FirstSpear

Archive for the ‘Outdooralamode’ Category

Osprey Luggage System

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

I need to start out by telling you that I am going to keep the article on the product level and also let you know that Osprey works and guys are using it.

So then, why Osprey? That’s a darned good question. There are a couple of successes we can talk about. It’s a privately held family business owned since 1974. Their business is solely focused on Packs and Luggage and according to “Leisure Trend” is the #1 manufacture of back packs in the outdoor industry. Finally, you can’t talk about Osprey without mentioning their Almighty Guarantee. It’s retroactive to day one of the company and applies to any product, whether or not you are the original owner. No lost registration cards. You send it back, Osprey repairs or replaces and ships it back to you. Now that’s a guarantee.

Now that we’ve gotten the why out of the way, let’s get down to the what. Osprey offers a lot of products but for this article we are going to talk luggage. If there was a de-facto “Osprey Tactical” it would be our friends at Outdoor Sports Marketing. They spend most of their time on the road talking to customers and based on this experience have packaged three civilian line products into a luggage system that they feel best suits the Warfighter or Government employee. It consists of the Shuttle 110, Porter 46, and Daylite. This gives the Traveler 1 bag under the plane, 1 bag over head, and 1 bag in hand. These bags can be purchased individually or as set. Additionally, they are intended to work in tandem. For example, the Daylite can also be attached to either the Shuttle 110 or the Porter 46. You get modularity, scalability and flexibility in one kit. Let’s take a look at each of the bags (photos not to scale with one another).

Available in Earth and Charcoal, the Shuttle 110 gets its name from the number of liters it can accommodate which translates to 6600 cu in. It also features a 16″ wide chassis with large protected wheels as well as plenty of pockets to organize gear of different shapes and sizes including main compartment, large base compartment, side pockets, top slash pocket, and a zippered side pocket. I got one of these last year and it great to travel with. It’s easy to maneuver and the wide stance of the wheels doesn’t teeter like cheapo luggage I’ve used in the past.

The Porter 46 is Maximum Legal Carry-on size and converts to a backpack using an easy-stow harness and fabric wing hipbelt. It can also be carried with a strap for over-the-shoulder carry. Once again, the 46 denotes the number of liters which equates to 2800 cu in. This makes for a great carry on bag. It’s a roomy, duffle-style bag with four carry handles that make it easy to manipulate. The Porter 46 comes in Earth, Crimson, and Charcoal.

The Daylite offers 750 cu in of load carrying capacity as well as a padded backpanel, a small zippered front pocket, open topped side pockets and a laced bungee. The Daylite can also be attached to the other bags in this article to facilitate movement. It’s available in Granite, Alpine, Tundra, Pepper, Salsa.

Inquiries for Tactical Distribution should be directed to Outdoor Sports Marketing at info@outdoorsportsmarketing.com or 866-893-8676.

Ops-Core Base Jump Helmet in Red

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Up to now all I have seen are artist renderings of the Base Jump helmet in red. The colors weren’t coming out quite right, but Ops-Core had one fresh out of the mould on display today at the Warrior Expo West. Additionally, they attached the new Contour HD camera mount I recently wrote about. With its ARC rails and NVG mount, the Base Jump is unlike anything that has ever been available.

As you can see, it is a very vibrant red and will be perfect for locating bobbing heads in the water during water jumps or other MAROPS training as well as for high adventure and extreme sports use. You can configure the Base Jump helmet with a variety of lights, cameras and other accessories using the VAS shroud and ARC rails to suit your activity and it is a great lower cost alternative to the more expensive carbon fiber FAST Bump Helmet for many applications.

For more info visit www.ops-core.com. It is featured in their catalog which can be downloaded here.

All of Ops-Core’s products are available through www.ADSinc.com/Ops-Core.

Merrell Sponsors “POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold”

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

“POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” is the ultimate sellout movie. Detailing how product placement in media and entertainment actually works, this documentary by Morgan Spurlock opens this Friday (April 22, 2011). As you can see, POM get the above the title spot, but what we found most interesting was that Director Morgan Spurlock is running the streets wearing sponsor Merrell, footwear. For once, it’s cool to sell out.

KÖPPEN Now Available at Dick’s Sporting Goods

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Billed as “Performance Gear for Outdoor Athletes”, KÖPPEN clothing is now available from Dick’s Sporting Goods. KÖPPEN looks to be a mid-price brand that offers many of the features found in more established brands. Unfortunately, it seems that the savings may be the materials side. We really aren’t sure what technologies are being used.

Take for example, the unfortunately named Tsunami jacket. It is available in Black, Nautical Blue and Sunset, it is made from a waterproof/breathable fabric named HYDRO PROTECT. There is no other description, but at $80 chances are good it’s a coated fabric.

Men’s and Women’s jackets, pants, shirts, shorts, and mid-layers are all available. Find the entire KÖPPEN line at www.dicks.com.

Mammut iPhone App

Friday, March 11th, 2011

Swiss outdoor manufacturer Mammut Sports Group AG has developed an iOS app primarily for recreational use called the Packing List. Best of all it’s free.

The Packing List app is designed to help you pack for a variety of high adventure activities like climbing, mountaineering and snowshoeing. Although each list template is assembled by the pros, you can customize it or even create new packing lists. What’s more, you can invite team members to share your list for collaborative trip planning and add new items not already loaded into the app.

basecamp.mammut.ch

A Lowkey Alternative to the Rigger’s Belt – Updated

Friday, February 25th, 2011

Mountain Hardwear has two alternatives to the GI rigger’s Belt for those that like the basic look but don’t want to scream “average”; the Double Back Belt and the Alloy Nut Belt.

Sure, they’re not life support capable, but either are the issue Rigger’s Belts which really are nothing more than a few feet of Type VIII webbing and friction adapters from a Parachutist H Harness. The issue belt might look cool but won’t do much for a you in a jam. On the other hand, the Mountain Hardware belts look really cool and come in enough different colors you can make up your own combatives belt system. What’s more, you won’t look like a toolbag if you wear one of them in civilian clothing.

Colors include Espresso, British Tan, Stone Green, Grill, Moondust and the boringly named Black. One size fits most.

Update- One of my colleagues who is a big MH fan told me he had purchased the Alloy Nut Belt and it just wouldn’t stay tight. I have had hands on the Double Back and the design keeps the belt secure but he feels that the webbing on the Alloy Nut Belt was too supple and slippery to stay secure. Looking at the two designs you can see that the buckles are drastically different and this may contribute to the disparity in performance. So at this point, the SSD verdict is Double Back = Good, Alloy Nut = Not So Good.

Thanks for the input Rob! If anyone else has any input please feel free to share it in the comments section.

Now THAT’S a Shaving Kit

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

At 80 bills it ought to be. Basically, it’s a cool design but the Fluent Stash from Nau is manufactured from felt and so well designed that it’s almost a shame to consider using it for a shower kit. In fact, they suggest it might be just the thing for your electronics. The closure hook pulls double duty and can be used to hang it while in use. It’s felt so the color “Caviar” looks like a Dark Gray. Naturally, it’s recycled, but not made in the USA.

www.nau.com

Prime Outerwear Has Some Pretty Interesting New Pants

Friday, January 21st, 2011

New company Prime Outerwear is releasing several new pants including the Stealth Cargo Pant. Manufactured from cotton twill treated with Nanosphere, the rear pockets feature magnetic closures. Additionally, Prime Outerwear has developed what they call Intelligent Storage which is designed to be accessible whether standing or seated.

Check them out at www.primeouterwear.com or in booth #BR300.