I had a chance to get my hands on several pieces of Kit from Triple Aught Design (TAD) right before Christmas. For those who don’t know them, they’re a great brand, and like any good company, the people are what make them so good.
About Triple Aught Design
Engineers and machinists use 000 (triple aught) as shorthand for a thousandth of an inch, which has been the high standard of precision tolerance for over a century. Inspired by that ideal, we apply thorough design, high attention to detail, and strict tolerances to ensure our products meet your most rigorous needs.
Triple Aught Design is headquartered in the Dogpatch, a historical warehouse and factory district along San Francisco’s eastern waterfront. With the Pacific to our west and the Sierras to our east, we have spectacular landscapes to inspire our designs and rugged wilderness areas in which to test and use our products.
-From their website.
My Experience
I had a chance to meet Brett (the CEO), and Raquel at this year’s SHOT show in vegas with Nick our west coast sales representative. We discussed what the company is up to in 2014, and I learned a bit more about their DNA, and who they are as a company. Nick, and I came away more impressed, and thankful to be working with such great people.
Triple Aught Design, for me, is like finding buried treasure on a barren sand beach of tactical blah that is ubiquitous in the consumer market place. It’s so refreshing to see a company, influenced by military style, carve out a niche in an overcrowded “me too” market that is so obvious to me, and my Spec Ops friends at the SHOT show in Las Vegas.
When I was with working with Massif (a great bunch of folks) they were in the middle of making a move to the outdoor consumer market, and abandoned this when their top leadership decided to go “all in” with the military in a declining DoD budget environment. I’m admittedly biased with Massif but it was a huge mistake not to diversify into the consumer market place when military spending is rapidly declining. It’s a decision that has also left Triple Aught Design all alone in a niche market.
Below is a quick hit of the items I’ve personally encountered.
I wore this jacket in the Sierra’s, skiing at Squaw Valley, and New York in sub zero conditions. Two words, Bad & Ass. My only input on improvement is the hood. I’d make the hood/brim easier to adjust on the outside with velcro, at times it would slide down and impair my vision. Other than that it’s good-to-go.
This is my new favorite sweater, and I’m glad it’s too big for my girlfriend who’s been eye balling it (hands off!). I’ve worn this piece flying in the SOFREP Yak 52 at 6000 AGL and it’s extremely comfortable, durable, and warm. There’s a reason it’s called the Special Service sweater. My only input on improving this piece would be to offer shorter sleeve lengths, and reduce the sleeve diameter as it can get a little sloppy in the sleeves at times. Other than that this is a sweater that will last you years, and is a must have in your collection.
This pack is a winner, and doesn’t have the typical Mollie mayhem I see on most packs these days. It’s an incredibly well thought out pack, my 12-year old son actually begged me for this pack while we were skiing in Tahoe. He’s the new proud owner, and the talk of his middle school.
Summary
TAD is committed to quality, aesthetics, and American manufacturing. These are winning qualities that I identify with as someone who’s ultra picky about quality and style in a product. One thing is for certain, TAD is here to stay, and I’ll be rocking their product in 2014.
For more about what their up to visit their website here.
(Image: Flying in the SOFREP.com Yak over east San Diego. Author’s collection.)
Brandon, Editor-in-Chief SOFREP.com
UDT/SEAL Class 215
