Showing posts with label Recoilweb. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recoilweb. Show all posts

Thursday, January 22, 2015

500,000 hits! wow!

Overnight here, I clocked over 500,000 hits recorded on Blogger. (Google Analytics suggests its more like 559,000, which I think counts my FaceBook and Twitter accounts too).

It's been a great run so far, from December 2011 till now, and I have to thank the good folks at Zombie Tools, Snow Lizard, UV PaqLite and Tactical Keychains for re-posting my articles and sending so much traffic my way, the awesome guys at Platatac for always being there and really getting me started in the gear-review field, and David Reader and all the folks at BreachBangClear, RecoilWeb and previously KitUp! as well.

Without the support of these folks, and everyone else who's supported me, I'd not have had the success I have had, and will continue to have. Thanks to all my readers, I hope that it's been fun, informative and thought provoking!

Josh
Be Ready For Anything
be Apocalypse Equipped

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Re-Review: Hazard4 - Escape RG

Escape, as new
As posted in RecoilWeb ..... 

Ages ago I covered an essential piece of my EDC, my custom made EDC holster harness. This faithful piece had been with me for years, and has reached the end of its life. I found the Hazard4 Covert Escape RG combination set, and for the last 18 months, my personal carriage needs have been more than met.

Hazard4 are the "Tactical" arm of Civilian Lab makers of fine modular kit. The link I followed brought me to these, this is the Loader rig with the optional extra anatomic harness.

What it is, is two sets of the Escape Rig, one for each side. The two halves are identical, so I'll cover them as just the single unit.

Here are the two Escape halves, with the Anatomic shoulder harness, and another piece at the bottom to hold them together for stability.


Two pouches, with Anatomical Harness and kidney strap
The pouches are made of Dobby Nylon and have "PU X 2" treatment, and measure 12.5 x18 x4 cm
(~5" x7" x1.5") externally. The main panel is faced with two hook and loop closing pockets, one that fits my Surefire 6PX like a glove, and the other which his more squat.

Both of these pockets are elastic sided, and open cornered. Bear this in mind when looking to fill them. I've had smaller items slip through those gaps, and out of the top, but once I'd found the right fit, I've not had any problems.

Rotating Buckle

In this shot you can see some of the rotating buckles  that are fitted to each corner, each backed with a tab of the same padded material that backs the pouch for wearer comfort.  This is some very thoughtful and innovative design. no more buckle-pinch!

You can also see one of the tri-glide buckles that sit on the middle of each of the four sides. These are for accessory loop and strapping, and I'll get into that a bit later.

The 2013 version of this pouch has all black labeling and non-reflective zippers and fittings, for even lower profile wear.

Front pockets
The "back pocket" of the pouch is an open slot, wide enough for my receipt and card filled wallet, and is mesh-sided to cut weight and improve breathability and drainage. (Luckily Australian money is plastic, in case I ever take a dunk...) You can see another of those elastic-looped tri-glides here, to which I have dummy-corded my wallet. No more dropping it into the toilet, off piers, or leaving it on cafe counters for me!

My iPhone sits in the corresponding other side.

What you cant see is the wide swathe of black loop field, for affixing a hook-backed holster, like the Stick-Up.

You can also see the double zipper here of the inner pocket. Very useful!

Inside the Shuttle
Inside that inner pocket, you see where some real thought has gone into making these pouches. As well as the tough nylon outer, they are lined with quilted micro-suede

They also feature a series of webbing and elastic channels to fit your tools and needful gear, I have my SAR Dead Ringer comb and CRKT K.I.S.S. folder in mine on this side. Passports, and paperwork on the other side.

The pocket opens all the way to the bottom, but, like a good admin pouch, it has webbing retainers, keeping it from flopping flat, but catching it at about 45o so your pens, USB sticks, or whatever don't tumble off into the wide blue yonder.

The back pocket has a press stud on webbing closure, with two sizing options, which is great. I tend to clip my wallet in with the big, and my phone in with the snugger length.



The back of the pouch features a belt loop,wide enough for all the belt I tried it on ( both my 5-11 TDU belts, the 215Gear Ultimate Riggers belt, and the PM Leather Hobble Belt.

Left and right pouches, after 18 months
It also features a press-stud flap option, for quick-release needs.

Why even have a belt loop? Modularity! One of the coolest things about this whole system is that it can be worn so many ways.

 Those corner buckles attach to the included cross-straps, which are two fully adjustable nylon webbing straps, with a press-stud in the middle, to connect the two. All of the straps will "double-back" through the buckles for a really secure fit.
Left and right pouches, after 18 months, side by side
 The tri-glide attachment points allow you to rig any number of stability or alternative attachment options. The rotating corner clasps mean that the straps stay flat no matter what configuration you wear them in, and they stay upright as you move, depending on how you wear it.


The included cross-straps are a little more versatile than the Anatomic straps, but not nearly as comfortable. The pouches can be worn under the arms, holster style, singly or in pairs, horizontally or vertically, but also on the hips on a sling, as a backpack, slung cross-ways like a bandoleer, on the thigh as a drop-leg or on the front of the chest or even as a shoulder bag.
Left and right pouches, after 18 months, trimmed and untrimmed
I used one of the cross-straps to act as a kidney-height stabiliser,  having found that on their own, the pouches slid forwards when I bent over without them.

 One last thing. Each of the pouches comes with a "Shuttle Pouch" which is made from the same Dobby Nylon, and lined again in the quilted micro-suede with mesh pockets along with nylon strapping. The Shuttle pouch is designed to fit into the "Back pocket" of the main pouch,and be clipped in. It features waterproof zippers and a set of webbing eyelets on each of the four back corners for dummy-cording (mmm, dummy-cord: looks silly, keeps your gear on you...).
Single pouch, ventral style


This was a seriously feature and function filled set of kit.

I've been wearing it now for 18 months, every day, getting the configuration and fit right and I must say, it has been one of my better EDC investments for some time. 

I don't feel "dressed" with out it, and it really is my go-to item when it's time to run out the door; be it emergency, fire, flood or groceries.

That said, 18 months worth of wear have taken their toll. The Dobby Nylon has pulled from its seams along the long edges on both sides, in once case, Ive needed to trip the front set of pockets right off, because of them flapping about. 

Side wear, no jacket
Side-draw, under jacket

Under jacket, back view
Under jacket, front view
I wear it every day, all day. I tent to wear a waistcoat when its warm, or a jacket if its cold, when I'm going to be at work, or around people I don't want to give the impression that I'm packing a pistol, because it often gets that kind of question. Depending on your situation, you might want to bear that in mind.

I've traveled internationally with it, and keep my passport safe and snug in one of the shuttle pouches, both of which I have strapped into the main holder, to keep them from falling, or being lifted out. Again, they raised some eyebrows at the security counter, but they kept all my valuables up above my bet, and against my body, so I was happy.








Thursday, December 4, 2014

Events: Three years. 430 articles, 472,000 views.

Here we are at the end of 2014. Next year we can expect Marty McFly to ride his hoverboard, and the Events of Neon Genesis Evangelion are to begin. Good times.

Where it all started!

Two year review!

400 posts shout-out

This has been a busy year, I've not managed to post as often as I'd like, due to work and home commitment, but I've been delighted with the responses I've had, both in regular readership, new readers and whole new frontiers.



I'm thrilled to have been taken up as a writer for both BreachBangClear and RecoilWeb, as well as keeping in touch with the folks at Zombease and my fellow Z.E.R.T members.


I like to think my writing style has matured, and my skill levels have increased, both in my survival and preparatory skill sets, but also in my reviewing and planning skill sets. I also seem to be almost singlehandedly keeping the Kickstarter community funded, and gladly.

Thanks to all of you; good prepping, be equipped and ready for anything!

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Review: Propper - Gen Multipurpose Bag


As first seen on RecoilWeb .....

Here is another part of my Propper haul, and one that I have been getting a whole lot of utility out of.  I took it with me to Fiji for my island get-away, and it rode as my carry-on as well as emergency toddler change station. It's been my day-to-day bag since then, swapping out from my beloved Platatac Bullock Echo as I've needed a more briefcase style option rather than a backpack for my current duties.

This is the Propper Gen Multipurpose Bag and it punches well above its weight.


Filled with storage options, the bag offers a rather large carry-capacity to an otherwise standard briefcase-style design.  I can fit three 2L (2.1qt) milk jugs to the main compartment with no problem.

One of the first things I noticed, and have come to love, about this bag, was the easy-access, dual zipper opening, tapered grab handles. Grab and yank, and the bag opens up. No more fiddly zipper pulls and fine motor skills needed to grab your needfulls. More on that later.

The bag has a wide webbing strap, with a very well made non-slip shoulder-pad, a real boon for a habitual over-packer like myself. The shoulder pad itself has webbing loops that allow you to fix it in place via hook-and-loop tabs, through the pad, to eliminate slippage.  The strap can be adjusted at each end with a broad tri-glide loop, and there is a big-mouth 50mm (2") Fastex buckle at each end of the strap, for quick release. One of my biggest gripes with previous satchels has been the "slung across my chest" trap.

There is also a inset pocket at each end of the bag, between the main compartment and the side-saddle pockets, that very neatly fits my Propper Liberty bottle and even takes my venerable 1L SIGG bottle
The "front" panel of the bag is faced with a broad loop field, for patches, and I've made great use of that. Inside that front facing panel is a very spacious document compartment, with three distinct sections, that will fit a number of CD cases, iPads and the like. A hook-and-loop tabbed strap keeps your valuable documents and devices secured, and as with all the zippers on this bag, it features rubber-moulded zipper-pulls as well as "inverted" zipper material to give maximum crud intrusion protection.  
The opposing "inside" facing panel features an even greater selection of pockets, for holding all your needful tools and tricks. 
I have mine loaded up with a variety of goodies; both eating and entry hardware, medical and electronic. Things I don't like to leave home without! 
Again, the double  rubber-molded zipper pulls give good, fast access to my kit, and the panel itself offers a flat clean workspace that is flush to the ground, thanks to the design. 
You can see the main carry handles extend all the way through the pack from the side panels,  they continue all the way under the bag as it happens. They are NOT going to tear off, no matter what you fill it with.
The main compartment has its own surprises as well. Twin storage pockets add further capacity to the narrow ends and the bottom of the compartment is lined with loop-field to facilitate the removable divider, which itself has zippered pockets for business cards, death-cards, whatever. 
It is also loop-faced and includes a 3-channel organizer for all your highlighter pens, or double stacked mags, to go along with the hook-field sided adjustable pistol sleeve that would accommodate most handguns. I don't have any justification to have that in use, but you might. 
Coupled with the grab handle opening strap and you have a quick-access concealed carry option right there.

The side pockets, two on one end, and one bigger one on the other, follow the same pattern. Taped seams, inverted zipper runs to keep crud out, and internal pockets to maximize organization. The single big side pocket also features a clear plastic external ID pocket.

One more cool feature are the twin, adjustable hook-and-loop retention straps for an umbrella or flashlight that sits over the"inside" pocket. It also happens to be a perfect fit for my DeadOn Anihilator Superhammer, because, you never know ...

All in all, this is a pretty awesome bag. It certainly does everything it sets out to do, and had weathered all I've thrown at it, from kicking around trains, planes and hospitals, to being an overnight bag and a day-to-day hauler of my ever changing loadout.
If I had to pick something to gripe about it would be the overall "width" of the bag. When I sling it either across the front of my hips like a paratroopers reserve, I've found that it is  so wide that I bump and brush people with it where normally I wouldn't have, with a backpack. Same goes when I sling it behind me. The addition of the end pockets, whilst adding valuable additional storage, also add to the bulk of the bag.

That said, I'm very pleased with it, and will keep using it until it dies or I find something better.




Friday, November 14, 2014

Review: SOG Bladelight

 As first published on RecoilWeb ....

My love for gadgets is well known, and I try to lean towards the useful over the peculiar, the multi-functional over the one-trick-pony,   so when I got the chance to fool around with this new offering from SOG Knives, I jumped at it.

This is the BladeLight, from SOG. From just looking at it, you might be forgiven in thinking that it was a fairly standard dive-knife looking blade.

Its glass reinforced nylon handle, and high-sheen 9Cr18MoV blade don't really stand out, although the clear acrylic hand guard and tail-cap ring do add a certain "future-blade" look, they don't really betray the blades secret arsenal until you look a little closer and see that mounted at the very neck of the blade are six white LED's!

Mounted three to a side, these lights issue a mild 25 Lumen output, from the single AA battery that mounts in the body of the handle but the placement, and clever design of the sheath means that the light is right on target, where you need it.

The hard molded sheath features a button release, but will also allow a hard-pull draw, but most importantly, has six cut-outs, to allow the LED's to be used whilst the blade is sheathed, in "flashlight mode.

With belt loops, as well as a hefty built-in belt clip, the knife as a whole can be used as a flashlight without waving a blade around in peoples faces, be it camp-site, or road-side.
The LED's are activated by a stiff push-button mounted on the tail cap, and via some clever engineering the LED's back-scatter some light through the blade and illuminate the acrylic ring that circles the base. The battery is fitted by unscrewing the tail-cap.

The whole knife is IPX-7 rating for water resistance to full immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter. Perhaps not a dive-knife, but certainly fit for water-borne activities and other wet tasks.

My thoughts immediately went to dressing game. I've only needed to field dress game a couple of times in the dark, but it wasn't a lot of fun, and I can imagine that having a light that IS my knife, would have made that messy task just a little easier.
With slight jimping along the back, and the molded grips set into the glass reinforced nylon handle, this blade is a little on the free-and-easy in the hand, I prefer something with a bit more grip to it, especially if I am going to be doing something slick and messy.

The blade also doesn't feature a full tang, and as a result, is both very light (to the point of feeling a bit effete) and also having a weird balance. I don't tend to go for big knives (if you can put aside my KA-BAR Zombie Killer collection), but this knife just doesn't have the heft I wold have expected for its size.  At 28.7cm (11.3") overall, with 14.5cm (5.7") of blade, this piece weighs only 201g (7.10oz).
 
Its an elegant looking piece, well matched to its sheath and well thought out.  The sheath offers a selection of pretty standard mounting options, with rivet holes as well as belt loops top and bottom,

A nice afterthought is the little removable nylon pouch, which came with spare batteries for the LED's, but could easily be re-fitted with a stone, compass or other survival kit.

I used the knife as my fire-side cooking knife a few times, to get a feel for how well the LED's illuminate, not only where I was going, and what I was doing, but also to see how much of a help it was when I was right up in the fire, or in fact, carving.



















For both at-the-coals work, where smoke and heat may make it difficult to check how things are going, and back at the camp-table where carving and jointing needs to happen quickly and neatly, I found the LED's to work just fine, in or out of its sheath. The chickens and rabbits I roasted turned out a treat, and having those twin sets of LED's running right down the blade meant I had zero guesswork about how the meat was done, or where fiddly joints sat. I even stabbed the blade into a log for a little area illumination as I moved the coals about.

Its a bit gimicky, but it's certainly well put together and thought out. For the light use I put it through, the SOB BladeLight did exactly what I expected of it, and did so admirably.







Saturday, October 4, 2014

Sneak peek: SOG - BladeLight

Here's a quick Grill-Ops shot of the SOG BladeLight fixed blade. Talk about a lightsabre!
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