Cascade Designs, Inc. Awarded $4 Million in Congressional Funding to Procure Individual Water...

SEATTLE -- Mountain Safety Research (MSR), a division of Cascade Designs, Inc., has announced it has been awarded $4 million in Department of Defense appropriations to procure the MSR MIOX Individual Water Purification System (IWPS) for the U.S. Marine Corps.

The MSR MIOX Individual Water

Purifier System is a modular, mission-specific, on-the-move water purification and hydration system designed to integrate with the Marine Corps' Infantry Load Bearing Equipment (ILBE). It will enable Marines to gather fresh water from any source, anywhere and purify it into safe drinking water.

"The men and women of our Armed Forces need access to safe, pure water, and that can be a challenge when they're deployed in the field," said U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash). "This project is another example of Washington state ingenuity filling a desperate need within our Armed Forces, and making a difference in the daily lives of our men and women in uniform."

The MSR MIOX Water Purifier technology was developed for use by the U.S. Military in a joint effort between Cascade Designs and MIOX Corporation, an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based pioneer in mixed-oxidant water purification technology. Initial development funding was provided from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

According to Dan Fitzgerald, U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command, Individual Clothing and Equipment division, "Procuring a system to enable our Marines to collect water from any source and purify it into safe drinking water is a core requirement. MSR has developed a water purification system that meets our needs to integrate seamlessly into our equipment for mission-specific on-the-move operations to keep our Marines safer on the battlefield."

"Clean and safe drinking water is something we may take for granted at home but isn't always available for our troops bravely serving overseas. This water purifier will be a critical survival tool for our Armed Forces," said Senator Cantwell (D-Wash).

U.S. Congressman McDermott (D-7th/WA) said, "We take access to safe drinking water for granted, but nothing could be further from the truth for soldiers on patrol in dangerous, uncertain areas around the world. That's why MSR's advanced technology is so important, because it allows the U.S. Marines Corps to carry a lifeline to safe, pure drinking water."

"Dehydration and overheating can quickly reduce a Marine's ability to conduct effective missions and increases battlefield risks. It is a must for Marines conducting operations behind enemy lines to have the ability to quickly purify water from any source," said Congressman Norm Dicks (D-6th/WA). "I'm pleased that MSR and its development partners have effectively addressed the risks of keeping our Marines safe from drinking contaminated water."

Lee Fromson, president of Cascade Designs commented, "We are pleased with the opportunity to work directly with the Marine Corps to provide our state-of-the-art water purification technologies to address the most basic of survival needs. At Cascade Designs we've been manufacturing gear for extreme environments for over 30 years in our Seattle factory and look forward to continuing to meet the evolving needs of U.S. soldiers and Marines."

The MSR MIOX Purifier Pen is a unique and compact technology that uses electrolysis to effectively eliminate common water-borne pathogens such as E. Coli, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium, as well as other agents like VX nerve gas, Soman, the blister agent Lewisite, and the biological agents causing Anthrax, Plague, and Smallpox. Concurrent with military tests, the MSR MIOX purifier technology was field-tested by the Marines in Afghanistan during Operating Enduring Freedom, and was shown to offer a fast, safe, palatable and portable drinking water that was lightweight and significantly reduced the footprints of on-the-move operations.

The technology for MSR MIOX Purifier was successfully launched into the military in 2003 when 1,000 units of the MSR MIOX Water Purifier Pen were shipped to the U.S. Marine Corps. U.S Special Forces, Air Force, and Army units in Afghanistan and Iraq have successfully used this product. The MSR(R) MIOX(R) Water Purifier technology was also used during the disaster relief and hurricane recovery efforts in Florida in 2004 and in New Orleans in 2005 as well as for the Tsunami efforts in Indonesia earlier in 2005.

Cascade Designs' Military Affairs Division

As the technical and market leader in snowshoes, sleep pads, camp stoves, water purifiers and hydration systems, Cascade Designs' Military Affairs Division is uniquely qualified to provide both mission essential and comfortable gear for America's warfighters. This growing division, comprised of eight staff, including six technical specialists, works with military Research & Development agencies and world-class development partners to develop and commercialize integrated gear systems to meet the warfighter's basic needs - food, water, sleep, and shelter.

About Cascade Designs, Inc.

For over thirty years, Seattle-based Cascade Designs(R) Inc. (CDI), has led the outdoor industry in designing and manufacturing equipment for the most challenging environments. From the first self-inflating camping mattress to the first multi-fuel stove and a revolutionary pen-sized water purifier, CDI has developed products that serious adventurers, soldiers, outdoor enthusiasts and weekend campers can rely on to deliver optimum performance through exceptional engineering and quality.

CDI's premium brands include: MSR(R), the ultimate in high performance outdoor gear; Therm-a-Rest(R), the global leader in outdoor comfort; SealLine(R), the outdoor leader in all-purpose, portable gear protection; Platypus(R), specialists in flexible bottles and hydration systems; Tracks(R), lightweight walking staffs and trekking poles; and VARILITE(R), the creators of seating and positioning products for people who use wheelchairs for mobility.

Please visit www.cascadedesigns.com or call us at 1-800-531-9531 for more information.

About MIOX Corporation

MIOX Corporation is a privately held company with 45 employees headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company manufactures on-site chlorine generators for water purification. Applications include disinfection of municipal drinking water, wastewater, swimming pools, cooling towers and industry. The company has also miniaturized the technology, resulting in a handheld individual water purification device used by outdoor enthusiasts and the U.S. Military.