Showing posts with label Tough Mudder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tough Mudder. Show all posts

Friday, May 20, 2016

Review: GoST Paleo Barefoots CAYMARO Paws

This is a much delayed post, and I owe  Jörg Peitzker of GoST Paleo Barefoots a big apology for not getting it out sooner.

That said, this is my fourth pair of GoST Barefoots that I have trialled, and the second set of Barefoots with their imbedded "PAWS" traction pads. These are the CAYMARO design, with the GoST new and improved PAWS2.0 style, as my first set was really a prototype version.

 I contacted Jörg after I found that the PAWS on my Anterra's had worn off or worse worn down, to such an extend that some of the chain links had been trapped from the inside and not rotated freely as I ran.

I found that they had then worn unevenly, and had actually damaged the rings! Not impossible, but unusual, so when I told Jörg he informed me that it was indeed an issue they had seen with the early versions and he sent me out not only replacements, but a new model as the replacement too!
Check out the previous models here:

The original Paleo-Barefoots-PRONATIV Classic sole

The more advanced Paleo-Barefoots-ANTERRAClassic sole

and the Paleo-Barefoots ANTERRA PAWS sole

Made of the same "4 in 1" welded 0.55 mm gauge "1.4404" stainless steel  with a 4mm external diameter chain and an internal diameter of 2.9 mm as the PRONATIV's, and the ANTERRA's. The CAYMARO's have a slightly different lacing and tongue pattern, and I really liked it.

Rather than a 1/3 sized lacing bracket, the CAYMARO's laving runs almost 2/3 down the length of the shoes, which means you have a lot more play to adjust the fit and feel of the shoes, which given they essentially become a second skin, it allows a far greater range of customisation. I found that over extended runs (I've done several Tough Mudder events, and hundreds of km's on the track and trail, having a good fit is key to the freeing feel of the Barefoots. These are the best fitting models yet, though getting them to fit right takes a couple of moments longer than the ANTERRA or PRONATIV's it is time well spent.

The new and improved PAWS are thicker, broader, firmer and more deeply embedded in the rings, this changes the feel of the ground underfoot, mostly because of the harder beads and the more coverage, but when running on hard rocky surfaces, gravel or the like, that can actually be an advantage. They certainly still feel good on man-made surfaces like polished wood or concrete. No more slippery shopping centres!

The improvements are spot on the money, and I had expected no less from the GoST team. Keep your eyes out for their new "less like socks, more like runners" versions, the Urbans ... coming soon!

Friday, May 30, 2014

Review: Platatac prototype hydration carrier

Here is the hydration pack that I have been using for the last few Tough Mudder events I've done. This is an old prototype from Platatac that I picked up on eBay, and combines elements of both their Bravo hydration carrier that I have, and the MEOP Medic Pack both of which I've covered in the past, and are great pieces.

I found that wearing an extra set of straps was redundant when I was wearing a vest anyway on my Tough Mudder and similar adventures, which is why I looked for an alternative to the Bravo, which has served me well in other situations, and on my first Tough Mudder. When I saw this piece come up on eBay, I was thrilled to give it a go. It follows the same kind of design philosophy I've come to expect from Platatac pieces, with a tough 1000d Cordura exterior, and ITW Nexus hardware. It if "faced" with 6 rows of 4 channel PALLS/MOLLE loops, and features a hook-and-loop secured drag handle. Running down the flanks are nylon D-rings, three to a side, allowing shock or paracord to be run through these, to provide attachment points, or compression.

The wide-mouth of the pouch perfectly fits the Source Storm 3L hydration bladders main cap.

The baffled sides of the carrier allow for quite significant volumes to be carrier, without restriction, or perhaps even storage for other items besides a hydration pack. However, this particular piece lack the zipper-access of the Bravo, which means that the only access into or out of the inside is through the main cap.

This actually posed a problem when trying to run my hydration hose through it, and I bit the bullet and melted a channel in the backside to feed it through.

I also had to melt a drainage hole in the bottom, following the previous Tough Mudder, last September.
I found that the carrier filled up with nasty pond water when I took my tumbles, which really added to the weight I was hauling. No such trouble with a small drain hole melted in this time around.

The back of the carrier offers a variety of attachment options; Zippers paired with the MEOP carrier (which allows me to sandwich these two pouches nicely). It also features female Fastex clip ends top and bottom, tri-glide loops for all your clipping and looping needs. Best yet, the back features two sets of three three channel PALS/MOLLE PLMRS (Platypus Light Modular Recovery System) strips. These gave both a rock solid attachment and also load spreading capacity. I barely felt the 3kg that the full bladder weighed,and certainly not the sloshing side-to-side I might have with a pack-type carrier.

This was just a prototype, bridging the gap between the Bravo and the MEOP, but if you want to see the new production version, check out the Platatac Utility Hydration Cover. Looks like the logical next step.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Review: Source - Storm WXP 3L hydration bladder


Here's a much loved but oft forgotten item in my survival, training and adventuring kit. This is the
Source Storm WXP 3L hydration bladder which has seen some pretty heavy use in the past, and I thought it was fully worth showing the light of day.

Ive covered some hydration systems in the past, such as the the Platypus PIB hydration pack and several hydration bladder carriers, such as the lustful Geigrrig Tactical Guardian (I'd love to get my paws on one of these) the 0.75L version that come in the Tactical Tailor Joey hydration pouch and the backpack style Platatac Bravo pack. This isn't my first Source 3L bladder, as I failed to follow the care-and-cleaning guideline of DO NO USE BOILING WATER ... they melt. Hot enough for your hands is hot enough. More on this later.

The bladder itself is constructed from a very special three layer, coextruded polyethylene construction with a very special low maintenance liner layer. Integrated Grunge-Guard™ antimicrobial surface. This  435 micron thick surface prevents bio-film build up, my being almost glass-smooth, (Source quotes it as being  2000% smoother than standard TPU films, with virtually no difference from glass itself. This reportedly improves the systems self-cleaning function.

The wide opening access at the top opens with a slide closure for easy filling, draining and cleaning. The fold and slide lock gives a strong, airtight seal. A retaining cord ensures clumsy finders don't drop it in the muck, or let it wash downstream. It also means that you can add ice, or powdered drink supplements.

I found all the seams, including those at the tube attachment point to be very strong and well placed to take any tension that the bladder is challenged with, so far.

The drinking tube attaches to be bladder with their propriety QMT™ Quick Mate Technology hose fitting, which offers push button convenience, no leakage, and click-in compatibility with USMC Miox filter system. Sometimes the clip can be a little stiff, but hardly much of an issue for me, as I rarely took these off, except to rinse. However, even at the tube tip the QMT is completely self sealing.

This means that even with a full reservoir you can change tubes, add valves or whatever, without worrying about drips or leaks. Great for fitting a full bladder into a pack that already has a hose run through it. Sometimes hydration tube ports can be a snug fit.

The drinking tube is 94cm (37") long, and contains its own valve built in. Again, no drips or leaks when changing the tip or feeding it through bags and gear. The tube cover both insulates and blocks UV-light.

This helps your water cool and bacteria free from first to last sip. I really noticed this when doing long stretches in the sun with this. the temperature gradient from tube-to reservoir was always delightfully small.


The very cool push/pull Storm Valve isn't a bite-valve, being a pull-open plug like on a sport bottle. It apparently delivers 25% higher flow than bite designs. The integrated valve has a twist-lock which will lock the valve in the "off" position, so you don't have to worry about inadvertent leakage. It is also set at 90 degrees from the tube, which apparently reduces the required tube length (for twisting it around to have kink-free drinking) by 25cm! It also rotates 360 degrees, allowing you to place the valve end on any side of your gear, and have access to it.

It comes with a dirt-shield cover, which is also dummy-corded on, and can be cinched with a dedicated slit, to stop it from dangling and rattling about when not used.



In addition to the Widepac wide opening access at the top, with its hanging slot,  the bladder also has a screw-top opening, which incorporates a carry-yoke. The yoke can be rotated to best suit your carry style, but allows even gloved hands to hold the bladder open for refilling without contaminating the reservoir.

The gasket screws down over the yoke to hold it in place, and is also dummy-corded to the wide-mouthed cap. I have had some troubles with the gasket winding loose, and this impacting on the seal the cap gets, but if its screwed down tight, all should work out well. 

Evacuating all the air from the bladder keeps it very quiet, no canteen-sloshing noise-disipline worries there, and the placement of the tube to the bladder means you pretty much get every drop emptying out, you can even set it to run continuously, using siphoning, to get regular irrigation, or when running detergent through it to clean it. The guys at Platatac recommended throwing it, washed but not dried into the freezer as a decontamination step, which is a far better idea than melting it with overly hot water, I have to say.

This particular bladder has seen me through camping, long haul drives, and three Tough Mudders, and it's going strong! I even inflated it and used it as a flotation aid when diving off one of the "Walk the Plank" high dives on Tough Mudder.

I'd love to try one of the Universal Tube Adapter  attachments, which lets you fill the pack from the drinking valve, from taps or bottles, without having to take it off your pack or out of a pack.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Events: Tough Mudder #4 March 2014


I did my fourth Tough Mudder in March, which earned me both a green (x2) and a PINK (x3-6) Mudder headband.

It was also my first TM solo, whereas before I'd run it with teams of work-mates, or friends, this time I just tackled it on my own, along with the other 20,000 or so people who did it this time around. It was a slightly overcast and chilly day, and I was very glad that I had set myself up with my gear with this in mind.

This time around, as I had done previously, I geared up in all my "Zombie Control Officer" get-up, some for show, some for practical reasons. The core of my outfit was again the
FirstSpear OAGRE tactical vest which I've worn to all but my first of these adventure runs. This vest has given me both a platform to attach my accessories, but also provided me with a modicum of abrasion resistance, not to mention keeping my shorts on during some of the hairier moments, with its built in belt-attachment loops.

I mounted a set of Platatac twin 40mm pouches to my left side, which I filled with energy bars. On my right side, I mounted a Platatac SR25 pouch for another energy bar, a magnet to switch on and off my Contour GPS camera which has trouble in its waterproof case (see below). I would have also kept my spare battery for the Contour in there too, in a double-ziplocked baggie, as I've done in past, but alas, I couldn't find the damn thing till the week after the event, stuck in the bottom of a cable-jar.

On top of the vest I wore the same Platatac admin pouch as I had previously, with a cyalume stick, permanent marker and a small laminated map of the course. I tracked my progress, marked off obstacles and marked times as I went. I also lucked a large LARP foam fighting knife behind it, for photo-ops and in case any of my fellow competitors wanted to "go zombie" at me. No one did, haha. My loss. Wearing my Z.E.R.T. membership shield, call sign (Q3199) I got a lot of nods from the other costumed participants.

Also on my chest rig, I wore the UVPaqlite for power-fee solar dark-space navigation, and on my shoulder, opposite the ITW-Nexus Picatinny mount for the Contour, my PrincetonTEC Switch MPLS-light, which alas didn't survive the course, and judging from the few photos I found, looks like it came off at least in the first third of the course. Makes me sad, but I guess I'm in the market for a new helmet light...

I wore a Platatac Punisher-2014 CUS shirt under the OAGRE, which kept me cool but not cold, dried quickly and chafing free for all 23km of course.I clipped my bib number to my MOLLE with plastic side-opening ALICE clips.

I wore running skins under my TripleAughtDesign Amphibious Shorts which cut down on abrasions even further, and kept me a little warmer when the wind hit us. They also helped keep my BlackHawk! kneepads on and in place, and again, without the bleeding hamstring regions I've had previously. Skins are definitely an endurance asset. This time around I also opted to wear my BlackHawk! elbow pads too, which cut down on my elbow gravel-rash immensely. A little cumbersome, and made getting hauled up by helping hands a little more challenging, but so worth it. Between the skins, the knee and elbow pads you could hardly tell I'd done the course (apart from the usual behind-the-thigh bruises) just a day or two after.

I had a Source 3L WXP storm bladder on my back again, in an early strapless version of the Platatac Bravo hydration system, which was PALS/MOLLE locked on tight to the OAGRE vest.

This time I also wore my Paleo- Barefoots ANTERA paws with the neoprene inserts, the PAWS dots made a heap of difference, giving me all the grip I needed on events like "Twinkle Toes", which was a wet-beam crossing, and running up the quarter pipe of Everest. I also wore the Paleo-Barefoots BAMANOS paws, giving them their first big outing for me. Unfortunately, in their current form, without a lining, they chewed up my hands quite a lot.

I've passed on feedback to Jörg of GoSt Barefoots, and the roughness I felt when wearing them, especially on the hang-by-your-hands obstacles like the "just the tip" vertical wall-crawl, the "Funky Monkey" monkey-bars and "Leap of Faith" (jump off a platform, over water and climb up a dangling cargo-net, my favourite obstacle of the course.)

I completed the course around 45 minutes faster than my previous times, which included an extra kilometer of "Legionnaire" veteran course, and four extra obstacles. The Powerade / energy bar combination meant that I didn't stop running for water or snacks the entire time. My map was a great morale boost, as well as helping me keep my orienteering awareness up.

These events are a great hobby for me, they test my body, determination and gear.




Here's a shot of me fiddling with my camera, when in its case I need to use a magnet to switch it on and off, which isn't always easily done. Especially when all caked in mud.


I only managed to get a couple of clips from this Tough Mudder, because of problems with the switch. Don't mind the muddy banter ....



I had a really good time, signed up for the next Melbourne event on the day, and made it home in time for dinner.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Review: GoSt Paleo Barefoots - Anterra


I've been running "barefoot" for quite some time now, as part of my ongoing fitness regime. I received a set of the GoSt Paleo Barefoots PRONATIV shoes early in the year to review, and have never looked back. In my discussions with Jörg of GoSt Barefoots, he suggested that for the colder months, wearing the liners they have would make the cold more bearable. They run on ice and snow in Germany, so I thought "what the hell, why not?". He also suggested I could try out their new liner, the Paleos®-Lining-Socks, and recommended that I try some Paleo's with regular socks as well. To do that, however, he suggested I try a size up in the Barefoots, and that he would send me the ANTERRA's in a size larger than my PRONATIV's.

The PRONATIV is on the left foot here, the ANTERRA on the right.

Made of the same "4 in 1" welded 0.55 mm gauge "1.4404" stainless steel  with a 4mm external diameter chain and an internal diameter of 2.9 mm as the PRONATIV's, the ANTERRA's have a slightly different lacing and tongue pattern.


These use three metal brackets to act as tensioners, linked directly to the mesh, with the shock cord running through them and bunching to give a secure fit. They also feature a higher tongue, with extra mesh running up the forefoot.

The larger size is still very wearable, and more comfortable over a more heavily padded foot, it did tend to fold over itself as I ran though, leading to an added "lumpiness" to my cross-country runs. When I wore the socks, this was far less an issue. 
I was training for my third Tough Mudder, which I had previously run in boots. The Paleos didn't let me down and I completed the course in my best time, with fewest falls and certainly my best recovery time.



Lining Socks

 There are my favorite of the foot-savers, well suited to my long feet, and keep them clean, without sacrificing tactile ability.












Neoprene Running Kit socks

These are fun and light, but as with all neoprene, they are sweaty, but certainly protect the upper surface of my forefoot and ankle from any chafing.









Ankle Wraps

These were the hardest to get right, but also the most minimal of the foot-savers. Almost Olympic in their design, this modern take on the Phaecasium certinly have their place, but were not for me.









Basic Sock

I didn't really like the fit of the Basic Sock, but the certainly did protect my forefoot and ankle from any chafing and some grime that accumulates from urban and suburban wear of the Barefoots.










This is my feet (and Tactical Baby's) following a day of running about, climbing boulders and wandering in the city, without any of the socks. Left foot is the PRONATIV, right foot is the ANTERRA. You can see the different patterns of city-grime that have appeared; the baggier-fit of the larger sized ANTERRA's left my right foot a touch cleaner, but with a more uniform ring around the ankle.

This neatly indicated the coverage provided by the two different styles. I think because of the fit, I prefer the PRONATIV's, but the ANTERRA styling is a bit more fancy, with the metal buckles giving a more intricate look.

However, for the purposes of barefoot running, either are adequate, for sure. That I ran the Tough Mudder in mine, without becoming mired, or worse, losing my shoe, as I saw many of my fellow Mudders (even team-mates) doing, is testament to this. The protective ability of the links are amazing, and in over 130km of off-path running, I've only been stuck by a single thorn, and not deeply either.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Wish-Lust: Kickstarter Juggernaut - iPhone 5 case

I've been terribly remiss, and wanted to quickly get a post up about a Kickstarter from Juggernaut Defense which is almost at the end of its pledge pitch, and has a ways to go.

Ever since I killed my iPhone 4 SLXtreme hard-case whilst doing Tough Mudder, I've been on the lookout for upgrades.

When I saw the iPhone5 Ruggedized/Wearable case from Juggernaut on Kickstarter, I knew I had to be in on the action.




These are some of the reward options, I'm especially keen on the PALS/MOLLE mount, and the forearm mount, as well as the case itself, which will be Water proof, Dust proof, Drop Proof - (to IP-67standards), the front screen will feature hardened anti-glare glass protection (whilst still being capacitive) and the case itself will be built for quick phone insertion and removal, as well as the quick release mounting options I mentioned before.

Two styles of chest mount: PALS/MOLLE if you're using a compatible vest or plate carrier (or even something like the Hazard4 Ventrapack) or a Sternum Mount to interfacing with a backpack, hydration pack, or other shoulder straps. The wrist mount, not unlike the Platatac Recce map holder it provides a hands-free use option, which secures over a range of sizes using a "BOA mechanism", especially suited to wear over clothing.The final mount option is the vertical backpack strap mount, which places the case in portrait (vertical) position. This mount is in development and Juggernaut promise to share updates as we build prototypes during the Kickstarter project.

The case itself (prototype pictured here) has a single opening end with a sealed access door allowing fast insertion and removal of your phone. It has a large robust latch, so there is no hassle with snap on or screw together cases where sealing can be compromised.

All phone controls are accessed through sealed, nickel plated stainless steel button modules, although the Fingerprint scan is not an option.



All phone cameras and LED flashes use optically clear sealed lenses so that the camera and flash work while inside the case, that's a real boon, especially considering the fuzzy photos I took with the SLXtreme case. The data/charge connection is accessed through a sealed door on the bottom of the case and secured by a captive thumbscrew, which cant be lost or dropped, compromising the case.

All in all this is a really impressive case, and system as a whole, and I really hope that it funds, or if not, that they end up doing a production run at some stage.



Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Events: Tough Mudder #3 September 14th


Last weekend I participated in my third Tough Mudder challenge. Previously I reported on what I wore on my first and then subsequently, for the Stampede and then earlier this year, my second Tough Mudder. I see the Tough Mudder challenges as more than just an Endurance Sport event, but as a training and testing opportunity for me. Training myself to overcome obstacles, and go the distance, but also in anticipating the hardships my team-mates will face, and either preventing or mitigating them.


The Tough Mudder Pledge is a good starting point for this:
  • As A Tough Mudder, I Pledge That ....
  • I Understand That Tough Mudder Is Not A Race But A Challenge.
  • I Put Teamwork And Camaraderie Before My Course Time.
  • I Do Not Whine, Kids Whine.
  • I Help My Fellow Mudders Complete the Course.
  • I Overcome All Fears.

My team mates did not feel up to running the length of the course, which is fine, I hate running, but I can, and I have been training to do so. However, the discipline of NOT running, of not leaving a team-mate behind for personal glory, was what it was all about.

Here's the course for this time: MelbourneSpring2013-CourseMap
There were all the old favourites, as well as some new ones.
 One set of Berlin Walls was replaced for forwards sloped walls, giving no purchase to climb over. There was a "Warrior Carry" where team mates had to carry each other for a distance. A couple of different "over and under" climbs and my favourite, the Cage Crawl, where you had to navigate a long caged-in, water filled trench.

I took my iPhone along, in its SLXtreme waterproof case which unfortunately suffered a non-spectacular failure, with one of the hinge-caps breaking off, causing it to leak. This took my phone offline for a couple of days (rice in a take-away-tub, by a heater recovered it) but I managed to track half of our progress with it here: 11.84 km run with @RunKeeper.

That was a bit sad, but that's the way these things go. I also trialed a couple of other pieces of kit: I fitted my Contour GPS to my shoulder via the Picatinny adapter and fixed it to an ITS Picatinny-MOLLE adapter which in turn I mounted to my trusty First Spear OAGR vest.

Knowing there would be dark tunnels, I fitted my Princeton Tech Switch MPLS light to my MOLLE on my chest, along with my ill-fated SLXtreme case, and a  glow stick from UVPaqLite. I also tried out my newly-acquired rejected prototype Platatac hydration carrier that I scored from eBay, filled with Gatorade. I'll cover that separately, but it served its purpose adequately. TAD Amphibian shorts and my x-strapped (this held them on, but rubbed me raw) Blackhawk kneepads rounded off my regular load.

I kitted out with my Z-E-R-T patch and call-sign tab, as well as another off-market Platatac prototype admin pouch, which I kept a laminated copy of the course map, and a spare cyalume stick in case my team-mates needed some encouragement in dark places, when all other lights go out.

Lastly I wore my GoST Paleo Barefoot PRONATIV's along with their Lining Socks, which, after a 2km walk from parking to the event, 18km of course, and another 2km back to the car, were amazing.

This time I decided to collect loot, and picked up two discarded hydration packs, one I gave to a team-mate, the other I slung, as well as several "technical shirts" and a bunch of gloves. We'll see if any are salvageable.

I had a really good event, it was lots of fun, cold, wet, dirty fun. I feel that again I have proven to myself that I can not only achieve this kind of goal myself, but can also aid others in doing so too. Orange Headband ahoy!

Friday, April 26, 2013

Review: OpsCore style bump helmet


Here's another item that falls into my laser-tag/MILSIM collection that spills over into my equippedness kit.

I'll get it out there right away, that this is an OPSCORE style knockoff. If the good folks at Ops-Core want to send me the real deal, I'm all for that, but right now, this will do me.

I really wanted to get a helmet that I could mount my Contour GPS cam to directly, as both the sticker and hat-rigged rail methods I've tried haven't been overly comfortable when doing a 20km mud-run or two
but I had a good expereicne with the helmet-cam's at IRL-Shooter: Patient Zero so I wanted to go that route.

What you can see here is the side rails, mimicking the ACH-ARC Kit to which I have fitted a proper Ops-Core Picatinny rail adapter, on top ow which I have mounted my Strikemark Contour Cam adapter. The ACH-ARC Kit and the FAST Helmet rails facilitate all manner of accessory attachment, from lights, to a face-plate armour, goggle straps and headsets.

I have a Manta strobe mounted by a sticky loop-field, because when I am out adventuring, I want to be able to be found if i get washed out to sea, fall in a heap, or whatever.



The front of the helmet has a VAS_Shroud mount where I could fix NVG or the like, if I had that kind of rig. Currently I am sporting a  KayRank Tactical helmet rank plate by Jerald Kubicek.  I wear that rank plate for roleplaying purposes only, I don't hold this rank in any official capacity (and more power to all the real E-7's).

Inside the helmet are a set of adjustable pads, with hook-fields stuck around the inside to allow custom fitting.  The chin and head straps follow the H-nape style  and gave me a pretty secure fit, once I adjusted it to sit on my head, and policed my hair with a HeadSox tube.

Once I had, it was pretty comfortable, I have taken it out kayaking, running on my Sky-Walker kangaroo legs, and lazer-tagging. I will be not only be wearing it for all my adventuring in the future to stave off bumps and knocks, (but as it it only a rigid polypropylene plastic, and not something I'd trust my life and health to.

It is not a substitute for a bike-helmet, or in any way or shape ballistic protection, but will save my noggin from crawling around under pipes and beams. The ends of the bolts that affix the rails and straps poke in the helmet about 1/4" and i think that could do with some grinding down, too, for safety.

Otherwise, a fun addition to my kit a great place to mount my cam, lights and gear, oh, and somebody wake up Hicks.





Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Events: Tough Mudder #2 Melbourne 2013

 I ran the Tough Mudder again this year, January 19th, which was a lovely sunny, breezy day here in Melbourne.

The event was held at the Phillip Island Raceway again, which lays an hour and a three quarters drive from Melbourne, and backs onto the Bass Strait. I had only recently been given the all clear from the ankle troubles of late last year, and had not had a lot of preparation, baring three or four runs, of 2 - 5km, so I wasn't sure about how I would cope, not only with my ankles, or my general lack of CV fitness as a result of my injury, the prednisone treatment (25mg daily, dropping 5mg each week to wean away).

Regardless, I had booked in, and was raring to go. I had tried to drum up interest from the folks I ran with the previous year, but no takers (although it turns out, a couple did the event as it happens).

For those who don't know what the Tough Mudder is, it is a 20+km endurance challenge, with 25+ military inspired obstacles. The events run world-wide, in all conditions, and feature some signature obstacles, namely, lots, and lots of mud, electrical wire filled corridors, and pools swimming under barriers, ice filled pools and all manner of climbing, crawling, and of course, running. I hate running.


The above pics are me before the race, in my running kit, pretty much the same outfit that I wore for the previous endurance event I did, the Stampede with the First Spear OAGRE vest, with my Source 3L bladder in the back, and snap-fixed to the 5.11 Tactical TDU belt, keeping the vest snug to me and my TAD Amphibious Shorts with my trusty Blackhawk! kneepads, which were again, a real bonus, so, "i told you so" to all the scoffing runners out there. You can see me, fresh from the Arctic Enema/Chernobyl Jacuzzi ice bath and dunk, fishing a couple of ice-cubes out from my kneepads. I also wore my iPhone, in its SLXtreme case mounted in the Platatac PRR pouch I got specifically for the event. On my head I wore one of my caps, which I had modified to carry a picatinny rail, in order for me to mount my Contour GPS helmet-cam to, via the Strikemark adapter I have. I also added a chin-strap to the cap, to help deal with the added weight of the camera, which seemed to work pretty well. I wore one of the Under Armour t-shirts from the previous Tough Mudder and my Ironclad gloves.

I also swapped out boots, having put my Altama's into retirement and for this event, I wore my Bates Delta-8's which really held up well, and cleaned up tremendously.

Here's one of me having scaled a 2m "Berlin Wall" and torn my number off in the process. Lesson learned, bring my own safety pins or lashing system. Their little pins were ineffective!


This is me and my running-mate, #7819 :) doing the SHINBASHI salute after coming over the Bale Bonds.

She and I knew each other socially, and upon hearing my interest in a running-mate, signed up, regardless of trepidation and obstacle-shyness. Far better a runner than I, we kept a good pace, she kept me going on the straights, and I helped her along on the climbing, jumping and swimming, crawling and squelching.

She started the race with a black headscarf to match her all-black running slicks. I was referring to us as "day-ops" and "night-ops". My gear was already mud-coloured, and my head higher up, so don't think that I was getting away unscathed ...

We did the course in just under 4 hours, I felt that it was actually a lot easier this year, even without all the extensive running I did prior to the previous events. This may be in no small part to mental preparation, and experience. There were no "I haven't done it before" nerves. I made it over every obstacle on my own steam, climbed every wall, made it across the slippery monkey-bars, made it up the Everest half-pipe on my first run. I was rally pleased with not only my pace, but the speed I overcame the obstacles in my path, but also how I was able to help me fellow Mudders.



Here I am, following the event, having stripped off the OAGRE, sporting my celebratory headband, and working up the guts to pull my boots off. Not a blister, or scratch, but a lot of grit and muddy water. It turned out that the time-lapse application I had hoped to run on my iPhone hadn't begun, but the SLXtreme and PRR combination had worked like a dream. The Picatinny rail I had mounted the Contour cam on needed to be at more of a down-angle, I took a lot of 3/4 sky footage, but see below for my links.

I dinged my shin whilst hurdling a log, and gave myself this exciting bruise on the back of my left thigh. Last year I had two of these, one on the back of each thigh. This year I pegged the moment when I got it ... scaling one of the 4m Berlin Walls, lesson learned? major muscle groups do not make good leavers!

A great event, a good challenge, and certainly a good conditioning and preparation experience.

Will I do it again? hells yes. As many, and as often as I can manage.


http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-1-1
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-1-2--6
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-1-4--3
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-1-5
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-1-6
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-2-1--3
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-2-2--2
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-2-3
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-2-4--4
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-2-5--3
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-2-6
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-3-1
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-3-2
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-4-1
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-4-2
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-4-3
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-4-4
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-5-1
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-5-2
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-5-3
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-5-4
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-5-5
http://contour.com/videos/watch/tough-mudder-jan-2013-6-2


Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Events: Upcoming IRL Shooter "Patient Zero" and Tough Mudder

Picture from the IRL Shooter site
I have two big events coming up, which I am really looking forwards to. The first is the IRL-Shooter "Patient 0" live-action lasertag based zombie game. I was originally booked in to do it mid-December last year, but was admitted to hospital in the days before the event, so missed out. Now that I've fully recovered, and have managed to pull another team together, I'm set to go in again. A 1-2 hour full immersion anti-zombie game, filled with chills, spills and corporate intrigue, which sounds really fun. They equip you with everything you'd need (M4-M203 looking lasertagger/game-stats box, with no external sensors or cables). Helmets (with optional-extra Contour Cams to record your event) and tactical-vests and overalls.


Picture from The Age's 2012/11/18 story
They also allow players to do their own costuming (although they do not allow any phones, cameras, personal sights or flashlights, or personal weapons). I'll be going in a cut-down and de-tooled version of my "Apocacalypse Equipped: no, really" loadout. and will offer my team-mates a selection from my collection too. One member of each team is the designated radio-operator / team leader and is on constant communication with HQ (for better or worse)

The zombies are professional actors and the storyline of the event is fast paced and action packed, by all accounts. I'm really excited to be doing it.



 The second event I have coming up is the second Melbourne Tough Mudder, which I will be doing on Saturday the 19th, at 11am at Phillip Island.

This year I am going with just one friend of mine,  rather than a team of guys from the IT departments of several places (friends of workmates).

Having done the course in 2012, and subsequently a similar (but 10km shorter course) of The Stampede I am looking forwards to the obstacles, especially if there will be any new ones, and some of the old ones (I especially like the climbing ones, and the slogging-through-mud ones), but not so much the running. I hate that.

The best part is that having come through my Löfgren syndrome and now it seems all my ankle-pains have vanished, I may be able to run without wincing at every step.

Picture from Tough Mudder website
This year i'll be going in essentially the same kit as I did The Stampede in, with the exception of my boots, as my Altamas dieD at the Stampede so I'll be running in my Bates Delta-8s boots this time. They will suffer, but my feet will thank me.

Its likely to be hot, or at least, very sunny, 26-18oC (78-64oF) is predicted but next week a top of 33oC (91oF) is predicted. We'll see how it goes in a fortnight ... Phillip Island is exposed to the Bass Strait winds which range between 40-15 kph (25-9mph) which may not sound a lot, until you are sodden, mud-covered and running up a hill into it ... All a part of the challenge. Hopefully I will do better this year than last year, even without as much running practice, because I will be prepared mentally, and better equipped...

If you're going, let me know. If  you'll be a spectator, be on the look out for me and my "Zombie Control Officer" sign ...

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Review: Platatac - PRR Personal Radio Pouch

One of the things I love about writing about, and being an enthusiast in this area, is the ability and willingness to adapt existing pieces to alternate uses, both by the end user like me, and also the manufacturers. The difference between having something "fit for purpose" and "made for purpose" can be an expensive one, when it comes to custom work for exotic items. It's grand when you can meet your need. This was exactly the case when I wanted to find a skeletonised case for my new out-doorsy SnowLizard SLXtreme iPhone case. Here, strapped to my Bullock-Echo daypack. I'll probably have it strapped onto my OAGRE vest for the next endurance challenge I do, or my MAC for Stargate LRP.but it's well suited here for everyday or camping use ...

I could walk in, discuss needs and have something perfect on-hand to suit my need. In this case, it was in the Platatac PRR Pouch. Designed to take the SPR or equivalent radio systems , this was perfect for me. Being only 120mm tall and having a shock-cord / press-stud closure meant that meant that the forwards facing camera of my iPhone would be exposed for "on-the-go" pics and photos, while being open sided (and bottomed) means that when I crawl belly down through muck at the next Tough Mudder, I wont be scooping up as much to take with me through to the next water obstacle!

It also leaves access to controls and the like freer.One of the things I am looking forwards to is to have clear GPS signal to track my run and this case will ensure I have good LOS.

As well as an internal 38mm webbing sewn in to add to stiffness, the back side has some interesting options. The twin PALS/MOLLE attachment strips are standard fare on a Platatac pouch, but the built in rows feature hook-and-loop on both sides, to facilitate mating with a similarly fitted belt, or, ignoring the hook-and-loop, having the twin rows next to each other means it will fit to any standard 50mm belt, sideways as well.

I found that this pouch would also hold my iPhone is its Opt Silicone Armour case but not nearly as well as it does the Snow Lizard case, but at least I can still use my headset....



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