Review: Camoflague in an Aussie setting

A while ago I had the thought to take a bunch of my camo gear out into the bush and do a compare and contrast of several different colour and pattern schemes. I also wanted to do so to show off the kinds of terrain I can expect to encounter in my local region and showcase that for you all.

In my collection I have the following,
3-Colour Desert Cam
Arid AUSCAM DCPU
AUSCAM DCPU hearts and bunnies
British Woodland DPM
US Woodland
ATACS-AU
MultiCam

All laid out, they make a pretty discordant pile ...

Read the rest of my findings on Breach Bang & Clear



Brown in the Scrub

3-Colour Desert Cam in the Scrub

Arid AUSCAM DCPU in Scrub

AUSCAM DCPU in the Scrub

Woodland DPM in the Scrub

Woodland in the Bush

Multicam in the Scrub

ATACS-AU in the Scrub

Brown in the bush

3-Colour Desert Cam in the Bush

Arid AUSCAM DCPU in the Bush

AUSCAM DCPU in the Bush

Woodland DPM in the Bush

Woodland in the Bush

ATACS-AU in the Bush

Multicam in the Bush

 

Review: colours, cams and gear

A little while ago, I mentioned I might do a review of my variety of cams and colours. Here goes I suppose! I gathered my collection of kit and clothes, and made a pile, sorting out the different cam patterns and this is what I came up with. I have placed them against each other so you can get an idea of what works with what, and where one might wear them.

(1) Desert AUSCAM/ DPCU "bunnies behind a rock" shirt.
(2) Desert Camouflage Uniform "coffee stain cam" shirt
(3) AUSCAM/DPCU "hearts and bunnies" Raven pack accessory bag
(4) M81 Woodland on my Stargate LRP pants
(5) Multicam "scorpion cam" on my Half-Med kit

I was gifted both the desert patten shirts, and don't have matching pants. Would love to get some in DCU, nostalgic to my years living in Dubai.



Then I noticed that my Woodland pattern things were slightly different, notably the pants I wear at Stargate LRP lasertag(4) were different to the (6) 3x30rdn Mag Pouch I reviewed, which is again different to the (7) Lazy Patch Duvet suit I have. I don't know how much of a difference this would make in effect, I suspect the differences are slight enough not to matter.
My colour preference for kit is khaki, because being a soft green, and not "camouflage", I feel I can wear it in social and urban settings without standing out too badly like a mall-ninja, but I have a collection so here is some more to compare and contrast....

(8) Platatac CSI folder in their Khaki
(9) AUSCAM pistol holster, appears to be "larger" print than the pack or jacket.
(10) Hill People Runner Bag prototype in Khaki
(11)  BlackHawk! Advanced Kneepads in Coyote Tan
(12) SCAR mini chest rig (review pending)in Tan
(13) my Drop-leg holster in Woodland
(14) my fathers OD boonie-hat from Vietnam (1969-1970)

As you can see, the differences between khakis/tans/ODs  and how each of them sit against the cammo patterns can be quite striking. Having made the choice to wear the once-common and standard Woodland to fit in with the Stargate LRP idea I've been running with, it would still be easy to transition to the now popular and apparently very effective Multicam, which is probably much more suitable to the Australian scrub, whilst still sensibly utilising my extensive khaki kit.

Review: AUSCAM Medical Field Pack

Happy Australia Day! In honour of this auspicious day, I wanted to do a review of another piece of mystery swag my mysterious benefactor connected with the Australian Defense Force delivered. This is what the package insert listed as "Field Pack Medical, Camouflage Pattern". For all impressions, a fairly standard looking rectangular backpack, not unlike a hefty school bag and just as exciting looking, (apart from being in the much loved "hearts and bunnies" AUSCAM). There are hidden delights, so stick around and we'll get to them. Firstly the pack is made from the same rough wearing nylon as the previously reviewed Raven backpack. On the front of the pack are two external pockets, both fixed with twin Fastex buckles and webbing straps. The pockets are fairly shallow but probably good for documents and snacks.

The pack also has a fairly standard backpack style set of shoulder straps, padded with nylon straps. A sternum strap assists with stability and load bearing. There is a nylon handle on the side, for carrying the pack like a briefcases, which is an interesting variation from most carry handles, found on the top. A zippered pocket lines the whole of the back, and a cunningly designed pocket in the top conceals a waterproof cover. The pack is 445mm x 300mm x 190mm and whilst may appear to be Volvo-designed, the magic is all on the inside.

The interior of the pack is home to four pouches, each with a clear plastic face to see the contents, and webbing handles at each end. These pouches are all held in place by hook-side hook-and-loop backing, with the entire of the back wall of the pack being loop-side. Each pouch is fully zipperable and comes with a ID pocket for labeling. I'd estimate that each of the pouches has a 2-3L capacity and being removable, can be configured as you see fit. How I love the modularity of this set up!

I was fortunate enough that the pack came to me partially filled, as it had been retired from active use on the static range it was intended for. Inside are a number of bandages, gauze packs, tapes, gloves, sutures and the like. Pretty awesome as a starter kit. Some of the items seem to have passed their "best before" date, and will need to be replaced, but its a great windfall nevertheless. The included package insert tells me that a there is room for quite a number more items, which I will endeavor to accumulate or substitute.

Inside the front flap of the bag are some interesting features. A series of elastisised loops allow the retention of a number of items or tools, I'll put some more Cyalume sticks in them, and perhaps some labeled centrifuge tubes filled with medicines. A wide mesh pocket makes for storage of larger items, and the roll at the side is a waterproof mat that unfolds to give a large, "clean" drop cloth for laying out supplies in the course of treating an injury. Far better to place bandages on the mat from within the kit, rather than the muddy forest floor you might find yourself treating an injury on.
 
Having a big, well equipped first aid kit, with a wide range of consumables, ready for a range of situations, is a very good idea, especially when considering the needs that may arise following a disaster or catastrophe of some kind.  Regular supply lines will become strained if not cut, and those sterile and medicated products that we use to counter infection and treat injury can and will make a big difference, especially in the hands of those trained in their use.

So, Happy Australia Day, I hope nothing bad happens to you, your culture or civilization. Today.
Twice on one day would be annoying and lead to conflicts on my calendar.

Review: AUSCAM Raven Pack accessory bags.

Following on from my previous review of the outstanding 1993 design AUSCAM Raven Pack I wanted to give the accessory packs their own bandwidth.

Both types of pack are fitted with 50mm webbing clips, and are designed to be mounted to other packs, which i feel limits their over all usefulness. That said, having modular packs you can strip off and dump, or share around or even demount to stock or rummage through is a great idea.I'll break this little review into discussing each mini-pack separately, but should at least cover their shared features together. As well as having 50mm clips, on canvas webbing, both packs are made of waterproofed nylon, like the Raven main pack itself, and are fully decked out in the traditional "hearts and bunnies" AUSCAM. Narrower straps are of the same nylon tape that is ubiquitous to buckle fasteners everywhere.

The larger of the two types (of which there are two included with a full Raven kit-out) features 50mm clips at the top of the pack, as well as a carry handle about midway. The top-end clipping gives it a no-sag attachment and ensures that contents are less likely to spill when opened. The main closure is achieved with a substantial zipper, which is nicely situated under a lip to reduce water entry from rain and the like. Documentation included with the pack indicates that this side-bag has a capacity of 12L which makes it a substantial boost to your carrying capacity. There is no internal structure within the bag, but it has two sets of webbing loops dangling from the bottom which could be used for lashing. Interesting features include a 1 inch square flap of hook-and-loop which could be a cord or hydration tube retainer. Happy to have its true nature indicated, if anyone knows!

The second pack is the loaf-shaped bum-bag, which features a long and deep, but narrow 5L of storage, with three sets of 50mm webbing clips at the midline, and three Fastex buckles securing it closed. It seems a fairly exposed may to store things, so I can only presume it was meant for large hardy items, the included manual indicates that it was suitable for storing some kind of comms gear. I think it would be rain or cold-weather gear, if I were hiking with it. One Other thought I had was that this bag at least, could be affixed to a belt and worn like a huge MilSpec bum-bag, but again, its rather open closure system would limit the gear I stowed in it. Hammock, novel and hydration system for a palm tree lounge anyone?

So, with these two types of accessory pack described, how do they sit and fit on the main Raven pack? When I received it, the 3-clip 5L loaf-pack was affixed low down on the back on the Raven, where the webbing matches exactly the clip configuration on the little pack. The twin day-packs had more options for where to clip them, being 2-clips, but I think keeping the center of mass low is always a good idea in a pack,

All told, this looks be a a great system for lugging loads of gear. No frills, sturdy construction and all Australian MilSpec fittings. Rugged gear for rugged country.

Review: AUSCAM Raven pack

A friend of mine who works in some capacity with the Australian Army and found out about my interests in gear and the like. After telling him about the Stargate LRP that I do, and showing off the pictures of us all in kit, let me know that he had some "leftovers" that he could send my way. I'm always keen to see some gear that the troops really get, even though there may be problems with it, as soldiers are renowned for discovering, its designed to be rugged and multipurpose. In his first care-package to me, my friend delivered this huge pack, the Raven Pack, in the Australian DPCU AUSCAM pattern. The first thing I should mention is its size. I'm used to the kind of torso-wide backpacks that you see back-packers at airports carrying. Tall but reasonably narrow, the kind you can see skinny elbows holding on to, hands on chest straps.
 Not this pack. Its shoulder wide on me, when empty and without any of the accessories attached.
From the research I've done, the pack has upwards of an 90L capacity, again, without the accessory packs and has a wide range of internal and external storage capability. Constructed of nylon, canvas and Cordura with drawstrings and Fastex buckled cinch straps. I was surprised at the variety of materials used, it seemed quite a hybrid piece. The top hood Fastex's down, with a drawstring to improve packing, and water proofing. Inside the lid is a zippered pouch, for personal items or documents. There is 50mm canvas webbing attachment points over the lid. down both sides and two strips running horizontally over the back of the pack. The midline of the horizontal 50mm canvas webbing are two large loops, for the straight handle of an entrenching tool.


On either side of the entrenching tool loops and sewn onto the pack body are two utility pouches, each fitted with a drawstring and Fastex strapping. These pouches measure 28cm in length, 10cm in depth and 11cm in width. They could suit a variety of needfuls in a secure and at the ready location regardless of how else the pack is configured. One of the interesting things about this pack is that it seems to be top heavy, but I think there must be a method for packing heavy items lower which is integral to how the Army trains its troopers to pack.






Another interesting feature is the bedroll/sleepingbag pouch that makes up the bottom of the pack. It is composed of and outer layer of heavy Cordura, which opens on the left hand side through a crumplable pouch type opening. The inner layer is a lighter green bag, which closes with a drawstring. This whole assembly is otherwise independent of the storage in the bottom of the pack. Three Fastex clips fasten the bottom section closed, but otherwise "unsealed" by zipper or hook-and-loop. I thought this was very odd, and I'd be delighted to hear from a serviceman as to what the deal with that is. Also inside the bottom storage area is a small, shallow "bucket pocket" against the back wall. I have no idea what this is for.

The top and bottom sections of the inside are seperated by a waterproof zip panel which whn open, would allow large items to be stowed in the pack, utilizing the full available length. When sealed, the top section has two Fastex clipped compression straps, one vertical and one horizontal. This is a great feature and would significantly increase the available space in the pack. There is also a shelf like pocket against the back wall, also with a draw string, adding to the internal storage structure. Lastly there is a long horizontal zipper, leading to some closed cell foam padding.

The shoulder straps are highly adjustable, both centrally, and at the bottom of each armature. There is a sternum strap, which is also configurable as well as a simple nylon webbing hip-belt. A final interesting feature is a removable lumbar bad, hook-and-looped into the padding of the pack, and includes a long black cord. Possible flotation marker? Who knows. There are a couple of openable hook-and-loop flaps that could well be for identification purposes and again, I'd be delighted to hear from someone with experience with this kind of pack to explain these little features.

This is a great, big pack, which I look forwards to taking camping/hiking with, and to load up all my kit and costume for Stargate LRP. I'll cover the accessory packs in a subsequent post. This is already huge ... Much like the pack. Hearts and Bunnies anyone?