Review: ITW - Tac-Toggle

Continuing on my theme of cordage, I bring you the ITW Tac-Toggle. Toggles being one of the more ancient button options available to us it'as no surprise that the sharp eyes and nimble hands behind ITW have taken it from antler-tip, bone and stick into the realms of ballistic nylon.

So, what is it? A taper ended cylinder, with moulded-in notches and two holes in a recessed channel. All up it's just 1 1/2" (40mm) long and 6mm x 8mm thick. The holes are sized to accommodate paracord, but it's a snug fit and I found that melting a cut end to taper it to facilitate feeding it through. Thinner cord feeds without any issue and can even be pinched and fed through as a loop to fit to a strung line "on the bight".

As a line ending stopper on paracord, it's just a matter of feeding the line through both holes and feeding it back into itself.  This forms a very sturdy lock and uses very little cord, less than a stopper-knot for sure. The looped cord lays in the recess and holds the toggle perpendicular to the cord. 

As a stopper, the perpendicular end-knot only makes a sturdy gripping point between the fingers held in a fist, but also as an anchor. The width of the Toggle makes it very suitable for holding items in place through PALS/MOLLE channels. Feeding it in is as simple as turning the toggle 90 degrees and slipping it down through the channels. It is snag free and quick to deploy and detach whilst simultaneously being a sturdy attachment system without needing to tie paracord into the MOLLE directly.

Another way to feed cord into the two holes not as a stopper but along its length, such that the toggle lays parallel along the line and sits in place allowing the toggle to act as a hitching point for other lengths of cord. Pulling a length of line through the holes gives you loop of cord to hang things off, a series of these would give you a daisy chain of attachment points for all manner of gear. 

Simply having a toggle at the end of a line can also enhance the pull capability of cordage, with an improved grip on a toggle between the fingers over a knot or just bare cord. good for dressing lashings, hauling loads or compressing bundles. 

So, as well as securing things to to PALS/MOLLE  and acting as a tie-off point or tensioner on  guy line, I use one of the toggles to secure my wallet. I run a length of paracord from my  Hazard 4 Loader harness and have previously just used a stopper knot to secure it through a hole in the middle of the bill-fold section. I replaced the stopper knot with a Tac-Toggle and my wallet has neither slipped loose nor become dislodged. It also means I have a spare toggle in my EDC in case I need to work some cordage. It also wouldn't look out of place

All in all for a small piece of kit I'm impressed. It brings form and function, and the simple elegance of an ancient device in a modern format it brings  a lot to the table.

Fit two and you've got anchorage for a bow drill, or grips for hauling a sled up a hill. Fit one to a line and feed through a button hole for an unobtrusive  "deep carry" for a SERE kit like the Oscar Delta SPD . 

Home Front: Rules of Threes (or more)

In survival, the rule of threes is a quick reference guide for how long one can generally stay alive in a survival emergency.

Originally posted on my birthday on Breach Bang & Clear you should go check out the other good reads there too! go there t orea dthe full article. 

Normally, it contains the following:

•   You can survive three minutes of severe bleeding, without breathable air (unconsciousness generally occurs), or in icy water.
• You can survive three hours in a harsh environment (extreme heat or cold). Think blizzards, the North Sea, at a Celine Dion concert ...
• You can survive three days without drinkable water.
• You can survive three weeks without edible food.

• When the Radiation alarm goes off, get out of Engineering, immediately . I'm looking at you, Midshipman 1st Class Peter Preston

Review: SparrowsLockPicks - HALO points

As well as all manner of other pointy things that I like, I also enjoy archery, though I have not done much for some time. My first bow was a bushman bow we picked up living in Gabon, west Africa, with gut string, bamboo arrows and iron arrow tips. Much later on I bought my first proper bow, after many sticks and twine attempts, in a 30-35lb pull composite recurve, which I got primarily for LARP purposes, but also some target shooting at home.

I also have a Japanese yumi longbow, which to my shame I have never put to proper use (I need to get myself some of the correct sized arrows, it takes much longer lengths than Western arrows tend to come in).

Read the rest here on Breach, Bang & Clear.



The HALO points



I especially enjoyed working with these pieces, and whilst small in the hand, they have a sincerity to them that comes from good design.

Available in Singles or as a Full Set from Sparrows Lock Picks, the HALO points are well worth adding to a bug-out bag, SERE kit or just have handy when you need a little blade.

Review: Propper - STL II pants

As first seen on BreachBangClear ..... I really love being able to write for these guys, and upcoming articles for RecoilWeb too!


Here's another great piece from Propper's new line-up, the redoubtable  STL II pants, that came in my haul of Propper loot, along with a Liberty Bottle , the ICE polo shirt, (http://www.epropper.com/p-105-ice-mens-performance-polo-short-sleeve.aspx), their Gen Multipurpose Bag (http://www.epropper.com/p-217-gen-multipurpose-bag.aspx) and a 720 Belt (http://www.epropper.com/p-225-720-belt.aspx) all of which have reviews pending. Watch this space.

Here is what I can tell you about the STL II pants. I've reviewed some Propper pants before and appreciated the comfort and wearability of their design, construction and durability. The STL II's are no different. Made from a 97% nylon and 3% spandex, it has a generous cut and all the hard wearing seams are reinforced, and flat-finished, giving these pants a very comfortable fit. http://www.epropper.com/p-148-stl-ii-pant.aspx

The fabric is soft, breathes nicely and light, a far cry from my old canvas type cargo pants of yesteryear. I wonder how hard-wearing they will be in the long term, and whether they need to fall in the "slacks vs overalls" category of rough-use. I have a feeling running through acacia thorns wouldn't be a lot of fun in these.

On the upside, they feature gusseted crotch allows greater range of motion as well as giving pinch free fit for those of us who go-commando or even sport some jewelry ...

An interesting feature is that the bottom of the legs have a zippered expandable opening, for fitting over boots, as well as a reinforced "kick-panel"  to take some of the brunt for those who punish their back hems a fair bit.

The front pockets feature a reinforcing strip, for belt-clips of knives or key-holders, and are both deep and well lined. No holes poking through or awkward bulges with these. The thigh-pockets are zippered and discreet, as are the rear-pockets. A pair of looped fabric bands on the front two belt-loops

You might notice that I have stuffed my iPad Air into the thigh-pocket. A tight fit, but I'd call that a success, in my "can I pocket my iPad" criteria. This also further demonstrated the clean and subtle lines of these pants. When closed off, there are no bulging baffles or overtly "cool-guy" flaps on these pants. Perfect for blending in with the regular folks out and about, in the office, or in my day-to-day case, in hospitals and giving presentations in board-rooms, without making security nervous.

As Propper themselves state, you'd have to look twice at these pants to spot their tactical features.

Speaking of which, there is even a secret 12cm x 10cm pocket, in the back waistband seam.  Its big enough for me to stash my passports, or a phone, and when coupled with a pair of belt-pouches, is pretty much invisible.

For pants as cleanly cut as these, I like that they still have the "secret-squirrel" feel of their tactical ancestry.  As previously mentioned, they feel more like slacks than combat-pants, that is a plus and a minus, depending on how you look at it.

Review: ITS - Urban SERE kit

I like to increase my skillsets as often as possible, as well as staying on top of my sleek EDC needs so I am always on the lookout for new kit that I can both have on hand, but also try out new techniques and learn new things. The Urban Kit from ITS Tactical is a perfect example of this.

Held in a sliding plastic case 8cm x4cm x1.5cm, it contains a number of very cool SERE elements in a very compact package. The tools include:

• A folding razor / saw, with inch and mm rulers provides a safety knife and a sturdy saw.
• A diamond encrusted wire saw/file, great for cutting through chains, filing rough edges
• Handcuff Shim, the flexible, rounded key for opening cuffs (in the case of unlawful restraint)
• Quick Stick, the stiff pointed metal key for popping many padlocks open by bypassing the pins, and reaching lock shackle itself.
• two coin/button sided, polymer Universal Handcuff Keys, (again, for escape from unlawful restraint, with double-locking pin)
• A ceramic razor blade, because having a small, non-magnetic blade in your SERE kit can have all kinds of uses, and remember, if they can't find it, they can't take it ...
• 1.8m (6') of 85kg (188 lbs) test yellow Kevlar cordage, for both friction sawing, but also a variety of other purposes, you can only boggle at.
• 1.8m (6') Stainless-Steel Coated Leader Wire which gives you an even stronger line than the Kevlar cord, but its specific properties can also lend itself to a whole other raft of uses. 
• Lastly the very cute, Grade AA button compass, what's not to like with having a compass in your EDC? Nothing at all. 

All in all, this is a great little kit. It fits in my pocket with ease, leaving very little indication it is there, and does just as well in my pack. This is a very compact way to not only collect, but also carry some really good tools for many of your urban SERE needs.

Review: Makershed -HPC lockpick set

One of my good friends got me started with LockSports, when he asked me casually "so,do you HAVE a set of lockpicks?" When I replied in the negative, he disappeared for a moment, came back and handed me a little package "now you do". That set was the Beginners Lockpick Set from the MakerShed.


I did some research, and it turns out that the MakerShed sources their picks from the well established LockSmith tool supply company HPC World. This is a great set, and really comfortable to work with. 

I thought I might go over the types of picks:
1) Hook
2) Snake Rake
3) Half Diamond
These first three are in Spring Steel, and are 0.022" thick. The handles are stainless steel.

4) Hook
5) Bogata Rake
6) Half Diamond
These three are all stainless steel, and are 0.020" thick. The difference between the two is that the stainless is very springy, and the spring steel is very stiff. (Go figure)

7) Tension Wrench
8) Tension Wrench with a twist
Tension tools are what give you the "twist" to bind the lock pins, and open the lock, once its set.

Here's this set up against the Ti Bogata set I got through Oscar Delta
This might give you an idea of the size difference achievable between a "SERE set", and a "working set". the broad handles of the MakerShed/HPC set made working locks a very comfortable task, with lots of purchase to maneuver the tools into delicate locks. I think I prefer the feel of the titanium tool though. The SERE feel of the Oscar Delta set lends to the idea I could secrete them on my person. If I really needed to ...

I'm really enjoying messing with locks that I am allowed to mess with, and building my skill sets for a time that may come when I need to open an unknown lock in an emergency.

Review: Oscar Delta - Ti pick set

I have been getting into lock picking recently. and wanted to show you some of the sets that I have acquired. I have had some experience over the years with locked doors, and different means of defeating them, Leaving my keys in the house, locking my keys in my car, a locked filing cabinet at work with critical medical records trapped inside, and no one knowing where the keys were.

Knowing how to open doors quietly and neatly is a really important skillset, especially in a disaster or survival situation when the usual resources are unavailable (ie: locksmiths). A smashed down door is no longer a door, a broken window is no longer a window.

I got in touch with my friends over at Oscar Delta who specialize in this kind of thing, and they were kind enough to ship me this very cool set of picks from their "Restricted Products" catalog, the Titanium Euro Bogota Picks, which arrived in one of their excellent GO-Tubes, very similar to their Deep Carry Tube that I have previously covered

The Bogata picks (a multi toothed "rake" and a single toothed "pick") both feature a twist midway, making the tensor end easy to grip when working the tools.

Having each tool end with a tensor (the part of a set used to apply pressure to the inside of the lock plug) means that the two tools make a full set, when you use one type of head, the others tail is used as the tensor.

The smooth titanium of these picks make them both comfortable to hold and manipulate, but also give them a very nice feel when working a lock.

I also found that the rounded, smooth edges of the picks, and along their lengths held their shape nicely. The flex that titanium offers, as well as its resistance to wear has meant that these tool have retained their finish even with my rather crude picking technique. This also would be of help not dinging up the inside of the locks I work on either, an essential aspect when teaching myself around the house.

As well as the tools themselves being nicely made, and working well (rakes, they really work!) The kit itself was a nice package.

The two tools were held together in a length of thick black PVC tubing, so they didn't rattle around within the GO-Tube, and there is still plenty of room inside the tube to store other needfuls.

I wrapped my set in a couple of meters worth of paracord, which I happened to have in my pocket when I last used the tools, and promptly dropped it into he helmet carrier of my Platatac Bullock Echo daypack and promptly "lost" it. It just vanished into the folds of my bag, and carried kit. Took some real searching to dig it up again. This first worried me (where are my damn picks?) then impressed me (these suckers are hard to find..).

I'm really pleased to have added these tools to my collection, and look forwards to using them, and my other sets, and improving my skills. How about you?

Review: Benchmade - 8Med Rescue hook

Back in April I picked up a couple of Benchmade safety hooks from LEGear.com.au, one I have already discussed, and the other, I put in the MOLLE visor panel in my car and promptly forgot to cover. I knew it was there, part of my cross-check when I get in the vehicle is to check where my essential kit is, and there it was, one day when I was wondering what to cover next.

As with the 5hook, and the Gerber strap cutter I covered before it, the principle element to these tools is the safe-on-skin cutter at the business end but this particular tool has more going for it than just a blade. This is the 8Med Rescue Hook.

Made of a single piece of 440c steel, which is a pretty standard tool steel, Is made long enough to take a full knife type grip, with a ring at the far end to loop a finger through, along with a crenelated spine and three ergonomic finger notches in the leading side.

The finger grips are sufficiently widely spaced that it can be operated easily with full fingered gloves, surgical gloves or even bare handed with ease. I found that I could wield this with both my little finger in the ring, or reversed, with my index finger through the ring, not dissimilar to how I might wield my other Benchmade blade, the CQB Dagger. 

The blade has the same 0.5" "length" as is sharpened not only on the inside of the back, but also the arms of the edge, meaning that it will cut at an angle, before the main belly of the hook bites in. Especially handy if you are cutting in an awkward possition. The blades reported to have a hardness of 58-60 HRC which should not only keep the cutting hook keen (as they aren't easy to sharpen) but also to maintain the wrench slot from deforming when opening cylinders. More on that in a moment.

This model (as there are several in the Benchmark 8 range) has several additional features that the basic models lack. First up is the O2 wrench, which enables you to open compressed oxygen cylinders, it's placement means you get the whole length of the tool as a leaver to assist in this, as needed, without compromising your grip, or need to remove the tool from your hand, especially useful in a crisis when motor skills might be compromised.

It also features a notch at the tip, which Benchmade describes as a "syringe popper". I wracked my brains about this, and looked at some of my medical kit, as well as some of the lab supplies I have access to at work, and am as mystified as these guys... 

There is also a  notch inside the finger ring that should also fit an O2 regulator, but I'd be more likely to use it to keep a lanyard tape secured. 

On security, the hook comes with a soft case, which is fitted with PALS/MOLLE compatible loops on the back, which doesn't add to the profile significantly, but expands the connection options. The interesting thing about the case is the elasticised cap. With a hook-and-loop closure to begin with, this case has an additional feature, in the band of elastic wrapping around the top of the case enabling you to pop the top and the elastic snags the lid out of the way, to prevent incidental restriction to the finger loop.

I really like this hook, it fits the hand nicely, allowing a full, solid grip for rapid and continual cutting action, key when you need to rapidly strip a casualty, or in my case, might need to rescue someone in distress from a harness or bound up in rope. Having this in my car gives me a sense of security that I have an escape tool handy, for myself, my kids and other occupants of my car or those at the scene of an accident or disaster I come across. 

Review: CE Jay Engineering - Phoenix Jr IR Beacon

As I posted recently, I had a surprise delivery arrive, and wanted to let you know all about it. A "restricted export" item, I feel very privileged to be able to play with it, hard to get out of the US.

This is the Phoenix Jr IR strobe beacon

This 30x20x20mm (1.2x0.75x0.75") block of acrylic weighs only 8.5g (0.3oz) and has a 9v battery attachment point on the bottom, slightly covered by a lip. Inside the acrylic you can see the three IR LEDs and the simple controlling circuit board. Simplicity in design! 

The 9V battery will provide 200 hours of strobing, according to CE Jay Engineering, and even after draining the battery of its primary charge, they suggest that giving it a2-3 hour rest can eek out a short while of extra strobing, in a pinch. The flash rate of 20 milliseconds every 1.3 seconds was specifically chosen to prevent confusion with small arms fire, which is a VERY good thing, to my thinking. 

The clear case, and design allows for a 360 degree viewing angle, from around the beacon, and a 240 degree viewing angle from the vertical( due to the battery, obviously). 

Whilst not "waterproof" the beacon is purported to function whilst immersed until the contacts fail due to electrolytic corrosion. That's pretty impressive. No switches, no moving parts, just the 9v connectors. Plug in a batter, and it's on. Pull battery off, and it is off. 

I tested it with my Yukon 3x42 NVG, placing the beacon on my car and walking down the street until I lost line of sight, and I have no doubts that this beacon would be visible for hundreds of meters more. To get a decent photo, I took it inside, and with my iPhone, took a couple of "down the relief" shots.

Unlike some IR LEDs, those used in the Phoenix Jr are totally invisible to the human eye, with no tell-tale red pulse. This means for covert use, either in static positioning, or secreted on your person, and even through clothes, you can signal to NVG equipped observers. 

I am throughly impressed with this piece, and am going to see a out placing an order for the non-export restricted waterproof carry case for it. I think this kind of item that would be ideal for assisting Search And Rescue teams finding me in the event that I have a misadventure. That or IFF when I am out laser tagging. 

Review: PM leather - Hobble Belt

I little while ago, I was making eyes at a new tactical belt that had come up in my feed, and a friend of mine, Peter Martin, of PM Leather called me on it, "why not Zoidberg?" style. I was all for it. PM Leather creates a range of bespoke leather belts, accessories and such kit. I was delighted to receive a belt tailored to my measurements, and gave it a workout. The belt arrived in black, with aluminum rivets and steel furniture.

The heavy, 38mm (1.5") wide, 3mm thick belt leather is split into three distinct regions: the buckle section, the hobble section, and the tail. This is what makes the PM Leather hobble belt something special, as far as belts go.

The tail section features punched holes all the way along its length which comes in handy when the belts second use comes into play. More on that later. The tail joins on one side to the hobble section with a double riveted fold that wraps the butt end to a squared steel "ring" hardware. This bridges the tail to the hobble-section, which is a short length of leather, itself double riveted SR each end, joining at the other side to another of the square rings, and from then, on to the buckle end. The buckle is again, of hefty steel construction, along with the keeper, giving you a sturdy set of furniture and a very clean finish. The rivets are ground down, giving a rough and ready look, with very little chance of snagging due to their low profile.


The square rings offer two very useful hard-points for attaching carabiners, key chains, and looping cords through. I constantly fixed one end of my paracord multi-tool lanyard to it, Usually on the front ring, but depending on how the belt loops of the pants or kilt I was wearing sat, or having a higher or lower profile to my outfit, this was easy to swap as needed. The square rings are occasionally too large to feed through belt-loops, so some adjustment to wear might be necessary on some clothes (skipping that loop, for example.

I was also able to mount several different PALS/MOLLE pouches to the belt, which I fixed in place by feeding twin tabs on either side of a belt loop, and fixing it through a double loop of PALS/MOLLE, given the belts 1.5" width, this made for a pretty good fit. The belt was stiff enough to not sag terribly under the 1L SIGG bottle I slung in a Platatac FUP pouch whilst strolling about.



Here is where this belt shows its darker secrets. Those square rings and the hobble-section allow you to feed the tail through to form two or three loops that give you some very interesting shackle/manacle options from an otherwise innocuous piece of clothing. You can see now why the tail-section has holes punched all the way along its length; to allow the shackles to be drawn tight one pretty much the skinniest of wrists. the excess belt feeds through the buckle and then the keeper, but as you can see above, it can even be fed into itself.



Having that middle hobble section available, also means the belt can be used to create a pillory-style binding, but wrapping it around the neck of your target, in the forwards position here, but works in reverse if the hands are behind the head.  (I can almost hear the banjos playing).

As well as working on hands and heads, the hobble belt can be used explicitly as its name suggests, as a hobble. Obviously, this is only effective when the belt isn't or can't be undone by the wearer, but then again, this wasn't designed to be a high security option. Dangling by the ankles Hoth style would probably do the trick.

As far as innocuous, cool looking and rugged goes, this is some pretty slick action right here. I like mine, and have found it to be an amusing surprise to pull out when someone might least expect it. Make sure your clothes fit well, though, before whipping it out to bind someone, pants around ankles are just as hobbling!

Review: Tactical Cache

Here's a quick on for you whilst I keep working on my next big post ...

This was a stretch goal from another Kickstarter I have previously reported on, the Tactical Whistle.

Produced by Cybernetic Research Laboratories I again opted for the anodized aluminium version (rather than steel, brass or titanium. This was a cost-saving choice rather than anything else, although I have nothing against aluminum and in this application, as with the whistle, I didn't need anything fancy. Again in the "OD" green, which I must say is a bit more forest green to my eye, it matches my Tactical whistle nicely.

With inner dimensions of 6.3cm (2.485") deep and 1.4cm (0.578") diameter, which to give you an idea, fits a AAA battery. Over all it is 6.8cm (2.7") long and 1.9cm  (0.75") in diameter and 24g (0.85oz) in weight.

A pretty cute little package, a highly engineered piece, finely finished.

The outer shell, like that of the Tactical Whistle, is covered with a stepped,  knurled surface which gives improve grip in cold, wet or icy conditions. They really do provide a very good surface, without tearing up casual contacts.

Having a very well sealing, crush proof, storage can be a lifesaver. I envisage carrying fishing line, hooks and sinkers, matches and tinder, notes and messages, cash or a number of other key "get out of trouble" items.

With it's split ring for ease of lashing, I have hooked it to the side of my Bullock Echo pack, or left it dangling off my keychain.

As Karl of OscarDelta SPD rightly states "they can't take it if they can't find it" and this little cache fits the bill nicely.

Here it is up against the Jill Lite micro lantern, Oscar Delta Deep Carry Tube and the Tactical Whistle. 

A good item to add to my EDC. Now to fill it sensibly.