# EUC ARMORED CAPRI — Tech pack v0.1.1 (prototype build)

3/4-length compression pant. High rise with integrated belt and lumbar plate. Four pad zones on dovetail docks. One continuous ring-mesh line down each outer leg. Configurable: **S** (summer, worn alone or under shorts, mesh exposed) and **W** (under AAA jeans and the coat, with the heat/cool loop).

Companion files:
- `hardpoint_dock.scad` — parametric rail and carrier frame, presets for every zone on the platform (capri, vest, sleeves)
- `mail_line_panel_LEFT.svg` — 1:1 mm cut pattern for the mail line, dock and rail positions, tack grid, row schedule

Numbers below are for a base body (waist 34 / hip 40 / thigh 24 / knee 15.5 in, ~6 ft). Regrade from section 1 before cutting knit.

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## 1. Measurements (standing, bare legs, tape snug not tight)

| # | Point | Where | Base (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | Waist | at navel | 865 |
| M2 | High hip | around the iliac crests | 940 |
| M3 | Hip | around the greater trochanters | 1015 |
| M4 | Upper thigh | at the gluteal fold | 610 |
| M5 | Mid thigh | halfway trochanter to patella | 560 |
| M6 | Above knee | 50 mm above patella top | 440 |
| M7 | Knee | at patella center, leg straight | 395 |
| M8 | Below knee | 50 mm below patella bottom | 370 |
| M9 | Crest to trochanter | vertical | 100 |
| M10 | Trochanter to patella center | vertical | 450 |
| M11 | Patella height | top edge to bottom edge | 55 |
| M12 | Waist to hem | side, down to 60 mm below patella bottom | 660 |

**Negative ease on the body knit** (finished garment circumference vs body): high hip −8%, hip −10%, thigh −15%, knee −12%, below-knee gripper −18%. Pinning band (60 mm tall, centered on M3) −18% on its own. That lands at roughly 15–20 mmHg on the thigh and ~25 mmHg at the trochanter with the fabric in section 2. Rise: waistband top edge 40 mm above the crest.

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## 2. Materials

| Code | Material | Spec | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Body knit | Warp-knit nylon/elastane 72/28, ~280 gsm, 4-way, ≥80% stretch both directions, ≥90% recovery | All body panels |
| F2 | Pinning band | Powernet 320 gsm, or F1 doubled | Trochanter band, rear yoke |
| F3 | Vent mesh | Open-hole polyester mesh ~140 gsm, 4-way | Back of knee, inner thigh, crotch gusset |
| F4 | Dock face | UHMWPE (Dyneema-class) woven or knit, ~250 gsm | Outer face of each dock laminate |
| F5 | Heat block | Para-aramid needle felt, ~300 gsm | Under F4 in every dock laminate |
| F6 | Bond film | Bemis Sewfree 3415 or equivalent TPU hot-melt film, 100 µm | Laminate assembly, rail bonding |
| F7 | Stretch binding | Nylon/spandex fold-over elastic, 20 mm | Dock panel edges, hem |
| F8 | Gripper | Silicone-bead gripper elastic, 18 mm (sewn) | Hem band, dock perimeters |
| F9 | Waistband | Woven power elastic, 80 mm | Waistband |
| F10 | Holster cloth | Cordura 500D | Lumbar sleeve, pack holsters, bladder pockets |
| F11 | Mail binding | TPU-coated aramid tape, 20 mm | Mail panel edge |
| H1 | Rails and carriers | TPU 95A, printed from `hardpoint_dock.scad` | Docks |
| H2 | Lumbar plate | HDPE 1.5 mm, 260 × 130 mm, corners R20 | Belt |
| H3 | Snaps | 15 mm stainless snaps, 8 pair | Suspenders, holster flaps |
| H4 | Grommets | 8 mm brass, 2 pair | Tube and harness exits |
| H5 | Dry-breaks | CPC NS4-class non-spill couplings, 4 mm hose barb, 2 pair | Bladder ports |
| H6 | Tack rivets | TPU rivets, 8 mm head, ~40 | Mail to laminate |
| T1 | Thread, knit | Wooly nylon (looper) + textured poly, flatlock | Body seams |
| T2 | Thread, aramid | Kevlar thread Tex 70 | Mail binding, dock edges |
| A1 | Pad adhesive | Flexible urethane (Aquaseal/Seam Grip class) | Carrier frame to pad |
| P1 | Hip pad | SAS-TEC Level 2 hip, large (trochanter + iliac wing), ~230 × 170 | D1 |
| P2 | Thigh pad | Level 1 thigh, ~160 × 120 (Leatt/SAS-TEC class) | D2 |
| P3 | Knee pad | D3O LP2 Pro knee or SAS-TEC L2 knee, ~200 × 150 | D3 |
| P4 | Coccyx pad | SAS-TEC Level 2 coccyx, ~160 × 150 | D4 |
| X1 | Mail, proto | Welded stainless ring mesh from a butcher's apron (Niroflex/Manulatex class), ~0.55 mm wire, ~4 mm ID | Mail line |
| X2 | Mail, final | Welded titanium ring mesh, 0.6 mm wire, 4 mm ID, 4-in-1 | Mail line |

Pad envelopes are nominal. **Measure the actual pads** and edit the presets in the SCAD file and the dock outlines in the SVG before printing or cutting laminate.

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## 3. Pad map and dock positions

All docks sit on the lateral panel (P3) except the coccyx (P6). No seam runs under any pad or under the mail. Rails run vertically in every zone. D1–D3: pads slide in from the top and land on the stop at the bottom, so a forward slide drives the pad into lock. D4 coccyx is the exception: a backward fall slides feet-first and drags the pad toward the head, so the D4 rail is bonded stop-up and the pad enters from below (v0.1 erratum, corrected here).

| Dock | Pad | Center | Laminate panel (W × L) | Rails c-c | Rail length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1 hip | P1 L2 | Greater trochanter, biased 20 mm forward of the lateral midline | 170 × 230 | 100 | 180 |
| D2 thigh | P2 L1 | Lateral midline, 30 mm below D1 to 60 mm above patella top | 130 × 170 | 70 | 120 |
| D3 knee | P3 L2 | 10 mm above patella center; 90 above / 110 below, wrapping 30 mm lateral | 160 × 210 | 90 | 150 |
| D4 coccyx | P4 L2 | 40 mm above the coccyx tip, on the sacrum | 160 × 170 | 90 | 110 |

Vertical layout on the leg (base body): D1 from 20 mm below the crest to 150 mm below the trochanter; D2 from 160 to 330 mm below the trochanter; D3 from 40 mm above patella top to 110 mm below patella center. Gaps between docks are 10–25 mm of plain F1.

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## 4. Pattern pieces

Cut 2 of each leg piece (mirror). Seam allowance 6 mm on flatlock seams, 0 on bound edges.

| Piece | Fabric | Description |
|---|---|---|
| P1 Front | F1 | Waist seam to hem, front of leg. Includes the front half of the knee. Grain vertical. |
| P2 Back | F1 | Waist seam to hem, back of leg. Cut-out at the popliteal for P2a. |
| P2a Popliteal vent | F3 | 120 × 90 mm insert behind the knee. |
| P3 Lateral | F1 | Waist seam to hem, outer leg. 220 mm wide at the hip tapering to 180 mm at the knee. **Carries D1, D2, D3 and the mail line.** No seams cross it between waist and hem. |
| P3a Pinning band | F2 | 60 mm × (M3 × 0.82 + 12) sewn as a channel on the inside of P3/P1/P2 at trochanter height, seam-free over D1. |
| P4 Inner thigh | F3 | Gusset from crotch to 80 mm above the knee, 90 mm wide at the top tapering to 40. |
| P5 Crotch | F3 | Diamond gusset, 140 × 100 mm. |
| P6 Rear yoke | F2 | Sacrum panel, 220 mm wide × 200 mm tall, points down. **Carries D4.** |
| P7 Waistband | F9 | 80 mm × (M2 × 0.92 + 20), joined at center back behind the lumbar sleeve. |
| P7a Lumbar sleeve | F10 | 280 × 150 mm pocket for H2, stitched to the inside of P7 at center back, open at the top with a snap flap. |
| P7b Pack holsters | F10 | 2×, 130 × 110 × 50 mm box pocket, one each side at the high hip, opening up, snap flap. Sized for DCB606 / DCB20x shoes; drop to 100 × 80 × 40 for PowerStack. |
| P7c Bladder pockets | F10 | 2×, 200 × 130 mm flat pocket between the holster and the side seam, top opening, grommet H4 at the lower rear corner for the dry-break tail. |
| P8 Hem band | F1 + F8 | 40 mm band, F8 gripper stitched inside, circumference M8 × 0.82. |
| D1–D4 | F4 + F5 + F6 | Laminate panels per section 3, cut 10 mm oversize then trimmed after bonding. |
| M1 Mail line | X1/X2 + F11 | Per `mail_line_panel_LEFT.svg`, mirrored for the right. |
| S1 Suspenders | F9 40 mm | 2×, 700 mm, crossed at the back, H3 snaps front and rear on P7. |

Seams: 4-thread flatlock on every F1/F2/F3 seam with T1. Dock edges: bonded with F6, then F7 binding stitched with T2. Bar-tacks at every holster corner, suspender snap, and the top and bottom of every dock panel.

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## 5. Waistband and belt

The waistband is the belt. Nothing rides on the lumbar; weight goes to the iliac crests.

- H2 lumbar plate in P7a, centered on the spine, bottom edge 20 mm above the top of D4. Puck (pump, bucks, ESP32) mounts to the plate through four 5 mm holes at 60 × 40 mm centers, drilled after the plate is in the sleeve so the snap flap clears the puck.
- Pack holsters P7b sit at 9 and 3 o'clock, just behind the bladder pockets, so the pack mass is on the crest. Holster floor is doubled F10 with a 2 mm HDPE stiffener.
- Bladder pockets P7c between the holsters and the front. Dry-break tails exit through H4 grommets at the lower rear corner, run 150 mm along the inside of the waistband to the puck.
- 12 V harness exits the waistband at center back through a second H4 grommet, 150 mm to the climate top's manifold block.
- S1 suspenders snap to P7 at four points and carry the whole rig. Without them the packs pull the coccyx pad off the coccyx by mile five.
- Config S (no packs, no bladders): holsters and pockets flatten against the body; no separate summer waistband.

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## 6. Dock construction

Stack, outside in: **F4 → F5 → F6 → F1 (P3 or P6) → rail (H1) → pad (carrier H1 bonded to the pad's outer face) → skin.**

1. Print rails and carriers per zone from `hardpoint_dock.scad`. Test-fit each carrier on its rail before bonding anything: the pad should slide with firm hand pressure, click over the detent, and not move under a 5 kg pull in any direction. Adjust `clear` in 0.1 mm steps if it binds or rattles.
2. Laminate: F4 over F5 with a layer of F6 between, press at ~140 °C, 15 s, firm pressure (household iron, cotton setting, no steam, on a silicone sheet). Trim to the D1–D4 outlines with 5 mm oversize.
3. Bond the laminate to the knit panel with a second layer of F6 while the knit is held at its finished stretch on a board (pin it out to the negative-ease dimensions; if you bond it relaxed, the panel puckers on the body).
4. Bond rails to the knit side of the laminate through the knit: F6 between the flange and the knit, press from the laminate side, 140 °C, 20 s. Rails at the c-c spacing in section 3, stop blocks at the bottom for D1–D3 and at the top for D4.
5. Bind the panel edge with F7 and T2. Stitch F8 gripper around the perimeter on the inside face, 10 mm in from the binding.
6. Carrier frames onto pads with A1, clamped 24 h, then backstitched through the frame's stitch holes with T2 for a mechanical backup.

Rail geometry (defaults in the SCAD): neck 5.5, head 8.0, height 2.5, flange 24 × 1.2, stop 2.5 high × 8 long, detent notch 1.2 deep at 20 mm from the stop. Carrier slot: 0.5 mm clearance per side, 1.2 mm floor, 2.5 mm walls, slot bar 4.2 mm thick.

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## 7. Mail line

Geometry is in the SVG: crest to top of shin, 200 mm wide at the hip wing, tapering to 160 above the knee, 170 over the knee, rounded top and bottom. About 650 mm long, ~0.125 m² per leg. One piece per leg, no hinge: rings articulate through the knee on their own.

Ring spec, X2: titanium, 0.6 mm wire, 4 mm ID, welded, 4-in-1. Calculated: ~18 mg per ring, ~65,000 rings/m², ~1.3 kg/m². Per leg ~8,200 rings, ~150 g plus binding. Stainless X1 at the same geometry is ~2.4 kg/m², ~270 g per leg — fine for the proto, dead weight after.

Row schedule (hanging direction 3.2 mm per row, across 4.8 mm per ring; measure your sheet and rescale if your pitch differs):

| Zone | Rows | Rings per row | Shaping |
|---|---|---|---|
| A hip wing | 1–56 | 42 | Rows 1–14 form the rounded top: start at 18, expand 2 per row to 42 by row 13 |
| B thigh | 57–150 | 42 → 33 | Drop 1 ring every 10 rows, alternating sides so the taper stays centered |
| C knee | 151–203 | 35 | Expand 1 per row for rows 151–152; hold 35 to row 195; rows 196–203 drop 3 per row for the rounded bottom |

Cutting from sheet (X1 proto): lay the pattern on the apron with the sheet hanging in the direction of the arrow, cut with flush cutters one ring outside the line, then remove loose rings back to a clean edge.

Edge binding: fold F11 over the edge row so it captures the outermost complete ring on both faces, stitch with T2 at 3 mm pitch through the tape and the laminate binding, then bond the tape to the laminate face with F6. The interior floats. Set H6 tack rivets on the 50 mm grid in the SVG through mail and laminate only — before the laminate meets the knit — so nothing pierces the knit and nothing sits on the pad face.

Under jeans: sew a 200 × 150 mm patch of slick nylon taffeta inside the jeans at the hip and knee. The mail slides on that, not on denim.

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## 8. Build order

1. Print all rails and carriers (4 zones × 2 sides, plus one coccyx). Test-fit.
2. Cut and press all laminates D1–D4 (section 6, steps 2). Set mail tack rivets and bind the mail panels to the laminate (section 7) — laminate + mail is now one sub-assembly per leg.
3. Cut knit pieces. Bond D1–D3 sub-assemblies to P3 and D4 to P6 on the stretch board (section 6, step 3). Bond rails (step 4). Bind and gripper (step 5).
4. Sew P3a pinning band channel. Sew P2a into P2, P4 and P5 to P1/P2.
5. Join P1–P3–P2 legs, then the crotch, then P6 yoke to the back.
6. Waistband: assemble P7 with P7a/b/c, grommets, snaps. Join to the body. Insert H2 and drill for the puck.
7. Hem band P8. Suspenders S1.
8. Carrier frames on pads (24 h cure). Dock every pad. Fit.

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## 9. Test protocol

- **Dock retention:** 5 kg pull on each docked pad, four directions, 10 cycles. Pass: no visible movement, click still present.
- **Fit:** 30 minutes standing and walking. Pass: pinning band leaves a faint mark, no numbness, no rolling at the hem, pads centered on landmarks.
- **Migration:** two weeks of riding. Mark the pad centers on the skin with a grease pencil before each ride, log the offset after. Pass: ≤10 mm at the knee, ≤15 mm at the hip after any single ride.
- **Slide coupon:** 100 × 100 mm stack (mail + F4 + F5) on a belt sander at 80 grit, ~10 m/s, 3 kg load, thermocouple under F5. Pass: felt side stays under 60 °C for 4 s and the felt is intact.
- **Wash:** 5 cycles cold, gentle, pads in, hang dry. Pass: no bond lift on any laminate edge or rail flange.

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## 10. BOM (one capri, proto)

| Item | Qty | Source type |
|---|---|---|
| F1 body knit | 2.0 m at 150 cm | Compression tricot from a spandex/activewear supplier (Spandex World, Seattle Fabrics class) |
| F2 powernet | 0.3 m | Same |
| F3 vent mesh | 0.3 m | Same |
| F4 UHMWPE fabric | 0.3 m | Dyneema fabric distributor or technical-textile reseller |
| F5 aramid felt | 0.3 m | Aramid felt supplier (300 gsm needle felt) |
| F6 Sewfree film | 2 m at 10 cm + 0.5 m sheet | Bemis distributor or sewing-supply house |
| F7 fold-over elastic | 6 m | Notions supplier |
| F8 gripper elastic | 4 m | Notions supplier |
| F9 power elastic 80 mm / 40 mm | 1.2 m / 1.5 m | Notions supplier |
| F10 Cordura 500D | 0.5 m | Outdoor fabric supplier |
| F11 TPU-coated aramid tape | 4 m | Technical-textile reseller, or laminate F6 onto 20 mm aramid tape |
| H1 TPU filament 95A | ~250 g | NinjaTek Cheetah / Polymaker PolyFlex 95A |
| H2 HDPE sheet 1.5 mm | 1 | Plastics supplier |
| H3 snaps 15 mm | 8 pair | Notions |
| H4 grommets 8 mm | 4 | Notions |
| H5 dry-breaks | 2 pair | CPC via distributor or McMaster-Carr |
| H6 TPU rivets | 40 | Fastener supplier |
| T1 / T2 thread | 1 cone / 1 spool | Notions / Kevlar thread from a sail or leather supplier |
| A1 urethane adhesive | 1 tube | Outdoor/repair supplier |
| P1–P4 pads | 2/2/2/1 | SAS-TEC direct or moto retailer; D3O via retailer |
| X1 stainless mesh apron | 1 | Butcher/food-safety supplier |
| X2 titanium mesh | 0.26 m² | Mail supplier (The Ring Lord class), after X1 proves the pattern |

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## 11. Open decisions (yours)

1. Your M1–M12. Base numbers above are a placeholder body.
2. Actual pad models — send me the envelopes and I update the presets and the SVG outlines.
3. Pack size for the holsters: DCB606 (winter, heat mode) or PowerStack (summer, sleek).
4. Config S finish: leave the mail exposed over matte black, or a slick UHMWPE knit sock over it for jeans-only riders.