Here is this week’s batch of interesting stories…
Call of Duty: Black Ops announced for November
Bushmaster A-TACS M4-Type Carbine Now Available
New Vector Mountain Boot from Pro Force
“Slim†Compact Bluetooth Keyboard From Brando May Be the Perfect iPad Accessory
How Much Would It Cost to Make a Real Iron man Suit?
According to an article in the Townsville Bulletin Soldiers marching in this year’s annual ANZAC Day parade suffered numerous blow outs. It seems that the spec was changed on the black dress boots to a glued rather than stitched soles. During the march in the pavement several Diggers lost their soles. Townsville is like Australia’s Fort Benning and the celebration is big, so something like this garners national attention. Granted, the issue has only affected black boots which are only worn with dress uniforms and the issue was rectified, but Soldiers still had not received the proper footwear prior to the event.
We contacted readers in Australia who confirmed that they also saw this at other ANZAC Day parades but the men soldiered on without missing a beat. We don’t have anything quite like ANZAC Day here in the US. It’s what Veteran’s Day probably was like after the War to End All Wars and ANZAC does have it’s roots in the memory of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps troops who served the empire in World War One. One of the most reverent experiences I ever had in the military was honoring ANZAC Day at a sunrise memorial service at Ali al Saalem airbase in Kuwait in 1998. It’s unfortunate that the Digger’s boots fell apart during such an important event, but what is even more unfortunate is that they fell apart at all.
Innovative Japanese firm Volk Tactical finally has an English website. They have been producing products in Japan for many years and are well known in the mil sim market. What brings them to our attention are their interpretations of common styles of clothing and load carrying products as well as several innovative products including their wallets. They have also mastered the art of branding, applying logos to their products as well as developing lifestyle products.
Cool stuff!
MTP has been showing up in the craziest places.
Thanks Matt for the heads up and the USMC for the photo!
Pimps n Mercs is helmed by two ex-Australian Soldiers who pulled some PSD duty in Afghanistan where they ran afoul of a US officer who was a might bit critical of their style of dress. I think you can figure out the rest of the story. Take a look at their wares. They have some interesting offerings, even for us Yanks and offer custom services as well.
Thanks Damien for the heads up!
At SSD we are huge fans of those things ultralightweight and the new Ultra Light Swiveling Bipod from Demon Tactical certainly fits the bill. Norfolk, Virginia based Demon Tactical is an up and coming manufacturer of accessories for the AR-15 family of weapons as well as being a distributor for FailZero. Right up front we will tall you that the bipod probably isn’t for you if you are constantly using one, as the legs are not adjustable. However, it does swivel side to side and it is great if you only need a bipod once in awhile and want something that is lightweight and stays out of the way. It is compatible with mil std 1913 rail and takes up little room. In fact, you can still mount a vertical foregrip with it in the stowed position. At 4.5 ounces you barely know it’s there. The carbon fiber legs are very strong but the bipod is not meant to stand on. But then again, do you really need to stand on your carbine? While the legs come out of the box with a fixed length of 7″, they can be cut to suit particular needs. A word of caution, since they are crafted of carbon fiber it is best to take particular care when cutting due to the hazards involved in carbon fiber dust.
Overall, we like it and think you will as well so long as you understand that there is a trade off for the low weight; you can’t stand on it and the legs are not adjustable for length. However, if you find yourself setting your weapon down all of the time then this is a great solution.
With a name like Demon Tactical you gotta love them. For agency and contract sales contact www.tidewatertactical.com.
We have been Combat and Survival readers since the late 80s. While it has gone through a change or two over the years it remains the best source of information on UK ground force developments and tactical products. The April 2010 issue on US news stands now, has some great coverage including exclusive photos of UCP-D taken by correspondent Carl Schulze in Afghanistan. I recommend you check it out.
Over the past several years we have seen numerous images of boots printed in CADPAT TW but now they are finally undergoing a test to determine the best color scheme for Canadian military footwear. Presently, DND has pitted CADPAT TW against the solid DND Maxi-Brown in a large-scale user wear trial to verify whether or not the latest version of the Temperate Combat Boot passes user acceptance for comfort and durability. A visual detection test will be conducted later this year to determine which version (CADPAT or Maxi-Brown) performs better in term of increasing soldier survivability through reducing their visual signature. Once the results of the user wear trial and visual detection test are compiled, the final version will be put to contract sometime in the 2011-2013 time frame.
All photos Canadian DND
