Sneak Peek: Propper - Range Bag

Here's a First Impression post I did for Breach Bang & Clear: 

So, we're going to try to give our first impressions before launching into full reviews now. The good folks at Propper sent me their new Range Bag, along with a couple of their very slick snag-free Polos. For the time being, I'll focus on the bag.

 Almost twice the width of their Multipurpose Bags (cheers Mad Duo!), the Range Bag is a beefed up and expanded version of it. Padded on all sides for increased protection and rigidity, it holds it shape even empty.

Two stiffened internal dividers can be  adjusted or discarded, as fits your use or mission, and the whole of the internal cavity is lined in hi-contrast orange, to help you find your OD tool in its OD sheath in your bottom of your OD bag.














One side panel is fitted with a mesh pocket, and a fold-out mat to do your weapon maintenance or lay out a picnic. The Range Bag also comes with a removable hook-field backed accessory panel.

 The exterior of the mat-side pocket has two deep pockets also lined with the contrast-orange nylon. The main compartment has a lockable zipper, good enough to keep little prying hands away from dangerous things.

The off-side panel is covered in a mixture of loop-filed at the top, and two rows of seven channel MOLLE, and inside has another mesh-lined pocket, along with six pistol magazine sized pouches. The front side panel is also fitted out with more MOLLE channels, and the rear features another deep pocket.






All in all this looks like a very serviceable bag with both a lot of features, but also a significant capacity upgrade over the already-good Multipurpose Bag.
I'll use it for a while here down under and report back on how it holds up.

Review: Platatac - 200rnd Pouch

Here's a pouch I picked up recently, second hand. It's a Platatac 200rnd pouch, designated as a 2009 design, but is no longer in current stock.

I was looking for a larger pouch, to carry bigger incidentals that I might have on the outsides of a pouch, and need rapid access to.

As with all Platatac pouches, this is ruggedly made, to withstand the rough treatment of ADF troopers in the field, and doubly so as this is made to carry 200 rounds.

Double stitched along all seams, and using as few seams as needed, its construction is from the hardy 1000d Cordura nylon, and features a box-sided lid, to give both adequate retention and cover from environmental, like dirt, sand and water getting in and fouling your linked ammo, magazines, or other gear stowed.

Featuring fully four sets of three-row reinforced PALS/MOLLE tabs on the back, as well as a pair of webbing brackets, it again tells of this pouch's designers wanting it to hold up to heavy loads.

Two channels of three side-by-side PALS/MOLLE webbing on each side offers additional attachment points for accessory pouches as an added bonus.
The Fastex fixed tuck-buckle ensures that the pouch stays closed when needed, with a fairly quiet action, although I usually prefer an adjustable closure action.

I found that the pouch will nicely hold bulky items such as this old style plastic canteen, as well as over five STANAG magazine sized MS Clean kits.
 It would also suit a set of binoculars, meal kits, or items such as a raincoat, poncho or other auxiliary kit. I have been considering how much 7mm dynamic rope I can jam into these, so stay tuned on that.

All in all, this is a great pouch, on the larger side of things, and I presume that like this one, there are still plenty kicking around, even though Platatac don't have it on their regular retail site any longer.

They DO however still have the 200's smaller cousin, the 100rnd pouch, which is essentially a cut down version.

Review: Voodoo Tactical - Open Top Single Magazine Pouch

When I backed the MS Clean Kickstarter project, which I covered recently, they also threw in, as a bonus stretch item,a PALS/MOLLE pouch to house the system in. Originally suggested to be one of the HSG Tactical Taco pouches, to keep costs down they settled on the simpler Voodoo Tactical Open Top pouches which are no slouch either.

I've covered a couple of open-top shingle style pouches before; the ones built into the Platatac SCAR mini-chest rig and also the Platatac Modular Radio Pouch. Generally, I prefer my pouches ti have a lid, or cover of some kind, because I am generally not using them as originally intended. So, that in mind, here's what I can tell you about the Voodoo Tactical open top shingles.

These single-magazine pouches have a good solid finish, with 1000d Cordura as the base material, shock-cord and webbing loops, throughout. They feature a press-stud closing pair of PALS/MOLLE tabs in the lack to feed and mount on whatever platform you choose, and the tabs are reinforced with plastic internally to add some stiffness, aiding in both feeding, and sturdy attachment. The shock-cord is fitted with a looped webbing pull-tab, and it comes adjusted to fit nicely over the MS Clean case, so presumably they fit over a 30 round STANAG or MagPul P-Mag magazine as well.

The fact that it is a single case might seem a bit limiting when it comes to loadout, given that pouches like the Platatac FUP but because it is fitted out with PALS/MOLLE loops on the front (and side) it is possible to stack them quite easily. This may well add more bulk and weight to a double stacked set than would a dedicated double mag-pouch, but each pouch independently carries the magazine, so no worry of them rattling about. Again, remember, I'm not a shooter, get proper training and advice of experts, but it makes sense to me.

They are also a slimmer option for those who aren't planning to be as heavily equipped. Especially useful in those times where every gram makes a difference. These are a good basic pouch, and I could find no fault with them, they certainly are a good match for the MS Clean kits, and work as advertised.

Review: Strike Industries - Battle Case iPhone4

I tend to burn through "regular" phone cases, which is why I have had ones like the Opt Silicone Armor as my every-day case, and collect "extreme use" cases like the Snow Lizard SLXtreme and the Griffin "Mossy-oak" Survivor and as cool as they are, they are overkill for my regular use. I need something that will give me easy access to all my ports and buttons, protect my glassy faced iPhone 4S from drops, spills, and sticky faced and fingered small humans, without being a brick on the board room table.

I has spotted the Strike Industries - Battle Case when I had been cruising their site for the Tactical Sling Catch that I picked up, along with the Picatinny vertical sling-loop and later on, the Simple Plate-Carrier satchel they were kind enough to send me, so I finally got around to placing an order.

What had initially caught my eye, other than the slim design, was the large "quick pull loop" not unlike the Magpul loops available for magazines.
I also really liked the extra features hidden away within the case.  I am a sucker for extra features, as many of you will already appreciate, but these two were very simple, and elegant additions.

Recessed into the case was a large depression, which Strike Industries have designed to fit a special kevlar insert (for non-ballistic protection only) to bolster the protection offered by the stiff but flexible thermoplastic of the case. A second recessed spot allows a protective lens-cover to be inserted.


 The outer face of the case is macroscopically honeycomb patterned, with a fine grained rough texture for added grip. I really liked the pattern, it is sufficiently contoured to add grip, without being overt. A very subtle surface.

I had wondered about the lack of padding, and how that would protect my phone, but I can honestly say that I've had no reason to have been concerned. I've not changed my usage, and the phone is just as whole as when I had it wrapped in silicone and wire.

The thin side edges are even further textured, with these seven notches in the front and back, adding to the positive grip you can get on it. Between these, and the quick-pull loop, through which I usually curl my little finger when holding the phone, I have not once dropped it, and have frequently carried the whole thing in my teeth, mostly by the ring, when I've needed to go "hands free" without wanting to re-holster my phone.

That loop will easily fit three fingers, two when gloved, which also means that I have been able to secure my phone into much tighter pockets, as I can yank it out easily, with no snagging, no hanging-up just a clean pull.

The honeycomb pattern on the surface of the case really adds to the grip, as well as offering a nice visual pattern. Each of the hexes is also textured with a fine leather-like pattern. This pattern is not unlike the Magpul magazine pull-rings, it fits really snugly in the hand, lays flat on a car bonnet, dashboard or whatever, even at quite an angle, without sliding.

The sides of the case have an extra layer of gripping features, the seven notches on the bottom half of the edges. These really add to the drop-free design and give me a lot of confidence, even when I don't have fingers curled through the quick-pull loop. The leather-like patten continues along the sides as well.

As well as the large loop, there are two eyelets that not only add to the flexibility of the loop, but also adds a connection point for a lanyard, if you don't want to add it to the main loop itself.

I found that my only gripe with the case is how well it fitted. Ironically, the snug fit of the screen-edge lip tended to lift my screen protector, leading to it bubbling from time to time, mostly as a result of the alarm-clock-dock I use not accepting such a hard-core case (this is true of almost all my cases, as it happens, no fault of Strike Industries. I suspect if I didn't continually pop it in and out of the case, that wouldn't be an issue.

I haven't had any issues with the factory-standard accessories for the phone, but some after-market chargers need to wiggle the case apart a little to get them to seat properly.Totally workable. This is one of my favorite cases and it gets a lot of positive comments, even at work. This is a top notch case, that offer slimline protection for my favorite electronic urban-survival tool!

One last thing, the fine folks at Strike Industries also sent me a deluxe set (including lens covers and plug-caps) of their even MORE rugged, spring-enhanced iPhone 5 SHOX Battle Case to review, but alas, I don't have an iPhone 5 .... so, if you live locally to me (Melbourne, Australia), hanve an iPhone 5, and an interest in a rugged, hard-core and stylish case, hit me up, and I will send it your way, with the proviso, that you give me a review to publish!

Review: Platatac - SGL 5.56 stacker pouch

I haven't done one of these for a while, and have been feeling remiss, but here is another pouch, my not-so-secret guilty pleasure.

I've been trolling their eBay listings, and found this great item from Platatac. It's well worth your while to have a look at these "factory clearance" listings for a chance to sweep up some unusual, trial or end-of-stock items. This pouch for example, is their SGL 5.56 Stacker, not listed on the new updated website. Collectable, even!

It is clear that the SGL stacker shares lineage with the much loved FUP and Mk1 60rnd pouch. I also noticed that there were, as I've come to expect, some very interesting design features and little extras tucked away.

Made of the rough and tough 1000d Cordura I've come to expect of Platatac accessories, the pouch consists of a long tongue of webbing, sewn into the base of the front of the pouch, which then feeds into itself, over the top of a stiff webbing loop that acts as a base-stop. The tongue travels up into the pouch, over the top, and fixes with a broad band of 4 loop-field strips.

Running from one side to the other, in the middle of the pouch, is a 2" band of elastic, which acts as a built in compression strap, locking contents into the pouch. The band is sewn into the backing panel, and runs freely under the middle two bands of loop tape that make up the closure system on the front of the pouch. This makes the pouch extremely low profile when empty, as the elastic binds it right down.

I was interested to see how the bottom loop of webbing acted to hold contents in, but when combined with the long, wide webbing tongue, it locked in nicely, and didn't give me any worries about storing my iPhone, a notoriously droppable commodity.

Here's one of those little additional features I was talking about. When I first got the pouch, i just dropped the tongue through and flipped it over the top. It worked, both closing out the bottom against the webbing loop, and made a positive lid closure over the top and front.

What I didn't initially notice, till I looked properly, was there was a big wide band of loop-field running about mid-way through the pouch, that allowed you to feed the tongue under it, giving a much more secure connection, ensure that you don't accidentally feed a magazine "behind" the tongue to drop the bottom inconveniently, but also with its loop-field fronting, allows you to back-feed the hook-ended tongue in to make a more "high-speed/low-drag" option for those of you who like that sort of thing, without needing to cut away the webbing.

The backing is standard for a Platatac pouch, with twin sets of PALS/MOLLE loops and press-stud closure tabs, but its also worth noting the built in loop, for extra attachment options.

I was uncertain how this pouch would stack up (so to speak) but was pleasantly surprised. Obviously, its primary purpose is to house 5.56 magazines, and certainly has the length to accommodate quite long options, without the bulk of a full-cupped bottom like the FUP. This does however mean that it is somewhat unsuitable as an accessory pouch, as small items will be at risk of falling out.

 This is a really interesting piece, and it was also very interesting to see how the range has developed.

Stay tuned for more as they come up!

Last days for backers - MS Cleaning kits

 Hi all, I am still looking for people to buy-in with me to help these guys get their project over the line.

my original post is here:
Aussie-readers MS Cleaning Kits

they can ship a dozen kits to Australia for $60 for shipping, on top of the item pledge levels.... or 2 for $40 shipping...

Peter did a podcast which explains the MS Clean and the direction of the company... among other things. Check it out.
http://www.ar15podcast.com/034/


drop me a comment, email or IM if you're keen....

Quick Question for Aussie readers.... MS Clean

Would any of you in Australia be interested in picking up one of these slide-opening, hard sided, magazine shaped cases?

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/823246061/ms-clean-the-magazine-shaped-cleaning-kit

The guys behind them are willing to ship me a box of 12 of them, at around $15 a case, plus $60 or so for shipping to Australia, for a total of about $20 a pop. (They are not offering international shipping as part of their bid, so are doing me a solid favour).

Designed to fit any standard magazine pouch (like the FUP, SCAR chest rig, 60 rnd Pouch, or the like), whilst being slightly too large for the magazine well of a rifle (to avoid that kind of accidental loading). Enough room to hold all your standard rifle cleaning needs, but also a great size for a bunch of other items...

I would love to get a few for myself for use in lasertag MilSim and costuming, as well as the cool factor, but I can't really justify getting a dozen of them, so I am putting it out to you my Aussie readers ... fancy one, willing to chip in and/or buy one when they come i, later in the year? You'd be one of the only Australians with one, as they don't think they'd ship any others over the Pacific.

Message me on apocalypseequipped@gmail.com and I'll let Pete and Trevor know. Help me help a couple of Texan lads out with their cool idea.