Every year I am impressed by Crye Precision’s dedication to innovation. This year is no exception.
First thing you’ll notice is they aren’t showing as many items publicly as in the past. Last year, they decided to limit the products they display to those that they will release that year but there’s still plenty to see. They’ve got a new way of doing soft armor as well as packs. There are also overwhites and a pack cover as well as new riggers belts.
LVS is an entirely new way of creating soft armor. The system offers NIJ IIIA protection and Crye Precision has created a patented process called Insert As Vest (IAV) that does away with external carriers for soft armor.
The panels are 3D formed to mimic the lines of the human torso which not only enhances concealability but also eliminates crumpling of ballistic material at the bottom of a carrier.
The basic carrier has two pouches built-in along the front of either side of the cummerbund for magazines, radios or other items but the panels can quickly be swapped to different covers which are really more sleeves than a traditional carrier. Available in Grey in S, M, M-L, L, L-L, XL, XL-L, 2XL.
Crye Precision is offering two new packs, the EXP 1500 and EXP 2100. These are low profile designs that don’t scream tactical and have an interesting feature whereby the wearer can extend the pack’s capacity by up to 500 cu in for the 1500 and 900 during in for the 2100, just by opening a couple of zippers. This feature also means the pack will accapt item up to 27″ long for the 1500 and 29″ long for the 2100.
The EXP 2100 also offers removable sternum and waist straps as well as comms/antenna/h2o ports at the top of the pack. Offered in MultiCam, Black, Grey and Ranger Green.
Features:
-Full perimeter (lay-flat) opening allows easy access to contents and offers all the benefits of both a top-opening and side-opening bag.
-Fleece lined pocket fits medium to small sized tablets (H: 11” W: 8”)
-Top access laptop storage (H: 12.25” W: 19.75”)
-EXP PACK MOLLE INSERT (sold separately) for attaching pouches and gear
-Molded back pad with integrated air channels
-Internal pAlS webbing on inside walls
-Internal mesh divider separates front compartment and main compartment
-Convenient briefcase style side handle 11. removable sternum strap
-Removable 3D formed frame sheet
Offered in two sizes (med 34l and large 73l) these lightweight MultiCam Alpine pack covers fold into an integral stuff sack and fit many different packs thanks to an internal drawstring.
The Compact Alpine Overwhites are in the MultiCam Alpine pattern and consists of a knee-length parka with thumb loops and pass thoughs to pockets of garmemts worn underneath such as combat shirts as well as a set of gaiters which come just above the knee. The gaiters offer greater mobility than traditional overpants.
The Fieldsuit and Combatsuit are being joined by the Flightsuit which is optimized for wear by aircrews. Issue flightsuits give a wedgie when bending but Crye Precision’s design eliminates this issue through their unique zipper design. It is available in FR and non-FR versions in even chest sizes 32-52 in Short, Regular, Long and X-Long lengths. MultiCam, Ranger Green and Black.
Available in two flavors, Loop Buckle and Quick Disconnect, the LRB is a low profile riggers belt. It can be worn alone, with the CP MRB as the inner belt, or atop the inner belt that comes with the MRB is you need to add life support capability to your war belt. It features a load bearing front anchor loop as well as a removable, LRB Floating Loop so you can move an anchor point to where you need it on the belt. It is lined with Velcro hook for integration with an inner belt and performance exceeds NFPA 1983. Offered in Black, Coyote, Ranger Green and MultiCam. Sizes Small-XLarge.
As in past years, vetted customers will also get to see several products in the back room, which are either under development or that have restricted distribution. For instance, last year, I got a glimpse of the new LVS body armor system. The year before that it was the AVS 1000 pack. Now, both are publicly available. You should expect to see all of the items in the booth available on Crye’s site over the next months.
Story by
Eric Graves
Editor
Tags: Crye Precision
Looks like the over white jacket only comes to about the waist, but you stated it’s knee length? Is that an error or am I looking at it wrong?
Look at the backpack straps/waist strap. It goes well below that. The model its on is confusing
Huh. The EXPs look like the love-child of the HSP Flatpack and the Arcteryx Blade with some tarting up. And that’s not a bad thing.
My question has always been, “Who is buying this stuff?” Pants for over $200. A jacket for over $300. A backpack for over $300.
My assumption has been that it’s either the military or law enforcement paying these high prices . . . so the answer is, “Us. We are the ones buying this stuff.”
Whenever I come across a company charging prices like this, I assume I’m not their target customer. And I assume they are charging prices like this because the government is willing to pay. Just like the $7,000 coffee machine and $640 toilet seat the government does not blink at.
I really hope I’m wrong, but I just can’t figure out who their market is.
$200 pants and $300 jackets are not expensive. On the Civilian side of technical clothing, $300 is basically the entry point for technical clothing in any category.
You are correct. You are not their target market. I sell this stuff to my customer base like candy. Everyone knows what it’s going to cost when they ask for it and the only problem we usually have is turnaround time on the exact size/color they want if it’s not currently available to ship. These are individuals buying this stuff with personal funds because it’s better than the other options they are looking at; I assure you there are more expensive versions being sold by other companies. Those companies didn’t even create Multicam or essentially invent the combat shirt/pant market.
I don’t understand what your point is. Speaking from the POV of a rank and file infantryman, you do know that not everything that’s spent / wasted (depending on your perspective) by the taxpayer actually filters down to the people who actually needs it right?
I’ve actually had to go out myself with my own meagre salary to pay for boots that fit and don’t fall apart, cold weather equipment that actually works in the cold, wet weather equipment that actually works in the wet, packs that actually carry 40+kg combat loads etc. You get the drift. All of that costs money. Good things aren’t cheap and cheap things aren’t good. That lifetime warranty for a pouch made in Vietnam isn’t going to do any good on a 50k navex when you’re in the middle of bumfucknowhere.
Just because there is inefficiency in the system of procurement doesn’t mean that gear manufacturers are ripping the taxpayer off. I have no experience in more targeted and efficient procurement (ie Special Forces) but I’m assuming they use a lot more money with a much higher return of investment.
At the end of the day companies like Crye survive not because they charge 200 bucks for a pants that is your typical run-of-the-mill product. They are meeting a requirement (whether real or perceived it’s up to you to decide), and if they do end up making shit no one buys they’ll probably just shutter their doors.
So yeah I guess basically it boils down to this. If you need it. You’ll pay for it.
What I meant to say is if said equipment fails in then middle of bumfucknowhere.
Excuse the typos.
John,
Feel free to manufacture equal or higher quality clothing and charge a more ‘appropriate’ cost. Also, please ensure you develop new technology and manufacturing process as part of this new low cost solution.
Don’t forget that said company will eat the cost of this new manufacturing process and not seek to recoup any R&D costs.
Thanks for the replies. That helps some.
My next question is, what are non-military, non-le purchasers using this stuff for. I mean if you got the pants, jacket, boots, backpack, etc., you could easily spend over $1,500. Since other companies charge even more, it would be easy to spend $2,000-$3,000 on a “kit” and that doesn’t include any weapons. Throw in a $1,800 rifle, $600 handgun, and a knife or two and you could get to $5,000 pretty fast.
So what are people using this for that makes the investment worthwhile?
Thanks for helping out in my learning process.
Trolling is a art, apparently.
No troll. Just genuine curiosity. If I said something trollish, I apologize.
For myself, I see it as a balance of needs vs wants.
Do I need the gazillion different packs / soft shells / fleeces / boots I’ve collected over the years? Absolutely not. I’m a gearwhore at heart hence “personal enjoyment”, no different to individuals spending amounts on their hobbies of choice.
Do I need at least one decent ruck, 3 day pack, boots, cold and wet weather gear? Absolutely. Am I going to pay top dollar to make my life in the bush / on deployments a little easier? Absolutely. Do I NEED to buy the absolute best for my requirements? Not necessarily, but it’ll help and you generally get what you pay for.
I’ll be discharging soon and I’ll be hanging on to the majority of the kit I’ve gathered over the years. Do I see it as money wasted? No. Do I need to hang on to it post discharge? Not really. At the end of the day, stupid as it may sound, I derive some sort of personal satisfaction from my hobbies. So there we go. For myself it was worthwhile.
Others may or may not feel the same; go for best bang for buck or absolute minimum required. Maybe that’s how they perceive their money is best spent. Great news is in the free market economy there will be companies catering to different needs and wants. Crye Precision generally goes for top quality for top dollar. YMMV.
We’re in a golden age of kit variety and innovation, and really we’re spoilt for choice. While I may not be unlucky enough to be in the post Cold War drawdown and cost-cutting military, I did have the misfortune of having to use some pretty shitty kit (thankfully in a situation that doesn’t really constitute as “life threatening”) and I really do not want to see a return to those darker days of “one size fits all” and having bean counters be the final decision makers of what is issued.
Tl;Dr don’t worry about what the other guy spends for his own needs / requirements and personal satisfaction. If he can afford it and utilise it. All power to him.
You’re vastly under estimating the cost of setting up a rifle . Not uncommon to spend 6k on a rifle and accessories. Something special might get into the15-20k range. While you can set up a perfectly acceptable rifle for 1800 ,for many you can’t even get the rifle alone for that.
.mil contracts for this stuff from Crye is cheaper than what civvies get it for.
Ah, that makes sense. They sell it in bulk for mil/le, then whatever they pick up in civilian sells is just extra.
Thanks
That, and pricing for civilians is artificially cheaper so that the government gets a ‘good’ price on it. Typically .gov price is what the price should be, and .civ price is .gov price + discount margin .gov wants.
YMMV, but it holds true from my experience ordering for units.
Artificially more expensive, rather. I mis-typed.
Very pleased to see a manufacturer create a durable carrier integrated with soft armor which can be worn externally. Any word on when LVS / IAV will be available for purchase?
Second that, I’m due to replace mine and this looks intriguing.
Would also like to find out some more info about the armor.
Loving the packs CRYE! Every year as SHOT rolls around I put a bit of cash aside cause I know there is a few items I will want and these tactical “non-tactical” packs are on my list
How do you wash the armor panels? Soft armor smells pretty bad after a week long class, let alone when using it on duty daily.
You’re washing your armor panels?
This was my question as well, not the washing of the armor panels but the washing of the carrier to help eliminate those odors that come from constant use?
Why couldn’t you?
I was under the impression LVS/IAV system did not use a carrier, but I might have read that wrong. I see a lot of LE stuffing armor into a carrier that is too small all the time, so a system that doesn’t use a carrier peaked my interest.
Those packs look nice but, yeah, look exactly like the old-school Arc’teryx Blades. Again, not bad design but not exactly innovation either.
Great stuff, I always enjoy the Crye coverage the most.
Will you have a chance to upload or share their 2016 catalog?
Yes. Keep your eyes peeled
I want the over-whites and pack cover. Been looking for a while.
Maybe I need to look at the pics again but it doesn’t look like there’s any overlap on those soft armor panels. If not then Crye’s post-drawdown LE R&D needs to do a little more research. If indeed these are intended or cross marketed for patrol.