REVIEW: Warm vest - PCU Level 7a

When it gets cold, grandma used to say, "Put on a vest and wear a cap." Now vests, commonly referred to as "soul warmers," are rather unsexy. But if you want to have the Protective Combat Uniform (PCU) complete, you can't get around Level 7a. It's nothing more than a classic soul warmer, but made for Special Operation Forces.

And that's what makes this piece of equipment so practical: you don't always need a whole jacket to be comfortably warm. Level 7 is essentially the winter gear of the PCU for more stationary operations. When you wear it, you start sweating decently with too much movement. On the other hand, you won't get cold if you're not moving.

The Level 7a vest has no sleeves, so it can be worn over a fleece pullover or even over a Hawaiian shirt if you're from the CIA. This makes you more flexible than with the Level 7 jacket. When it's especially cold, the vest can also be worn as an additional layer - even under Level 7. This is a very hot option.

Level 7a can only be opened with a zip up to chest height. There is a slanted chest pocket to the left of it.

The back of Level 7a shows no special features. The vest is in Alpha Green, like the whole PCU. It is put on over the head because it cannot be fully opened. The vest is water-repellent, but not waterproof.

Looking into the collar, you can see that the inside is slightly darker. The fabric here is thinner and softer than the outer skin.

The filling is a fluffy fiber from Primaloft, which wonderfully retains heat, as seen through the chest pocket. On the black tag, the logo of Orc Industries and washing instructions can be seen. The white tag bears the size designation Large Long. The vest is rather narrowly cut for both.

To prevent drafts, it can be cinched at the bottom.

CONCLUSION: Level 7a is a wonderful piece of equipment. Even when it's cold and you don't want to wear full winter gear because it would be too hot, you can put on this soul warmer - and it really warms the soul, i.e. it helps prevent the body from losing its core temperature. The vest itself can be wonderfully compressed and worn over a sweater as well.

PCU Level 7a can be found on Ebay and typically costs around $80.