Platac’s tagline for the new Nomad Pack is “Overt is the New Covert”. The idea is to hide in plain sight and the Nomad does that. Appearing as a mild mannered commuter pack, the Nomad is specifically designed to accommodate the HK-G36C and Short Barreled M4 Carbine variants. Thanks to an ingenuous hideaway extender sleeve it will also fit longer barreled weapons.
It has hideaway straps for use as carry-on luggage, or you can criss-cross the shoulder straps to make a sling bag. Additionally, the interior of the main compartment includes PALS webbing. Yes, it’s available in MultiCam but the Black and Grey combo looks pretty good for playing the Grey Man
Arc’teryx LEAF has been showing their new Wolf color quietly to its customer base for some time now. We’ve even caught a couple of glimpses of the color here and there which we’ve been able to share. The new Wolf color makes a great counterpoint to the Bird’s other exclusive pantone – Crocodile, which was developed several years ago to provide a shade compatible with both greens and browns for the the military side of the LEAF equation. Not only is Wolf well suited for Law Enforcement use, it gives all of us another color option to help blend into the background and truly become the Grey Man.
In conjunction with the release of Wolf, Arc’teryx is also debuting several new styles.
Additionally, Arc’teryx provided us with this official statement which does a great job explaining their concept of Wolf:
“Urban Wolf— blend into the sprawl
From a distance, or in situations with marginal light, the greyscale tone of most surfaces is dark grey. Concrete, glass, asphalt and rooftops are common modern backgrounds, environments that are subject to low ambient light and shadows. In these conditions, black stands out in the shadows, easily identifiable and clearly defined. In contrast, dark grey is the least visible colour; it blends into its surroundings.
Optimized for urban and industrial environs and their margins, Wolf breaks with tradition and introduces a colour blend for modern environments. A modern alternative to traditional uniform colourways, grey is less traditional and therefore a less recognizable uniform of authority. Wolf introduces a covert tonal shade for law enforcement purposes in urban environments.
Available in the new Drac Jacket and Drac Pant, Bravo Jacket and new Naga Hoody, the wolf colourway is a practical uniform option and is the colour preferred for Law Enforcement/SWAT and Military Special Forces use.
Arc’teryx leads the pack with Urban Wolf—on patrol in the margins.”
This is an oldie but a goodie, first published by SSD in March, 2010. It’s just as poignant today as when we first mentioned it and has remained worth sharing since the data was initially prepared in 1992.
While this graphic actually dates from 1992, it does contain quite a few details that are of use both offensively as well as defensively. Originally, published in the New York Times the data came from NYPD Detective Robert Gallagher based on criteria he used to size up suspects. Megan Jaegerman, the artist who translated this information into a readily usable format has been lauded for this and other work. She succinctly synthesizes a great deal of information into a story that can be interpreted with the eye.
We mentioned the Stealth Cargo Pant by Prime Outerwear during the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. Unique styling garnered a lot of attention. Now, Prime outerwear has begun to sell the trousers…on eBay. Yes, it’s a less traditional distribution model, but they are available. So, if you are interested in picking a pair or two up, check out their eBay listing. Manufactured from cotton twill treated with Nanosphere, the Stealth Cargo Pant’s rear pockets feature magnetic closures. Additionally, Prime Outerwear has developed what they call Intelligent Storage which is designed to be accessible whether standing or seated.
Spec Ops brand continues to expand their repertoire with their new T.H.E. Messenger Bag. Available in a standard as well XL sizes, I think the thing I like most about it is that it is designed to work with with their other products like the Multi Position Holster. And so you know, Grid-Lock is PALS-compatible. You can check out most of the features on the graphic below.
T.H.E. Messenger Bag debuted at SHOT Show and is available soon from www.specopsbrand.com
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Ares Armor presents the R.A.D. (Rapid Armor Deployment) Pack. Designed to do exactly what the name implies, the wearer can deploy armor from a storage slot in the pack and deploy a sidearm in less than two seconds. Once we get to the features you will see that one of their main concerns was to keep the features of this pack from betraying its intended purpose. It is important to note that this pack was designed more for civilian concealed carry than for military or LE use although it looks like it will do a great job there as well.
One of the first things you are going to ask is, what armor plates will it accept? According to ARES Armor, it is designed primarily for SAPI cut plates but is fully adjustable to accommodate different sized plates and individuals. However, we have not had our hands on one yet so we are looking forward to feedback from users on how well it handles various plate setups.
Additionally, this isn’t a one trick pony. While it does offer armor protection, it can still be used as a normal pack. Featuring a rear compartment that is fully separated from the plate panel and that is designed for the storage of everyday items, it’s storage capacity is comparable to a normal bookbag-sized pack. There is also PALS webbing on the inside of the storage compartment that allows users to set it up however they choose. The RAD Pack can carry both front and back plates with backers or just soft armor panels.
As you can see in the video, a cable system keeps the front plate panel in place inside the pack. Once the cable is pulled, the plate can be pulled up over the head. not only does this provide immediate protection it also allows access to a chest mounted sidearm.
It comes with a simple universal pistol holster that is attached via PALS webbing into the front plate panel. This is what you pull over your head. There is also PALS webbing covering the entire front of the carrier to allow whatever setup you want or to change out holsters.
In order to maintain the low profile image, there is no PALS webbing or other military/LE/tacticool giveaways on the outside of the pack. Additionally, the colors are very civilian friendly: Black, Black and Grey, Black and Blue, in addition to Black and Red.
Ares Armor left us with this statement about the RAD Pack.
Its not made to turn people into super heroes just to give them an advantage in an unexpected gun fight. (imagine if one of the innocent people at Columbine, Virginia Tech, Arizona the other week etc. were wearing a system like this. Having armor as well as a handgun might have very well given them the bravado to save some lives)
Overall, it looks like a promising design. According to Ares Armor, they are manufacturing the packs themselves and are applying for patents that cover how the pack works. Naturally, this makes them Made in USA. While we aren’t going to delve very deep into this, Ares Armor is collectively owned by several veteran and active duty military members. A big part of their business model is giving back and we will write more on this soon.
While this graphic actually dates from 1992, it does contain quite a few details that are of use both offensively as well as defensively. Originally, published in the New York Times the data came from NYPD Detective Robert Gallagher based on criteria he used to size up suspects. Megan Jaegerman, the artist who translated this information into a readily usable format has been lauded for this and other work. She succinctly synthesizes a great deal of information into a story that can be interpreted with the eye.
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