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I posted this a while back in the Carry Issues forum on Glock Talk. Well, not word for word, but the gist of the story. There are now a few converts over there.

I spent half of January, all of February, and half of March in China earlier this year. We got a Chinese drilling rig ready to go to work in Saudi Arabia. So I was scheduled to follow it to Saudi.

Knowing that temperatures in the Saudi desert are much hotter than they are here, I started researching quality clothing to wear.

The answer kept coming back "Under Armour".

They sell the compression T-shirts at Academy for $25 each, so I decided to try one. Then I bought several more.

I ended up not going to Saudi, because the Chinese didn't want to pay my price. But I discovered the ultimate undershirt for IWB carry.

My wife-beaters are all in the rag-bin now. The gun and holster slide over this fabric, making it much more comfortable, and the cooling benefits are excellent.

I've reached the point where I can't stand to be without one, whether carrying IWB or OWB. They're just so comfortable.

Academy doesn't sell them, but there is also a Tactical Gear line of Under Armour. Same product, but the logo isn't loud, and they have a V-neck so they don't show under a button-down shirt with the top button undone. I really like the tactical shirts best. If you google it, you'll find some suppliers.

Wal Mart has a knock-off brand that works, but the seams dig into me and tend to unravel a bit after a few washings.

When you wash them, just hang 'em up. Don't throw 'em in the dryer. They'll be dry real shortly if you just hang 'em after the spin cycle.

I hear ya. I wear the Dickies brand version.

+1
I have one from Academy...Nike brand. It is a lifesaver for a fat boy
Jason

I use the Wal Mart and Academy brands for running. I like the Under Armor, but they are not worth the price to me.

TxFire wrote:I use the Wal Mart and Academy brands for running. I like the Under Armor, but they are not worth the price to me.

I used a few el cheapo brands when I was in the Army, but quickly found that I was back at the PX picking up the tactical line of Under Armour. For whatever reason they just hold up better.

Of course, I was wearing this stuff 12-18 hours a day when I wasn't in the field, and 24/7 when I was, all at Ft Hood in the middle of the summer. Thats the best hot weather stress test you're going to find east of NTC.

How should this stuff be sized?
I tried some of the wal-mart knockoff stuff and it was quite unflattering to my soggy midsection; it felt 2 sizes too tight.
Is it supposed to be that way?

The most effective stuff is skin tight everywhere - helps keep you cool better. But it isn't that flattering on me as an outer layer, so I get the loose stuff for working out.

When I wear underarmor for working out, I wear a sleeveless t-shirt over it.

I don't know about the knock off brands, but UnderArmour comes in several different flavors: heat wear, cold wear, loose wear, and tactical. All but the loose wear is VERY tight, so if that bothers you, get a larger size or buy your regular size of the loose wear.

Cabela's carries the full line, except for the tactical. I have never seen the tactical wear in stores, only in catalogs like GT Distributors.

My son is a mountain biker. He first introduced me to the brand. It holds up very well, especially considering what he puts it through. Just wash it and hang it. It doesn't like the dryer.

Military PXs often carry the tactical wear - thats usually where I got mine. If you know someone who is active/reserve/retired you can usually shop through AAFES online.