Outside North America, Mustang Survival is not particularly wellknown. This is about to change. First, its credentials are impeccable. It makes safety products, flotation and apparel for everyone from the US Coast Guard and Canadian military to Navy Seals and NASA.
Brand ambassadors include Cole Brauer, the first American woman to circumnavigate solo, non-stop and unassisted in her Class40 First Light, and Scott Shawyer whose Canada Ocean Racing team has set its sights on the Vendée Globe 2028. Sailors like Jimmy Spithill, Nico Troussel and Emily Nagel have also endorsed this brand’s kit. Big names. Big ambition.
Now Mustang Survival is launching into Europe with three pinnacle products: the EP 6.5 Ocean Collection, the Meris kit of foul weather gear and the award-winning Atlas 190N lifejacket.
Mustang Survival’s EP product manager, Hunter Lowden, raced for Canada in the 49er class at the 2012 Olympics and gained firsthand experience of the brand. ‘In 10 years on the circuit, I despised being wet. When I moved onto larger boats from dinghy sailing, I purchased EP. I didn’t go out into the middle of the ocean – but I appreciated being dry and there are people who just want the best performance they can find.’
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The origins of the EP 6.5 Ocean range signalled some serious intent. ‘When EP was initiated in 2015, it was with a record-setting 100ft supermaxi programme. The design brief and the guiding customers were from that programme. This is a new iteration of EP. The whole point of EP, and why we use the materials we do, is that it’s designed for professionals pushing boundaries in the open ocean, because they’re the most exposed. We haven’t limited it to be pro-only, but certainly that is our design intent.’
It's had some serious sea trialling too, not least by Cole Brauer. ‘I wore EP 6.5 Ocean last year for my 27,000nm Global Solo Challenge, racing in the harshest conditions on the planet, and it held up great! Kept me dry and warm, and as an offshore sailor, that’s the most important thing. For me it’s the best because it’s tried and true.
‘I have the whole range. I wear the dry top for inshore racing and sail changes, the smock for heavy weather driving and the jacket for quick changes in the cockpit, as I can get it on and off quickly. The knee pads in the pants are fantastic. I have so much scar tissue on my knees from years of using bad gear and now I don’t have to worry about bracing myself on the bow of my boat while slamming upwind.’
So, what makes EP so special? There are a couple of USPs that set it apart. One is its military specification (Mil Spec 6.5 GORE-TEX Fabric) material laminate. ‘We asked if we could use it in this application because it’s for professionals in extreme environments like the military, US Coast Guard and public safety, and our mil pro relationship with GORE meant that this was possible.’
The second USP is leak testing. ‘We put the pants and the two sealed tops (dry top and smock) through our drysuit test protocols, the same we use for our public safety and military products. When it leaves the factory, each and every piece has been physically tested. We don’t do quite the same test on the jacket because it zips up. That testing adds to the production cost but we believe it’s important.’
The EP range itself combines salopettes with a selection of three tops: dry top, smock and jacket. For the design inspiration, again Mustang Survival looked at the needs of the professional sailor. ‘We had a lot of feedback but they really just wanted to get maximum protection so we went to a latex water seal on the dry top and smock.
‘The smock is the streamlined version, low weight, fits a little tighter because we expect that to be used in the mid-latitudes more, maybe the 600-mile type races for people who are very active. It offers incredible dry protection, but you don’t need the hood, collar or extra length. The dry top’s extra length is for when you’re on a wet deck, on the rail trying to protect yourself as much as possible. You want the collar pulled up and the hood cinched down.’
EP also features two systems called Magic Chain Link and Magic Lock. Both are a type of bolt-rope concept, to make the hood removable and the salopettes straps adjustable. ‘People’s watch systems change, their roles adapt, they can pull the hood off and stuff it in a pocket. For the pants, it’s tough to make five sizes fit the whole world. Our previous version had hook-andloop (Velcro), which was bulky and would catch on the tricot liner, other layers, longer hair. We were trying to think of a low-profile solution to those negatives and Magic Chain was the best solution.’
Many will be drawn by the allure of professional-grade kit but the more pragmatic also have the Meris range, designed for coastal and offshore use. ‘We don’t produce a lot of EP, but it shows that we know what we’re doing when it comes to design, construction standards and materials selection. It’s not for everybody and we want to back it up with something more accessible that will benefit more people, like our Meris jacket and salopette, which we’re redesigning for launch in spring 2025.’
The third product introducing Mustang Survival to the European market is the Atlas 190N lifejacket. The company’s first ISO-certified lifejacket was on Time magazine’s Best Inventions 2024 list, won a Red Dot award for innovative design and the DAME jury gave it a special mention in 2023 too.
Atlas was designed from scratch by UK product manager Nigel Parkes, whose understanding of lifejackets and enthusiasm for them is both infectious and impressive. ‘Comfort was our primary goal. We wanted to create something that can be worn all day, and nobody would know that they’re wearing it. It’s really supple, which makes it easy to put on but also really comfortable over the shoulders and the collar sits far from the back of the neck.
We have very lightweight anodised aluminium buckles, which interlock easily, and the tab means it’s easy to fasten and release, even with gloves on. Sailors are very conscious of the snagging points on the back, particularly if you’re sitting on the rail when a tack is called. We sculpted the back so it’s really flat. We’ve also tested a huge number of PLBs with this product and it works for every single one. It also fits a PLB3, which is a combined 406 and AIS.’
Part of its award-winning appeal is the ADAPT system (Advanced Airway Protection & Turning), which is all about the interaction of the lobes. ‘Modern sailors wear very buoyant trainers, so you end up floating with the back of your head in the water. What you need is a lot of buoyancy behind the head to lift your head out of the water to stop it cooling.
Left & Centre: The EP 6.5 Ocean gear has had some serious sea-trialling, not least by Cole Brauer in last year’s Global Solo Challenge.| Right: Scott Shawyer has set his sights on the 2028 Vendée Globe, with support from Mustang Survival.
‘For self-righting, the separate lobes create inverted instability and they’re totally symmetrical so it doesn’t matter which way you turn, the buoyancy moves and that means you spin quickly. Your feet act as a drogue so the wind and waves are coming towards your face, and these lobes block everything. The neck system is also adaptable, the bigger the collar you have or the more clothing you’re wearing, the wider the neck can go. The sprayhood keeps you really well protected without covering the light or the PLB. Also, if you take it off and throw it backwards, it sits just behind the head where you need it to be, rather than floating off and filling with water.
‘Going to market with something super comfortable, lightweight and that gives you the performance you need, is really important. At shows it’s quite rewarding to get people in and say “Just put this on for a minute. I’m not forcing you to buy it, you can try any other product you like, but just wear it”. Once they have it on they’re sold.’
Cole is a fan too. ‘It's so light and comfortable, easy to grab and throw on. And that's important because sailors are more likely to put it on and keep it on than if it's uncomfortable, bulky and restricts movement. Mustang Survival put in all the design work to make the Atlas 190 the best possible lifejacket on the market, the one sailors want to wear. I have tried it in a pool, and it doesn’t choke or wrap tightly around the neck. It’s much more comfortable than others I tried, better by a long shot.’
With the roster of big names endorsing this brand and the way it goes about its business, one senses that early European adopters of Mustang Survival kit are likely to be very pleasantly surprised. And any company that has a seahorse as its logo is fine by us.
Mustang Survival's credentials are impeccable. It makes safety products, flotation and apparel for everyone from the US Coast Guard and Canadian military to Navy Seals and NASA.
