OR Introduces Wallcreeper – the Tactical Snuggie
April 17th, 2009 | Product Announcement | Posted by Rob Curtis
Your overwatch position is getting renovated. Outdoor Research has updated and militarized their co-branded Exped Wallcreeper walkabout shelter. The original Wallcreeper was just a walkabout sleeping bag. The big news is the cover OR has developed in conjunction with SOCOM. It’s lightweight (1.7 lbs) and very compressible despite it’s size. The cover uses a ruggedized, ultralight 2-layer Gore fabric that’s new to the shelter scene. Similar products use a heavier and less packable 3-layer fabric.
There are three configurations for the cover, which can be used with or without the insulated Wallcreeper bag. In poncho mode it has an articulated hood, zippered arm holes and a waist cinch that gives decent mobility. In hanging shelter mode, there are lots of bar-tacked tie-down points around the edges so it can be guyed out into a sizable shelter. In bivy mode, it buttons up and features a guttered design that guides rain water away from the face opening.
OR made the first run of the cover in desert digital, but they are looking at making commercial versions in Multi-Cam, a solid earth tone, and maybe another digital pattern; possibly Army UCP or woodland digital.
There are a few changes to the bag portion, too. Notably, they’re offering a synthetic fill version. Weights are 2.45 lbs for the down bag, or 2.97 lbs with Primaloft synthetic insulation.
These were made as a special run for a special customer, so pricing is sketchy and development is ongoing. But, look for a commercialized version to be released in spring 2010.
OR’s New 1st Tier Gloves Named After 2nd Tier Superheroes
February 4th, 2009 | Photo Recon Product Announcement | Posted by Rob Curtis
Good thing the gloves are as cool as their names.
The $79 Piledriver is a tight-fitting tactical glove built more for protection than warmth. The glove has hard-knuckle protection only where it counts and soft-pad protection on the palm. No carbon fiber on the index finger to interfere with trigger guards, but there is a pull-on loop and terrycloth on the thumb and wrist to wipe away sweat.
The Stormcell, $105, is a spin-off of a civilian OR ice climbing glove that offers warmth and huge grip. The stretchy, close-fitting shooter’s glove uses a series of tacky laminate patches around the palm, thumb and fingers to improve grip, even when wet. The soft-shell fabric on the back and the synthetic Clarino leather palms will dry quickly if the gloves are whetted out, but the seam-sealed Gore-Tex insert should keep you dry for a long time before that happens. The graphics on the back of the glove may change, but OR was kind enough to let us photograph their pre-production samples.
Photo recon of both gloves after the break.
Shot 09- OR Airpurge Dry Sacks Keep You From Cubing Out
January 19th, 2009 | Product Announcement | Posted by Rob Curtis
The Airpurge Dry Compression Sack from Outdoor Research is a valveless dry bag that will keep your clothes dry and organized inside your ruck. At the bottom of the bag is a strip of one-way air purging fabric. The strip lets you crush the bag down so tightly that it forms a near vacuum and squeezes every last cubic nanometer of efficiency out of your pack.
The sacks will come in 4 sizes and two versions. The Coyote version is made in the USA for military customers. The imported versions will come in black and dark grey. Both versions will come in 10L, 15L, 25L and 30L sizes. Look for them in fall 2009. No word on price, yet.