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SHOT Show – Smith & Wesson Apparel

Tuesday, January 15th, 2013

Smith & Wesson Apparel had a couple of cool garments that are great for LE and gun enthusiasts.

The first is from the M&P line. The softshell Nevada jacket features dual center opening chest pockets along with slash handwarmer pockets. Available in OD Green and Black.

The second is the Range jacket. It’s a barn coat inspired jacket with internal holster compartments on either side. Add to that zippered chest pockets and patch hand warmer pockets,

Distributors and dealers contact Grady Burrell ph 828 421 4349 to view the full line at SHOT Show. Booth #8202.

Tags: SHOT Show, Smith & Wesson
Posted in Clothing, LE | 1 Comment »

SHOT Show – Massif

Tuesday, January 15th, 2013

Massif is launching their new Insulated Combat Sleeves. This sleeved, insulated garment is designed to be worn in conjunction with armor in cold weather. Insulated with 3.6 oz Climashield APEX, the shell is 70D Zeta from Duro with a Braveheart rips top lining. Also look for 330D Cordura sleeve reinforcements and Polartec gridded fleece in the neck.

www.massif.com

Tags: Massif
Posted in Clothing | 9 Comments »

Check Out American Armor Attire at SHOT Show

Monday, January 14th, 2013

Last Fall I had to opportunity to meet with a small company in Fredricksburg, Virginia that makes bespoke suits. Granted, in the DC area there are plenty of tailors. What makes these guys different is that they make armored suits. In addition to three piece suits with armor panels, they also make armored dress shirts.

Owners Abbas Haider and Robert Davis began the work as a project at the University of Mary Washington and over time transformed it into American Armor Attire after graduation. Renegade Armor, also located in the area supplies the ballistic material to them. The result is the access to a custom tailored suit with armor built in. These guys know what they are doing. You would never know that the clothing that I was shown was armored. And, their location is ideal. It’s close enough to DC so that they have access to a very large market but far enough out that they can get some work done.

Representatives from American Armor Attire will be available at SHOT Show in the FirstSpear / Renegade Armor booth #8103.

Tags: American Armor Attire, Renegade Armor
Posted in Armor, Clothing | Comments Off on Check Out American Armor Attire at SHOT Show

Massif Announces Introduction of New FR Fabrics with WL Gore Membranes Into Their Line

Monday, January 14th, 2013

Innovative FR nylon-face fabric provides all the benefits of the best water resistant outdoor fabrics while meeting the ASTM F2302/ASTM D6413 standard for flame resistance.

Massif announces the commercial introduction of Massif Battleshield and Massif Battleshield X fabrics, two revolutionary new nylon-faced, flame resistant, water resistant laminates for the military and tactical markets.
Nylon garments have a long history of field-proven outdoor performance, yet have never before provided adequate flame resistance. Massif Battleshield and Battleshield X fabrics offer a shift in FR protection by combining filament nylon-faced laminates with exceptional FR protection.

Massif Battleshield and Battleshield X fabrics provide excellent durability, water resistance, breathability, flame protection, stretch, and warmth-to-weight ratio. There is simply nothing like the Battleshield fabrics on the market; they perform as well as other non-FR outdoor fabric in the industry and provide exceptional flame protection.
Massif Battleshield and Battleshield X feature Gore® FR stretch technology, which dramatically increases breathability while simultaneously improving water repellency and water entry pressure. The result is an extremely durable, highly breathable fabric with a superior warmth-to-weight ratio that is very water resistant and fully flame resistant. “Gore has played a pivotal role in providing best in class durable, breathable and environmentally protective products to the U.S. military,” says Mark Miller, Product Specialist at Gore. “We are excited to be working with Massif and bringing this product line to the warfighting community. Unlike any other flame-resistant, water resistant softshell fabrics, Massif Battleshield and Battleshield X fabrics featuring Gore® FR stretch technology compete with the very best technical performance softshell fabrics on the market today.”

Over the past year, every branch of the United States military has been evaluating either Massif Battleshield or Battleshield X fabrics. “We’re getting some very exciting feedback from our military partners,” said Dave Bywater, Vice President of Government Sales at Massif. “It’s gratifying to be able to provide garments and fabrics that improve comfort and durability, increase life cycle costs, and provide the best flash-fire protection possible for our soldiers.”

Some of the key benefits of Massif Battleshield and Massif Battleshield X fabrics are:

BREATHABILITY/COMFORT – With unsurpassed breathability, Massif Battleshield and Massif Battleshield X fabrics can dramatically increase the warfighter’s overall comfort. In high-activity situations Massif’s unique fabrics, in combination with Gore’s breathable, stretch membrane, reduce overheating and chilling from moisture retention and reduces user fatigue, ultimately keeping soldiers dryer, safer, and more effective in a wider range of situations and temperatures.

DURABILITY – The nylon face fabric of Massif Battleshield and Massif Battleshield X fabrics provide superior durability when compared to traditional FR fabrics on the market today. In fact, for its weight, Battleshield is likely the most durable FR fabric on the market today. This extreme durability can significantly reduce life cycle costs as compared to other FR materials.

WEATHER PROTECTION/WATER RESISTANCE – Massif Battleshield and Massif Battleshield X fabrics provide exceptional water resistance by combining Gore’s breathable, stretch membrane with a technically superior face fabric that will not absorb or retain water as with conventional cellulosic-based fabrics.

STRETCH/FUNCTIONALITY – With multidirectional stretch, a key feature of any high-quality outdoor garment, Massif Battleshield and Massif Battleshield X fabrics offer excellent mobility and comfort.

FLAME RESISTANCE/BURN PROTECTION – These truly revolutionary synthetic fabrics have all of the benefits of high-quality outdoor softshell fabrics while meeting the stringent requirements of ASTM F2302/ASTM D6413 and showing extremely low Burn Injury Prediction when tested on a manikin per ASTM F1930.

Massif will begin using Massif Battleshield and Massif Battleshield X fabrics in its Massif Elements Tactical Jacket. Plans for using these fabrics in US military and tactical garments are underway.

www.Massif.com

Tags: Massif, WL Gore
Posted in Clothing, FR, Materials, SHOT Show | Comments Off on Massif Announces Introduction of New FR Fabrics with WL Gore Membranes Into Their Line

Under Armour Announces Tactical Spring / Summer 2013 Product Line Now Available

Sunday, January 13th, 2013

The new Under Armour product line features an enhanced new category of Women’s Tactical Products and combat footwear for Spring / Summer 2013 and it’s available now.

In developing the women’s Tactical line, UA has partnered with the subject matter experts at Women’s Tactical Association. The primary mission of the WTA is to promote and encourage training and education among female law enforcement in an effort to enhance and refine skills in the areas of firearms, combat mindset, tactics, and fitness.

Following an extremely successful tactical footwear launch, UA has now announced its first boot line designed specifically for America’s warriors. The UA Alegent incorporates time-proven Under Armour technologies for superior comfort and moisture-wicking abilities with ultra lightweight, rugged materials for stability and protection in any terrain.

www.ua.com

Tags: Under Armour
Posted in Clothing, SHOT Show | 1 Comment »

Elite Defense Announces Distribution Partnership with Patagonia

Friday, January 11th, 2013

This is very exciting news from Patagonia and Elite Defense. For the past few years Patagonia has been responsible developing and producing USSOCOM’s Protective Combat Uniform, a 9 level ensemble of environmental and field clothing items. Every once in awhile pieces have become available on eBay or at surplus outlets but, outside of program, we haven’t been able to purchase these garments. Now, you’ll be able to get not only the Level 9 Combat Uniform but also a Jungle Uniform (seen above) as well in addition to other pieces such as the level 3a jacket just adopted by SOCOM. The Level 9 garment features an innovative kneepad system (below) we have written about in the past and offers both combat and field shirt options.

Elite Defense and Patagonia have the stage set for a January release of the Level 9 combat uniform and have targeted SHOT show 2013 as the location for its release for commercial sales.

Patagonia is a world leader in clothing design, protective garments and an industry pioneer in environmentalism. They have designed and developed numerous layers of clothing to protect our Warfighters, and now have a commercial global distribution channel through Elite Defense.

Bringing this large scale collaborative effort together was the 132 Group, lead by Founder and President William Jarvis. “We’re excited to launch the Patagonia L9 Combat Uniform commercially; there has been a lot of hard work and patience to pull this all together. We are prepared for an incredibly successful launch at SHOT Show in Las Vegas, NV.”

“Adding an internationally known brand like Patagonia to our portfolio is exciting; there has been a buzz about it since we started making all the right steps to pull this partnership together and bring it to market.” said Brett Westcott, Vice President of Business Development & Marketing at Elite Defense.

The level 9 combat uniform will be the first of many products that will be brought to commercial market space; the team anticipates a new jungle style uniform as well as a commercial variant of the PCU 3 Alpha Jacket to be ready for delivery in the second Quarter of calendar year 2013. All of the offerings are Berry Complaint to meet the needs of the US DoD and other domestic agencies. The distribution agreement includes a dealer network that is equipped to handle multiple Government contract mechanisms to support that customer base.

“Patagonia has been a go-to for top tier design and development services to the SOF community for over a decade, and has long supported the soldier” Says Eric Neuron, Patagonia’s Director of Strategic Product. “We are very excited to make available these innovative products commercially, and further that support. Elite Defense’s business model is unique in this trade area, and is exactly what Patagonia has been looking for.”

Elite Defense will be in Booth # 27411 displaying the NEW Patagonia Level 9 Uniform, Jungle Uniform, and 3 Alpha Jacket. For more information please visit www.EliteDefense.com.

Tags: Elite Defense, Patagonia
Posted in Clothing, Industry, SHOT Show | 5 Comments »

SOCOM Adopts Polartec Alpha as Insulation for PCU Level 3a

Friday, January 11th, 2013

This isn’t the first time that we’ve mentioned SOCOM’s Block 2 PCU Level 3a or its use of Polartec’s materials. Polartec has a long history of providing innovative fabric solutions for not only SOCOM’s Protective Combat Uniform program but for all of DoD. What’s more, their manufacturing partner is Patagonia. They too have a long history of supporting SOF and other specialized units going back to the 80s. In 3ID LRS I was issued blue Patagonia polypropylene long underwear and pile jacket and overalls in Germany in the late 80s. Later, Patagonia developed the Military Advanced Regulator System. Now, they are responsible for the design and manufacture of PCU. Below is the press release on this new insulation technology option for USSOCOM.

Polartec and Patagonia Collaborate to Provide Breakthrough Fabric Technology to Every Special Forces Operator
January 8, 2013 – (Lawrence, Mass.) – Polartec, the developer, manufacturer, and marketer of Polartec performance fabrics, has worked closely with the U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) to develop Polartec®Alpha, a new synthetic insulation technology that creates the first-ever breathable “puffy” garments for active warmth. The Special Forces are the first adopters of this breakthrough fabric technology and are presently fielding Polartec Alpha jackets designed by Patagonia to all SOF operators.

Unlike down and existing synthetic insulations, Polartec Alpha provides active warmth that allows air exchange for breathability and comfort in more dynamic situations. It was developed to meet the specific performance requirements of the United States Military Special Operations Forces. The development brief required materials that are warm, wind resistant, highly durable, quick drying and more breathable than any existing insulation products. In field and lab testing, Polartec Alpha received the highest testing results of any Polartec product ever tested by the Special Operations Forces evaluation team. The garment will replace two to three layers, reducing costs, saving weight in the field and improving combat effectiveness.

In close collaboration with Polartec, Patagonia designed and developed the overall garment design for SOF. The company spent months maximizing the details of the design to take full advantage of the performance characteristics of Polartec Alpha. The final product is the SOF Protective Combat Uniform Level 3A Jacket, a standard issue piece fielded to every Special Forces Operator in the service.

“Polartec Alpha is a significant technical achievement that has created an entirely new class of fabric technology,” says David Costello, Polartec’s Military Business Manager. “This fabric innovation has been made possible due to our longstanding relationship with the Special Forces and has come to fruition in a final garment through the creativity and drive of the Patagonia design team. The demanding mission profile of the SOF operators requires absolute performance from every element of the operator’s ensemble. Polartec Alpha meets this test and has tremendous potential as a platform for future development.”

“Patagonia constantly works with suppliers to push the limits of what is possible. We have been pushing these limits with Polartec for several decades now; the result has been many groundbreaking products over the course of those years, culminating into this pinnacle innovation. This technology allows technical product designer/developers an interesting new challenge for the next several years; to ‘dial in’ the perfect CFM (or breathability) of a low loft garment,” says Eric Neuron, Patagonia’s Director of Strategic Product. “Without the demands and feedback from Special Forces Operators, this jacket and technology would not exist. We are very proud to support their needs. ”

Tags: Patagonia, PCU, Polartec, USSOCOM
Posted in Clothing, Materials, PM-SOF | 4 Comments »