Issues with Issued Kit
Renegade Sewing started with an idea- if issued kit wasn't going to cut it, I would have to design solutions myself. As an infanteer with the PPCLI, I was intimately familiar with the shortcomings of the Canadian Army's issued equipment. I saw soldiers doing everything from the obvious solution of buying Gucci kit, to more subtle options like disassembling and reassembling the tac vest. Even deploying to Afghanistan it was not clear if we would be forced to use all issued kit or permitted to use chest rigs purchased for the deployment.
Initially, I was happy to purchase additional kit. Tactical Tailor, CP Gear, Ferro Concepts and other reputable companies were producing good gear and served me well during my time in Afghanistan and in the infantry. Using a uniform that hadn't had a design change since the 1960s was sub-optimal but at least the tailors could put the pockets on the sleeves.
Post Afghanistan, my priority shifted to more efficient use of space on my equipment. I started to commit chargable offences- resewing my CADPAT uniform to suit my needs. I also started to build a plate carrier that would meet operational needs without creating the bulk so common for a kitted out soldier. Giving prototypes out to friends and trialling them myself, what would become the JTAC PC started to evolve.
As my career progressed, I found that what I was building, as well as the currently available Gucci kit was well suited to the usual suspects of war- magazines, grenades, IFAKs, etc- but was lacking in the future of war- Comms integration, ATAK mounting options, bespoke load-outs by operation without a complete ground-up rebuild of the kit. I started to change my design priorities in line with the requirements of the modern soldier, and the JTAC PC was born.
Improved over several iterations of field trials and other user feedback, it is truly a hybrid. In the age of FPV UAVs and other UAS based kinetic effects, the JTAC PC integrates radios, end user devices, and all of the cabling required to keep them running seamlessly. Kinetic load-outs of magazines, grenades, tourniquets, IFAKs and other soldierly detrius are installed or swapped out to ensure that the operator is ready for the mission without being burdened by the last profile's requirements. The platform is rigid enough to be secure while maintaining the lowest possible profile. Snag hazards- both cable and kit- have never been this low.
When it came time to look into producing large numbers of this bespoke design, I chose to confine my search to Canada. Without doubt, it would cost less money to produce these designs elsewhere in the world. Overseas production may even produce equivalently good products, but that is not the point. Canadian kit by a Canadian Veteran, designed and made in Canada is something that we can be proud of. I am proud to present to the tactical community- the JTAC PC v4.3.