There are a few available in Black, Coyote and MultiCam with an additional run of packs available in November. At 1000 cu in the Spartan is MR’s smallest assault pack but it’s great for use in tight quarters. This single pull, panel loader doesn’t open all of the way so you’re gear won’t fall out at an inopportune time. It also incorporates the Spadelock system for internal carry.
www.mysteryranch.com/military/assault-patrol-packs/spartan-pack
I knew Rich Landry before he was cool. Before he had that awesome mustache. But even then that guy knew load carriage. Today, if you say ‘Army’ and ‘load carriage’ in the same sentence, you’d better add ‘Rich Landry’ to it.
Landry is an individual equipment designer with the Load Carriage Prototype Lab, Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment, at Natick Soldier Systems Center. Recently, Landry and another cool guy, but of the grey beard variety, Murray Hamlet began work on a device that would give Soldiers access to a packboard type of a platform. They took the frame and suspension from the Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment, or MOLLE, Medium rucksack and came up with a removable PALS panel.
“This is just a pack board, or a foundation for an entire range of tactical equipment beyond that of what we call the Soldier’s fighting load,” Landry said. “Anything that is MOLLE compatible, you’re going to have the ability to have a suspension system that’s designed to support upwards of 60 pounds that you can truly tailor specific to what your tactical mission is.”
The answer is the Modular Backpack Panel, or MBP, which increases the versatility of the MOLLE Medium. As it is, MOLLE Medium was developed to give the Soldier carriage for up to 60 pounds of essential gear for 72 hours.
“We’ve had calls from various organizations that carry all kinds of odd loads,” said Landry, adding that the rucksack sometimes was in the way. “Anybody who’s carrying large, crew-served weapons would find this application useful, the mortar guys, who are carrying a base plate, the tube, the various rounds, etcetera. They could utilize a modular setup to support those unusual loads.”
“It’s very basic load carriage capability,” Landry said. “They still need to carry their basic, critical individual equipment. So we will provide a set of larger pouches, which will attach to the panel but still allow the larger items to be carried.”
I saw a prototype months ago and look forward to hearing how the fielding goes and how Soldiers use it in the field.
We recently showed you the Bulldog Equipment’s 240 AG Kit. It’s a great product and as you can see, it can be mounted on the Mystery Ranch NICE frame.
You’ll now be able to get Bulldog’s 240 AG Kit and 60mm Mortar System through Mystery Ranch and MR packs through Bulldog Equipment.
High Ground unveiled their new HG831 Pack. It’s a natural progression of the HG830 Frame which has been very popular with JTACs and other personnel who like to use its PALS field to configure their equipment for specific missions. The JTAC community came to High Ground looking for a means to adapt a pack to the frame for multi-day missions.
High Ground’s answer is the HG831 which integrates their 3-Day Pack Bag unto the frame. It retains PALS compatibility for mission equipment such as radios but adds the versatility of a compartmented 3-Day bag riding piggy back.
The 2013 Mystery Ranch catalog is officially launched at the Modern Day Marine Expo. Even if you can’t make it to MDM this year, you’re getting a taste of what the rest of use will see, but before we can even enter the show. There are plenty of new items including the Spartan we previewed last week, the low profile ASAP and the Komodo Dragon as well as the Stick-it, a removable beavertail for use with MR packs. Additionally, there are numerous new medical items. Watch our show coverage for additional info.
Earlier this week we told you that Mystery Ranch had released the long awaited Spartan pack to their line. Several readers called and received confusing info. We want to clear things up. The Spartan is in MR’s latest catalog which should debut at next week’s Modern Day Marine. Additionally, it has been matrixed and is in MR’s system meaning it can be ordered.
They have packs in stock but pre-orders and a positive reaction from Tuesday’s story have wiped that initial run those out. The next run of 20 will hit the production floor early next week and they will start shipping those Monday October 15th. From there, they are looking at a larger production run, probably 40 of each. For now they are offering them in MultiCam and Coyote, but may entertain making them in Black if they get enough interest.
If you want one, contact MR. These are being snatched up as quickly as they are built.
Mystery Ranch gave me a peak behind the curtain and what did I see? A carrier for 3 rounds for the “Goose”. This carrier is designed to work with the MR 3-Day Overload that we profiled earlier in the week and accommodates the Carl Gustav’s 84mm rounds in their shipping tubes.
For more info contact www.mysteryranch.com
The Mystery Ranch Spartan is finally available. MR has made their final tweaks and it’s ready to go.
I harassed the guys saying it had finally emerged from development hell but they corrected me and reminded me that they just wanted to get it right. And right I’d say it is. For starters, it boasts 1200 cu in of Mystery Ranch load carriage awesomeness. it also has that super cool 2-zip access and is great for fighting out of your buddy’s pack.
The Spartan also incorporates the Spadelock as well as Propel’s QuietLoop.
Call, email, telegraph, send smoke signals. No matter what you do get in on this. Available now from www.MysteryRanch.com. But I’ll warn you, it’s so new that it isn’t even on the site yet.
