Off Duty, Technology - Marine Corps Times

Give your gear a home

Sure, all these new knives and tools are great — but have you thought about where you’re going to stash that trash? After all, those fancy britches of yours have only so many pockets, and if you’re deployed, well, you can forget stowing this stuff in the garage.

No worries.

Want a ruck with more concealed compartments? It’s covered. Maybe built-in hydration systems are your thing? Wait ’til you see what’s about to hit store shelves.

California Competition Works

Bet you’ve never thought of wearing a purse into battle. You’d never know it by looking at this slender tactical pack, but the Column from California Competition Works was based on the design of a women’s handbag, owner Mike Palazzolo told Military Times.

An ambidextrous “sling bag,” the Column measures 22 inches tall, 6 inches wide and 6 inches deep. It’s got two outside pockets large enough to hold MREs or a hard-plastic water bottle, plus four zippered mesh pockets inside the bag.

Just load it and sling it over your head and either shoulder. Because it’s got a stiff back, this pack won’t sag in the middle; it rests flat against your torso.

The Column should be available in April.

Cost: $60

http://www.demooner.com

Leapers Inc.

As anyone who’s ever carried a briefcase can attest, there ain’t much about ’em that makes you want to shout “HOOOOOAH!” Now, meet the Army Computer Bag.

Though still a prototype, this bad-boy briefcase will fit your laptop — and it will coddle your 9mm Beretta. The bag’s main compartment is 16 inches long and 12 inches wide, ideal for most portable computers. A concealed rear compartment houses a removable pistol holder and twin magazine pouches. The bag’s exterior features webbing on the front and back for attaching other MOLLE-compatible pouches.

It will be available in black, olive drab and Army digital.

Cost: $90

http://www.leapers.com

CamelBak

It may have taken a while for the Air Force to develop its new airman battle uniform, but now that troops are wearing digital tiger stripes outside the wire, industry folks are wasting no time designing accessories. When new incarnations of CamelBak’s popular BFM tactical pack are released in late summer, airmen should see a version that matches their ABUs. It’s one of three items — including the Talon and ThermoBak — that CamelBak plans to produce with the distinctive Air Force pattern. The next-generation BFM will have some bigger pockets than its predecessor but will weigh a full pound less.

And if you’re a fan of CamelBak’s mighty MotherLode pack, take note now that it, too, is getting a facelift. Due out in the fall, this revised ruck will be one big mamma, boasting 2,143 cubic inches of cargo space and a 100-ounce water reservoir. But like the BFM, it will weigh about a pound less than the current model. Other upgrades include fleece-lined pockets to protect delicate gear such as sunglasses.

Cost: Undetermined

http://www.camelbak.com

S.O. Tech

Jim Cragg, S.O. Tech’s president and chief executive officer, is a captain in the Army Reserve, so the gear he develops and peddles is born from firsthand knowledge of troops’ operational needs. His Mission Go Bag is super versatile: Mount it on your vest, wear it as a shoulder bag or a “butt pack” that fits below your body armor.

S.O. Tech designed this little guy to accept mission-specific inserts and accessories that accommodate a host of troops: medics, explosive ordnance disposal techs, breachers, snipers — even combat journalists. Snipers can stow their range finders and binos. EOD techs can separate their detonators from their charges. Cameramen can pack several lenses and photo cards.

Cost: $80

http://www.specopstech.com