PMCI - May 2016

TACTICAL GEAR
I’m always very, very proud when I visit IWA and see that one
of the biggest stands in Hall 9 is that of our very good friends,
UK-based Warrior Assault Systems. Regular readers of PMCI will
know that I love their gear, and to see them “ruling the roost” is
a great buzz. Their L-shaped stand dominates one corner of the
hall and they quite literally show everything that they make, in
pretty much every colourway they make it in and to say this is
an impressive display would be doing them a huge injustice; it’s
outstanding! All the Warrior gear has been fully tried and tested in
the real world so you know you can rely on it; if you want a plate
carrier, chest rig, holsters, pouches and packs then Warrior truly
is a one-stop brand. It was also great to visit and get personally
introduced to “SAS: Who Dares Wins” star Ant Middleton!
I’ll make a mention here of new kid on the block, First Tactical,
who were exhibiting for the first time in Europe.
Although they have an absolutely great range of clothing,
accessories, and footwear it’s their “nylon” gear that really
got my interest. First Tactical are focused on providing the end
user with gear that is specific to their requirements, guided by
innovation and reliability. Their design process combines both
advanced technical materials with state-of-the-art components.
First Tactical products are built to offer fully functional gear
precisely created for professionals in the military, emergency and
police services. It’s a range of great looking kit and I’m right in
the midst of testing their Tactix patrol pack and thus far I’m very
impressed; look forward to hearing more about First Tactical soon!
Tasmanian Tiger had a superb stand again this year, and
as they are one of the gear brands that work with the PenCott
patterns that have been used by the anti-poaching teams in
Africa they are always high on my list to visit. 2016 was the
first year that I’ve met with them directly and I have to say that
being given the proper walk-through to their comprehensive
range of tactical gear was a real treat; their new Tac Line is really
impressive. Tasmanian Tiger work with the very best fabrics
and components and all of their gear that I’ve tested has been
superbly manufactured and really is 100% bomber tough! More
of their kit is slowly getting into the dealers now and if I were you
I’d give it a thoroughly good look over.
I noticed more this year of smaller companies that are doing
very clever things when it comes to tactical gear and the guys
from MD Textil were really playing a blinder. As well as their
custom work they were showing some really superb looking
tactical belts and slings, and their new split-front chest rig is a
true stunner; the unusually effective magnetic buckles have to
be seen to be believed. Sharing the same stand were Chakaw
Kydex Holsters who were showcasing their new overt and covert
carry options including the latest MKIII Exactor model. Whilst not
directly making gear the team at Tactical Trim provide just about
everything you would use in putting it together; this year they
were showing some excellent new Fibrotex products as their
“headline” that had been made up into concealment suits; this
fabric technology was highly impressive.
Of course all the main brands were there to be seen and the
likes of Direct Action, Tactical Tailor, TACWRK, Blackhawk!, Mystery
Ranch, and Eberlstock also had some superb gear on display.
IT’S A WRAP!
So after two a half days of mayhem and many miles covered,
IWA 2016 was finally a wrap, and to catalogue everything I saw
would be an impossibility; I’ve concentrated here on the things
that REALLY took my eye and I can only apologise to those that
spent time with me that have been missed out this year.
To conclude this report I’m going to be unashamedly flagwaving
for a moment as two more UK-based companies also
deserve an “honourable mention”. Better known for their superb
optics SHIELD PSD had a great stand really showcasing “Best of
British”, and they even had a new singlepoint sling design which
looks great. Although Thatchreed are based in Hall 6 given their
crossover into field sports they did have a great stand with an
area dedicated to their VIPER tactical gear and this could not be
missed as they were launching their new “Titanium” grey tactical
products at the show, more detail of which you’ll get in due
course; as I write the container carrying the first of these products
is being unloaded and stock is hitting the VIPER warehouse ready
to be shipped to retailers!
Once again IWA 2016 proved to be a first-rate show; old
friends were visited and new friends were made, and we can
only thank everyone for all the time they spent with us. Thanks
especially to Mike and the Brothers of the Tactical Beard Owners
Club for allowing me to present a canvas of the February Issue
cover to Instructor Zero at their annual IWA get-together, and for
the beers and banter afterwards!
We’ve got reviews and stories lined up in abundance
now, and with these in hand I can only tell you that you’ll
see it all here first in PMCI!
IWA TACTICAL GEAR REPORT
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