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Archive for August, 2013

The Cogburn CB4

Monday, August 19th, 2013

If you’re familiar with Surly fat bikes then you’ll know their parent brand Quality Bicycle Products who has launched yet another brand, Cogburn Outdoors. Cogburn’s CB4 debuts in September.

Designed specifically for the outdoorsman, the CB4 (in no way related to the 1993 hip hop comedy of the same name) boasts a Realtree Xtra Camo frame (courtesy of Kansas City’s Dynamic Finishes) with the rims, handlebar, crank and other components in an anodized Black with a no-glare finish. Available in two different frame sizes for all riders.

It’s a fat bike with 3.8″ tires that will get you where you are going in the back country even with a heavy load. What’s more, it’s a bike, so it’s going to be quieter and leave a much lower impact than an ATV. It incorporates a Shimano Deore 20 speed mountain drivetrain with quiet Deore Shadow plus clutch rear derailleur.

“We make gear for people looking to hunt, fish and forage in remote places.”
-Cogburn Outdoors

It is designed, finshed and assembled in the USA.

I love everything about this bike, except the price. At $2199 it’s a bit more than I want to spend but I know there are many that will look at this price as reasonable. It’s all about the value exchange. I’m just not the guy who is willing to pay that much for a bike. What may be an option for those of us interested in adapting other Fat Bikes to a hunting role is the availability of Cogburn’s Scabbard which comes standard on the CB4. It attaches to a rear rack on any bike and is designed to accommodate archery equipment as well as hunting and fishing equipment.

www.cogburnoutdoors.com

Tags: Cogburn Outdoors
Posted in Mobility, Off-Duty | 13 Comments »

Outdoor Research – New Berry Compliant Gloves

Monday, August 19th, 2013

Outdoor Research is set on releasing two new Berry compliant tactical gloves later this year.

Stormfighter

The Stormfighter glove is designed for inclement weather protection yet allows for tactility and dexterity for weapon and tool handling. The shell is constructed from Tweave DURASTRETCH backed with Polartec Windbloc fleece, while the palm is made from durable, water-resistant goatskin leather. The Stormfighter’s pre-curved construction provides ease of articulation with no break-in period.

Firemark

The Firemark glove is a US-manufactured version of the popular offshore-produced glove. The glove features PORON XRD foam padding that protects the back of the hand and a water-resistant goatskin leather palm with an ergonomically-cut reinforcement layer that provides tactility and dexterity. To insure FR performance, the Firemark features DuPont Nomex interlock knit on the back of the hand.

Both gloves will be available for purchase November 1st, 2013.

www.outdoorresearch.com/en

Tags: Outdoor Research
Posted in Handwear | 7 Comments »

Hasbro Teams Up With Theodolite For Nerf N-Strike Elite Tactical App

Monday, August 19th, 2013

Nerf Mission App

Hunter Research and Technology is pleased to announce it’s latest client app project, the Nerf Mission App, developed in partnership with Hasbro, Inc. The Nerf Mission App works with the new Nerf N-Strike Elite Tactical Rail Mount Accessory and turns an N-Strike Elite blaster into a full battle cam with heads up display, compass, inclinometer, and rangefinder. The app lets users record photos and videos, track their arsenal, learn about hand signals used to communicate with a squad, and plan out different missions for multiplayer Nerf battles.

The Nerf Mission App is based on the Theodolite Augmented Reality Navigation app developed by Hunter Research and Technology. This game-changing app defined a new standard for augmented reality navigation when it debuted in 2009, and has been a #1 selling navigation app in iTunes stores around the world. Theodolite works as a heads up display with compass, GPS, map, zoom photo/movie camera, rangefinder, tracker, and two-axis inclinometer. Uses are endless, and Theodolite is great for outdoor sports, hiking, boating, hunting, golf, sightseeing, photography, home projects, and navigation. The app has professional grade features for advanced measurement, observation, and data acquisition, and is used in the field on the job every day by military personnel, first responders, search and rescue workers, surveyors, geologists, architects, engineers, and competitive sportsmen around the world.

Theodolite lets users take geo-stamped camera images, screenshots, movies, and HUD-based screen movies directly from the app. The app includes features like a navigation calculator, map with live markers, team tracking, data logging, KML export, percent grade display, mil compass readout, optical rangefinders (including a mil-based reticle and sniper-style stadiametric graphs), and colored lens filters to improve use in dark conditions and preserve night vision. Theodolite supports over a dozen position formats, and offers an optional World Geodetic Datum Pack with over 220 geodetic datums covering regions and countries on all continents around the world.

“We’re pleased to take Theodolite’s powerful augmented reality technology in a fun and exciting new direction,” said Dr. Craig Hunter, principal and lead developer at Hunter Research and Technology. “Theodolite has a strong customer base of professionals, outdoor enthusiasts, and high-tech gadget nerds, and the Nerf Mission App brings a whole new group of more playful and younger users into the fold.”

The Nerf Mission App is available for free from the iTunes App Store, and works with most iPhone and iPod touch devices running iOS 5.0 or later (iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, and 5 are supported, as well as 4th- and 5th-generation iPod touch). The Nerf N-Strike Elite Tactical Rail Mount Accessory is for ages 8 and up, and sold separately. See www.nerf.com for more information and a list of retailers.

Theodolite and Theodolite HD are available on the iTunes App Store for a 20%-off summer sale price of $3.99 USD. Theodolite runs on any camera-equipped iPhone or iPod touch. Theodolite HD runs on any camera-equipped iPad or iPad Mini. More information, including screenshots, is available on the Hunter Research and Technology website at www.hrtapps.com/theodolite.

Links:

Nerf Mission App on iTunes

Theodolite 3.2 on iTunes (iPhone and iPod touch)

Theodolite HD 3.2 on iTunes (iPad and iPad mini)

Tags: Hunter Research and Technology
Posted in Media, Optics, Sensors | 1 Comment »

Pre-order ADS Tactical Catalog Vol 10 Now

Monday, August 19th, 2013

When I was a kid, I couldn’t wait for the Sears Christmas wish book to show up. Now that I’m grown, I’ve replaced it with the annual ADS Tactical catalog.

Hard copies of Volume 10 of the ADS Tactical catalog are now available for Pre-order.

Equipment Categories:
-C4ISR
-Cases & Containers
-Climbing & Safety
-Diving & Maritime
-Hydration
-Lighting
-Organizational Clothing & Individual Equipment (OCIE)
-Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
-Tools & Instruments
-Weapons & Optics

There’s also some cool featured content in there that I know you’ll like. For those of you who can’t wait, you can download a copy as well when you order your hard copy.

www.adsinc.com/shop-now/ads-catalogs/ads-tactical-catalog-4357

Tags: ADS Inc
Posted in ADS, Catalog | 2 Comments »

Platatac Offering Kryptek Preorders

Monday, August 19th, 2013

For a limited time Platatac is offering Pre-orders for the Cool Under Tactical Shirt, Tac Dax Pants, NYCO Smock, Bush Hat and Tactical Hat as well as Vented Tactical Hat in Kryptek Mandrake, Highlander and Typhon.

They’ve got a great guide on the site that explains sizing and from my experience it is just as it says.

To Pre-Order:

Email platatac@platypusoutdoors.com.au with the following informaiton:

your name
contact details
Product name
Product size
Product colour
Quantity

Platatac will contact you confirming receipt of your pre-order and then again when your items are ready. There is no requirement to pay until your garments are completed and ready for delivery.

Please allow for a manufacturing time of 90 – 120 days.

www.platatac.com/kryptek

Tags: Platatac
Posted in Camo, Clothing, International | Comments Off on Platatac Offering Kryptek Preorders

Scout Basecamp Nightvision Summer Sale

Sunday, August 18th, 2013

Scout Basecamp is holding a Summer Sale. Purchase select Armasight products and get free gear including hard cases, camera adapters, and goggle kits. Sale run through August 31st.

www.scoutbasecamp.com/

Tags: Scout Basecamp
Posted in Sales | Comments Off on Scout Basecamp Nightvision Summer Sale

SOTech Staff Innovation Day

Sunday, August 18th, 2013

As part of SOTech’s Innovation Development Program, CEO Jim Cragg had the entire office staff learn to design, pattern, cut, sew, and assemble some basic standard SOTech designs, and then each team member was encouraged to create their own design. Designers and sewing managers Veronica Areola, Brian Hilory and Juan Miranda led the class. More than 15 book keepers, shippers, graphic artists and customer service staff created their own dog harnesses, designer belts, pouches and day packs. Managers and instructors from SOTech’s sponsored Veterans work therapy program, Vets Corps (formerly VIPER), also attended. SOTech was recently approached as a model for a course on industrial innovation by California Manufacturing Training Corp, and SOTech holds 11 patents covering innovations in load carriage equipment. According to Jim Cragg, “Not only does this training involve our office staff in the creative mindset, but it also gives them an appreciation for the hard work that we ask our sewers to do on a daily basis.”

www.sotechtactical.com

Tags: S.O.Tech
Posted in Industry | 1 Comment »

BDS – The Grey Uniform That Almost Was

Sunday, August 18th, 2013

Long before Wolf grey there was something else. In the early 1990s Army Special Operations Command experimented with a layered clothing system called Battle Dress System. Leveraging the original Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS) it featured a Capilene Next to Skin layer, Fleece mid-layers including a bib and jacket, a Gore-Tex undergarment and an outer layer called the SOF BDU. The underlayers became the Lightweight Environmental Protection (LEP) component of SPEAR. It was quite popular with those that used it offering material and design improvements over ECWCS which was just beginning to see widespread fielding.

The SOF BDU was a solid grey combat jacket and trouser. These were essentially over garments that were intended to be worn as an outerlayer, over any combination of the other components depending on the weather. The material was new and consisted on Nylon, Cotton and Kevlar for increased abrasion resistance. The design of the jacket was unlike anything else in the inventory with large Napoleon pockets on the chest and a hood that could be stored in the collar. It also boasted pit zips for ventilation, a rank tab on the chest and pockets mounted on the sleeves. The pants were quite similar to the M1950 field trouser and incorporated thigh tapes designed to help stabilize the load in the cargo pockets. They also added a zippered lower leg opening in order facilitate donning and doffing.

Today, when readers learn about BDS and the Charcoal colored Gore-Tex undergarment they are surprised that it wasn’t the outer most layer but beginning in the mid-80s there were lightweight 3-layer undergarments available commercially. This was before ECWCS or other camouflage shells were commonly available. The Gore undergarments were used by a variety of troops and worn under their BDUs in order to maintain camouflage. It also gave them a lightweight waterproof breathable layer.

With its solid grey color the item was rejected. Primarily due to institutional prejudice. When LEP was adopted finally adopted later in the decade, it was without the SOF BDU.

Tags: Battle Dress System
Posted in Clothing | 23 Comments »