Currently on Kickstarter are Ripstays, a PALS compatible quick release system for pouches, something the inventor claims is, “The fastest MOLLE system on earth.”
Essentially, Ripstays are made up of rigid injection molded bars which weave in between PALS webbing and are connected at the top to facilitate a rapid removal of a pouch from the platform it’s connected to.
We’ve seen other Bar-like systems in the past, but those were intended more to ease attachment than cut-away.
The campaign offers 5″ bars but has a stretch goal of introducing 9″ bars as well.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lommatsch/ripstay-the-fastest-molle-connection-system-on-ear
It’s interesting. I could see this integrated into a purpose built IFAK instead of how most of the tear-away IFAK’s are built today. I did a similar thing with a simple webbing/poly solution years ago for a very specific medic bag that was worn on the rear of your carrier and needed to be quick-ditch. IFAK is what I would use this for as an end user.
I love interesting design concepts but this need more flushing out. Right now its a band aid for a bullet wound.
How would you improve on the design?
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/flesh_vs_flush
I was given a set to test out and posted a review on youtube. I would love to hear your thoughts on what this is lacking as I found it performed exactly as advertised. Finding a use that fits your needs is a different story as I mentioned when looking at them.
Have you ever cleared a delapidaded building and been snagged on debris, barbedwire, rebar, etc? Have you ever tried to evacuate through confined space and been snagged? Have you ever been in hand to hand combat and the opponent grabs your gear? Have you ever suffered lower back pain from forward loading your vest and wish you could have spread the weight out to you back panel but didn’t because you couldn’t get to it? Have you wanted to carry different kit from one mission to the next but didn’t want to hassle with removing and rethreading the MOLLE straps? Have you ever thought for a moment, “man, I wish MOLLE straps weren’t such a pain in my *$$”? Ripstays do offer QD functionality, but that’s not the end all. Their lighter weight, faster to load, aren’t phased by sea water exposure, moisture, or dynamic temperature ranges. You can leave them installed as long as you want and deploy them when needed.
Reminds me of the concept behind molle stix, but with them all grouped together instead of done individually.
There it is… I couldn’t think of the name of those things for the life of me. That’s exactly what this is.
Cons:
1. Adding weight
2. You don’t need to “quick release” your molle system that often
…..
Sam,
We have found that Ripstays are lighter than nearly all of the MOLLE strap iterations we could find. They were only heavier by 5 grams over the lightest MOLLE straps we weighed. To put that into perspective. The extra weight would be the equivalent of a nickel in your pocket. In full transparency, these weights were measured against our kydex prototypes, not our injection molded production version.
Hello, Garrett with Ripstays here. Will, we completely agree with your IFAK assessment, and believe every first aid kit should allow for the fastest access ever. After testing and sending out hundreds of kits over the last year we’ve found that using Ripstays on all MOLLE attachment points fundamentally changes the modularity proposition. For example, it is quick and easy to config a plate carrier to each mission, or radio equipment deployed easier by a single user who now doesn’t have to take off the entire backpack. If you have any questions let us know!
Thanks for the reply Garrett. I totally get the concept, not only in theory, but also in practical application with other systems I have seen and manufactured myself. As I am thinking this through, a couple things stick in my brain…
1. Wouldn’t the speed and ease of use really be predicated on non-interference with the existing attachment method of the load you are carrying? Example, if I have an issued MOLLE II rifleman kit. Issued with that kit is a full LCS system for carrying all your beans, bullets, and tampons. On the back side of every one of those LCS pouches are the strap and snap PALS attachments. Do I have to cut them off in order to use your system? Seems like that snap may interfere with the easy threading on of the pouch with your system. A similar argument can be made with using the First Spear attachment system. Those tabs are there… unless I cut them off. What do you intend the user to do with them? If you don’t intend for the existing attachment system to be removed, you’re adding thickness and bulk which really doesn’t play well to your idea of lighter weight.
2. The insinuation is that when you need to quickly doff your LCS kit, these are quick and easy tools to accomplish that. In looking at the simple 550 cord pulls, I see them hard to find or hard to manipulate during an adrenaline dump. If you examine just some of the reasons Martin outlined above, adrenaline is gonna be kickin! Fine motor skills start to go out the window and gross motor skills… and good muscle memory built over thousands and thousands of reps take over. I could be wrong…but I see if being difficult to find and function the 550 cord pulls in that fight of flight response. Hell, I find it hard to think that I would even remember its there during that moment of duress.
Again, I like the concept and I think if fits in some places, just not all. I’ll look forward to the further development and your response.
And when you need to quickly replace the pouch you just removed?
Steve,
the tradeoff is between quick and secure; For secure, this passes through every channel. For quick, it’s top and bottom channels. The linked clips still seem like the fastest thing I’ve seen. (I haven’t used it, so BS theory from me…)
My concern is with using this up close where something was trying to rip stuff off when it wasn’t wanted. A small zip tie between 2 of the strips would stop that. Or a Kydex buckle to lock it in, like the dock & lock pouches Kifaru used to make, that attached to PALS without threading. Floppy unless cinched, one strap/buckle could lock it in, and these strips secure it, even just through 2 channels…
Finally, a solution to the non existing problem 🙂
How does this work on laser cut PALS webbing instead of traditional? I am also curious as to whether there is really an expectation that someone would be re-threading this system after ditching a pack on their back in the field. This seems much more of a way to drop kit quickly than a way to put kit back on after it has been ditched, or on and off repeatedly in the same way you would don and doff a small assault pack with clips on your back.