11 minute read
GEAR: MAPA
PART TWO
IN ISSUE 135 BILL TOOK A DEEP DIVE INTO THE CREATION OF THE POLISH MAPA PATTERN, AND A FIRST LOOK AT SOME OF THE NEW CLOTHING AND GEAR TO BECOME AVAILABLE FOR AIRSOFT USE; THIS TIME, HAVING SPENT SOME “QUALITY ALONE TIME” WITH THE GEAR HE LOOKS AT THE INDIVIDUAL PIECES IN MORE DETAIL!
Okay, yet another new camouflage pattern to talk about, but one that I honestly believe will please many players who need a full-on concealment package for use in more temperate woodland environments. I’ll preface everything by telling you that MAPA or the Multi-environmental Adaptive Pattern, from Poland was without doubt THE camo at this year’s IWA… it was everywhere… and very obvious given it was in a show hall and not in the woods!
It seems that every year there is one pattern that really dominates IWA, and MAPA was certainly IT for 2022! However, having garments and gear at a show does not necessarily mean that the pattern is widely available, and all too many times I’ve seen a fully-gucci’d mannequin on a show stand, then subsequently struggled to find the “total solution” anywhere!
What do I mean by a “total solution”? It’s a simple phrase that means that every piece of clothing and equipment that you need, from combat shirt and trousers, through load bearing equipment to accessories is easily found. I’m talking about first, second and even third line gear here, as having a pair of pants and a t-shirt does not a loadout make!
Some may say I’m being super-picky here, as not everyone wants “the full set”, but after many years of creating my GreenZone loadout and improving on it step by step, piece by piece, I can tell you that it can be pretty frustrating if you’re searching, for instance, for a certain type of pouch in a specific pattern and its unavailable (ie, it doesn’t exist!)… I’ve even
resorted to having custom pieces made for me when I couldn’t find them commercially.
But with MAPA I’m pleased to tell you that there is already a wealth of kit to go at, and over the past couple of months I’ve been working with the lovely chaps over at GUNFIRE (in Poland, natch!) honing everything down into that “total camo solution”, with everything in place now other than performance outerwear… this I can forgive as the creation of decent “weatherproofs” requires both a lengthy development process and VERY deep pockets on the part of any potential manufacturer!
Just finding the right performance fabrics that will “take” the pattern correctly is hard enough, but then you need to look at the technologies behind each and every garment and have them agreed by multiple parties! I’m sure outerwear will come in time as the range of gear widens and matures, but as I said… lengthy and very expensive process…
However, there’s enough MAPA gear available right now to cover pretty much all of our basic gear needs, and certainly enough to create a very solid set of gear, pretty much up to and including hardcore MilSim level! I outlined the initial clothing in my first look at MAPA, so let’s start there and get into some detail.
FIRST LINE
“First Line” refers to all the clothing and gear that is ALWAYS with you; what you wear in terms of clothing, and your basic belt kit “IRL” it’s the kit that you’d keep with you when everything else went to RS; fundamentally think of the classic “SAS Belt Kit” that would allow them to escape and evade, to survive, along with the clothing worn, and you’ll be in the right ballpark!
Clothing thus far from MASKPOL is pretty straightforward and to the point, and GUNFIRE (along other select retailers who are offering parts of GUNFIRE’s comprehensive range) have you pretty much covered in every respect. In the range offered con their website you’ll find: • T-Shirt • Combat Shirt 1 (UBACS-style) • Combat Shirt 2 (Traditional style) • Combat Pants • Softshell Jacket • Boonie Hat • Patrol Cap • Ballcap (4 styles) • Gaiters
As I said, this pretty much covers your basic clothing needs other than specific performance weather gear, and from the pieces that I checked over carefully everything is very well put together. As I said in my initial overview in Issue 135 (where features for individual garments are also detailed) all of the “cotton” garments are actually made of a rugged yet lightweight 50% cotton / 50% polyester ripstop mix. The attention to detail in terms of construction is excellent, with lots of overlocking and box-stitching in stress areas. Fabric is doubled-over in high-wear areas too, and feature placement is first rate. Overall the pattern dispersion is even across the face of the fabric, and after a couple of hot washes colour-fastness appears to be good (I’d normally wash cool, but wanted to force it a bit to find out how much fading might take place!).
On the Combat Shirt 1 the plain green main body fabric is very comfortable indeed, with good four-way stretch properties. It’s also a good wicking fabric as it should be as this style of shirt will be worn under a plate carrier, and thus far I’ve experienced very little “pilling” with wear. The Softshell Jacket is more of a “comfort cut” than a truly technical one, but again there’s been good use made of a comfortable and warm plain green “core” fabric combined with the tougher MAPA pattern mix in hard-wear and stress points. Overall the fabrics and construction are of the highest order, and although
the MAPA fabric does feel “light” and more suited to late Spring to early Autumn use, it certainly feels tough enough to stand up to some “skirmish abuse”!
Now of course none of us are going to have a true “survival belt kit” for airsoft use, but to round out the “First Line” GUNFIRE are offering an excellent two-piece “shooters belt” in three different sizes; I’ve become a convert to this style of belt over recent years and I have to say that the one chosen by GUNFIRE is top notch! Fitted with a COBRA FC45 buckle and featuring laser-cut MOLLE, the outer belt is made of Cordura combined with a dense-weave
polyester tape, and the combo feels absolutely bombproof! Within the MAPA range there’s a whole host of pouches and accessories, but I set mine up in my usual configuration (muscle memory, folks!) combining two primary magazine pouches, two secondary magazine pouches, a dump pouch, tourniquet holder, a secondary pouch holding my Gerber multi-tool, and utility pouch (for use as a FAK). The belt also carries my KYDEK Customs Glock Holster perfectly, and when combined with the inner Velcro belt there is masses of support and zero deformation apparent even when fully loaded. Once again the pattern dispersion is super, and the overall finish is impeccable.
SECOND LINE
The “Second Line” of gear is ultimately your “fighting kit”, and it’s the equipment that keeps you rolling in-game! This line encompasses your plate carrier, chest rig or pouch setup, and patrol pack, and through the guys at GUNFIRE I managed to get hold of an excellent plate carrier with some very cool features!
The Maskpol “tactical vest” (read plate carrier) carries on the superb pattern dispersal of the clothing in the unique MAPA “B” camouflage, and is made of massively durable Cordura 770! Although the carrier has been designed for the civilian market, it is 100% up to “professional user” standard, and when Jon and I picked over it there was absoulutely nothing we could find even the smallest fault with; it’s a RIGHTEOUS piece of equipment!
Thanks to the use of laser-cut MOLLE mounts on the front and back of the carrier, it’s possible to arrange pouches and other accesories according to your personal preference, and again I set mine up as I have done with my other “full spectrum” carriers; this is not a low profile “SF-style” skeletonized affair, but more an “infantryman’s” carrier! Adjustable side cummerbund “pockets” are in place for side-armour, but even these are also covered with MOLLE tape.
And to add to the “full on” feel of this carrier you even get Rapid Open Connector Tactical Quick Release Buckles (ROCs!)! Due Emme’s ROCs are the European answer to the “others” from America, so you can put on and take off your gear fast and without any hassle. These quick-release buckles are used for example in ballistic plate carriers instead of classic side-release buckles or velcro closures.
The ROC 80 is attached to the cummerbund through two 40 mm/1.5 inch webbing straps. The ROC 40 uses a single 40 mm/1.5 inch piece of webbing to integrate into the shoulder straps. The ROC system eliminates the time-consuming and tedious re- adjustment of the plate carrier to the user’s size, each time the vest is put on. The release-lever of the ROC system is designed to be used with 550 Type III parachute cord, which the user can
grab and pull, in order to swiftly and safely release the vest in case of emergency. This is cutting-edge stuff my friends, and this is one SOLID bit of kit! Combined again with pouches of your choice this can end up as a VERY personalised carrier, and it’s all the better for that!
Although there is a simple 18L sustainment pack, made again in Cordura 770 DTEX, in terms of true patrol packs the guys behind MAPA have been super smart by teaming up with one of my favourite pack manufacturers these days, and that’s WISPORT! I wrote about WISPORT as a manufacturer way back in Issue 109 and have the highest respect for them as pack-makers, and by including their durable and lightweight SPARROW 30 GEN II pack in the range means you have a model that is perfect for carrying all you need to a full days skirmishing, and serves perfectly well as an overnight MilSim patrol pack too!
THIRD LINE
Now “Line 3” gear is all about in-the-field sustainment for longer duration “ops” (see my “Tactical Outdoor Development” article this month), and although I love this level of detail when it comes to my own gear, having a specific MAPA set is not necessary as your existing gear for cooking, sleeping, and personal hygiene can be carried over. One thing that I do like though is a bigger “load lugger”, and even for me, a proponent of minimalist, lightweight gear, the SPARROW is going to be struggling to swallow all the kit I need unless I’m going to have maximum support and a hefty logistics train behind me!
I have noticed that WISPORT have started sneaking in a few key models in MAPA already, amongst them the excellent RACCOON 45 that has their FAS PLUS ERGONOMIC suspension system, so I hope that they’ll continue to expand the pattern into other models for those of us that want a larger pack for longer immersive games!
Overall I’m extremely pleased thus far to see so much MAPA gear already available and I’m overjoyed that it’s of such GREAT quality! Maskpol have obviously chosen their manufacturing partners with a great deal of “due diligence” to ensure that what is on offer is fit for purpose in terms of both design and durability. I’ve already reported back to the guys at GUNFIRE that I would like to see a helmet cover and hydration sleeve (for fitting to the back of the plate carrier) added to the line when possible, as for me this would complete the initial setup.
I am definitely looking forward to trying the MAPA gear in game this Summer to see if it does offer the “complete concealment solution” that had been promised, and I’ll report back again when I’ve run it all out. For now though, if you’d like something modern and functional, clothing and gear in a pattern that will let you fade out into the woodland, then I’d most strongly suggest that you check out the MAPA range available at www.gunfire.com! AA
