AR CadPat: Ruckcovers and Hydration Carrier Covers? Body Armor Covers?

[falldownjaeger]

Hello,
While looking thru the photos over on the Canadian Forces Combat Camera archives, I noticed some AR CadPat covers for the issue hydration carrier Are these an official-issue item or custom-made item?


I have one of the original Pack Covers in mint shape and was wondering if perhaps the covers were issued as a kit or something?

And, in reference to the newest body armor, I've seen what appear to be two diferent types of AR CadPat covers, one that looks like a entirely new carrier, and another that appears to be just an AR CadPat cover for the slightly older OD body armor, like we did for our PASGT Vests during the first Gulf War.
In the above photo, the body armor carrier has form-fitting cloth over the shoulder protectors, with the securing 1" nylon webbing passed thru a channel sewn to the outside of the armor pocket.

There there's this AR CadPat Body Armor with what appears to be DAPS, plus, another alteration attached to the DAP, with two pen pockets and a velcro section:


And. the darker-colored panels on the pectoral regions: are these nylon mesh for preventing the rifle butt from slipping on the nylon body armor shell?

[trunk_munkey28]

The Camelback cover is a theater issued item. I'm not sure if they're Hajji made or not. As far as the frag vest is concerned, the Generation 4s and 3s are very structurally close, the only major difference being a detachable collar on the Gen 3s. I had a Gen 3 on my first tour, and a Gen 4 on my second. I remember the Cadpat AR cover in 2006 being of a somewhat rougher build, but by the time I was over there 15 months later they had improved. I would assume that production finally got spooled up enough to overcome the QC issues.
That explanation is the best I've heard as far as the nylon on the front of the shoulders.
After my last tour, we started seeing more and more of the trial issue additions; the deltoid protection, being one, as well as a detachable collar at the front of the neck. I also saw a few of the old style shoulder wings being worn as a groin protector, but I don't know if that was another trial or just Canadian ingenuity.

[CanuckKwanie]

Hello,
While looking thru the photos over on the Canadian Forces Combat Camera archives, I noticed some AR CadPat covers for the issue hydration carrier Are these an official-issue item or custom-made item?


I have one of the original Pack Covers in mint shape and was wondering if perhaps the covers were issued as a kit or something?

like trunk_munkey said, it's theater issue, and they're actual CF issue items. when CADPAT first came into service they also had CADPAT TW Camelbak covers before Camelbaks were made in CADPAT.

[DnA]

Hello,
I have one of the original Pack Covers in mint shape and was wondering if perhaps the covers were issued as a kit or something?

Not part of a kit, it is a solo item. When you go through clothing stores to get your issue of AR CADPAT clothing, etc prior you get it as well as uniforms, boonie hats, socks, ruck cover, helmet cover, etc In theatre you get more kit as well.

Hello,
And, in reference to the newest body armor, I've seen what appear to be two diferent types of AR CadPat covers, one that looks like a entirely new carrier, and another that appears to be just an AR CadPat cover for the slightly older OD body armor, like we did for our PASGT Vests during the first Gulf War.
In the above photo, the body armor carrier has form-fitting cloth over the shoulder protectors, with the securing 1" nylon webbing passed thru a channel sewn to the outside of the armor pocket.

The carriers are their own item, they don't go over another carrier. And yea, the shoulder and DAP have a piece of fabric on the top that passes through something similar to a belt loop and attaches back onto it self, and the two straps on the sides snap onto buttons on the vest.

[falldownjaeger]

The Camelbak AR Cover looks like it is made from the 50/50 Nylon Cotton cloth the uniforms are made from.

I'm still looking for the photo of the OG Gen 1 Body Armor with the AR 50/50 NyCo cover, like our desert PASGT, almost done reviewing the pages.

And here's a US Woodland PASGT Vest worn by CF:


I guess we "donated" a crapload of our PASGT Vest and Helmets for Peacekeeping Ops in the last decade.

[falldownjaeger]

Here's one of them. This Gendarme's vest appears to be either the Gen 1 OG Vest or the TW CadPat Vest with 50/50 Nylon-Cotton cover:


The strap for the right shoulder armor is OG and it comes out of a slit cut in the cloth covering instead of the 1" strap thru the tunnel sewn on top like this one:


Must be a cover for the old defective Zylon armor vests.

[DnA]

Gendarme? Haven't heard that before when referring to a MP before. Also, what Olive Green kit do you se on him? He is wearing AR CADPAT body armour with a TW CADPAT tac vest. With the Canadian Body Armour there is no Arid Cover you put over the TW Carrier. When you go overseas you are issued a AR CADPAT carrier.. you than remove the kevlar from your TW CADPAT carrier, insert it into the ARID carrier and put in your ceremic plates.

Also, with regards to the Woodland PASGT vests, they are pretty common for recruits in training.


Defective Zylon vests? What are you talking about? To me it looks like the regular CF issue body armour

[trunk_munkey28]

He's got it right; before the 1-06/3-06 the AR covers were made up by Mat techs in theatre, in a hurry; they were quite a bit rougher with regards to construction. I looked back through photos and my armour on 1-06 was like that. On 3-07 the AR cover was a lot better built and actually had the PSP tags inside.
The early gens of our frag vests were built out of zylon, not kevlar. Apparently after short periods in use the Zylon becomes defective.

[DnA]

Looking back at the pics of the MPs yea you can see that it's just AR fabric over the Green or CADPAT shoulder piece.

Were the Mat Tech covers something that slid over the carrier or were they a stand alone item?




http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/8456/serverux6.jpg
I don't think this is an old pic of the mat tech armour carrier/ Zylon armour though, looks like the actual armour carrier being issued now, and I don't think they had pockets on the combats prior to 06 either, don't remember seeing them in the 04/05 Kabul pics anyways.

[trunk_munkey28]

The chest pieces were replacement carriers, the wing covers slid over top. Probably to simplify construction. I think. Its been quite a few years since I had that vest, and i can't say that I really studied the kit. Like I said, by the time i was back on Roto 4 the covers were a factory item.
The 'hardcore' pic of the MP shows the old cover, the second one is the new kit.
LOL at the MP with the pistol in his tac vest, and a presumably empty holster.

[falldownjaeger]

DnA, the Green I was referring to, is what appears to be 1" OD webbing coming out of his right shoulder protector:


Which is why I asked the question about AR Carriers. The MP on his left also appears to have the same style AR Carrier, with OD webbing for the shoulder pad. I saw a few other photos of this same style AR Carrier which I hypothesised, was a cover like the US PASGT Desert Cover. Unless it is just a manufacturer's variation, and use of OD webbing on an otherwise AR CadPat Carrier.

The Zylon armor product was found to be defective in police vests, and resulted in a rather large lawsuit. Lincoln Fabrics in Canada supplied armor inserts to companies like Second Chance, etc I read over on Army.ca that some CF FPVs mfg by Pacific Safety Products, may have been issued with Zylon inserts and have been phased out of service. PSP Zylon has been changed to incorporate better moisture protection.

[falldownjaeger]

Trunk_Munkey Two-Eight, do you have a non-OPSEC violating photo of your 1-06 days that you can share?

[trunk_munkey28]

Trunk_Munkey Two-Eight, do you have a non-OPSEC violating photo of your 1-06 days that you can share?

I'll dig. I never wore the shoulder pads back then though, it might not show what your after.
EDIT:
New Years Day, 2006

[falldownjaeger]

I'll dig. I never wore the shoulder pads back then though, it might not show what your after.
EDIT:
New Years Day, 2006

I remember seeing that pic in the CF Thread....you were 18 and deployed in a security detachment, I seem to recall.

[trunk_munkey28]

Yep, force protection platoon at the PRT. We split Roto 0 and Roto 1, worked with 3PPCLI until Feb 06, and then 2PPCLI after that. I also did a stint guarding gate at KAF. Which really, really sucked.