Tactical Tailor

Posts Tagged ‘OR’

OR – Fjallraven

Friday, January 24th, 2014

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The Smock No. 1 from Fjallraven is part of the new numbers collection. The 1 behind the product name denotes it is the first smock design. It is made from G1000, a proprietary PolyCotton blend with a beeswax coating. This not only improves weather resistance but the fabric’s life as well. The Smock No. 1 incorporates classic design features including 4 patch cargo pockets on chest and hem as well as 2 poachers pockets on the rear skirt. It also boasts inset bicep pockets and inset Napoleon pockets on the chest. Toggle pulls are made from scrap leather from the production floor.

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www.fjallraven.us

OR – Beyond

Friday, January 24th, 2014

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Beyond is quite a hit at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. About a year or so ago, I sat down with front man Rick Elder and he shared his brand strategy with us. I know a lot of you have been chomping at the bit wanting to see product, and it’s here. For example, you may remember the Helios Alpha Jacket we showed you over last summer was recently featured in “Outside” magazine. It’s paired with a Brokk pant, a lightweight, super breathable, technical outdoor pant that features articulated knees.

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They’ve also introduced both a softshell pant and jacket in the Rig. They both utilize a proprietary fabric and the pant integrates a proprietary 2-way stretch Cordura. Naturally, they are articulated and have several features that we will cover over the next few weeks.

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In fact, the booth is packed with new styles. They pride themselves on helping their customers survive in any environment in the world and they are investing in new tech and design to make that more than just a desire. Beyond looks at themselves as a tech company who happens to specialize in the medium of specialized clothing. Garments are being wear tested in the environment they are built for and designs updated real time based on feedback. With a 90 day development cycle, they are nimble enough to give the customer exactly what they want.

You may notice a bit of an urban design influence but colorways are limited edition so if you see something you want, you’d better jump on it before it sells out because the next time it’s offered it may well be in a different color combination.

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Naturally, this isn’t the case for the Mission community. Products for this group are customized for the purpose and colors are available as needed. As for the term ‘Mission Community’ I can’t think of a better way to describe it. It isn’t limited to military, LE, or contractors, but also encompasses First Responders, SAR and even NGOs. It’s that group of users that go beyond recreation.

I visited Beyond’s headquarters in November and got to take a peak behind the curtain as they developed several of the designs I saw today at OR. Beyond keeps one leg planted firmly in the outdoor market and this drives their innovation engine. As mission customers we reap the benefits of this focus. You need to keep a constant eye on Beyond. New products will be constantly hitting the street.

www.beyondclothing.com

OR – Drifire Combat Hoodie

Friday, January 24th, 2014

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I’ve mentioned the DRIFIRE Combat Hoodie in the past and since it showed up at both SHOT Show as well as Outdoor Retailer I thought I’d give it another shout out. It’s manufactured from a very comfy DRIFIRE knit with some pretty decent mechanical stretch that is not only FR but also incorporates drirelease technology that dries four times faster than cotton and controls odor causing bacteria. It can be worn next-to-skin or as a layered garment. It also features thumb loop cuffs and the four-piece hood offers a cross-over front and an innovative built-in balaclava/neck gaiter with tuck away option.

Ardennes

Click to view .pdf

Manufactured by www.drifire.com, these should be available from www.tacticaldistributors.com soon.

OR – 5.10

Friday, January 24th, 2014

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The number approach shoe gets better. 5.10 is launching an Updated Guide Tennie in February. It features deeper, wider lugs and a stiffer midsole. It’s now even better for climbing but still a hiker and now, it’s also available in a mid-top height.

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5.10 has also just made a major upgrade the Camp 4. Although it’s lighter than the older model, it features a completely new outsole. Some of the weightless is due to a reduction in foam meaning it will also dry faster. Like the Guide Tennie, the Camp 4 is now also offered in a mid-top height.

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Finally, the popular Water Tennie continues to be a dominant watershoe. And, I believe it’s the only trade compliant water shoe on the market. And I know it’s the only one with sticky rubber.

www.fiveten.com

OR – Wild Things

Friday, January 24th, 2014

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Wild Things Low Loft Jacket – FR uses FASTPACK technology with GORE® PYRAD® flame retardant and 80 grams of PrimaLoft® Fusion (2.4 oz). The fact Thais new jacket integrates WL Gore’s PYRAD technology should be enough but that jacket integrates even more new garment technology. PYRAD is a treatment for existing fabrics so you retain most of the base fabric’s inherent capabilities.

The Wild Things Low Loft Jacket – FR is a lightweight insulation piece that is durably water resistant, windproof, highly breathable and fire retardant. It can be worn as a stand-alone outer-layer or as an insulating mid-layer with a cold weather clothing system. Low water pick-up and quick dry properties maintain the effectiveness and lightweight nature of the jacket. 80 grams (2.4 oz) of PrimaLoft® FUSION is used to provide superior lightweight insulation – wet or dry. PrimaLoft® FUSION has the highest warmth to weight ratio (clo/oz/sqyd) of any Berry-compliant synthetic insulation.

Air permeability is optimized to facilitate “fast packing” and low pack volume of an insulated layer. This enables the soldier to quickly don and doff (pack and unpack) the jacket as their mission and/or environment changes.

GORE® PYRAD® is a self-extinguishing fabric that offers protection in heat, flash-fire and arc-flash incidents. Key features include:
• Protection against heat and flame
• Increased thermal stability
• FR properties build into laminate structure – will not degrade with wash and wear
• Maintains physical integrity of the garment after exposure to flash fire

The jacket is designed for use by the dismounted soldier in cool to cold and dry to damp conditions. The lightweight and low pack volume enables the soldier to easily stow and carry the jacket while on movements. Once the soldier comes to rest, the combination of insulation with high breathability make the jacket ideal for “baking dry” any moisture build up in the base layers thereby maintaining soldier comfort and effectiveness.

Compared to the current ECWCS L3 Fleece, the Wild Things Low Loft Jacket – FR offers a much broader temperature range capability, greater breathability, significantly higher water resistance and windproofness, as well as lower pack volume. It also provides FR protection. In addition, it does not retain dirt and other contaminants like Fleece.

Tech Specs:
• Body fabric made with GORE® FASTPACK technology with GORE® PYRAD® flame retardant
• 2.4 oz PrimaLoft® Fusion
• 2 hand warmer pockets with brushed lining
• 2 bicep pockets
• Knit FR collar for comfort and protection
• Hanger loop
• Internal Napoleon pocket
• Elastic cuffs
• Drop tail for excellent coverage
• Sleeve and chest Velcro patches
• Jacket weight – 27 oz (1 lb 11 oz)

www.wildthingsgear.com

OR – Mystery Ranch – A Legend Returns

Friday, January 24th, 2014

Mystery Ranch has reintroduced the Terraplane. If you want to know which pack SOF was wearing in the 1990s, this is it. Long produced by Dana Designs and predecessor Kletterwerks, the 5,000 cu in Terraplane was a favorite of many SOF units and in particular, NSW.

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Mystery Ranch recently decided to reintroduce the popular pack. The big changes are in the suspension, but the classic lines and pocket layout remain the same. Above you can see the newly updated model in OD and Foliage and below is the new Terraplane in Black.

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Below is a Dana Designs example.

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And this one is the rarest of them all. It’s a Kletterwerks Terraplane, circa 1975.

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Welcome back MR Terraplane! You were missed.

www.MysteryRanch.com

OR – Brunton

Thursday, January 23rd, 2014

REACTOR

The Hydrogen REACTOR from Brunton was actually launched at Summer OR. Over the past 6 months they’ve improved the storage capacity of the HYDROCORE cylinder. It now produces up to 30 AA batteries of potential energy. The hydrogen is stored in a solid state rather than gaseous making it more stable for transportation. Meaning, it is cleared to be airline safe. However, beware of uneducated TSA agents who may be wary of the technology.

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The REACTOR is where all of the magic happens. As soon as a HYDROCORE is inserted into a REACTOR, it immediately begins to produce electricity. The power can be ported to a power bank or used to directly power electronic items.

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The only by products are a low amount of heat and water. And by a low amount of heat, you can comfortably hold it in your hand.

Compases

Brunton was founded on making compasses. In fact, they still manufacture the Pocket Transit in Wyoming. There is a variant of the Pocket Transit some of you cannon dockers may be familiar with; the M2 artillery compass that features mils.

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The new World’s Best Compass takes design cues from the venerable Pocket Transit but streamlines the features for more casual use. While the Pocket Transit has a machined aluminum chassis, the WBC uses a lighter polycarbonate body. And, the WBC does not feature the inclinometer of the professional grade Pocket Transit.

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For their other orienteering models, they’ve incorporated a new global needle that is balanced for use in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres. If you use the wrong needle in the wrong hemisphere you may encounter severe needle drag. Additionally, the three higher end compasses feature rare earth magnets which offers stronger attraction to magnetic north in addition to resistance to de magnification as well as jewel bearing for smoother needle movement.

www.brunton.com

OR – Petzl Tactikka Plus

Thursday, January 23rd, 2014

At Outdoor Retailer I got a chance to take a closer look at the Petzl Tactikka + we previewed about two weeks ago before SHOT Show.

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As you recall there are 2 models. The Tactikka + and the Tactikka + RGB. This is the first major upgrade to the Tactikka in a decade and they’ve not only improved functionality but also increased lumens by 140%! The difference between the two models is obviously price but the standard Tactikka + offers only white and red light while the Tactikka + boasts red! green or blue as well as white light. There are also slight differences in lumen output between the two models.

They will be available April 15th, 2014.

www.petzl-tactical.com