Redz Comfort Gear

Redz Comfort Gear (also known as Redz) was an American paintball equipment and clothing brand founded by professional paintball player Greg Hastings, known as Red. Active from the late 1990s, the company specialised in paintball ammunition harnesses, jerseys, trousers, gloves and accessories.[1][2]

Redz became particularly associated with its Comfort Pack system, which combined a supportive waist belt with interchangeable ammunition-pod carriers. The company subsequently expanded into complete playing apparel, including the Invincible and Dimension clothing ranges.[2][3]

History

Founding

Redz Comfort Gear was established by Greg Hastings during the 1990s.

According to Hastings' biographical account published by Inception Designs, the idea originated while he was working as a private investigator. He developed a harness combining a conventional back-support belt with paintball ammunition pouches, seeking to improve comfort and stability while carrying additional paintballs.[1]

The resulting product became known as the Redz Comfort Pack.

United States trademark records identify 31 January 1997 as the first commercial use of the Redz Comfort Pack name. Hastings filed a trademark application on 14 July 1997.[4]

A separate Redz Comfort Gear trademark application was filed by Hastings on 19 July 1999, covering clothing designed for paintball.[5]

Early development

During the late 1990s, Redz expanded through tournament sponsorship, product demonstrations and direct marketing to competitive players.

The company exhibited at major tournaments, including the 1999 Skyball tournament held at Toronto's SkyDome.[6]

Contemporary reporting by WARPIG documented Hastings offering equipment sponsorships to successful teams at the event in exchange for promotional photographs and advertising opportunities.[2]

At the 1999 ZAP Amateur Open, Redz sponsored a promotional competition in which specially marked cases of paintballs contained certificates awarding complete Redz equipment packages to winning teams.[7]

These activities helped establish the brand within the American and international tournament paintball markets.

Expansion into clothing

Redz expanded beyond ammunition harnesses into protective apparel and playing clothing.

At the 2000 Paintball World Cup, the company displayed its Invincible range, including jerseys and protective gloves.[8]

In May 2002, Redz announced the Dimension range of matching paintball clothing and accessories.

The collection included jerseys, trousers, gloves and updated Comfort Pack systems, with coordinated colours and designs intended for tournament teams.[3]

The Dimension trousers incorporated reinforced knees, ventilation panels, adjustable cuffs and pockets designed to carry paintball barrel-cleaning equipment.

The company's jerseys included padded elbows, ventilation and sublimated graphics.

Ownership changes

Greg Hastings subsequently sold his interest in Redz Comfort Gear.

A contemporary technical review published by WARPIG in August 2005 confirmed that Hastings had left the company and was developing equipment under the new R7 brand.[2]

The R7 Modular Pack retained the general concept of a separate supportive waist belt and interchangeable pod-carrying section.

The precise date of Hastings' departure and the identities of the subsequent owners of Redz Comfort Gear have not been independently established.

The original Redz paintball product range was subsequently discontinued. Its final production date has not been confirmed.

Products

Redz Comfort Pack

The Redz Comfort Pack was the company's original and most recognisable product.

It combined a wide back-support belt with a removable section designed to carry paintball ammunition pods.

Unlike conventional harnesses in which the belt and ammunition carriers formed a single assembly, the Redz system allowed players to select a belt suited to their waist size and attach a pod carrier appropriate to their playing position.[2][3]

The design incorporated padded support, hook-and-loop fasteners and adjustable straps.

Its modular arrangement allowed players to replace or change the pod-carrying section without replacing the entire belt.

The Comfort Pack was sold in different configurations, accommodating varying numbers of ammunition pods.

Dimension Comfort Pack

The Dimension Comfort Pack was an updated version of the original harness system.

Introduced as part of the Dimension clothing range in 2002, it offered interchangeable belts and pod carriers in coordinated colours.

The company advertised configurations capable of carrying up to nine 150-round paintball pods.[3]

Four belt sizes were available, accommodating a broad range of waist measurements.

The product retained the supportive construction and modular attachment system associated with the original Comfort Pack.

Invincible clothing

The Invincible range included playing jerseys, gloves and other protective clothing.

The range was documented at the 2000 Paintball World Cup, where Redz displayed products alongside other manufacturers.[8]

Dimension clothing

The Dimension range expanded the company's clothing catalogue during 2002.

It included:

Dimension Jerseys: Tournament jerseys incorporating padded elbows, ventilation and sublimated graphics.
Dimension Pants: Reinforced paintball trousers with adjustable cuffs, ventilation and accessory pockets.
Dimension Gloves: Protective gloves incorporating neoprene sections, ventilation and padded palms.
Dimension Comfort Packs: Modular ammunition harnesses with matching colours and designs.

The range was advertised in red, blue, grey and other colour combinations.[3]

Other equipment

Redz also marketed protective accessories, neoprene products, paintball squeegees and equipment bags.

During the early 2000s, the company expanded its product development beyond paintball.

At the 2001 International Amateur Open, Redz displayed the Comfort Cover, a neoprene accessory designed for video game controllers.

Contemporary reporting described plans to distribute the product through Electronics Boutique stores.[9]

Tournament sponsorship

Redz Comfort Gear supported competitive paintball through team sponsorship, tournament prizes and event promotion.

The company sponsored teams competing in the National Professional Paintball League and other national and international tournament circuits.

The Redz Factory team competed in the 2001 Mayhem Masters in the United Kingdom.[10]

At the 2003 NPPL Chicago Open, two professional teams competed under the names Redz Black and Redz Factory Red.[11]

Redz also sponsored tournament events, including the Northwest Tournament Series in 2001.[12]

Its products were included in prize packages at events such as Skyball and the ZAP Amateur Open.

Historical significance

Redz Comfort Gear contributed to the development of modular ammunition-carrying equipment during the growth of competitive paintball in the 1990s.

The Comfort Pack combined features of a supportive waist belt with interchangeable ammunition carriers, offering players greater flexibility in how they configured their equipment.

The brand also reflected the growing specialisation of paintball clothing during the late 1990s and early 2000s, when manufacturers increasingly produced coordinated jerseys, trousers, gloves and harnesses specifically for tournament use.

Original Redz products remain in circulation among players and collectors of historical paintball equipment.

The company's designs are documented through surviving equipment, trademark records, contemporary tournament reporting and technical reviews.

References

Greg Hastings. Inception Designs. Biographical account describing Hastings' development of the original Redz Comfort Pack and subsequent sale of his interest in the business.
R7 Modular Pack. WARPIG, Bill Mills, August 2005. Historical account of Redz Comfort Gear, its original harness design, Hastings' promotional activities and subsequent departure.
Redz Comfort Gear Dimension. WARPIG, Redz Comfort Gear press release, 13 May 2002. Contemporary product announcement documenting the Dimension clothing and modular harness range.
REDZ COMFORTPACK Trademark, Serial Number 75324356. United States trademark records. Filed by Greg Hastings on 14 July 1997, recording first commercial use on 31 January 1997.
United States Patent and Trademark Office Official Gazette, 5 June 2001. USPTO. Redz Comfort Gear trademark, serial number 75753495, filed by Greg Hastings on 19 July 1999.
Skyball 1999. WARPIG, 1999. Contemporary tournament coverage identifying Redz Comfort Gear among event exhibitors.
1999 ZAP Amateur Open. WARPIG, 1999. Documents the Redz Golden Ticket promotion and equipment sponsorship.
World Cup 2000 Product Showcase. WARPIG, Bill Mills, October 2000. Contemporary coverage of Redz Invincible clothing.
International Amateur Open 2001: New Products. WARPIG, 2001. Documents the Redz Comfort Cover and neoprene accessory products.
Mayhem Masters 2001 Preliminary Results. WARPIG, 2001. Tournament standings documenting Redz Factory Team.
NPPL Chicago Open 2003 Preliminary Results. WARPIG, 6–8 June 2003. Documents Redz Black and Redz Factory Red in professional competition.
Northwest Tournament Series 2001. WARPIG, Scott Jensen, 2001. Contemporary tournament report identifying Redz Paintball Products as a sponsor.

External links