ALIEN GEAR CLOAK TUCK 3.5: A CONSISTENT PERFORMER

I have had a long relationship with Alien Gear Holsters. I first used them when they were using their basic leather backed holsters. Those holsters made me a believer in the hybrid design and the concept of having two points of contact for a larger weapon. Nowadays, I find their products to be one of the best if you are looking for something modular and able to outfit several firearms with relative ease. It is not perfect, but it certainly is practical. These days I am an avid user of the Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.5 IWB holster system.

FEATURES OF THE CLOAK TUCK 3.5 IWB HOLSTERS

The first thing you will notice about the Cloak 3.5 holster system is the Alien Skin backing instead of the old leather. The Alien Skin is like a rubberized polymer with little hexagons for texture. The texture is soft and long-wearing, but will not rot or break down over time.

Underneath the Alien Skin backing, there is a thin sheet of stainless steel that keeps the holster rigid and prevents it from becoming flappy, especially on the combat cut section. This was a game-changer for me because leather holsters would get really floppy and lose their form or stretch over time. The older holsters I got from Alien Gear were the old school leather backed holsters with thicker leather to try and prevent that flex.

You can see the silhouette of the stainless steel stiffener where the pistol would be holstered.

The backing that you will have against your skin is a thin layer of CoolVent™ neoprene backing that provides moisture-wicking breathability. This breathability against the body was the big game changer for my style of work where I wear the holster all day and move around freely. I will do runs or hard labor with the holster on, and I need it to stay put, and not be a burden to my skin.

This is very porous and a terrific breathable material that will refuse to give you hot spots, no matter how long you carry.

The shells on the holsters come with different polymer crush spacers and screw sets in the bag when you get your holster. I love how well the shells stay tensioned and how easily the pistol is retained by the combination of the backing and a properly fitted shell. There are no screw backings to rub you raw, and no exposed rivets to rust and mark up your skin. The shells are swapable in a matter of minutes, and the tension can be adjusted to suit your needs.

The hardware has changed over time. This is the most up-to-date hardware you can expect with your holster.

Lastly, the 3.5 Cloak Tuck holsters have toolless clip attachments now, which I love. It is simple to replace the standard clips with the J-clips and I don’t have to worry about the clips unscrewing over time. There are three positions on either side of the pistol, allowing you to adjust the ride height and/or cant to your liking.

SMOOTH DRAW

The good thing about a hybrid holster is that the retention on the pistol is a bit more subtle, but tends to be more secure. I cannot speak for other designs, but with the Alien Gear holsters, I found that the they had a more secure hold on the pistol than just plain Kydex holsters. However, this also means that the draw can end up being a little tougher if you tighten down the shell and your belt.

Once you find that sweet spot of tension on your belt and on the shell, the holster has an amazingly smooth draw. The firearm won’t necessarily click into the holster like some stiff Kydex holsters like Vedder Holsters tend to, but the hold is secure and the draw is nice and smooth. Even after doing over a year of drawing and heavy practice with one of my holsters, I found the Alien Skin to be very well preserved.

REPLACEMENT PARTS

If you go on the Alien Gear website, they sell EVERYTHING there. You can buy a complete holster and/or buy components like the shells for $20 and backings for $35. You can also find different clips for $10, and screw/spacer kits. The best thing about the Alien Gear Holsters is the modularity and availability of all sorts of different options. i have a ton of different shells and a couple of different backings of different sizes for different types of pistol sizes, depending on what I am carrying. If you have a lot of pistols that you like to carry, you can’t go wrong with the Alien Gear holster. They hold the guns secure, are comfortable, inexpensive, and modular.

WRAPUP

The Cloak Tuck 3.5 is not the best holster system on the market, but it does get points for being the best modern approach to the hybrid concept. It is modular, inexpensive, and a good way to have one holster system that is secure, consistent, and durable for everyday use. You can’t go wrong with the Cloak Tuck 3.5 and I am happy with this holster system.