Mar 18

Mar 18 Tilak Raptor MiG (2019)

Military, Shell, Review, Active, GORE-TEX

Tilak Raptor MiG (2019)

Type: Shell / Use: Military / Face: Nylon / Insulation: n/a

Technologies: GORE-TEX 3L Pro

Czech brand Tilak is the worst kept secret that no one’s heard. Their Raptor MiG – a mil-spec version of the standard Raptor – is the best hardcore shell on the market. Superlative enough? Strap the fuck in.

So I really like the Raptor MiG. For a combination of price, features, and understated style, it distinguishes itself as the #1 uber-shell. Above the Alpha SV. Above everything else, really. What makes it THE BEST? Honestly, it’s the nuance.

The Tilak Raptor MiG is a GORE Pro full-zip built for military operations. A massive coated glove-friendly double zip encases you in GORE-TEX Pro. Chest pockets and bicep pockets sit in parallel. Sized to fit over body armor. Built to resist just about anything. Pull the jacket over you, and it feels like stepping into Titanfall. Cinch the Velcro cuffs closed, and suddenly, it’s Gundam launch.

Then… it’s just pleasant.

To make a long story short, the combination of your-life-depends-on-it performance with surprisingly-elevated fit makes the Raptor MiG a joy to wear. As a 6’4” 185lb beanpole, most superlative shells are either too short (but the right fit) or long enough (but fit like “I Love It”). I get why – “expedition fit,” and all that. But man, I always thought there’d be better. And there is.

Tilak nailed the fit on this size Large. Adjusting only the hem, I can go from layering a high-loft down sweater to Melanzana microfleece, all with enough room for “mechanical breathing” (translation: air can flow between layers). This is still a 38,000mm water column parka designed to keep everything out. Breathability isn’t great compared to, say, GORE Windstopper. But here, it’s pretty, pretty good.

Articulated everything and some seriously cool design features like half-zips on the sides keep it agile. Last but not least, everything just works. Zippers track smoothly. Cinches slide effortlessly. I am more comfortable in this mission-critical hardshell than I am in some cotton anoraks.

Which is wild. Since it’s GORE-TEX Pro. Seriously, it just shouldn’t be wearable! But wearable it is. Really wearable. Like, “there’s no rain in the forecast but my ‘fit demands mean jacket so here I go” wearable.

I’ll expand.

The Raptor MiG is a style piece in SFG clothing. Skipping right over any moral arguments about fashion glorifying militarism (all menswear is two degrees of mil-surp), this is an understated black hardshell with a rich matte textile and beautifully-constructed lines. Blocky details meet clever features almost too smart to be analog (see: those massive pleats over the chest zips). A muscular silhouette is slimming without a whiff of fetishism. Then, there’s the construction, which must be seen to be believed. Tilak handmakes every jacket at their factory in Czechoslovakia. It’s pretty on the outside. And better on the in.

Looking between the Raptor MiG and some Outlier garments, it’s hard to believe that one was born from bike commuting and the other jumps out of helicopters. I wear my Raptor MiG with anything and everything – chinos, cargos, sweaters, fleeces. One time, even baggies. It is, for all intents and purposes, an overbuilt ALYX shell that you can haul up a mountain.

For half the price.

And $300 less than an Arc’teryx Alpha LEAF parka or Alpha SV.

Moving on.

For a variety of reasons – fit, performance, price, style – I believe the Tilak Raptor MiG is the best big bad hardshell out there. That does not make it the best jacket for every situation. It is, after all, still GORE Pro, and wearing it in warm weather will cook you alive. The reason I didn’t dive too far into performance this time is precisely that. GORE Pro is GORE Pro is GORE Pro. It keeps everything out and it’s rugged as all hell. It’s also not particularly breathable. But, because it’s the most intense (and expensive) GORE textile, people demand it. They should just know what they’re getting into.

On a related note: if you’re looking for a superlative shell, the Raptor MiG deserves your first and last look.