It's a shawl. It's a blanket. And it's comfortable as hell. It's one of the most versatile pieces of clothing from the middle east, and it actually qualifies as tacticool.
The Patu is an ultra-cozy wool blanket with simple embellishments & tassels on the top and bottom edge, designed to be worn for cool nights in the mountains or be used as you'd use any other blanket. That's Literally it. But there's more to it.
So what's KommandoStore doing selling Afghan Blankets? During the hunt for Bin Laden in Afghanistan, and particularly during the Battle of Tora Bora, these very shawls were seen on Operators from the United States Delta Force and CIA as a means to blend in with the local populace - a 'when in rome' approach to urban camouflage. Paired up with other pieces of locally-worn garb, an operator could conceal most of his kit neatly beneath these blankets, and flip it over his shoulder when the need arose. Of course, being a blanket, it kept them warm in the inclement weather in the Khyber Pass and even kept their arms out of the sun.
So whether you're using this as a means to LARP or not, it's hard to argue with it's utility.
Specs
Wearing Your Patu Shawl
Patu shawls are most commonly worn using a simple "once around" wrap. Start with the short side of the shawl draped off your shoulder, wrap it around your back, over the other shoulder, around your front, and back over the shoulder you started on. It should sit around or below your waist just like our model photos, with a relatively even distribution all around.
Ready for some CIA LARP? For concealing rifles, start on the shoulder opposite your trigger finger. This will allow the long angle of the shawl to match the gun across your body, and makes it easier to swim the muzzle out. To keep your shawl wrapped tight with a rifle outside concealment, wrap the shawl between you and the sling before the final wrap on the starting shoulder.
Afghan Patu Mountain Shawl
I actually had a few of these in Afghanistan and was kicking myself for not having the sense to bring any back when I was younger.These patus are just like I remember.The stitching and color are good.
I would've given it a five stars and it feels guilty not to, but there's just some things that sort of irritated me. One is that in the title, it says Afghan patu, but upon receiving it, I saw that it's made in Pakistan. Second is that it was really prickly, though I can excuse that part because it's made of wool and that's how it should feel if it's authentic material. Also, after washing it twice, that prickliness was reduced a lot. Maybe one more wash and it'll be perfect. It is really warm though and can be used for many purposes. Can be used as a blanket, a jacket if you don't have one, you can lay it out and sit on the floor, and so much more. Overall a pretty cool piece of kit, but could have some improvements. My honest take and I hope it isn't too harsh
Definitely a polarizing item, this thing is not for everyone.
When it first arrived it was itchy, covered in random bits of glitter, fabric scraps, loose string, even metal shavings.
A few cold washes solved those problems though.
It's a lot of readjusting while wearing it as well but will stay in place for an hour or so with moderate movement.
Overall?
It's durable, stylish, and badass.
But I wouldn't recommend unless you have long hair or an AK.
KS sent a pakol for free with my order and I couldn't be happier.
Great piece to wander around something with verticality. Highly recommend washing it once or twice. It's kind of scratchy, but after one wash it feels a lot better. Going to send it through the wash again to get that Pakistani funk out of it.
Pretty large, love it and came within a reasonable time, can't wait to use it for msw militia. only downside is its a bit itchy, but you get used to it.
