| Introducing X-FORCE: Better Isn’t Possible
Our exceedingly popular N-Force line of holsters and concealment devices is about to receive an unparalleled makeover with the introduction of our new X-FORCE brand. X-FORCE products are intended to give Kickin’ A Packs ‘N Stuff’s proven, innovative design concepts a no-holds-barred, ultra-premium boost in component quality for those law enforcement officers, military personnel, and defense-minded civilians who demand their firearms accessories exhibit nothing short of the absolute best of the best.
The Elite Belly Band is the first of these premium upgrades to our N-Force products. It is, without question, the greatest gun concealment device of its kind. As of this writing, the Elite Belly Band is manufactured utilizing the finest materials in the world, period. There simply isn’t anything better to be had out there. Nobody specializing in nylon firearms accessories can even remotely begin to compare their products to ours, let alone hold a candle to an X-FORCE product.
The reason for the heretofore non-existence of such a product is simple: everybody in this business, including us, must always make a well-calculated compromise between quality, functionality, and cost-effectiveness to the consumer when developing, testing, and manufacturing a new product. Kickin’ A Packs is proud to stand behind the stuff we make with a lifetime guarantee on all materials and workmanship, so our products are already built to a far superior standard right from the get-go.
That’s because we use these things, too, and we’ve found that certain benchmarks are not worth violating for any reason. There’s enough cheaply-made crap out there to keep people buying and re-buying the same product every couple of years, steadily filling the coffers of other manufacturers who are well-aware of the shoddy corner-cutting that produces the regular, clockwork failures of their components.
Considering many of these products are priced well beyond even the most expensive of our offerings, we find these deliberate shortcomings unconscionable and appalling. After all, this industry is supposed to be about peace of mind and self-defense! When people are expecting your products to be there for them when they absolutely need them most, there’s just no place for downgrading materials in order to increase profit margin.
We prefer products intended and built to last forever, reserving repair jobs and replacements for extraordinary circumstances. X-FORCE products are manufactured for unheard-of resilience and hardiness to withstand even those extraordinary circumstances that would push a standard product well beyond its specified limits, exponentially increasing the functionality and longevity of said product.
This Ain’t Your Grandma’s Spandex
Our X-FORCE Elite Belly Band is constructed of a unique, knitted nylon-elastic composite called Spandura. The nylon base is none other than DuPont’s superb Cordura nylon, and the elastic core is Lycra, a highly flexible synthetic that tightly retains its shape with excellent stretch memory.
The Cordura amalgamation also gives Lycra a never-before-seen flex life of at least a decade, meaning it’ll take at least ten years of use (and it’d have to be continual, daily, demanding use at that) before the polymers undergo enough repetitive molecular deformation such that the Lycra begins to experience permanent degradation of the fibers. In other words, when not in use, the Spandura utilized in our Elite Belly Band will always return to its original dimensions.
Lycra is a truly fascinating fabric. Our Lycra is of exceptional quality and produced, like most of the Lycra in the world, via a polymerizing process called dry solution spinning. Dry solution spinning essentially takes a specific group of liquid chemicals and mixes them together such that they begin to form strands of molecules all linked together (called polymers) in an aqueous solution.
These strands are then removed from the aqueous solution and heated in a special nitrous solvent which transforms the liquid polymers into solid strands which are then spun into usable yarns of fabric. In Lycra, these yarns are stuck together in a highly textured, chaotic “rat’s nest” configuration that, under a microscope, looks very frayed and messy, like matted hair.
However, because Lycra consists of extremely long fibers (longer than almost any other synthetic textile in existence), while the material appears very messy and tangled, each fiber is actually made up of only a few yarns joined together at a handful of junctures called covalent-bound cross-links. Covalent bonds are very powerful ionic bonds used to connect molecules to one other, and they’re stronger than most other atomic forces we know of.
This means that if you could grab the rat’s nest from either end of its molecules and pull in opposite directions, you’d see the four or five individual yarns being stretched out until they’re almost perfectly straight, reconfiguring their shape in order to distribute the applied stress of being pulled apart.
All the while, those yarns are being held together at only a few cross-links which do not stretch and remain stationary in their original configurations, allowing the material to re-form into its original configuration once the stress has been relieved.
In essence, by limiting the points at which the fibers are bound together, and ensuring those bonds are nice and strong so they can’t break apart, what you end up with is a synthetic with incredible elastic properties.
Lycra must always be woven with at least one other material, otherwise it becomes too springy to sew and is very difficult to work. Lycra is highly resistant to the weakening effects of acidic chemicals (such as body sweat) and potentially damaging environmental catalysts (like metallic or plastic edges or surfaces) due to the smooth, rounded shape of the fibers, which also prevents Lycra from bonding to oxidizing chemical agents such as grime and oils. This structural phenomenon also makes Lycra very abrasion- and tear-resistant. Thus, it is cheaper to let Lycra do all the heavy lifting with regards to the overarching structural and chemical strength of the material by weaving it with a light-duty synthetic like polyester.
We went with a Lycra/Cordura mixture in a 1:5 ratio because Cordura nylon is, arguably, the best of the nylon variants when it comes to material strength versus weight, oxidation resistance (that is, shrugging off the weakening effects of exposure to sunlight, grimy oils, and air), and deformation resistance. Cordura is even more abrasion- and tear-resistant than Lycra, so combining the two materials creates an incredibly strong framework for our Elite Belly Band.
The whole belly band is fully machine-washable, which is a great way to not only keep your gear clean and looking good, but also assist the Lycra in maintaining its flex life. Lycra’s reaction with water helps to “reset” the configuration of the yarns around their cross-links, minimizing the molecular degradation of the fibers being constantly stretched and re-stretched.
Where the Lycra Meets the Road…
The belly band is an extremely simple firearms concealment tool. Just wrap it around your midsection, and fasten it to taste by way of heavy-duty nylon velcro. Wear a shirt, jacket, or other garment over the band, and you’re good to go! The Elite Belly Band is two inches wider than our standard belly band, with a total width of 6.5 inches. The belly band is sewn to your waist size as its default length. Obviously, the Lycra allows it to elasticize well beyond this default measurement, and with the holster and other reinforcements integrated into the band, the whole unit actually comes out a bit smaller so as to ensure a properly snug fit once stretched.
The holstering mechanism is divided into two sizes: small and regular. The small size works well for small-frame revolvers (no longer than a 2” barrel) and subcompact autos such as the many “mousegun” .380s available these days. Absolutely everything else goes into the universal design of the regular-sized holster, which is a faithful copy of our N-Force Uni-Holster and is capable of adjusting to fit all manner of revolvers and automatics. Because the holster is made of Lycra (as opposed to nylon), it is very effective in minimizing the profile of your concealed weapon.
As the Elite Belly Band’s holster is intended to be accessed via a cross-draw, it cannot function in an ambidextrous manner and is available in either a right- or left-handed model. Based on the design of lower back braces commonly employed by orthopedists, our Spandura belly band is an extremely stable platform for your weapon and is so comfortable to wear that in field tests we’ve conducted, we have often observed total, blissful forgetfulness of the presence of a loaded firearm being snugly secured to one’s torso.
Additionally, our Lycra has been treated by a two-fold cooling system to keep the skin and clothing beneath the belly band free from moisture and heat. First, the Lycra is machine-perforated in pairs at regular 1/8” intervals to allow the Elite Belly Band to “breathe,” and disperse heat through the upper layers of material and into the open air.
Secondly, the Lycra has been chemically modified by a high-performance wicking formula, meaning that the top-level surface of the fibers have been rendered hydrophilic (“water-loving,” or water absorbent) while the core yarns are rendered hydrophobic (“water-fearing,” or water repellant). Hence, any moisture that contacts the belly band is lifted up and away into the layers of clothing above it, without dampening the Lycra itself (or anything underneath it) in the slightest.
Icing on a Nylon Cake
There are a number of free upgrades you can add to your X-FORCE Elite Belly Band to expand its feature-set. Each of these upgrades is assembled on the flank of the belly band opposite the holster. Of course, you can leave this flank without any assembled add-ons, if you prefer!
Magazine holders in either a single, double, or triple set make carrying extra ammo a breeze, and they adjust to easily accommodate single- and double-stacked mags, with limited compatibility for high-capacity and extended clips. You may also add a second holster for a backup weapon.
Thirdly (and lastly), our X-FORCE Elite Belly Band can be augmented with a Cordura nylon zippered pouch measuring four inches high and seven across. The YKK number 8 coil zippers have had their pulls removed so that the pouch can remain safely unnoticed, but still easily opened and closed with your thumb and index finger.
Rather tight on interior space to ensure the pocket remains low-profile and innocuous, this zippered pouch is ideal for storing cash, your ID, or other important belongings you want to keep securely on your personage. Even an extra magazine or two! Perfect for those who want to protect their valuables on a business trip or vacation.
If you’ve been looking around for a professional-grade, no-nonsense, straightforward concealment device, we’re pretty sure you’re downright impressed at this point. And you should be. We didn’t take any shortcuts with the X-FORCE Elite Belly Band. This product is ludicrously more than anything the term “professional-grade” demands by definition. It is, without any question, the highest caliber product of its type to ever hit the market. You won’t find anything else that even comes close to it – probably ever.
In fact, Kickin’ A Packs guarantees your Elite Belly Band will withstand the rigors of everyday life in this hectic world forever and ever… or we’ll fix it or replace it free of charge!
Now that’s Kickin’ A. |
