thedrifter
10-07-07, 04:35 PM
Pack takes hydration a step further
By Matthew Cox - mcox@militarytimes.com
Posted : October 15, 2007
LONDON — Troops may soon have a new option in the vast world of assault packs — one that relies on water to form its frame design.
Gerber, a well-known maker of tactical knives, is launching a new style of tactical backpack that features a large, semi-rigid hydration reservoir that sits against the service member’s back and adds structural strength to the pack.
Hydration packs are nothing new in equipment for the military. Canteens have become obsolete as troops have switched to drinking water from special tubes attached to flexible bladders. But the Gerber Reservoir Assault System Pack, known as the GRASP, instead relies on a semirigid construction with welded sides and four oval-shaped baffles that add structural strength and prevent sloshing.
The large, rectangular reservoir holds 150 ounces of water and slides into a ballistic nylon carrier sleeve. It then becomes part of the frame structure in the modular pack system.
“That’s your start point; from there, you can add components,” said Jeremy Price of Gerber UK at the recent 2007 Defense Systems and Equipment International Exhibition here.
The system has a cargo capacity of 2,760 cubic inches. For short missions, a smaller, two-pocket pack has a capacity of 420 cubic inches.
Before designing the system, Gerber officials talked to infantry soldiers at bases such as Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Lewis, Wash.; and Fort Benning, Ga., Price said.
Another design feature of the reservoir is that it’s easier to clean and dry than bladder-style systems, Price said, because it doesn’t require a drying rack insert to keep it open.
Gerber plans to formally introduce the GRASP at the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting this month. It should be available for sale in early 2008, Price said.
Other simple innovations at the DSEi show included the Saratoga Sandbag Lock.
This small, lightweight, plastic device is designed to fit between sandbags to hold them in place.
“It makes it more sturdy against blasts,” said Sgt. Andy Nichols of Britain’s Ministry of Defence.
Another sandbag-related item on display at the show was The SandHopper, a metal frame that holds sandbags open for easy filling.
In the past, filling sandbags usually required two service members — one to hold the bag, the other to fill it. By that method, two people can fill 92 sandbags in an hour, according to a brochure from SandHopper’s maker, Pro-Earth Developments LLC.
By comparison, one man using the SandHopper can fill up to 148 sandbags in an hour, the brochure says.
Ellie
By Matthew Cox - mcox@militarytimes.com
Posted : October 15, 2007
LONDON — Troops may soon have a new option in the vast world of assault packs — one that relies on water to form its frame design.
Gerber, a well-known maker of tactical knives, is launching a new style of tactical backpack that features a large, semi-rigid hydration reservoir that sits against the service member’s back and adds structural strength to the pack.
Hydration packs are nothing new in equipment for the military. Canteens have become obsolete as troops have switched to drinking water from special tubes attached to flexible bladders. But the Gerber Reservoir Assault System Pack, known as the GRASP, instead relies on a semirigid construction with welded sides and four oval-shaped baffles that add structural strength and prevent sloshing.
The large, rectangular reservoir holds 150 ounces of water and slides into a ballistic nylon carrier sleeve. It then becomes part of the frame structure in the modular pack system.
“That’s your start point; from there, you can add components,” said Jeremy Price of Gerber UK at the recent 2007 Defense Systems and Equipment International Exhibition here.
The system has a cargo capacity of 2,760 cubic inches. For short missions, a smaller, two-pocket pack has a capacity of 420 cubic inches.
Before designing the system, Gerber officials talked to infantry soldiers at bases such as Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Lewis, Wash.; and Fort Benning, Ga., Price said.
Another design feature of the reservoir is that it’s easier to clean and dry than bladder-style systems, Price said, because it doesn’t require a drying rack insert to keep it open.
Gerber plans to formally introduce the GRASP at the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting this month. It should be available for sale in early 2008, Price said.
Other simple innovations at the DSEi show included the Saratoga Sandbag Lock.
This small, lightweight, plastic device is designed to fit between sandbags to hold them in place.
“It makes it more sturdy against blasts,” said Sgt. Andy Nichols of Britain’s Ministry of Defence.
Another sandbag-related item on display at the show was The SandHopper, a metal frame that holds sandbags open for easy filling.
In the past, filling sandbags usually required two service members — one to hold the bag, the other to fill it. By that method, two people can fill 92 sandbags in an hour, according to a brochure from SandHopper’s maker, Pro-Earth Developments LLC.
By comparison, one man using the SandHopper can fill up to 148 sandbags in an hour, the brochure says.
Ellie