This is ATS Tactical’s brand new Jumpable RAID II. The prototype has been jumped. It is the same RAID II pack you know and love (same dimensions, same cubic inches at 1512 ci, a little heavier at 3 pounds) except, reinforced and rigged for jumping out of a perfectly good aircraft. Made from 500D Cordura. Regular price on these is $349.99. They’re doing a pre-order sale on ‘em for the next two weeks at $299.00. The first handful of these will be off the production line either tomorrow or Friday.
Slowly but surely, the pack once known as FILBE is making its way to the Fleet. Apparently, MARCORSYSCOM’s Program Manager Infantry Combat Equipment office has been able to take long enough away from making accusations against each other to produce this very informative video on what is now called simple the USMC Pack. It’s almost 30 minutes long so you may need to watch it in bites during breaks.
Happy Independence Day! Exclusively for Soldier Systems Daily readers, today’s giveaway is the popular Kelty MAP 3500. We’ll even let the winner select the color of their choice.
Visit www.amronintl.com/celebrate_the_fourth to register. Remember you must register each day for a chance to with that day’s prize.
Come back tomorrow as we are giving away an Arc’teryx Alpha Multicam Parka!
Hill People Gear just received a shipment of Tarahumaras in Black. They’ve told us this may be a one-time deal so if you want one you’d better get on it.
The prototypes just keep coming and coming. Here we see a pack made in Kryptek LEAF Highlander pattern, developed specifically for the US Army Camouflage Improvement Effort and chosen as part of one of four finalists families of patterns to undergo live field trials soon. This pack is of a commercial design and will not be a part of that testing, but the pattern will.
Mystery Ranch first mentioned their new spadelock technology around SHOT Show and now it’s available. The Spadelock system is modular in nature and accommodates a variety of accessories such as an MR laptop sleeve or a military radio. They fit inside the bag against the body panel for protection and quick access.
These 3 Day Assault Packs integrate the Bolstered Ventilation Stability System for use with body armor and are available in Coyote and Foliage.
Kifaru Tactical was launched in June of 2002. We’ve known them this whole time and they’ve been a great supporter of SSD.
Here is a excerpt of a thread on their message board by Mel of Kifaru Tactical –
“Here’s a little trip down memory lane for you guys that might not know the story of how Kifaru Tactical came to be. I contacted Patrick in Nov 2001 in my search for an American made military pack with mountaineering grade suspension, and asked if they had ever thought about entering that market. I had done my research and was familiar with Patrick’s reputation from Mountainsmith and really liked what he was doing with Kifaru. Also, I believed in his suspension philosophy of thinner and drapier shoulder straps and waistbelts. In our e-mail exchanges Patrick showed interest in possibly starting a military division at Kifaru. We decided to meet at a hunting show in Reno in Jan 2002. I was pretty familiar with the Kifaru line and offered to help in their booth while out there. We hit it right off when we met, sharing a lot of the same interests and outlook on life in general, as we grew up in the same era. Patrick made the decision to start a military division at this time, and gave it a 110% effort right out of the gate. After working the booth during the day, we headed up to the hotel room in the evening and started work on designs for the new military packs, which initially were the EMR and Scout. Actually, that is where the Dock n Lock system was born, along with the Piggyback Wrap Kit. We worked on this all three nights and a few weeks later, my wife and I drove out to the shop in Colorado and spent a week there working day and night on the new designs with Patrick and crew. From Jan 2002 to June 2002, Patrick, the Kifaru crew, and myself worked tirelessly on the soon to be Kifaru Military Gear division (in later years changed to Kifaru Tactical). The launch was in Jun 2002 on the website and message board, and the rest is history.”
I remember when Mel called me and told me he had contacted Patrick. I too had been a Mountainsmith fan and when Mel told me about Kifaru I was pretty stocked. I’m glad he is such a great salesman in convincing Patrick Smith to launch a tactical line. We’re all the better for it.
Long before there was a Mystery Ranch or even a Dana Designs, there was Kletterwerks. Although short lived, it was Dana Gleason’s first pack company. And now, it’s back. At least, after a fashion. Kletterwerks is the baby of the Dana Gleason III, better known as D3. It’s envisioned as an update to the original line but from a lifestyle angle rather than hardcore outdoor. The initial run, already sold out, will premiere in Japan. We can’t wait to see what they’ve cooked up.
Follow them on Facebook to keep abreast of their latest updates.
