# Wanted:  1000 x new rucksacks for (at least some of) CF



## The Bread Guy (10 Mar 2014)

This from buyandsell.gc.ca:


> .... Requirement
> The Contractor is required to provide the Department of National Defence with a rucksack system to support training and operations where the standard Canadian Forces (CF) rucksack is unsuitable.  The Rucksack System is to include a separate adjustable stand-alone load carrying frame compatible with existing in-service Pouch Attachment Ladder System (PALS) equipment, and a PALS attachable high-capacity rucksack bag for carrying equipment on extended patrol deployments.
> 
> Firm Quantity
> ...



Closing date:      2014/04/15 14:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

Full bid package so far (67 pg PDF) here, specs only (43 pg PDF) here.


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## Lightguns (10 Mar 2014)

"where the standard Canadian Forces (CF) rucksack is unsuitable"

Anyplace that is not a basement.


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## x_para76 (10 Mar 2014)

I read the specs and found it odd that it's proposed to be made in multi cam. I was under the impression that the CF wasn't looking to change from CADPAT.


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## Lightguns (10 Mar 2014)

Likely for the lads and lass of SOR, they like their multicam on occasion.  Quantity is about right for an issue and a reserve for breakages.  This is the third requirement for multicam rucks in 5 years.  They must be hard on their stuff.


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## Jarnhamar (10 Mar 2014)

I was thinking a Ruck for the man portable C16 till I heard Multicam.


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## x_para76 (10 Mar 2014)

Lightguns said:
			
		

> Likely for the lads and lass of SOR, they like their multicam on occasion.  Quantity is about right for an issue and a reserve for breakages.  This is the third requirement for multicam rucks in 5 years.  They must be hard on their stuff.


Sorry I guess I got a bit excited thinking there was a possibility that the next issue of CF uniform would be in multi-cam.


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## Journeyman (10 Mar 2014)

X_para76 said:
			
		

> Sorry I guess I got a bit excited thinking there was a possibility that the next issue of CF uniform would be in multi-cam.


Why?


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## x_para76 (10 Mar 2014)

I prefer the uniform styles that are being issued by our allies now in multi-cam as well as the some the after market kit that's available for example some of the stuff that produced by Crye Precision. Unfortunately there isn't as much kit produced in CADPAT as obviously we're the only force using it.


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## Journeyman (10 Mar 2014)

Ah, so at a time when our troops need footwear, our vehicles need maintenance and/or replacement, and we can not afford to do actual training.....we should be spending more of our budget on buttons & bows and look-cool kit.  Got it.


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## Lightguns (10 Mar 2014)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> Ah, so at a time when our troops need footwear, our vehicles need maintenance and/or replacement, and we can not afford to do actual training.....we should be spending more of our budget on buttons & bows and look-cool kit.  Got it.



Effectively, we are already, the RCMP, SOR and JTF are in Crye and receiving regular re-issues of cool looking kit.


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## x_para76 (10 Mar 2014)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> Ah, so at a time when our troops need footwear, our vehicles need maintenance and/or replacement, and we can not afford to do actual training.....we should be spending more of our budget on buttons & bows and look-cool kit.  Got it.



No not at all but I've been told that they're at some point issuing a new pattern of uniform to the CF and when I saw that these new rucks were to be made in multi-cam I thought that perhaps that was the direction the new uniforms were going. It hadn't occurred to me that this procurement was just going to be for SOF but with the relatively small quantity ordered it makes sense that it would be for them.


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## Jarnhamar (10 Mar 2014)

If regular soldiers were issued multi-cam our SOF guys would have to as a rule need to find new a new pattern   :camo:


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## Journeyman (10 Mar 2014)

Lightguns said:
			
		

> Effectively, we are already, the RCMP, SOR and JTF are in Crye and receiving regular re-issues of cool looking kit.


Wow.  You do know that we're not RCMP, and the _overwhelming_ majority are neither CSOR nor JTF2?

So, we should get this because: a) there's some awesome after-market kit that the troops can buy at their own expense, and b) we could look cool and/or like some of our Allies.  

:not-again:


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## Lightguns (10 Mar 2014)

Maybe the government is giong to issue 1000 sets of new cam, gear and weapons for their "Victory in Afghanistan" parade!


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## Lightguns (10 Mar 2014)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> Wow.  You do know that we're not RCMP, and the _overwhelming_ majority are neither CSOR nor JTF2?
> 
> So, we should get this because: a) there's some awesome after-market kit that the troops can buy at their own expense, and b) we could look cool and/or like some of our Allies.
> 
> :not-again:



Yes I am quite.  What I was saying is that our special troops get a large share of the equipment pie, that would be better suited to spreading amongst all troops.  But for some reason our elites want to like like the elites of other nations.  In effect, I was agreeing with you, which seems very hard to do.


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## The Bread Guy (10 Mar 2014)

Lightguns said:
			
		

> Maybe the government is giong to issue 1000 sets of new cam, gear and weapons for their "Victory in Afghanistan" parade!


Just like the old Soviet Union used to (allegedly) bring out the nice stuff only for parades, right?  >


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## Lightguns (10 Mar 2014)

Just like, except they were a wealthy socialist nation compared to Canuckistan.


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## quadrapiper (10 Mar 2014)

Lightguns said:
			
		

> Effectively, we are already, the RCMP, SOR and JTF are in Crye and receiving regular re-issues of cool looking kit.


Why aren't the tiny portion of the RCMP that need something camo issued CADPAT? Seems like it'd be cheaper. LCF?


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## blacktriangle (10 Mar 2014)

Lightguns said:
			
		

> Yes I am quite.  What I was saying is that our special troops get a large share of the equipment pie, that would be better suited to spreading amongst all troops.  But for some reason our elites want to like like the elites of other nations.  In effect, I was agreeing with you, which seems very hard to do.



How many sets of Multicam can we buy for the price of 1 LAV?


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## Bzzliteyr (10 Mar 2014)

quadrapiper said:
			
		

> Why aren't the tiny portion of the RCMP that need something camo issued CADPAT? Seems like it'd be cheaper. LCF?



Because CADPAT belongs to the military.. not the RCMP.


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## Lightguns (10 Mar 2014)

quadrapiper said:
			
		

> Why aren't the tiny portion of the RCMP that need something camo issued CADPAT? Seems like it'd be cheaper. LCF?



I met a RCMP tac guy once who told me that they have not taken CADPAT because they do not want to be mistaken for the military.  Multicam and being mistaken for US military but heaven forbid they be mistaken for Canadian military.  Kinda funny given that they were sore thumbs in the spruce forests of Rexton during those protests.


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## Jarnhamar (10 Mar 2014)

Lightguns said:
			
		

> I met a RCMP tac guy once who told me that they have not taken CADPAT because they do not want to be mistaken for the military.



Yea the free coffee's, pats on the back and thank you's would really throw off their game  ;D


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## Lightguns (10 Mar 2014)

ObedientiaZelum said:
			
		

> Yea the free coffee's, pats on the back and thank you's would really throw off their game  ;D



You funny, GI!  I like you!

Edit.  I never liked the free coffees, I always paid for them to their tips.  I make too much to take a coffee free from someone who makes so little.


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## Colin Parkinson (10 Mar 2014)

At this point I feel like making the RCMP wear red serge and riding boots year round, I think some pillbox hats will be nice to.


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## quadrapiper (10 Mar 2014)

Bzzliteyr said:
			
		

> Because CADPAT belongs to the military.. not the RCMP.


 : So? We're not Americans; there's no sharp foundation-level separation between police and military - and expect the RCMP's camo requirement is pretty close to a rounding error on the CADPAT contract.


			
				Lightguns said:
			
		

> I met a RCMP tac guy once who told me that they have not taken CADPAT because they do not want to be mistaken for the military.  Multicam and being mistaken for US military but heaven forbid they be mistaken for Canadian military.  Kinda funny given that they were sore thumbs in the spruce forests of Rexton during those protests.


US military, PMCs, or airsofters. At that stage in the game, who cares _what_ the police look like.

Seems by the time the police need camo, we're in the sort of military-ish situation that led to the NWMP being equipped and organized like a cavalry force, rather than Peelers on horseback. 


			
				Colin P said:
			
		

> At this point I feel like making the RCMP wear red serge and riding boots year round, I think some pillbox hats will be nice to.


Really getting into the whole retro thing? Seems to be "in" right now!


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## CombatDoc (11 Mar 2014)

Colin P said:
			
		

> At this point I feel like making the RCMP wear red serge and riding boots year round, I think some pillbox hats will be nice to.


I believe that RMC and Emirates Airlines have cornered the global supply of pillbox hats. If the RCMP want some, they'll need a contact through PWGSC with the usual appropriate regional benefits.   ;D


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## The Bread Guy (11 Mar 2014)

ArmyDoc said:
			
		

> I believe that RMC, Porter Airlines and Emirates Airlines have cornered the global supply of pillbox hats ....


FTFY


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## Journeyman (11 Mar 2014)

Well, I can understand why you don't want purchases discussed in the original Merx thread; this one is ready for Radio Chatter....


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## MilEME09 (11 Mar 2014)

this is semi related and was posted on Canadian Defense Review

*Canadian FELLFAB Partners on Load Carriage Systems*



> FELLFAB President Eric Taylor and Granite Gear, LLC CEO Bryan Kinsley jointly announced that a strategic alliance has been set in place between the two companies. Granite Gear, LLC of Two Harbors, Minnesota, has granted FELLFAB, based out of Hamilton, Ontario, the sole licence to make, manufacture and sell their Load Carriage Systems in Canada.
> 
> These products will be jointly designed and developed by both companies for Canadian Military applications and the tactical class of trade in Canada by means of sharing technologies. Within the agreement, FELLFAB® has been appointed the exclusive representative and dealer for Granite Gear, LLC in Canada.
> 
> By combining FELLFAB®’s manufacturing scale, engineering excellence and project management expertise with Granite Gear’s award winning, cutting-edge excellence in design and construction of backpacks and tactical equipment, the parties believe that they can offer the customer a high quality, Canadian made product to meet their evolving equipment needs, on a scale not previously possible.


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## Lightguns (11 Mar 2014)

Granite Gear.  Mid priced, not a big tactical player but not Xui Pao's Airsoft Sewing Cooperative.


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## Colin Parkinson (11 Mar 2014)

quadrapiper said:
			
		

> .. Really getting into the whole retro thing? Seems to be "in" right now!



I was thinking more as a punishment for some of the organizational asshattery going on within the org. Red serge on summer duty every day and pillbox hat in the winter should do it.


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## PuckChaser (11 Mar 2014)

Well, now we know where we're going to get all of our load carriage gear from. FELLFAB making Granite Gear products.


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