GORE PYRAD

Archive for the ‘Gadgets’ Category

Ultimate Survival Technologies – Sparkie

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

Ultimate Survival Technologies

The BlastMatch has been a mainstay in survival kits for many years. The BlastMatchâ„¢ utilzes a custom bar of high performance flint material which rotates 360 degrees to help prevent uneven wear. A tungsten carbide striker is built into the striker button. This combinatio0n generates three times the heat of a standard match. What’s more, it is weather proof.

Ultimate Survival Technologies - BlastMatchUltimate Survival Technologies - BlastMatch

UST is introducing a new product; the Sparkie. It is based on the same technology as the dependable Blastmatch but reduces it’s size and weight. Weighing in at an incredible one ounce, the Sparkie is designed to be used one-handed which can be crucial in a survival situation. The rubberized handle helps ensure you don’t lose your grip even when wet.

Ultimate Survival Technologies - Sparkie

For more information contact Ultimate Survival Technologies.

TAD Ti Skeleton Key

Friday, October 17th, 2008

TAD Gear

It’s not like Triple Aught Designs ever has a problem selling out any of their limited production run custom knives and tool. Notice I said “selling out” and just “selling”. Items like the new Ti Skeleton Key sell so well that TAD employees can’t even get copies. In fact, telling the whole world about these works of art will probably ensure that there won’t be any in stock when I attempt to order one but how can I keep quiet about these?

TAD has these babies pumped out by their local machine shop which also makes parts for the F-22. Machined from a billet of 0.185″ 6Al-4V titanium. As you can see below, there are a variety of tools built right into the Skeleton Key but its use is only limited by your imagination.

TAD Ti Skeleton Key

The Ti Skeleton key features the following: Terminator skull graphic, flathead screw driver, spanner wrench tip, pry tip, nail puller, and bottle cap lifter.

TAD Ti Skeleton Key - Spanner Tip
Note that the spanner wrench tip is the perfect size to perform that oft delayed Strider maintenance.

Available soon from Triple Aught Designs.

Photos courtesy of TAD

Maybe You Can’t Hack a Gibson But at Least You Can Carry One

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

Gibson Laptop Bag

William Gibson, sci fi genius, didn’t just inspire the name of the supposedly unassailable mainframe in the movie “Hackers”, he also developed this line of computer bags. Manufactured for Buzz Rickson by famed bag makers Porter, these laptop bags are made in Japan from horsehide and ballistic nylon.

Gibson Bag Closeup

In addition to the bags, Buzz Rickson is offering two styles of Gibson designed sneakers; a high and low top. Think classic Converse “Chuck Taylors”.

The bags are available in Black, Sage Green, and Tan from Self Edge.

Torrey Pines Logic Offers Surveillance Detection Technologies

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

Does your “Spidey Sense” ever tingle as you feel that someone is constantly watching you or maybe get the “heebie jeebies” and feel like a sniper is glassing you as you ride down the road in the gunner’s hatch? Well there is a way to find out if it is true. Torrey Pines Logic offers a family of technologies that detect aided visual surveillance. For example, an observer with binoculars or a sniper behind a PSO-1 scope.

TPL Counter-Surveillance Products

For more information contact Torrey Pines Logic.

Glo-Wands & SERE Sticks from Cejay Engineering

Wednesday, October 15th, 2008

We’ve all used boxes and boxes of chemlights. While they remain one of the handiest marking devices we have, think about how many times you have used them didn’t require a disposable item. Then consider how much money could have been used on something else if you would have had a reusable alternative. Now imagine such a device could be switched on and off unlike chemlights which, once you activate them are on until they lose their potency. Such devices exist and Cejay Engineering offers two such alternatives; the Mk8 Glo-Wand and SERE Sticks.

The average chemlight is effective for about 12 hours. Additionally, due to shelf life and storage issues, experience has shown that up to 20% of chemlights may be bad right out of the wrapper. Mk8 Glo-Wands work as long as they have batteries and battery life is about 70 hours from three A76 alkaline batteries. Once again, while it may not be at the forefront of everyone’s thought process, both the Glo-Wand and SERE Sticks can be turned off when not in use not only saving valuable dollars but ultimately the environment.

Cejay Engineering Mk8 Glo-Wand
Mk8 Glo-Wands not only come in a variety of colors, they also are available with double light ends. A single Glo-Wand can have two different colors, for example red and IR. This greatly enhances the versatility of the device for such tasks as marshaling, signaling, and route marking. They are available in Green, Amber, Red, Blue, White, and IR.
Cejay Engineering Mk8 Glow-Wand Colors Cejay Engineering Mk8 Glo-Wand 2-Colors
Additionally, the two-color Glo-Wands come in combinations of Amber, Blue, Green, Red, White and IR. Glo-Wands come in 6″ and 12″ lengths but Cejay Engineering will also produce custom sizes for orders in excess of 1,000 units.

Cejay Engineering SERE Components
SERE Sticks adapt the technology of the Glo-Wand and adds a shield to the wand allowing the light signal to be directed or masked for map reading or as a tactical illuminator. SERE Sticks come in 70mm (2″) and 140mm (4″) inch lengths in the following colors: Amber, Blue, Green, Red, White and IR. SWIR frequencies are also available on request. Additionally, both the SERE 70 and SERE 140 come with a 30” attachment lanyard.
Cejay Engineering SERE
One excellent signaling technique is to attach an IR Glo-Wand or SERE Stick to a neck-cord and swing it in a circle high-speed like a buzzsaw for.

For more information visit Cejay Engineering.

All photos courtesy of Cejay Engineering.

Note: Export Notification: Infrared Variants of the described products are regulated by the U.S. State Department in accordance with the guidelines of the International Traffic in Arms Regulation [ITAR] per title 22 code of federal regulations parts 120 – 130. Some Cejay products are available only to military and Law Enforcement personnel.

Intelligent Heat™ from Aevex® Coming Soon to Gloves Near You

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008

The Aevex® website describes the technology like this, “Aevex® is the seamless consolidation of complicated functions into a single textile panel that is sewn into apparel like an extra layer of fabric. These panels are light, ultra-thin, and flexible. Each contains heating materials, electronics, and a fully integrated, flexible and rechargeable energy source.”

The concept is called Intelligent Heat™ and utilizes a proprietary polymer in the sandwich of materials to sense temperatures across the entire grid and heat the areas that need it. As your hands warm up to body temp, they stop wicking heat away from the polymer and heat production within Aevex® goes down.

Aevex® Material

So far both Mountain Hardwear and Outdoor Research have integrated the technology into gloves but Aevex® intends to integrate the technology into jackets and footwear by next year.

At $300 for Mountain Hardwear’s Red Savina Glove and an MSRP of $259 for Outdoor Research’s PrimoVolta, the technology isn’t cheap. Additionally, after four to six hours of use you have to plug the gloves in to a wall outlet to get a recharge so it probably isn’t quite ready for the troops, at least yet. I do however, see an immediate possibility for this technology for Helo crews if it can be integrated into an FR shell since they have access to onboard power.

Mountain Hardwear Red Savina Glove
Mountain Hardwear Red Savina Glove

Outdoor Research PrimoVolta Gloves
Outdoor Research PrimoVolta Gloves

For more information contact Aevex®.

Images from Aevex®.

Tuff Writer Tactical Pens

Wednesday, October 8th, 2008

Tuff Writer Tactical Pens

The Frontline Series of tactical pens has entered the market from Tuff Writer. Manufactured from 6016-T6 aerospace grade aluminum, The Tuff-Writer pen features both a sharp as well as round end, in order to be used as a defensive implement or a control device. The smoothly finished point also doubles as a PDA stylus device or even emergency glass breaking tool. The spring steel clip was designed specifically to avoid snagging clothing and is according to Tuff Writer, virtually indestructible. The Mil-A-8625 “F” black anodizing over a non-marking finish provides a rock hard surface finish. There is no doubt that the Tuff Writer pens were made in the USA. It is engraved on the shaft of every pen in addition to the pen’s serial number and logo.

Tuff Writer has applied a proprietary non-reflective / non-marking surface treatment to the pen in order to minimize fingerprint marks and reflection off the pen. This finish gives the pen a smooth, almost soft, look. It utilizes a pressurized cartridge which writes at any angle, including upside down, in the freezing cold or blistering heat, and can even function underwater.

Tuff Writer Tactical Pens

The Frontline comes in Stealth Black, Sniper Grey, as well Desert Brown and features a lifetime guarantee.

For more information contact Tuffwriter Tactical Pens.

Photo property of Tuff Writer Tactical Pens.

Gerber E-FECT

Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

Gerber E-FECT

With the E-FECT, Gerber has succeeded in combining all of the tools critical to operator level weapons maintenance of the M-16/M-4 family of weapons into one package. Designed to fit into the butt stock of an M-16, the tool features a 4 & 5 pin sight adjustment tool, a curved pick, nylon brush, flathead driver/scraper, a pin punch, and a multi-angled scraper. Like the excellent line of Gerber Multi-tools, the weapons maintenance toolheads all lock into position except for the sight adjustment tool which is held captive by a magnet. Leveraging a long-term partnership with Otis, all of the E-FECT’s toolheads come from the extensive Otis family of cleaning kits and are replaceable. The E-FECT will be released around SHOT Show.

Photo from Marine Corps Times.