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Modern Day Marine Gear For Grunts

More than 300 gear vendors have set up shop at Quantico Marine Corps Base, Va., for three days to show off their latest and greatest toys for your combat kit. Marine Corps Times will be scoping out the terrain till the shutters come down to bring you live coverage of the best gear finds. Check back throughout the day for your hourly gear fix!


Dispatches:
PHOTO:Power anything under the sun with no outlet
PHOTO:Buy socks, get miracles
PHOTO:You want a smaller knife?
PHOTO:Fully-loaded flashlight
VIDEO: Keep your screen squeaky clean
PHOTO:Gellin' while drill instructor's yellin'
PHOTO:Does everything but the driving
PHOTO:BALL-istic chaps
PHOTO:These will go with the helmet light you bought
PHOTO:My hybrid can beat up your hybrid
PHOTO:CamelBak hearts Multicam
PHOTO:Marked improvements
VIDEO: Don't tase me, Gunny!
VIDEO: Making the cut
PHOTO:Does your web gear match your boots?

Full coverage:
Modern Day Marine Expo runs through Thursday
Marines rake in loot at expo
Gear for Grunts: Shop Talk

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Exxon won't like this Power anything under the sun without an outlet

Like a huge lightbulb burning in the sky over their heads, the folks PowerFilm had an idea. They thought everyone should be able to charge up a battery anywhere they happened to be using a the power of the sun. There were two things stopping them -- efficiency and durability.

All that changed with the advent of the flexible solar panel. Now PowerFilm has taken us one step further down the road of solar freedom with the impending release the flexible paneled solar USB charger. Anything that you could charge from a USB port can now get juiced directly from the sun. The unit will charge 4 AA 2000ma rechargeable batteries in about 4 hours in direct sunlight, weighs about 2.5 oz., and folds up to fit in your pocket. The charger should be around $80 when it comes out about Christmas time.
Gear for Grunts: Shop Talk
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No more "swamp-foot" Buy socks, get miracles

These socks are no ordinary socks. They are fantastic.

In fact you might want a pair just so you have four. They're designed with the aviator in mind. You see, when a pilot is up surfing the skies their feet suffer from lack of circulation. So the Air Force approached X-Static, the company that makes silver thread, and asked them to help design a sock that would help. Why silver you ask? Well, seems that proprietary silver thread has some kind of ionic reaction that makes blood flow better, kills odors, germs, bacteria, and may even promote healthy lifestyle choices in general.

Who knew?

Anyway, the sock is still a prototype, but you can look for the X-Static symbol on other products or dust off that 4th grade sketchbook and see if the folks at X-Static can help you make your Silver Surfer suit a reality.
Gear for Grunts: Shop Talk
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Ouch You want a smaller knife?

Some knives are too big, some knives, too small. Gerber listened to whiny, Goldilocks-grunts and came out with the compact-ish Yari-II. The tanto-tipped, fixed-blade knife will be in stores by the end of the month. The knife is so new that the guys at the booth had to break out a multi-tool ruler to measure the blade length for me. Just about 4". The full tang, half-serrated, knife blade is made from S30V steel, the current sweetheart of the blade industry, and should come in at under $100 with a cool sheath that's made to fit a drop-leg rig. It's also got a glass breaking butt.
Gear for Grunts: Shop Talk
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Marked improvements, redux Fully-loaded flashlight

These guys were making LED flashlight before it was cool. The latest update to their venerable Phantom Warrior flashlight series is the Flash44, bottom. Phantom took the rotary thumb wheel brightness control and made it go to 11. It's super bright compared to the older model that medics have been using for years. The Flash44 is now available in versions with red and green secondary lights in addition to their medic friendly blue. You also don't have to reverse the 4 AA batteries to get the infrared going, there's a new rotating bezel that makes choosing your flavor pretty simple. Made in America and only available to military/LEO through direct sales for $70. www.phantomlights.com
Gear for Grunts: Shop Talk
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CSI: Your desk Keep your screen squeaky clean

We've all been there. It only takes one NSFW picture to pop into your inbox and suddenly you've got a handful of coworkers looking over your shoulder when one goes for it. He can't stop himself. He reaches out with that finger and time slows down as you try to weigh the appropriate response. Will you be mocked for slapping the hand away before that oil laden digit smears your virgin LCD, or do you allow a glaring fingerprint on your 15" window to the World Wide Web? Well, if you can hide your OCD long enough for Sgt. Smudge to retreat, you can whip out you handy little Lenspen LapTop Pro. This gadget uses a carbon black embedded pad to wipe away that smudge in a flash. The other end has a couple of brushes to dust your screen and your keyboard. It costs about $25 and should be in stores pronto.

See the video
Gear for Grunts: Shop Talk
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Chicken soup for the sole Gellin' while drill instructor's yellin'

Here we have the Heelcup from Skydex (not to be confused with SkyNet, the defense network that becomes self-aware and sends robots back in time to annihilate human resistance before it begins. I'll check out their booth out after lunch). Their latest product is aimed at a target much lower than world domination, it's aimed at your feet.
Skydex has been making aftermarket pad kits that replace standard issue helmet pads with a thinner and more comfortable version that maintains the same level of protection. Dr. Scholl, meet the Marine Corps. Prototypes of the Skydex Heelcup is being tested by well-heeled show patrons and should be available in a couple of months for under $20.
Gear for Grunts: Shop Talk
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Still can't find Dick Cheney Does everything but the driving

Garmin's latest Nuvi is not as dumb as its predecessors. The new Nuvi 700 series, hitting the street in a few weeks, brings back all the bells and whistles so sorely missed in the B-student automotive versions. Keeping it at the head of the class is its integration with MSN to give you not only traffic info, but gas prices, phone numbers and maybe tax records as well as tips to ace the LSAT. They've also brought back user configurable routes and a track log so you can save your travels and reminisce about the time you took the long way and didn't ask for directions. MSRP is $600 to $1000 depending on your choice of Bluetooth and preloaded maps.
Test and tax prep are extra.
Gear for Grunts: Shop Talk
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Defending your loved ones BALL-istic chaps

Does anyone find this as funny as me? It's no doubt a great product that will save some groins, but the 7th-grader in me couldn't help but giggle as I walked by the Kuchera booth.
Gear for Grunts: Shop Talk
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Night watch men These will go with the helmet light you bought

Luminox is known for their tritium vialed watches. Not resting on their simple green colored laurels, they've gone and released a set of "affordable" watches that Toucan Sam would be proud to front. The tritium vials in the EVO Navy Seal Colormark series watches glow the same tint as the featured colors on the oversized, 44mm face. The newly designed case does away with the stainless back and incorporates a carbon reinforced polymer injection molding case that's lighter and waterproof down to 600 ft. At the $250 list price, you get a 4-year battery life, extra-wide strap (23mm strap lugs for you strap-changers) and a double gasket, non screw-down crown.
Gear for Grunts: Shop Talk
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Don't call me smug My hybrid can beat up your hybrid

Call the Prius of the tactical world. The Millenworks Light Utility Vehicle demonstrates some seriously radical thinking in tactical off-road vehicle design. It's driven by a pair of electric motors and a diesel engine. One electric motor up front, diesel and electric combo in the back. This allowed the engineers to design a vehicle with no transfer case, and no driveshaft pulling two key mobility-kill soft points out of the IED strike equation. Other innovations include putting the driver in the center of the vehicle, a remote operated main gun, with the too-cool acronym SCUL (Small Caliber Ultra Light), and styling that is sure to land it a role in the next Transformers movie.

Gear for Grunts: Shop Talk
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CamelBak hearts Multicam 6 models of new hotness in stores soon

Camelbak premiered production versions of its backpack and hydration systems in Multicam. The newest camouflage will be available in the next couple of months in normal tactical retail outlets with a modest 10% upcharge for the latest tactical fashion statement. But don't look for the new pattern in AAFES/PX/NEX anytime soon, since you can't carry it, they aren't keen on selling it. Yet.

Camelbak's most popular models will get the Crye treatment: BFM, Motherlode, Hawg, Ambush, Mule, and HydroBak. Camelbak would also like you to know that MARPAT versions of their gear is hitting the shelves, so you can ditch all that Coyote!
Gear for Grunts: Shop Talk
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Marked improvements Now in color

Until recently, Surefire's helmet lights have only been available with a white primary light and blue secondary light. Three new versions of the Surefire helmet light have hit the streets, now with more primary and secondary light options. The possibilities are the Bravo (white primary and infrared secondary), Charlie (white/ infrared), and for you operators, Delta (yellow-green/infrared).

Prices are the same for all models, $139 retail, $100 direct for MIL/LEO from Surefire.
Gear for Grunts: Shop Talk
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Self-defense Don't tase me, Gunny!

Lance Cpl. Keegan Hestdalen, from 8th & I, takes a five-count tasering. TASER brand's newest consumer model is the C2, shown in Combined Operations purple. For $350 you can see if you can stand it.
See the video
Vanity shot of the TASER C2
Gear for Grunts: Shop Talk
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Tools Making the cut

In the "coming soon" category, Benchmade has added a 4th model to their shroud cutter line. The new model, called the 8HOOK, is specifically designed to slip into the knife pocket of a flight suit. It does away with the rubbery overcoating found on the 7HOOK to keep the price down, but you won't really miss the coating since the ergonomic shape of the new version allows for a lot more leverage with a similar comfort level. Really, who cuts through so many seatbelts in a row that comfort is really going to become an issue? The 8HOOK weighs in at about 2 oz., is made of heat-treated 440C stainless and has a 1/2" cutting capacity and makes short work everything from boots to tow straps.
See the video
Gear for Grunts: Shop Talk
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Spec-Ops Modular Bandolier Does your web gear match your boots?

I call it a tactical purse, Spec-Ops calls it a Modular Bandolier. Either way it's a handy piece of kit. With the increase of vehicle-born operations, it seems like it'd be a good idea to have something any member of a vehicle crew could grab as the dismount and just throw over their shoulder. Spec-Ops Wes Davis says the Modular Bandolier "bridges the gap between load bearing vest and a backpack." You can also slip this thing off with the quick release buckles and hand it off to a fellow squad member pretty easily.

It's made of 1000d Cordura, should hold 80lbs without a hitch and has molle/pals on both sides of the main zipper-top compartment. It doesn't come with any pouches, so you can set it up however you want, or as your wallet will allow. Seems like it's well suited as a ammo sling or an intermediate medical pouch. The one pictured has a flashlight pouch, a medical pouch and a 200-rnd saw drum pouch. It's $80 retail, $60 in the exchanges and is available now.
Gear for Grunts: Shop Talk
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