Camel Manufacturing Company (Camel) has collaborated with 3M, through an exclusive supply agreement, to develop a flame-resistant, intense weather fitted, insulated fabric to line the interior walls of military shelters. To maintain ambient temperatures within field facilities when deployed in extreme climates, a significant amount of heating or cooling must be produced, which uses a significant amount of energy. The Extreme Weather Liner system was designed to reduce this demand and improve ground force troop comfort in extreme weather conditions. This enhanced insulation design offers an R-value of 4.56 which provides an estimated 30 – 40+% reduction in fuel consumption for heating and cooling.
Camel formed the team as a combined effort with 3M to address the recent Strategic Energy Security Goals set forth by the U.S. Army Senior Energy Council. As energy efficiency continually becomes a looming issue for military operations, new technologies such as Camel’s Extreme Weather Liner system allows for conservation of invaluable energy that can be distributed elsewhere throughout operational environments.
The Extreme Weather Liner system is constructed with a layer of 3M™ Thinsulate™ Insulation Type FR-SH, a flame resistant, light weight, compressible insulation designed for use in shelters. It is also compliant to the Berry Amendment, which requires that shelters and other textile-based products be produced in the United States using fibers that are also produced in the United States.
"As new technology becomes available and conducive to the needs of US Armed Forces, we see the offering from Camel and 3M as solutions to help the Armed Forces achieve more self-sufficient installations," said April Harris, President, Camel. "This enhanced insulated liner can reduce cost and energy consumption to meet military energy goals."
"3M is thrilled to collaborate with Camel in creating products that benefit troops on the ground," said Paul Maturen, portfolio marketing manager for 3M™ Thinsulate™ Insulation, 3M Occupational Health and Safety. "Thinsulate insulation has been the leader in warmth and comfort, and it’s exciting to see the brand extend these benefits to military shelters. 3M’s technology traps air to manage heat, even in the harshest environments, both hot and cold. The flame resistant properties, in addition to low weight and high compressibility, provide an ideal solution for the US Army shelter needs."
The Extreme Weather Liner will be manufactured for use in all military specification shelters as an upgrade to the existing shelters. Additionally, the liner is available for a variety of COTS shelter systems. "We have the capability to manufacture liner kits to your engineering drawings, or we can reverse engineer parts supplied to fit your shelter applications," said Mark Lester, Vice President of Camel. "Ninety one years of designing and manufacturing military tents puts Camel on the leading edge of producing liners for a variety of shelters."
The Extreme Weather Liner system can be obtained through the US General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule along with other Camel products. GSA Contract GS-03F-0210X.