About
I’ve been asked who this jacket is really made for. The short answer?
It’s for the ones who’ve been through it.
Wounded veterans. Post-op warriors. Chemo fighters. Those navigating recovery with grit, not pity.
But it’s also for the ones holding the line in quieter ways—civilians with steel in their spine, law enforcement brothers, firepit friends who always show up, and anyone who knows that comfort isn’t a weakness—it’s earned every single day.
It’s for the in-between—where pain meets perseverance, where scars are part of the uniform, and where every breath above ground is a good one.
Inspiration
My inspiration for this project goes back to early 2002 when my late wife, Heather, was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after my unit was mobilized to deploy to Afghanistan. Going with her to the chemo outpatient clinic was like sitting in an arctic research station. Everyone had winter jackets, hats, mittens, and blankets piled on to try and stay warm. I wanted desperately to create something to keep Heather warm but, at that time, I knew nothing about design, let alone apparel design.
When it came time for me to catch up with my unit, Heather demanded I leave my woobie with her so she could have something of mine that she could always keep close to her while I was deployed. Knowing I was going to need my woobie downrange, I bought her one of her very own and it was immediately put to use when she was readmitted to the hospital. The warming blankets they provided in the oncology unit didn’t keep her warm for very long until she laid her woobie over top to help hold the heat in. The hospital staff was amazed by the woobie as they had never seen one before. Family and friends who visited her while I was deployed said she clung to her woobie like a monkey and never let anyone take it, except when it needed washing.
Observing how this one item affected her, I was seeing needs on multiple levels. Sadly, after losing her in August of 2003, all notions of pursuing a solution vanished. It wouldn’t be until late 2017 that motivation to develop the PBLJ returned.
Motivation to Innovate
In December 2017, a very dear friend and ‘Ranger buddy’ had recently suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in the line of duty and, at the time, was going through additional treatment at a facility in Texas. During a video call, he explained how cold it was out on the patio where it was snowing while they hung out between sessions. He described what guys were wearing to stay warm as they relaxed or meditated, which was a mishmash of hoodies, coats and layered clothing. What I saw was déjà vu. It looked almost exactly like the chemo outpatient clinic that Heather had to go to for treatment.
I figured this would be a great opportunity to send my buddy something that might help cheer him up during his treatment. I made the first prototype from a couple of old ‘woobies’ and the only commercial sewing pattern for a smoking jacket that I could find. Unfortunately, the dimensions of the largest size in the pattern were only big enough for a scrawny, man-bun-wearing coffee shop hipster. It was hardly big enough to fit a real man, let alone a warrior, so I had to get creative and modify everything. What I came up with was refined over time until its final design, which is what is currently available today.
Founders Personal Testimony
Having accrued a fair amount of my own chassis damage during my time in the Army, the PBLJ came in handy after having both shoulders repaired in 2018, and then bilaterial partial knee replacement surgeries in September 2020 and January 2021. Remembering Heather’s experience during her time in the hospital, I anticipated the need for packing one of my PBLJs into my overnight bag. Coming out of surgery, I couldn’t stop shivering, no matter how many heated blankets they applied until I pulled out one of my PBLJ’s and put it on. Within 10 seconds of me putting it on and climbing back into bed, the shivering stopped, and the “Z” monster got me in a sleeper hold and I went “lights out.”
Since that time, I continue to enjoy my PBLJ, especially during the winter months up here in Idaho. Every time I put it on, I imagine how nice it would have been to have one of these in the team houses my unit occupied overseas in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Of course, recalling those conditions we lived in during my combat tours, memories of my experiences, both good and bad, return and allow me to reflect on my life’s journey and where it’s taking me. I also grin at the thought that Heather would almost certainly have demanded I make her one in every color and print she desired for every occasion.
Patrick T. Quinn
USA SF MSG/18Z (Retired)
Owner/Designer
The 11th Celt
