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General Description
The
G3 from Hatch,
is one of a number of gear bags manufactured by Hatch
Corporation (Oxnard, CA-USA) as subsidiary of Armor
Holdings for the professional soldier, law enforcement
officer or other professional- requiring heavy duty
tactical luggage.The design of the bag is unremarkable
as it conforms to all the diagnostic profile characteristics
of the tried and true Cargo Bag. What distinguishes
the Hatch G3 from the traditional cargo bag are the
fact that it is a one compartment bag like a duffle
but it's form is rectilinear rather than cylindrical.
Moreover, it may be carried by either of three different
methods. Lastly, it's huge classifying it as a 'Load
Out' gear bag.
The
G3 has a large open-cavity design for carrying a wide
variety of gear. Construction consists of a 600 denier,
water resistant polyester shell with PVC backing and
heavy-duty reinforced handles and straps. Nylon web
carry handles are on both the sides and ends. The
G3 may be worn as a backpack using the 2 inch wide
(5 cm) padded adjustable straps affixed to the bottom.
The exterior features two zippered mesh end pockets
and a total of five clear vinyl map/document pockets
on the top and sides. The interior has four expandable
zippered mesh pockets, four zippered pockets and one
zippered pouch with padded walls for delicate gear.
Target
Market
-Traveler/Evacuee /Up to 72 hrs of emergency provisions
for two persons and a youth. With space for a 2 person
tent, blankets and camping mattresses
Form Factor
& Build -
Size- Extra Large. Large enough to carry a
wide variety of preparedness/response gear plus shelter
and sleeping bags
Geometry- Rectangular (rectilinear)
Material- Heavy duty Cordura nylon fabric and construction.YKK
zippers throughout. Padded concealable shoulder carry
straps.
Ergonomics-
Two padded shoulder straps enable one person to carry
this case leaving their hands free. Alternatively,
one or two people may use the side straps to carry
a load for a shorter distance - but distributing the
load between two poeple.End straps also allow for
two person carry
Affordances- A
single zipper with two pulls affords access to the
single interior compartment. The
exterior features two zippered mesh end pockets and
a total of five clear vinyl map/document pockets on
the top and sides. The interior has four expandable
zippered mesh pockets, four zippered pockets and one
zippered pouch with padded walls for delicate gear.
Human Factors & Usability -The
G3 conforms to most heuristics guiding good user-centered
design in the industrial engineering of a carry case.
In other words, the need for effective, efficient
and easy to learn functionality are fully accommodated
through sound consideration of the cognitive, reflexive
and contextual aspects of this product's use. From
the point of view of matching the engineering and
fabrication to the user's expectations and the anticipated
contexts, the G3 meets all the necessary requirements.
This is a carry bag that's designed to hold enough
gear for one - tree persons for
between 72 hours and one week's duration. It's uncomplicated
and serves the purpose of reducing the need for multiple
pieces of luggage well. This is especially true of
situations requiring hands free mobility.
Styling and Aesthetics
The G3's lacks aesthetic appeal but is elegant in
that it's black, boxy and large.
Environmental Stress- We evaluated
the G3 under somewhat abusive circumstances. The toughness
of the fabric was well suited to aggressive brushes
with rough but not sharp cutting metal surfaces such
as those that might be encountered in an evacuation,
outdoors or in less than the most civilized of settings.
It fared very well in scuffs against concrete, automobile
doors, steel emergency stairs, trees, thorns and an
array of surfaces one might encounter in an evacuation.Our
experience traveling by car with the G3 has taught
us respect for it's construction quality and use of
materials. To test the un-protected zippers, we subjected
G3 to an unattended 10 minute shower-No water was
discovered inside . We attribute this to the effectiveness
of a zipper over flap as well as the use of impervious
Nylon Cordura fabric.
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Price as evaluated
(less accessories) - Price: $80- $90
Manufacturer :http://www.hatch-corp.com
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Specifications:
Hatch- G3
- 600
denier Nylon fabric
- 2 concealable shoulder straps
- Two side handle straps
- Two end hand straps
- Total dimensions: 41.5"L x
14"W x 12"H (105.4cm x 25.5cm x 35.56cm)
- Weight:Xlbs
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ABOVE: Oblique view Note: Clear document/map pouches
ABOVE: Left, Shown with shoulder straps at ready |
Right, Shown with shoulder straps concealed in panel
Inside Contents ...
Above:Nutrition, Water,Medicines, Sanitation&
First Aid
Above: Various tools & seasonal preparedness Note:
Bottom row, Two fire evacuation masks in sealed packaging
Above: Two M95 NBC masks with one fresh canister each
nested at the ready for connection and use. Sealed
packaging
Above: Clothes, sleeping bags,Rain Parkas,ParaCord,2person
tent
Evaluation Results & Summaries
Ease of Use
Excellent. The user simply loads contents
according to individual or task requirements. Smooth
zippers are easily opened and closed thanks to the
easily grasped pull cords.The design of the G3 invites
objects to be loaded in a manner that promotes good
balance if the bag is carried horizontally and with
the heaviest objects at the end that would become
the bottom in a backpack carry attitude.The handy
interior pockets allow for stowage and organization
of smaller objects. The clear exterior map/document
pouches are as easy to access as any Velcro seal.
The G3 is not intended for long marches,
but the very fact that it offers a decent back pack
carry method, makes it far easier for one person to
carry than might otherwise be possible.
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Task performance optimization
Very Effective. The
G3 is ideal for carrying a very large load of mixed
contents. It's not advised that it be used for hauling
very dense objects such as a mass of canned goods
for example. From the point of view of the evacuee
it is effective for carrying a combination of clothes,
some water and dry foods, lightweight shelter and
sleeping bags plus a mix of
emergency necessities.
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Accommodation for emergency provisions
Excellent. The most important emergency preparedness
passengers riding in the G3 are likely to be clothes,shelter,
bedding and critical respiration protection. In addition,
a couple of helmets and several pairs of rugged boots
may also be hosted inside. The interior pockets are
intelligently arrayed along the sides and the end
of the bag, while useful document pockets containing
maps / vital information are accessible and visible
on the outside without requiring that the bag be opened
for viewing. A well planned
emergency evacuation strategy would see evacuees using
the G3 as a home evacuation bag-loading smaller modules
plus season relevant components into it in the time
available prior to an actual evacuation. This said,
the G3 can probably reside inside a building and be
located as close as possible to the most egress friendly
exit. Last minute clothes may simply be carried to
the G3, before its loaded onto a vehicle.
For SAR/CERT responders, a G3 could reside
in the trunk of a car or larger vehicles, and be pre-loaded
with the necessary emergency response gear or relevant
modules. It should be noted that the G3 is an all
purpose type of luggage- capable of limitless application
in many domains of end use.
See> Emergency Preparedness Provisions 24/48/72
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Fabrication Design and Construction
quality
The fabrication quality
of G3 is top notch and is
in keeping with the expectations of its intended customers.
Of special note is the ability to entirely tuck the
snap closable shoulder straps underneath a Velcro
secured panel, ensuring snag free mobility -especially
in the case of abusive vehicular transport. The use
of a zipper cover flap, acts as a deterrent to rain
damage - though the G3 is not rated as waterproof.
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Items of Note:
Excellent Customer Relationship Management
|Superb design and construction quality| Massive storage
space| Premium materials and hardware | Not completely
impervious to water| Ideal
for large volume loads |Pack it, position it and grab
it | May be collapsed & folded into a very compact
space
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