The cutoff for delivery by Christmas day was the 16th. Missed it? We still want to bring Christmas cheer, and here's how we're going to do it:
Up to 25 % OFF sitewide on all kinds of surplus & gear.
Kommando Pros who spend >$75 during the sale get a $10 rebate after the sale. You can sign up for free here or at checkout.
Two big flash sales, each lasts two days. Check in to the site throughout the week...
And have a merry christmas, you filthy animals.
The Cold War was not cold for South Africa. While most of Europe was playing an elaborate game of ‘who-has-the-most-nukes’, the South African Defense Force (SADF) was hard at work fighting the counter insurgency battles of the future. In the process, they developed and refined much of the tactics, weapons, and equipment used today.
In the 1960s and 1970s South Africans were involved in three major counterinsurgency wars in Sub Saharan Africa: The Congo Crisis (‘60-65), the Rhodesian Bush War (‘64-79), and the Border War (‘66-90).
Throughout the early years of these conflicts, the SADF (and various South African mercenary groups) relied on domestically produced Pattern 61/64 and Pattern 70 load bearing systems. Descended from the British Pattern 58, this family of web gear is broadly similar to the US ALICE system—and they all worked well with the FN FAL (R1).
Despite incremental improvement, heavy use of the Pattern 61/64/70 family revealed inadequacies. They were bulky, uncomfortable, and—despite some limited modularity—only designed for one kind of fight. As the operational tempo and intensity picked up in mid to late 70s there was a clear need for something better.
After the SADF began adoption of the 5.56x45 chambered Galil (R4), the writing was on the wall. South Africa needed a comfortable, lightweight, and simple to use LBE system that could keep up with communists using Kalashnikovs and ‘Chicom’ chest rigs.
To address this need, the Pattern 83 system (Pat 83) was designed in partnership with the South African outdoors industry. The system consists of three components: a “chest webbing” (chest rig), “battle jacket” (load bearing harness with assault pack), and “grootsak” (large backpack with detachable external frame.) Together they can be used and combined to suit any mission from parachute drops, to motorized operations, to sustained weeks-long patrols.
The entire Pattern 83 system is an exercise in simplicity and versatility, the type of innovation borne out of practical field experience and pitched firefights. Every pocket, flap and strip of webbing has a clear, simple purpose. And both the chest rig and the battle jacket popularized ergonomic innovations and concepts we all take for granted today. In that respect P83 was way ahead of its time.
But clarity of purpose was only half of P83s strength. The system’s creators also leveraged several brand new materials and technologies.
1. 1000D polyurethane coated Cordura Nylon is a staple in modern tactical equipment. However in the 1980s dyed Cordura fabric was a brand new technology - pioneered in 1977. At the time P83 was introduced most of the world was still using legacy polyester fabrics.
2. The rust proof and shock proof plastic 'fastex' style buckles used on the chest rig were also brand new tech, invented by ITW Nexus in 1977 and produced from 1979 onwards.
3. Finally, there is evidence of SADF experimenting with Velcro closures for magazine pockets as early as 1978-79 in transitional prototypes. While Velcro technology was by no means new at the time, this type of military application was new. So while the rest of the world struggled with snaps, the SADF enjoyed fast, easy-to-access pouches on their gear years before anyone else did. (This was likely aided by the expiration of Velcro's patent in 1978 which ushered in a wave of affordable, generic hook-and-loop products.)
Materials aside, the chest rig was excellent at its job. During motorized patrols it was worn by itself, allowing soldiers to carry enough ammunition and equipment to vigorously react to close contact without excess bulk or weight. On long foot patrols, the chest rig was worn with the larger ‘grootsak’ backpack. Mounted on a quick release, the large rucksack could be dumped at a moments notice, allowing soldiers to quickly enter the fight with 6 + 1 magazines and virtually no excess baggage.
Early P83 chest rigs had the added benefit of backwards compatibility with FN FAL (R1) magazines—accomplished through magazine ejector straps located in each cell of the rig. (We’ve retained this feature in our new production rigs as it enables cross compatibility with all shorter magazines from 5.56 STANGs to 7.62 SCAR17 mags.)
Once introduced, the Pattern 83 system racked up decades of combat experience in later years of the Border War. To this day, it's still used in nearly every corner of Africa.
For many years, Pattern 83 items have been a staple in our store. We have deep connections in South Africa and well over 6 years of successful imports behind us. But the Cold War is now 30 years ended and those limitless stockpiles of equipment are drying up.
In the late 90s production of Pattern 83 slowed and then gradually stopped post apartheid. Over the next 15 odd years it was gradually phased out of service, with large state auctions occurring in the early 2010s. Finally in 2015, the system as a whole was formally discontinued.
For years we explored the idea of new production in Africa, but it was a losing battle. Everyone is long gone, and the few remaining companies are in shambles due to infrastructure and supply chain collapse in South Africa. For many, COVID related disruptions were the final straw.
We still plan on importing small pockets of original pieces, but with dwindling supply and skyrocketing costs it’s clear the glory days are over.
Our goal from the start was to make a genuine, high quality reproduction that was truly fit for purpose. To do this we realized we needed to bring Pattern 83 production home to the US.
Using our library of original samples, SADF source materials, and South African contacts we reverse engineered the Pattern 83 chest rig from the bottom up. We matched everything from the sewing patterns to the materials and worked diligently to ensure the quality was there.
Today we’re proud to be working with an experienced military manufacturer, and using high quality Berry compliant materials. It’s the way something like this should be done.
When we started setting up this run, we decided to produce Ranger Green and Coyote Brown chest rigs. This was a small departure from the original design, but we wanted to keep this project relatively simple by using as many stock materials as possible.
After all, we wanted to make something that people would use and enjoy in the 2020s. And from that perspective Ranger Green and Coyote definitely fit the bill.
But as we pressed on we kept hearing the same question from Pattern 83 fanatics: "What about Nutria?" After dozens of similar inquiries, we started asking around and quickly realized almost everyone preferred Nutria Brown to Coyote. And It's no wonder, Nutria is an integral part of what makes Pattern 83 so Iconic.
On the face of it, a custom dyed 1000D Cordura seemed relatively impossible with our previous goals in mind. After all we had a tight quality standard to meet. Any fabric used in the rig had to be NIR compliant and manufactured entirely in the USA to make it berry compliant. Usually that means massive orders in the hundreds of thousands of yards of fabric.
After a lot of back and forth we managed to find a supplier and met their minimums. And to us, that seems like the best possible outcome. A Ranger Green rig for the modernists, and a classic Nutria Repro that's as authentic as we can make it.
Ejector straps
Pouches
Pay attention to the position of the padded straps, ensuring they sit high on the back of the wearer as shown. This places the padding in the correct position to protect the wearer.
To don the rig, hold the shoulder straps in the crossed position and insert your head and arms as if you were putting on a shirt. Then tighten the straps to fit.
To quickly doff the rig first unbuckle the waist belt. Then “swim out” by grabbing your left shoulder strap with your right hand and pulling it over your head. Repeat this procedure using your left hand to grab the right shoulder strap and pull it over your head. The rig is now completely free from your body.
A common rookie mistake is attempting to remove the rig by reversing the donning procedure. When this rig is loaded the weight of magazines and equipment makes this awkward. With a moment’s practice you’ll find the “swim out” method is much faster.
Important sizing note:
We are hosting a digital copy of the original SADF field manual containing adjustment, handling and maintenance information on the entire P83 system. To view the manual click here. Chest Rig usage information can be found on pages A3, A9-A11, and A27-A33.
Easily the most comfortable and versatile one-hole on the market, this design became famous for appearing on Obi Wan Nairobi himself and being persona defining for Administrative Results on YouTube, but why is it so good? Apparently, a certain company from Canada didn't know because you're not allowed to buy it anymore.
Civilians have long been upset with LEO/MIL Restricted product constraints, but where high powered infrared lasers for the layman at least have some reasoning behind it due to their inherent danger, How the heck can you justify restricting a piece of clothing?
This FR Balaclava with its familiar looking design is the result of us being upset with the new state of military contract manufacturers giving the middle finger to us civilians. We threw down the gauntlet, sourced the same materials, and made our own.
Don't Fix The Materials That Aren't Broken
The body fabric is the most breathable Flame-Retardant material on the market we're aware of. It's the exact same stuff as the original, made in the USA. No reason to switch. There's a difference between chemical treatments for FR and being inherently FR - as you can guess the latter is far better at doing its job. Being inherently FR means it's excellent at self-extinguishing under high heat and even direct contact with flames - important for any firearms enthusiast dealing with hot suppressors and stray casings.
Inherently FR fabric can get expensive But every penny spent is worth it here. It's extremely comfortable in any weather condition, quick drying, low bulk, and it doesn't itch if you have sensitive skin or a big 'ol beard.
But as a disclaimer, stay safe when dealing with anything that gives off sparks, open flames, or radiates a large amount of heat. While the FR Fabric is the same as the original and could theoretically be a last line of defense, we have not yet submitted the balaclava for testing and certification.
Making It Fit Better
But one of our main complaints about the original, which you can even see on the famous pics of Mr. Craighead are the sometimes floppy fit. We dialed in the shape of the neck drape for easy owl-headed movements and the facepiece is much better at actually hanging out on your face. It's still super comfortable and snag free under helmets and ear protection too!
But don't be alarmed by "One Size Fits Most" - We really mean most. We've done some "independent testing" on the largest and smallest heads we could find in the warehouse and couldn't find someone it fit poorly on. Big-Brained Chads or Compact Kings, there's no need to worry.
Ways to wear
Unlike traditional balaclavas, the hood-and-facepiece design allows this one to be worn in a few different ways. You can either go full-ninja with the eye slot, pull down the facepiece to still cover your head and ears, wear the facepiece with the top-hood scrunched down in back, or even go "gaiter" mode with it just covering your neck.
Specs
This product Is a "Pre-Sale", meaning that inventory is already in production, and you're reserving the item ahead of time.
"Pre Sales" also mean there is limited inventory available to reserve. If it's sold out, it's sold out. At any point in time before we ship it to you, the item is 100% refundable.
After it ships to you, you're covered by our 30-day return policy and sizing exchanges are free!
We've translated the native UK shoe size to the US size. These sneakers fit true to size from what we've seen, so we'd recommend going with your usual US Men's sneaker size, or a size up if you're between sizes.
Nothing goes better together than South Africa and hockey shoes? No, not ice hockey, field hockey.
Typically played on grass or hard packed dirt, field hockey is substantially different from ice hockey (obviously.) As you can imagine, countries around the equator can't find ice to save their lives, but field hockey remains a popular pastime especially in the warmer commonwealth (or ex-commonwealth countries.)
With the commercialization of synthetic rubber and the advent of new shoe manufacturing methods post WWII, all varieties of 'field hockey' shoes exploded in popularity. Brands like Converse, Palladium, and Chuck Taylor were nothing short of a worldwide phenomenon.
So, hockey shoes were light weight, cool, athletic, and ideal for moving quickly. That sounds like it could come in handy.
The formative years of recent Central & Sub-Saharan African Culture occurred during the Bush War & Border wars — Conflicts which dominated South Africa and Zimbabwe (Formerly Rhodesia) during the Cold War. Outside of Africa and certain military circles both of these wars have faded into obscurity...
At the height of the Border and Bush wars, both South Africa and Rhodesia found themselves geographically, economically, and diplomatically isolated and facing the best efforts of the USSR, North Korea, Cuba, Egypt, and several members of the Soviet Bloc. With their adversaries providing training, arms, logistics and advisory support to a rainbow of communist terrorists, militant groups, and Sub-Saharan nation states it was anything but a fair fight. The resulting violence was characterized by its fast pace and indiscriminate brutality — with frequent terrorist attacks on public infrastructure and civilian populations.
This period of counter-insurgency combat in the African savanna and wildlands forced tactical and material improvisation. Scrambling to stay competitive, Sub-Saharan African operations would develop doctrines and equipment that would stay relevant for decades to come.
South Africa’s elite Recce units (short for “Reconnaissance”) were some of the cream of the crop in counterinsurgency. Both were experts in tracking & long-range patrols far behind enemy lines, often in small groups vastly outnumbered by the enemy. In truth though, they did far more. They became the “go-to” fighting force for nearly everything, from airborne raids to underwater demolitions.
Inexpensive (being quite literally the cheapest shoes from Bata at the time) and effective, perfect for when you want to ruck the entirety of the African savannah in hot pursuit of some “terrs” or a mooi meisle. They didn’t leave the same boot print as standard issue combat boots did, allowing some measure of plausible deniability and concealment for any “Recce’s” operating somewhere the commies didn't want them to be. Nothing like a little vacation on the coast of Angola.
In researching the primary suppliers of Bush and Border Wars equipment, we kept stumbling across Bata. They are without the predominate footwear manufacturer in Africa, and knowing the illustrious history of the Takkies we did everything we could to get in touch with them.
In fact, there is only one Bata factory in the world who can still make the famous "takkies" — and that is very same factory that made them when Zimbabwe was Rhodesia. The original style of that period is entirely off the market, and we worked directly with the manufacturer using archival models and other original references. Make no mistake, besides a different tag (with our name on it), these are 100% authentic to the OGs the Selous scouts wore. Flexible, lightweight and covert, the Bata Takkies are an excellent choice whether your combat involves any bushwhacking or just trying to survive downtown in an American city.
Specs
Sizing
We've translated the native UK shoe size to the US size. These sneakers fit true to size from what we've seen, so we'd recommend going with your usual sneaker size, or a size up if you're between sizes.
If the shoe feels a bit tight, try unravelling the laces fully, and re-lacing the shoes. You may need your own set of laces depending on your foot shape.
This product Is a "Pre-Sale", meaning that inventory is already in production, and you're reserving the item ahead of time.
"Pre Sales" also mean there is limited inventory available to reserve. If it's sold out, it's sold out. At any point in time before we ship it to you, the item is 100% refundable.
After it ships to you, you're covered by our 30-day return policy and sizing exchanges are free!
