We received some photos of the HMG ECHO II shelter in Digital Camouflage. This is the best of the bunch, showing the pattern and features of the shelter. Manufactured from Cuben fibers, HMG products are Berry Compliant.
Archive for the ‘Shelter’ Category
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Update
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010Hyperlite Mountain Gear
Thursday, August 5th, 2010We recently learned about Hyperlite Mountain Gear which manufacturers ultra lightweight shelters made from Cuben fiber, a non-woven material used as sail cloth. They offer packs as well as one and two-man shelters and tarps including their flagship ECHO I Ultralight Shelter System. Consisting of a Cuben fiber tarp, a detachable mesh tent insert for insect and ground water protection, and a detachable vestibule for wind and storm protection, the ECHO I weighs a scant 1.36 lbs (21.8 oz) with guy lines. Don’t let the photo with the white color turn you off. Cuben fiber can be dyed virtually any color. In fact, Hyperlite Mountain Gear has a digital camo version.
Coyote Z-Lite Sleeping Pad
Friday, July 23rd, 2010
Cascade Designs has taken their popular lightweight Z-Lite folding mat and changed the color from Orange to Coyote. A simple mod but it means the world to troops who want to put the Z-lite’s egg carton-style cushioning to work in the field. It folds out to a roomy 20” wide x 72” long yet weighs in at only 15 ounces! And, unlike air mattresses, you don’t have to worry about leaks.
Previously in limited production the mat was evaluated by the Marine Corps. However, Cascade Designs put them into full production based on its adoption by an element of the US military. CPGear is the first company we have seen to offer this product.
To order visit www.CPGear.com.
ZIRO 2P SE Shelter
Saturday, July 17th, 2010
NEMO Equipment displayed their ZIRO 2P SE low-profile floorless bug shelter at the Warrior Expo – East. The ZIRO is a very low profile shelter (27″ of heght) featuring No-See-Um bug netting and a removable fly of 30D nylon. The lightest MultiCam tent fabric available. It is erected using three 2″ diameter AirSupported Technology beams. The mesh provides a full 360 degrees of observation so the ZIRO is great for use in hides or over the top of fighting positions to keep out pests as well as the sun. With over 28 square feet of floor space there is ample room for two occupants and the two doors at each end make ingress and egress a snap.
www.NEMOequipment.com or from www.ADSinc.com
Expeditionary Equipment 
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
Whether you need to provide shelter for Soldiers on a patrol or on an expeditionary base, ADS has got you covered, literally. With access to solutions from brands as disparate as NEMO to Alaska Shelters, ADS can provide the right solution based on requirement, schedule, and cost. In addition to standard soft walled tents, ADS also offers non-permanent hard-sided shelters that can be configured as billeting, command posts and even hangars. For those attending the Warrior Expo at the end of this week be sure to make time for Breakout Session 3: Deployable Infrastructure & Equipment for Mission Deployments & Disaster Relief to learn about the latest in soft and hard sided shelters.
Sleep Systems
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
In conjunction with Bluewater Defense ADS offers three Berry compliant Sleep Systems; the Three-in-One Sleep System, the Three Season Sleep System, and our personal favorite the Combat Mobility Sleep System.
While the video does an excellent job of giving an overview of the bags, we thought we should point out a few things. The options available not only meet differing price points, but are designed for different applications, whether for use in a FOB or on an isolated mountain patrol.
Be sure to attend the ADS Warrior Expo July 15 & 16 at the Virginia Beach Civic Center and check them out or visit www.ADSinc.com/sleepsystems.
Jakpak
Monday, February 15th, 2010Jakpak is a modular 3-season sleeping and shelter system consisting of a jacket, shelter, and sleeping bag. While slightly bulky in this configuration, all three components can be stored inside the jacket and quickly deployed for use.
Jacket
The hooded jacket is a simple affair manufactured from an unspecified 2-layer waterproof breathable fabric and features pit zips as well two exterior and one interior pockets. The integrated hood has a visor and pull tabs to keep foul weather out.
Tent
The detachable hooped tent uses two metal rods and covers the head and upper torso. The tent can also be used as a pack cover.
Sleeping Bag
The sleeping bag component is actually of elephant foot design and mates to the jacket via a #5 coil zipper along the rear of the mouth. Additionally, there is an angle two way zipper to facilitate entry and exit. It also allows you to fully expose the feet in order to walk around. While the bags looks to be roomy, there is also elastic at the mouth in order to keep it snug if needed and built in suspenders help support the weight. The bottom of the bag is waterproof and the top is made from an unspecified waterproof breathable fabric.
Jakpak is currently available in subdued two-tone Green shades, Black and Grey, as well as RealTree and a HiViz option for survival use. The mosquito net is Black but looks a dark Grey due to the mesh letting light through. Additionally, since it is based primarily on a jacket, Jakpak is sized XS (34-36) – XL (46-48).
For more info visit www.jakpak.com.
Gore’s Developmental Tent Fabric
Monday, October 5th, 2009WL Gore displayed numerous new military fabrics at last week’s Modern Day Marine but the one that really caught my eye was the demonstrator for a new shelter fabric.
The demonstrator in this case is a prototype US Marine Corps 2-man Combat Tent designed in response to a Marine Corps RFI issued earlier this year. Traditionally, Gore works with finished good manufacturers to develop new products with their fabrics but in this instance that may change. According a Product Development Engineer at WL Gore, they haven’t decided how they might proceed with this technology. The material may be produced and sold to manufacturers, the shelter design may be licensed to others if it proves effective, or Gore may manufacture it themselves.
The Alternative Laminate Construction material is oxygen permeable as well as opaque so you can sit inside of it all night without having to vent and you can use a light to prepare your equipment or conduct other administrative tasks from within the shelter without giving your position away. Additionally, the new fabric makes the shelter 44% lighter than the current issue model. Naturally, it is also flame resistant. A prototype bivy bag has also been produced from a lighter version of the fabric. It too is lighter than the current issue model and is also breathable.
The new prototype shelter is slated to be trialled at the Mountain Warfare Training Center this Winter.
Ecotat Multi-Purpose Sleeping Bags – On Sale
Monday, September 28th, 2009Ecotat Systems Company has been around for over 25 years producing specialized sleeping and shelter systems. In fact, they are so specialized that you probably never heard of them. They have produced shelter and sleep systems for Marine Force Recon, Army Long Range Surveillance and Special Forces units as well as for inclusion in Army and Air Force survival kits. In fact, the multi-purpose sleeping bags carry NSNs for units wishing to purchase them through the standard stock system. Contact Ecotat at the email address below if there are any questions. Until the end of October individual sales are offered a 30% discount from MSRP.
What makes Ecotat’s products so innovative is that one item fulfills the functions of many. As I discussed earlier, foot mobile units who find themselves regularly in austere environments have adopted the shelter and sleep systems. The multi-purpose sleeping bag pulls duty not only as a mummy style bag but also can be worn as a long “great” coat, short “anorak” coat, poncho-style or unzipped it takes the place of a poncho liner. By utilizing the head hole and stepping into the body of the bag the wearer retains full mobility of his head and his hands are free to operate weapons and night vision devices from defensive positions.
I have used Ecotat products extensively in the past and I personally recommend them. For someone operating in Afghanistan, the multi-purpose sleeping bag is a great option. It not only provides provisions for sleeping but can also makes insulated clothing items redundant in the load. What’s more, the bag was designed with combat lessons learned in mind. Ecotat president Dick Hailsip is a retired Colonel of Marines and engineered practical features into the design such a zipper that will rapidly open in an emergency and the adjustable hem that accommodates not only static guard duty but also is adjustable for stride when worn during foot mobile operations.
As a special offer to Soldier Systems Daily readers, Ecotat is conducting an end of fiscal year close out on solid colors of their Cold Weather (0 degree) and Desert (35 degree) bags. This offer is good now through the end of October and they will be be discounted 30% from retail pricing.
Both bags are available in regular (82″) and long (86″) lengths and are Berry compliant. They feature Taffeta shells and linings that are water and mildew resistant. The insulation is a silicon coated continuous filament fiber that is laminated directly to the shell to avoid cold spots and does not absorb water. The solid colors include Coyote Brown, Black, and OD. However, they also have light blue and purple for those interested in using the bags for civilian use. The lining comes standard in Black but Ecotat can accommodate custom orders as well. Naturally, Ecotat offers the multi-purpose sleeping bags in Woodland, UCP, and Woodland MARPAT but these colors are currently available at full price.
Ecotat does not normally sell direct so to take advantage of this offer contact them via email for instructions.
35 Deg Bag NSN: 8415-01-416-6216
0 Deg Bag NSN: 8415-01-417-4001
NEMO Gogo Shelters 
Friday, August 14th, 2009
NEMO has been producing lightweight, innovative shelters for several years now. Their hallmark is the AirSupported Technology which precludes the need for traditional poles. Developed by NEMO’s founder after his work on spacesuits and inflatable architecture with NASA, AST™ is a system of low-pressure inflatable tubes (called airbeams) and lightweight pumps that provide a high performance alternative to traditional tent poles. Airbeams are made of two layers, similar to a bicycle tire. An outer layer provides the shape, strength and puncture resistance, while a thin inner bladder holds the air. Feeling winded from a long day humping a ruck? No problem. Each shelter comes with an innovative pump that can be operated by hand or foot and will not over inflate the airbeam.
Over the last year or so they have begun to adapt their innovative designs for military use. In fact, the Gogo was provided for use during the REF’s lightweight equipment demonstration.
The Gogo is a single wall, one person shelter. It includes a pump and stores in a dry-bag style stuff sack. It has 19 sq ft of floor space with an additional 4.5 sq ft under the vestibule. It’s low profile design is perfect for tactical bivouacs being just 27″ high yet the 42″ width and 113″ length allow you to spread out. It is lightweight (1.9 lbs) and packs to a compact 7” X 5.5”. It features a quick set up (15 sec) and strikes even more quickly (5 sec).
The NEMO Gogo SE™ (shown in Multicam) shares of all the same stats of the standard Gogo but features an extra six inches of length. It also boasts an additional side door for entry, exit, and ventilation.
NEMO tactical shelters come standard in OD, but can be special ordered in special colors like the Multicam shown with a minimum order requirement. All of NEMO’s tactical shelters are available from ADS.
