Protact by Haartz

US Elite – OG Invitational After Action Review

November 18th, 2016

U.S. Elite is proud and honored to have hosted the first OG Invitational on Nov. 12th. The OG Invitational raised funds for an amazing contribution to our friends at SOC-F (Special Operations Care Fund). SOC-F is an exceptional resource for Special Operations Forces and their families, providing services such as counseling and financial assistance. The Invitational was a great opportunity to connect our friends and community to this unique and meaningful cause. Over a dozen of our favorite gear brands sent prizes for a raffle, from which all proceeds were donated entirely to SOC-F.


Our partners and vendors–including Arc’teryx, Salomon, Benchmade, Outdoor Research, Velocity Systems, Suunto and many more–flew in from all over the country to showcase their gear and services. These elite tactical brands, along with local organizations, showed up to educate, engage and give back to our growing community of veterans, service men and women, law enforcement, first responders and tactical enthusiasts.

This year’s OG Invitational was only the first of a new annual tradition. U.S. Elite’s mission is to connect like-minded patriotic patrons and give back to those brave individuals who serve and sacrifice to protect our great country. The OG Invitational gives us all a chance to have fun while giving back to our finest.

Looking forward to seeing you at our 2017 OG invitational!

WL Gore & Associates, Inc – ECWCS Prototype

November 18th, 2016

I’ve seen Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System prototypes. Hell, I was issued one while assigned to 3ID LRS in the late 80s, but the ones I’m familiar with were all made by Raven Industries in South Dakota. During my visit to the WL Gore & Associates, Inc mothership in Maryland, I spied this garment on display.

It shares many of the traits of the ECWCS parka prototype I wore, although the face fabric was a better print, with true Woodland pattern coloring instead of the bright Green and light Brown of the prototypes we used at 3ID LRS. Interestingly, the hung liner is Green, rather than Brown, but the front closures are Velcro and the shoulder pocket is on the right side rather than the left like other developmental variants. While the rank tab has an exposed snap rather than the covered ones in later variants, the pocket layout was also true to the issue garment with handwarmer pockets and internal Napoleon pockets. 

What’s really interesting about this garment, dating from 1983-84, is who made it.

Marmot did quite a bit of work early in this war, but I had never seen any of their work for the military dating back that far. Has anyone else run across one of these?

Update: This jacket was owned by Marine Nick Allen, formerly on the Gore military team and currently with Camelbak. It’s a Marmot jacket, referenced in the comments. Love the seam sealing.

Triple Aught Design – Gemini Shirt

November 18th, 2016

When I saw a prototype of the new Triple Aught Design Gemini Shirt during a recent visit to their design facility in San Francisco’s Dogpatch, I knew it was something I would want to share with my readers once it came out. The design is subtle, yet functional. The shirt doesn’t quite look like anything else out there and is made from a technical fabric. TAD also does a great job of building a few surprises into the garment.

Again, it seems to be a bit of a retro design, inspired by the clothing worn by those involved in our early space program. I love seeing classic designs updated with more modern fabrics and construction techniques.

Features:
Performance on Demand: Built to excel across multiple environments, the Gemini Shirt is crafted from a technical blend of cotton and polyester. Resisting wrinkles and stains, this material drapes cleanly and helps conceal carried items. Lightweight, packable, and easy to care for, the Gemini Shirt is ideal for long term assignments.

Subtle Details: Two clean welt pockets on the chest and a hidden envelope pocket are perfect for small E&E items. The buttons are safely secured along bartacked webbing and include a slotted button that rotates onto the webbing for quick field repair.

The Gemini Shirt is offered in three colors: Siege, Gunmetal, Black and sizes XS – 3XL. The shirt features a standard fit and is Made in USA!

The price is very nice, at $80.

tripleaughtdesign.com/Gemini-Shirt

*Due to Triple Aught Design moving to a new bigger warehouse over the weekend, orders will start shipping 11/28*

TYR Tactical – Huron Cold Weather Uniform Anorak

November 18th, 2016

tyr-cwu106-ank-2

I’ve always liked anoraks but there aren’t a lot of lightweight, waterproof breathable models available, let alone any in MultiCam. When I saw a developmental version of the The Huron™ Cold Weather Uniform Anorak, I was pretty excited and hoped that they’d be able to secure enough Polartec® Neoshell to do a run. It looks like they were successful. If you’re unfamiliar with Neoshell, it’s an extremely lightweight, waterproof breathable fabric, making it great for high intensity activities. Additionally, the Anorak incorporates a quarter-zip collar design to assist with venting and donning and doffing but also makes it easy to batten down the hatches in rough weather.

The hood can be cinched down in the front and back while worn but doesn’t compromise your peripheral vision even though your head is warm and dry.

Two full length, 2-way zippers on both sides of the Anorak allow you to access the front panel of your vest beneath, or vent excess heat when needed. Additionally, the front of the jacket was designed to “roll and stow” providing unimpeded access to your kit. The stowing tab can be easily released when finished.

tyr-cwu106-ank-8

Additionally, the cuffs feature Velcro adjustable tabs. Finally, the entire Anorak is seam taped to provide both 100% waterproof and breathable protection.

To order yours, visit www.tyrtactical.com/products/details/featured-products/huron-cold-weather-uniform-anorak

FirstSpear Friday Focus –

November 18th, 2016

This week, we are focusing on FirstSpear’s General Purpose pockets. While it sounds mundane, everyone uses a GP Pocket to carry a wide variety of items.

To acommodate these needs, FirstSpear currently has three options: GP Small, GP Medium, GP Large, all with internal organizers to keep your kit straight.

Finally, the family of GP Pouches is available in 6/9 and 6/12 attachment options, in standard FS colors.

www.first-spear.com

You Never Know Where They’ll Show Up

November 18th, 2016

Breakthrough Clean Technologies Partners With OpticsPlanet

November 17th, 2016

November 16th, 2016: Breakthrough Clean Technologies is proud to announce its newest partnership with OpticsPlanet.com as their newest online retailer. Effective immediately OpticsPlanet will be offering Breakthrough Clean’s line of revolutionary cleaning products through its online web store. OpticsPlanet has been a powerhouse retailer for brands like Surefire, Leupold, and Trijicon. They have recently locked in Breakthrough Clean along with their Solvents, Lubricants, and Cleaning kits.

“We are excited to be working with the folks at OpticsPlanet. We are just amazed at the recent partnerships that we have been able to cultivate. Breakthrough Clean has been climbing steadily, and we have the customers to thank for this “Grass Roots” growth. ” – Gabriel Cabrera (Marketing Director/ Breakthrough Clean Technologies).

“It is rare for a company to make as sensational an introduction into the solvents industry as Breakthrough Clean has done.” Says Alex Royzen, Manager of Supply Chain Development at OpticsPlanet, Inc. “As the leading purveyor of gear online, we wanted to make sure our customers had access to this “breakthrough” product line for all their cleaning needs.”

To learn more about Breakthrough Clean Technologies visit: www.BreakthroughClean.com

To view Breakthrough Clean’s product line up on OpticsPlanet visit: www.opticsplanet.com/breakthrough-clean-technologies-brand

Kickstarter – TAPS

November 17th, 2016

TAPS is a pretty cool idea. It’s is a touchscreen sticker for your handwear, but it incorporates a unique fingerprint for touch ID. TAPS are formulated to stick and stay on almost any surface and guaranteed to work on all touchscreen devices. It’s a simple idea, but offers interesting applications for those who wear gloves all of the time.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/nanotips/taps-touchscreen-sticker-w-touch-id-ships-before-x