Noisefighters – Heatsync

Sweat wicking for your ear pro.

I’m always a little hesitant to say anything about an accessory that can change the characteristics of PPE, but I’ll just relay my experience with these on my Comtacs.

These are made by those top blokes over at 4DTactical so a fair few of you will know the pedigree in terms of a padding type product that touches your head. These are compatible with a very wide range of all the headsets out there.

The headline feature for me is the high quality perforated fabric which is embedded with silver to give it great antimicrobial characteristics. Over-ear headsets are of course just like helmets and body armour in hot weather – sweat traps that eventually turn in to soggy, swampy foul beasts that go cold and you dread putting them back on after taking them off for a break.

Personally I have had my set of the Heatsync covers for some years now and have taken all possible opportunities to take them to ranges state side (indoors and out, unsuppressed. 30 cal automatic) and they’ve been subjected to many a blank fire grenade/pyrotechnic including in confined spaces. I haven’t *perceived* that a higher level of noise was getting through, but that is purely subjective, I don’t have any kind of tiny scientific test meter to place inside my ear cups.

The way in which you attach these covers seems strange at first and, yes guys, you’ll actually need to read the instructions. But once they’re on they stay in place nicely.

I’ll say these aren’t cheap, but I already had the NF Sightlines gel cups mounted via the (very correct) recommendation of Edgar Sherman Design and the combination feels fantastic. Certainly compared to the 2 pence pieces of plastic-dipped open cell foam that many headsets come with as standard.

Again if you’re firing mortars or .50 cals and AT weapons all day and maybe for weeks on end when deployed, then you need to take real care when it comes to altering your PPE in any way. I can say from a hobbyists perspective I have been super grateful to have these fitted to my hearing protection.