One piece of gear many folks in uniform wear only in inclement weather is a pair of gloves. Granted the fingers get cold, damp, and need to be kept warm, but they also need to be protected. 10 Zero is a new player in the line-up, offering gloves designed for daily wear.

10 Zero's gloves fit and feel like "baseball" gloves, but they keep you warm, as one of the guys I work with described them to me. The guys wore them during the balmy single-digit days we had here in Pennsylvania throughout late January and February. To the man they all liked the fact they allowed for dexterity and the gloves kept their hands warm. That is a tough combination to find in gloves. Usually you can have one or the other, not both.

To see how they felt in warmer conditions the guys wore them indoors while working on and off the job. The gloves that kept their hands warm in cold conditions did not overheat or make their hands sweat in warmer conditions.

10 Zero has designed gloves that actually work for those in uniform. If the gloves fit well and perform in a wide range of conditions, odds are better that you will wear them. This is good because not only do gloves protect you from the elements, they protect you from abrasions, scratches, etc. In very hot or wet conditions the gloves can enhance your grip on a tool or a weapon and give you better purchase to the item.

I am one of those strange people who wears gloves most all of the time when I am working. No, I don't have baby soft hands, nor am I prissy about my nails; however, I have banged my bare knuckles off of enough walls, doors, and body parts to know I want some protection on my hands. The 10 Zero Gear Gloves will be one of the choices I make on or off duty for daily wear. Give them a shot and I think you will be wearing them, too.

Techwear USA: Lightweight Shirts

With more and more departments using bicycles, wearing hot weather uniforms, or having teams that compete in law enforcement competitions, new clothing is needed. To meet the needs of officers assigned to and authorized new styles of uniforms, might I suggest Techwear USA. Techwear USA's shirts are manufactured from cutting-edge fabrics that are lightweight, breathable, dry very fast, and offer the end user vibrant colors and limitless ideas for colors and "patches."

Techwear accomplishes the color and applications of "patches," names, and logos through a process called sublimation. Simply stated, the colors and any logos are applied to a sheet of paper which is placed on a press, then the shirt is set over the paper. At this point the shirt and paper are heated and pressed under pressure, which turns the dye into gas, making the print and the shirt one. This is done at the molecular level, making the colors, patches, and logos permanent. If the shirts fade you have really done something wrong.

I have been wearing one of the shirts Techwear made for the United States Practical Shooting Association (U.S.P.S.A.) since last October and I can tell you it is awesome. Even the grimiest of range grime washes out of the shirt and it looks brand new. My customized shirt just arrived in the last few weeks and Techwear did a super job on it. I will be wearing it on my fisher or when competing in the U.S.P.S.A. and International Defensive Pistol Association competitions this year.

When you contact Techwear regarding shirts, let them know your requirements. A company rep will tell you what you need to do to have your badge, unit patch, or any other logos applied to your shirts. Also let them know if you are wearing the shirt for duty as opposed to casual or training wear, as you will need to size the shirt to fit over your body armor. You will also get details on cost, delivery time, minimum orders required, etc.

If you or your agency is looking for cutting-edge clothing, Techwear USA can work with you and have you on the cutting edge. If my experience is any indication, the company will have you and your agency looking good and feeling good on the warmest of days.

SOG Knives:Power Assist Tool

It seems those of us who work in public service can never have enough gadgets and gizmos. Some of these are items we can't live without because we saw them in this or that magazine or catalog. These days one item that has gone from being a gadget to a daily use piece of gear is a "pocket tool." I have found SOG Knives to make some of the most useful and toughest tools on the market.

This year the Power Assist is SOG's latest pocket tool. At least in theory it's a "pocket" tool. I actually carry mine in the sheath that ships with each Power Assist. Whatever you call it, it's like SOG's Power Pliers on steroids.

A drop point flat blade and a serrated blade are in one handle of the Power Assist. Both blades use SOG's assisted opening technology for quick deployment. To prevent accidental openings, each blade has a lock. Both the lock and blade can be opened or closed with one hand.

The other handle has a Philips head and three flat blade screwdrivers, a can opener, and a shroud/seat belt cutter which SOG calls the V-cutter. There are also needle nose-style pliers with a wire cutter and a serrated area to grip troublesome nuts. Inside the pivot point of the handles is a fuse crimper and stripper.

The SOG Power Assist is a mini tool box for cops and EOD techs. If it sounds like this tool was built and designed for daily use by cops, SWAT, and EOD, it's because it was. I know several guys locally who carry SOGs daily on duty and won't leave home without them. Once you use one you will have it on your duty belt too, and wonder why you didn't earlier.

Scott Smith is a former federal police officer for the Department of Veteran's Affairs and a contributing editor to POLICE.