WL 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.