pmcimagazine.com
WISPORT
The tactical equipment market seems to be more and more flooded with choice than ever before,
and sometimes it’s easy to overlook a brand because their gear somehow doesn’t fit into the “Gucci
Category”. Bill takes a pause and a step back to his roots in the outdoor performance market to
focus on WISPORT, a Polish brand that really should be better known and appreciated!
I
t has to be said that an awful lot of gear that we use is
driven by big faceless brands and what is seen on the
backs of “operators” both in real life and in the movies/
on the TV. Of course there’s also the influence of the
gaming industry that want their virtual characters to
look “tacticool”, so much so that we’re now seeing tie-
ins between game producers and manufacturers of gear
not just as a nod, but as direct business relationships.
Now I’m not saying that this is a bad thing as increased
sales for company X driven by the virtual marketplace and
showcase generated online by company Y leads to more
money in the pot for future development of new gear, and
this is actually a pretty healthy place to be for any producer of
tactical kit. All companies love a government contract which
may lead to the production of thousands of pieces of one
particular type of gear and assure sales for years to come, but
as always contracts of this type are undoubtedly pared back to
the bone when it comes to what the company actually earns,
and what they have to spend developing new ideas.
What sometimes amazes me though is that there are some
absolutely corking manufacturers out there that not only provide
kit for the top “operators” of their own countries, but innovate
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like mad using the best possible technologies and components,
and somehow are completely passed by because their gear
hasn’t been shown off in “Call of Modern Battlefield Duty 27” or
appeared in the latest “Dark o’clock” blockbuster movie!
I’ve mentioned before in relation to clothing that there is
some absolutely cutting-edge stuff coming out of Eastern Europe
at the moment, and let’s not forget the operational experience
of Special Forces units like Grupa Reagowania Operacyjno-
Manewrowego (GROM) from Poland, who have been right in
the thick of things with 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force), SEAL Team
Six (DEVGRU) and the SAS, that are feeding their hard-won
knowledge back into companies producing absolutely first rate
gear. One of the manufacturers, who are based in Wrocław,
Poland as it happens, that we seem to pass by is WISPORT, and
I can’t for the life of me work out why!
WISPORT have actually been making packs (as well as
other items for the outdoor and hunting markets) since 1984
and certainly know their business! In addition to a thoroughly
extensive collection of backpacks, the company also offers
fleece, ski pants, thermoactive underwear, organic cotton
T-shirts, hiking boots, trekking and ski socks, and a wide range of
accessories (first aid kits, transport bags, rain capes, crampons,