Looking to teach your offspring some tactical hand signals, for operations such as capture the flag, king of the hill, or overthrowing a third world dictatorship? Then you might want to pick up Alpha Bravo Creations’ Kids Tactical Hand Signals set. It consists of fifty (50) 4″ x 3″ black and white cards, featuring hand signals from the U.S. Army’s Arm-and-Hand Field Signal paired with signs from American Sign Language. The cards come complete in a tuck box, for easy storage.
Every once in awhile during the FirstSpear Friday Focus, they like to concentrate in their OEM partners. This time, it’s Hill People Gear and the Aston House Pack. The name of the pack has a rather interesting history. Also known as ‘Station 12’ Aston House was the development lab for World War Two’s British Special Operations Executive. Although the pack has a great historical name as inspiration, it is fully modern, making use of FirstSpear’s 6/12 technology.
According the HPG, the overall size is 11″x8″x21″ with two compartments and a removable compression pocket/panel.
Removable load compartment
This is a 4″ deep compartment that can be accessed via zippers at both the top and bottom of the pack. It is meant for the heavier elements of your load. Additional features include:
-Slick interior to make removal of load cells (such as AstonInsert, Palspocket, Tarapocket, etc.) quick and easy.
-Dual hypalon load hangers at the top, one on each side of the compartment
-Top and bottom compression straps have two different tab sets they can be attached to for a standard or extra wide strap placement. Extra wide is meant to clear anything you might want to carry in the removable load compartment that needs to stick out of the top of the pack.
-The outer sides of this compartment have First Spear 6/12 slot pockets with a 2 channel PALS grid cut into them.
-There is a plastic insert between this compartment and the next to help support load elements suspended from the hypalon load hangers.
Organizer compartment
This is a contoured 4″ deep compartment that is accessed via a generous zippered panel. It includes:
-Fully lined with 6/12 PALS cut fabric, velcro loop side out. This lets you use either PALS or velcro backed pouches to organize this pocket.
-Hypalon load hanger array at the top
-Aston Pocket
This is a removable compression pocket / panel that comes with the pack. It has the following features:
-Full zipper panel access
-3 vertically stacked slot pockets on inner surface
-Single mesh pocket on rear surface
-Scalloped hypalon load control detail that terminate in compression strap attachment slots
-External loop cord attachment points
The Shellback Tactical STEALTH Low Vis Plate Carrier is designed to be a super low profile, light weight plate carrier/armor carrier. Ideal to be worn under a jacket, surveillance operations, or just as a slick plate carrier. Built for low visibility and concealment. The carrier is designed to hold 10×12 Level III or Level IV hard armor plates. It can also accept 10×12 soft armor style plate backers if plates are not needed. The cummerbund is extremely adjustable due to its overlapping design front and back that can fit small statured and larger statured body types.
Hypalon non slip material makes up the fully adjustable shoulder straps which also have 2 slips for other uses. The front has a handy zippered admin pocket, a large 4 inch loop area for placards and integrated nylon vertical strips to accommodate QASM buckles. To add a chest rig if needed. QASM Buckles not included. Also included is a double magazine pouch for .223/5.56 magazines. Cummerbund has 2 integrated pouches for magazines or radio.
Interior is lined with breathable spacer mesh for comfort. The back of the carrier has an integrated Hypalon drag handle and a 4 inch loop are for patch identifiers.
Pelican introduce a new line of cases called Pelican Air. Although up to 40% lighter than other Pelican cases, they still protect your valuables during storage and transit. That’s because they are molded from the use of their new HPX resin which rebounds without breaking as well as the use of honeycomb structural elements.
The design has been tested by dropping on concrete with loads from a height of six feet on all sides and corners as well as sustaining a 28lbs steel dart dropped on all sides from three feet. Additionally, the case is capable of being submerged for 30 mins at a depth of one meter.
Handl Defense specializes in accessories and upgrades for the FN SCAR. They’ve expanded its capability to six calibers: .308, .260, .300 Blackout, 5.56, .7.62×39 and 5.45×39. The conversions include bolt, barrel, handguard and lower receiver. You provide your own magazines. They also offer a universal bolt carrier group which works with all of the different bolts. Additionally, the current handguard is carbon fiber, but Handl will be introducing an extruded aluminum version soon.
The ASAD from Platatac is a different take on the dump pouch.
First off, it’s front mounted. Additionally, you can mount PALS pouches inside and it will accept an armor plate. There are also mesh panels at the bottom for drainage of sand as well as water.
By the way, ASAD stands for All Singing All Dancing which means it does everything.
Known in Europe as Taiga, the Swedish brand uses the name Torraka in North America. As you’d imagine, they’ve got some interesting cold weather clothing, although it’s a little different than what we are used to.
Designed for conditions between 5 deg and -45 deg Celsius, the Torraka system starts with fishnet top and boxer base layer as well a level two long underwear.
When you need more insulation, they offer a fleece jacket and knicker length pant which can be donned and doffed even while wearing boots.
This is their cold weather combat uniform which constructed with a Gore-Tex membrane rather than offering an additional Gore-Tex outer layer.
For even colder condistions, they offer a reversible (Torraka Multi Terrain Pattern to Torraka Snow UV Pattern) insulation level which can be quickly dried. You may also notice that the trousers are boot height rather than full length. With the addition of this level, you can go down to -45 Degrees Celsius.
Torraka also offers a variety of head, hand and footwear to help you deal with these extreme conditions. The loft insulation throughout was referred to as Thermalight.
