Stalker Suit

Design History
Within The Exclusion Zone there are a wide number of unexplainable enviremental conditions, along with harsh wind, rain, animal attacks, sudden fires, radiation, chemical spills, jagged plants, and explosions. The area isn't exactly filled up with washing machines and people who know how to knit, and there aren't enough women to teach them. Hoodies, jeans, and trackpants are simply not good enough for all the things that can go wrong in the area, and the majority of the people in the zone would prefer to have something between them and everything that wants to kill them.

Already a lot of Stalkers and bandits looking to make a quick buck were wearing tracksuits, or they had liners on their hoodies, boots, gloves, and coats. The Zone is more a place of cold then hot, espially during the night and the horrible rainstorms there. Acrylic Fabric material is very warm, which is why it's referred to as “Synthetic wool”, and it's very good at drawing sweat from the body. No one wants to be wet or cold, certainly not at the same time.

There was a few problems however, the fabric was quite flamable and soaked up quite a bit of sweat, and it didn't seem to be as warm when wet as wool. It didn't help that it then required you wash it in specificly warm water, after you'd got it covered in mud and filled up with sweat. Looking back, it might not be a good idea to wear something that is thought to cause cancer up against your skin.

Luckily, there was was a type of fabric that behaved in a very similar way, rubberized cloth. It was typically wool or cotton that had been coated in a thin layer of rubber or synthic rubber. The material was warm, fluid proof, stain resistant, highly resistant to wear and tear or scrapes, and...it was flame resistent. There was some confusion why this material didn't completely replace  Acrylic Fabric, since it seemed to be about the same, but better.

Testing proved that the material was heavier and stiffer, which was uncomfortable for most people, and even worse for people who need to run from a pack of wild dogs and then charge bandits on the same day.

It was decided that the flame-resistent but stiff  Rubberized Fabric, would be paired with the flamable but more flexible Acrylic Fabric.

Capabilities
“Stalker” Suit: combination of a bodysuit of twin-layered rubberized cloth and acrilic fabric, protects a little against everything. Sometimes paired with ballistic plexiglass/laminated polycarbonate panels and/or DIY plates made of fiberglass fabric laminated together into what looks like a “rifle plate”.

It provides Armor 2 and costs 20% less to independents due to local production, trading agreements, and the armor having been designed within the faction.

There have ben sightings of versions at Armor 3 that have changed/salvaged materials added, along with Armor 4 versions using Indian kevlar fiber and Chinese ceramic plates. Despite so many independents swearing the suit is easy to modify and they have special craftsmen, there is no indication they get the better versions any cheaper or can upgrade the “vanilla”version as easy as they say.