Black Gear or Tan Gear

[VistaFD126 0]

I wanted to start a post on black gear or tan gear whats the diffrence in material I know that alot of the black gear (Morning Pride) is cheap which is why larger departments use it but whats the diffrence in material??

[Guest]

VistaFD126, this may answer your questions:

http://emtbravo.net/index.php?showtopic=6818&hl=tan+gear

[Guest]

I don't believe that color has any bearing on price, its all about the material. (PBI, NOMEX 3) Morning Pride is also one of the most, if not the most expensive turn-outs on the market. I think color has little to do with anything more than tradition or preference. Some people will say tan or yellow offers better visability and some like black because it doesn't look as messy when it gets dirty. With little exception, color has no real effect. I've had yellow and I've had black.

[foreman1923 22]

I have heard from many people that there is a price difference btw. balck and tan gear because the black gear has to be dyed.

[houlidsa 76]

There is a price difference between natural & black pbi materials and yes it does have to do with the dying. Especially since Pbi matrix came around the Pbi natural was out for awhile befor Pbi Matrix in black came out because it was so hard to dye. You won't see the price difference with any of the other materials (nomex, advance, fusion) because they all have to be dyed. Please refer to the old conversation, there is alot of good stuff talked about.

[Guest CrotonFalls33]

Yea.. Personally I think it just has a lot to do with your departments own preference.. The only real advantage ive heard with tan gear is that its a lighter color hence its more comfortable in warmer weather than black.. But I honestly dont think the difference can be that great

[Guest]

Yes the fire is hot.  However you can control how long your in the environment with air supply.

You cannot control direct sunlight which black gear in direct sunlight can add upwards of over 15 degrees to the heat index and tan 10 to 15.

Breaking tradition is like trying to break lexan.  You have to keep beating on it till it weakens and you bust through.

←

thought you werent a traditionalist als? haha

[CPFD91206 0]

When I got in in the mid 80's I was issued a Yellow coat and Black pants (bumble bee looking creatures we were). Since then I have used Morning Pride Black FDNY style, Janesville tan JS-1, Cairns Tan RS-II and now Globe X-treme tan.

It seems the only time when you'll hear a Firefighter Bit*@in about how hot the gear is when they are standing around doing nothing or on a hot summer day. Come winter months here in the northeast their lips are sealed.

I have noticed that through the years manafacturers are using lighter and more breathable materials. I'm not sure wether this is to offset the colors used in the garments , locality of use or just in general process.

But all in all I have personally noticed that the light weight breathable material inside and a "light" colored shell is by far the most accomodating set up. This manages the heat stress we face a great deal better, our own safety during poor lighting condtions and overall PPE wear and tear because it is alot easier to monitor the amount of exposure to the environments we face on a daily basis and frequency that they need to be cleaned.

Some people cringe on the thought of cleaning their gear from a safety stand point... its a wise solution. How many times have we jumped into gear just before getting off duty only finding ourselves back in the shower to go home or to the "B job" or on our way to work and getting toned out for something and then sitting in a office stinking like the sweaty, smokey musty old gear hanging in the rack back at the firehouse?

Tradition has helped build this country to what it is today, lets use technology and inovations to keep "us" alive as well as our country and the people we protect !

[houlidsa 76]

CPFD91206 actually brings something new to the discussion that has been avoided but constantly spoken about: THL vs. TPP. Total Heat Loss vs. Thermal Protective Performance. Or what makes your gear breathable and what makes it perform in high temp. These two characters are diametrically opposed, thats why the guy sweating his @ss off all summer is nice and snug on a day like today. The heavier or higher TPP garment will breath less, take more heat, and feel heavier. While the THL garment will not take the heat but it will feel really good in warmer climates because it lets your body heat escape. The breatherable liner materials aren't to off set the shell they are to work as a system and based on the systems' configuration you can see if it fits your needs. A high fire load dept should be basing their system including shell selection differently from a dept with no fire load at all.

[RZ502 12]

I personally have used both black and tan and it all comes down to when your in a fire, it doesnt matter what color you are wearing, it is still hot. I like the black with either orange or yellow trip. trim. Our ladder company wears the orange trim and its kinda sharp looking.