Condor Short Sleeve Combat Shirt (GEN II)
This may be a somewhat controversial opinion but I view combat shirts as being comfort items. The traditional long sleeve, ¼ zip shirt with a softer polyester fabric on the body with more resilient polyester/cotton blend or Mil-Spec 50/50 NYCO ripstop for the sleeves have been made popular over the past two decades of war. Videos of soldiers and marines wearing combat shirts with their plate carrier overtop has pervaded the news, video games, and other media outlets, burning into our minds an image of an American military member.
They are worn for a good, yet specific, reason: When paired with a plate carrier or some sort of armor carrier system, they are far more comfortable than the traditional uniform or field top. This is largely due to the difference in fabric used, which is not only softer on the body but allows for the dissipation and bleeding off of heat. The garment type’s functionality drops off precipitously when a plate carrier is not in use however, particularly for the role and jobs of conventional infantryman or a woodsman in the backcountry.
Condor’s short sleeve combat shirt offering fills a void for me. In short, it is a traditional combat shirt with the sleeves cut down. Nothing too ground breaking or novel there. What excites me about the product is the role that it has made for itself. Being short sleeved, I much prefer wearing it on hotter days now that its summer with higher temps as the norm. This, combined with the traditional looking material of the shirt’s body and a natural color, allows easier wear in normal, every-day-life type settings. Running into the convenience store on my way to the range draws far less eyeballs when compared to wearing a field top or traditional combat shirt. There’s something to be said for this.
Sure, you are most definitely not the ultimate “Grey Man” when wearing this shirt, for anyone “in the know” will spot it without fail, but the average citizen doesn’t pay this shirt too much mind. This serves as the most appealing aspect of the shirt in my opinion. It provides all the utility of a combat shirt for it maintains shoulder pockets but wears and feels like a normal t-shirt on the body.
Features
Speaking of the shoulder pockets, they are excellent. Utilizing a pleated design, a surprising large amount of “stuff” can be secured within. Maps folded up in a smaller map case? Fits. Write-in-the-Rain notebook of various sizes? Fits. Target paster rolls? Fits. Electrical tape? Mike Pannone’s M16/M4 handbook? You guessed it; fits. The GEN II model also features two pen slots built into each pocket. The pockets are secured using YKK zippers and feature a loop field on the exterior of the sleeve.
Fabrics / Stitching
The shirt utilizes three different combinations of fabric to accomplish different goals in the design. Condor has done its homework in deciding where to put each type of fabric blend. The end result is a very comfortable, breathable shirt what is effective at removing the moisture from the skin to the exterior of the fabric. The blends are as follows:
- Mesh Material: 96% Poly, 4% Charcoal (Underarms down to bottom seam)
- Ripstop Material: 63% Polyester, 34% Cotton, 3% Spandex (Sleeves and collar)
- Jersey Material: 92% Poly, 8% Spandex (Majority of front/back of shirt body)
Condor has stitched these different segments of the shirt together using double stitching, which is a relief to see. I haven’t had any excessive fraying or issues with fabric coming apart. The normal wear and tear has occurred but this is expected with use. Jumping down to the prone on rocky, hard ground, dragging across trees, and getting caught up on kit Velcro or buckles and tools takes a toll on any garment. This Condor top has not disintegrated or failed in any way.
Comfort
Having already discussed that a big point behind a combat shirt is comfort, it would be quite counterproductive is a combat shirt was uncomfortable to wear. There is no need to worry about this with the Condor short sleeve. The cut and design allow for complete freedom on movement with my arms rotating in all directions. At no time did I find myself fighting through resistance of the fabric to move in any direction.
When worn with a plate carrier, nothing changes from above. The moisture wicking ability of the shirt is excellent and the fabric remains soft when soaked with sweat. I did not experience any hot spots or any other sensations along the stitching.
Sizing
For the sake of adding some numbers to the mix, I am 5’11” and 195 pounds and a medium fits me perfectly. Others have stated that they too have experienced this true-to-size experience as well. So, it would be my recommendation to order your actual size when purchasing as opposed to one size up if you wish for it to fit like a normal t-shirt.
Overall Impression – 5/5
The Condor short sleeve combat shirt has undoubtedly left a positive impression. Condor has been hit or miss in the past and, in recent years, has expended a lot of effort in changing not only their image but the quality of their product offerings to match. This shirt is a testament to this shift. I was pleasantly surprised with how versatile this shirt proved and how I find myself wearing it on its own accord, outside of the review process, just because I wanted to. This shirt is advertised with a price of $50.95 on Condor’s website, which makes this an easy purchase decision for me. I received this shirt for free from Condor, but I will be ordering another in a different color for I enjoy it so much. This is a hard product to beat, and the cost most definitely saves me from cutting the sleeves off one of my other traditional combat shirts. Condor has a big win with it’s Short Sleeve Combat Shirt.
*I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer so I could test 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.
*The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Spotter Up Magazine, the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site. Material Disclosure
