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Posts Tagged ‘Eagle Industries’

Outdoor Retailer Summer Market

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

For the next few days we are going to share some information from the OR Summer Market 2009. To kick it off we wanted to share this picture of ADS rep Bill Gassett hamming it up at Deuter’s booth.

Bill Gassett - ADS Rep Extraordinaire

Most of the usual suspects were on hand as well.

S.O. Tech has a booth that seems a little off the beaten path but it didn’t deter them releasing their new Adventure Pack System based on their successful Mission Pack System. In addition to the current tactical panels they have developed several specifically for the civilian market and these can easily be transitioned back over for tactical use by those who require more discreet capabilities. Additionally, S.O. Tech debuted their new K9 patch to add to their ever growing family of tactical symbology.

S.O. Tech K9 Symbol

Eagle’s booth was very streamlined and focused primarily on the Waterpoint line was well as several of the new garments they have in production. Word is that the Waterpoint line will be expanding in the future.

Arc’teryx has some great new clothing coming soon on both the LEAF and commercial side. Look for a full report soon. Shown are the Freelance Jacket and Raider Pant. Unfortunately, these two items from the commercial line won’t be available until Spring 2010.

Arc'teryx Raider Pant and Freelance jacket

IOTV Award

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

On 17 July, 2009 Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Dir of Clothing & Textiles awarded contract number SPM1C109C0022 for $39,371,150.00 to KDH Defense Systems of Johnstown, PA for production of 65,000 VEST, BODY ARMOR (Improved Outer Tactical Vest).

IOTV

The carriers will be produced by four sub-contractors who are required simply because of the demands of the delivery schedule which requires delivery of the 65,000 vests between September and December of this year. They are: DJ Manufacturing Corp. of Caguas, Puerto Rico, Eagle Industries Unlimited (Front Line Defense International, Inc.) of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Eagle Industries Del Caribe Inc. of Lares, Puerto Rico, and Savannah Luggage Works of Vidalia, GA.

Announcement of this award may come as a sigh of relief for some as it had been delayed several times. Interestingly, the companies involved in this award, as well the finalists in the Releasable Plate Carrier program may indicate a passing of the torch, so to speak, from the larger, more traditional armor companies to smaller manufacturers. Also, as two of the four finalists for that program will be heavily invested in producing IOTVs until the end of the year it will be intriguing to see if there now continues to be a delay in announcing the award for the Releasable Plate Carrier. Additionally, Eagle Industries has captured a notable portion of this business which seems to indicate a new emphasis on large piece contract sewing since being purchased by ATK.

Prototype Down East Pack Sneak Peek

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

Down East has been selling a demonstrator pack for several months now. It does the job of showing off the utility of their 1606 frame but it doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles that they feel would properly compliment their frame.

Down East Prototype Pack

In order to rectify the situation they recently entered into a collaboration with Eagle Industries to produce a modular pack system based around the 1606 frame. So far two prototypes have been built and Down east hopes to go into production later this year with a model based on lessons learned from the demonstrators.

Down East Prototype Pack Side view

The main bag is about 2000 cubic inches and with all of the compartments extended and filled it maxes out at 5100 cubic inches. It is manufactured from 500D Cordura and features a removable lid, sleeping bag compartment, radio pocket, and numerous compression straps to help manage the load.

Pack Lid

The lid can be separated from the pack and used as an assault pack. It is designed with easily deployable, simple set of shoulder straps and accommodates a water reservoir.

Pack Cover

The pack also includes a rain cover that stores in a small slot at the bottom of the pack. The rain cover is lightweight and stays attached to the pack via a tether. Not only does it protect the pack’s contents from the environment it also provides a smooth exterior so that attached items are less prone to snagging and can be used to adapt the pack to changing operational environments through camouflage patterns applied to the cover.

There are numerous features that we have not disclosed in this article for two reasons. First, they may not find their way into the final design and second, we see no reason to give Down East’s and Eagle’s competition a leg up.

The pack is still in prototype phase and several will be going out for field testing this summer. Based on feedback the pack may enter production as early as this Fall.

Eagle Handwarmer

Sunday, March 15th, 2009

Eagle Industries

Eagle Industries had an interesting new product on display at the recent NAVEXFOR show in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Eagle Industries Handwarmer

Similar to the handwarmers worn by football Quarterbacks, the Eagle design is intended to be worn around the waist. The Handwarmer Sleeve features a simple waist strap to avoid bulk and is made from a wind resistant four way stretch and is lined with fleece. There is an outer zippered access for stowage of small items and an expandable panel on the bottom in case you are wearing gloves.

Eagle Industries Handwarmer Sleeve

No word on availability.

Down East at SHOT

Wednesday, January 21st, 2009

Down East are the geniuses behind such products as the FastMag, Snap Dragon buckle, and MOLLE Frame. Amid little fanfare they unveiled their latest incarnation of the FastMag at SHOT Show. As the prototype FastMag passed from hand to hand among gear aficionados, the inventors explained the evolutionary improvements over previous versions. The greatest improvement is the attachment mechanism. A thin, rubberized, PALS compatible strap has been integrated directly into the design and pulls over a tab to secure the pouch via tension. Additionally, they introduced the ability to shingle the FastMag with Tactical Tailor’s MALICE Clip. The pouches can be stacked on top of one another or in conjunction with soft pouches as seen below. Additionally, you will notice that the bungee is missing. Down East felt that it was superfluous and drove up cost. Instead they engineered holes into the design so that the user could integrate a bungee if they felt the need. The new design is still in the prototype phase but if past performance is any indicator, these should begin to be available soon.

Down East FastMag Down East FastMag Attachment System Down East FastMag

To announce their new Direct Sales program, they also showed a version of their rucksack. In order to test their latest frame (DEI 1606) and suspension (in this case made by Eagle), Down East commissioned Log House Designs to manufacture a 2400 cu in pack. They are pleased to now offer limited numbers of these for sale in UCP and Multicam (available Late Jan 09) as well as civilian Black and Navy Blue. The pack is a simple top loader with ample PALS webbing to attach accessories and features a comfortable suspension.

Down East Rucksack Suspension Down East Rucksack Down East Rucksack

For more information visit www.downeastinc.com.

Photos from Soldier Systems Daily, Down East Inc and Mil Spec Monkey.

SHOT Show Day 1

Friday, January 16th, 2009

Eagle Announcement
Everyone has been wondering what the Eagle countdown clock on their website was all about. Forums were abuzz with guesses from new clothing to an LE line. But the truth was even more interesting. Eagle Industries announced its latest product line; Waterpoint, a family of hydration packs. Eagle stuck with what it knows best and applied their load carrying knowledge base around Source reservoirs. Using the design characteristics of compatibility with existing systems and the need to maintain a low profile, Eagle developed the Waterpoint line.

Currently, the line consists of five bags. The Sleeve is a simple cover for a 3 liter reservoir designed for compatibility with any Eagle vest or bag. It joined by variants of the Recon which include a slick version as well as one and two pocket models. The flagship of the line is the Yote (pronounced yo-tee) based on the new Eagle Assault Pack.

Waterpoint Recon
Waterpoint Recon

Waterpoint Yote
Waterpoint Yote

The entire line is manufactured from solution dyed 500d Cordura. The Source reservoirs feature a new quick disconnect and Waterpoint has first dibs but the valve will be included in all future Source production. Waterpoint also has a new bite valve that is omni-directional unlike other bite valves that must be correctly oriented to work properly. Additionally, the bite valve has a twist to lock design making it easier to lock the valve closed.

Under Armour Unveils Anvil Jacket

Under Armour has a lot of new product hitting the market this year but the Anvil jacket stuck out. Intended as an upgraded replacement for the Black Ops jacket, the Anvil is a water and wind-proof soft shell. The jacket is feature laden yet doesn’t give the outward appearance of a tactical garment in the least.

Under Armour Anvil Jacket

The Anvil will be available this summer in both Sand and Black.

Mayflower Kit at SHOT Show

We announced that Mayflower would feature their gear in the ITW and POF booths. Here is a shot of the Mayflower Mannequin in the ITW booth.

Mayflower kit

L3 Announces SBNVS Award

Electro-Optical Systems (EOS) was awarded a $48.9 million five-year, firm-fixed-price contract for its Submersible Binocular Night Vision Systems (SBNVS) by the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center. The SBNVS will be used by U.S. Navy personnel to provide night vision capability.

L-3 EOS designed the patented SBNVS Generation III night vision binocular, which features a twin-tube design that provides comparable performance to aviation systems and better depth perception than single-tube systems provide. The military designation for the L-3 EOS SBNVS system is AN/PVS-15; the L-3 EOS commercial designation is M953. Since 1998, L-3 EOS has delivered more than 7,000 night vision binocular systems to the U.S. military.

Eagle Industries’ New Travel Products

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008

Eagle Industries

Luggage Mat
Eagle has come up with a great inexpensive way to protect tables and bedding from dirt and scuff marks caused by luggage, boots, and other equipment.

Eagle Luggage Mat

Universal Travel Hook
There are many times, particualrly when traveling that you don’t want to place your bags, clothes or other items on the floor. The UTH alleviates the need to find a hook to hang your items. The hook is designed to work with stall dividers, frame doors, and hinges.

Eagle Travel Hook

Eagle Travel Hook

Manufactured from chrome plated 10/18 mild steel, the UTH easily suspends 60 pounds and comes in Black.

To order contact Eagle Industries. The UTH is currently offered at a 5% discount.

Photos courtesy of Eagle Industries.

Eagle Industries Assault Pack

Saturday, October 11th, 2008

Eagle Industries

Eagle Industries has been showing this assault pack at trade shows since SOF Week but they have been shy about releasing photos in order to foil counterfeiters. Designed at the request of a demanding user, early versions featured removable shoulder straps so that it could attach directly to a chest rig. Eagle has improved the design in order to offer comfortable, permanently affixed straps as well as retain the modularity of the design. Additionally, the large beavertail pocket is designed to hold a helmet with NODs mounted.

Eagle Industries Assault Pack

As you will see in the Military Times video below, the pack is laden with features. Eagle reps informed me that it will be available after SHOT show along with quite a few other surprises.