How has the new CADPAT Uniform held up in use.

[NormR]

Rumors abound about the problems with CADPAT and how it wears out.. fades and other issues.

I wonder if there are a few of the members who could comment on how well the new CADPAT uniforms are working out... personal experiences etc.
1] What types of problems are you running into with CADPAT Combats?
2]What are some of the ways you are fixing these problems?

 

[Gryphon]

Cadpat DEUs????

I thought DEUs were dress uniforms...

 

[NormR]

Sorry about that... I was under the impression that DEU was new shorthand for CADPAT BDU or Combats, depending on which side of the 49th you live on. I have Edited my original post to reflect the correction.
Thanks
NR

 

[combat_medic]

The CADPAT starts fading within one or two washes, and ends up looking virtually white within 6 months of full time use. It‘s scratchy and uncomfortable, tears easily and doesn‘t wear well. It doesn‘t breathe as well as the old green combats, and it shoddily constructed.

Apparently the newer generations of combats are going to solve SOME of these problems, but there are some inherant design flaws that may never go away. The general consensus of everyone I‘ve spoken to is that they all (almost without exception) prefer the old ones.

 

[GrahamD]

I was just in the recruitment center this morning dropping off some paper work, and I noticed people wearing both versions (the CADPAT, and the old one).

I have to say, that I like the look of the old one better, the CADPAT even LOOKS uncomfortable. The material doesn‘t appear to "relax", and looks thin. Plus the pattern looks like it was designed on an ATARI.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Scratchy and uncomfortable? You‘re grasping at straws there, unless...

...have you tried wearing underwear with your CADPATs?

 

[MJP]

I‘ve been wearing the cadpat for a while now(almost two years) and only had one set really fade badly. The replacement sets have lasted quite well especially considering that they were subject to some pretty good wear and tear and sun exposure. I find they breathe quite well once broken in and I prefer them alot more than the old stlye.

The problems they had with the first few batches, seem to be fixed. For the most part everybody in the BN likes the new cadpat....especially when used in the field. So much better than the old ones for camouflage purposes. Not to mention so much better to stuff in your bag in the morning before PT....wrinkles don‘t show up well

 

[Doug VT]

I don‘t know whose CADPAT turns white! What do you guy‘s do, wash them everyday? I have only seen one guys‘ that were exceptionally faded.
You know what, I will have had mine for 3 years in January and I know for a fact that they will literally "wear out" before they "fade out".
Now the quality of manufacture is another story. The material is not as strong as it should be and the thread that was used was of poor quality.

 

[kurokaze]

My cadpat is holding up quite well actually.

The fading is still there, though mine aren‘t as faded since they are only about 6 months old. IMO, they actually look better slightly faded than if there were brand-new.

They are quite comfortable, once broken in. The first couple of times they were itchy and stiff, but now they are as soft as my old olive drab uniform.

I have to agree with the thread work. My threading seems to be undoing itself at a good pace. At this rate, half my uniform will fall apart in a year.

 

[riggah052]

I have found that if you wash your combats a couple of times before wearing them, they soften right up. The material itself is fading pretty good, one set is almost white now, but this is after a year and a half. If you turn them inside out before washing it helps preserve the colour a bit and they won‘t fade as fast.
I‘ve had no problems with the stitching though, the material is wearing out before the thread.

 

[leopard11]

Will washing your CADPATS in cold water help reduce fading, i know it works on my set of Average Green (OD) combats
Sgt,RCAC

 

[Recce41]

The Cadpat that fades is the older first run. It was made with poor quality dye.
:evil: :tank: