With millions of ACH cut helmets produced, it’s only natural that FirstSpear would introduce a dedicated variant of their popular Hybrid Cover. It’s made from mesh and softshell two-way stretch with loop patches for IFF. It not only protects your helmet but also dampens helmet noise and shine. Available in Small – XLarge (same as the ACH) in Black, Coyote, Ranger Green, White and MultiCam.
During a recent visit to my local Barnes & Noble I picked up a copy of “US Marine Infantry Combat Uniforms and Equipment 2000–12” from Osprey Publishing. Authored and illustrated by J Kenneth Eward it is very comprehensive. I really enjoy Eward’s style of illustrating which reminds me more of a photograph than a painting.
Eward has done an excellent job of cataloging the full gamut of Marine combat clothing and equipment. It’s all there, camouflage, utilities, armor and load carriage. Although, the Marine Pack System is still referred to as FILBERT, this slight oversight doesn’t detract at all from the book as the best reference guide yet to modern Marine equipment.
I was a bit surprised that they had titled the article through 12 considering the year wasn’t even over yet but the only thing I felt was missing was the woodland variant of the Combat Desert Jacket. The author did such a good job he even captured the Blackhawk Serpa holster adopted last year by the Marines as well as recent small arms developments such as the M27 IAR.
This is a must have for any one requiring a single source reference guide to modern Marine combat clothing and equipment.
www.ospreypublishing.com/store/US-Marine-Infantry-Combat-Uniforms-and-Equipment-2000–12
Debuting in November the LVOA-S from War Sport Industries will be offered in both a 12″ NFA model and a 14.5″ with pinned flash hider. It was designed specifically at the request of a customer who wanted to mitigate the muzzle flash as much as possible in order to lessen the effects on night vision devices and to help mask the shooter’s position. War Sport tells us they’ve gotten it down. You see, LVOA denotes Low Visibility Operations Application.
You can’t run a suppressor with this gun, but that wasn’t the signature they were going after. It’s a DI carbine chambered in 5.56 and manufactured by GPI Custom Gunworks. The upper also features a new style of rail system. According to War Sport one of the secrets to the success of the LVOA technology is the integration of a BCE 2.0 brake.
You might also notice the incorporation of bungees into the upper in the first photo. This will help manage cables and the integration of material to break up the outline of the weapon when needed. The bungees are manufactured from the same material used in oven mitts so they won’t melt under use.
Look for additional news soon.
Right after SHOT Show Infidel Caps had their first patch case made custom. They used it for several shows and then introduced it to their friends at Mil Spec Monkey who offered some design input. Then, they took it to Tactical Tailor and presented the idea to their design team. After a couple of more additions and design tweaks, they went into production. They are now very happy with the design of the Infidel Caps Patch Case, available at www.milspecmonkey.com.
When closed, the case resembles a covert weapon case measuring 15”H x 29”L x 1.5”W, a 3” x 5” Velcro Loop panel on the front and back for nametapes and other patches, dual zippers and carry handles. When unzipped, you find 3 zippered pockets, one larger and two smaller for paperwork, additional patch storage, etc.
When fully unfolded, it covers an area of 29” x 94” (2,726 sq in). Each of the 6 internal panels of Velcro Loop measure 15” x 28” (420 sq in) for a total of 2,520 square inches of useable patch space. Each case has a total of 10 grommets, 5 across the top and 5 across the bottom, to hang on your wall or on the edge of your show table. If you prefer, it fits quite nicely on any standard 8 foot table.
The perfect option for your growing patch collection or for those who sell patches at local shows. While numbers will vary based on patch size, Infidel Caps tells us that they have had as many as 484 patches on the panel at one time. Currently available in both Black and Coyote Brown.
It’s that time of year again boys and girls. I’ve made this an annual post for the past few years. Winter’s on its way so this is the perfect time to pull your kit out and check it over before it’s needed.
It looks like it’s going to be a LONG winter. During a recent shooting class I attended it started raining day one and by the middle of the second day it looked like a blizzard. Most of my fellow shooters were wearing waterproof breathable outerwear and several began to feel clammy and then damp the longer each day progressed. A couple of guys were wearing issue Gen I ECWCS parkas. Probably not the best garment available as WL Gore long ago decided that the basic design could not meet their “Guaranteed to Keep You Dry” standards. Of course these jackets were old. More than anything, they needed some maintenance.
The key to any modern outerwear is its Durable Water Repellent (DWR) which serves as your clothing’s first line of defense against moisture. There are quite a few treatments available and different manufacturers have their favorites but they are usually are based on flouropolymers. These are PTFE molecules that are applied to the surface of the fabric and cured at high heat to make them adhere better and increase performance. These treatments have a fluorine atom at one end which is highly hydrophobic meaning it hates water. Heat causes the fibers to align themselves with their flourines exposed. Water tries to move away from the flourines resulting in beading. This allows the water to roll off without wetting the fabric. Interestingly, Quarpel (Quartermaster Repellent) was one of the first DWRs and used to treat field jackets and other military clothing items back in the 1960s.
Since most of us can’t run out and purchase a new jacket every time the DWR needs refreshing I thought it would be a good idea to share a few tips with you that will not only revitalize your garment’s DWR treatment but also extend the life of your clothing.
DWR treatments work best when they are clean. I realize this seems counter to what you think is right since a DWR generally lasts about 25 washings and tactical garments get quite a beating in the field, but you need to wash your clothing. The first thing is to avoid using liquid detergents as well as fabric softeners. Additionally, avoid optical brighteners as they are not good for DWR or IR treatments. There are wash in treatments you can purchase as well as spray on options to help renew your clothing’s DWR. However, wash in treatments may affect the breathability of your membrane. One of the best spray solutions available is Revivex from McNett and it is what I have used in the past. It also serves as a stain repellent. Revivex can also be applied to garments that never had DWR in the first place so if you have hunting or field clothing that you find yourself wearing in inclement weather regularly you may want to give it a once over. If you use a spray treatment be sure to evenly coat your garment while it is still damp after washing and to pay special attention to any seams.
There are two additional ways you can put some life back into your DWR without a full retreatment. One is to put the garment in a conventional dryer on warm and the other is to iron it on low heat. This helps realign the fibers. If water fails to bead up on the surface of your garment you will need to retreat.
No matter which method you choose, proper maintenance of your foul weather clothing’s DWR will help keep you warm and dry and extend the life of your equipment.
That good looking fellow is Rob Curtis who writes for Gear Scout and is an honest to God war correspondent and gun enthusiast. A few years ago he started working with Mayflower to produce a custom photographer’s vest. This is the latest version and according to Mayflower, it will be available come the New Year.
Although it was originally envisioned for photography work, we think it will all be popular with medics and those in the Search and Rescue business due to the pocket layout.
I first published an article on the Smock last November. It’s getting cold outside and the time is now to get your hands on a Smock. This article isn’t the be-all-end-all word on Smocks, but it’s a good start.
Finally, the smock is beginning to gain some traction here in the US. We’ve written about them in the past, mentioning smocks from Drop Zone, the now defunct EOTAC, SOD Gear, Level Peaks, SORD, Vertx Vertx smock and the FirstSpear Squadron Smock. But, we’ve never really talked about them and explained what they are all about.
Even though we are slow to adopt, they are literally a concept unlike anything we have in the US. I’ve heard them compared to the M65 field jacket but that idea is simply uniformed. A smock isn’t just a coat.
Rather, the smock is much more than a simple jacket. In addition to use as clothing, the smock is also intended to carry much, if not all of the wearer’s fighting load. In fact, that was the point. They were originally envisioned to carry several days of combat equipment including rations, ammunition, and radios.
Primarily, the smock is a European concept and in particular, used by Commonwealth nations. I got my first SAS smock in 1989 in a trade for a poncho liner during an exercise in Belgium. Its use as an issue garment was traditionally restricted to Special Forces yet several nations have adopted it for general issue in one form or another. One example of a much watered down smock on general issue is the Canadian Army’s combat jacket. When this design was initially adopted in the 1960s it was envisioned that the Soldier would carry his ammunition and other fighting load components in the jackets pockets. What’s more, the British military now issues a Smock as a general purpose item.
There is very limited use of Smocks by US forces. During the early 1990s, an experimental clothing system called Battle Dress System (BDS) was developed by the US Army Special Operations Command. It was a layered clothing system that eventually became the Lightweight Environmental Protection sub-system of SPEAR. The outermost layer called the SOF BDU, was a solid grey combat jacket and over trouser. With its solid grey color the item was rejected due to institutional prejudice. When LEP was adopted, it was without the SOF BDU layer.
Issue items like the SAS Smock are pretty good, but commercial interests have taken them to a whole new level. Britain’s Special Air Sea Services has been manufacturing specialized variants of the smock since the 1980s. Other companies like Canada’s Drop Zone picked up the torch in the 90s and now, commercial items are more prevalent than the issue garment.
But, for me, the most ambitious smock project of late has been the FirstSpear Squadron Smock. I will be blunt. I love it. But, with it’s gridded fleece lined yoke, it’s a cold weather garment.
Smocks have made a lot of sense in Northern Europe where the cold wet climate requires layering. You see, as smocks are coat-like garments they are generally worn layered over shirts. In many climates the US military finds itself in, this would be too warm as a daily wear item. Rather, the US Army’s Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System in all three of its incarnations has offered various technical shells. It seems as if the US skipped the smock altogether, at least for a time. But, with the advent of the most modern smocks, new fabrics have been introduced into the design essentially making them softshells. Conversely, Australian Mission Pac has developed a MultiCam ripstop 100% Cotton Smock for use in warm climates.
Crye Precision debuted a warm weather Recce smock during SHOT Show 2012. Thus far, it has not been released for sale.
Other interesting concepts have been developed such as the Arktis SF Sleeveless Smock which looks like a hybrid between a smock and a 5.11 shooting vest.
Oftentimes, those with no experience with smocks will criticize the design. They don’t understand that use of a fully featured smock allows the reconfiguration of the load. For example, armor can be worn under the smock. Perhaps a chest rig may be required and perhaps not, but much of the items carried on the armor or in a pack can be carried in pockets, readily available.
With even more products hitting the market soon, smocks look to be making an indelible mark on the US market and as they become more and more prevalent, we will begin to see more widespread use, including on the battlefield. Think of the smock as yet another tool in the toolbox and use accordingly. Remember, it’s a tool, not the tool, and you’ll be ok.
-Eric Graves
The Editor
SSD
What’s your favorite Smock?
Cope Patches… show them how you roll!
Extreme Gear Labs is taking pre-orders for the Cope patch at $6.00 each shipped, paid orders will ship as soon as EGL receives them from the embroidery shop.
Pre-order through eglabsinfo@gmail.com
