Why is UF Pro loved?
UF Pro Striker X Gen.2 Combat Pants
Fabrics and Weight
They are made mostly of heavy Rip-Stop fabric composed of 50/50% polyamide/cotton, along with inserts of thick stretch material and polyamide reinforcements. The pants feature YKK zippers and medium-sized Canadian buttons, which together make them quite heavy. Without knee protection pads, the pants in size 32/32 weigh 1060 g. With knee pads included, they weigh 1365 g. Even the good old M65, along with its warming liner, probably didn’t weigh that much…
Cut
Upper Section
The pants fasten at the waist with a Canadian button and a metal hook, while the fly is secured with a two-way zipper. Large stretch inserts are located on the sides, and there’s a soft comfort pad (special cushioning) at the lower back. Beneath it, on the inside, a zipper is sewn in to attach an insulating liner or a windstopper (a Gore-Tex windproof membrane liner). Additionally, the new Strikers come with an integrated belt, which can, of course, be removed if desired.
Rear Pockets
On the buttocks, there are two large mesh pockets with hook-and-loop fastened flap closures, hidden under a large stretch panel that covers the entire backside.
On the front sides, just below the waistband, there are two pockets: one standard pocket for small items like loose change, and another, closer to the side, designed to hold a pistol magazine or a knife.
Cargo Pockets
Large cargo pockets, closed with button-secured flaps, are placed entirely on the sides of the pant legs. On top of these, there are external pockets that can hold a large smartphone or a rifle magazine. These pockets are further secured with a shock cord (a highly elastic bungee cord), and elastic loops are sewn inside for additional organization. Inside, there is also an adjustment system for the height of the knee pads. Additionally, a vertically sewn zipper on the front side of the pocket makes it easier to access the interior—especially when seated, for example, in a vehicle. Right next to it, on the very edge of the cargo pocket, there is a ventilation opening, also secured with a zipper.
Knee Protection
Below, as in most pants of this type, there are dedicated pockets for knee protectors. Access to them is very convenient—via a long, horizontally sewn zipper. The pockets themselves are partially made of Rip-Stop fabric (with its characteristic grid pattern designed to prevent tearing). Additionally, there are permanently sewn-in soft pads covered with polyamide, and a stretch panel at the bottom, which significantly enhances wearing comfort, especially when protective inserts are installed.
Pant Legs
At the back, just below the knee, there are integrated drawstrings that can be detached if needed (for instance, I never use them). Below, on the back of the calf, there is a zipper that allows you to open or expand the pant legs enough to take off or put on the pants without removing your boots. On the sides, there are large pockets secured with a vertically sewn zipper from the back, which also include an elastic band inside, just like the cargo pockets. At the very bottom, on the inner side and slightly toward the front, the pant legs are reinforced with polyamide inserts and surrounded by an elastic, adjustable drawstring. Additionally, on the inner side at the front of the pant legs, there is a small plastic hook that can be used to secure the pants to your boot laces, preventing them from shifting or riding up.
That’s all when it comes to the cut.
Let’s Start With The Advantages Of UF Pro Striker X Gen.2
Comfort
The new Striker X Gen.2 pants are undoubtedly comfortable. The placement of stretch panels significantly enhances their flexibility—especially the seat area, which is almost entirely made of stretch fabric. The cut in the hip area and the width of the pant legs are well-balanced. These are not your typical wide, loose cargo pants, but neither are they tight, skinny jeans where you can’t even fit your hands into the pockets (as is the case with many modern pants). A large button and a metal hook (similar to those on suit pants) secure the pants and prevent them from coming undone. The two-way zipper on the fly was a bit of a surprise for me, although I personally have never used the bottom option.
Spacious pockets
The cargo pockets are positioned at an optimal height. Placing them slightly higher than on standard BDU pants—almost at knee level—might make access slightly more difficult, especially on the side where you carry a holster on a tactical belt. However, this issue is resolved by the additional access through the front zipper. Inside, elastic loops keep rifle magazines securely in place, preventing them from shifting loosely around the pockets. These pockets are fastened with convenient Canadian buttons, which can easily be operated with one hand. The same applies to the zippers, all of which are concealed and protected by an additional layer of fabric.
Ventilation capability
The front ventilation openings do their job, which can be clearly felt on cooler days.
Easy access to knee protection
The access to the pockets for protective inserts is large and convenient enough that you don’t need to take off the pants to insert or remove them. Moreover, the integrated knee pads provide significant protection for everyday use in the field or at the shooting range.
The small stretch panel located just below the knee pads works very effectively when kneeling down.
Practical pockets on the pant legs
The lower pockets located on the calves are truly spacious. They can easily accommodate a tourniquet, secured with internal elastic, as well as a standard personal bandage or an OLAES bandage (another type of dressing).
Reinforcement and protection from dirt
The reinforcements in the lower part of the pant legs are a very effective solution, as this is the area most prone to wear and damage, especially on the inner side. Additionally, the extra hook combined with the drawstring provides excellent protection, keeping insects and various debris from getting into your boots.
The Striker X Gen.2 also have their drawbacks
Lack of satisfactory breathability
As I mentioned earlier, the UF Pro Striker X Gen.2 pants are made mostly of thick material, which makes them very hot to wear. Even the stretch fabric used in them is so thick that the pants are virtually non-breathable. Fortunately, they are equipped with ventilation openings, which provide at least a bit of relief. Unfortunately, compared to the previous version, where these openings were located almost in the crotch area, the ventilation in this version is much less effective.
Annoying Zipper and Wet Pads
The comfort pad located in the rear lumbar area does indeed work and protects us from potential pressure caused by a tactical belt. Unfortunately, it doesn’t shield us from the internal zipper used for attaching an additional liner. While this zipper is covered by a layer of fabric, if that layer folds (for example, when assuming certain forced positions), the zipper can chafe and cause discomfort or even injury, as I experienced during a recent shooting competition. Additionally, if you have to cross a water obstacle, the pants might dry relatively quickly on a warm sunny day, but the comfort pad will remain wet for a significantly longer time.
Drawbacks of the Cargo Pockets
The cargo pockets lack the small drainage holes found in American BDU uniforms—or their newer versions—at the bottom of the pockets, which would be very useful after getting out of the water. The drawstring inside the main cargo pocket, intended to secure items, is essentially non-functional. There’s no stopper of any kind, making it practically useless.
Knee Protection – Issues with Adjustment and Comfort
I have to say the same about the height adjustment of the knee protectors. In theory, the adjustment is four-step. However, if you turn the pants inside out, you’ll see that this isn’t the case, due to the adjustment strap being fed through too small an opening. Its widening shape prevents it from fitting properly, effectively limiting the adjustment to just one notch upward.
Changes in Pants Sizing
Let’s summarize the Striker pants
Combat Shirt UF Pro Striker XT Gen.2
Shoulder Pads
On the shoulders, on the inside, there are mesh foam pockets designed to hold comfort pads.
Sleeve Construction
On the shoulders, there are quite spacious pockets with zipper closures, and a soft hook-and-loop patch measuring 9.5 x 14 cm is sewn on them. Just behind the pockets, on the back of the shoulders, there are ventilation openings—also secured with zippers. At the elbow height, there are hook-and-loop-closed pockets for protective inserts, and slightly below, on the middle part of the forearm, there are additional zippered pockets with sewn-on PALS webbing. The cuffs are adjustable with hook-and-loop fasteners and feature a gusset that expands the sleeve width.
Advantages of Striker XT Gen.2 shirt
Comfort
The UF Pro Striker XT Gen.2 combat shirt, like the pants, is quite comfortable, and the small design features incorporated into it make wearing it easier and more enjoyable. The collar is lined with a soft and pleasant-to-the-touch material on the inside, which definitely enhances the comfort. The zipper sewn into the collar is slightly longer than usual, making it easier to put on and take off the shirt—especially on your own. The ventilation openings on the back of the shoulders, combined with the mesh under the arms, provide a noticeably effective airflow.
Spacious pockets
The shoulder pockets have additional loops sewn in at the zipper height, allowing for easy operation. Simply grab them with your teeth to stretch and tension the sleeve, ensuring that the material doesn’t give way, which makes opening the pockets much easier (and, by the way, the pockets turn out to be quite spacious). The forearm pockets can also serve as holders for a small external notebook or other identifiers attached to PALS webbing. Inside the pockets, there’s an elastic band sewn in (like in the cargo pockets of the pants), which comfortably fits a medium-sized smartphone (such as an iPhone 12 mini).
Easy sleeve rolling
The addition of a gusset at the bottom of the sleeves allows for easy rolling up. Together, these features make for a very comfortable, unrestricted, breathable, and most importantly, quick-drying combat shirt.
Disadvantages
Drawbacks of the shirt
A major downside is that the main material (the shirt) is quite delicate. Just snagging it with a hook-and-loop fastener causes pulls to appear immediately. Additionally, the cut is fairly tight. What I mean by this is that while large arms and chest fit in it without any problem, if you don’t have a six-pack, it might be a different story. It’s that kind of cut that will really show you the truth about your physique.
Out-of-spec webbing
The PALS webbing sewn onto the pockets doesn’t maintain its dimensions, which causes anything attached to it to pull (shrink) the fabric, thereby shortening the length of the sleeves.
Price
And finally, the price. 160 Euros for a combat shirt that can become quite pilled after the first wash is, in my opinion, too much. But as I mentioned at the beginning, any type of professional or tactical unit doesn’t pay much attention to the price when it comes to high-quality products.
Summary of the Entire Set
UF Pro Striker X and Striker XT Gen. 2 from a Woman’s Perspective
The pants are a true unisex design
On the UF Pro website, the company states that both the Striker X Gen. 2 pants and the Striker XT Gen. 2 combat shirt are unisex, meaning the cut should fit both women and men. And in theory, that’s true. But in practice? When I opened the package and pulled out the pants, their feminine shape immediately caught my eye—narrow at the waist, wide at the hips. I went to the manufacturer’s website and searched to see if they had a women’s line. They don’t. I tried on the pants, and they fit perfectly. Very often, when buying men’s tactical pants, I have to buy ones with a looser waistband to fit my not-so-small and slim backside into them. With the UF Pro pants, I didn’t have that problem—they fit well at the waist, without being too tight around the hips or thighs. A miracle!
Men’s combat shirt
Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about the combat shirt. It is definitely more suited for men. It’s wide in the chest and tapers down, which resulted in it clinging to my love handles while being too loose in the shoulders. Yes, a smaller size would likely fit better in the shoulders, but it would be too small in the hips. As for the detailed review, I won’t repeat what Mikel has already written, but I’ll share a few of my own observations.
UF Pro Striker X Pants in Practice
The Nature of a Search and Rescue Dog Handler’s Work
First and foremost, I decided to test the pants in slightly different conditions than shooting and tactics, namely during training with dogs working in a search-and-rescue team. I am a search-and-rescue dog handler, and I know how difficult it is to find good clothing for this type of work – a firefighter suit is too warm and uncomfortable, while outdoor clothing is not durable enough. Unfortunately, search operations follow their own rules, and we never know in what kind of terrain conditions we’ll be working. Very often, certain areas overlap, meaning we may be conducting a search in the forest but suddenly have to search an abandoned building with basements.
Testing in Varying Conditions
That’s why we conduct training in varied conditions – not only in forested areas but also in the previously mentioned abandoned buildings, basements, and rubble. In these environments, we are exposed to sharp edges of protruding building elements, hard concrete ceiling fragments, and tight spaces that we often have to crawl through with the dog. In these tough conditions, the UF Pro pants performed excellently. Unfortunately, the combat shirt did not fare as well, as any snagging of the mesh parts on protruding branches or rubbing against hard, rough concrete resulted in fabric pulls and a concern about it tearing.
