Eberlestock products are protected by the
following US Patents:
6,637,633,
6,763,987
7,654,426, 7,735,701, D346,846, and Patents Pending.
From the company that invented a whole new category of backpacks...
Comes another whole new category of backpack. The Skycrane II.
The J79 Skycrane
II is a modular load bearing system consisting of three primary bags:
the basic J79 pack, the pull-out G1 “Little Brother” pack, and a
removable fanny/courier pack. These components comprise the basic
system, with a volume of 4475 cubic inches.
Add our optional J2SD Spike Duffel to get 6275 cubic inches, or choose
the J3SD Super Spike Duffel to reach its maximum capacity of 7375 cubic
inches (duffels not included with basic pack system).
The A4SS Tactical Weapon carrier, our
other Side Scabbards, and a variety of components can be added to make a
seamless pack system that can be selectively configured and optimized to
a variety of missions. The basic J79 pack has a fully adjustable,
robust internal aluminum/plastic frame system which can be optimized for
direct-to-back carry or over-armor carry.
Unique
proprietary features enable the weapons carriers to be used singly or in
combination, and to be mounted to either the J79 or G1 packs. Both
the J79 and G1 are compatible with PRC-117 type radios and other modern
battlefield communications gear.
We made the J79
visually similar to our G4 Operator and F4 Terminator backpacks.
This family of pack systems leads the way in modern military pack
design, in which entire units can be fitted with packs suited to
individual specialties. Because the packs have similar visual
characteristics, identification of snipers and other specialist
personnel will be more difficult for the enemy.
The J79 is the
second-generation Skycrane, developed from the J263 Skycrane I.
The J263 was extremely well liked by soldiers in the field, who found it
to be the best platform available for carrying modern heavy-class sniper
rifles.
The original J263 model was a
pretty big pack. As the idea evolved into the J79 Skycrane II, one
of the changes that we decided upon was to make the new pack narrower in
the frame. This way, when the J79 is in the compact mode, it's a
nicely proportioned rucksack, in what we consider the ideal dimensions
for a multi-day military pack. It's scaled the same as the G4
Operator and the F4 Terminator, and has the unique ability to either
grow or reduce its size depending on the mission.
The J79 is a modular, scalable
pack system. It is a truly innovative approach to pack design, and
it's very effective. Sorry to say it, but there have been other
vague attempts at this concept, and they usually have ended up not
working very well and weighing 20 pounds. The Skycrane II,
however, is a very nice high performance backpack. It's built around a 2300 cubic inch internal frame pack
that employs our patented Cam Expansion system and that weighs only 6.5
lbs. The basic pack, unlike most pack frames, has some essential
storage capacity, so you will always have hydration and survival gear
storage, no matter which way you configure the system. Its unique design
allows it to perform exceptionally well in a variety of configurations.
It is reducible all the way down to a fanny pack, and
scalable all the way up to a full-scale 8375 cubic inch freighter that
can tackle anything from an M4 to the M107 Barrett to a boat motor.
The system has
a variety of gear compartments and storage spaces that are
designed for flexibility, ease of operation, and accessibility. It
has the rugged, field-proven construction that has been impressing
customers around the world since we perfected our pack design and
construction concepts.
And above all, it is designed for comfort, to ride well day
after day, and to increase the agility of those who are lucky enough to
have at the heart of their mission-essential gear.
We offer a selection of Side Scabbards.
Any of them will work with the J79 system; in fact, you can combine up
to three of them in the main pack to carry multiple weapons. Shown
below, the A4SS Tactical Weapon Scabbard, a
configurable carrier, is capable of being rigged to contain
virtually any man-portable weapon. It links to the J79 pack's main
frame panel, or can be inserted into the G1 Little Brother, as shown at
right:
Please Note: Side Scabbards, Duffels, and Hydration are Sold Separately
U.S. Patents 6,637,633
--
6,763,987 -- 7,654,426. Other Patents Pending.
Watch a video that shows some of the magic of this
pack system:
Scabbards, Hydration kits, A1SM or A2SM Shooting
Mats, J2SD or J3SD Duffels, and photo kits
are sold separately. You can add them to your order as you place
it at our online company store.
Color selection may vary. See our
online store to see current inventory.
Prices from $499-
Included with the
J79 Skycrane II, the
G1 Little Brother pack can also be purchased separately. This
handy pack can be used as a stand-alone three-day pack, and is also made
to compliment our J51 Warhammer packs.
Similar in concept to our H1
Mini Me, the G1 features an expansion sleeve that allows you to insert
any of our side scabbards.
With our A4SS Tactical Weapon
Carrier installed, the pack functions much like our G3M Phantom pack
(scabbards and hip belts sold separately).
Features both top-loading and
full-front panel loading. MOLLE/PALS webbing fills all useful spaces
inside and out. Two hydration sleeves on interior back wall sized for
our WXP3L 3-liter hydration. Radio rack on back wall for PRC-117 class
military radios.
The pack comes with a
harness. You can add our HBSS Hipbelt if you want a supportive pack
belt.
Volume: Approx. 1800
cubic inches.
G1 Price: $189-
A note from the designer of these systems:
I'm not pretending anything. I'm a long way from Afghanistan.
But backcountry Idaho is a pretty good replicator, with plenty of
remote, rugged, steep, trail-less terrain. I know where these
packs are going, so in order to prove them, and to improve them, I take
'em out once in a while and do a little "go heavy" backpacking with my
family. I tell them to bring whatever they want. Hardcover
books, bottles of wine, toy submarines. Whatever they think they
need. And I load it all up into a pack; in this case, the Skycrane
II. I throw in a few toys of my own, like an M4, my H/K .40 S&W,
and all of the ammo and BBs that we can shoot in 4 days on the mountain
(the boys can carry their own darn BB guns... but oh, yeah, I'll carry a
couple thousand BBs for them). Anyway, the point is, I'm a user of
our gear. I want to know what it feels like on my back, and to fix
what I think could be better. That way I can honestly tell you
that I think our pack does what it's supposed to do. This pack
does it. It's a good one. -- Glen Eberle
A Skycrane II with a J2SD Spike Camp Duffel mounted to the back, and more
stuff than one guy ought to carry over a big mountain... but here's
proof that the pack made it to the other side of the mountain, and the
guy carrying it can still smile.
Our J2PD Lightweight Padded Camera / Sensitive Equipment
Kit is tailored to fit the load bay of the Skycrane. Weighing only
3 pounds, this kit provides good protection, and is a heck of a lot
lighter than a hard plastic Storm or Pelican case. Although the
pack will carry the latter, the truth is, this padded duffel is
something that most people will prefer to carry! You can also, of
course, get a matching Storm Case from us to carry either the J2PD or
the whole pack and kit combined. Please note: the current
supply of J2PDs mount to the pack with the Grapple Straps. It does
not zip into the load bay of the J79 facing outward, but can zip to the
pack with the access facing inboard, similar to the J2SD shown in the
photo directly above.
So,
why name a pack after a helicopter?
...well, because it seems to fit!
-- The helicopter that hasn't
got a
body but can carry a house --
-- The backpack that hasn't got a body but can carry,
well let's see... the wheel off of a helicopter. Or anything else
you can think of! --
