Assessment: Juggernaut Case Smartphone Ecosystem

Whereas there’s one thing to be mentioned in regards to the means to outlive a disaster with none help from digital units, the fact is that most individuals won’t instantly default to bushcraft or primitive survival strategies when catastrophe strikes. Fortunately, whether or not it’s provide shortages, rolling blackouts, riots, or pure disasters, only a few fashionable disasters embody an absolute shutdown of mobile, Wi-Fi, or energy grid infrastructure. In previous articles, we’ve highlighted apps and strategies that permit you to use a smartphone for the whole lot from safe communication to navigation to a beacon for assist. However, identical to capturing, emergency smartphone use requires two-prong planning that covers each software program and {hardware} options. One of the crucial complete {hardware} options we’ve come throughout for this objective is Juggernaut Case.

Juggernaut has a protracted historical past of offering case and mounting options to navy and first responders. Organizations starting from Tier 1 Particular Operations models to Federal legislation enforcement and municipal first responders depend on Juggernaut to not solely defend the telephones themselves — generally known as EUDs or end-user units in navy parlance — but in addition to combine that immense processing energy into different methods, from autos to physique armor. This permits everybody from EMTs to Navy SEALs to remain related even underneath probably the most demanding, most austere situations.

Above: The Juggernaut Case IMPCT (left) is designed to be extra modern and EDC-friendly than the rugged military-spec SLEEV (proper). Each are made within the USA.

Subscribe At the moment and Save!

Luckily, their merchandise are additionally out there to civilians who can leverage Juggernaut’s know-how, which is actually battlefield-tested, to maximise our telephones’ utility into a big selection of preparedness purposes. We have been capable of take a look at and experiment with a wide range of instances and mounts for this text, and what we discovered was a cohesive, near-seamless ecosystem of phone-mounting {hardware}.

Juggernaut Circumstances and Capabilities

Above: Juggernaut affords a number of case choices that may combine with their line of cable adapters and mounts.

We examined two of Juggernaut’s instances: the SLEEV and the IMPCT. The shape issue and design rules have been comparable for each instances, however the SLEEV is the beefier of the 2, with hinged ports on both finish. The highest port, used to load and unload the telephone from the case, snaps closed with a molded-in clamp. The underside port, used to entry your charging/information port, really screws closed to utterly seal the underside of the telephone. The IMPCT has two small bumpers that may be totally eliminated. The IMPCT can also be top-loading, and the underside rubber bumper might be utterly eliminated. For every day carry, we left this piece off for straightforward entry to our charging/information port all through the day, however some customers could favor to maintain it in place for additional safety from mud and particles.

It ought to be famous that every one Juggernaut instances are open-faced. There’s no glass or polymer display screen protector constructed into the case. The open-face design additionally ensures most use of touchscreen features. However the instances are designed to suit very snugly, so when you use a peel-and-stick display screen protector, you might have to take away it simply to slip your telephone into the case. Each case fashions are totally suitable with all the spectrum of mounting choices, which we’ll cowl beneath.

Juggernaut affords instances for a variety of telephone makes/fashions; they provide a number of sizes of case. Their webstore affords an easy-to-follow sizing chart on nearly each particular person product web page, in addition to a shop-by-model filter perform. We used a Samsung S21 for everything of this text, which makes use of a medium-sized case and medium sized mounts. The entire in-mount images seen right here have been taken with the IMPCT case, because it’s the smaller of the 2 instances and the most definitely to be chosen for every day use and pocket carry.

We additionally had the chance to check Juggernaut’s IMPCT Cable, which is a alternative backside bumper than features a hard-wired USB cable and gasketed USB-C port for connection to the telephone. Merely take away the delicate rubber bumper that comes with the IMPCT case and exchange it with the IMPCT Cable. For the reason that cable is mounted to the bumper, this piece isn’t one thing you’d depart in your telephone on a regular basis. However when you plan to connect the telephone to a car mount for lengthy journeys, a battery pack for prolonged charging, or a USB photo voltaic charging panel, it’s a nice-to-have addition. The SLEEV additionally has a line of screw-in cables that may be ordered for that case, must you be utilizing it. Each variations might be ordered with USB or 6-pin “Mighty Mouse” adapters on the lengthy finish, or “unterminated” to hard-wire the cable right into a car or different platform for everlasting attachment.

Belt Clip

Obtainable in each vertical and horizontal carry configurations, the belt Clip Mount is strictly what you’d count on — a molded-plastic clip, with built-in bracket, that may be hooked onto your belt, seatbelt, or different straps for true EDC. This makes your Juggernaut case simply as handy for every day use as it’s for catastrophe use. Whereas it might seem like the handfuls of different belt-clip cellular phone holsters you should buy off Amazon, that is solely the casual-carry element of a complete hard-use mount ecosystem.

Tek-Lok Belt Mount

That is the subsequent step up from the belt clip, consisting of a devoted telephone bracket hooked up to a Tek-Lok mount. Whereas this Belt Mount is totally viable in an on a regular basis use position, we discover it slightly overbuilt for that activity. So, we added it to our Arbor Arms SALT battle belt. Whether or not you employ a battle belt for vary coaching, lessons, or a waist-mounted bugout rig, the Juggernaut Tek-Lok, with it’s included spacers, might be match to nearly any bigger belt system like 1.75- or 2-inch rigger’s belts. Since many battle belts now embody cutout channels to weave the interior belt by means of a padded MOLLE sleeve, you don’t have to fret about hard-attaching this mount to MOLLE channels. For those who’re OK with the additional bulk, this makes the Tek-Lok Belt Mount ideally suited for bouncing between a every day put on belt and a battle belt as circumstances require.

Above: The Tek- Lok Belt Mount works nice for bigger, thicker battle belts like this Arbor Arms SALT belt system.

Forearm Mount

The Forearm Mount permits you to use your smartphone like a digital “chief’s board.” First made common by skilled soccer gamers, who used them to maintain a cheat sheet of performs proper on their arm, these elastic sleeves have been quickly “weaponized” by navy and legislation enforcement tactical groups who used them to maintain the whole lot from radio frequencies to maps of the battlefield inside literal arms’ attain. Juggernaut’s answer is a bit more elegant, that includes an armband fabricated from Cordura, nylon webbing, and efficiency material that cinches down by use of the Boa “click on” system, which sizes to suit after which locks down on the desired snugness. The sleeve is supplied with the now-familiar telephone bracket to maintain your telephone seen and accessible all occasions. For those who don’t have a PALS-equipped plate provider or chest rig to mount your telephone to, this can be a good fallback answer that additionally works once you don’t want or need different tactical gear in your particular person. For those who don’t thoughts carrying the additional bulk in your arm, this mount can stand in for the PALS mount, Pack Adapter, or belt mounts mentioned elsewhere on this article. Mixed along with your favourite ballistic calculator app, this setup works nicely as a digital, adaptable model of the normal sniper’s armband.

PALS Mount

Above: PALS mount on an Arbor Arms CAS Plate Service.

The PALS Mount was particularly designed for navy use on MOLLE or PALS plate carriers. This permits Particular Operations Forces to maintain their telephone accessible for hands-free use of navigation or situational consciousness software program like ATAK. It additionally permits your smartphone to be built-in right into a “dual-comms” radio system, like these provided by Silynx or Safariland. We hooked up it to an Arbor Arms CAS, or Communicator Armor System. It is a full-blown “assaulter’s” plate provider with particular options built-in to accommodate the in depth integration of the aforementioned military-style communications tools.

There’s additionally a model of the PALS mount (not proven right here) that features inductive-charging functionality. For those who put on an armor system as a part of your job and want auxiliary energy to maintain your telephone working, you possibly can put on a battery pack mounted in your plate provider and hook the included cable immediately into your powered PALS mount for prolonged mission use.

PALS Pack Platform

That is really a two-part system that requires the PALS mount mentioned above in addition to the Pack Platform adapter. For this setup, Juggernaut teamed up with Thriller Ranch to create a nylon panel-and-strap system that permits you to use a PALS mount with a mountain climbing pack for mountain climbing and backpacking use the place armor isn’t required. We hooked up it to a Stone Glacier Avail pack, the writer’s go-to weekend mountain climbing pack. The Pack Adapter makes use of split-buckle sliders to connect to a pack’s shoulder straps and features very like a sternum strap generally discovered on many fashionable mountain climbing packs. Identical to with a PALS mount hooked up to a plate provider, the Pack Adapter retains your telephone mounted excessive on the chest for utilizing navigation applications like OnX or CivTAK. In a less-urgent use case, we use the Pack Platform to have the ability to scroll by means of our Amazon Music or Spotify playlists on lengthy street marches for bodily conditioning.

Automobile Mount

Net Editor Patrick McCarthy coated the Automobile Mount in-depth as a part of his DIY overlanding truck construct sequence in Subject 52. In case you missed that, the Automobile Mount works along side a RAM ball mount, so you possibly can swivel and modify your display screen place. Whether or not you’re navigating with OnX Off Street, Google Maps, or simply making hands-free telephone calls, the car mount is a handy manner to make use of your Juggernaut ecosystem on the street. Simply unclip your telephone out of your belt, pack, or plate provider, and snap it into the car mount earlier than you get behind the wheel.

Just like the PALS mount, there’s a powered model of the Automobile Mount (pictured right here) with a built-in USB cable that permits induction charging when plugged into your car’s on-board USB port.

Multi-Mount

Above: The Multi Mount is a flexible mounting answer restricted solely by your creativeness.

Because the title implies, the Multi-Mount is a general-purpose mount whose use case is restricted solely by your creativeness. Consisting of a molded plastic telephone bracket with a protracted Velcro strap, the Multi-Mount might be wrapped round something that’ll maintain the burden of your telephone. Branches, roll cages, PVC pipe, and something of comparable dimension is all honest sport. The reverse aspect of the Velcro strap is coated with a grippy, semi-sticky coating that’ll adhere to itself in addition to no matter you’re attaching to. Want to make use of your telephone’s flashlight whereas fixing a pipe underneath the sink? Need to connect your telephone to a tent pole for hands-free use at a campsite or hasty rally level? What about simply wrapping it round a tree department to movie a fast bushcraft video for social media? These sorts of miscellaneous makes use of are the place the Multi-Mount thrives and, when you’re going to put money into Juggernaut’s mount system, we suggest selecting one in all these up and conserving it useful for conditions not coated by the extra purpose-driven mounts we’ve already coated.

Above: The Multi Mount is able to all types of unconventional use instances, comparable to organising an impromptu path cam.

Conclusion

Whereas we’ve coated many of the out there mount choices, this listing isn’t complete. There are different area of interest mounts for the whole lot from mountain bike handlebars to skydiving and Army Free Fall parachute rigs. By the point you learn this, Juggernaut will already be delivery their subsequent technology line of telephone instances, which incorporates three fashions — the ENDVR, ADVNTR, and OPRTR — scaled for the way extreme your dwelling/working situations shall be. We’ve been assured by Juggernaut that the brand new line of instances won’t solely embody a wider array of telephone fashions but in addition be backward-compatible with the prevailing mounting footprint. So, if you have already got a number of of the mounts listed right here, they’ll nonetheless be usable with the brand new instances, sizing however when you change units. In addition they have a line of pill instances, with some corresponding mount choices.
For those who’re searching for case and mounting options to your moveable digital system that can stand as much as every day wear-and-tear in addition to in extremis survival conditions, we’d be hard-pressed to suggest a greater place to begin than Juggernaut Circumstances.

SOURCES

Written by Tom Marshall