The Blue Force Gear Ten Speed Basicload Chest Rig is designed with speed in mind. At a scant 9 ounces it weighs less than most MOLLE Double Magazine pouches and yet it still holds a full compliment of six M4 magazines. Like the 10 Speed Ammo Pouch, the low profile design keep your magazines secure yet stays out of teh way when empty. Due to the elastic design of the pockets, the Ten Speed magazine slots will also accommodate bangers, trauma dressings, tourniquets, smoke grenades, or even a couple of pistol mags in a pinch. While it is sized to fit over armor, it can also be worn as a stand alone chest rig or used as a bandoleer out of a vehicle or rucksack to give the user the ability to quickly add additional ammo or other kit. The rig is made entirely of US materials in Georgia (take that Berry).
Blue Force Gear will be showing the Ten Speed Basicload Chest Rig along with the rest of their 2010 line up in booth #25111 at SHOT Show. Be sure to stop by and tell them Soldier Systems sent you.
Tags: Blue Force Gear Posted in Load Carrying | Comments Off on BFG Introduces the Ten Speed Basicload Chest Rig
Bulldog Equipment has introduced a Triple SCAR Mag Pouch w/ Double 9MM Pouch based on user requirements. This pouch can hold up to three 20 rd SCAR magazines and two 9MM magazines. Additionally, Bulldog has produced custom design pouches for 30 rd SCAR magazines. It can be provided with or without the 9MM pouches. Manufactured from 1000D Cordura, the pouch is PALS compatible and features a double retention system for both the SCAR as well as 9MM magazines.
Zulu Nylon Gear has improved their Mega Admin Pouch released last year. The new version incorporates several new features based on user feedback. The main difference is a loop surface in place of the vinyl pocket so the user can swap out either a folding vinyl map sleeve that can fit paper up to 8.5×11 or other hook backed accessories available from various manufacturers. Additionally, there are several panel variants specifically for the Mega Admin that will be available soon. Other improvements include two D-rings placed inside the pouch as well as a webbing loop placed at the end of the GPS pocket flap for dummycording.
The Mega Admin Pouch is available in Coyote Brown, Multicam, and UCP and can be purchased at zulunylongear.com.
Mayflower Research & Consulting, LLC will be launching their new website in the next few days. Unfortunately, they have experienced several problems with their current site which have dropped orders and issues with the contact page as well as email. They always want to stay on top of things so they have invested in a ground up rebuild which will add several new features including: personalized account access, order tracking (once shipped), direct customer feedback through testimonials and customer rating of individual pieces of kit. Additionally, Mayflower is expanding at a controlled rate to meet the demand of both its valued customers (the pointy end in the war on terror both domestic and foreign) as well as their high end retailer accounts.
Here is a sneak peek of the new look. Be sure to checkout the new site once it is up.
It seems as though members of Congress have taken to talking to any old yahoo they can round up when they are on “fact finding” trips to exotic locales. It doesn’t seem to matter if any of what said yahoo complains about makes any sense.
Nothing like talking to GIs who have no idea what they are talking about. Of course the Soldiers were referring to the MOLLE rucksack. Somehow, the “plastic” frame is now an entire rucksack with matching plastic straps. Newsflash, I had the same problems with my arms and hands falling asleep back in the bad old days before we had high tech “plastic” rucksacks. The ALICE pack, affectionately known as the “big green tick” would put your arms to sleep just the same. This has much more to do with the load and a lot less to do with the pack.
Camo issues? Hello! The Army is knee deep in it. How about you give them a chance to at least bust their own time line before calling them out?
I am still scratching my head over the comments about needing a larger clothing allowance. I was under the impression that the Army is issuing FR ACUs to deployed troops for free. I guess the Overseas COLA isn’t enough to cover beer these days in Vincenza.
Interestingly, the letter wants to know what the Army is doing to “procure a superior replacement rifle, such as those used by our Special Operations forces (sic).” Do they mean like the SCAR? Excuse me while I guffaw. What wonder weapon are they talking about exactly?
Ok, so what do we have here? GIs want MultiCam. GIs hate their “plastic” rucksacks. GIs hate the M4 and want SOF weapons. GIs want even more of a clothing allowance (aka beer money). Hell, they could have found all of that out by spending five minutes on an internet message board.
Leadership and training are going to fix some of these issues long before the material developer can intercede. Until that happen clean your weapons and employ them properly, take a serious look at your load and accept some risk to lighten it, and use basic soldier skills to camouflage yourself and your equipment.
We recently announced that the Canadian Modular Fighting Rig solicitation would have to be rebid. Well we are impressed. Public Works turned it right around and the tender is back on the street. That was quick. This is an indicator of how serious they are about this.
Entitled simply “Modular Vests“, the tender closes 14 January, 2010. Changes are small overall with the CTOMS pouches being separated from HSGI being one of the most glaring.
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I know, I know, these things have shown up all over the web. I have been asking and asking PEO-Soldier for pictures and they have politely informed me that they aren’t quite ready to release any photos yet. The UCP-Delta uniforms and equipment have been in theater for awhile now but the MultiCam test items just reached troops within the last two weeks. So I can understand their position. What’s the point of just looking at one side of the equation? I mean someone may see that only UCP-D photos are out there and say that the Army is biased and already made up its mind.
Ironically, we all get to see our first glimpses of UCP-Delta in use on CNN. And then, today, DoD’s Digital Imagery & Video Distribution System releases several photos of US troops in Afghanistan doing what they do; soldiering. It just so happens that some of them are wearing UCP-D.
Now, I am sure you have noticed that some of the troops in the photos are from the 82d Airborne Division (2d Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment to be exact). No, they were not initially intended to participate in testing. About 1,000 uniforms were made in UCP-D, plus about 200 extras. CJTF-82 made the decision on who would receive test items and not PEO-Soldier. 3-61, being a squadron, rather than a battalion, has well under 1,200 Soldiers and consequently, the decision was made to spread the wealth so to speak. Looks like the paratrooper wearing the Arc’teryx Kneecaps is a Grey Group customer (just sayin’).
Pictures of 4th ID Soldiers wearing MultiCam ACUs also began to show up. Unfortunately, it seems that their MultiCam TA-50 hadn’t been issued when these were taken.
The Army is indeed working a new Medium Rucksack. However, despite reports to the contrary it is still in development and will be, at least at this point a Government design.
The Army envisions a pack of about 3400 cubic inches with a load capacity of about 60 pounds. Prototypes have already been produced based on an in-depth Soldier load analysis conducted over the Summer and information obtained by Soldier Systems Daily indicates that they are pretty satisfied with the bag. What is left is the frame, a problem that also plagues the Marine Corps in their on-again-off-again quest for a new pack. As long as our personnel are wearing armor the interface between man and load is problematic due to the introduction of the armor plate on the back of the wearer. Add to this an external hydration bladder and the load begins to teeter back and forth along the long axis of the back. This is why it is so important that they concentrate on this interface.
Interestingly, yesterday when we mused what type of frame the new pack would have we were right on all counts. Three different frame designs will be tested including an external frame based on the current MOLLE frame yet smaller than even the 1606 Airborne frame, an “internal” frame consisting of foam stiffening, and a hybrid design designed in-house at Natick. Regardless of frame it will have a very minimal waistbelt, probably consisting solely of 1.5 inch nylon webbing and a side-release buckle. This is much akin the waistbelts found on the old ALICE pack. Additionally, the packs will be manufactured from 1000D due to durability concerns.
One hundred test units of each frame style will be produced and tested at Fort Bragg in February and March. No photos have been released of the pack bag nor of any of the frame designs although I have a suspicion that at least the bag will look something like the SOF Assault Pack.
It is important to note that the Army desires that the new Large Airborne Assault Pack and the Medium Rucksack turn out to be the same pack but the requirements are currently quite different. For example, the sizes are somewhat different and the airborne community requires that the air items be built into the assault packs design. Unless acquisition officials are able to reconcile the two requirements they will remain separate.
There is only one Sources Sought Notice on the street and that is for the Large Airborne Assault Pack. The Army has not solicited any industry input for its Medium Rucksack project, at least yet.
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The Blue Force Gear Ten Speed Basicload Chest Rig is designed with speed in mind. At a scant 9 ounces it weighs less than most MOLLE Double Magazine pouches and yet it still holds a full compliment of six M4 magazines. Like the 10 Speed Ammo Pouch, the low profile design keep your magazines secure yet stays out of teh way when empty. Due to the elastic design of the pockets, the Ten Speed magazine slots will also accommodate bangers, trauma dressings, tourniquets, smoke grenades, or even a couple of pistol mags in a pinch. While it is sized to fit over armor, it can also be worn as a stand alone chest rig or used as a bandoleer out of a vehicle or rucksack to give the user the ability to quickly add additional ammo or other kit. The rig is made entirely of US materials in Georgia (take that Berry).
