The iVis is a high visibility Hydration backpack incorporating the WXP low-profile, wide mouth water bladder low-profile, wide mouth water bladder with a flexible hose. It’s the ideal partner to take on the road, when all you need is water and a small essentials pocket. The Firefly will make sure you’re seen in any weather condition, and will keep you hydrated. The tucked away straps and hydration tube help you maneuver around without getting caught.

High visibility and all advantages of SOURCE Hydration Systems

The WXP low-profile bladder features all the advantages of SOURCE Hydration Systems: tough 3 layer construction with Glass-like™ PE liner, it’s Taste-Free™ and Grunge-Guard™ antimicrobial, it has a leak-proof slider with wide opening, external fill port, self-sealing QMT™ with push button convenience and a built in shut off mechanism which allows our Universal Tube Adaptor (UTA™) or valves to be disconnected without spilling.

Now in the running for Australian International Design Award

We are very happy that the jurors decided to award the iVis Firefly with the Good Design Award in Commercial and Industrial Design. The iVis Firefly is now in the running for the Australian International Design Award (official website). We recommend, the jurors will take our Firefly for a spin outdoors! A big round of applause for our product designers!

More: iVis Firefly product page

The first and most important thing about water filtering and Source Hydration: We make it as easy as possible for you to connect the filtering product of your choice to your Source Hydration System. There is a lot of good filtering equipment out there and we do not endorse any one in particular. We say: there is no right or wrong way to purify your drinking water – as long as you know how to put your equipment to use, and as long as you do it properly.

SOURCE products connect to most popular filters

If you prefer a pump-filter type that connects to a standard wide-mouth-bottle thread, like MSR or Katadyn: The filler cap opening of our WXP Hydration Reservoir is built in industry standard diameter. You can connect your filter pumps to the bladder, screwing it on, pumping filtered water directly into your reservoir with no extra connecting parts, making sure there’s no loss and spilling.

MSR hand pump filter connected to SOURCE bladder

Connect gravity filters, inline filters to drinking-tube

Inline-filtering devices like Sawyer or Platypus Gravity, connecting to the tube with quick CPC (Colder) coupling, can be used with Source Hydration gear requesting no extra effort. Our Source Quick Connect (SQC) coupling is compatible with CPC (Colder). The SQC Source Quick Connect Kit provides you with additional male & female connections that can be inserted into any standard filter tube.

Inline gravity filters can be connected directly to the bladder (CPC Colder coupling) or to the drinking tube – according to need.

SOURCE Upgrade kits with UTA – and more handy extras

And we don’t stop there. With our Upgrade Kits (see blogpost here) and numerous accessories available online in our store you can pimp your existing hydration and filtering hardware to Source standard. Replacing the bladder, replacing tubes, adding tubes, exchanging valves and coupling .. Source Upgrade Kits offer all the tools and parts you need to optimize any hydration or filtering system in the market with tubes of 7mm inside-diameter (give-or-take 1 or 2 mm, depending on the elasticity).

After connecting the CPC male to any standard tube provided with the filter, clicking it in to our tube is very easy.

Replace your old bladder with our taste-free, test winning Source Widepac. Or discover the unique Source UTA (Universal Tube Adaptor): refill your bladder by connecting any source of water to the drinking tube. Meaning you don’t need to open your pack anymore. You can even re-fill while carrying it on your back.

Simple and functional connectivity & use

In short: We design and build Source hydration systems to be efficient, effective, high quality and easy to use – wherever you are heading. Meaning also, for times when you have no safe supply of drinking water, Source hydration is built to be compatible with most leading filtering-solutions.

Picture of a possible filter-setup, credits to Kyle Burley: Pump-filtering clean water into Source WXP Bladder using a male CPC adaptor to connect to drinking tube. (Picture: Kyle Burley)

“SOURCE provided a prototype of this new planned 45L offering in the fall of 2011 and asked for test and evaluation input. I used that prototype to hike the 26.2 mile Bataan Death March Memorial marathon in the ‘heavy’ category.

About a year later, a production version arrived and I continued to conduct T&E on the concept. This review provides observations gleaned from both packs which are structurally almost identical.

I’ve written my observations from the perspective of a guy who has rucked Med/Lrg ALICE, MOLLE, ILBE, and have messed around with (but not rucked) FILBE. I also own an ATS RAID and Karrimor Sabre 45. I’m 6’2″, 205 lbs, and wear a size 44L coat.

SOURCE Double D «3 Day Pack» in action

Double D Design

The Double D‘s pockets at the bottom of the sides are perfect for stabilizing longer items that you want to secure with the beavertail’s compression straps. They have the capacity to hold up to (4) 60mm or (2) 81mm rounds in their fibers, as well as secure the bottom of an extra hydration carrier, rifle buttstock, etc.

The pack was excellent at stabilizing any load I put in it, and that contributes to less fatigue and energy consumption on the move. Most of this stability came from the detachable waist belt, with the rest coming from the well-contoured shoulder straps.

The basic orientation of the pack seems more alpine styled, and that allows the carried weight to ride closer and higher on the body. The pack is also well-built, but not over-built, which can create a weight penalty for little gain.

The load lifters allow adjustment on the move and also minimize fatigue. The sensible interior organization provides a means to secure a hydration bladder, radio or other bulky object, without unnecessary or excessive straps and material.

Double D Advantages

The beavertail concept is smart and functional. During the Bataan march, I carried four water bottles in the pockets and was able to extract them on the move.

This component is where SOURCE’s conceptual designs start to shine. I’ve secured a lot of odd-shaped items to the outside of the pack, from a rolled up bivvy sack, air mattresses, a helmet, ammo can, etc.

The 3 liter pockets are perfect to stash warming layers, components of MREs, water bottles, extra magazines, you name it. The waist belt has the perfect contour to avoid interface issues with armor. Having just read this, understand that if you wear a warbelt, you might have some issues in that department depending on the thickness of the belt and what you have attached to it. It’s always a game of compromises; get it to work with armor and your 2nd line and you’ll have drama with the 1st line, and vice-versa.

This situation helps make some of the case for a minimized gunbelt if you can expect to run all three (pack, armor, and 1st line belt) frequently.

Double D Comfort

The PALS sewn in along the bottom of the pack could be stitched more towards the outside edge, so large items that are lashed down do not interfere with the wearer’s legs.

Although the pack can’t be blamed for the laws of physics that afflict the majority of comparable packs over armor, the shoulder straps dug in to my armpits when I put a full load of about 50 lbs. in it and wore it over an Eagle plate carrier with front and back SAPIs. A Mystery Ranch strap-cinch solved the problem and the pack rode very comfortably.

There were no comfort issues when worn without armor.

Double D Durability

I’ve run the prototype and production versions of the Double D across 134 miles (yes, that’s not a typo) of ruck marching, to include 20 miles while wearing a 1st Gen issued Eagle plate carrier with front and back ESAPIs.

Some of it was during my workup to the Bataan Death March and the event itself. I’ve carried a variety of loadouts, from bags of rice, dumbbells wrapped in sleeping bags, and a complete 72-hr gear list (minus six stripped MREs).

Weights averaged between 40 and 50 lbs, and Meni Keinan (head of military design) told me that it’s designed to hold up to 55lbs.

All straps and stitches have held up fine, despite the deliberate beating I put on the packs during T&E.

Double D Bottom Line

This is a very good pack with capacity for carrying a 72-hr tactical load across a broad climate range, including mission-essential equipment such as small arms ammunition, demolitions (e.g. M18 Claymore) C2 or leader tools, or biometric equipment.

It appears to have the basic organization, capacity, and stability to carry a sniper’s ancillary equipment and sustainment load.

It would also serve a suitable role for certain hunters, outdoor enthusiasts, and folks with a need for preparedness and resources that are staged and ready.”

Thanks to Jon for his thorough testing and feedback! Please note: His views are not an official endorsement of SOURCE products, nor are they any affiliation with the Marine Corps. For all the technical specs of the pack: Visit the Double D product page in our online-store.

SOURCE Double D Assault/Reconnaissance Pack in action

SOURCE will be exhibiting at the 2013 SHOT Show- January 15-18^th, Sands Expo & Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV, level 1 – booth #7106 (Law Enforcement and Tactical Products area).

We’ll display our 2013 product lineup including:

• Armor integrated low profile hydration
• CBRN hydration
• Our groundbreaking Vehicle Hydration Hub System
• NEW! Military socks and sandals with CUPRON antimicrobial and anti fungal protection!

Plus the global premier of our brand new developments, set to change the industry standard and give soldiers an enhanced ability to carry, hydrate and maneuver!

For more information please contact:
Ahron McNaughton
Military & Tactical Gear Sales Manager

Due to Yom Kippur holiday (Day of Atonement) here in Israel our factory and offices will be closed for 2 days (25-26/9/2012).

All online orders and Emails received during the holiday will be processed on Thursday the 27th.

During my service in the IDF I got used to the fact that comfort was a luxury. A carrier with some padding and thick straps, whose job seemed to include scratching my shoulders, was considered convenient. Of course there were no fitting options or adjusting capabilities. Therefore, if you were very tall or very short back pain was the norm.

When I was called into my first reserve duty in October 2008, I was issued the SOURCE IDF 95L liter backpack. The IDF introduced this rucksack after the Second Lebanon War, when they realized that the warfare scenario had changed and they needed to adapt and plan ahead. In this war, many warfighters found themselves in operations that lasted several days deep in enemy territory without any logistical support. All they could rely on was the equipment that they had brought with them. Without a suitable backpack the soldiers could not carry a heavy load for long distances and thus encountered severe difficulties. Immediately after the war, the IDF issued a tender for the supply of the combat soldier’s rucksack of the future. Over 10 backpack companies competed in this tender. LOWE ALPINE, DEUTER and SOURCE passed the first stage and developed the final models. The SOURCE IDF 90L won and was supplied to the IDF as the standard backpack for combat soldiers. Since then it has been widely implemented during routine activities and during Operation “Cast Lead” in Gaza, after which it underwent a number of improvements.

The IDF rucksack surprised me during my first reserve duty. The rucksack served me as a personal gear bag, as well as a great replacement for the kit bag and also as a carrier for maneuver gear. As such, I used it quite a bit.
This rucksack is certainly a serious upgrade for the combat troops, whether they use it as a platoon/company equipment carrier or whether it is used as a personal gear bag. It has access from the front, top and bottom, a place for hanging the helmet, an adjustable back support system and it’s made of light and durable materials

During one of our staff training sessions, the shoulder strap on the camouflage kit carrier tore and it couldn’t be used. The camouflage kit, for those not familiar with it, is very big, heavy and cumbersome, and contains a lot of parts both large and small. We understood that the whole maneuver could not be cancelled just because of a torn shoulder strap. Despite that, we decided to try to put the camouflage kit into the IDF 90L rucksack. To our surprise we found that all the pieces of equipment fit easily into the bag, and the storage pouch system helped us organize the equipment very efficiently. I also felt an improvement while carrying the weight. The pack felt better adapted to my back during marching and I gratefully returned home with a lot less bruises.

This was a few years ago. Since then I graduated in industrial design and started working at Source, designing backpacks and tactical nylon. Today when I look at the IDF 90L pack, I can appreciate it even more. Every detail is thought of, for instance the choice of materials- The IDF 95L uses a mix of 500D Cordura, for its light weight, with 1000D Cordura, where you need protection from abrasion. The right thickness of the webbing with the right weave, made from the right material, treated the right way, so the straps will not slide on the buckle and release as time passes. The IDF 95L webbings are light but at the same time strong and resistant to water. The pack uses of strong and light nylon buckles. Even the thread used in the pack is a thick bonded nylon thread.
In my opinion, as a designer and a warfighter, the IDF Pro is definitely one of the best military backpacks in the field today.

Ori F.

For more info and a Special Bundle, please visit the IDF Pro product page.

IDF Pro video:

We’d like to wish you  all  Shana Tova (Happy New Year)!

Due to Rosh Hashana holiday here in Israel (the Jewish new year) our factory will be closed for 5 days, from Friday the 13th.

Please note:
All online orders and Emails received during the holiday will be processed on Wednesday the 19th.

May we all have a great new year!

Thank you for your patience.

Developed specifically for the requirements of the US Marine Corps, the Source Aquasource reduces the weight of the system by 13.4 pounds compared to the previous Collapsible Water Bag procured through the Marine Enhancement Project.  In addition to its primary function as providing a water resupply system that is more easily transported by a Marine Rifle Squad during dismounted operations, the Source Aquasource also provides capability to function as a Vehicle Hydration System for mounted operations when paired with the Vehicle Hydration Hub Upgrade Kit, as well as being able to be used as a Field Shower system when paired with the Field Shower Upgrade Kit.

Since its founding in 1989, Source has become a world leader in the design and production of military hydration and load bearing systems.  Source is the hydration system of choice for military and law enforcement organizations around the world such as the US Marine Corps, US Naval Special Warfare, Israel Defense Force, German and French Army’s Soldier Modernization Programs, Swedish Army, Singapore Armed Forces, as well as many others.
Source’s hydration systems stand apart from the competition due to their unique reservoir material utilizing food grade, taste free co-extruded PE film (BPA and Phthalate free) with its glass-like surface and ‘Grunge Guard’ technology delivering superior antimicrobial properties allowing for the safe storage of water under long term field conditions.

For more information on Source Hydration, please visit www.SourceTacticalGear.com

SEK Solutions is a nationally recognized diversity supplier, a Woman-Owned Business, and a U.S. Small Business Administration Small Disadvantaged Business program participant. SEK Solutions has the capabilities, skilled personnel, proven past performance, and resources to meet and exceed your expectations. SEK has become an industry leader in both government and military sectors for equipment and services. For over a decade, SEK’s proven relevant experience has provided its sales staff with great insight to help fulfill your mission and operational readiness. Whether your requirement is at home or abroad or whether your need is emergent or sustainment, SEK will make your satisfaction our priority.

For more information on SEK Solutions, please visit www.seksolutions.com

AquaSource 20L video:

AquaSource 20L: Product Page | Datasheet | Care & Use Instructions

Now combat soldiers can finally hydrate fast and in good taste!

Source Tactical Gear has released a series of three UPGRADE KITS that allow any soldier, with any conventional gear, to upgrade their hydration system to our genuine, world famous, reservoirs and accessories.

Why Upgrade?

Only with a Source Hydration System you’ll gain:

LOW PROFILE At last a reservoir that leaves some space for cargo. We know there’s more than just water that needs to fit into a fighter’s gear. With a new baffled wall welded inside the reservoir, we have succeeded to limit the bulging of the reservoir to keep a slim form even when full. The LOW PROFILE keeps the load balanced in operation.

WIDEPAC™ CLOSURE A wide opening of the reservoir, using our original patented slide bar, makes filling and drying super easy and fast. This smart closure system is strong enough to withstand over 230kg (500 lbs.).

TASTE FREE™ The film we developed for our hydration systems ensures your water stays fresh and tasteless. None of that rubber aroma! The surface of our film, unlike others, is made super smooth, we call it GLASS LIKE™. It’s so smooth that bacteria and mold find it virtually impossible to grow on it. This way the water stays fresh without the need for extra care or cleaning tablets.

GRUNGE GUARD™ Takes the thinking out of drinking! On top of that we incorporate our original anti microbial into the film during the production process QMT™ Our self sealing “Quick Connect” enables easy disconnect of the tube and valve, making it easier to remove the reservoir to refill. It is compatible with various accessories such as our UTA™ (Universal Tap Adaptor) as well as different filters and pumps that are available on the market.

In all our UPGRADE KITS we included our Universal Tap Adaptor, the UTA™. The UTA™ allows you to plug in your hydration system to any tap or water bottle and refill your reservoir without taking it out of your gear.

Three UPGRADE KITS are available:
(for more details click on the links below)

WXP 3L Upgrade Kit    |    ILPS 2L/3L with UTA    |    UTA & Storm Upgrade Kit