The Army has inserted a couple of improvements into the Improved Outer Tactical Vest version III. Overall, you won’t notice many cosmetic changes. A contract was recently awarded for production of 57,000 of the new carriers which incorporate the National MoldingMolly Stix to secure the side plate carrier to the cummerbund but also their Quad Release Trigger Assembly. The Quad Release Trigger Assembly allows the wearer to rapidly don and doff the carrier. The most interesting aspect of the system is the simplicity of re-assembling the components. It’s a simple snap of four side-release buckles. This cutaway system is certainly going to be easier for Soldiers to put back together.
Every two weeks SSD showcases a different MultiCam print fabric from Duro Textiles LLC. This week, we are covering Beaver. MultiCam is a single camouflage pattern designed to help the wearer hide in varied environments, seasons, elevations, and light conditions. After a great deal of commercial success and adoption by elements of US Special Operations Forces, in 2010 MultiCam was selected for use by the US Army as its Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern (OCP).
Duro prints on genuine Cordura fabric from Invista. A mid-weight fabric, 500D Cordura is rapidly becoming the industry standard for load carrying items that need to be light and durable. This material is coated on the back side for water resistance and features a face side finished with a durable water repellent.
Manufactured from 500D Cordura for its great balance of weight and durability, the new High Ground Plate Carrier incorporates several interesting features.
First off is the Mix-&-Match cummerbund with internal as well as external cummerbund PALS webbing. Additionally, the bungee system allows you to change out whole cummerbunds rather than reconfigure MOLLE pouches. The HGPC also incorporates a cable routing system to eliminate cable clutter. You can also ditch your plates one at a time without dropping the whole carrier kind of like in the first gen of BALCS carriers. Finally, it incorporates an internal pocket for flat items (or your hands) that is accessible from either armpit as well as internal breathable spacer cloth to assist with air flow.
Overall, the HGPC weighs only 2.5 lbs due in no small part to fabric selection. Please note, it is only available in MultiCam and Coyote.
Duro offers progressive pricing based on the number of yards ordered. For more information on this or any of the full line of MultiCam fabrics visit www.multicamfabric.com or email Galpen_Ben@DuroLink.com.
We’ve mentioned these amazing developmental materials in the past that mimic the microscopic hairs on a Gecko’s feet called setae. They work like hook and pile tape without the pile. Now, researchers at the University of Massachusetts have made a breakthrough. In a press release, head researcher Alfred Crosby claims, “Our Geckskin device is about 16 inches square, about the size of an index card, and can hold a maximum force of about 700 pounds while adhering to a smooth surface such as glass.”
Researcher Al Crosby went on to say, “In order for something this large to use adhesion, its tendons are stitched right into its skin. And so you have the tendon, which is very stiff tissue, connected to the skin and the setae. That direct connection is critical. Without that, the gecko could not use adhesion. This direct integration is what we ended up mimicking in Geckskin.
There are two major issues with this type of technology. First, it has to able to be used over and over and second, it has to hold for long periods of time. In testing, Crosby claims they have done both. They just haven’t held items that are heavy (ie 100 + lbs) for months at a time. Their holy grail? Supporting a wall mounted flat screen for years.
Of course, these guys are looking at straight up adhesives. Whatever. How about a new way to carry magazines? As in, “just slap them against your chest and they won’t fall off.” Perhaps something as big as a SAW drum? Or maybe an infinitely reconfigurable armor carrier vest? Imagine being able to alter your set up on a whim, or better yet, how it rides on your body. No sewing necessary.
That’s what we hope this stuff can do; make gear better.
This is the first of four articles sponsored by Arc’teryx LEAF to educate readers on softshell fabrics used in their garments. In this article we will cover Tweave, a product of Gehring Textiles.
Specifically, Arc’teryx LEAF currently uses two types of Tweave in their clothing and equipment; Tweave Durastretch (520E) and its lighter weight counterpart Durastretch LT (536N). The Sphinx Halfshell you see here actually incorporates both fabrics. Both weights of Tweave boast Durable Water Repellant coating as well as a material content of 91% nylon and 9% Spandex. Arc’teryx offers products manufactured from Tweave in Crocodile, Black, Coyote, and Multicam as well as the new Wolf color.
Arc’teryx actually worked with Tweave to develop the Durastretch fabric in the early 2000s for outdoor alpine climbing, trekking and backcountry ski apparel. But, after a few seasons it became too pricey for those markets. With the advent of LEAF, Arc’teryx revived use of the fabric for their new customer base whose main emphasis is on performance. Tweave is recognized worldwide as the most durable stretch woven available.
Tweave combines several properties to protect you from the elements. It is a plain weave four-way stretch that has superior durability and abrasion resistance. The fabric is very tightly woven and you will notice this on windy days. Additionally, its smooth face sheds snow and DWR finish repels moisture. The construction of the Durastretch fabrics, using covered yarn technology, keeps the more vulnerable spandex yarns protected from the elements by wrapping them inside the nylon, unlike many other fabric which feature exposed spandex without a sheath. Tweave chose nylon over polyester because of its superior abrasion properties and the yarns are extremely compacted and tight, yielding a very abrasion-resistant surface. All of this is topped off with special finishing techniques that still allow ample stretch for comfort and freedom of movement.
Keep your eyes peeled for information on an upcoming application of Durastretch 520P which features superior tear resistance and slightly more bulk and stretch.
BAE Systems (and others) has been working on liquid body armor for some time. It’s a very promising, low weight ballistic solution. They are using a shear thickening fluid which hardens as force is violently applied against it. You can make some up with cornstarch and water. Pour it out on a flat surface and then hit it with a hammer.
Unfortunately, you aren’t going to get much out of this video other than seeing body armor do what it is designed to do; act like a catchers mitt.
Part 1 shows 10 layers liquid armor in a durable casing
Part 2 shows 31 layers of untreated Kevlar
When I was in industry and we were working on the Explosive Formed Penetrator threat, one of my team’s engineers suggested using a non-newtonian fluid. While the technology shows promise, we decided that for our application, the material itself might compromise its ability to work when needed. Based on the magnitude of teh threat we’d need to go with a true shear thickening fluid. Form our standpoint, the issue was ensuring that the material would be in place when needed. A combat vehicle such as an MRAP is exposed to a wide variety of threats and environmental hazards any one of which might compromise the armor’s integrity and result in the fluid leaking from its section in the armor array. Instead we came up with another way to dissipate the energy of an EFP.
Body armor will present its own set of challenges in maintaining the proper amount of ballistic material in the proper place on the panel. Gravity tends to work against you with liquids in non-rigid containers, even in the case of thickened fluids or in this case coatings. Additionally, the fluid coating might dry out over time. What BAE has done to mitigate this effect is to use their “fluid” to treat woven Kevlar. Not only does this give the coating “body” but gives the material even more surface area to spread the energy of a ballistic threat across.
BAE testing has indicated that they can maintain ballistic protection at a 45% reduction in the thickness of the armor which results in increased mobility.
Natick has purchased 600 yards of Cleanshell CB treated fabrics from International Group Limited. The order consists of several types of fabrics for testing. All have been treated with latest version of the Cleanshell CB treatment, which has been developed over the last nine months and optimized to provide water and oil repellency as well as improved repellency of Chemical Warfare Agent (CWA) simulants. In fact, this new treatment offers days of protection versus minutes for earlier Cleanshell treatments or conventional fluorocarbon repellency finishes.
We’ve written about PrimaLoft before but we thought that the slides from their presentation at Open Range Service Group’s Military Mountain and Cold Weather Workshop was worth sharing to our readers. I don’t think we can say enough good things about that conference.
Originally developed by Albany International during the 1980s, PrimaLoft was originally intended as a water resistant synthetic alternative to down. Tim Cashell did a great job of explaining how it works and the impact it has had on military clothing programs, particularly USSOCOM’s Protective Combat Uniform.
VELCRO has completely revamped their web presence with a new, more intuitive site. Right off the bat, you are immersed in a new homepage that stimulates exploration of VELCRO product uses through a series of interactive scenes including:
• Home
• Office
• Classroom
• Outdoor settings
As you can see above, the content is organized by type and you are only a click or two away from the information you are looking for. Jurjen Jacobs, Vice President of Global Marketing gave this statement in a press release, “Global consumer research was conducted and management teams in every area of the business were consulted to develop sweeping improvements to the user experience. The site is one of the first showcases for the clean, modern visual style that is being implemented across all brand communications from digital media to packaging.”
While it’s not optimized for the tactical user, you might just end up finding a more appropriate product for your application than you used in the past so surf a round a little and see what they have to offer.
