SHOT Show 2024 was an interesting experience for US. I wasn't shy about sharing my feelings that the newer floorplan is absolutely abhorrent, and even with the app on my tablet, still not fun to navigate. After 16 years in the industry, we have little need to visit the main floor with all of the major brands because those are well-established relationships with regular communication throughout the year. What we look for are brands that make the best quality gear, that are lesser known like GH Armor, Haven Gear (riot gear), TacMed Solutions, and Arbor Arms just to name a few.
So there I am, spending more time finding my way around than actually getting business done at individual booths when I came across the Kitanica. Their kind of extreme looking garments that are "over-built" caught my eye immediately so I wanted to stop by and see them up close. There's no denying the quality of their products. It's beyond opinion at this point, but purely fact that they have some great standout pieces. Their price-point is scary to some, but for U.S. made clothing that's built to last, it would be hard to claim that customers aren't getting a good value.
I also saw that they were doing a giveaway, and I've never won anything in my life, but I went ahead and entered like sure, worst case scenario, they'll have my information and we can collab at some point down the road on a future project. It was a complete surprise when I saw an email congratulating me on winning and I was in a bit of a shock. I had to verify to make sure I wasn't being scammed (by an outside source) and the email really was from them.
With $1,500 to spend, I wanted to get a feel for colors and quality of the materials, as well as consistency. I didn't need the most expensive of their products to see this. Many would ask why I didn't use that opportunity to get a Mark IV or V Jacket since the price tag is $699.00 on it. To be honest, I thought about it, but the point of ordering anything was to see if the products would be a good addition to our store, not to just load up on products for myself. That would also be a disservice to my team at U.S. Combat Gear.
The visual reference on the left is just a screenshot from my order email confirmation so we'll just go from the top down.
KITANICA SQUADRON 40L DUFFEL
I like this for a day trip or overnight travel. It's also a bag that would be great for the range if you're going to shoot multiple platforms and want one bag to store ammo, magazines, snacks, and range gear like paper targets, staples, markers, stickers, as well as gun-care items. The shoulder straps make this ideal for longer term carry and stow away easily without getting in the way of anything. The quality is great and as critical as I am, there's nothing I could change about this bag. Since constructive "criticism" is necessary in everything I rate as an independent tactical consultant, the only thing I would say is that it would be nice to eventually see Kitanica add a larger rolling bag to the collection. Those aren't cheap to produce, so if they agreed, customers would have to be prepared to pay for them. HOWEVER, I'm convinced that it would be the last travel bag you'd ever need. It ships pretty flat, so don't be alarmed if it gives you pizza box vibes when you receive it. The bag can still fit a lot of items in there if you know how to pack, and will look like it's supposed to with the side walls standing up.
KITANICA MARK I FLEECE LINER
I bought this as a standalone softshell jacket and I'm going to tell you that I'm not disappointed at all. I love the way it feels and the way it FITS! I do have to caution everyone to MAKE SURE you read the sizing chart and trust it. Don't overthink, and DO NOT worry about what size you are in other jackets that are similar. Go off of their sizing chart. I'm so glad that I did... but of course I did because that's one of the things I wanted to assess. Honestly I've never had a softshell jacket fit better, from any other brand. The look of the jacket is also a little more rugged which is hard to explain, but it's just more of a masculine fit. That's a look not often easy to achieve with someone my size. The pocket placement, angles, and overall configuration are great. It's breathable but still offers great wind and water resistance. The ONLY thing I would change about this would be making the snaps on the wrist area removable. Again, that's just me digging to find something because I have to. They aren't really in the way or bothersome.
KITANICA BEANIE
OK look, if you know me at all or have read our descriptions of beanies on our website, you know that I don't go into detail on them. They're beanies; meant to keep your head warm. This one is softer than most and I find it big because I have a small head (size 7) but it's great quality and I wanted to get a darker color. You can't really change much about a beanie, but maybe they could offer it in more colors including black with a charcoal logo.
KITANICA RSP PANTS
I have to be careful because emotion can't be part of any reviews but I can't pretend that I don't love these pants. I bought them in two colors, Ranger Green, and Khaki so I could compare color schemes and check for consistency. Two tone pants aren't for everyone, but I love them. The best shot I have of these is the Ranger Green RSP Pants with black Mark I Fleece Liner, Ranger Green RESPID 30L Pack which is is also two-toned, Ranger Green and Black. They all fit together nicely. The pocket layout gives you a lot of versatility and gives you a space for everything you need to carry. It's nice to have a way to adjust the waist easily on the go, if you need a little extra room, or if you're like me and forget a belt half the time. They're definitely made of a rugged material (NYCO riptop) in all colors. Now, it was easy for me to find the one feedback item for this pant, but it's not a showstopper for buying more. These are very durable and tough pants, but they don't flex at all. Because of the way they fit, they'll move with you but there have been very few pants I've seen that are this static. I thought they'd be hot when I first felt the material too, but the matieral is surprisingly breathable. https://kitanica.com/collections/pants/products/rsp
KITANICA ALL SEASON PANT (ASP) TACTICAL PANTS
This is another great product worth adding to your outdoor collection. Details matter, and with these pants, there are plenty to explore. Honestly they feel like a great tactical pant as soon as you put them on. They have a waist adjustment also which is great for wearing them longer periods of time. To me, they feel like a modern upgraded BDU Pant. For tactical use, because of the pocket placement, I see these as a stand and fight type pant. I wouldn't want to store things in the back pockets and have long helicopter or ground vehicle movements. They also make a great range pant and for general outdoor use. These will be my go-to once fall comes back around as well where I'm working outside a lot more. They're still light and breathable, and the NYCO ripstop is spun in a way that makes it heavier and tougher feeling than traditional BDU tops and pants. Keep in mind that "overbuilt" is Kitanica's theme, so it's not a flaw. I am surprised to see a NYCO that feels more like PolyCotton though. I'd recommend these pants for sure, and again check the sizing chart to be sure you're ordering the right size. I also am going to test the MOLLE on the left side of the pant. I want to know if it's possibly a better place to carry my IFAK than on the left side of my plate carrier OR at least an acceptable place to carry one for outdoor use, camping, hiking, or on the water. There's no "bad news" but the one thing I will say is if you're going to offer a combat pant and even put tactical in the name, make an opening on the inside of the knee to allow your branded knee pads to be inserted. Even if that wasn't the intent of the original design, let the consumer make that call; at least give them the option.
KITANICA CARDSHARK WALLET
This is an interesting piece that I'm liking more every day. It's a low profile design and lightweight, but still good quality. The wallet fits great into the pockets of your existing pants or any of the Kitanica pants offered on their site. There's not a lot you can say about something this small except imitations or lower quality wallets tend to rip pretty easily or become loose over time. This one has stood up pretty well so far and I'll keep you posted. The only thing I can say about this is that it would be nice to see it available in other patterns like A-TACS, but I would still recommend buying these a few at a time and giving them away to friends.
KITANICA VESPID 30L BACKPACK
This backpack quickly became my every day carry pack. I love how easily the top opens (when I want it to) and how much space is inside the bag. On a normal day, I have my laptop, 24x11 in mousepad, 10 inch tablet, laptop charger, binder, 2x 9x12 envelopes with documents inside, Skullcandy Crusher headphones, and a few other folders in the main compartment. In the top zipper pouch I have my wireless mouse, a USB CAC reader, a HDMI converter, multiple packs of gum, pens, highlighters, mechanical pencils, and disinfectant wipes. One the side pouches, I carry bottles of water, and in some cases, I'll carry one bottle of water on one side, and my coffee tumbler on the other. This is a bag that YOU WILL wear on both shoulders or it's not staying on. That's really the only thing I can say that you could consider a con. The only other thing I can say about this is that it's a lot less tactical and a lot more of an every day carry bag. You decide if that's good or bad. I wouldn't take it to combat on a normal day, but it does create the perfect balance of a tactical yet practical look and function. While I stand on that opinion, I think they would do good to follow some recent trends of having some in heather gray or grayish blue with or without MOLLE slots. We're also hoping to do a collab soon to make a series of these for purchase only through U.S. Combat Gear in
A-TACS IX.
KITANICA HAT
Hey, what a simple and practical name for this product. That's what it is, a hat. While there's nothing particularly special about this one, they do come in two different colors currently, MC Black, and grey. I can't wear MC so I went with grey. The hat feels great and is easily adjustable. I'm not sure what else you could ask for in a piece of everyday wear headgear. It's nice not having a top button which can get hit on accident sometimes. The only thing I can think that I could suggest is offering them in black with either a white or charcoal logo. I think it pairs nicely with the Mark I Fleece Liner and any of the pants.