Through 3/25/2013, US Elite’s monthly Spotlight On: features Granite Gear. Get 10% OFF all Granite Gear purchases plus FREE SHIPPING/FREE RETURNS. With every purchase you will also be enteredinto the Granite Gear GIVEAWAY – enter to win a Special Mission Raid Pack!
Giveaway page:
www.us-elitegear.com/spotlight-on
Contest Rules:
www.us-elitegear.com/spotlight-on-contest-rules
The Granite Gear Leopard is an ultralightweight pack developed originally for marathon athletes Justin “Trauma” Lichter and Shawn “Pepper” Forry in their recent Himalayas trek. One of teh ways Granite Gear keeps the weight down is by using 100D and 210D Cordura. Additionally, Granite Gear has successfully adapted PALS into their packs in discreet ways. for example, the hipbelt features what is essentially PALS webbing and these are used to attach tool loops and external pouches. The Leopard features a roll top closure along with a floating lid. Seen here is the Oatmeal and Java colorway which I prefer but if you like, there’s also a Skyblue and Slate version.
This is a shot of their Vapor Current suspension which is denoted by VC after the name of the pack. The frame sheet features molded air channels and along with its associated full-length HDPE framesheet is designed to accommodate loads up to 35 lbs. Think high volume over weight here. As with many Granite Gear packs the Leopard is available in a women’s model and there are different length sizes to offer a better fit.
Here, Granite Gear’s Dan Cruikshank goes over the features of the Leopard.
Look for a future version as well called the Snow Leopard and made from Spectra.
Granite Gear likes to bring military packs to OR that show capability and that’s the case with this variant of the Chief Patrol. It’s a bit slimmed down and in addition to the standard roll top with antenna and radio cable slits, this 40 liter pack incorporates a panel to access the load.
Here you can see the zippered water bladder pouches that accommodate 100 oz bladders.
And finally, you can see the Chief suspension.
So now that you’ve seen the pack and what it has to offer how about you name it? The winning name will receive this pack, shipped to you from Granite Gear and you’ll be able to tell all of your friends you named it.
From now until 2359Z 28 Jan 2013 post your entry to name this pack here on THIS post on SSD and nowhere else. Only entries here are eligible to win. Granite Gear will select the winning name once the contest closes. In the event more than one person submits the same name the first entry with that name will win.
Use any alias you want to post but be sure to use a valid email address since that’s how we’ll contact the winner.
One entry per email address. We will delete entries that violate this policy.
Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited.
Originally envisioned as an Alpine Litter, the Armadillo Litter is a joint project between Granite Gear and Remote Medical International.
Weighing in at ~15 lbs it’s made from a combination of carbon fiber and titanium. As it was developed for alpine use it can be used as a sled and they have lifted up to 2600 lbs without failure so theyre finding out that it can do way more than originally intended. Consequently, it’s currently undergoing airworthiness certification. Naturally, it all breaks down into standard litter size. This thing is cool.
OTE informed us that they have teamed with Granite Gear here in the USA to design and develop solar and portable power carrying cases and deployment solutions to accommodate Powertraveller products for the outdoor and tactical markets.
Powertraveller CEO and former Royal Marine Commando Jerry Ranger could not be more pleased to work with Granite Gear and OTE to develop and design the next generation of both civilian and tactical cases. “This partnership will only provide more options for the soldier or adventurer who need power solutions on the battlefield or on the mountains and peaks of the world.” He went on to mention, “Since the CEO of OTE comes from the Naval Special Warfare community, it is a pleasure to work together with a team of folks who understand what soldiers and adventurers need to complete their mission safely.”
Powertraveller products are available in 41 countries around the world as well as through numerous retailers here in the USA to include REI, Eastern Mountains Sports, and Cabelas. For you military folks, feel free to stop by Extreme Outfitters at Camp Lejeune or FT Benning and of course GSS Supply in Virginia Beach to see the entire offering of products. I know both Rob and Steve’s staff will gladly assist you! Powertraveller, OTE and Granite Gear told us that they would like to thank the hundreds of military folks worldwide who have helped in the development of these products and carrying solutions.
Granite Gear says that the new eVent Uberlight Drysack is beyond ultralight and .74 oz for the LARGEST bag (18 liter). Amazing! The body is translucent Cuben fabric with a eVent bottom to purge the air as you compress.
And yes, it’s available in some military user friendly colors.
Granite Tactical Gear is selling out their stock of prototypes. This means there aren’t a lot available but some are one of a kind versions of their standard product line. They’ve got everything from Chief Patrol Packs to four different grenade pouch variants and more. Get it before it is gone!
Brought to you Extreme Outfitters
The second day of the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference Wednesday saw a surge of patrons at the 10 a.m. opening and again just after lunch.
More than 300 vendors worked under the banner “Accelerating the Force†and welcomed long lines of anxious patrons who sought refuge from the heat in the air-conditioned Tampa Convention Center.
Montgomery Marketing Incorporated of Montgomery, Alabama, teamed up with product associates from Extreme Outfitters of Jacksonville, North Carolina, to highlight Granite Tactical Gear’s line of packs, pouches and sleep shelters.
Hundreds of special operators from the military, law enforcement and contracting community also had a chance to view the Recon series of sleeping bags, Walkstools and pouches and NATO tourniquets and pouches – just to name a few products from Extreme’s over 250 vendors. For more information visit www.tacticaledge.com.
Patron Michelle Kalphat of Army Research Laboratories in Orlando, Florida tested a 60-pound stuffed version of the Granite Tactical Gear Chief Patrol pack and was thankful for her work outs prior to the show.
“That time in the gym paid off,†said Kalphat, who was wearing a dress and tactical high heel shoes.
Elsewhere a team from Princeton Tec lighting from Trenton, New Jersey, was thankful for the increased traffic they experienced on day two of the event, where associate Ryan Ditta saw unique opportunities to network and promote his products.
“We hope to show the customer – the end user – the capabilities that Princeton Tech has,†Ditta said.
Princeton Tec associate David Cozzone said they thought the event went very well.
“We’ve met some very good end users and decision makers,†Cozzone said. “There could be a few more, but we have another day.â€
Both Ditta and Cozzone expressed a desire to focus more on the quality of their contacts rather than just the quantity of people they might meet in a large crowd.
“It was definitely busier today more people who trust our brand,†Ditta said. “There were more people (Wednesday than Tuesday) to give us valuable feedback.â€
There really weren’t any surprises for the Princeton Tec team, because they have been to literally hundreds of trade shows before.
Still, they still have tasks to perform with goals to achieve.
“The biggest challenge we found is trying to stand out like a little fish in a big sea,†Ditta said. “We have technologically-advanced products that are consistently engineered for this market and we want to find our niche and stand out as a leader.â€
“We’re very passionate about the military and anxious to get our products in their hands because we know their lives may depend on it,†Cozzone said.
The networking opportunities between manufacturing, marketing and product developers will likely lead to future collaborations that should have a positive impact on the Special Operations community.
At one such networking event during an after-product-show party gathering Wednesday night, in a popular game of skill, Team Extreme handily beat teams from Princeton Tec and Outdoor Marketing Alliance of Birmington, Alabama, three times in a row for friendly bragging rights – at least for the evening.
The conference exhibit hall is scheduled to be open one final day from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
Eric Steinkopff
Extreme Outfitters Staff
