I try not to be a hipster, but sometimes it’s easy to be accused of being one on account of the beard and love of flannel. One of my favorite flannels is from 5.11 and is called the Sidewinder. Gamers may recognize the shirt from Far Cry 5 where 5.11 partnered with Ubisoft to provide real options for their in-game character. The Sidewinder is a heavy-duty flannel and made mostly for the days of fall and winter because holy crap this is a heavy beast.
As a Floridian, I don’t get to wear it often, but once the temps drop below 75 I break it out. The shirt is very comfortable and you can see and feel the quality of it just by holding it. It’s made from 91% polyester and 9% spandex bi-stretch double weave. This combination of materials gives you a heavy-duty, water-resistant shirt with a bit of stretch to it for easy movement.
Breaking Down the Sidewinder Shirt
Like most 5.11 shirts its aimed at making it easier to carry a gun and to look invisible. The shirt uses snap buttons that look like traditional buttons. You can easily rip the shirt open and access your gun and gear without a second thought. There are bartacks at chosen points to increase durability and give you an edge when training.
You get two normal front pockets and then two hidden deep pockets that are massive but concealed. You can most certainly stash documents, flash drives, and other small goodies without the rest of the world knowing. Additionally, you get a UPF rating of 50 for protection from the sun.
At the top where the flannel breaks are two reinforced pad like points. These are there to provide a reinforced non-slip surface for packs and body armor. You can toss on both and they won’t wear out your shirt or cause it to tear and rip.
Putting in Work
The best thing about flannel patterns are they break up the outline of a gun very well. It’s easy to carry a full-sized handgun without anyone detecting it. The shirt has no issues stashing a full-sized Glock in an OWB holster.
The shirt also moves very well, especially if you are shooting long guns and moving from position to position. It holds up and keeps kicking. The ability to open the shirt rapidly and retrieve your handgun is invaluable. As is the ability to carry a full-sized gun without drawing attention.
I also find the shirt to be comfortable and sharp looking. It’s thick enough to be a light jacket and robust enough to last for years. I wear it when milling out metal on 80% lowers of any kind to protect my arms from hot metal shards. The Sidewinder is a rough and tumble type of shirt for rough and tumble types of guys.
Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine gunner who served with 2nd Bn 2nd Marines for 5 years. He deployed in 2009 to Afghanistan and again in 2011 with the 22nd MEU(SOC) during a record setting 11 months at sea. He’s trained with the Romanian Army, the Spanish Marines, the Emirate Marines and the Afghan National Army. He serves as an NRA certified pistol instructor and teaches concealed carry classes.
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