This is my review regarding my experience so far with the German flecktarn BDU.
Here's a link to a site where you can get the BDUs used but extremely cheap:
Uniforms & Camo Gear - Military Surplus
Yes, this stuff is extremely ugly, & you look like you're wearing polka-dot pajamas with them on. But they blend in VERY well here in eastern VA, there's no way you'll be mistaken for a fed, & you can't beat the price. Also, keep in mind outfitting the others in your group.
The pants:
German Army Flecktarn BDU Pants - Military Surplus
I picked up my pair of flecktarn pants recently at a gun show for $10.
What I like: The pants are VERY comfortable. They have the smoothest & most quiet zipper I've ever seen/heard. There are a couple places where the pants needed stitching during their life, & whoever did the rapairs did a magnificient job of it. The pants have extra buttons along the waistband for suspenders.
What I don't like: When I first picked them up, I couldn't read the tag (its all in German), so I got the guy working at the table at the gunshow to help me with it. Fortunately, he already knew it was a medium regular, & fortunately, he was correct about it. The cargo pockets are about the same size as those on American BDUs, except in their breadth; they don't stick out from the leg as much as other BDU cargo pockets do, so you can't carry as much in them (the more you carry in them, the more awkward it is when moving). Fastening the cargo pockets is not done with buttons, but with snaps. Of course, buttons are more quiet, but the snaps do work well (they don't stick or snap off too easily). The waistband is a little bit big for me, although I'm sure it would fit a lot of others on here just fine. The belt loops are not as wide, so you may have to use a thinner belt than you're used to with these pants. No rigger's belts with these. There is only one back pocket, which really doesn't affect me because I don't use rear pockets anyway.
The hat:
These were just $3 at the gun show. Soft & very comfortable & are much like the cap for the U.S. tri-color BDUs. The bill is soft, so you don't have to worry about keeping the bill's shape. Ball it up & shove it in your pocket & it will be fine.
I have not yet tried the shirt or the parka, so I will not make any judgements on them yet (that would be prejudice ).
The flak jacket:
MIL-2115 - Flecktarn Camo Flak Vest Used One Size Fits Most
What I liked:
The price; I got mine when they were $39.97 on CTD. Apparently they upped the price at some point. The cammo; once again, the flektarn pattern works very well in my AO. The vest has a front pocket on it that comes in fairly handy. Its just convenient. This vest is also surprisingly flexible for body armor.
What I didn't like:
The tag; can't read anything on it. There is no place to insert ceramic trauma plates for extra protection. Unlike the U.S.'s new interceptor vests, there is no place to attach more gear to. I wish this vest could stand up to more than just slow-moving rounds. The vest opens very awkwardly; not like most of us are used to with the straight down the middle velcro, this thing has the velcro near the shoulder/arm pit area. It just takes a little getting used to.
It might be worth it to rig something up so that it would accept trauma plates. Or if you have a blue or white police vest, you could maybe put the internal panels inside the flecktarn vest.
In conclusion, I would not go to flecktarn as my first choice of BDU, but its pretty good quality gear for what you pay for. Personally, I would use my marpat BDUs before using the flecktarn, but would use the flecktarn long before I use the tri-colors or that ACU garbage the Army adopted.
As with any gear you buy, "You get what you INSPECT, not what you EXPECT." This is why I like buying things in person instead of online, ESPECIALLY when dealing with used items.
If somebody else has something to add regarding their experiences with flecktarn, please do.
