New Gear Ideas

[Zero_Six]

Looking for any new gear ideas. I am getting swamped with emails from our service men and women looking for any gear to make their life just a little bit easier. We are putting it out there as fast as possible but any new concepts, clothing, packs, socks, electronics anything really taking all recommendations. I will find a tactical provider just needing ideas to fill this growing vacuum.

[Skidsteer]

Hey Zero six,

It may be helpful if you give us a brief description of some of the specific problems the troops are e-mailing you about.

There are some pretty creative folks here and at http://hikinghq.net/, as well. If you give us some tangible problems to chew on, it would help with focus and you might be surprised with some of the ideas.

Hope we can help. :sun

[Zero_Six]

Thanks for the response. We have been getting excellent feedback from solicitations to various extreme mountaineers regarding gear ideas. I'll give a little background on us and the situation and welcome your comments. We have been in the business for a little over twelve years moving gear, camouflage solutions, and conducting Beta testing for new products to determine tactical application. After WWII and even Vietnam to some extent there was a surplus of good quality gear and outdoor enthusiasts clamored far and wide for it. Now after extensive periods of relative peacetime there have been less and less upgrades in the military gear department. Of course there have been updates in many areas but a peacetime budget cannot keep pace with the rapidly advancing civilian performance apparel industry. We are soliciting any ideas for private research on their tactical applicability for individual soldier support systems. Try to put your self in their shoes if you have not already been there. You are in a protracted guerilla war where you are being nickeled and dimed daily by an enemy that you cannot see. Politics disallow just devastating the enemy and getting it over with, so you are left trying to use every technological advantage you can to locate and defeat your enemy. Think of your favorite piece of gear and whether it may have tactical application. We are at the point now that adequate funding is finally there but new ideas are always welcome. We are specifically interesting in ultra lightweight products, compactable, durable, with the broadest of temperature operating range. Field compatible renewable energy sources are a growing area of interest as well. Really anything that can be adapted to function to make the soldier's life easier and his mission more effective. Thanks

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Since the male dino is retired (USAF 23 yrs), I'm not sure what they are using these days.

While not an item for cold weather, alcohol stoves have lightened many backpackers' loads. They are inexpensive, do not need to be cleaned / get stopped up and are light & small. The denatured alcohol used for fuel is a multi-use item - it can be used to clean hands and other items, start a traditional fire when needed and to clean weapons.

I'm assuming MRE type meals are still the norm in the field - how about adapting the concepts used in Orikaso's dinnerware (http://www.orikaso.com/index_US.html) to MRE packaging? Also, the use of MRE's designed to be cooked via the 'freezer bag method' (http://www.freewebs.com/freezerbagcooking/) in areas where water is plentiful would give soldiers tastier meals for less weight.

[Cedar Tree]

Looking for any new gear ideas. I am getting swamped with emails from our service men and women looking for any gear to make their life just a little bit easier. We are putting it out there as fast as possible but any new concepts, clothing, packs, socks, electronics anything really taking all recommendations. I will find a tactical provider just needing ideas to fill this growing vacuum.

Every soldier needs a packa, Just ask Sgt. Rock.
www.thepacka.com