Releasable vest

1. A releasable vest comprising:

a first panel;

at least one shoulder strap element that extends from the first panel, wherein the at least one shoulder strap element comprises at least one shoulder strap element attachment opening;

a first waist belt element that extends from the first panel, wherein the first waist belt element comprises at least one waist belt element attachment opening;

a second waist belt element that extends from the first panel, wherein the second waist belt element comprises at least one an attachment loop, wherein the at least one attachment loop is attached to the second waist belt element, wherein the at least one attachment loop is capable of being aligned with and passed through a waist belt attachment opening of the first waist belt element and a shoulder strap element attachment opening of the at least one shoulder strap element;

a second panel, wherein the second panel comprises at least one cavity formed between a first layer and a second layer of the second panel, wherein the at least one cavity is sufficient to allow at least a portion of the shoulder strap elements and the waist belt elements to be introduced into the at least one cavity;

at least one securing loop attached to the second panel such that at least a portion of at least one of the waist belt elements may be passed through the at least one securing loop to maintain the waist belt element in a desired position relative to the second panel; and

a release lanyard, wherein the release lanyard comprises an elongate piece of material, and wherein the release lanyard is capable of being aligned with and passed through the at least one attachment loop so as to releasably secure the first waist belt element and the at least one shoulder strap element to the attachment loop.

2. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein each shoulder strap element is formed as an integral part of the first panel.

3. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein each shoulder strap element is coupled or attached to the first panel.

4. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein each shoulder strap element is releasably coupled or attached to the first panel.

5. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein each shoulder strap element comprises a plurality of shoulder strap attachment openings.

6. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cavity is formed by separated portions of the second panel.

7. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein the waist belt elements are formed as an integral part of the first panel.

8. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein the waist belt elements are coupled or attached to the first panel.

9. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein the waist belt elements are releasably coupled or attached to the first panel.

10. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein the waist belt elements are releasably coupled or attached to the first panel via waist belt attachment elements.

11. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein the first panel comprises a spaced apart webbing portion.

12. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein the second panel comprises a spaced apart webbing portion.

13. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein the waist belt elements comprises a spaced apart webbing portion.

14. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein the attachment loop is attached to the second waist belt element by being passed through and captured at least partially within a hole formed in the second waist belt element.

15. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein the release lanyard has a rectangular profile.

16. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein the release lanyard has a round or oval shaped profile.

17. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein access to the attachment loop is provided by an access panel formed in a portion of the second panel.

18. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein the release lanyard follows a path that parallels a path taken by one of the at least one shoulder strap elements.

19. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein a pull handle of the release lanyard is at least partially covered by a release lanyard cover.

20. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein at least one waist belt element includes an elastic portion.

21. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein the releasable vest further comprises a safety lanyard, which is capable of being aligned with and passed through the attachment loop so as to releasably secure the at least one waist belt element and the at least one shoulder strap element to the attachment loop.

22. The releasable vest of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the second layer is attached or coupled to a portion of the first layer, via at least one attachment point, such that the attachment point(s) provide an upper bound to help maintain the waist belt elements in a desired position relative to the second panel.

23. A releasable vest comprising:

a first panel;

at least one shoulder strap element that extends from the first panel, wherein the at least one shoulder strap element comprises at least one shoulder strap element attachment opening;

at least one waist belt element that extends from the first panel, wherein each waist belt element comprises at least one waist belt element attachment opening;

a second panel, wherein the second panel comprises at least one cavity formed between a first layer and a second layer of the second panel, wherein the at least one cavity is sufficient to allow at least a portion of the shoulder strap elements and the waist belt elements to be introduced into the at least one cavity;

an attachment loop, wherein the attachment loop is attached to the second panel within the at least one cavity, wherein the attachment loop is capable of being aligned with and passed through a waist belt attachment opening of at least one waist belt element and a shoulder strap element attachment opening of at least one shoulder strap element;

a second attachment loop, wherein the second attachment loop is attached to the second panel, within the at least one cavity, such that at least a portion of the release lanyard may be aligned with and passed through the second attachment loop so as to releasably secure at least one waist belt element or at least one shoulder strap element to the second attachment loop; and

a release lanyard, wherein the release lanyard comprises an elongate piece of material, and wherein the release lanyard is capable of being aligned with and passed through the attachment loop so as to releasably secure the at least one waist belt element and the at least one shoulder strap element to the attachment loop.

24. The releasable vest of claim 23 , wherein the releasable vest further comprises one or more securing loops attached to the second panel such that a waist belt element may be passed through a securing loop to maintain the waist belt element in a desired position relative to the second panel.

25. The releasable vest of claim 23 , wherein the release lanyard comprises a first release lanyard portion comprising a main body and a second release lanyard portion comprising a pivot arm, wherein the pivot arm is pivotably coupled to the release lanyard, such that the main body of the release lanyard may be aligned with and passed through the attachment loop so as to releasably secure at least one waist belt element or at least one shoulder strap element to the attachment loop and the pivot arm may be aligned with and passed through the second attachment loop so as to releasably secure at least one waist belt element or at least one shoulder strap element to the second attachment loop.

26. The releasable vest of claim 25 , wherein the releasable vest further comprises at least two securing loops attached to the second panel such that at least a portion of each of the waist belt elements may be passed through a securing loop to maintain each waist belt element in a desired position relative to the second panel.

27. The releasable vest of claim 23 , wherein the releasable vest further comprises a third attachment loop, wherein the third attachment loop is attached to the second panel within the at least one cavity, such that at least a portion of the release lanyard may be aligned with and passed through the third attachment loop so as to releasably secure at least one waist belt element or at least one shoulder strap element to the third attachment loop.

28. The releasable vest of claim 23 , wherein the releasable vest further comprises a third attachment loop, wherein the third attachment loop is attached to the second panel within the at least one cavity, and wherein the release lanyard comprises a first release lanyard portion comprising a main body, a second release lanyard portion comprising a pivot arm, wherein the pivot arm is pivotably coupled to the release lanyard, and a third release lanyard portion comprising a second pivot arm, wherein the second pivot arm is pivotably coupled to the release lanyard, such that the main body of the release lanyard may be aligned with and passed through the attachment loop so as to releasably secure at least one waist belt element or at least one shoulder strap element to the attachment loop, the first pivot arm may be aligned with and passed through the second attachment loop so as to releasably secure at least one waist belt element or at least one shoulder strap element to the second attachment loop, and the second pivot arm may be aligned with and passed through the third attachment loop so as to releasably secure at least one waist belt element or at least one shoulder strap element to the third attachment loop.