I try to be as transparent as possible when it comes to reviewing gear. The Kumau Bomber jacket came free from 5.11 as what I assume is a gift. It was a pleasant surprise, to be sure. But to be clear, there is no expectation of a review, and more importantly, there is no expectation of a positive review.
I make it a habit to look into the names of 5.11 clothing; it’s always creative. Kumau is Hawaiian for North Star. The Kumau is a bomber-style jacket. Anything that makes me look like Ryan Gosling from Drive will appeal to me. The Kumau keeps the classic bomber style with more modern features and materials.
Inside the Kumau
I’m a guy who loves to wear black. It’s slimming, matches everything, and hides a gun fairly well. My other go-to color is a darkish olive green. I used to think I looked pretty good in Marine Corps PT shirts. The website offers black and green, but that’s not totally accurate. The Kumau comes as a reversible jacket.
You can quickly and easily swap from black to green and back again. The other covert model offers green and desert camouflage, so you get two colors in one. The only thing that doesn’t swap is the traditional bomber-style wrist and waist enclosures, which remain black regardless of the external color. A reversible design is perfect for several reasons.
First, two colors expand the jacket’s usefulness in terms of fashion. Reversing the jacket makes matching things a lot easier—twice the usefulness. Swapping your jacket from one color to another could help you disguise and evade. Why would this be handy for the average person?
Well, have you ever wanted a second helping of a free sample? People get really stingy with their samples, so reverse the jacket, throw on a hat, and get your second mini sausage from the Costco guy. I kid, but the two sides of the jacket do offer advantages.
The black outer section is made from durable nylon ripstop material that’s extremely water—and stain-resistant. It’s rougher and tougher than the inner jacket, which is arguably more comfortable against the body. The taffeta inner jacket is more stylish, with a little sheen and a less utilitarian design.
The Kumau In Action
The Kumau fits nicely, with a classic and flattering waist that looks and feels nice. The traditional rib knit collar, cuff, and waistband look good, but they also keep you insulated and keep the warm air inside the jacket rather than letting it out. We just hit a cold snap here in Florida, so the Kumau has been a morning companion as I struggle with 35-degree weather.
The jacket has two typical hand pockets up front using snap enclosures. The left arm has a separate small pocket enclosed via a snap. Both sides of the reversible jacket feature the same snap pockets. The big front pockets offer tons of room. You could fit a mini IFAK in one without a problem.
Since the pockets are reversed, you technically have two inner pockets that are fairly easy to access. You could carry items that might be more sensitive. I like it as pickpocket protection, and while pickpockets aren’t all that common in the U.S., they exist across the world.
The arm pocket is fairly small. I don’t find myself using it much, but options are nice to have. I could see it being useful for wireless headphones, a little cash, and similar lightweight items you want to keep out of your main pockets.
Getting Warm
This isn’t a parka by any means, but for 35 degrees, it’s just right. It’s a great winter jacket in Florida or a Fall jacket for the rest of the country. It’s water resistant without being too heavy, so it remains useful in the Southeast for those rainy days. It’s quite comfortable, and I like how I look in it.
You’ll notice that the waist isn’t as high as most bomber jackets. Either 5.11 doesn’t dig the traditional look, or they know their customer. I’d argue most people who wear 5.11 gear carry a gun at least occasionally. Too high of a waist makes concealment a bit of a hassle. The lower-than-normal bomber waist makes it easy to keep your handgun concealed and accessible.
The Kumau still provides a stylish look with the enhanced features we expect from 5.11. I love the reversible nature because I won’t be excused for just having one jacket. Check out the Kumau if you want the bomber to look and to carry a gun without difficulty.
For information, please visit 511Tactical.com.
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