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An Open Letter From Wild Things to Their Military Customers

January 9th, 2014

Dear Military Community,

All of us at Wild Things would like to wish you a Happy New Year. We thank you for all you do for our great country and we appreciate your excellence, effectiveness and dedication to duty and country.

I would also like to thank our supply chain partners with whom we weathered the Sequester – their support and efforts to continue to supply needed raw materials has been much appreciated.

2014 looks to be a better year for all of us that supply the military. A two-year federal government budget should allow the DOD to plan their buys with some degree of confidence.

2013 was a tough year for the industry and a particularly tough year for Wild Things. We are nearing the end of a multi-year transition at Wild Things – a transition that has resulted in new owners, new management, upgraded systems and processes, new and expanded product line and a revolutionary new approach to consumer product – and the Sequester hit us hard. We closed our New Hampshire office in June and let people go to reduce our operating costs. In addition, we had some production delays in 2013. Wild Things has always prided itself on our rapid delivery of quality products. We did not perform to our standards and I would like to apologize to all who were impacted by our delays.

The back half of 2013 was a dramatic improvement. Our sales bookings were strong. Our manufacturing ramped back up and we have been delivering product at a steady cadence. In the midst of this difficult year, the Wild Things team has launched an entire new line of FR products, including:
• New high performance Fire Retardant base layers made with a new wool blend that contains no Modacrylic;
• New GORE-TEX® PYRAD™ Fire Retardant Hard Shell Jacket and Pants;
• New Fire Retardant Low Loft Jacket made with GORE-TEX® PYRAD™ Fabric with Fast Pack technology shell.

Please contact Frank Tarantino or Grady Burrell (828.421.4349) regarding appointments for Military or Law Enforcement personnel at SHOT SHOW or Outdoor Retailer to review our new product line.

I would like to thank our distributor partners who work hard on our behalf and who show our products to customers around the world. We appreciate your efforts to grow the Wild Things community.

Best wishes to all for a healthy, happy and prosperous 2014.

– Ed Schmults and the Wild Things Team

Tags: Wild Things
Posted in Industry | 1 Comment »

NOLATAC Training And Consulting – M3T Multi-Mission Medical Taco

January 9th, 2014

NOLATAC’s M3T – Multi-Mission Medical Taco is designed as a versatile and adaptable platform for users to carry and deploy their IFAK. The M3T was designed for use with the NOLATAC ITK (Individual Trauma Kit), although adaptability to accept other medical insert components was built in from the start. Two separate side pockets are designed for use with a tourniquet or other items such as medical shears and chem lights. When not in use these pockets can also be tucked out of sight. The M3T features completely ambidextrous mounting options on PALS webbing, G-Code RTI System, or up to 2″ belts in a vertical or horizontal configuration; it comes standard with 2 MALICE clips. Independent shock/bungee cord retention allows for security, low-profile, user field maintenance, and repair. A Velcro panel allows for the attachment of a medical marker. Made in the USA.

www.highspeedgear.com/hsgi/m3t-12M3T

Tags: NOLATAC Training and Consulting
Posted in Medical | 1 Comment »

High Ground 5-Day Pack

January 9th, 2014

Offering over 4500 cubic inches, the High Ground 5-Day Pack was designed with carrying a radio in mind. It integrates a flexed rigid frame that is designed to fit comfortably over your body armor in order to relieve shoulder fatigue and lower back pain. In addition to load bearing waist belt and cable routing shoulder straps as well as built-in hydration pouch and full PALS field, the pack bag offers topaccess points to reach your 117G or 117F radios with ease.

Features:
· Frame- Flexed rigid, light weight, curves around body armor.
· Cable Routing Shoudler Straps- Keep you cables and tubes from getting snagged.
· Hydration Pocket- Holds most 2-3 liter bladders comfortably, no bulging into your back.
· Quick Release Waist Belt- Drop and re-don your pack in seconds while maintaining your battle belt.
· Interior MOLLE Panel- limitless options to customize the internal pocket for quick access to essential items.
· Cubic Volume- Total over 4500 cu. in. Main Pack 3600 cu. in., compression pouches each 225 cu. in.
· Compressible- Main Pack is compressible to fit tight around your load size needs.
· Removable compression pouches for additional volume. Attachable via MOLLE.
· Lid pocket- easy, quick access to maps, radio frequencies, etc.
· Rain Cover- Inclement weather cover to protect your pack, reverses as VF marker

(Click on image to view PDF)

www.highgroundgear.com/products/hg-5-day-pack

Tags: High Ground Gear
Posted in Packs | 7 Comments »

Announcing Cleer Medical LLC

January 9th, 2014

For the past year, Eleven 10 LLC and Raven Concealment Systems have been collaborating behind the scenes on a new enterprise.

This new joint-venture is CLEER Medical LLC, based in Cleveland, Ohio. CLEER Medical combines Eleven-10’s operational experience and medical expertise with Raven Concealment’s advanced design/manufacturing capabilities and their expertise in developing gear for low-visibility/no-visibility missions.

Remember that Low-Viz Blow-Out Kit that we previewed in May? That is one of the products they have been working on.

The focus of CLEER will be to make TCCC-compliant medical products that are smaller, lighter, and more effective than anything presently on the market, without compromising effectiveness.

Making life-saving items smaller and lighter means those items will be able to be taken to more places, and in greater quantity.

CLEER Medical will be unveiling their first product at SHOT 2014. You can find their products at booth #561 (with Raven Concealment Systems). Those who wish to learn more can sign up for their email newsletter at www.cleermedical.com.

They can be found on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/CLEERMed

Tags: Cleer Medical LLC
Posted in Industry, Medical | Comments Off on Announcing Cleer Medical LLC

Announcing the DRD Tactical G762 Semi-Auto Rifle

January 9th, 2014

DRD Tactical announces new for 2014 Model G762 Rifle, a quick takedown, semi-automatic rifle chambered in 7.62 NATO, which can be assembled from its hard-case or back-pack without any tools, in less than a minute.

The G762 uses the 20 round G3 magazine, comes with a MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny 13” Rail with mounting holes on 3 other sides for Magpul L-4 Rail Panels.

Comes standard with 2-20rd magazines, custom cut foam small hard case, 13” QD Rail, FN Hammer Forged 16” 7.62 NATO chambered barrel and Magpul Stock and Grip and Nickel Boron coated Bolt Carrier Group. Visit www.drdtactical.com for more information.

Visit RSR Group’s booth #12229 at SHOT Show 2014 Jan 14-17, 2014 to see the G762.

Tags: DRD Tactical
Posted in weapons | Comments Off on Announcing the DRD Tactical G762 Semi-Auto Rifle

Vertx to Incorporate Fighter Designs’ Airflow Technology

January 9th, 2014

Congrats to Adam Slank and the whole crew at Fighter Designs. You may recognize the name from their “Magnetic Velcro.” We have had some interesting conversations about the development of the Airflow Technology. Some of you make trousers made by Fighter Designs but I am looking forward to seeing how the technology works with the Vertx aPhantom pant.

(Cincinnati, OH 08 JAN 14) Vertx Apparel, the tactical brand and innovation design arm of Fechheimer Brothers, is proud to announce they have signed a licensing agreement with Fighter Design of Austin, TX. This new partnership will allow Vertx to incorporate Fighter Design’s proprietary Airflow Technology into new models of the world’s best tactical pant.

“Fighter Design’s ‘Airflow Tech’ has been on my radar for a while now,” says Vertx Director of Sales Darrell Morrow. “As an apparel feature there’s nothing else like it. It’s proven to keep you cool. Adding it as a feature option to Vertx tactical pants is frankly just an awesome evolution.”

Fighter Design’s Airflow Technology has already garnered well-deserved attention for shooters, athletes and operators who must work in high temperatures. It’s an aggressive, well designed system that utilizes extremely tough mesh material in strategic locations like the inseam of the pant legs and cargo pocket interiors to create a cooling flow of air into the pants.

“We’re very excited to be working with Vertx on this,” says Fighter Design’s Adam Slank. “They’re an amazing company and we’re all big fans of the Vertx brand. Of all the brands in the market, we really wanted to work with Vertx. People just need to try the new pants in order to feel the airflow for themselves. Some things need to be experienced.”

Though the partnership is a young one, an initial project will be debuted at the NSSF SHOT Show, Booth #126. This will take the form of a limited run of ‘Phantom Ops Powered by Airflow.’ Note that a small number of these pants will be available for preorder at the Vertx booth and on line—and doing so may very well guarantee participation in some otherwise invite-only after-business-hours Vertx SHOT Show events.

www.thefighterdesign.com

www.wearvertx.com

Tags: Fighter Design, VertX
Posted in Clothing, Design, Industry | 6 Comments »

Help Us Celebrate Our 10,000th Post! – Prizes Added

January 9th, 2014

UPDATED – We’ve reached 10,000 posts and to help us celebrate, 10 of you lucky SSD readers will win a Tarsier Eclipse generously donated by our friends at MATBOCK, LLC. Another 10 will win t-shirts from Beyond.
Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Beyond, MATBOCK LLC
Posted in Admin, Contest | 209 Comments »

Johnny PMAGs Still Available Through Grey Ghost

January 8th, 2014

Limited numbers of these magazines are still available for those who want to support John’s kids.

During SHOT Show Drake Clark reached me about helping out with an upcoming project. John Noveske had just passed away and Magpul was going to commit to a run of special “Johnny” PMAGs to raise money for his family. He asked if I would help. While I had only met John once through the introduction of Stickman, we had quite a few friends in common. And, I appreciated his hard work and innovation. “Sure,” I told Drake, “count me in!”

Now, I know some of you guys are asking yourselves why the family of a guy who owned a business would need money. Well, my answer is simple. It’s for his kids. Very, very few small business owners are rich, or even well off. They work insane hours and put everything extra back into the business. And now, in the case of Noveske Rifleworks, John – the creative force behind the brand, is gone. It will never be the same and the lives of his kids will never be the same. As a father and small business owner, I can tell you, none of this was lost on me. It’s the reason I agreed to be a part of this and a reason I purchased some of these magazines when they were first available.

Now mind you, all of this planning for the Johnny mag was going on during the panic of 2013. Despite this, Magpul came through with the initial push which they offered in conjunction with Noveske. And then, another tragedy struck, and a similar magazine-based fundraising campaign came along. And during that period, in late Spring, 300 Johnny PMAGs showed up at my door. When I was planning to start this fundraising effort, I foolishly thought I could offer them through PayPal, but I soon found out that wasn’t possible. Then, eBay was a bust. SSD has a long reach but what we don’t have is a web store. Once the other fundraising effort ended I reached out to my friends at Grey Ghost Gear and they thankfully agreed to handle the sales aspect of this effort.

If you missed out on the initial run of Johnny mags, Grey Ghost has just under 300 (they are selling already). The Johnny PMAG is a Magpul GEN M2 30 round PMAG designed for 5.56×45 NATO and .223 Remington AR15/ M4 platform weapons. This memorial magazine includes the Noveske “Flaming Pig” on one side, and the Noveske logo on the flip side.