Quick review: Gloax - MP Magic socks!

Everyone loves a pair of good socks. Your feet will thank you and it can really make a difference to your effectiveness. Regular socks, be they woolen, cotton or more exotic materials like bamboo or the like are a big step up from nylon or acrylic blend, especially when it comes to smell. However, science has advanced and offers some other alternatives.


After a sweaty work out, or a long travel, or in the morning, you will definitely appreciate the difference a pair of clean dry socks. even more so if they're not stinky and are comfortable. The clever minds behind the Glovax gloves would like to introduce their MP Magic socks, they claim as "world's best odorless socks".

These socks are made from some very unique materials; This fabrics are infused with not one, but three antimicrobial metals: Silver, Copper and Zinc! Multiple metals can kill more types of odour and disease causing microbes. The the antibacterials effects will be much better than single. Silver is known as a great antibacterial meta, featuring in everythign from bandages to homeopathic potions, copper can kill bacteria too and it is also a key component of many enzymes, Zinc can reduce bacterial loads and thus odour too! This three metal infused technique takes existing techniques and layers them for increased coverage and effects. Based on a specially treated cotton, with a proprietary blend of mineral substances, enhance the performance of the metal elements, and  are never washed away.


I wear boots. all day, every day. That's a pretty rough task for any sock. I hike, train and work in my boots. In winter time I like to leave my socks on because I'm very tall and my feet stick out of the covers. even with daily sock changes and foot washing, that takes a toll. I was sent some of these socks and tried them out. I wore the same pair for a week. I chose the ankle socks because I was purely interested in the foot effects. They were great!

With these functional fabrics, you can take off your shoes without any hesitation over worrying about their smell. A weeks worth of almost constant wear,including a 4 hour hike and a few hours of Viking training. My feet felt great and smelled pretty good too. The socks are breathable and even when my feet got hot and sweaty, a quick pull out and wave around both cooled them and dried then off. Think that comes down to the metal infusion of the fabric but also the design and cut of the sock certainly comes into it. More than just a modern miracle textile, these specially designed the socks at the toe and heel area, perfectly match the human foot shape, make that part super breathable and durable!

With their metal infused fabric these socks are designed to transfer heat more efficiently, and be more durable! Odorless, Comfortable, Antibacterials, super durable，Breathable. I gave them a pretty solid thrashing and they bounced back well. They work well as advertised, are comfortable and resilient day after day.

The Glovax team, just finished a campaign about a set of rugged cool work-gloves. Which are well worth checking out as well.

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!

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.

Review: Altama Tan Desert MilSpec boot

 

Pristine boot pic, lifted form Altama's website. Mine are LONG since wrecked :)

I thought I should give my trusty boots a fitting send off. I've worn Altama Desert Boots for a number of years, my current pair having been with me since at least 2005, when I was taken out bunny-hunting and have stains from that event that I never buffed-out.

I've worn these extensively during the hot half of the year here in Melbourne (I wear boots all day, every day, unless I am barefoot) and have never had a complaint with the fit or function.

From the ground up, the Panama pattern Mil Spec Vulcanized Rubber has been grippy on road and rough terrain, I really like the Panama patter, it sheds mud, gives purchase when clambering and wears well.

Over the sole, is a heat-barrier, to keep the burning-hot sand, rock and road from radiating up into delicate feet, and is topped by a removable cushioned polyurethane innersole. I had to replace mine a few times, just because of the amount of wear they got. Inside the boot is lined with Coolmax® aiding in wicking and keeping my feet dry and comfortable. The outers are a combination of tan suede and Cordura material, and the boots top off with a padded collar, maxing out at 9" high.

The boots have a nylon coated brass "Speedhook/Eyelet" lacing system, which really performs well, reducing snags and aiding in speedy lacing, even when I put these paratrooper/ ladder laces on them. These were the boots I wore whenever going camping, doing Stargate Lasertag LRP, training for and running the Tough Mudder, and recently, the Stampede. Even prior to the Tough Mudder, they developed a tear down one side, which I attempted to patch, but alas, the conditions of the events and the amount of pounding they got have finally spelled the end for this beloved set.

Compare the "as new" pictures with the tread pattern wear, and you'll get an idea of how much use these boots saw.

These were great boots, but now they are destined for the Happy Hunting Grounds, and I will be on the hunt for a new set of boots. Any suggestions for summer-boots? Or should I stick with tried and true?

Events: Stampede Run

I've talked quite a bit about my training and get-up for Tough Mudder that I ran in May 2012, and I think I got the bug. I also challenged myself to the Stampede.

The course was divided into a 5km run, and a 10km version (splitting off at the 5km mark, and rejoining for the final few obstacles.

The Melbourne 2012 run was held at the the Glenbrae Equestrian Centre in Wandin, and made good use of the site and facilities.


Under and Overs - log crawl and climb
Rope Tango - mud crawl whilst pinned down by a cargo net
Human Window - climb though odd shaped holes
Wrecking Yard - crawl through, over and on top of wrecked cars
Ice Bath - wade through and dunk in an ice filled pool
Bus Stop - climb over cargo netting up and over a bus
King King - big pile of tyres
Spiders Web - climb through a stand of trees wired with bungy-cord
Giant Slip and Slide - a long, long water slide into a pond
Trauma Tunnels - Crawl through piping and squirm through flat plastic sheeting
Sand Blast - do a circuit with a sandbag
Quick Step - run through flat tyres
Hay Stack - climb over giant rolled hay bales
Devils Cave - a darkened shed with falling water, and hay bales
Cable Chaos - climb over a series of stacked cable spools
Gladiators - run past a gauntlet of pugil-stick and boxing pad armed opponents
Tunnel Under - climb through tunnels
Dumpster Jump - climb in and out of a set of dumpsters (one with apples)
Half-Pipe - Scale a high sloped ramp
Sunday Roast - run over fire
Mud Buffet - crawl under barbed wire through mud
Bug Zapper - dangly cable filled hall some of which running with 10,000V!
As well as these, there were numerous stretches of thick, gluggy mud. and wading through murky ponds, and the occasional equestrian hurdle.

copyright to Supersport Images Pty Ltd  

This is my taking a leap over the bonnet of the last car of the Wrecking Yard. It was obstacles like this, and the crawling ones, that made me choose to wear my BlackHawk! Advanced Tactical Knee Pads v2.0 I've had these for a while, and they have done good service, although I have skinny legs, and found that they did slide a little being on bare skin, when I was crawling through mud-filled tunnels. I wouldn't have wanted to go without them though. Wearing suggestions anyone?

copyright to Supersport Images Pty Ltd   

This is me wading through the barrel filled dam, I wanted to give some of my other kit a good solid workout, and opted to go with my First Spear OAGRE vest, that I got from the folks at LEGear. As well as being well fitting, and totally as rugged as I have previously reported, I found that the belt-ties ensured that I didn't have to worry about my shorts coming off, and gave me some significant rash-protection when rolling over and crawling through obstacles. I also ran with some patches: A TAD logo Ranger-eye, I also wore my Stargate LRP nametape, to see how that held up and my ITS "Crew Leader" Tab. I pinned the Stampede ID number to the MOLLE, rather than using the sticky label, knowing the challenges it would be facing. On the back of the OAGRE I laced my "Zombie Control Officer" laminate, for a bit of fun, which got a lot of cheers as I passed folks, and the Tough Mudder patch on the back, under the drag handle. The 3L Source bladder that came with my Platatac Bravo pack fitted pretty well inside the OAGRE.

I also changed what I wore on my hips. Lesson learned from Tough Mudder earlier in the year. As awesome as my Survival Utilikilt is, it is not optimal attire for an endurance obstacle course like this, which is why I was so pleased with the new addition to my clothes-pile, in the TAD Gear Amphibious Cargo Shorts. As they were new, I didn't want to risk running-rash, and wore some boxers under them. Useless, they waterlogged and sagged. I would have been better off going my usual commando. Great shorts, fast drying and mud-shedding, comfortable and good for adventure!

copyright to Supersport Images Pty Ltd 

I opted for a hat over sunscreen, which gave me somewhere to mount my Contour GPS, in its waterproof casing, as well as keeping my hair out of the way. I wore my Platatac Tactical cap, which also somewhere to out my MSM "Zombie Hunter" patch. The Contour in its case assed quite a bit of asymmetric weight to one side of my head, I think mounting to a chin-strapped bump-helmet will be my next option. I also wore my Headsox scarf-tube, which helped keep the sun off my neck, keep the vest from chafing and also as a smoke filter.

I wore my Platatac Punisher-Skull logo CUS shirt which was a dramatic improvement in comfort over the Jackeroo safari shirt I wore for Tough Mudder. It dried, it breathed, it wicked, and was pretty bad-assed to boot!

I kept my delicate hands safe from harm with my trusty Ironclad Landscaper gloves.

So here I am at the end of the race, having crawled under barbed wire covered mud and been shocked by electricity over and over. I wore my much abused Altama Tan Desert Mil Spec boots, veterans of years of summertime wear, Stargate LRP and the Tough Mudder. This may have been their swan-song.

I did the 10km course in just under 2 hours, keeping a pretty constant pace. I'm not fond of running, it hurts, but I managed to jog pretty much the entire course, giving aid to people who needed it, and taking my time. I loved the obstacles, was happy with my effort, and the little preparation I did to be ready for it. Since May, I've gone for perhaps 4, 8km runs at lunchtimes at work. I feel that I am able to get from A to B in good time, regardless of the obstacles in my path.

Review: EcoFuture - BioDefence Athletic Foot Shield

So a while back I showed you the alcohol free HandSan spray that I was sent samples of, and from the same folks at EcoFuture, here is an equally useful product, which may touch the heartstrings of some of you. This is the BioDefence Athletic Foot Shield, which is a food-grade organic-compound based, alcohol-free prophylactic spray for feet. As someone who wears boots all day, pretty much every day (I don't actually have any shoes that aren't boots anymore, apart from my sandals) I occasionally suffer from athletes foot which is itchy, annoying and unsightly. In its extreme stages it is debilitating.

This is NOT something you want in a survival situation, especially if you have been spending a lot of time in your boots, trudging through mud and wading through dirty water. My last big bout was following the Tough Mudder, and this product really sped up my recovery, I feel. The active ingredients are a mixture of organically derived materials including: flavonoids such as the Vitamins A, B3, C, D, D3, and K2 and Ubiquinol . More details can be found on their product data sheet including bactericidal and fungicidal testing  performed.

They key thing however, is that it a topical spray, applied before booting-up, that acts to give your beleaguered skin a fighting chance.

Review: Hill People Gear - Runner Bag

So, once in a while, I manage to make one of my "wish-lusts" come true. Such was the case with the Hill People Gear Runner pack.


I got in touch with Evan Hill, of Hill People Gear, because after my Wish-Lust review, I saw that they had a single photo of a bag in khaki, my preferred colour, where as the rest of their range seemed to be "coyote", "foliage", "Ranger Green" and MultiCam. Evan let me know that the khaki one was a prototype, and that apparently khaki gets a bum-rap at the moment, but that he would cut me a deal. A deal I jumped at, and a couple of weeks later.... my very own Runner Pack arrived in the mail!


I've been wanting to give it a thorough try-out, but have been struck with a nasty respiratory infection of late, and combined with my previously damaged ankle, has not given me much incentive to go running. What to do? I took it to Comic Con Oz, of course!

Without wanting to re-hash the content of my previous post about what its made of (500d Cordura) or how its all put together (well) I thought I'd just run you through my load-out, and how it handled.


Firstly, it was really comfortable to wear! I swapped out of my EDC holster harness some bare essentials: my wallet, my iPhone, my keys, and threw in a couple of extras, like my birthday Tactical Pen and my favourite personal grooming tool Because one never knows, Stan Lee might have wanted to look good for our signing and photo-op!


This left a little room for Tactical Baby snacks, and maps, tickets for the event, whilst not bulking up too much on my chest. I was curious to see if there was that feeling of compression that chest-rigs can give when laden, but I found no such dramas. 


With some quick on the spot adjustments I was able to go from riding high and tight, to dropping it to mid-thorax which gave really different access and feel to wearing the rig. OK for walking, but running I'd still wear it up high. One thing to note, I felt quite conspicuous wearing it. It really does look like a chest-rig of some kind. If I were adventuring, hiking, or running, I'd not have given it a second thought, but I couldn't help but feel slightly "half-dressed" in the cos-play crowd. Later that afternoon, I wore it slung sideways (pouch under my left arm), which looked a lot less "chest-rig" and a lot more "man-bag". Again, no real issue, and it felt great, but something to be aware of in polite company perhaps.

As I've said though, it wears like a dream. The mesh-back is soft, and breathes wonderfully. The padded back of the pouch was both soft and breathable as well. The zipper-pulls worked perfectly, although I think I need to practice the "quick-draw" of the back compartment, if I want to be able to get my comb out in a hurry... The front pockets held my wallet and phone snug and easily accessible, yet securely. The back compartment -almost- fits my iPad. I think i could probably jam it in there and man-handle the zippers closed, but not without risking popping stitches. A pity, but I doubt that Evan was thinking of how to carry his iPad around when he designed the pouch, he strikes me as more a M1911 kind of guy ... The shock-cord retention strap is brilliant, really held the bottom of the pack stable, without constricting my chest at all. A real bonus.

The only gripe I had at all was the edges of the very clever double sided Quick Clip the stabiliser shock-cord was mounted to the pack with (pictured here) were quite sharp, and jabbed me all day. A quick lick of a lighter to heat the thermo-plastic and a thumb pressed to the edges rounded off these offending edges to protect my delicate flower-like body. The Fastex clips, large and small were perfectly placed for ease of use and wear.

This is a really versatile pack, and I can see myself getting a lot of use out of it when I get ready for next years Tough Mudder, or when I go adventuring, either on its current harness, or taking advantage of the forward-thinking modularity that Hill People Gear built in, and mounting it via those GrimLock clips, as there are loops top and bottom of the pack to accomodate those.

I'm really pleased with this addition to my collection, and look forwards to going running or rollerblading with my man-bag, now in khaki!