Green Cloaks 2014 Event 2: The Extraction - After Action Report

After action reports always sound weird but it's something that I feel very strongly about doing. Honest and public appraisal of our products used in possibly the harshest environs they will encounter is vital to keep our product lines moving forward. It's also a chance to say thank you to the people that provide us with the space to do what we do best: show off!

First up, the event went spectacularly. The staff and players really stepped it up this event and its was frankly wonderful to see the progression. I didn't have the horror of migraines bogging me down this time and was able to fit in plenty of combat to test our equipment. From crawling through the bracken and forest floor in order to climb over walls and attack player camps to chasing fleeing players at full tilt as they attempted to warn of an attack, our kit got a full and thorough work through. Possibly the best test of was finally fighting alongside the players in their final push towards a portal into another dimension against hordes of technologically reanimated corpses. All combat experience enhances our design capabilities and this new experience taught me and the team a significant amount.

The environs were somewhat different to the last outing: there was significantly more dust while the weather was much warmer and drier than previous events. With a large metalled road covered in a layer of fine sand and dust, the clouds were pretty thick and things got pretty hazy. It played hell with the weapons and kit alike. This isn't a factor that we had considered in our design portfolio.Something we're certainly considering from here on out!

The Juliet pattern rigs performed sterlingly. With two of them in play under very different styles, it was marvellous to be able to get a true assessment of their capabilities. They both survived the dust and grit without so much as blinking. As always, we saw the 500D Cordura we have built our business model around is a steadfast and dependable fabric and won't be changing any time soon.

The proliferation of slings in the system was obvious and our 2 point quick release sling was almost ubiquitous. The design continues to be solid and I'm very happy with that. There are no plans to change it in the near future.

Things don't always go as planned... Spot the sling though! :D

Our new armour lines also began to make an appearance in the field. The MkI Cuirass saw its first real world action and it remained in one piece and there were no reported complaints of overheating. It would seem the combination of breathable 500D Cordura and 3mm spacer mesh is a winning one that I look forward to deploying to future products. I'm so very happy it worked out: we've been looking for an alternative to Closed Cell Foam we used in the older iterations. The latter configurations is only really suitable for the heavier, less flexible armour systems like the MkI Juliet.

Not joking about the slings!

It wasn't all brilliant, however. The higher level of combat intensity over a sustained period really pushed our standard rail mount design past breaking point. Traditionally, we've used 4 M3 self tapping screws to secure mounts to the rails. The reasoning behind this has always been to allow the rail to break before the person falling on it breaks. That's all fine and dandy until the plastic starts expanding or otherwise starts being variable. Belting around the woods at twilight and dusk, we lost several torches and fore-grips which is an unacceptable failure rate. From this point forward, we will be supplying M3x35 bolts and locking nuts to secure our rail systems to prevent repeated failures. All GC players who feel they want to make the transition can do so free of charge at one of our event stalls. While our current system has sufficied for office warfare and HvZ, having seen what I've seen this weekend and having built up a good bank of connections within the fledgling Sci-Fi LARP community, I think we're going to need to add a lot more weight to this player group in future designs.

So, to the future. We're already preparing for Event 3. We've shifted our work away from holsters and slings to larger armour systems and rail mounts. UKNerfWar.com will continue to carry our holsters and slings at events but without those items plugging up our production queue in advance, we're intending to be able to supply a wider array of armour systems, magazine holders and the like. 3D printed accessories are likely to begin featuring more heavily, too. We've got a large catalogue of products now and it's time we moved away from the simple holster and sling options. :)

If players are reading this and you want stuff guaranteed for Event 3 then please let us know via email. We are developing a fixed point tactical vest system directly from the feedback we have received from you fine folks and are happy to dig in and produce something just for you and your character. It'll be in the £45 bracket and be an off the shelf, battle ready system with enough stuff to carry all the bits and pieces you need to fight in the Green Cloaks universe.

Elsewhere, we're also working on generic fabric identification patches - stuff like '109th Light' and such with Velcro backing so you folks can identify yourselves on the battlefield. It was something I noticed while fighting alongside you folks that sometimes it was difficult to tell friend from foe and on more than one occasion, I nearly shot friendlies. I appreciate there are already some around but having a source on site you can purchase from is probably a good idea. Better yet, our talented folks might sew the loop Velcro tape to your shirt for you in exchange for mead or biscuits. :)

It truly was a fantastic event and you should all be very proud of what you're part of. Enys, Woj, Charley and everyone at Trinity Games, you've created a thriving system that is touching the lives of its players in ways you can't imagine while driving innovation among the makers and creators in this field. Keep doing what you're doing and it's my professional opinion that this system has some serious legs. See you on the fields of the Omega in three weeks time!



Mike Harratt
Managing Director, Blastersmiths UK

All photos (C) Ronnie Hall Photography. Reproduced with kind permission.

MkI Juliet Custom Made Tactical Vest - Now Available

It's been a VERY long time coming but we've finally been able to get the time to finish up our top of the line, biggest ever MOLLE carriage system. Custom made to your measurements, this vest offers unparalleled space for carrying equipment and offers a great deal of padding against oncoming fire making it the ideal phys-rep for LARP medium armour.

Built from our usual 500D black Cordura or a range of camouflage patterns and colours in 1000D, this is piece of kit for a serious player. The Juliet sits at the core of a new armour phys-rep system for LARPers with options for leg, shoulder and other armour to integrate with the core torso rig in the pipeline.

Pre-production view

Its panels are secured with velcro rather than the older MOLLE thread system so it's faster than ever to don and doff your armour. When secured, it offers a snug fit that offers a great deal mobility despite the large coverage. At the bottom it has belt loops that will fit belts up to 2" (50mm) and the vest itself is sold with a BSUK black tactical belt.

When you place an order for one of these, we will be in touch to request your measurements. We'll need neck, chest, waist and body length (from under arm to pelvis bone) We'll then make up your rig to a lead time of 4 weeks as these are large, complex items that will take our team some time to manufacture.

These are available now from our webstore for £80 in black 500D Cordura and £85 for a range of 1000D Cordura colours and camouflage patterns. We can only supply black straps and thread through the website but if you'd like Multicam 500D or 1000D Woodland DPM with matched buckles and the like, get in touch and we can arrange a quote for you.

Foam Dart Integrated Load Bearing System (FD-ILBS)

Image (c) Blastersmiths UK, kindly retouched by Marcus Hoare

This is a complete version of our new, modular modular Foam Dart Integrated Load Bearing System (FD-ILBS) or Phyllis for short.

It is designed as a multi-part system formed of two components and both have plenty of MOLLE space for pouches, panels and the like. This represents a shift in our thinking for tactical vests and rigs. We're looking to lower the barrier to entry to a modular system by breaking it up and allowing people to invest in stages rather than in a large chunk at once.

Essentially, we have 2 large components of the system and we can work through them in turn. The Molle Cuirass in navy blue at the top of the photo and the Battle Belt at the bottom of first photo. These are 2 distinct line items available to purchase separately but they are designed to work together as a single unified vest piece.

MkI Battle Belt - Half of our new FD-ILBS system that includes integrated magazine storage

Battle Belt Reverse

I'll start from the bottom up. At the bottom you have the MkI Battle Belt, a 30" wide piece of Cordura and mesh covered with plenty of MOLLE webbing. This allows ready attachment of dozens of accessories and ready expansion of your rig. Uniquely for our torso equipment, it contains integrated magazine holders. This is a battle ready piece of equipment straight off the shelf. Adding this to your load out not only offers immediate additional pouch and accessory attachment but also magazine space. The one size fits most design is secured at the back using the ladder loc system inhereited from the MkVI tactical chest rig. Off the shelf, it will fit a waist size up to 48" but we can expand that if necessary upon request (just email us when ordering and we'll sort something out). It is secured at the front using side release buckles for ready access, you can quickly don and doff.

The Battle Belt is available from our website (link in the description) in a range of colours and camouflage patterns on a 2 week lead time.

MkI MOLLE Cuirass

For your chest, there is the MkI MOLLE Cuirass. We designed this because people moan about vests being too restrictive. Covering the kidneys warms you up, restricts movement and is a common gripe for many a player. By leaving the abdomen exposed, we sought to fix these issues. Sitting just on your rib line, this vest is designed to be out of the way while providing all the MOLLE space that you would expect from a vest. Even though it is designed bespoke to your measurements, this rig has plenty of adjust-ability to maximise comfort. The ladderlocs securing the under-arm panels to the back plate are inspirited by the South African pattern assault vest so common here in the United Kingdom and they allow for shaping the cuirass to a number of different body shapes. A unisex design is often overlooked in this hobby so we thought we'd accommodate the many female players we encounter at LARP systems across the UK and beyond. As with the battle belt, side release buckles form clasps over the front of the rig for quick doffing and donning. The vest is built from our usual durable Cordura and is lined with mesh for maximum comfort and breath-ability.

These two pieces link using a set of Velcro links to secure through loops present on each piece (pictured right). This locks the two together into an integrated system that is as flexible as any modular system you could ask for. Available in a range of colours and camouflage patterns, we make everything to order in house so if you've a specific requirement, please don't hesitate to get in touch.


Both of these items can be purchased through our website or as a complete system from 30th May 2014. If there are any questions, please drop them in the comments. There was an intention to get a video demonstration of this one but we ran out of time before launch as other, even more exciting items pushed their way through the development pipeline. We will endeavour to get one in short order but for now, rest easy with the photos. :D

Links:
MkI Battle Belt at £25 inc VAT at 20%
MkI MOLLE Cuirass at £35 inc VAT at 20%

-Mike Harratt
Blastersmiths UK

Stryfe Battery Tray Expanders

I hate cutting, drilling and sanding because it gums up the printers, the sewing machines, leaves the minions sputtering and is generally a faff. To that end, a lot of what we do within the company is aimed at reducing the tooling burden a number of mods require. We're currently working on making Rapidpistols relatively painless (once you get past the band saw stage) using the 3D printer and a while back we released a battery tray expander for the Stryfe so we didn't have to dremel the interior of the blaster and create lots of dust that would cause problems in our workshop.

Problem solved. By printing one of these and removing the orange battery braces in the stock Stryfe tray, we're able to wire in a Deans connector and have lots of fun with Litihum Polymer batteries.

The battery in question is a 2S 1000mAh 20C Lithium Polymer battery pack from Hobby King. We elected to swap the stock XT60 connector for a Deans connector because of spacing constraints but that turned out to be unnecessary. There is plenty of internal room once this tray cover is placed.

It comes complete with a matching screw because the stock one was a little too short for our purposes. Granted, it does make the lopsided-ness of the Stryfe worse but it's a worthwhile compromise if you can't be bothered with drilling and cutting all over the place.

These are available on our website for £5 in a variety of colours. Lettering and logos can also be discussed if you contact us via email.

Out with the old, in with the new!

Small zip dump pouches. Originally, their design brief was somewhere to store your keys and such when you're in a fight. We didn't intend them to be quick grab pouches for darts and such, there was a different product in the pipeline for that. However, for one reason or another people prefer the size and shape of the current SZDP and so we converted it fill that niche.

We've had a fair bit of feedback about it and we've made some revisions regards that. The chief change has been the zip. We've moved from the small 15cm closed end zips to full 30cm closed end heavy duty zips which are more durable and now wrap around the edges of the article to allow for a larger opening, easier access. They do come with the slight draw back of not being as weatherproof by virtue of that large aperture.

Prototype of the new format - the fraying in the nylon is perfectly normal and is simply cosmetic

These pouches are the same size as their predecessors and hold a goodly number of darts or 6 dart magazines.

These changes take immediate effect and will cover all orders that have not been dispatched to date.

We are constantly working to improve our product portfolio here at Blastersmiths UK and there are a number of other changes on the way to existing products. Sometimes, they can be as small as this or they can be a complete overhaul of a product like our transition from the MkII/MkIII to the single MkIV. Until something is close to perfect, we won't stop tweaking it.

Next up, large zip dump pouches. :)

Lightweight Shoulder Rig

We usually make these in black and it's a pain to photograph them on actual people because actual people have arms. Annoyingly, it's frowned upon under British law to remove someone's arm for the purposes of taking a photo (or at all, apparently). When a customer recently ordered a Lightweight Shoulder Rig in Multicam, we took the opportunity to take some photos using our fourth employee: Jamie.

Jamie is our multi-use tailors dummy that we use to demonstrate our wares at shows and events. With a 38" chest, he (or she sometimes) also makes a brilliant fitting dummy for our average clientèle. Built from polystyrene covered with black polyester, it's a bit of a pain to see how our stuff works. However, with Multicam, with the different shaded buckles and straps, it's very easy to see how the rig fits together. This particular edition had a pistol holder for right hand draw and a MOLLE panel for holding either a small zip dump pouch or, in this case, an 1812 magazine holder for extra magazine storage (not shown).

The belt loops secure the hard points to your belt using a simple Velcro system. Older models have a Side Release Buckle there but there was too much stand off from the belt and that caused problems in smaller people. Each hard point is connected to the shoulder strap with a simple side release buckle. In future, we plan to sell hard points separately for the ultimate customisable rig.

The rig over all is as lightweight as it suggests. It is designed to explicitly stay out of the way of most motions when you're moving and playing. By being as low profile as possible, it makes for an excellent addition to any other belt system you might have as there is sufficient stand off to allow you to use use current accessories. It also has the added bonus of introducing people to the MOLLE system which is a fantastically flexible system that everyone in the world ever should be using.

Lightweight Shoulder Rigs can be bought from our online store in black for £28 inc UK VAT. Custom colours and fabrics can be commissioned upon request. The Multicam version demonstrated here would cost you nearer £55 inc VAT as it is a speciality item and we can't order the fittings in such bulk as perhaps we would otherwise to bring costs down. If you're interested in a system that isn't in black fabric, drop us an email and we'll get you an invoice sorted out. There is a chance that we'll start stocking them as a listed item in the future but until then, email is the way to go.

NOTE: The authors would like to apologise for the pug ugly Retaliator sitting in the holster in these photos. All of the pretty blasters are out of the office at the moment so we had to make do with that hybrid abomination. :/

MkIV Belt/Half-drop Pistol Holsters

 It's about time we got around to doing these. We've had the prototype sat on our 'belt mounted' washing line since we made it in the field at Green Cloaks Event 1 last June. It's a simple concept: use our Universal Belt system pattern to raise mount a pistol holster on the belt.

Unfortunately for us, all MkIV compatible blasters are a little large for a true belt mounted holster and so this was our compromise. Add a belt loop and a single thigh strap to form a sort of 'half drop' configuration. It still has the advantage of being off the thigh and so won't cause as many fatiguing problems as a true drop leg holster.

For someone who has been using a full drop-leg pistol holster for the last year and a bit, the higher elevation of the pistol grip on these is a weird transition. The extra height makes it more comfortable to remove the upper grab strap when accessing your blaster.

These holsters are about offering more options to folks. Our line of drop-leg holsters is our most successful and we'd like to be able to offer them in as many different configurations as possible. Keep your eyes peeled for a MOLLE mounted cross draw variant soon.

The MkIV belt mounted pistol holster is available from our website for £14 for black and £15 for a wide range of colours and camouflage patterns. That price is inclusive of UK/EU VAT at 20% so US, Australian and other non-EU customers will pay £11.67 and £12.50 respectively. Lead time is 2 weeks and most international destinations will receive their item within 5 days of shipment (assuming Customs don't get in the way!)