Events: Melbourne Camping and Caravan Show

I went to the Melbourne Camping and Caravan Expo a few weeks ago, and saw a variety of really cool things. I have never really been into the "caravan" holiday, but I'll show you a few of the cool things we saw that day. Some good survival and apocalypse equippedness items and kits ...

This is the OzPig, a portable potbelly stove, fully fitted with chimney, legs, cooking plates, grills and its own carry bag. I want one!

Here is the stand from Camping With Hillbilly who stock a full range of cast iron cooking gear. 

Well worth a look in to stock up on campfire capable cook-wear, for when fossil fuels are unavailable.

I also say some truly innovative kayaks from Kayak And Sail, with built in, fish-fin peddle power!

In both single and tandem models these are fitted with all the mod-cons, rivaling the AquaYak's for features, but at a much higher end of the market. Outside my range for sure for the toodeling I am likely to get out of them.

However, they were an amazing design.

AND they came in modular bi/trimaran versions, with SAILS!!!

I also dropped in at the Pelican stand, and checked out some serious storage cases. This one had cutouts that particularly appealed to me. mmmm.

They also stocked laptop, phone, tablet cases. Sport backpacks, remote area lights and partnered with MGLSAT Satellite systems.

Here is a really cool  product (review to follow) from Hydration Technology Innovations Australia . It is a range of Forward Osmosis pouches, packs and bladders to extract potable water from everything from pond water to open seawater!

I will have a hands-on review of these things coming up soon, stay tuned!

More kayaks (this time from Anaconda). It's good to get comparisons... that way you know what you're getting ...

These are an example of the range of the OzTents fast-setup tents.

Canvas sided and fully fitted out, this range of tents is fully modular, comes in stand alone, 4WD mountable and with a range of accessories like camp beds, chairs, porta-potty rooms and showers, it was a really impressive lineup.

Then we started to see some caravans ....

Not your parents little white caravans though. We're talking some serious modular pop-up and fold out storage from Echo 4x4

I really liked the way these were almost maritime in their construction. Fold out kitchenettes and pantries and beds. Oh my.

I really liked the frames, the rugged design, and the utility of this. It really took my fancy.

Then we saw this purpose built camper-truck, which was also pretty cool.

Made by Trailblazers RV this self-contained camper truck hassome serious potential as a Mad-Max style deathmobile. I approve.

The TVAN's of TrackTrailer raised the bar with compact pop-out trailers, with this hydraulic and hinged offering, looking for all the world like something you'd see in a pre-rampage Jurassic Park.

Built in solar panels, water storage, as well as modular pop-out tenting, varying from a simple drop down screen, all the way up to a substantial family sized pavilion, I was really impressed. As was Tactical Baby!

Topping it all off, was the outstanding range from Conqueror Australia, with their Urban Escape Vehicles.

I was really impressed, almost awestruck, by this range. Several models, built with some serious off-roading, and modularity in mind and yet so very full of features to add comfort to a serious getaway.

Of the two models showcased at the expo, the larger, as you might expect was the more impressive, with two twin bedding options, a full kitchen that rivals some in rental properties I've lived in, as well as a full electrical suite.

These were serious vehicles, for serious get-out-of-Dodge'ers.

With full awnings, expanding compartments and a tough-as-nails construction, my money would be on one of these.

All in all, it was a very big day for us, and whilst I didn't see as many things, or talk to as many vendors with products of interest to me as I would have liked, these examples truly shine as excellent items to keep in mind, when looking for your own next adventure!

Wish Lust: 5-11 Tactical - Tactical Duty Kilt

Last April Fool's Day, 5-11 Tactical issued a statement that they would be producing a Tactical Duty Kilt, to go alongside their Tactical Duty Shorts and little did they know that they would be swamped, inundated with demand for it. They actually produced a small run of them, and unfortunately I was unable to get one here in Australia, even getting in touch with Alex Kavgas in Inside Sales at 5-11 Tactical (Australia).

All for naught.

In the last few days, following on from this years April Fool's Day, Scruffy Wallace of the Drop Kick Murphys issued a challenge to the CEO of 5-11 Tactical, Tom Davin and news was out!




Today in my Facebook feed, I saw that Mr Davin not only accepted the challenge, but upped the stakes, the winnings to us the kilt wearers, and to the charities that will benefit.



As a long time kilt-wearer, I am fully looking forwards to seeing this come to fruition!

Review: Paleo Barefoots PRONATIV

 I was pleased to hear from Jörg Peitzker of GoST Paleo Barefoots following my Wish-Lust review, and after being in touch for quite some time, and doing some editing, discussion and interplay on their forums (go check it out...).
 I was fortunate enough to have a pair sent to me all the way from Germany to Australia. (This was a Herculean undertaking in it's own right).

Now, it is important to get this right out there first up. Measure, measure, measure!

There is no give to steel! If you don;t measure it right, they will not fit, and will and can not "wear in and stretch to fit" Luckily, I did just this.

The second key element to these amazing shoes is, they take some time to get used to. Both the feel and the wearing of the Paleo's takes a little getting used to, mostly due to the texture of the maile on the ground, but also the absolute absence of padding.

Fortunately, I have experience in bare feet, moccasins and camp-slippers, so adjusting was a quick process.

The shoes themselves are very comfortable, mine fit well, not too open, not too tight. The elastic cord closure that weaves through the top of the shoe had a tendency to pinch a little, but once adjusted (and acclimatised) it gave me no further issues. I may have lost a few hairs, but I was never aiming to be a Hobbit ...

So, I tried out my Paleos on a variety of settings, from seaweed and shell encrusted rocks, to hot sand, overgrown garden beds and in the Australian bush.


One thing I found was that they really did protect my feet from incidental stabbings. They also became pretty much forgotten once on, as long as I kept an awareness of the terrain changes in urban environments, (which is to say the polished floors of shopping malls, tiled floors and big stonework flooring in train stations) the world was my oyster.

I walked over broken glass, hot asphalt, mounds of shells and piles of branches. Not a single scratch. The fine links of the maile kept almost everything out, but obviously not everything. I found that the occasional spike of hay, or prickle made it through to give me a poke, but that was the extent of it. Sand and grit can make it's way into the shoes and if it's large enough, it stays. A tad annoying, but a good fit should eliminate most of this.

As well as being very comfortable completely bare, much like a continual massage, there are three sets of accessories that also come to assist in your comfort when the conditions require it.



I took the Paleo's out running a few times in different conditions: along the beach, in parks, and in the bush, and occasionally I have felt the need to give myself some extra protection, and that's where these come in. Originally they shipped with the black neoprene socklette shown here, which act both to pad the top of the foot, and add a little warmth in cold conditions.

I'm wearing the Ankle-socks here which are a large, but felt really tight, but gave me the most protection. The wraparound ankle-sleeves were more difficult to get fitted, but in fact were a lot more comfortable, mostly because they adjusted to my foot and added padding where I needed it.

One thing I can say is that they leave your feet filthy, especially in an urban setting, where road-crud works its way everywhere, into my skin, my toe nails, everywhere. This however, pales into obscurity when you look at this. Those two round contusions are ring-maile wounds!

 I was chopping firewood in my Paleos at ConFest and was hit with wood-shrapnel in my right big toe knuckle, and left toe side. This would have ruined my weekend if i'd been barefoot, and unpleasant if booted too. the rings may have caused this little wound, but saved me from serious bruising or mangling. All in a package that balls up and sits in a pocket when not needed.

I was so very impressed! I wear mine a lot, any time I get the chance. I get a lot of attention out on the street, at festivals, around the house and out shopping. I think they have significant wilderness applications, and survival options. These appear to be indestructible. Indestructible is a real asset in the event of a disaster, as is reliability. The Paleo shoes are comfortable, rugged, and fit any natural surface (barring polished artificial surfaces).

I am glad to have these in my kit.

Swimming 1

Swimming 2

Urban environments

Slippery polished stone floors

City surfaces

Beach run

Beachside surfaces!

Review: Platatac - PIB Platypus Insertion Bladder

The Easter Goldfish left something better than Lincoln Logs in my sock drawer, this year. Following the announcement of their own entry to the hydration bladder game, I got my sticky paws on one of the PIB's from Platatac.

I've been a big fan of the Source bladders and have used them in my Bravo and Bullock Echo packs to stay hydrated on the go, and having witnessed the demise of many Camelbak bottles on both Tough Mudder and Stampede courses I have been very happy with the 3L Source bladder. However, when this came out I was quick to jump onboard and check one out. I've been using it in my Light Field Pack and taking it to kendo to rehydrate after training. It looks like there are in-line filters available for the Platypus range of bladders, presumably these would fit as well. Very important for disaster stricken and less-than first-world conditions.


One of my workmates also got a Platypus bladder the same week, one of the civilian looking ones. The first thing we did was to check the fittings, both valves and mouthpieces seemed to be fully compatible. The bladder features a reinforced connection point, where the hose fits into a clip-lock, and is placed such at the last drops of the reservoir can be sucked out as the bladder flattens. The hose itself is a resilient plastic, which is covered by a length of tan colored neoprene, stitched to form an insulation and protective sleeve for the tube. At the drinking end, a stop-switch is a great addition, even before reaching the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece itself is also at the end of a clip-lock, and is a rubber bite-valve, protected by a plastic cap with a hefty retention tab. No losing this in the field!

The filling point is a really sizable screw-cap, big enough to allow you to get your whole hand inside, should you ever need, but more importantly, wide enough to make filling from taps, hoses, streams or pipes very easy. Also fitted with a retention tab, you needn't worry about losing your cap, even when opening or closing the bladder with gloved hands. The deep finger recesses make opening and closing the cap a breeze. Another great feature is the combination clip and handle. The clip on the top allows hanging and fitting of the bladder to a variety of bags, packs and vests. As I've said, I've worn bladders in my Bravo, my Bullock Echo, but also in the back of my FirstSpear OAGRE, and in my Light Patrol Pack. Having a good attachment is the difference between continuous water pressure, or a sagging, clumping, uncomfortable bulk in the small of your back. On the bottom side of the cap, the finger grips give you a sturdy means of holding the bladder to be filled, carrying it about. It naturally hangs to balance the open bladder for filling. I was very happy with the seams and finishings, giving me no reason to doubt it's resilience. Marry it with Platatac's Utility Hydration Cover, and you're GTG.


Molded right into the satiny plastic of the bladder is a measurement strip, incremented in 500ml all the way up to 3L and 100oz. Warnings also decorate the bottom of the bladder, admonishing the user to not to use it above 50oC or below -20oC, not to fill it with fresh fruit juice, or alcohol, or milk, if I am translating the glyphs correctly. I found the satin feel of the bladder very pleasant, and easy to grip, when I was filling, fitting and removing it from my packs. Low glare and friction, and in subdued colours meant it was easy to use, and not a glaring, gleaming unit to have standing out in the field.

I gave it a petty hard workout, jammed into the Light Field Pack and pressed by my kendo armour, and the only trouble I had was once when I fitted it, I didn't re-seat the hose-to-bladder connection quote solidly enough, which lead to a dribbling leak and puddles. A quick adjustment and all was well again. I'll be taking this bladder to ConFest over Easter, both for the long drives up and back, but also when roaming around the site with Tactical Baby and Triceratops Girl needing a lot of running around after.

Review: Aquayak - Snapper Pro

I was driving past a series of shops recently, and stopped at a set of lights and looked over and there it was, my local Kayak shop. I felt it was time, given the water only five minutes down the road from me and the fact that I haven't really covered any sort of transport caught my mind. I have used kayaks before, mostly in lakes and rivers in Canada, in the Rockies.

I dropped them a line after looking over their website and I was delighted to be offered the chance to trial a couple of their models. The first is the Snapper-Pro, the fully kitted version of the Snapper.

This is a 2.7m (8'10") long ‘sit-on-top’ kayak with a range of features, including coming in a range of colours, all in their propriety 'alkatuff polyethylene' material, which holds a UV certification for maritime plastics. Pretty impressive. 

The hull is deeply molded and 0.8m (2'7") a the beam. It also only weighs 18kg empty (just under 40 lbs). I lugged it out of the shop, lashed it to my vehicle (more on this later), drove it home and looked it over before taking it out on the water.
I wanted to get a closer look at the hull cross section that had been hinted at on the website. It did indeed have a very interesting profile, and I was keen to see if this unique low-drag underwater shape that provided the speed and tracking through the water without the need of a complicated rudder that they advertised.

The last kayak I had used was a "sit-inside" type, you traditionally see, and required "eskimo-roll" survival training in the event of capsizing. On the AquaYak boats, you just climb back on like a surfboard.

Here is a cross-section of the hull, sitting as a display in the shop. The polyethylene hull is both spacious and well reinforced with supporting pillars scattered throughout. The pillars seen here actually form part of the self-draining system the boats share, as scupper holes that allow sloshed in water to drain back though the boat. The hull is around 6-8mm thick, and has most of the major features molded right in, with very few cuts or holes drilled into the body.


   

The kayak has a capacity of 120kg (265lbs) and as long as you keep in mind the operator (for me, that's 85kg, leaving 35kg of gear haulage) however, after handling it in the water, I wonder if that might be a very conservative rating. There are three storage ports built into the hull, fore, central and aft. The turn-lock sealed ports allow you to store a variety of gear in the hull, away from the worst of the elements, and keep your center of gravity low at the same time. 

 

For the fishers our there, the central port comes fitted wit ha removable, drop-in bait bucket, all the better for catching the fishes with!

 

As I mentioned earlier, I didn't have any trouble moving it around, even on my own. I keep a couple of karate-belts i have collected over the years in the boot, which make for excellent roof-rack ties. The smooth edges of the hull laid right on the roof of my car and I lashed it through the built in safety lines. Getting it up and down was a pretty simple exercise, the biggest trouble was doing so in the high gusting winds I had on my paddling day. I have roof-rack rails, which aided in lashing, and I could, if i needed, have put a specialized kayak carrier on, but it didn't really need it.

 

Here's where I went, a little sheltered bay on Port Phillip Bay. You can see that it wasn't a very clear or fine day, it was drizzling on and off, a strong wind was zipping in and there was a bit of chop. There was also a fair bit of a hill to portage the kayak over. All part of the test I wanted to give it.

 

 I got the Snapper-Pro off the top of the vehicle, put on my vest, and helmet,  grabbed the paddle and trotted down the hill to the beach.

 

   

Getting it down on the beach, I unfolded the padded seat, and latched it to the loops bolted to the hull with the brass clips provided. With two forward, and two behind this padding fitted in nicely to the deeply molded internal seat. Webbing straps form each of these four points  and allow you to customise the fit and feel of the seat. I opted for a slightly lent back approach, because i'm so tall. I sat in it on the sand to adjust, then got ready to push off.

 

 

 

 

 It wasn't overly cold, but with the wind, even the bit f spray I got would be chilly, so I dressed for the occasion in my Platatac Microfleece half-zip top and matching Microfleece Sniper pants under my North Face pants and Paleo Barefoots.

I knew I wouldn't stay dry,  but I wanted to stay light, and warm.

Pushing off, I moved through the shallows, and was amazed at the very shallow draft the kayak had. in barely more than ankle deep, I was floating just off the sand, and with a gentle push of a paddle, I was afloat.

Paddling out into the bay, it took me a few minutes to remember how to coordinate arms to hips, to ensure stability, and not to dig too deeply when on the shoreward side of waves. 

All along  the rim of the Snapper-Pro is a safety line, a heavy cord, mounted securely to the  hull by a series of hard plastic loops. There are also two drag handles, fore and aft, to assist with hauling and climbing back in, should you go over. You can see here that my feet were right up to the front of the cockpit, as I have really long legs.
It wasn't uncomfortable, but an extra few inches would have made a difference for me.
One thing that I hadn't anticipated was the scupper holes letting water into the cockpit, and right into the seat of my pants. As I say, I had anticipated getting wet, so this wasn't a problem, but just be sure that you bear this in mind. For those with shorter legs than mine, there were a series of channels in the sides to act as in-situ footrests, which was a really cool idea.
I found that I could access the center port with no difficulty, but the fore and aft ports were moslty out of reach.

The kayak was very stable in the water, and responsive too. I haven't paddled for 15 years, and quickly found myself zipping over waves, from end to end of the little bay, against the current, against the wind, and across both. It was only when I over-paddled and over-balanced that I had any troubles controlling it. 

You can see over my shoulder, the elastic cargo netting,  which I left empty for my trails, but would fit a decent sized pack, like my Platatac light field-pack or a child quite happily (obviously, you don't put the child under the straps). You can also see the aft drag handle. Both the inter-hull cargo compartment, and the external cargo compartments in the aft and between my knees, so there is plenty of space to haul cargo, or passengers. Bear in mind the weight limits, and get your bug-out -kit waterproofed!

I had a couple of tumbles whist finding my water feet, and found that I could quickly (if not easily) haul myself back on board.


Not only did the kayak handle well, and was easy to right, haul and lug, it was sturdy and stable. I feel I could have fished happily off it (using either of the two built in rod-holders in the aft) although I would need practice to get my cast coordinated so I didn't dunk myself.

I had a real blast with this, and I think I will be trying to include more watercraft skills in the future in my planning.I also took a bunch of Contour Cam footage, and have included it below:




http://contour.com/videos/watch/aquayak-snapper-pro-1


http://contour.com/videos/watch/aquayak-snapper-pro-2


http://contour.com/videos/watch/aquayak-snapper-pro-3-dunkings


http://contour.com/videos/watch/aquayak-snapper-pro-4


http://contour.com/videos/watch/aquayak-snapper-pro-5-hauling

100,000+ views!

I just noticed a pretty amazing milestone, I've cleared 100,000+ page views sometime today, and I just wanted to say thank you to my readers, and to the people who have helped me out since I started it at the beginning of December 2011


As you can see, I've had some great items, and topics to cover, and I couldn't have done it without the support of some people I wanted to give a shout out to...

To the guys and gals of (in reverse alphabetic order):

Zombie Tools
Utilikilts
Tactical Tailor
Snow Lizard
SARGlobal Tool
Platatac
OscarDelta
LEGear
KitUp!
HorNest
GoST Barefoots
Global Gear
EcoFuture 
CountyComm
5.11 Australia 

and to anyone else I may have missed ...
thank you all for your support, encouragement, reposts and putting up with my crazy questions, requests, and wacky alternate uses of your gear.

Review: Tactical Tailor - Concealed Carry Sling Bag

This is the second item in my series for David Reeder of KitUp! and Casey Ingels of Tactical Tailor, and I am thrilled to be getting my hands on another pre-release item, which made it's way over the Pacific to me here in Australia. Due to be released later in March, hopefully this review will stir your interests and imaginations.

I'm always keen to include inconspicuous items to my repertoire, both in my EDC, and how I go about lugging it. Recent air flight trips reminded me that having a high density and easy to store carry-on bag is very desirable. My trial of the Zombie Outbreak Hydro Pack was a good experiment, but when it comes down to it, I want something rock solid. I am happy to say that the Concealed Carry Sling Bag by TacticalTailor is that. Made predominantly from a 500d Cordura, in blue-grey and black, this is a sporty looking pack that has a sting in its tail.



This is an ambidextrous pack, with a single central main padding shoulder strap, with twin detachable straps, with an interesting styled clip at the end of each, anchoring to a ring at the end of the shoulder strap. Each of the detachable straps features a long webbing, sufficient to create a "third leg" style wrap around connection, to keep the pack stable on your back when running, climbing and generally adventuring.

The shoulder strap is heavily padded with a breathable mesh covering, giving both really solid padding, broad coverage over the shoulder and a wide attachment to the body of the pack, giving a very stable connection. The top of the strap to pack connection also features a very sturdy carry handle. It appears to have a Helium-Whisper compatible loops down towards the strapping end, but I don't have anything compatible to test that out on.

Another nice feature is that both detachable straps have a padded "wing" for where the webbing would otherwise dig into your kidney, both of which have webbing stitched in, not quite PALS/MOLLE proportioned, but certainly compatible, if you wanted to affix an accessory. Topping it off, there is a pocket behind the wings on both sides to stow the detached strap, if not being used as a "third leg" to get rid of dangling cords for a more streamlined fit.

Inside the main compartment, which has double zipper pulls, each with a hefty cord pull-assist, which works to give out a full opening compartment, which as you can see can fit a variety of goods. When filled, this compartment nicely fits the depth of my Zombie Squad Nalgene, so that makes a good guide for how much stuff you can lug in this section.

Inside the front compartment, which is fitted with a long daisy-chain of webbing loops running vertically over it's surface, and sporting another two cord-fobbed zippers for closure, you'll find the first of two hidden surprises is pack had to offer. Fitted to the loop field that makes up the entire of the back surface, is an adjustable pistol holster. This hook-backed panel loops around on itself to give an adjustable width, and has an accessory strap to accommodate the length of your pistol. Off to the side of the panel is an elastic loop to hold a spare magazine. I've not decided what I will use this holster for, not having a pistol to carry, myself, but I'll be sure to find something to use it for. This compartment easily holds a Nalgene bottle, with some spare room at the sides.

At the very back of the pack is where the real secret lies. Behind a very inconspicuous zipper, blended right in with the seam of the grey Cordura and the meshed-foam backing is another cord-fobbed zipper, (one for each side of the bag for true ambi action) is the final compartment, held snug against your body, for the concealed carry win.

Again as with the front compartment, this has a broad loop-field panel, encompassing the entire back, and comes with a very thorough admin panel, but this can be fitted to the front compartments panel, swapping out to suit your needs. Currently I am keeping my iPad in is compartment, until I can think of a better use for it, but as it is, it's a very secure and stable storage pocket, with a billowing inside backing to accommodate your packing needs, without giving away your secrets.


Here is that admin panel, showing off its five internal elastic webbing loops, for pistol magazines, flashlights, multi tools or a variety of other chunky items. On the outside, two more wide elastic loops run lengthways, each topped out with a second, narrower elastic bang, sectioned into two, ideal for pens, glow sticks and markers. Finishing it off is a zippered pocket, giving you a very versatile and being hook-backed, modular piece of accessory to suit your needs and loadout.



Lastly, here's a shot of me having slung the bag from back to front, showing off how level it rides. From here I could quickly access all three compartments with a yank of the cord-fobs, and get at my needfuls. Ideal in a travel situation, ideal in a hazardous situation. When I'm hauling a big load on my back, but still want access to my iPad, papers, food or EDC kit, this functionality, being able to have a comfortable, slung pack at my belly comes in very handy. Whilst a bit too small for my comfort as an everyday pack, (because I haul a lot of junk around) my partner Omega was quick to snaffle this one up as an out-and-about pack, that wouldn't weigh her down, be too "hooah" looking and tough.

This sling bag is all of that. And more.