Tasmanian Tiger at IWA 2026: Tactical Gear for Retailers

For more than 50 years, IWA OutdoorClassics has been an essential element of the hunting, target sports, and outdoor industries. It’s a reference point, a launchpad, a trendsetter, and a meeting place all in one. During that time, it has naturally grown to encompass different market sectors that are aligned with those original three, and one of the most prominent of those in recent times is tactical gear.

Written by David Guest

Tasmanian Tiger: a brand for professionals

Founded in 1999, the Tasmanian Tiger brand is part of German company, Tatonka, and was formed with the ethos of creating gear of the very best quality that could meet the requirements of soldiers, police, and defence professionals around the world. The brand was started by current CEO Andreas Schechinger, who decided to name it so because the Tasmanian Tiger is something shrouded in mystery but also a dangerous presence in the jungle, which has strong parallels with military activities.

Nowadays, the company is a premium supplier of backpacks, vests, magazine pouches, weapons transport luggage, and a host of other tactical products with a wide range of applications. Some popular highlight products include the TT Mission Pack MKII (used by the Cobra special forces unit), the TT First Responder Move On MKIII (a slim Medic Pack with removable front backpack and functional interior layout), and its Combat Vest collection.

Two men share a coffer using Tasmanian Tiger luggage in the wilderness with mountains in the background. — Tasmanian Tiger is known as a leading supplier of tactical gear for serious use.

“In recent years, we have won several major tenders for various armies, which is, of course, very gratifying,” explains the company’s Marketing Manager, Lukas Treffer. “In addition, there have been several exciting projects with different special forces, in which products were developed jointly. Even though these are sometimes not large quantities, projects like these mean a lot to us, as they give us further intensive insights into the work of the various units, enabling us to keep an eye on the needs of the end users.”

Tasmanian Tiger at IWA

It has been a common sight in recent years to see Tasmanian Tiger products at IWA. The brand is a strong believer in shows and also in face-to-face meeting places for the tactical industry – not only because they are a way to gain and maintain business accounts, but also because of the opportunities for spontaneous collaboration they provide.

Lukas explains: “For us, IWA is the place where we can talk to our dealers and anyone who wants to become one.

“Of course, we have a sales team that is responsible for direct support and acts as a direct contact for day-to-day business. However, at IWA, new ideas and new collaborations with retailers often arise outside of everyday business. Last year, for example, the idea was born at the trade fair that we would launch a special collection in Austrian camouflage patterns with selected retailers from Austria. The first details were discussed at the trade fair without further ado, and six months later the products were on the market – where they have since been very well received.”

That’s not to say that detecting a trend like this couldn’t have happened outside of a trade show, but sometimes you need everyone in the same place at once for the magic to start happening when it comes to new product conception. Not only that, but IWA provides a great proving ground for those new product ranges once they have been through comprehensive development work – to test the reception, to see if they resonate with your B2B customers the way you imagined they would when you first sat down at the drawing board.

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Lukas and Tasmanian Tiger will have plenty of new products to showcase at the show in 2026, many of which are following trends that are at least partly informed by previous visits.

“[At IWA 2026] We will be releasing another highlight in many areas of our collection,” says Lukas. “Once again, the focus will be on products that are as modular as possible, giving end users maximum freedom and the best functionality possible. There will be new highlights in the multi-day backpacks, short-use backpacks, as well as an extremely well-designed chest rig solution and an innovation in the medic sector – to name just a few.”

The future of tactical

Like many markets, tactical gear is in a changing state. The popularity of these kinds of products is increasing among both professionals and end users, which creates challenges and opportunities for all those companies operating in the sector.

Lukas believes that the current trading environment for tactical gear is in a healthy state; however, there are more competitors than ever before fighting for a larger piece of the market share: “On the whole, this [more competitors] is not a bad thing,” he says. “We have a relatively good standing in the market, our customers know what high quality they can expect at what we consider to be a very fair price, which is why this does not cause us any sleepless nights.

A man pours a coffee in the outdoors surrounded by tactical gear and with a German Shepherd dog beside him. — Tasmanian Tiger products are relied upon by defence and law enforcement professionals around the world.

“In our opinion, the primary concern is to provide the end user with a product or, in the best case, an entire brand that they can rely on – that is what drives us. Although new brands with great promises and products are springing up everywhere (some of them are just marketing hype, but a few also have really great ideas and products), we continue to see our mission as developing only first-class quality products and bringing them to market. That’s what Tasmanian Tiger stands for, and we will continue to do so in the future.”

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Controlling the controllables is certainly something Tasmanian Tiger has under control, and it works closely with its partners to try and help influence other aspects of selling tactical products that are not within its direct control. Lukas and his team are convinced that retail plays a highly relevant role in the distribution of tactical equipment: „Our retailers are a central part of our brand – we support them with our full backing and all available resources.”

On target with trends

Through its focus on performance that matches the demands of professionals around the world, Tasmanian Tiger finds itself in a good position within the tactical market. But like any brand with plans to be around in another 25 years, it is always looking ahead to the future.

“As already hinted, we want Tasmanian Tiger to continue to be seen as a brand for quality and modularity, with in-depth knowledge, especially in the medical field,” concludes Lukas. “That's why we have a large pool of end users who put our products through their paces under real-world conditions. Only when everyone is satisfied with the product samples does the product make it into our collection and is presented to the general public. We will continue to adhere to this concept.

Tasmanian Tiger utilises IWA OutdoorClassics to stay informed about the latest trends.

“There are always new and exciting fields emerging, such as the transport of drones in recent years, which we are naturally also focusing on and working on attractive solutions for.”

And where better to see those new and exciting fields for yourself than at IWA OutdoorClassics from 26 February to 1 March in 2026? Tasmanian Tiger can’t think of many…

About Tasmanian Tiger

Tasmanian Tiger is a well-established supplier of professional gear for tactical operations and showcases its latest solutions at IWA OutdoorClassics. The brand stands for uncompromising quality, functionality, and durability – developed and manufactured to the highest standards in its own production facility.

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Author

David Guest

IWA OutdoorClassics