Experience with the Tru-Spec combat shirt.
Before Lion Claws, I had played airsoft in normal BDU's, but had never used a combat shirt, or really any type of Under Armor style clothes, so the combat shirt was completely new to me. When I first put it on, the body felt light and comfortable which was nice, but the first thing that I noticed about the sleeves was that they felt oversized and almost as if they were too big for my arms. The shirt size was right though, so I figured it was close enough and that I would get used to the arms. Overall, the shirt felt a lot more comfortable than a standard BDU top though, so I was happy.
When I put all of my gear on to play at Operation Lion Claws, I noticed that the lightweight body of the shirt made it much more comfortable to wear my vest, especially since we had to have a lot of gear for the amount of time that we would be spending out on the field. After getting all set to play, I didn't even notice the arms on the shirt anymore, and I found the entire load-out to be actually quite comfortable.
On the first day of playing, I made the mistake of wearing an undershirt underneath the combat shirt, thinking that it would be more comfortable. However, the body of the Tru-Spec shirt is meant to keep you cool while absorbing sweat and keeping you dry, so it is meant to be worn by itself. Even still, the shirt kept me significantly cooler while I was running around all day than a normal BDU top would have and prevented me from getting dehydrated while running around in the afternoon heat. It almost felt like I was running around in a t-shirt the entire time, except that when I would get hit in the arms, the BDU-style sleeves gave me that added protection that I was looking for. Over the course of the day, I did notice that the sleeves did not provide as much breathing and ventilation as the body of the shirt, but it was not enough to make a significant difference in comfort. The shirt underneath the combat shirt was somewhat of a hindrance though, because it did not allow the body of my combat shirt to breath correctly, so the next day, I knew it had to go.
For the second day of Lion Claws, I made sure to wear the shirt the way that it was meant to be worn, without the undershirt, and it was even more comfortable. I stayed much cooler and even used less of the water in my hydration carrier because I was not getting as thirsty or dehydrated. By the time we finished for the day, I did not even feel the need to sit down and cool off before cleaning up to go home, because the combat shirt had kept me cool and comfortable all day long, which helped keep my energy level up. I never really used the pockets on the sleeves, so I cannot really vouch for their usefulness, but I did feel that if they had been sewn angled forward raid-style like they are on the Xtreme combat shirt, they would have been easier to access and potentially more useful
Overall, I was incredibly happy with my purchase of the Tru-Spec combat shirt. It was significantly more comfortable than a standard BDU top, while still giving me all of the coverage and protection that I needed.