Outdoor Research has just announced their new Bavarian Lederhosen. Made from 24-ounce, 1/8″ thick leather panel, the Lederhosen features Sweat Trap Technology, to restrict breathability and keep sweat against the body. The bi-button codpiece keeps the Lederhosen tight against the crotch, and OR’s proprietary Beer Shield Technology ensures that any spilled beer beads up on the fabric.
Available starting Spring 2015.
www.outdoorresearch.com/blog/gear-geek/introducing-or-lederhosen
For some time now, Outdoor Research has been teasing me with news that they were going to bring some of their most popular clothing styles over to the military line with Coyote color. What they unveiled at SHOT Show were several models including this Foray Jacket in Coyote and Black.
Made from GORE-TEX PACLITE, a two layer laminate with a 50D poly shell. In addition to the flapped front zip it incorporates OR’s TorsoFlo hem-to-bicep zippers for venting. There are two handwarmer pockets (the left doubles as stuff sack) and a single Napoleon pocket on the chest.
OR also introduced the Drycomp Summit Sack in Coyote as well. I LOVE this bag and have been Jonesing for one in an earth tone for some time. It is made from a lightweight 70D nylon and incorporates a roll top closure as well as daisy chain and ice axe loop. At either side are mesh pockets and compression straps to help manage the load. Padded mesh shoulder straps make this a great summit pack or for use on recces.
The Spiltter glove was designed in conjunction with crack climbing legend Hans Florine and tested on Yosemite’s world-famous granite cracks.
Intended to replace tape, the Splitter is an easy on/off design and made from stretch polyester synthetic suede around the hand, non-slip synthetic leather for extra knuckle protection, and multiple finger loops with a unique wrist attachment. Available in XS, S/M and L/XL in Black.
We are pleased to share this announcement from the Warrior Protection and Readiness Coalition regarding new membership. We see several great companies joining this organization and it’s been quite educational to join them each year in Washington as they engage Congress on equipping issues.
MARBLEHEAD, MA (July 31, 2014) – The Warrior Protection and Readiness Coalition (WPRC) is pleased to announce three new members of its Board of Directors and the latest additions to its membership, including several leading companies in the warfighter equipment and clothing industry.
The three new industry representatives who have joined the WPRC Board of Directors include; Don Vavala of W.L. Gore and Associates, Frank Montie of Brookwood Companies, and Nate Smith of Oakley/Eye Safety Systems (ESS). The WPRC Board of Directors represents a cross section of the personal protective equipment industry, providing organizational governance and setting the strategic direction of the WPRC. These new Board members join current WPRC Board Chairman Luke Hillier and WPRC Secretary David Bohannon as leaders of this not for profit industry
association.
The new company members of the WPRC include: Lion Vallen, Outdoor Research, Burlington/International Textile Group (ITG), New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc., Patagonia, Inc., and CamelBak Products LLC. The added voices of these leading companies will be critical to advancing the WPRC mission to support the equipment and advanced clothing needs of the Armed Services and Department of Homeland Security.
Lion Vallen – Lion Vallen is a global leader in supply chain and lifecycle management of protective clothing, equipment and uniforms. LVI has a deep commitment to delivering superior services that support customers’ personal safety, readiness and professional identity needs. www.lionprotects.com.
Outdoor Research – Outdoor Research is a designer, developer, and manufacturer of apparel, glove systems, and accessories designed for the military and outdoor markets. Products for the U.S. military are manufactured at their own facility located in downtown Seattle. A full range of products is commercially available at www.outdoorresearch.com.
Burlington/ITG – Burlington leverages its advanced R&D with a diverse range of high performance manufacturing capabilities and a complete range of fiber/fabric blends that deliver state of the art military and commercial solutions worldwide. Their fabric portfolio encompasses applications for extreme weather apparel; camouflage combat and utility materials, tenting, shelter fabrics, shipboard covers and ballistic materials. Information on their military product offerings may be found at www.burlington.com/military-technical.
New Balance – Headquartered in Boston, MA, New Balance is focused on building global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. New Balance is currently one of the few major shoe companies that continue to manufacture athletic footwear in the United States. In 2013, 1 out of every 4 pairs of shoes New Balance sold in the U.S. was made or assembled in the U.S. www.newbalance.com.
Patagonia – Based in Ventura, California, Patagonia, Inc. is a leading designer and retailer of core outdoor, alpine, fly fishing, snow, surf and sport related apparel, equipment, footwear and accessories. Patagonia is a world leader in apparel design, the development of protective garments and an industry pioneer in environmentalism. For more information on Patagonia and their commercially available products, please visit www.patagonia.com.
CamelBak – CamelBak is the leading manufacturer of hands free hydration systems. Special Forces, soldiers and law enforcement around the world use their Military & Tactical products. These offerings include water bottles, hydration packs, backpacks, and protective gear designed for a variety of climates and terrain. A full listing of these military and tactical products as well as commercially available gear is available at www.camelbak.com.
“The new Board members of the WPRC bring a wealth of industry experience and strategic thinking to our ongoing efforts to ensure our men and women in uniform have sustained access to the best American made equipment and clothing,” said David Costello, Executive Director of the WPRC. “We are grateful for their dedication to the WPRC as well as for the participation of our six newest Coalition members in our efforts to support those who serve our country”
The WPRC supports the readiness of the Armed Services by providing a unified industry voice to the U.S. Congress, the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Homeland Security and other stakeholders. We work at the intersection of the Organizational Clothing/Individual Equipment industry, the federal legislative policy process, and the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security. Our membership includes companies throughout the equipment and clothing industry and with companies at every point in the industrial supply chain who represent the best in American manufacturing.
The market for Soldier Systems items is changing rapidly. No one knows this more than Outdoor Research who for many years, has led the development of specialized handwear for military customers. In fact, their association with military customers predates the current conflict and many of the styles that troops wore that first winter in Afghanistan came from their factory in Seattle.
But how this market purchases their clothing and equipment is transforming. The military isn’t consuming products at as rapid a pace as even a year or two ago and the cost of domestic Berry Compliant production is too high for most individual, retail-based purchases or even procurement by law enforcement agencies with tight budgets.
Outdoor Research is adapting to this new reality by introducing three different versions of their highly popular Firemark glove in order to offer different options for different types of customers.
First, they continue to produce a Berry Compliant version of the glove that is manufactured in the US, from materials made here in the US. These are intended for contract purchase by the US Department of Defense.
Second, OR has produced a Trade Agreement Act glove that can be sold via GSA. This model is meant for purchase by Government agencies. TAA Compliance means that a product is manufactured in the US or Designated Countries. These countries are generally those that we have a free trade agreement with, belong to the World Trade Organization’s Government Procurement Agreement, are considered “least developed” or located in the Caribbean Basin. There are several countries not on this list, particularly North Korea, Cuba and the People’s Republic of China. A full list of Designated Countries is in FAR 25.003.[3].
And last, but not least, there is an overseas production model that will find its way into retail outlets for individual purchase. It’s also a great model for those agencies and departments that do not require Berry Compliance. Regardless of production, all three versions meet OR’s performance specifications.
As you can see below, there are slight differences with each variant and these are based on materials and construction techniques available to each manufacturer but the quality remains the same. I’ve seen samples of all three versions coming out of these factories over the past few months and they’ve really dialed it in. You might not realize it, but in many cases, Berry Compliance limits the types of materials that can be used and how they can be assembled into a finished good.
To see which model is which, in the photo below, click the jump.
Outdoor Research is set on releasing two new Berry compliant tactical gloves later this year.
Stormfighter
The Stormfighter glove is designed for inclement weather protection yet allows for tactility and dexterity for weapon and tool handling. The shell is constructed from Tweave DURASTRETCH backed with Polartec Windbloc fleece, while the palm is made from durable, water-resistant goatskin leather. The Stormfighter’s pre-curved construction provides ease of articulation with no break-in period.
Firemark
The Firemark glove is a US-manufactured version of the popular offshore-produced glove. The glove features PORON XRD foam padding that protects the back of the hand and a water-resistant goatskin leather palm with an ergonomically-cut reinforcement layer that provides tactility and dexterity. To insure FR performance, the Firemark features DuPont Nomex interlock knit on the back of the hand.
Both gloves will be available for purchase November 1st, 2013.
We recently recommended the Arc’teryx LEAF Talos LT Halfshell and we just got these photos from Haley Strategic Partners that give you some good all around shots of the Talos LT to help you get a better feel for it. As it turns out there are a whole lot of other great products in these photos like carbines from Bravo Company USA featuring parts from B5 Systems as well as armor carriers and pouches from Mayflower Research and Consulting along with holsters from G-Code. You may also notice a lot of Kryptek camouflage in these photos including some cool custom combat pants from Australia’s Platatac, not to mention some interesting gloves from Outdoor Research.
