Triple Aught Design (TAD) is a really unique brand. It’s products are grounded in a tactical, purposeful world. Function first and form second; the mantra of a company that seeks to create products and garments that last and perform.
As a brand that is quality- and detail-driven, we find their products to be very much in the true preppy ethos; built to last, perform an outdoorsy function, be unique, and meant to be used, not simply admired. So, while there isn’t a repp stripe in sight, the preppy DNA behind TAD’s Stealth Hoodie LT is front and center. It’s not meant to simply look tactical and rugged, it is tactical and rugged.
And, to us, that’s what actual classic style embodies; adopting something for day-to-day life that has inherent style but is purpose-built. Take a good look at old-school preps. They have stuff that really is old, re-purposed, beat-up, frayed around the edges, and not from a brand that makes stuff to just help you look like you are old money. They like things that work and that last, that are generally neutral in design and posses innate value and longevity. They don’t want 10 raincoats; they want maybe two. One that works well with a suit and is appropriate for the office and another one that can go from the boat to the trail to the grocery store.
This is the latter. The TAD Stealth Hoodie LT is built to last forever and has a wonderfully functional style that appeals to our pragmatic New England-ness. This lightweight version of the Stealth jacket is trim and no-nonsense in the design department and also has a ton of useful pockets in unusual yet perfectly sensible places.
Zippered underarm air vents allow for cooling and the chest pockets have integrated openings that allow you to snake your headphones up through the inside of your jacket, keeping cords out of the way and favorite podcast close at hand. Even the zippers have clever “hoods,” so when they are closed, no water or wind will slip inside.
To learn more about the many overbuilt and totally weatherproof details that make up the Stealth LT, take a look at the TAD website.
It’s a nice looking jacket, but your description of the maker seems a bit breathless and, frankly, clueless. Take an item from their accessories page, for example:
“Traditionally, Ranger Eyes are used to help identify friend from foe during night missions and to make it easier to follow members of your unit under the cover of night.”
Really? Friend from foe? So, while on a night op you come up behind someone and you’re not sure whether they’re one of your comrades or an enemy and you decide whether or not to kill him based on the presence of ranger eyes? I hope for his sake his cap didn’t get knocked off by a low tree branch.
But whatever, maybe it did. And now he’s a “foe.” So you sneak up behind him and carve an accessory breathing hole in his trachea with your Crusader Forge Professional TAD Edition – no doubt a bargain at the $435 asking price (only a 20% premium over, for example, a Randall Made Model 1, but, hey, the TAD is a “professional” knife) – only to find out that, whoops, that was a friend of your after all. Well, sorry about that, buddy, but you should have stuck to “tradition.”
Hey zyxwvutsr, thanks for comment. Glad you like the jacket, as do we.
I find the balance of your comment a bit odd, as we reviewed a jacket, not a knife. And, I am not entirely sure which part of the review was “breathless” or “clueless” in regards to the TAD brand. They make a great jacket, as we said.
Are you actually criticizing us for not commenting on TAD’s product copy for products we did not review? And, regarding that copy, you are aware that that this is a consumer product company, right? You took a dramatic sales pitch for an expensive knife and spun it into a tale of a compromised special ops mission.
Do you do this sort of thing on the J. Peterman catalog – angry that those linen pants do not, in fact, turn you into a wealthy expat strolling the streets of Paris?
Lighten up.
Actually, if you suggested that J. Peterman’s products were, “grounded in a purposeful world,” I might have the same reaction. Or if I were, in fact, a wealthy expat ambling around Paris I might insult you. In French.
I wasn’t criticizing you for TAD’s silly copy; I was mocking them.
Anyway, love the blog. Thanks.
Touché, sir. Nice one. Glad to have you as a reader.
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Just came across this when I was reading through old posts. Great review. This is one of the best soft shells out there. The fabric tech is really cutting edge. And the range of temperatures you can wear it in makes its versatility a great value despite the high price. I got mine in UE gray with patch swatches. I’m DC police and wear it a lot for work. I highly recommend checking out their store in San Fran. The customer service is outstanding.
Lamplighter, thanks for the great feedback. So glad that you love the shell. It’s a great jacket and an obsessed company. The fact that someone in your profession relies on it says an awful lot.
I actually was in San Fran recently but wasn’t able to get over there. Will have to get back!
Which color are you wearing? Do you think the hood would fit over a helmet? While wearing the jacket do people ever get a sense of its design heritage (military inspired) or does it blend pretty well around town? How is the weight? Does it pack up relatively small if you need to stow it in a messenger bag or backpack? I read the arm zippers can be quite stiff and noticeable. What is your experience with this? Lastly, what size are you wearing and is the fit normal, small, or roomier than normal for you?
Thanks for the review!