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Archive for the ‘Mountaineering’ Category

Serket USA Unveils Berry Compliant Ski System For Military Market

Thursday, June 21st, 2018

DENVER, June 20, 2018 — After years of extensive research, development and end-user testing, Serket USA unveiled their military-specific Personal Snow Mobility (PSM) product line to select NATO members at the NATO Mountain Warfare Congress in Slovenia, June 13, 2018.

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Designed in conjunction with Icelantic Skis, an award-winning Denver-based ski company, the Berry compliant skis are hand-made in Denver. Featuring a utility-inspired design custom built for the demands of military use, the line includes three ski models:

The Scout: A nimble, high-flotation ski that occupies the void between traditional long skis and snowshoes. The Scout has a much shorter learning curve than a traditional long ski and requires far less energy than snowshoeing.

• Shorter length and girthy platform for ease of mastery, exceptional maneuverability and excellent flotation.
• Sold with or without pre-mounted inserts for the Serket Patrol Binding.
• Early rise tip for backcountry gliding.
• Dull white Carbonium top sheets.
• Compatible with all binding/skin systems.
• Traditional or waxless bases.
• Available in 143cm and 156 cm
• 100% Made in the USA and Berry compliant.

The Intrepid 9.7 & Intrepid 10.1: With a utility-inspired waist, rockered tip/tail and perfectly balanced radius, this versatile, lightweight ski is well suited to do it all.
The Intrepid 9.7 features a 97mm waist and is available in 155 cm, 162 cm, and 169 cm lengths and is designed for those carrying more modest loads.

The Intrepid 10.1 features a 101 mm waist and is available in 171 cm, 178 cm, and 185 cm lengths and is designed for those carrying heavier loads and/or AT configurations.

• Designed for efficient skinning, climbing, trail breaking and aggressive skiing.
• Sold with or without pre-mounted inserts for the Serket Patrol Binding.
• Rockered tip and slightly rockered tail.
• Traditional sintered or Posi-Trac bases.
• Compatible with all binding/skin systems.
• Dull white Carbonium top sheet.
• Super lightweight
• 100% Made in the USA and Berry compliant.

“Serket chose Icelantic as our ski partner because of their reputation for exceptional quality, durability and design,” said Serket President, Trey Harris. “They also have a longstanding commitment to American manufacturing, with all skis being handmade at the renowned Never Summer factory in Denver.”

A watershed military soft boot ski binding system, the Serket Patrol Ski Binding (patent pending) is designed for highly efficient over-snow mobility. Engineered to interface with traditional cold and extreme cold weather boots and capable of accommodating sizes 6 narrow to 15 wide, the Patrol is a dual mode system that locks down for gliding and features a forward safety release that quickly converts to free-heel touring/climbing mode. The Patrol is lightweight, efficient, extremely durable and easy to use. The Patrol quickly mounts to a variety of Serket binding-ready skis with just a screwdriver or a clutch drill. The hearty modular design is engineered to stand the test of time.

• Designed for use with a variety of cold weather military boots including the ICW, Mukluk and VB
• Lightweight (1.16 lb.) and highly durable
• Highly adjustable quick entry/exit
• Adjustable toe wings and heel cup for kinetic efficiency
• Alloy riser bar with dual height settings for uphill efficiency and comfort
• Heel release system for safety
• High-tensile, stainless steel axles with compression inserts at pivot point
• Highly durable, cold weather proven DuPont™ Hytrel® strapping
• Adjustable toe pivots accommodate narrow to wide boots
• Easily sheds snow and ice
• Stainless steel mounting hardware/fasteners with thread-locker friction patches
• Phillips drive stainless steel hardware for interface with standard issue multi-tools
• Lightweight, rapid attachment, aggressive grip ski crampons are also available
• Available as a single line item, or included in comprehensive over-snow-mobility kit
• Made in the U.S.A. (Berry Compliant)

“The Serket Personal Snow Mobility system is the culmination of over five years of research, development and testing,” said Serket USA CEO, Randy Webb. “This system has a lot of benefits, but paramount among them is the quick learning curve for system mastery – even among soldiers with no prior ski experience – and that the binding works with all current and emerging boots, saving the taxpayer the cost of ski boots and the solider from having to carry them.”

Serket is also offering a custom, Berry-compliant Leki pole, which is available when purchased as part of the ski/binding package. The PSM product line rounds out with TAA-compliant Dynafit AT bindings, for those with steeper terrain requirements, and TAA-compliant Scott AT boots in multiple lasts. This comprehensive line allows customers to build and source a complete ski setup for maximum effect.

For additional information on the system, contact Megan at info@serketusa.com or (561) 508-6204 .

High Angle Solution – Brigantes Presents – Silva Expedition 55 Commanders Compass

Wednesday, June 20th, 2018

If you are looking for the one compass that does it all then this is it.  Gone are the days where you carry a plastic lightweight compass for navigation and a brass prismatic sighting compass for accurate direction finding.  This combination provides a tool that will enable you to not only move from point to point but also effectively call for fire and give target indication using mils or degrees.

Not only does this massively reduce the weight that you have to carry, by combining these two devices, but it also drops the cost considerably.  The compass is available in northern and southern hemisphere varieties and comes with a distance measuring lanyard.

Silva have produced compasses for 85 years and supply the European militaries with their navigational tools.  This compass along with the Expedition 5 constitute a small but tight range of military compasses that focus on the needs of a dynamic and flexible force.

For more information get in touch by email on international@brigantes.com or for UK customers tribe@brigantes.com.

www.brigantes.com

High Angle Solution – Brigantes Presents – Silva Expedition 5 Operators Compass

Wednesday, June 13th, 2018

Silva is the company that you go to for your way finding solutions when in the military. Following feedback from the Royal Marines the standard compass has been updated to better fit the needs of the user.

The base plate has been thickened and the bezel housing sealed to greatly increase robustness and therefore life span.  It still has all the great functionality of its predecessor but with a list of additional features.

The bezel has improved grip allowing it to be much easier to use with gloves.  In addition, it now has variable declination and an inclinometer making it much more usable around the globe and in mountainous regions.  The back of the bezel also has a full degree scale giving it full functionality.  As can be seen in the image it comes with a distance measuring lanyard for 1:25 and 1:50 scales.

The expedition 5 comes in northern and southern hemisphere varieties as well as with a brand new global needle option making it the absolute ideal choice for expeditionary forces who don’t know where they might be one week to the next.

For more information get in touch by email on international@brigantes.com or for UK customers tribe@brigantes.com.

www.brigantes.com

Salewa Mountain Trooper

Tuesday, June 12th, 2018

Based on the Mountain Trainer Mid Leather, Salewa’s Mountain Trooper is the same booth expect that it is all black, eyelets have replaced the lace hooks and there is no metal or wires.

I saw it during a recent trip to Canada for Rampart Range Day, where apparently there’s been some serious interest.

High Angle Solutions – Brigantes Presents – Hilleberg Keron 4 GT Military Tent

Wednesday, June 6th, 2018

The Hilleberg Keron 4 GT has long been the go to tent for arctic explorers and adventurers.  It offers outstanding functionality and robustness in a light and easily used format.

Recent developments based on the hugely popular civilian range have seen the addition of IRR and light blocking fabrics.  This resulted in the Hilleberg tents being adopted by the UK MOD, for their Arctic operations and reduced the weight of the in service tent by 5Kg (11lbs) as well as providing a huge increase in robustness.  It is now used by the majority of Northern European militaries as their solution for accommodating troops whilst operating in extreme environments.

The Keron offers a large amount of space for administration as well as comfortable sleeping for four soldiers.  It does also come in a number of other sizes to allow you to fit your tent the scale of your team and task.

For more information get in touch by email on international@brigantes.com or for UK customers tribe@brigantes.com.

www.brigantes.com

USMC Awards Sole Source Contracts For Cold Weather Boots And Socks

Saturday, June 2nd, 2018

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —

Marines will stay warm during ambient cold weather operations with new boots and socks.

Marine Corps Systems Command intends to award sole source purchase orders for two types of Intense Cold Weather Boots and Intense Cold Weather Socks to improve Marines’ performance in cold weather environments. A total of 2,000 boots and 50,000 pairs of socks will be delivered from four vendors by Sept. 28.

“Based on market research, industry days and events such as Modern Day Marine, we narrowed our decision for the orders down to two companies for cold weather boots and two for socks,” said Todd Towles, program analyst for the Clothing and Equipment Team at MCSC.

There are currently no Marine Corps issue boots designed for use in the -20 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit range. The Temperate Weather Marine Corps Combat Boot was designed for a temperature range between 20 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and the Extreme Cold Weather Vapor Barrier Boot was designed for a range between -65 to -20 degrees Fahrenheit.

U.S. Marines and Sailors clean up trash before leaving their campsite at Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, Calif. Marine Corps Systems Command intends to award sole source purchase orders for two types of Intense Cold Weather Boots and Intense Cold Weather Socks to improve Marines’ performance in cold weather environments. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. James Treviño)

This effort to acquire the cold weather boots and socks will help MCSC evaluate commercial off-the-shelf solutions and offer the potential to reduce or eliminate the current environmental protection gap, said Towles. The socks will have much higher wool content than the polypropylene wool socks Marines currently use. Additionally, the Clothing and Equipment Team is hopeful the new gear will offer increased water repellency, comfort and insulation in extreme cold weather environments.

MCSC’s Program Manager Infantry Combat Equipment will conduct a field user evaluation December 2018 through March 2019. The team will gather input from Marines as they wear the ICWB and ICWS prototypes at the Mountain Warfare Training Center, Fort McCoy and Norway.

Feedback regarding fit, form and function will be collected along with how well both prototypes of the ICWB and ICWS perform in sub-zero temperatures.

“The Army is conducting evaluations with similar boots and socks, so there is potential to have some consistency with our results and products,” said Lt. Col. Chris Madeline, program manager for ICE. “Marines will keep the prototype boots through the duration of testing. Once data is collected, it will inform future acquisition decisions and allow the Corps to purchase boots and socks that bridge the gap between the existing cold weather boots.”

The Clothing and Equipment Team falls under Program Manager Infantry Combat Equipment at MCSC.

By Kaitlin Kelly, MCSC Office of Public Affairs and Communication | Marine Corps Systems Command

Editor’s Note: The Intense Cold Weather Sock Contract was awarded to FITS Technologies and Ellsworth & Co. The Intense Cold Weather Boots will come from Belleville Boot Co and Dannebrog Boot Co.

High Angle Solutions – Brigantes Presents – Montane Terra Stretch Pant and Shirt

Wednesday, May 30th, 2018

The next in the new releases from Montane are two excellent lightweight softshell pieces. The Terra Stretch Pant and Shirt are available separately and offer ultra light weight and highly technical performance that draws directly from the high end outdoor user.

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Quick drying and stretchy they present a highly comfortable combat uniform which is ideal for amphibious and mountain operations. The garments have been designed to work alongside mountaineering hardware and equipment and offer excellent protection from the elements whilst still maintaining high levels of breathability and functionality.

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Due to the high degree of stretch in the garments they allow for a full range of motion and are significantly much easier to move in when compared to the more traditional poly cotton or NYCO options. They are therefore the ideal clothing for the fast moving light role operator who relies on speed in order to complete their mission.

For more information get in touch by email on international@brigantes.com or for UK customers tribe@brigantes.com.

www.brigantes.com

High Angle Solution – Brigantes Presents – Hilleberg Staika Military Tent

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018

Hilleberg have long been the preeminent tent manufacturer within Europe.  Originally started by Bo Hilleberg, they have brought innovation and functionality to the world of light weight and durable tents.

When operating in mountainous and arctic conditions, the use of tents by the military is essential for the sustainment of operations.  Thankfully, gone are the days of large and heavy canvas tents.  Now, we are able to go into these extreme environments with the best that the outdoor industry can provide.

Recent developments based on the hugely popular civilian range, has seen the addition of IRR and light blocking fabrics.  This resulted in the Hilleberg tents being adopted by the UK MOD, for their Arctic operations and reduced the weight of the in service tent by 5Kg (11lbs).

The Staika is structurally one of the strongest tents on the market and can even be used as a subsurface shelter, in snow conditions, to enable greater levels of concealment and covert observation.  It offers durable and functional shelter for two operators which can withstand extreme weather and with its small foot print it can be pitched on very small areas.  In addition, as it is self supporting, it can be used within urban environments where it is not possible to place a peg.  For more information get in touch by email on tribe@brigantes.com.  www.brigantes.com