built concealment outer garments that look like standard hoodies. And, of course, they can be treated the same as any standard hoodie cover garment for draw and presentation. Employed as part of a athleisure or a layered look, they can be very unassuming.

Arrowhead Tactical Apparel

Arrowhead Tactical Apparel was founded by five friends who share a common goal: to redefine urban readiness through purposeful apparel that is designed to support concealed carry for an active lifestyle. They experienced the frustrating lack of effective concealed carry options for comfortable and athletic clothing. They decided to address this shortcoming themselves.

The “Carrier” line of concealed carry clothing was the first of the company’s products out of the starting gate. Truly innovative, they were designed from the ground up to combine the comfort of athletic wear with the functionality of tactical clothing. The Carrier line currently consists of Carrier Joggers, Carrier Sweatpants, Carrier Shorts, and Carrier Training Shorts.

On the surface, the Carrier line doesn’t appear to be any different than standard athletic clothing. They don’t look at all out of place anywhere athletic apparel would be worn. Although the Carrier line features elasticized waists with adjustable drawstrings (similar to conventional athletic wear), it has a secret — the patented Carrier Retention Waistband (U.S. Patent No. 11,259,583), which is designed to support the weight of holstered handguns.

Standoff Concealment Hoodie Mk.II

The Arrowhead Tactical Apparel line has since expanded to include athleisure concealed carry cover garments. Arrowhead Tactical Apparel recently provided me with its new Standoff Concealment Hoodie Mk.II for evaluation. It’s the latest product to join the Arrowhead Tactical Apparel line of concealed carry apparel. It replaces the original Standoff Concealment Hoodie in the Arrowhead Tactical Apparel lineup.

As is the case with all of the other Arrowhead Tactical Apparel products, the Standoff Concealment Hoodie looks like a high-end everyday casual garment. It’s designed for full compatibility with the Carrier line. Although it isn’t designed to support the weight or otherwise hold a handgun like the Carrier line, it’s a great layering garment to wear with it to conceal your handgun.

The Standoff Concealment Hoodie is of pull-over design. From a fashion standpoint, pull-over designs typically look “smarter” than zip-up designs and thus don’t look out of place in in more places. The Standoff Concealment Hoodie Mk.II has an an athletic fit, something that you may want to consider when ordering, depending on how you layer. If you desire a looser fit, simply order one size larger than your standard size.

The Standoff Concealment Hoodie has an exterior shell made of lightweight 98% polyester and 2% spandex (elastane) blend technical fabric. It provides the durability and tear-resistance of polyester along with enough stretch from the spandex for maximum comfort and unimpeded freedom of movement, as well as helping the hoodie retain its shape. The hoodie has a smooth soft cotton lining that matches the color of the exterior shell.

The Standoff Concealment Hoodie has a waffle pattern textured exterior. The texturing isn’t just there for a stylish upscale designer look, something that it certainly has. The texturing also serves a purpose by helping to prevent the printing of your handgun. The body has a longer length to keep your belt-line covered to accommodate CCW. The sleeves have elasticized cuffs for snag-free draws. The hoodie has an adjustable drawstring hood like most traditional hoodies, allowing adjust the size of the hood around your face to keep it protected and help keep inclement weather out, reduce snag hazards and allow for unrestricted vision. The drawstring holes at the bottom of the hood have polymer eyelets for reinforcement and durability. In keeping with discreetness, the only logo on the hoodie is a stylish understated matching color Arrowhead Tactical logo on the back of the garment underneath the hood.

The Standoff Concealment Hoodie has a large, connected kangaroo pocket in the front that looks like a standard hoodie pocket but, unlike as standard hoodie, also serves as a pass-through. The design of the pass-through is where the Mk.II version differs from the original Standoff Concealment Hoodie. The single button closure of the pass-through on the original Standoff Concealment Hoodie has been replaced with a lightweight yet durable YKK® VISLON® tooth zipper on the Mk.II version. The 11” long zipper runs horizontally inside the hand pocket. It allows for the pocket to be quickly unzipped for discreet access to a holstered handgun carried AIWB.

I prefer the zippered pass-through to the button design. The zipper closure of the pass-through enhances the versatility of the hoodie. The original Standoff Concealment Hoodie was solely focused on concealed carry. The single button closure of the pass-through on the original was designed with this in mind. Frankly, there was really no value to the button that I can see. If you wanted to use the kangaroo pocket as an actual pocket you were out of luck. And the large button was potentially something to snag on during the draw. The zipper corrects this. The hand pocket on the new version is fully functional as a standard kangaroo pocket when the pass-through is zippered closed.

You do need to take into consideration the potential issue of snagging if utilizing the pass-through, especially when under stress. It’s important to consider the handgun that you’ll be using. Although the pass-through is fairly wide, handgun size matters in this regard as do any optics. It’s essential to practice unloaded with the handgun you plan on carrying until consistent safe, snag-free draws and presentations using the pass-through are second nature before ever attempting it with a loaded handgun. You should, of course, practice draws and presentations with any style of cover garment you will be wearing but the pass-through pocket brings its own challenges along with its capabilities. Needless to say, safety is always paramount.

To Sum Up

The Standoff Concealment Hoodie Mk.II is an outstanding cover garment for concealed carry in those situations where a hoodie is appropriate. It offers the ideal blend of comfort and style and pairs well with the Carrier line. The Standoff Concealment Hoodie Mk.II is available from Arrowhead Tactical Apparel for $67.99, which is very reasonable. It comes in your choice of four colorways: Midnight Black, Gunmetal Grey, Woodland Green and Ferrous Red.

Arrowhead Tactical Apparel products are available through the company’s online retail channel at arrowheadtacticalapparel,com. This is currently the exclusive way to purchase the full selection of Arrowhead Tactical Apparel products. All Arrowhead Tactical Apparel products now ship from Atlanta, Georgia. The company offers both a warranty and return/exchange options to ensure your satisfaction.

Source

Arrowhead Tactical Apparel
arrowheadtacticalapparel,com

Material Disclosure

I received the product as a courtesy from the manufacturer so I could it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.

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