Sentinel Design LLC, makers of the new Duty Mag Well has done a great job of capturing the spirit of their invention in this upcoming morale shirt. Look for it soon, proceeded by a giveaway of a couple through their Facebook page. Get a leg up by liking them on Facebook – www.facebook.com/pages/Sentinel-Design-LLC.
Manufactured from Duro’s Litelok, this new hydration carrier from ATS Tactical also utilizes jacquard webbing from Murdock Webbing and Velcro brand MultiCam printed material. Even with all of that, this 3 liter hydration reservoir carrier weighs a scant 3-7/8 ounces. Available in MultiCam, Made in USA and sporting the ATS Tactical lifetime guarantee.
With millions of ACH cut helmets produced, it’s only natural that FirstSpear would introduce a dedicated variant of their popular Hybrid Cover. It’s made from mesh and softshell two-way stretch with loop patches for IFF. It not only protects your helmet but also dampens helmet noise and shine. Available in Small – XLarge (same as the ACH) in Black, Coyote, Ranger Green, White and MultiCam.
During a recent visit to my local Barnes & Noble I picked up a copy of “US Marine Infantry Combat Uniforms and Equipment 2000–12” from Osprey Publishing. Authored and illustrated by J Kenneth Eward it is very comprehensive. I really enjoy Eward’s style of illustrating which reminds me more of a photograph than a painting.
Eward has done an excellent job of cataloging the full gamut of Marine combat clothing and equipment. It’s all there, camouflage, utilities, armor and load carriage. Although, the Marine Pack System is still referred to as FILBERT, this slight oversight doesn’t detract at all from the book as the best reference guide yet to modern Marine equipment.
I was a bit surprised that they had titled the article through 12 considering the year wasn’t even over yet but the only thing I felt was missing was the woodland variant of the Combat Desert Jacket. The author did such a good job he even captured the Blackhawk Serpa holster adopted last year by the Marines as well as recent small arms developments such as the M27 IAR.
This is a must have for any one requiring a single source reference guide to modern Marine combat clothing and equipment.
www.ospreypublishing.com/store/US-Marine-Infantry-Combat-Uniforms-and-Equipment-2000–12
Debuting in November the LVOA-S from War Sport Industries will be offered in both a 12″ NFA model and a 14.5″ with pinned flash hider. It was designed specifically at the request of a customer who wanted to mitigate the muzzle flash as much as possible in order to lessen the effects on night vision devices and to help mask the shooter’s position. War Sport tells us they’ve gotten it down. You see, LVOA denotes Low Visibility Operations Application.
You can’t run a suppressor with this gun, but that wasn’t the signature they were going after. It’s a DI carbine chambered in 5.56 and manufactured by GPI Custom Gunworks. The upper also features a new style of rail system. According to War Sport one of the secrets to the success of the LVOA technology is the integration of a BCE 2.0 brake.
You might also notice the incorporation of bungees into the upper in the first photo. This will help manage cables and the integration of material to break up the outline of the weapon when needed. The bungees are manufactured from the same material used in oven mitts so they won’t melt under use.
Look for additional news soon.
Right after SHOT Show Infidel Caps had their first patch case made custom. They used it for several shows and then introduced it to their friends at Mil Spec Monkey who offered some design input. Then, they took it to Tactical Tailor and presented the idea to their design team. After a couple of more additions and design tweaks, they went into production. They are now very happy with the design of the Infidel Caps Patch Case, available at www.milspecmonkey.com.
When closed, the case resembles a covert weapon case measuring 15”H x 29”L x 1.5”W, a 3” x 5” Velcro Loop panel on the front and back for nametapes and other patches, dual zippers and carry handles. When unzipped, you find 3 zippered pockets, one larger and two smaller for paperwork, additional patch storage, etc.
When fully unfolded, it covers an area of 29” x 94” (2,726 sq in). Each of the 6 internal panels of Velcro Loop measure 15” x 28” (420 sq in) for a total of 2,520 square inches of useable patch space. Each case has a total of 10 grommets, 5 across the top and 5 across the bottom, to hang on your wall or on the edge of your show table. If you prefer, it fits quite nicely on any standard 8 foot table.
The perfect option for your growing patch collection or for those who sell patches at local shows. While numbers will vary based on patch size, Infidel Caps tells us that they have had as many as 484 patches on the panel at one time. Currently available in both Black and Coyote Brown.
It’s that time of year again boys and girls. I’ve made this an annual post for the past few years. Winter’s on its way so this is the perfect time to pull your kit out and check it over before it’s needed.
It looks like it’s going to be a LONG winter. During a recent shooting class I attended it started raining day one and by the middle of the second day it looked like a blizzard. Most of my fellow shooters were wearing waterproof breathable outerwear and several began to feel clammy and then damp the longer each day progressed. A couple of guys were wearing issue Gen I ECWCS parkas. Probably not the best garment available as WL Gore long ago decided that the basic design could not meet their “Guaranteed to Keep You Dry” standards. Of course these jackets were old. More than anything, they needed some maintenance.
The key to any modern outerwear is its Durable Water Repellent (DWR) which serves as your clothing’s first line of defense against moisture. There are quite a few treatments available and different manufacturers have their favorites but they are usually are based on flouropolymers. These are PTFE molecules that are applied to the surface of the fabric and cured at high heat to make them adhere better and increase performance. These treatments have a fluorine atom at one end which is highly hydrophobic meaning it hates water. Heat causes the fibers to align themselves with their flourines exposed. Water tries to move away from the flourines resulting in beading. This allows the water to roll off without wetting the fabric. Interestingly, Quarpel (Quartermaster Repellent) was one of the first DWRs and used to treat field jackets and other military clothing items back in the 1960s.
Since most of us can’t run out and purchase a new jacket every time the DWR needs refreshing I thought it would be a good idea to share a few tips with you that will not only revitalize your garment’s DWR treatment but also extend the life of your clothing.
DWR treatments work best when they are clean. I realize this seems counter to what you think is right since a DWR generally lasts about 25 washings and tactical garments get quite a beating in the field, but you need to wash your clothing. The first thing is to avoid using liquid detergents as well as fabric softeners. Additionally, avoid optical brighteners as they are not good for DWR or IR treatments. There are wash in treatments you can purchase as well as spray on options to help renew your clothing’s DWR. However, wash in treatments may affect the breathability of your membrane. One of the best spray solutions available is Revivex from McNett and it is what I have used in the past. It also serves as a stain repellent. Revivex can also be applied to garments that never had DWR in the first place so if you have hunting or field clothing that you find yourself wearing in inclement weather regularly you may want to give it a once over. If you use a spray treatment be sure to evenly coat your garment while it is still damp after washing and to pay special attention to any seams.
There are two additional ways you can put some life back into your DWR without a full retreatment. One is to put the garment in a conventional dryer on warm and the other is to iron it on low heat. This helps realign the fibers. If water fails to bead up on the surface of your garment you will need to retreat.
No matter which method you choose, proper maintenance of your foul weather clothing’s DWR will help keep you warm and dry and extend the life of your equipment.
That good looking fellow is Rob Curtis who writes for Gear Scout and is an honest to God war correspondent and gun enthusiast. A few years ago he started working with Mayflower to produce a custom photographer’s vest. This is the latest version and according to Mayflower, it will be available come the New Year.
Although it was originally envisioned for photography work, we think it will all be popular with medics and those in the Search and Rescue business due to the pocket layout.
