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Off-Duty: Railriders

Friday, September 5th, 2008

Railriders is well known to the Adventure Racing community. Personnel in the SOF community have been using their clothing almost as long due to its low weight and high performance.

Last year they released the VersaTac-Mid Pant and VersaTac-Light Pant. As the name implies they were designed to fill a niche in the tactical market and incorporate the same features except that they are made from different weights of fabric. Of special note, the midweight fabric actually breathes better for hot dry environments.

Available in Sage Green, Black and Khaki (Dark Stone for the midweight), they are sized Small – XXLarge in regular and short inseams.

Another favorite Railriders design of ours is the S/S Oasis Shirt which may be the perfect concealed carry shirt for hot weather. The shirt is very durable, generously cut and features under arm mesh panels that don’t come down too far. The material offers UPF 30+ sun protection and comes in Pale Yellow, Honey Dew, Sandflower, a subdued Aloha Print, and Blueflower. Plus its on sale!

Railriders is also incorporating Insect Shield into several of their flagship products including the Oasis Shirt, Equator HT Top (new for 09), Weather Pants, and Eco-Mesh Pants.

For more information, contact Railriders.

All images are property of Railriders.

Tags: Railriders
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Wrap Yourself in a Cocoon

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008

For years I used a flannel travel sheet from Design Salt. Talk about comfort. Design Salt’s unique product line is just as appropriate for vacation as on deployment. My favorite is the Flannel TravelSheet. You’d think that it would be hot in summer but not so. It is very comfortable and convenient in that you don’t have to wash your entire sleep system, you just pull out the liner and wash it. It dries quickly and can also be used for instances where you have to spend the night in dubious sleeping quarters. Like the name, it provides a cocoon.

At the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Design Salt announced that they too would incorporate the Insect Shield technology.

The entire Cocoon line is available from Design Salt.

Photo is courtesy of Design Salt.

Tags: Cocoon, Design Salt, Insect Shield
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Off-Duty: LeoAdventures

Sunday, August 24th, 2008

When I was still served in the military I joined an interesting organization named LeoAdventures. They are a service organization designed to honor and serve those in Government, they are essentially a buying club but with a very exclusive membership. Membership is reserved for Government employees. They collect an annual membership fee of $19.99. This and LeoAdventures negotiating discounts for their members allows Public Servants to avoid receiving special gifts or gratuities which would violate ethics regulations.

Although I was familiar with the program I spoke with President Leslie Mellott at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. She is there every show looking for new vendors to add the the program. A wife of a long-serving Government employee, Leslie knows not only the risks her husband takes but also the sacrifices the entire family makes for their life of service. I really appreciate what she does.

One important point about this program is that it is for serving Public Safety and Military members. I feel that it is important to recognize these individuals whenever we can and I can remember how hard it was to raise a family and give them those extras on a military salary. The discounts provided through LeoAdventures membership do both. They honor our heroes and help them provide a better quality of life for themselves and their families. If you serve your community or nation I recommend you join. If you are like me and are a retiree or a supporter of our Nation’s finest then I urge to contact LeoAdventures and purchase a gift membership for someone you know.

The Brands LeoAdventures has agreements with:
Arc’teryx
Blue Seventy
Brooks Running
Carey & Company
Dell Computer
ExOfficio
Flyfishing Benefactors
GU
Highgear
Horny Toad
IBEX
ISIS for Women
Jetboil
Kelty
Larabar
MH Bertucci
Mountainsmith
MSR
Nuun Hydration
Otterbox
Platypus
Probar
Purefit
Rudy Project
Railriders
Ruffwear
SealLine
Sherpani alpina
SOG Specialty Knives
Suunto
Therm-A-Rest
Tracks
Working Advantage
Zamberlan
Zeal Optics

They can be reached at LeoAdventures.

Tags: LeoAdventures
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Off-Duty: This is REALLY Off-Duty

Sunday, August 17th, 2008

Today’s article is interesting in that it is an indicator on how the war has influenced American culture. We began to see it a few years ago in fashion. The pallets changed to more earthy tones and the designs took on a militaristic feel. here is just another example of how the war has influenced American society.

Dog Tag Condoms. Yes, they are exactly what they sound like. The manufacturer, named oddly enough Dog Tag Condoms has come up with the spiffy idea of packaging condoms in a silenced pair of ID tags. They come in a variety of colors (sorry no Multicam) including the ever popular pink…don’t ask, well you know the rest.

For more info contact Dog Tag Condoms direct.

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Insect Shield – On and Off Duty Insect Treatment

Saturday, August 16th, 2008

The Editor brought home interesting literature from OR about the new Insect Shield treatment being applied to a variety of product lines. Word is that the developer of the Buzz Off TM line from Ex Officio struck out on his own and has licensed this technology to several companies. It works. Adventurers and explorers rely on Insect Shield garments to protect them from the onslaught of the insect world. Using a synthetic version of a natural repellent found in the Chrysanthemum, Insect Shield treatment lasts 70 washings.

Here is a list of companies who have signed up so far:
Ariat
Ex Officio
Horseware
L.L. Bean
Eagles Nest Outfitters
Tilley
Mad Dog Gear
Outdoor Research
Orvis
REI
Sloggers Garden Outfitters
Cintas

We are so excited about Insect Shield that we are going to make it a point to write about as many of the products as possible and will post the Insect Shield logo on every article.

For more info on Insect Shield check out their website.

Tags: Insect Shield
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Off Duty – The Beerdolier: Drink Like a Commando

Thursday, August 14th, 2008

Chances are good you’ve seen the beer belt. The Beerdolier moves all of your extras to your chest, Pancho Villa style and keeps your six pack cool in beer cozies. Too bad its red. You can’t go wrong for $15 but who’s going to do a tacti-cool version? [Beerdolier via Uncrate via 2dayBlog via Gizmodo]

Tags: Beerdolier
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Under Armour Tech T Now Available in Sand

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

Under Armor has been making outstanding products for years and while many of them have been designed specifically for tactical use the bulk of the line consists of best of breed solutions brought over from the sporting line. One such product is the Tech T. The Tech T has been a big hit around here for a long time but the dearth of military colors has made it problematic for tactical use…until now.

Black has been a standard product in the line for years and the Editor often wore a Black Tech T under his BDUs before retiring from the Air Force. Additionally, there has been a solid brown version for about two years now that was sold exclusively to one unit. Its existence wasn’t even acknowledged by the staff at UA. But now that same variant is available for purchase exclusively from ADS. Intended for Navy Special Warfare and Combatant Command personnel who wear brown T-shirts with their combat uniforms. They have also developed a Sand version for wear with the ACU and ABU.

The Tech T feels like cotton but is made from a synthetic and performs as you’d expect from a UA product; very well. It’s raglan sleeves and flat seams make the Tech T extremely comfortable as a next to skin layer. We cannot stress enough the comfort of the Tech T.

We wear Tech Ts all of the time. In addition to the new Brown and Sand they come in a variety of colors and are great for off-duty wear.

Tags: Under Armour
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Patagonia Surf Brim

Sunday, August 3rd, 2008

In the past we have published articles about equipment for MAROPS. Riding around in a Zodiac can get pretty hot and sunburn is always a threat. It would seem the the boonie hat is the perfect solution but oftentimes they blow off of your head and usually end up floating away. We recently ran across the Patagonia Surf Brim. Other than the fact that it has a short brim, built in DWR (durable water repellent) and a floatable brim, it won’t blow away due to its unique neoprene headband, a tuck-away chin strap, and an adjustable rear buckle.