B5 Systems

Archive for September, 2008

Lowa Black Elite

Thursday, September 25th, 2008

Lowa Black Elite

A new version of the Lowa Desert Elite which is a heavy duty desert boot based on the famous Lowe “Berg Schuhe” or Mountain Boot, called the Black Elite is now available but only in the UK. The boot does not feature a Gore-tex lining due to its intended purpose but does offer Cambrelle lining in the heel cup paired with a Vita-tex lining throughout the entire boot. Unlike new Lowa boots being released for use in the US, the Black Elite has open top hooks.

Available in the UK from RV Ops.

XGO Shemagh

Wednesday, September 24th, 2008

XGO Shemagh

Manufactured from lightweight Acclimate® FR 100% Flame Resistant no melt cotton, the new XGO is the first FR Shemagh ever. The material passed the American Society for Testing and Materials vertical flame resistance test (ASTM 6413-99). What is just as fantastic is that the Shemagh is treated with Ag47 Silver Antimicrobial treatment to fight odor that builds up from using the Shemagh day after day in a hot dusty environment. It exceeds the standard for antimicrobial resistance in accordance with American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists test for determination of antimicrobial effect (AATCC 100).

This isn’t some cheapo shemagh you buy down the souk, these are 100% American made. They have barely hit the market and have already been adopted as part of the BAMS kit.

Currently available in Tan and Coyote versions, XGO is capable of doing custom runs of colors and patterns. For more info, contact XGO on the web.

Soldier Systems Blog Unveils Logo

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008

We have been around for several months now and got off to a rip roaring start. Content was more important than fluff and oddly enough, our spartan style has garnered a lot more praise than we had expected. However, its hard to have proper business cards (or T-shirts for that matter) without a logo so we went to one of our favorite artists, Mil Spec Monkey and he put together several concepts. We liked this one. You will begin to see it more often.

Soldier Systems Blog Logo

Check out Mil Spec Monkey on the web.

Flame, Flash & Cut Protection Gloves from Uniforce®

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008

New Spec Ops series offers four styles that meet any mission!

US Cavalry

Radcliff, KY (March 7, 2008) – U.S. Cavalry, the world’s leading multi-channel distributor for Military, Law Enforcement and Homeland Security communities, now carries four new gloves from Uniforce® that feature both Nomex® and Kevlar® fabric for the ultimate in flame, flash and cut protection.

There are ten reasons to wear hand protection and you can count them on both hands! Protect your digits with the new Uniforce® Spec Ops series of gloves featuring several advances to combat cuts and burns:

* Specially engineered Pittards® leather called FIREBLOC™ with flame retardant properties and resistance to oil and water based stains
* Nomex® inner lining for flash resistance
* Kevlar® outer shell for added strength and cut and tear resistance

US Cavalry Uniforce Gloves

In addition, the Spec Ops series of gloves use DIGITAL® laser etched palm pads for a superior ergonomic grip than traditional gloves plus more substantial padding for increased shock absorption. TRI-CURVE® construction creates a seamless palm for a better fit and reduced chafing.

Spec Ops gloves are available in two lengths to suit any mission parameter. Choose either the short cuff or the long cuff version (with an additional 4-inch gauntlet) for increased wrist protection. For those needing extra impact resistance, select a hard knuckle version with ABS SHOK SORB nylon protectors.

US Cavalry Uniforce Gloves

For those that go into harm’s way, the threat from fire and lacerations is common yet preventable. Protect your hands with the new Uniforce® Spec Ops glove series; in stock and ready for order. To see video demos of the product and for additional technical details, visit: www.uscav.com/uniforce or call 1.800.200.9455.

About U.S. Cavalry: U.S. Cavalry, headquartered in Radcliff, Kentucky, has served professionals for 35 years by delivering the world’s finest equipment, services and training. The company serves its customers through managed accounts, retail stores, mail order catalogs and web site. For more information, log-on to our web site at www.uscav.com or call 800.777.7172 today.

London Bridge Trading Company Boonie

Monday, September 22nd, 2008

We mentioned this new hat in our first week of publishing. We have finally been able to get our hands on a couple of prototypes and they are even more impressive in person than on a mannequin. The London Bridge boonie is a simple affair, designed to keep weight and cost low, take up little space, and provide both cooling shade as well as camouflage to the Operator’s head. They succeed on all of these points.

London Bridge Trading Company Boonie - Tan
The Tan boonie. Notice how well it blends in with 3-color Desert pattern. The boonies are manufactured from a lightweight ripstop nylon shell, cut to imitate foliage and allow ample air circulation. The nylon shell is sewn to a foundation of camouflage mesh. This gives the boonie shape and facilitates cooling. The material is also very soft and compressible.

London Bridge Trading Company Boonie - Inside
In this picture you can clearly see the mesh that makes up the interior of the hat. Also visible is the elastic band used to keep the cap on the head during high winds. This is backed up by a nylon band that runs around the circumference of the head and is adjustable in the rear via hook and pile tape. It is clearly visible on the Foliage boonie below.
London Bridge Trading Company Boonie - Rear

The brim provides ample shade yet is not so wide that it impedes vision. Additionally, the mesh foundation is stiff enough that the brim can be formed even after being stowed in a pack for hours.
London Bridge Trading Company Boonie - Foliage

As you can see in the following picture, the boonie is highly compressible and will take up little space in your kit. If you constantly wear a helmet in the field and want something to throw on in the rare moments you are without a helmet, the LBT Boonie is the hat I would recommend.
London Bridge Trading Company Boonie - Compressed

The samples we received are in Tan and Foliage but additional colors are planned. While several camo patterns will eventually be offered I prefer the solid color models as they are more adaptable. As this is obviously a field cover, the monotone versions will blend in with a wider variety of patterns and applications and can be easily modified for specialty use such as with a ghillie cape. Additionally, the samples were slick in that they didn’t have IR markers nor pile tape to attach them but you should see something on production variants.

Available soon from London Bridge Trading Company.

Army Combat Shirt Update

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

Without explanation, Army G-1 has withdrawn the ACS ALARACT we reported on here. The ACS continues to be worn but apparently without wear guidance.

Blauer Tactical Systems End of Fiscal Year Sale

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

You are going to see a lot here on Soldier Systems Blog about Tony Blauer and his pursuits but since its so close to the end of the fiscal year and they are running such a great special, we wanted to get this out to you immediately and verbatim. If you do anything today, check out Blauer’s website.

Blauer Tactical

END OF YEAR HIGH GEAR SPECIAL + TRAINING BONUS

BONUS TRAINING WORTH OVER $750
FREE SHIPPING
Any customer who purchases 2 state-of-the-art HIGH GEAR suits will receive free shipping and a complimentary slot in one of our combatives or scenario instructor courses ALL FOR ONLY $2350 (regular H2H suit) or just $2499 (for the Marking Cartridge version).

That’s two HIGH GEAR suits, CONUS shipping & 1 bonus training slot in one of our certification courses for $2350 or $2499

This special will end October 1, 2008.

CALL NOW – JUST 10 DAYS LEFT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE BONUS TRAINING SPECIAL

YOU MAY SELECT FROM THE FOLLOWING COURSES:

S.P.E.A.R. SYSTEM CERTIFICATION
*October 27th-31st: S.P.E.A.R. System: Instructor Certification Course, BTS HQ, Virginia Beach, VA.
*November 10th-14th: S.P.E.A.R. System: Instructor Certification Course, Saratoga, NY.

SCENARIO INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION & HIGH GEAR BMF COACH
* November 3rd-5th, 2008 High Gear Scenario Instructor Course, BTS HQ, Virginia Beach, VA.
* February 2nd-4th, 2009,High Gear Advanced Scenario Instructor Course, Virginia Beach, VA
* March 23rd-27th,2009, High Gear Advanced Scenario Instructor Course, Virginia Beach, VA
* May 11th-13th, 2009, High Gear Advanced Scenario Instructor Course, Virginia Beach, VA

As a reminder our 28,000 ft world headquarters, complete with FIGHT HOUSE, Octagon, CrossFit is now operational,

IMPORTANT:

If you are already an ADS customer please contact your ADS rep. www.adstactical.com

If you are federal and military, contact ADS and get your order in ASAP.
If you need any assistance related to Blauer products or services, call immediately, this promotion ends October 1.

Call 757-617-5923 or email rocco@blauertactical.com

For more on our S.P.E.A.R. System courses please visit www.blauertactical.com

*This special will end October 1, 2008.

Writing for Soldier Systems Blog

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

If you want to write for Soldier Systems Blog its pretty simple. Contact the Editor with your article idea. Generally, we want an article that is a couple of paragraphs long and answers the basic who, what, where, when, and why. Pictures are also helpful but make sure you have permission of the owners. We are happy to give you a by-line but since, thus far this is a non-wealth generating pursuit there will be no payment. However, so far everyone has wanted to keep it anonymous.

Interested parties can contact Soldier Systems Blog at admin@soldiersystems.net.

The admin stuff:

Inclusion of products or information on Soldier Systems Blog is for informational purposes only and in no way construed as an endorsement unless otherwise stated.

All content is copyright 2008 Soldier Systems Blog unless otherwise credited. Further use of content is prohibited unless specific permission is provided by Soldier Systems Blog. Corporate logos for companies featured on Soldier Systems Blog are the property of their respective owners and are used solely for illustrative purposes.