NEMO Equipment has updated one of their most popular products, the Helio Outdoor Shower by turning it on its side. This makes it more stable during use.
They’ve added four feet for it to stand on. They’ve also created a new fill hole which is much easier to use and incorporates a flap which keeps the plug secure when pressurized.
Coming Spring 2020, from www.nemoequipment.com.
Behold the glory of The Punch Hammer!
I spoke with designer Martin Lambert, himself a former paratrooper and founder of Chameleon Solutions.
I originally designed this tool for some of my sniper customers. They were having trouble with noise security while setting up hide sites in high threat areas. Building those things is essentially construction work, sometimes including using a hammer and nails. The high pitched metal on metal sound carries a very long way. In addition, they often have to modify existing structures and using a normal crowbar can also be really noisy. I needed a hammer and crowbar that would be extremely lightweight and relatively small made of something that would reduce noise in normal use. Brass knuckles have a great grip and while you don’t get the long lever effect of full-sized hammers or pry bars the open construction of that style also would help to reduce weight. We added the spade and modifed the top so you can grip it in a way to do some digging for things like cat holes or buying sensors/demo rather than fighting positions that would require a full sized shovel.
With the Punch Hammer, you can hammer, dig, and pry. Granted, it’s not going to replace every piece of equipment for some applications. However, it’s inexpensive and lightweight, meaning it can be issued to more personnel. Plus, it’s more quiet than other tools.
One of the ways CDS was able to shed weight in their DZSO kit was by replacing the 5 lbs sledge hammer with the 5 oz Punch Hammer. Expect it to be the most pilfered item in the kit.
Chameleon Solutions products are available for unit and agency orders through Darley Defense.
Hot weather is coming and Coolspace uses evaporative cooling to bring temperatures down. The fan draws hot air through the device’s thick cooling media which is saturated with water. This cools the air and it’s pushed out the other side of the device. There are multiple sizes available to cool different sizes spaces.
Coolspace is an American owned company and are made in the USA. Their products are available for unit and agency orders from ADS.
We’ve mentioned Speedbox several times on SSD with their wheeled mobility containers, designed specifically to fit on USAF 463L pallets.
Customers have asked them if they could introduce additional case options. At the Ft Bragg Warfighter Expo, they were gauging interest in a Carbine Case and Equipment Box.
Speedbox is owned by a Special Forces Veteran who developed the system based on need. Their products are available for unit and agency orders from ADS.
The first thing I thought about when I heard about Watergen USA was Luke Skywalker from Star Wars’ Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen, the moisture farmers. They lived on a desert planet, farming moisture from the air. The scene below is science fiction. Could we actually do the same?
Well, if you’ve ever owned a dehumidifier, you know it’s possible. What Watergen has done, is make it practical.
These systems allow users to generate potable water on-site, where it’s needed, chemical free. The water produced from humidity in the air is filtered and then minerals are added back into the water, resulting in the same taste, no matter where in the world it is produced.
What I find most appealing about Watergen’s offerings is that they cover everything from an individual home or office, to a mobile system, to even larger support for a FOB. What’s more, multiple systems can be added, based on the scale of the effort. All they require us a power source and conditions of 30% or more humidity. This can be found in just over 80% of the world’s land mass. Currently, Watergen systems are not intended for use at sea but work is being completed to facilitate this application.
Additionally, Watergen’s systems do not require trained water purification specialists and can be operated by anyone who can plug in a cord, or run a generator, for self-contained systems. They can be used by individuals, local, state or federal agencies, as well the military.
Preventive maintenance must be conducted twice per year which requires up to half an hour.
The patented technology is Israeli but the three systems Watergen offers are made here in the USA.
– A small home and office water generator, the GENNY, creates up to seven gallons (27 liters) per day.
– The medium scale generator, GEN-350 can produce up to 237 gallons of clean drinking water (900 liters) per day.
– A large-scale unit can extract up to 1,300 gallons (4,921 liters) per day. It is designed to provide water to approximately 2,500 people per day.
The Emergency Response Vehicle is a self contained mobile system which can be rapidly deployed to deployed organizations or areas with no no access to potable water such as communities with broken water lines or compromised water purification plants.
The systems have internal storage tanks but can be connected to external tanks or bladders.
Additionally, Watergen’s GENNY was selected for award of a 2019 Innovation Award from the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The two larger systems are on GSA from ADS Inc. For more details, visit adsinc.com/water-from-air-atmospheric-water-generation-watergen-usa.
BioLite has introduced two of their most popular products, the CampStove 2 Bundle and SolarHome 620 as Limited Edition models. The Midnight Series features an grey/black finish due to lots of requests for a more muted colorway.
Features:
• Stove generates 3W power to charge devices
• Burns biomass: sticks, pinecones, pellets, etc
• CampStove packs easily inside KettlePot
• Boil 1L of water in 4.5 minutes
• Grilltop fits up to four burgers
• Total Kit Weight: 4.96 lbs
Features:
• 6W Solar Panel Charges System in 6 Hrs Direct Sun
• Battery: 3300 mAh @ 6.5V (20 Wh)
• Control Box + Wall Light, MP3/Radio, USB Charge Out
• 3x 100 Lm Overhead Lights With Motion Sensor
• Lights Feature 18ft Cords For Multi-room Setup
• 4.78 lbs (Includes Lights, Panel, and Control Box)
Remember, there’s only 500 of the CampStove Bundles and 800 of the SHS620 so quantities are limited and they are going fast.
Camelback showed their new Mil Spec Quick Stow Flask. It’s collapsible one-piece construction features a screw on lid with an adjustable flow rate, integrated bite valve.
Originally in their commercial line, Camelbak changed the flask film, which gives it this more subdued, Dark Grey hue.
Coming 2019 from www.camelbak.com.
NATICK, MA — The Army is closer to getting ice to Soldiers on the battlefield after recent field evaluations proved the Containerized Ice Making System, or CIMS, can successfully generate and bag 3,600 pounds of potable ice per day and keep 1,200 pounds of that in cold storage for future use.
The CIMS’ capacity to produce on-demand ice meets the field feeding, medical, and mortuary affairs needs of Soldiers fighting down range.
Soldiers from the 3rd Expeditionary Support Command, part of the XVIII Airborne Corps’ combat service support element, pass bags of ice from the Containerized Ice Making System, or CIMS, during a training exercise held at Fort Brag in April 2018. The CIMS was developed by the Product Manager — Force Sustainment Systems, and can successfully generate and bag 3,600 pounds of potable ice per day and keep 1,200 pounds in cold storage for future use. The CIMS’ capacity to produce on-demand ice meets the field feeding, medical, and mortuary affairs needs of Soldiers fighting down range. (Photo Credit: Mr. Jeffrey Sisto (RDECOM))
“Ice is a valuable commodity on the battlefield,” said Will Feather, a mechanical engineer with Product Manager — Force Sustainment Systems’ Food Service Equipment Team, or PM-FSS FSET, and CIMS lead project officer.
“There is a cost and security benefit to the government if we can create an organic ice making capability that will enhance the Soldier’s day-to-day life by providing all the other support that ice creates, including cold drinks, medical applications, mortuary affairs uses, and increased morale.”
The CIMS is a TriCon-sized ISO container that produces ice on demand when provided the required power and water from a potable source. The ice is then bagged in 10 pound bags, heat-sealed, then moved to an internal holding location that can support 1200 pounds of stacked ice bags.
It can be opened on three sides and features a floor and walls that are fully insulated to minimize the heat transfer through the unit. The storage location features an integrated platform capable of monitoring the location of ice bags in order to intelligently and efficiently pack and store them.
The CIMS features three operating modes: Ice Production, Cooling, and Sanitation — which are selected from a digital menu displayed on a control panel mounted to an exterior wall of the TriCon.
The respective modes give users the choice to either produce approximately 150 pounds of ice per hour, simply store previously produced ice, or purge all the water from the system to prepare it for cleaning, maintenance, or cold storage.
The system can also monitor ice production rates as well as ice storage temperature data.
Originally developed by PM-FSS’ FSET to meet the requirements of the Force Provider Expeditionary (FPE) Capability Production Document (CPD), the CIMS provides an organic ice-making capability that will save the Army significant costs by producing ice for units directly on site rather than shipping it into theater, resulting in reduced logistical support requirements while saving on waste, fuel, and resources.
The Containerized Ice Making System, or CIMS, was developed by the Product Manager — Force Sustainment Systems, and can successfully generate and bag 3,600 pounds of potable ice per day and keep 1,200 pounds in cold storage for future use. The CIMS’ capacity to produce on-demand ice meets the field feeding, medical, and mortuary affairs needs of Soldiers fighting down range. Two third generation prototype CIMS units were brought in to support the XVIII Airborne Corps’ 3rd Expeditionary Support Command during a training exercise held at Fort Brag in April 2018. (Photo Credit: Mr. Jeffrey Sisto (RDECOM))
Since 2016, the FSET has been working to test and enhance its functional capabilities with CIMS developer, Rocky Research, through a congressionally funded contract.
“Incorporating the CIMS into a unit’s combat support services would drastically reduce the need for resupply missions and the inherent risk to Soldiers transporting ice via vehicle convoys in support of ground combat operations,” said Feather.
At a spring warfighter training exercise held at Ft. Bragg with the XVIII Airborne Corps, two CIMS units were brought into the basecamp for Soldiers to have ice on demand, allowing their functionality and performance to be tested and analyzed in field conditions.
“XVIII Airborne Corps’ combat service support element, the 3rd Expeditionary Support Command, approached us to ask for the CIMS to support their WFX training mission and we were able to make it happen,” said Feather.
The WFX provided an opportunity for the FSET and partner organizations to view it in operation and observe its technical performance. This allowed the engineers to identify areas that required adjustments and optimization. Some identified areas included improving airflow in the storage compartment, and optimizing the heat sealing of the bagging system.
The exercise also raised important questions for combat support decision makers, such as, ‘who would be responsible for it, and how would it get to the battlefield?’
Fortunately, the CIMS is easily transported by military or commercial equipment, including flatbed truck, railway car, ship, forklift, or any other equipment capable of transporting an ISO container. It has been designed for downloading and uploading with the Force Provider ATLAS forklift, and can be easily deployed and operated where power and water sources are available.
The CIMS’ refrigeration unit is easily maintainable and utilizes low-loss, quick-disconnect refrigeration tubing for the ability to repair without brazing. Additionally, it is designed to be operated by non-Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) specific, or 92G, users.
“Through the combined efforts of our partners from Combat Support/Combat Service Support (CS-CSS), the Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM), the Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC), the Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC), the Public Health Command, and Rocky Research, we’ve been able to successfully develop, test, and refine the capabilities of the CIMS,” said Feather.
The next step is to continue MIL-STD 810G representative testing of the third generation prototype, while developing an initial logistics package to include writing the technical and user maintenance manuals.
The continued testing will result in a Production Decision by ATEC in 2019, according to Feather.
“It’s our job to get ice to Soldiers in the most efficient way, and the CIMS design and capabilities are meeting the requirements to do that.”
At the publication of this article, Mr. William Feather has shifted to support the Ultra-Lightweight Camouflage Net System (ULCANS) program. Mr. Jorge Lopez-Jiminian is the current project lead for the CIMS.
By Mr Jeffrey Sisto, writing for PM-FSS and shared by Army News Service
