#tadjunkies

Photos by David Massey and TADJunkies

If you’ve never considered making the pilgrimage west to San Francisco for the unofficial woodstock for Triple Aught Design’s Dogpatch Warehouse Sale, you need to reevaluate your priorities in life.

No other company offers a weekend of adventure and true brotherhood (and sisterhood) quite like this. 

How could an annual retail sale be an adventure you ask? “Project Q”-that’s how. I’ll explain later.  

For some of us out-of-towner TADJunkies, the weekend started off with a few meet and greets, Friday, usually at Magnolia, a watering hole near Dogpatch Base. We met up with fellow junkies at the craft brewery, conveniently located within site of TAD HQ, that also has some legendary BBQ. We were graced by some quick visits from TAD Crew who came by to give us some juicy details about the event. They probably needed some fresh air after being in preparation mode for days but it was the food we needed for the hungry anticipation of what fun that was about to transpire.

Handshakes were shared over cold pints, the first of many over the next 48 hours. 

This year, the store was closed Friday in preparation for the madness that would ensue in coming day.

Depending on your social media involvement or your desire to meet like minded individuals, the DWS is a perfect opportunity to meet up with people you’ve shared posts with or PM’d over the year, or simply chat with other people that enjoy the same gear that you do. In retrospect though, I have regrets. I’m disappointed that I didn’t stop to talk to more people and meet more new friends and of course take more pictures.    

The excitement and anxiety about Saturday morning was palpable. And the thrill of the unknown kept everyone as jittery as junkies like the day your stash runs out.

We decided to roll up to take our first place in line at the steel doors at about 0430. Little did we know, that a crew from South San Francisco had the stones to be there by 0230. And to think we were pretty badass getting there at 0415 last year! HAH! Who in their right minds would get up that early to buy some discounted gear at a sale? Triple Aught Design customers, that’s who! 

There was no rain this year, still a little chilly, but dry for the day. Breakfast sandwiches were hot, coffee was flowing, positivity and conversations were plentiful.

Jay Kap arrives with coffee in hand. 

Ben Thompson: No coffee face. 

We kill time...

By 0600 the line had turned the corner onto 3rd Street with the TADJunkies Admins and TADJunkies Crew near the head of the beast. The street was closed off this year so that all of the small businesses could participate in the sidewalk sales. There was a cool community vibe going on in Dogpatch.

About 30 minutes before the doors opened, TAD Crew came out to welcome everyone to the sale and to thank us for getting up early, coming far and wide, to attend. 

They had some special gifts for those at at the very front of the line, including a highly coveted item of much lore. 

The SERE pouch! There were also some other items like Shemaghs given out. 

The TAD Crew pulled out a box of patches that they let everyone get their paws into. 

From the last person in line to the very first, everyone got a handful of patches and a smile from Raquel, marketing guru.

The TAD Team prepares the Dogpatch for what’s about to happen. 

At 0900, the doors rolled open and the chaos ensued. 

Highlights were, some prototype blue Vector SC’s, a handful of other protos, nicely discounted items, and a tailoring station, where TAD’s own tailor extraordinaire-Anne was there making free alterations to people’s purchases while they waited... 

...some of the racks were picked clean in about an hour. 

...a sneak peak at some of the skills and tools at Rob Pingor’s covert entry CORE Class.

Anne’s tailoring station at left. 

There was also a corner showing off some behind the scenes shots from a recent TAD photo shoot.

There were a few pieces on display of prototype like the M65 Jacket...

and the Rogue Jacket to hint at things that would be dropping. (Rogue Jacket has since been released)

I hurried through the checkout line so I could rendezvous with #TeamJoker to get our Project Q underway.

PROJECT Q:  Starting in 2014, the excitement of TAD’s Saturday event didn’t end when you left with bags of prototype loot. After you got through the checkout line, you and your crew had to gear up to take on Project Q. 

Masterminded by a man known as “The Handler”, Project Q is sort of a choose your own adventure-scavenger hunt, but geocached, then sprinkled with mysterious San Francisco trivia, all in fast forward. This year, the rules were pretty much the same, but stakes were higher and the competition was fierce. There were more teams this year, more dead drops and more check points.

#TeamJoker is in play, heading to another location.

Leaving Grace Cathedral heading to another location. 

This year saw the innovation of using social media as a tool to keep track of team points as well as posting clues and it upped the game, as each team was able to see where they stood in the line up on the Tumblr page.

“We loved the idea of Q being interactive in the physical world as well as the digital world...”, said The Handler, ‘[social media] added a sense of urgency and a drive to keep pushing forward in the Q Arena, so it really helped promote the behavior we wanted out of the participants.”

Teams of three were given vague information in an envelope with a starting point.  We had to decipher the clue using any means necessary. You had to think on your toes, gaining intel in any way possible. 

We were sent to locations and once we got there we had to photograph our team card and report back to The Handler via SMS to get the next clue.

2014’s Project Q was themed on the great San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906. 2015 took on a more sinister and shadowy theme of CIA and tradecraft. All the clues had a common thread of the history of espionage or CIA activity in the city of San Francisco. As we cracked clues, a dark past of some of the most clandestine operations unfolded. Some hints were:

-641A: the secret room where the NSA started a data mining program in 2003, screening internet traffic and communications of millions of domestically and abroad, located at the AT&T building on Folsom St.

Another interesting clue was: 

-Operation Midnight Climax: or MK-ULTRA, a Central Intelligence Agency operation that covertly dosed unwitting Americans with LSD in San Francisco and New York City from 1953 to 1964. The clue lead us to 225 Chestnut Street in Telegraph Hill, where the CIA had a safe house.

 “The L-shaped apartment boasted sweeping waterfront views, and was just a short trip up the hill from North Beach's rowdy saloons. Inside, prostitutes paid by the government to lure clients to the apartment served up acid-laced cocktails to unsuspecting johns, while martini-swilling secret agents observed their every move from behind a two-way mirror. Recording devices were installed, some disguised as electrical outlets.”---from SFWeekly (Read More Here)

A side journey lead us to labyrinths all over the city like Eagle Point offering an impressive view of the bay. Who knew SF had so many labyrinths?  Locations for clues were sometimes far between and certainly not linear, The Hyatt Regency in Downtown...

Jack Early Park in Telegraph Hill, even back to Dogpatch, to the building home to TAD HQ where teams tried to shim a padlock, integrating some CORE class skills. 

There were rumors that a member of one team was taken hostage and detained in handcuffs. 

It was a non-stop adventure ending in an epic gear raffle. All teams had to be back by 1700 to debrief and to wrap up the day. 

The teams were awarded points for standings and those points earned you raffle tickets. Some participants were awarded points for outstanding or unusual performances. For instance, one participant got a few extra tickets for running Project Q on foot! 

Almost everyone got something from the raffle after it was over, we realized how hungry we were. Unfortunately Magnolia was booked with another large party...

so in the spirit of “adapt and overcome”, The TAD Team kept the Dogpatch open for us and we ordered pizza and drinks and finished off the night there. 

The TAD team and The Handler arduously planned and executed a great weekend to end a great year and I thank them for that.

In summary, DWS/PJQ was an opportunity to score some gear, get to know some fellow TADJunkies and to meet TAD Crew face to face and see the city…very quickly. In 2014, I came for the gear, but left with new friends, and in 2015, I came for the camaraderie and left with just a few pieces of new gear. 

The phenomenon of the Dogpatch Warehouse Sale and the powerful concept of community that surrounds TAD, can only be experienced authentically in person. 

Personally I am truly grateful to my wife and daughter for letting me go for the weekend, and for the friends I’ve made at TAD, at TAD Junkies and at the event. 

For both the DWS and for Project Q, the most exciting part was the thrill of the hunt because the pursuit is everything.

Congratulations! You just purchased some of the most sought after high performance outdoor gear known to man. You also just signed up for a career as an amateur garment contamination mitigation specialist. With every garment, there’s a little tag on the side with care instructions. Usually written in laundry hieroglyphics, those instructions are usually pretty accurate and tell you everything you need to know. But for us Junkies, TAD clothing requires the utmost care and meticulous cleaning processes.

This little spiel will serve to give you some suggestions on the best ways to wash your TAD clothing.

Disclaimer: These instructions are merely “suggestions” from those of us that have tried everything. This is in no way authorized or endorsed by Triple Aught Design and so they nor any TAD Junkie or Admins herein bear no responsibility for your garments should you follow any of these instructions.

Merino:  Merino wool is well…wool. It’s the hair from sheep originally from Portugal and it’s known to be the softest and have the highest quality of wool that we know of.

We all know what the redeeming qualities of Merino are, warmth retention, insulates when wet, anti-microbial being just some of them.

Merino contains Lanolin, a naturally occurring oil from sheep’s skin that maintains the health of their coat. Lanolin is a moisturizer that has been used in the cosmetics industry for years and keeps people looking pretty. Well as luck would have it, it will keep your Traverse Tech T and your Huntsman Henley looking pretty too.

Wool has little barbs or scales on the fibers that snag on each other if it is rubbed together too much. Lanolin conditions and smoothes these barbs, keeping the fabric from pulling and tightening, because the barbs tend to snag on each other when it’s agitated too much. This is why you never put wool in the dryer or it will shrink to a microscopic version of its’ former self.  Maintaining the same temperature from the wash to rinse cycle is also recommended. Usually cold is suggested for merino. Hang dry or lay flat. 

           Soap has Sodium Laureth Sulfates, phosphates and other chemicals that break down oils and dirt: GOOD. They also leave a residue on your DWR and coat the membrane making it less breathable: BAD. They are also bad for the earth.  There are less chemical more eco-friendly alternatives to this chemical that many “green” detergents are using now. This SLS stuff will break down the oils in your merino and strip away all the wonderful things we paid top dollar for. So to keep your merino functioning optimally, you should avoid heavy detergents.

Eucalan: is non-toxic, biodegradable and free of harsh chemicals. It contains Lanolin so it’s perfect for merino. It comes in Eucalyptus, Lavender, Grapefruit, Natural and Jasmine. Ingredients: Essential Oil (where applicable) (Pure and natural eucalyptus, lavender, grapefruit or jasmine oils), Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate (Vegetable-based soap), Ammonium Chloride (Is a salt of ammonia; used as a thickener), Cocamide MEA (Mild foaming agent and thickener derived from plant source), Purified Water, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (Thickener derived from plant source), PEG 75 Lanolin (Naturally derived lanolin), Methylchloroisothiazolinone (Preservative and antibacterial)

Find it here: http://amzn.com/B001DEJMPG

            Kookaburra: Is a plant based alternative with Lanolin and Tea Tree Oil which does basically the same thing as Eucalan. Comes in Original, Lavender and unscented.

An ingredients list for this product was unavailable but it seems to be a pretty wholesome product.

Find it here: http://amzn.com/B0007CQ6UE

Nikwax Wool Wash: Nikwax is known for it’s waterproofing products and have a product for just about any kind of high performance article of clothing. Their Wool Wash product “cleans, softens, freshens, inhibits the build up of body odors, accelerates drying and improves cooling efficiency of woolen base layers.” Not sure if it contains Lanolin, but it sounds wonderful. 

Find it here: http://amzn.com/B00274MVNQ

Woolite: Don’t let the name fool you, this is not a special detergent for wool. Some people swear by it. Not sure why. It doesn’t seem any more delicate than Tide or any other heavy duty detergent. Judging by the ingredients, it doesn’t seem all that garment friendly. Ingredients: Water, Alkylbenzene Sulfonic Acid, C12-16 Alcohols Ethoxylated 7EO, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Hydroxide, Coconut Acid, Triethanolamine, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Chloride, Proprietary Inert Filler, Sodium Formate, Fragrance, BHT Preservative, Benzisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone

         Washing process:  With the anti-microbial qualities of merino, you can get 2 to 3 rounds of regular wear out each article before you have to wash. Because of the cost of the fancy wool wash, occasionally substituting regular eco-friendly detergent that is free of dyes and additives, can save you some money. Then about every third wash use the merino detergent to replace the natural oils. Always hang dry or lay flat to dry. Never machine dry merino. Machine dry leads to pilling, holes in the fabric and shrinkage. No one likes shrinkage. 

You can find eco-friendly dye and fragrance free detergent in almost any grocery store.

         Stain removal: There are lots of methods that you can use to remove stains from your precious TAD gear. TAD gear is known for it’s strength and resilience but sometimes RS Fabric with DWR is powerless to a full bottle of Italian Salad Dressing or a Bacon Double Cheeseburger. Greasy stains are your worst enemy here. You could try Dawn dish detergent but there are rumors about leaving Dawn on a pair of Covert DC’s and the soap essentially bleaching the fabric, even though there is no Sodium Chloride in dish detergent. Stain sticks and stain pre-treaters are very strong and full of chemicals you can’t pronounce. Don’t risk it!

One product that has been proven time after time, is a simple pretreating bar of mild laundry soap called Fels Naptha. It’s been around since 1893 long before the invention of the washing machine and is especially useful when it comes to greasy stains. Wet the stained area with warm water and then rub the bar directly on the stain and work up a rich lather. Rinse and repeat until the stain and suds are gone. Then wash normally, or put your gear back into service.  

It can be found at most grocery stores in the cleaning supplies aisle and is a must have for any TAD gear owner. 

As a bonus, it is good for washing off poison ivy resin. Go figure.

Find it here: http://amzn.com/B0063KXEIG

      DWR: Durable Water Repellant

Almost all of Triple Aught Design’s articles of clothing have some form of DWR on them. To maintain DWR you should wash your gear often to keep the DWR and waterproof membranes going strong. Dirt from your adventures and oils from the sebaceous glands of your skin tend to suppress the water repellency and breathability of membranes and fabrics. You sweat on the inside and you get dirt on the outside, its an all out attack on your coveted tactical shell. Hardshells and softshells have membranes that will function best when clean. It says on the tag for the Spectre “Wash Me Often” and the Stealth LT is no different.

We can debate DWR techniques as much as global warming theory or whether or not Area 51 is a real place. Most of the time we will just wind up with more questions and and a wet jacket.

What is the best way to revitalize your waterproof jackets?

Should we use Wash in or Spray on?  Nobody knows for sure. The latest recommendation is to use Nikwax TX.Direct Spray-On and then use a warm iron to heat the material enough to accept the spray.

So…wash your jacket with a mild detergent or use Nikwax TechWash. Stealth LT’s say Cold, Spectre Hard Shell says Warm. Don’t dry it. With your jacket still wet, spray the TX.Direct liberally and then lay a thin towel or piece of fabric over the outside of the shell. Use the iron on LOW setting to warm the fabric and steam in the DWR. Then hang dry. 

WARNING: The iron temperature is crucial. You don’t want to melt your $475 shell. Use a LOW setting that will steam up the fabric and open up the pores and allow the DWR to be absorbed by the fabric. 

Wash in DWR or TX.Direct Wash In can be reserved for your soft goods with DWR such as RS pants or AC fabric. It’s good for the Rangers and Ranger LT. Ironing your fleece is NOT recommended. 

Find TechWash Here: http://amzn.com/B0019GL7ZG

Find it here: http://amzn.com/B0019GOKK0

Find Nixwax TX.Direct Here:

http://amzn.com/B0019GOLO0

         There are other products that can yield similar results like Granger’s XT.

When I saw the release of the Tracer Jacket a month or so ago in our much anticipated Friday newsletter, I have to admit, I was on the fence.  I wasn’t sure what it was.  Like the name of the green colorway “Leviathan” implies, it was a mysterious sea monster the likes of which we’d never seen. I was confused about it but scared that if I didn’t buy it I would regret it. I still wasn’t sure if I needed it badly enough to add to my already overcrowded collection of TAD outerwear. After traveling to SF for the Dogpatch Warehouse Sale and seeing one in person, my fears were realized. The jacket was awesome and I should’ve bought one. Sadly there were no medium black Tracers to be found anywhere in San Francisco. As soon as I returned home and the stock was replenished, I purchased a Tracer. 

It’s a bit odd because you don’t quite know what to make of it. Is it a jacket? Is it a sweater? Yes and Yes. It’s sort of like a Flux and a Garage Jacket had wild  drunken night, but then a pair of F10 AC pants got involved. Not sure what TAD meant by the first run of the “limited edition” so that added to the mystique of this article of clothing. Will the next run be a different material? Who knows?

The majority of the “limited edition” Tracer’s material is made of this fancy new fiber sourced in Italy that I think is a blend of Merino, Polyester and Elastane. TAD states it as “a unique double face stretch fabric made on a special knitting machine”. I don’t know what sort of machine it is but it makes awesome. The other parts of the jacket like the samurai shoulders and elbow panels are protected by the nylon AC type material that we all know and love.

The zipper pulls are new and improved. They are these tiny cylindrically shaped pulls with “000” molded on there. All I could think to myself was, “how cool is that?”

“Samurai shoulders” you ask? The inspiration for the shoulder area was apparently the articulated shoulder armor that the elite Japanese warriors wore to keep them protected without sacrificing mobility. The shoulder panels, made of the nylon cover the top of the shoulder and continue down covering the upper arm pockets. The interior of the jacket is brushed polyester and is as soft as angel cheeks. This jacket is not light on pockets. One reason we love TAD is for it’s generous helpings of pockets. There are a total of 8 pockets. That is if I didn’t miss a secret pocket or two. There’s the high chest pocket that is similar to placement of the Equalibrium jacket, which at first glance seems too high for a pocket.

It’s an ample sized pocket and after using it for sunglasses I realized it’s a perfect size and perfect placement. There’s the aforementioned shoulder pockets and the hand pockets which are open. Inside the hand pockets are another set of zipper pockets which are my favorites.

You can secure items in your pockets but still use the hand pockets freely without worrying that you are inadvertently pulling out important items and dropping them accidentally. Then there’s the interior breast pocket that is good for a phone or a pen or whatever else you need close to your heart.

One word to describe the Tracer….Versatility. This jacket is versatile in many ways. You could wear it to the range or wear it out on a date and you will get compliments either way. The merino blend makes it highly adaptive to multiple climates. I have been wearing it steadily since I got it. In Florida’s winter, it is useful in a wide range of temperatures. Wearing it between 40 degrees F to 70 or so I can tell that it breathes well. But it’s also very warm when you need it to be.

The fit is pretty standard as their website states. It fits about the same as a Stealth LT, perhaps a bit more generous in the chest. I could however be deceived by the elastane stretch material which allows for a more contoured streamlined fit, without being too tight.

Gone are the thumb holes from this jacket, but TAD has made the sleeve length a big longer to compensate for that. When you lift your arms above your head, the sleeves don’t ride.

It’s a slight departure from TAD’s heritage of tactically inspired gear, but it seems that is where the latest styles in the industry are going and I can’t say it bothers me much. I don’t feel it stands out in a crowd, even in the patched version. It’s a good mix of tactical and practical.