The HELMET: On October 3rd 1993, a squad of US Special Forces repelled out of two Black Hawk helicopters onto the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia in an attempt to seize two enemy lieutenants. The Special Forces ops on this mission were willing to risk injury or worse, rather than wear the uncomfortable army issue helmets that blocked their vision and messed with the communication system. So instead they wore hockey helmets to the firefight. US casualties were high. A plan was put into effect to design a helmet the soldiers could wear that would protect them in situations like the Mogadishu standoff. When a series of delicate snowflake shaped sheets of Aramid are pressed together, they’ll form a piece of headgear that’s comfortable enough to wear to war, and tough enough to take a bullet. Up until the mid-90’s, helmets hadn’t evolved that far from the steel doughboy helmets of World War 1. A helmet had to be developed that offered the same comfort as a hockey helmet, with the ballistic protection and utility of combat gear. The Special Operations Delta helmet has answered that call. The ZIPPO: These ribbons of solid brass will get pressed into service as an icon that’s known by its look, its sound, and its name. The Zippo. From World War 2 through Vietnam, Zippos have played their part in the war effort - lighting fuses, hammering nails, and heating rations in a helmet. There’s even a legend that a Zippo sitting in a shirt pocket saved a GI’s life by stopping a Vietcong bullet. The FUEL BLADDER: In war, fuel becomes a target. How that fuel gets to the frontline can make the difference between winning a battle and losing lives. Now there’s a portable filling station that can gas up a tank in minutes and take a bullet without spilling a drop. When it’s cut and welded, military-grade nylon will make one tough plastic bag, able to carry 125,000 litres of gasoline. The SIMULATED IED: Landmines and IEDs, or Improvised Explosive Devices, are as