Yes, there are several differences between the originals and the second release (2007-ish?). I did a whole set of pics years ago, but they're probably long gone by now. The most visible differences are the chest Velcro badge (or lack thereof) and the hardware (silver and heavier on the original run vs. grey and lighter on the 2nd run). Obviously there's more, but those are the ones that always stick in my mind.