DNS Alpha exhibited with Mountain Horse Solutions which is a division of Global Ordnance. In addition to their clothing systems, they showed us their Vapor Barrier Sock system which was recently adopted by a NATO SOF unit.
It comes in 6 sizes with the VBL made from silicon treated 30D nylon and fully taped. The liner sock is manufactured by CEP from Merino wool.
Halo International Limited is set to acquire shares of tactical equipment provider, Helix Operations Limited, through an agreement with Excalibur Ltd, reinforcing its commitment to enhancing its product portfolio and market presence.
Halo, owner of Brigantes Consulting Ltd, has recently confirmed an agreement for the acquisition of shares of Helix.
Halo is the parent company of on-the-soldier equipment provider, Brigantes Consulting Ltd. Combining decades of military experience with keen technical expertise and advanced industry awareness, Brigantes are the go-to specialist for on-the-soldier equipment. With a product range that spans apparel, footwear, vertical movement, signature management, technology, mobility, and sustainment. Founded in 2014 by ex-military personnel, Brigantes unites decades of military experience with advanced technical expertise, cementing itself as a trusted international supplier to NATO military, government, and elite police units. Through unique alliances with world-leading brands, Brigantes pioneers the latest, bleeding-edge equipment solutions in state-of-the-art soldier systems for every conceivable operational environment.
Tactical equipment and training provider, Helix is a Wales-based company that specialises in the provision of tactical mountaineering and climbing equipment. Helix provides the complete capability for vertical access and rescue in mountain, maritime and urban environments. With headquarters in the north Welsh mountains, Helix has over 30 years of experience in the supply of tactical climbing solutions. Their customer base includes the UK MOD and several NATO forces. In addition to the provision of expert equipment, Helix also provides externally accredited training programmes that incorporate best practices from industry and operational environments. Helix cooperates closely with teams to develop bespoke systems that are fit for purpose for tactical use – deploying quickly and discreetly and can work with incumbent military equipment.
Having worked together for several years, Brigantes and Helix are closely aligned in terms of product focus and customer base. This latest development represents a natural continuation of the longstanding partnership and a significant opportunity for expansion into global markets. Brigantes’ first-hand experience of military operations and on-the-soldier equipment solutions unite seamlessly with Helix’s acute understanding of tactical mobility systems, particularly in the context of vertical movement, rescue and mountaineering equipment.
Matt Williams, Halo International CEO, commented:
“Brigantes has worked very closely with Helix for many years on the provision of tactical equipment solutions and training for mountaineering and vertical access. Their expertise in this realm is unparalleled and so this agreement made complete sense and will enable us to move up a gear, enhancing our existing specialisms with even more bespoke knowledge and expanding our offering to worldwide markets.”
This acquisition represents a continuation of Halo’s strategic vision. By leveraging the international potential and unique tactical equipment and training expertise supplied by Helix, Halo will drive innovation and value for Brigantes’ military customers, further solidifying its position as an industry leader in the provision of on-the-soldier equipment.
The combined strengths of the Halo Group and Helix will result in a stronger, more diversified market presence, delivering exceptional procurement knowledge, robust testing capabilities and quality training opportunities for their customer base. This acquisition sparks huge potential for further growth and development for both entities, uniting specialised expertise and industry experience across adjacent sectors to deliver an enhanced offering for military customers across the globe.
Since 1985, Misty Mountain has been providing customers with strong, durable, comfortable harnesses for climbing and vertical activities. The last two decades, we’ve been working directly with military and tactical operators to provide them with gear tailored to their specific needs. Our Mountain Mobility series takes the operators’ heavy duty belts, and makes them part of a modular harness solution. For 2023 we redesigned the MM Operator Belt and Leg Loops, and these new harnesses are quickly becoming the choice of Special Operations Forces.
The MM Operator Belt is a load rated gun belt featuring a new laser cut CORDURA Polymer composite outer layer for mounting mission essentials. The two piece system has a 1.5″ wide lightweight liner belt with Velcro loop outer for holding up trousers. The 1.75″ wide load rated nylon outer belt mounts securely onto the liner belt, and features front and rear attachment loops and the load rated AustriAlpin Cobra buckle. Suitable for edge restraint, the MM Operator belt can be used while tethered into rotary wing aircraft for safety.
MM Cobra Light Leg Loops can be added to the belt with an enclosed auto-locking carabiner to create a full strength sit harness, UIAA Safety Label approved, suitable for fall protection. The MM Cobra Light Leg Loops are made from US woven 2″ wide nylon, and feature auto-block loops for rappel backup, and 1″ AustriAlpin Cobra buckles. These leg loops stow easily around the operator’s waist until deployed, making them suitable for high speed operations.
MM Cobra Leg Loops (not Light), have the same features as their lighter counterpart, and additionally, they have closed cell foam padding and elastic leg loop hold up straps. These comfortable leg loops are a better choice for operations where longer harness hangtime is anticipated. Auto-locking carabiner is included with MM harnesses. All Misty Mountain tactical gear is made in the USA and Berry Amendment Compliant.
The harness is available in Black, Coyote, MultiCam and MultiCam Black in sizes Small – XLarge.
Please contact Misty Mountain at phone # 828-963-6688, or customerservice@mistymountain.com, for further information and quotes. Orders can be placed online at mistymountain.com.
Casper, Wyoming – Peak Rescue, a renowned leader in rescue training and crisis response, is proud to announce the formation of a new division, Peak Rescue Mountain Guides. This specialized division is dedicated to offering Military Special Operations Units comprehensive mountaineering training. With over a decade of experience in training rescue professionals in mountain rescue, technical rescue, and industry rope access, Peak Rescue continues its commitment to excellence with this new venture.
Led by Industry Experts:
The newly established Peak Rescue Mountain Guides will be spearheaded by a team of industry experts, each holding an impressive array of certifications and experience in their respective domains. Heading the division is Micah Rush, a distinguished rescue tech with credentials encompassing Rope Access, Rope Rescue, Mountain Rescue, ITRA Instructor Confined Space & Rope Level 3, ITRA Registered Assessor, and full International Federation of Mountain Guides Association (IFMGA) certifications.
Working alongside Micah is Joe Thompson, Chief Guide and licensed by the IFMGA – the highest level of professional guiding in the world. Joe’s expertise extends to being a senior instructor for the AMGA, proficient in alpine, rock, ice, and ski disciplines, and holding two of the highest Avalanche Forecasting certifications in the US with the American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education and the American Avalanche Institute.
Additionally, Cody Carroll, former Force Reconnaissance Officer and Mountain Leader, assumes the role of Military Program Director, bringing over 23 years of military experience, specializing in military mountaineering, special insertion and extraction techniques in mountainous terrain, and tactical application of mountaineering.
The medical director position is held by Alan Oram of Mountain Medicine LLC, a board-certified physician specializing in Emergency Medicine and internationally licensed by the IFMGA.
Expert Instructor Staff:
The instructor staff at Peak Rescue Mountain Guides comprises fully certified IFMGA mountain guides, including Mike Abbey (Former Force Recon and current IFMGA certified, AMGA Rock, Alpine, and Ice Instructor), Matt Hartman (IFMGA certified, and AMGA Instructor), Karsten Delap (IFMGA Certified), and current Special Operations Mountain Warfare Specialists. With their extensive experience in training military personnel in mountaineering skills, the team is poised to deliver tailored programs to meet the specific requirements of military units.
Comprehensive Training Programs:
Peak Rescue Mountain Guides offers a diverse range of training programs, including Basic Summer and Winter Programs, mountain rescue, and medical training, as well as deployable advisors to mitigate risk for DFTs and training missions. By leveraging the expertise of world-class mountain guides and current/former special operations staff, the division equips military units with the knowledge and skills to navigate complex scenarios involving casualties, heavy weapons, and transporting equipment through challenging mountainous terrain, granting commanders access to areas previously considered denied.
Full-Service Solutions:
As a full-service mountain and rough terrain solutions company, Peak Rescue Mountain Guides also provides outfitting of personnel with environmental clothing and specialized equipment. The company will soon announce industry partners to further enhance its capabilities.
For inquiries about the military program, interested parties can reach out to Cody Carroll at codycarroll@peak-rescue.com.
The Commando Belt from Misty Mountain consists of two belts, a lightweight, 1.5” wide inner liner belt faced with Velcro loop for wearing beneath belt loops, and the outer load rated belt. It can be worn alone or in conjunction with leg loops, which offers a 15 kN load rating as a sit harness. You can also combine with the MM Chest harness to create a full body harness.
Units and agencies can procure products seen at ADS Federal Range Day by contacting ADS, Inc.
The Point6 vapor barrier liner has been under development for awhile but it’s now available and included in their 3-sock system.
Worn in extreme cold weather, the vapor barrier liner traps sweat so that it may not freeze into ice within clothing and footwear. The VBL features a fold-over toe box and ultrasonic welded seams.
The sock system includes a thin Merino liner sock and a heavier Merino outer sock which are worn with the VBL sandwiched in between.
A new podcast, Ninety-Pound Rucksack, is recounting the story of World War II’s 10th Mountain Division and its contributions to outdoor recreation in America.
Hosted by veteran alpinist and climbing historian Christian Beckwith, the podcast offers a deep dive into the origins of the 10th, an unprecedented unit of US Army climbers and skiers who trained for more than two years in the Colorado Rockies to fight the Axis powers in extreme cold and mountainous terrain.
Informed by an advisory board of the 10th’s foremost experts, the podcast details a different chapter in the unit’s history with each episode, providing a sweeping overview of the Division’s influence on both American military and its outdoor recreation industry. Post-war, 10th Mountain Division veterans founded and developed ski areas across America, started companies like NOLS and Nike and launched the fields of avalanche science and wilderness rescue.
Based on the podcast’s first few episodes, Beckwith was invited to keynote the XVIII Airborne Corps’ Leadership Forum at Ft. Drum, New York, in February. He is now serving as an advisor to the 10th Mountain Alpine Club, a nascent organization that is helping the unit reconnect with its historic identity, and will keynote the 10th Mountain Division’s Mountain Fest 2023 in June.
Ninety-Pound Rucksack is available at www.christianbeckwith.com
When a U.S. team competed in the international military mountaineering contest for the first time in 2019, it made history as the first team ever to finish the competition on its inaugural attempt, placing 13th out of 23 teams.
In two days, teams cover 40 kilometers (24.85 miles) of rugged Austrian Alps terrain with up to 14,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain, completing various military tasks at 12 stations in the process. They carry a litter with their equipment — both for challenges and in case of real casualty situations.
U.S. National Guard soldiers — most from Vermont, home of the Army Mountain Warfare School and the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) — returned to Austria earlier this year to compete in the biennial event. This time, the 16-member U.S. team competed in two groups. Both finished; one cracked the top 10.
“We all pretty much call it Type 2 Fun,” Connecticut National Guard Capt. Scott Stone, one of the U.S. competitors, said. “Which is basically … not ‘Ha ha, we’re all having a good time fun,’ but it’s one of things that once you’re done with it, it’s a really awesome experience.”
(Includes information from articles by Timothy Koster, Connecticut National Guard Public Affairs Office; and Army Capt. Mikel Arcovitch, Joint Force Headquarters – Vermont National Guard Public Affairs)
