Danner Reckoning GTX

Archive for the ‘Clothing’ Category

Brits Recommended MultiCam to US Army? Excuse Me While I Guffaw

Friday, May 21st, 2010

This is just precious. In a recent press release from the MoD, Colonel Stephen James, Project Team Leader for the Defence Equipment and Support Clothing Team, who was responsible for delivering the new British Multi Terrain Pattern to British forces had this to say, “We have presented the new designs to the US Department of Defense and, following our recommendations, the US Army are about to adopt the same technology for their uniform in Afghanistan.”

Ok, so there you have it. The recommendation of the British Army, after their experience in adopting MTP a MultiCam-like pattern developed by Crye Precision, is what is responsible for the US Army’s recent decision to field MultiCam to units operating in Afghanistan. I guess it has nothing to do with the results of an arduous selection process carried out by PEO-Soldier and their partners at Natick, AWG, ATEC, and the Infantry Center in which MultiCam was deemed superior to the other candidates.

Arc’teryx Compound Clothing Video

Monday, May 17th, 2010

We broke the story on the new COMPOUND armor compatible clothing system from Arc’teryx LEAF a couple of weeks ago. Grey Group is an Arc’teryx dealer and has had samples of a couple of the pieces on display in their shop near Fort Bragg for awhile now. Fortunately, they posted some video on Youtube.

The Ultimate Guide to Tactical Pants

Monday, May 17th, 2010

Tactical Pants Blog has produced a great one-stop resource for information on the major tactical pant brands. There are still a few smaller, boutique brands out there floating around as well as some surprises in store for the market this year. But overall, they have covered the mainstream with information on over 30 different models. Additionally, the handy comparison chart provides details to assist with making decisions on which style to choose. While not all encompassing, it is certainly comprehensive and we are sure they will continue to update it as new products are released or changed. It is definitely worth checking out.

tacticalpants.com/tactical-pants-guide

Fielding the OEF FR ACU

Monday, May 17th, 2010

Soldier in MultiCamAs most of you know by now, the MultiCam version of the Fire Resistant Army Combat Uniform slated to be issued to troops in Afghanistan has been officially dubbed the OEF FR ACU. This is because it is supposed to only be used in Afghanistan (Operation ENDURING FREEDOM). I guess someone forgot that operations in the Philippines are also part of OEF. But then again, I don’t share PEO-Soldier’s wishful optimism that commanders in other areas won’t want their troops to be outfitted in MultiCam as well. I mean after all, testing has demonstrated it is a very effective pattern in a variety of environments. Why wouldn’t a commander want his troops outfitted in the best equipment available.

At any rate, where are those new OEF FR ACUs anyway? Well, the Army is on its way to fielding, working its way through the procurement process, but meeting the goal of July is going to be difficult if not impossible. The recently released pre-solicitation doesn’t close until 1 June. Then, the Army still has to release an actual solicitation which is usually open for about 30 days, make an award, deal with any protests that might arise, wait for uniforms to roll off the line, and finally distribute them. While mills are chugging away manufacturing FR Defender-M from Tencate, none of the manufacturers of uniforms will place orders for fabric until they receive a contract so there is only so much leaning forward in the fox hole that can be done.

One of the reasons that PEO-Soldier isn’t jumping into MultiCam with both feet is that the Army hasn’t made a long-term decision about camouflage yet. PEO-Soldier says that the Army is moving toward a decision on Phase IV of the camo project but thus far, almost nothing has been released on what exactly this phase entails. Hopefully, we will begin to see some transparency considering the brouhaha raised over the selection of the Universal Camouflage Pattern.

Things We Didn’t Write About

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

Quite frankly, we just didn’t have time.

Gun Disassembly 3D for the iPhone
How Inmates Smuggle Cellphones into Prison
LWRC to License Production to Jordan
The $750 Travel Belt Yes, $750
Holster Mounting Bracket for Wheelchair Frames – Thanks to Tactical Wire for putting the word out on this.

The Travel Shirt from Beyond Tactical

Friday, May 14th, 2010

The last time SSD readers saw Beyond Tactical owner Scott Jones, he was featured in Penthouse magazine (for real). Last year, right before heading out to the ADS Warrior Expo he threw together the Travel Shirt which you can see in the photo. It is a waist length design with mandarin collar, chest and sleeve pockets made from a lightweight material. Apparently, he really likes it because every time I see him he is wearing it and the ADS Warrior Expo-West was no exception. I have been on him since I first saw it to spread the wealth and offer it for sale on the site. It has almost become a running joke between us but he said that if there is enough demand for it, he will add it to his catalog. So here it is. Interested parties should contact Beyond Tactical to order.

Save 20% Now on Vertx

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

Vertx clothing embodies the spirit of the Operational Athlete and now is a great time for Soldier Systems Daily readers to save 20% on all non-sale items from now until May 31st by using evaluator code “SSYSTEMS”. Also, be sure to read more information on the Vertx Tactical Pant by clicking here.

New Kneecap Colors

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

Knee Caps

In addition to the already announced buckle improvement to the Kneecap, Arc’teryx LEAF also plans on releasing new colors including a MultiCam compatible version later this year. No firm date has been set but the new color options will be cut into the line as soon as they are ready. The Kneecap works perfectly with the knee pad pocket featured on the new Compound Armor Compatible Clothing System.