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S.O.Tech x GWA ARVN Pack Redux in Tiger Stripe

Wednesday, April 6th, 2022

“A combination of the old tried and true with modern technology – a reflection of SOTECH.”

Respecting the calls for us to reintroduce our h-harnesses and belts, we recognized a trend to go back to the battle tested designs of the past. In doing so, we wanted to honor our beginnings by doing a reboot of an ALICE Pack predecessor – the ARVN Ranger Pack, a favorite of MACV-SOG and other SOF units.

There was a creativity born from lessons from the field, and a handful of innovators started companies to modify and then create alternatives. In this vein, we took the day pack version of what would become the ALICE and modernized and modified the design with Tegris and improved cuts (the pack was designed for small-framed Vietnamese soldiers). The result is an EDC pack that takes you back to your days in BDUs every time you cinch that ribbed web through those metal tabler buckles.

The ARVN pack meticulously recreated, every small detail accounted for. Original steel hardware upcycled from original issued kit.

Updates from the original:

-Updated 420D Nylon vs canvas. Same nylon as the Medium and Large ALICE packs

-Snap closure front 2 pockets for easier and faster access

-Hidden HDPE insert with foam backer for extra comfort

-Updated frame, from steel to modern laser cut Tegris, designed in collab. with GWA

-Repositioned bottom shoulder strap ring to the side for extra comfort

S.O.Tech x GWA ARVN Packs in Tiger will run $200.

Packs go live on sotechtactical.com main page on 4/8 at 12pm PST.

Use following code at checkout for free shipping (domestic orders only): asseenonssd

www.sotechtactical.com

“Built to survive the world’s worst!”

Posted in Advertiser, Camo, Guest Post, Packs | Comments Off on S.O.Tech x GWA ARVN Pack Redux in Tiger Stripe

S.O.Tech In The Movies: No Time To Die

Saturday, March 12th, 2022

S.O.Tech has a 25 year history of supplying custom sewn tactical gear for some of Hollywood’s biggest movies. But there is something about a James Bond film that sets it apart and makes you feel like you are part of a dynasty. Just imagine watching the latest and possibly the best Bond film of the series and realizing that your bag is slung on both Daniel Craig’s (James Bond) and Lashana Lynch’s (Nomi) characters bodies in the climax battle scene of the movie! And not only do the pair of black S.O.Tech Go Bags look Bond-sexy, but the characters are using them exactly as they are designed. They are cross slung and Bond rotates the bag one handed to expose the single pull open zipper to draw his explosive charges, reverse slinging it as he goes. And then when he and 007 expend their last charges, one pinch to the release buckle and the SGBs slide off their shoulders to the floor. We thought that Josh Duhamel did our go bag right in the first Transformers movie, but nothing beats Bond destroying the lair of the Arch Villain of Chaos drawing from your go-bag.

We originally designed the S.O.Tech Go Bag with a group of superstars of the Tier 1 community. As always, we keep their identities close-hold, but the idea man’s initials are encapsulated in the product code. The wanted a survival bag for ammo, chow, radio batteries and SERE items, but they needed something that would fit in confined spaces like the Hi Lux, up-armoreds, and Little Birds and Black Hawks. The tubular design slid between the seats and when it came time to bail, one arm through the sling and it was out the door with you. And with inward facing zippers, it protected the contents while making them easily accessible pulled to the front so you could access while on the move. We have modified the bag into half a dozen different configurations including clandestine weapon carriers, camera and commo carriers, and surveillance technical packs. So ending up in a Bond move is an appropriate capital achievement for this workhorse design.

When James Bond and Nomi are both wearing my S.O.Tech Go Bag and they deploy their demolitions from the sling the way I designed it — I think we have finally achieved cinematic perfection in the world.

For decades we have custom sewn prop gear for film productions through ISS and HPR prop houses, but “No Time to Die” came to us through our friends and representatives in England and Denmark, Ian from Tactical Kit UK and Kim Starke from Gear Up Tactical. Needless to say we are truly appreciative of their choices and referrals.

To commemorate S.O.Tech’s Original Go Bag in No Time To Die we are producing a limited run of the original model as seen in the film. Bags are currently in production and scheduled to ship by March 31st. You can order yours here.

www.sotechtactical.com

“Built to survive the world’s worst!”

Posted in Advertiser, Media, Packs, Press Release | 3 Comments »

Introducing the S.O.Tech ARVN Pack Redux

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022

ARVN REDUX – a combination of the old tried and true with modern technology – a reflection of SOTECH.

At a base level, this is a hat tip to our early days modifying ALICE packs, but it’s much more significant than that. SOTECH started in a time when we were issued the same tired designs that barely evolved from World War Two through Korea and Vietnam and into the Cold War of the 80’s.
There was a creativity born from lessons from the field, and a handful of innovators started companies to modify and then create alternatives. In this vein, we took the day pack version of what would become the ALICE and modernized and modified the design with Tegris and improved cuts (the pack was designed for small-framed Vietnamese soldiers). The result is an EDC pack that takes you back to your days in BDUs every time you cinch that ribbed web through those metal tabler buckles.

Updates from the original:
-Updated 420D Nylon vs canvas. Same nylon as the Medium and Large ALICE packs
-Snap closure front 2 pockets for easier and faster access
-Hidden HDPE insert with foam backer for extra comfort
-Updated frame, from steel to modern laser cut Tegris
-Repositioned bottom shoulder strap ring to the side for extra comfort

Drops Friday 3/4 12pm PST. While supplies last, no backorders. $150. Use the following code at checkout for free shipping: asseenonssd

www.sotechtactical.com

“Built to survive the world’s worst!”

Posted in Advertiser, Guest Post, Packs | 8 Comments »

The MALICE Pack – How It Started…Where It’s Going

Saturday, February 26th, 2022

Tactical Tailor showed us how one of their original products, the MALICE Pack started…

And where it’s going…

Posted in Advertiser, As Seen On Instagram, Packs | 13 Comments »

Sneak Peek – BZN Special Blend 001 Summit 26 from Mystery Ranch

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2022

Mystery Ranch has been teasing the first of three drops called BZN Special Blend. I present the first, the BZN Special Blend 001 Summit 26 – Black & Orange which is based on a classic Kletterwerks design with a touch of the Ranch thrown in for good measure.

The name itself is pretty cool. About 15 years ago Mystery Ranch created a pack for Navy SEALs called “Dana’s Special Blend.” These fully featured expedition packs are still sought after by military personnel and hikers alike, demanding top dollar. The BZN in the name obviously refers to Bozeman, the town Dana Gleason chose to set down roots as he wandered across country, working his way west from Massachusetts in various outdoor stores. It’s also where these packs are made; right at home in the mothership.

The pack lives up to the name in its basic coolness. It goes way beyond the fact that there are only going to be 250 of these on the street.

The 26 Liter Summit 26 is perfect for running around town. It features a large zippered panel loading pocket with an internal padded laptop sleeve. For those of you who are a bit more adventurous, there’s an internal toggle to hang your hydration reservoir. There’s also a Velcro pile field on the inside of the panel flap to attach your favorite accessories.

Externally, you get two padded straps outfitted with a quite functional sternum strap and a generously padded back with polymer reinforcement for rigidity.

There are a couple of rows of low profile PALS webbing at each side of the bag along with bar tacked webbing down the front of the panel flap, to strap extras on. There’s also a vertically zippered pocket on the panel flap for those items you need to access quickly and it’s furnished with dual webbing haul handles at the top. It’s very well set up for travel and commuting.

The colors are Black with Orange accents, which are not only MR brand colors, but damned practical as well. Not only does the Black hide the dirt of every day carry pretty well, the Orange accents make it stand out from others and gives the inside a glow when you need to find something in the bottom of the pack quickly.

A final note…the zippers. These aren’t just any old zippers. These are YKK IR-compliant zippers. I’d expect nothing less from Mystery Ranch, the entire pack is well made and from the highest quality materials.

Launching 1 March, 2022.

Keep checking www.mysteryranch.com/BZNBuilt which should go live soon with additional info.

Posted in Advertiser, Packs | 11 Comments »

MYSTERY RANCH Company Leadership Evolves

Thursday, February 17th, 2022

Founders Maintain Ownership while Assuming Strategic Board RoleBozeman, Mont. (Feb. 17, 2022) – MYSTERY RANCH, the industry-leading pack company built on a heritage of comfortable load carriage, function, and durability for people who have a mission to accomplish, announces changes to its organizational structure and executive leadership roles. Dana Gleason and Renée Sippel-Baker founded MYSTERY RANCH in 2000 with the vision to build the best load-bearing packs in the world. Twenty-two years later, the founding duo will pass the baton of senior leadership and assume roles as Board of Directors. They will oversee the strategic vision and execution of the annual plan of operation through a new Executive Team structure.

MYSTERY RANCH Owners Dana Gleason and Renée Sippel-Baker“MYSTERY RANCH forever!” said MYSTERY RANCH Co-Founder Dana Gleason. “For 22 years, we’ve been committed to doing things right. Doing it right means building the best loading bearing packs in the world, meeting our customers’ needs and the needs of the people right here, the Ranchers. We are still a deeply weird company, and our mission remains the same.”

Renée Sippel-Baker echoed Gleason’s sentiment in saying, “We are actually a human resources company that happens to make great backpacks. It’s the people here that make the difference, and together, we make a difference for our customers, and that’s not going to change.”

In the spirit of meeting the company’s growing needs, Gleason and Sippel-Baker will remain complete owners and oversee the company’s strategic vision. Alex Kutches, the long-time VP of Sales and Marketing, will assume the role of President and will work closely with the Board and the rest of the Executive Team to implement the Board’s strategic direction and execute the annual plan.

Alex Kutches shared, “We have an excellent team here at MYSTERY RANCH. This team has successfully accomplished our original set of strategic objectives, and we have our sights set on sharing our brand promise with more people across the globe in our core businesses of Outdoor, Military, Hunting, and Fire.”

The new organizational structure will include Bob Freeman as VP Product and Operations and Steve Fink as the VP of Finance. Ben Nobel was recently promoted to Director of Sales for North America’s Outdoor and Hunting business channels.

“What a long, strange trip it’s been.”

~ Jerry Garcia and Dana Gleason

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MATBOCK – KIBISIS 2-Day Assault Pack

Wednesday, February 16th, 2022

MATBOCK released a slew of new products at SHOT Show and we are going to start breaking them down here on SSD. First up is the KIBISIS 2-Day Assault Pack.

We are very proud to introduce our two day assault pack which was created to answer several needed requirements across the military branches and Law enforcement. Some specific requirements were to hold more gear while remaining light weight and water resistant.

The ability to hold a fully loaded helmet while remaining easily accessible and finally to have a smaller modular pouch with a shoulder strap that can be zipped on or off depending on the mission. This bag is so special and versatile we named it the “Kibisis” after the mythical bag that the Greek demi-god Perseus carried Medusa’s head in. The Kibisis is built to last and reinforced so it can also be jumpable making it one of the most versatile 2 day assault bags on the market.

-Contains MATBOCK’s external water seal antenna ports that can be closed when not in use

– Secondary pack for extra storage can also be unzipped and used separately

– Side pouches with compression straps are large enough to hold a standard Nalgene bottle

– Lightweight but durable construction

– Jumpable pack with enough space to support your operations

Specs:

Dimensions: 16.5” H x 11.75” W x 8.5” D
Weights: 2 LBS 3 OZ (992.23 grams)
Volume: 1,769 cubic inches (29L)
Material: Ghost and Ghost light

MATBOCK Products are handmade to order, so lead times can vary. Please contact orders@matbock.com with questions on current production lead times.

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Carryology Best In Show Award to Mystery Ranch

Monday, January 31st, 2022

During last week’s Outdoor Retailer Snow Show, Carryology honored Mystery Ranch with the Best In Show Award for their new Bridger Backpack.

The Bridger Backpack was also a nominee for the Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards. Offered in both men’s and women’s models, the Bridger is available as a 55 or 65 liter pack.

The Bridger Pack relies on an internal spring-steel wire frame.l coupled with the Endurance Yoke and its pocketed shoulder straps.

Features:
– Generous removable lid that converts to a hip sack
– Dual access to main bag
– Drawstring shroud access
– Two full-length zipper access
– Two, large stretch-woven back pockets with inner pockets and an elastic-topped dump pocket
– Dual adjustable tool attach
– Double daisy chains for lashing
– Side and bottom compression straps
– Speed Zip™ sleeping bag compartment with removable divider
– Pocketed waist belt

Posted in Advertiser, Industry, Outdoor Retailer, Packs | Comments Off on Carryology Best In Show Award to Mystery Ranch