Review: Tactical Tailor - MALICE 2 pack set

Here's the third installment of reviews for KitUp!'s David Reeder, and the inestimable Casey Ingles of Tactical Tailor. I've been so pleased with the other kit that they sent me, I've been somewhat hesitant to begin on this next review, given its magnitude.

However, it's just too awe-inspiring to hold it back any further, so here we go.

I've always wanted an ALICE pack. Since childhood I remember putting it on Birthday and Giftmas lists. 

The combination of metal frame and hefty pack have been of great interest to me, from my earliest camping days.

So, without further ado, let me introduce to you the MALICE 2 kit from Tactical Tailor.

This MODIFIED All-Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment pack is jam packed with improvements over the standard "lowest-common denominator" issue pack, and I'll get to those points as we go along.

Probably the first thing that strikes me about this pack is that it is BIG. With a main compartment capacity of 53L (3276 cu") and a whopping total capacity of 75L (4556 cu") That is a whole lot of ruck!.

Here is what it looks like when I filled it up, and threw it on. See lower down for what I filled it with. Lets just say a LOT.

As you can see, this is some serious pack! The kit itself comes in four distinct parts; the main pack body which constitutes all the storage, the Super Straps which are the heavily padded shoulder straps, the Super Belt which is the padded hip/kidney belt and the frame These all come together to form the MALICE2 -kit-. Each are available to add to, upgrade or replace a standard ALICE pack component.

I'll be honest, in that I needed the provided instructions to put it together, as there's no shame in RTFM.

So here's what I can tell you about all the parts:

The frame is built from light weight metal tubing, just like a racing bike, which is reported to give a 30% reduction in weight compared to other  pack frames. This frame is welded, rather than riveted, like the older issue-frames,  while increasing strength and rigidity over the issue ALICE pack frame. Apparently one key issue with those frames, apart from being flimsy, were the popping of rivets, leaving metal ends flapping in the breeze, ore more accurately, finding nice solid fleshy places to jab. Yeah. No thanks! The welds are really solid, and there is NO flex, sway, or signs of weakness in this frame. Rock-solid quality, powder coated to a smooth finish.

The frame also has a crossbar, which in fact rather than just joining the uprights, bends away from the body, creating a  space between the pack and your body. This is ace for not only keeping an air-flow gap, but also keeping the bulk of the pack up and off. The spacing of the frame also lends itself to go around standard sized (10"x12") back hard armour plates, something that hadn't occurred to me, but a brilliant idea!

The Super Straps are reported to be twice as long as issue straps, a real bonus if you are already bulked up with a plate carrier, warm clothes, and allows the use of a cool item like the MysteryRanch Cinch Straps to fix it snugly over a plate carrier. They  are made with 3/4" thick foam padding for added comfort under heavy loads. They are also are contoured rather tan just straight, to fit your shoulders and feature an adjustable sternum strap which helps distribute weight and keep it loaded tight to your body.

The Super Belt is much the same, except it utilizes 1.5" padding to maximise a comfortable ride of the pack. It features a big dual-adjusting front fastex style buckle and side ALICE style webbing attachment points to allow additional modular gear to be attached directly to the belt. Mounting the belt to the pack was a snap with the two adjustable buckles which just cinched it on tightly, this apparently replaces the 'ratchet' style attachment system on the issue kidney pad, which sounds like a nightmare!

The main pack itself as I said, is HUGE. The whole thing is made of 1000d Cordura, and features extra reinforcements of all  the high stress areas of the pack. The seams and all the finishings are top-notch.  

The main compartment is 53cm  (21")  tall, 35cm (14") wide and 28cm (11") deep. That might be hard to picture, but see below, for a good indication. You'll know when. That single main compartment has drainage grommets in the base, but is essentially a big open sack. For more compartmentalization , look to the outside! 

The front of the pack features two 6" x 7" x 4" and one 8" x 12" by 4" zippered pockets and on each side there are additional 7" x 10" x 4" zippered pockets. That's five big pockets lining the top of the pack. Below them are three more deep clip-fastening lidded pockets. I was able to stuff a set of cargo pants into each of these side pockets, rolled up, to give you an idea of their capacity and my Platatac Harry 1.2 Softshell Jacket in the middle one. We're talking a whole lot of storage here... Below the top row of pockets are two twin ALICE webbing loops, to give you even more modular attachment options, like for a canteen or e-tool.

You really CAN fit a whole lot in this pack.

Inside the top of the main compartment, in addition to the standard draw-string closure, is the additional Storm Flap modification, which sits inside the main closure, and adds an sphincter-like extension around the inside of the top of the pack to help keep things secure and dry. This also features a draw-string closure and really improves the packing security, easy of access when needed, and keeps the elements off your kit.

This is in addition to the built in flap that covers the whole of the top of the pack, secured with two long fastex-style clips on long webbing straps. That cover itself features another pocket, a
zipper closing 8" x 12" x 4" Claymore pocket. There is also a heavy duty 2" Nylon webbing carry handle at the top of the pack

Tactical Baby says RUCK UP!

She also objected strenuously to me trying to get her back OUT of the pack, and wanted to go for more rides. Considering she spent several hours worth of walking at ConFest in my Light Field Pack, I shouldn't have been surprised.

This is a serious mountain of a pack. 

Lightweight on its own, a heavyweight when used to its full capacity. The additional padding on the shoulder and hip belts are with no doubt a stunning improvement over previous offerings and I shudder to think what those old frames must have been like. The construction of this setup is without reproach, and I can see it lasting a lifetime. It truly warrants the "M" for Modified in its name but could just as easily stood for "modern".  This is a modern pack with classic lines, with rock-solid modern materials and construction philosophy.

Review: Tactical Cache

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.