KIT & GEAR: DIRECT ACTION

DIRECT DIRECT ACTION: ACTION:

2021 UPDATES! 2021 UPDATES!

IT’S BEEN A LITTLE WHILE SINCE WE SPOKE ABOUT NEW GEAR FROM THE TEAM OVER AT DIRECT ACTION IN POLAND. AS ALWAYS THOUGH, BILL HAS BEEN KEEPING A VERY CLOSE EYE ON THEIR LATEST DEVELOPMENTS AND INNOVATIONS FOR THE TRUE TACTICAL USER! WITH SOME GREAT NEW MODELS AVAILABLE HE BRINGS IN AN UPDATE OF KIT THAT HE’S ALREADY TRIED AND TESTED EXTENSIVELY!

Let’s face it, 2021 has been a challenging year for businesses in many industries and the tactical gear manufacturers and innovators have had just the same hoops to jump through as everyone else. Raw material costs, fabric costs, and especially “goods inwards” costs have all spiralled - and continue to do so. Add to this problematic shipping and outrageous lead times for raw materials and specialist parts/components and I’m amazed that anyone has got anything meaningful done during the last twelve months!

However, as I’ve often noted in my AEG and GBB reviews, there ARE manufacturers that have got a complete handle on all these disparate elements, and they have not only continued to do good business but have actually thrived in adversity. Given the folk involved behind the scenes with Direct Action, I am not at all surprised that they have come out of the “Days of C-19” at the head of the pack. As I said when I last wrote about Direct Action: “…as with any relationship, the backbone is one of mutual trust and respect and over the past few years I have really come to respect and trust the guys at Direct Action immensely” and, if anything, their output during a time when lesser companies have faltered and wobbled has increased my respect for them even further!

To recap for those that haven’t come across them before; Direct Action is a Polish company set up in 2014 that, from the outset, sought to combine great design and manufacturing capabilities with an up-close-and-personal understanding of the specific end-user needs. From the very beginning Direct Action have been a very tight unit, and their

“…THE GUY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR INNOVATION AND TESTING IS A PRIOR-SERVICE GROM COMBAT MEDIC WITH ALMOST 20 YEARS OF SERVICE, PLUS SEVERAL TOURS OF DUTY IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN!”

R&D team in Poland consists of just a few good people; each member has his or her own area of expertise and is responsible for the tasks and projects that relate to that. As an example, the guy responsible for their innovation and testing is a prior-service GROM combat medic with almost 20 years of service, plus several tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan!

This combination has created the approach of an “individual-as-a-system” that is open and flexible to all necessary options, yet remains streamlined and avoids overburdening. Each part of the system interfaces with the other components; weapons, load bearing equipment, backpacks, jackets, duty uniforms and even camouflage patterns, each of these is a part of a whole and a key component that’s critical to mission success.

When creating Direct Action gear every detail is rigorously thought-out using a systemic perspective; there are no random choices, no compromises, no “same-old-stuff” design approach and no shying away from new technology - all items are based on first-hand, real-world experience of elite special operations units.

Direct Action uses the highest quality materials available and the production process itself is subject to rigorous control. The whole line of combat equipment is designed and manufactured in Poland.

SPITFIRE

My first exposure to Direct Action came in the form of a couple of their excellent patrol pack models and I’m going to tell you, that as someone who worked with cutting-edge pack manufacture in a “previous existence”, this is an area in which I am hypercritical! Direct Action packs continue to impress not just me, but others that I work and play with. I am a user of Direct Action gear, both for airsoft and training and I’ll be straight and say that I love it!

Although these days I’m more of a chest rig and pack kind of guy and not usually in need of any kind of “armour protection”, I still love the fact that all Direct Action gear is designed to work together and that it fits neatly in a fully modular fashion, not just with their own range but also with that of other industry leaders! My go-to plate carrier solution for a couple of years now has been the SPITFIRE MKII PLATE CARRIER –(the Adaptive Green rig that you’ll see in many of my range pictures).

The Direct Action SPITFIRE takes its name from a famous WWII fighter plane and, just like this aviation icon, it’s a streamlined and dynamic platform designed to carry ballistic plates with modular accessories, on or off the battlefield. At just 672g in a Size Large, it’s lightweight and non-restricting and one of the lightest carriers in its class. The MK II looks simple but in fact it is much more scalable and mission-configurable than its predecessors. The Direct Action team have stripped the carrier of unnecessary PALS slots under the flap and on the back, as well as enlarging the loop panel on the front for larger unit patches, plus they’ve even made it lighter!

The SPITFIRE is beautifully made and cut and the materials and components are absolutely first rate! Put together using proprietary laser-cut laminate, Cordura 500D and softshell materials, the carrier benefits from front plate only configuration using the chest rig interface, optional pads on front, back and shoulders area for improved airflow, a zippered chest admin pocket and PTT and comms wires/ antenna routing attachment points. There’s even an accessory armour package for heavy configuration in development!

The back panel zipper attachment system is compatible with Crye Precision AVS, whilst the chest Rig attachment system is compatible with Mayflower/Velocity Systems, offering you even further options!

Thanks to numerous new design elements, back panels and optional side armour compatible cummerbunds, you are able to set up the carrier the way you actually need it. It’s at the same time and incredibly durable platform and unique in its modularity, converting to a cut-away rig in just a few simple steps, thus allowing for quick donning, doffing and medical access thanks to Hypalon pullers.

I’ve put the Spitfire through its paces with my usual medium plates fitted and thus far I’m impressed. Although the Spitfire is certainly smaller than the carriers I usually work with, the plate support is excellent and the pressure exerted, both around the torso and over the shoulders, is nicely balanced and spread evenly. The “captured” female buckles for the front carrying system are tidily achieved, meaning that you can easily change out your load carrying options.

Say you want to set up your plate carrier for light use? Simply attach a SPITFIRE MK II SLICK CARBINE MAG FLAP, SPITFIRE SMG FLAP, or SPITFIRE SHOTGUN SHELL FLAP to the velcro and buckle it in place.

Running hot and heavy with a full fighting load? No problem! Simply use the CHEST RIG INTERFACE (which also means you can use the Spitfire in Front Panel Only mode) and you’re all set with rifle/ carbine mag pouches, pistol mag pouches, along with space for bangs and admin items. If you need to carry more load as part of your modular system Direct Action offer a number of excellent back panel add-ons like the SPITFIRE MK II BACKPACK PANEL or SPITFIRE MK II UTILITY BACK PANEL so you’re all set!

BEARCAT

As always though, time moves on and Direct Action have added another superb carrier to their line, this one called the BEARCAT (the Grumman F8F Bearcat was a lightweight WWII carrier-launched fighter aircraft FYI!), which is an ultra-light plate carrier designed to be the foundation for a durable, yet versatile system. Reduction of the amount of laminate and Cordura fabric to bare minimum has resulted in a significant weight cut and the main platform weighs only 290grams! Made from cuttingedge softshell fabric and laser-cut laminate, the Bearcat offers a skeletonized modular system with fully interchangeable front panels (DA call them “flaps” and think a full-on MilSpec version of the buckle up systems I wrote about not so long ago).

Even though

“…AS SOMEONE WHO WORKED WITH CUTTING-EDGE PACK MANUFACTURE IN A “PREVIOUS EXISTENCE”, THIS IS AN AREA IN WHICH I AM HYPER-CRITICAL! DIRECT ACTION PACKS CONTINUE TO IMPRESS NOT JUST ME, BUT OTHERS THAT I WORK AND PLAY WITH.”

Bearcat is designed mainly with Swimmer Cut plates in mind, it will also fit SAPI or Shooter plates (so I could easily use the same set of SAPI plates I have in my existing Spitfire). Due to the use of highly stretchable softshell fabric, the Bearcat offers a great fit, no matter what kind of plate cut you choose. The inner velour Velcro panels are designed to work well with COMFORT PAD of the Spitfire System too and the Bearcat continues the “full modularity” story, as it will work seamlessly with other Direct Action system components.

So, not only the COMFORT PAD will suit the Bearcat well, its the same with the other Spitfire System accessories, like the CUTAWAY set, flaps and back panels - and vice versa! That makes this carrier a great choice for those who, like me, already have the elements of Spitfire System but seek an even lighter platform. However, the Bearcat has been launched together with specifically designed products to extend its functionality. Amongst them is one of the lightest back and chest panels on the market, along with an all-new SKELETONIZED BACK PANEL and SKELETONIZED PLATE CARRIER FLAP, as well as a minimalist SKELETONIZED CUMMERBUND SLIM, and the SKELETONIZED COMMS WINGS SET made to carry your communication system. With them, you’ll be able to compose a perfectly functional and incredibly comfortable set of gear that will last you a lifetime!

ROUNDING UP

As I said when I started, it’s incredibly exciting to watch a brand grow from the ground up and from humble beginnings Direct Action have grown in the very best way possible, enlarging their offering sensibly, and moving things on when new ideas or technologies become available. I’ve been very, very impressed by the Spitfire with its original range of modular pouches and panels and I’ve recently added the advanced, skeletal Bearcat .556 and .308 panels to my personal setup, where they interface perfectly. Both of these panels offer space for three magazines (sized for the appropriate calibre) which are secured from the top via a bungee cord. Due to the skeletal construction, the panels are not only minimalistic but also some of the lightest modular panels on the market. The panels are covered with the same laser cut modular system, which is fully compatible with MOLLE/PALS. The panels are attached to the carrier via top buckles and all the panels available (there’s quite a few of them) can be easily transformed into a compact chest rig using the FRONT FLAP RIG INTERFACE.

The latest gear from Direct Action certainly shows that they have not been idle in the last twelve months and, to me, it shows that they still 100% mean business in the future. I did see them briefly at the last SHOT Show I attended but I missed seeing them at IWA this year (sadly that show was never going to happen). However, 2022 is a whole new year and by the look of what they have in the form of the new BEARCAT system, they’ll undoubtedly have more to come soon and I’ll look forward to reporting back on it all as usual when I see it!

For more information on the extensive range of top-notch tactical gear offered by Direct Action please check out https://us.directactiongear.com/ in the USA and https://eu.directactiongear.com/ in Europe. AA