Review: Storm Rider YAK PFD

I'm really excited about getting my first kayak this weekend (more on that later) and that reminded me that I had not yet covered the Personal Flotation Devices that I tried out when I did a trial of the Aquayak - Snapper PRO. When you're out on the water, a flotation vest is just as crucial part of your loadout as a bump-helmet or your shark-stabbing, line-cutting knife (ok, perhaps that is a stretch).

It's PPE of the most basic kind.

In this case, I was lent a StormRider YAK PFD by the good folks at AquaYak and I wanted to show you what made it an essential part of my time out on the Snapper PRO.

These very solidly constructed vests consists of three components; the two front panels and a back panel. It features open sides with adjustable webbing to ensure a good fit, whilst giving you freedom of movement for paddling and water-borne activity.

The back panel also featured a drying hook, with a built-in nylon D-ring
The webbing attaching the front panels to the back are fixed at the shoulder and at two points on the flanks. Between these three points, the harness is highly adjustable, even down to to my light frame.

It might seem strange that the front of the vest is -not- adjustable, its three Fastex clasps hold the front panels but this in fact provides an important safety aspect. By massing the buoyant material at the front, when in the water, this holds your head up and out, ensuring the best  position for breathing. 

The brightly coloured exterior of the vest allows for easy search and rescue in the event you are lost due to capsizing, or bad weather, but you'll note that the insides are black, an unintentional asset if being less visable is desirable. Both front panels comes fitted with several zipperable pockets. The use of mesh and the water-shedding nylon in the pockets, as with the rest of the construction gave not only a number of ways to store important gear, but also to do so in a quick drying and draining fashion.


I found this very useful, as I dunked myself several times whilst in the kayak.


I was really impressed to note that the zippers were all of noncorroding plastic.

An inner retention lanyard provides an even more secure option for survival, signalling or orientation gear.

I stored my iPhone in its SLXtreme waterproof case, my car keys and the like whilst testing, all held snugly and safely.

I also noted that there was a more subdued OD and coyote-brown version of the vest, which I think will be my personal selection.

I've worn PFD's before, as well as SCUBA Buoyancy Control Device, and I really liked the simplicity, and design of this one.

You put it on, strap it to fit, and can all but forget about it when out and about on the water. In an emergency situation, you want to have the best equipment on hand to protect yourself and others from the environmental hazards you will be facing. A well made, worn and maintained PFD is a must for any kind of action on the water you might be facing.

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!

Review: Fishbones - Fishbone gear ties

Having covered the most excellent Piranha (which was their v2 product, but I got those first), I wanted to give the little sibling a trial before showing them to you, to get a better feel for their utility and differences.

These are the Fishbone gear ties (v1). You can see from the picture here that there are in fact three metals offered 1) 6061 T-6 Aluminum 2) 304 Stainless Steel and 3) Titanium. The aluminium and steel versions share the same exact geometry, where as the titanium is a little more "rounded".

The guys from Fisbones were good enough to send me a few of each to play with, but I've mostly focused on the steel ones. Why three options? well, in their own words:

Aluminum:

• Resists corrosion
• High strength to weight ratio
• Can be anodized in different colors
• Non-magnetic
• Nonsparking
• Light weight

Stainless steel:

• Resists corrosion
• Bright appearance
• Normally non-magnetic
• Great fatigue and impact resistance
• Durable

Titanium:

• High strength to weight ratio
• More than twice as strong as aluminum
• Almost half as light a steel
• Non-magnetic
• Excellent corrosion resistance

Measuring in at 14mm by50mm (½" x 2") and 3mm (1/8") thick, the Fishbones are smaller and thinner than their bigger siblings, weighing in at 3g  for aluminium and 9g for steel. When subjected to strain testing (by the makers), the aluminium slightly deforms at 36kg (80lbs) and has major bending at 72kg (160lbs) Note: projected total failure is only (135lbs). The stainless steel Fishbone only took a slight bend at 72kg (160lbs) in initial prototyping. Subsequesnt  That's a fairly impressive static load for a gear tie. Obviously, as with the Pirahna, these are not climbing rated, but for tying down gear, rigging tent flys or washing lines, that is heaps. 

As with the Piranha there are numerous ways to tie and apply the Fishbones. I especially like the detail given by Brent and Eldrick in their Kickstarter proposal in their examples of how to use them.

The geometry of the Fishbone lends itself to tie-downs, with a wrap and tuck type locking, using a Prusik-like friction bind on the paracord, and sharing the load between the ribs of the tool.

The eye-hole, and "gill-slot" give solid "head-forwards" ties, whilst the forwards facing pelvic-fin and ventral ribs before the tail fin give you three separate attachment points. On the dorsal side of the Fishbone, there are four shallow notches, and one deep one, all allowing purchase of your cord, and letting it bind tightly in a variety of configurations.

One of the things I really liked about these, are the clean straight lines, which enabled me to rig them to act as a zipper pull without having to worry about snagging, in such a way that I could also quickly detach them and use them to rig a line, or tie a bundle.

The stainless steel versions acted as a nice plumb-bob when rigged correctly, the nose pointing down, in a clean straight line.

I usually have a couple of lengths of 40cm paracord in my pocket, and idly fiddle with these at meetings and on the train, working out new combinations of ties and looking for new uses. Alas I had oped that the tail would fit into the A/C vents on my train, to enable me to latch myself in when there was no hand-hold but no.

I've found the Fishbones to be very handy little gadgets to have on hand, especially when, as often happens, I have had to bundle something up that I know I will need to unbundle shortly and quickly. Blankets, jackets and jumpers. Tactical Baby's favourite woobie and the like.

I think these will make a good addition to my cord and carriage kit, giving me quick-release tie options, and keep all my things snug and squared away without having to worry about knots binding up and keeping me from my fit when I need it. They make great gifts too!

Unlike the Piranha, the Fishbones didn't interlock neatly, so a 'head to head" clasp wouldn't work. No great loss though, there are plenty of other options.

The guys behind these even posted their original concept built to Instructables so you can have a go at making your own low-strength wire prototype version.

Home Front: membership

I've had some fun recently finding and joining up with some new organisations, for fun and education, licensing and commeradery.

I've been a member of the Victorian Kendo Renmei since 1998, and by association the Australian Kendo Renmei This has provided coverage under the Weapons Control Acts in Victoria for a number of items in my collection, as well as my practice of kendo and its associated arts.

To supplement that, and on top of my exemption by the Governor in Council as a bona fide collector, I also joined the Victorian Historical Edged Weapons Collectors Guild . I also signed up for my Paintball Marker License, after my run in with customs whilst trying to get parts to build a super cool looking lazer-tagger for the Stargate LARP I am involved in.



Then there are the more fun and exciting memberships. I've been a member of Immanent Threat Solutions Tactical for a couple of years now. They specialise in information, training and equipment to deal with, as the name suggests, Immanent Threats. From knot-work, to lock picking, survival navigation to urban threat assessment, as well as working with several groups of makers to produce some cool kit and reviews. I'm very pleased to be a part of their community, in my small way.

Zombease is a lot like my own writing, but specialising in Zombie Apocalypse scenarios. I really enjoy reading their content, Jake Sepulveda is a great guy, and I have enjoyed getting behind his line, and backing his projects.Try out the "Choose your own adventure" section and see how you go. Read all the guides first, and mentally equip yourself.



Zombie Squad is a philanthropic organisation dedicated to first response and support for ALL disasters, zombie or otherwise. They pride themselves on their mission to "educate the public about the importance of personal preparedness and community service, to increase its readiness to respond to disasters such as earthquakes, floods or zombie outbreaks."
I have been proud to help in their efforts to support the Hurricane Sandy relief drive (2012) and the Oklahoma Tornado relief drive (2013). Like Zombease, they also offer "zombie apocalypse" training and guides, but also apply these lessons to more mundane situations, for the benefit of their communities.

Lastly, and most recently added to my list of "professional associations"  in the field of Apocalypse Survival, is the Zombie Eradication Response Team. Who also offer real-world training for disaster preparedness, from a more martial perspective, that is an "organization that uses the Zombie as a metaphor for any one of numerous natural or man made disasters that have and will occur in our lives." I signed up and got some cool patches from them as well. I look forwards to connecting with other folks from "Squadron Q" (Australia) and maybe see you at an event.


I suppose my Health Informatics Association of Australia and Australian Society for Microbiology could also count ... I certainly keep an eye on the bulletins ...

Review: Mainstay Emergency Food Rations

I've been feeling really remiss as a prepper without a stock of MRE's and other per-packaged survival food. Like a cowboy without a Stetson, or a fisherman without a line. Military style MRE's are not easy to come by in Australia, but I was lucky enough to spot some silvery packets of goodness in the display window whilst visiting Global Gear (who have supplied me with some fun kit in the past).

I did some research online and it seemed that these were the real deal. These are the Mainstay Emergency Food Rations. These high density food bars come in three varieties, in 1200, 2400 or 3600 Calorie packs. Each of the three varieties consist of a vacuum sealed foil sachet, with extensive nutritional information, and contains a block of very solid food.

The 1200 weighs 228g (1/2lbs)and breaks into three measured blocks.

I grabbed a sample in the "Energy Bar/1200" size from Global Gear and opened it up to see what I got.

It's always a good idea to test out something like this, before you commit to perhaps a box full of something awful, but I was pleased to find that the Mainstay bars were quite palatable. A solid, slightly brittle block that for all the world felt and tasted like a coarse, buttery shortbread, with a light lemon flavour and scent. I ate a block of it, and whilst not filling, was certainly a hunger stopper.

Quite palatable, if crumbly, I can see these being a fast and easy way to keep your energy up in a challenging situation, especially if water was available. I was distinctly aware of the gritty texture, much like a very sweet, hard cornbread.

 I found that I left the uneaten portion in its wrapper and came back to it a couple of weeks later, to no noticeable effect. Properly sealed, they are designed to have a 5 year shelf life, but I expect they would still be edible long after this.
 
This ration is marketed as a "complete food" meaning that no other food intake is needed to meet all nutritional requirements in a survival situation.  Having a look at both the ingredients, and the "percent daily values" listing, it is possible to determine that these bars are indeed jam-packed with nutrition, and trace elements. Certainly not something you'd want to LIVE off, but life FROM, for sure.

Based on USCG and SOLAS standards, two blocks suffice to sustain life in "maritime settings" whilst three (a full packet) are recommended for land survival. Given the insights I made in looking at survival nutrition, and the availability of the 2400 calorie Mainstay ration in bulk from SurvivalStorehouse.com, I opted to buy a number of these from , as "get out of trouble" supplies.

I plan to stash some in my car, in my bug-out-bag, for when we go hiking or camping,  and at work, for those times when I just can't get out because of marauding hordes ...

Review: Princeton TEC - Switch MPLS light

I wanted to get a light to mount to my helmet, especially following my experiences with the helmet cams offered as part of the IRL Shooter: Patient Zero zombie experience which was that they came out really dark. Having easy to use illumination is so very useful in any low-light situation, especially if you need your hands free, or just want to light up where you are pointing your head. In front, or down at the ground.

That's where the Princeton TEC Switch MPLS comes in.

At just 17g, and running off 2 2016 Lithium Coin Cell batteries, this is not a heavyweight torch, but rather a very specific light source for specific duties. 

A single tap of the button gives a low light red LED glow, a double tap, the high intensity red LED light and with a two second hold, the
10 Lumen white LED is activated.

IR is also an option, with the right model. I didn't get the IR version.

The long, firm swan-neck allowed me to adjust the beam as I needed, whilst remaining stable and out of the way. The locking mechanism was also very secure, with a twist and multiple click system, which also gave a little bit of adjustment customization.

MICH Helmet and MOLLE mounts came standard with the MPLS, whereas the Picatinny Rail and Helmet Rail system mounts came in a second, accessory pack, be aware what you need!

With a 36 hour runtime, I expect that I will get a lot of use out of mine, not only mounting it to my bump helmet but also attaching it to myself and my kit when I go adventuring. I expect that the darkened obstacles at Tough Mudder and The Stampede will be a great opportunity to use them.  

I really liked having the two red-light settings, with a separate white-light option. Light discipline is something I really appreciate, especially when camping, and really don't enjoy getting a face full of photons because someone has a Dolphin Torch and wants to wave it around.

This unobtrusive, slimline light will get the job done!

Review: ITW GrimLOC

 When you start to collect a lot of gear, gadgets and kit, the question of "how do i get this to stay on, when I stow it, but come off when I want to use it?" comes up. I've used carabiners for years and years, to attach my keys, wallet and the like to me, mostly using the lightweight accessory carabiners you find hanging by cash-registers. Occasionally I have purchased proper climbing-rated ones, for when I've either been climbing, or wanted to carry some serious gear.

The natural progression for me is to see what others are using, which lead me to these: Apparently originally designed to allow Marines to add hydration systems to their webbing, this is the ITW Grimloc, and they offer a lightweight alternative to metal carabiners for gear storage and utility.

The high strength polymer provides a corrosion resistant, solar heating thermally resistant and lightweight alternative to steel or even aluminium carabiners, for non-load rated tasks. I've read that the breaking rating on the GrimLOC is 80lbs (36kg) and this is actually a design feature.  It prevents the wearer becoming caught up in slings and gear and trapped in potentially a threatening situation. It is also strong enough to take a fair amount of rough treatment, as a sling connection point to a plate carrier, for instance, without compromising utility.

 The way it works is that the curve of the D is hinged, with a locking end which operates by a push button. This mechanism is spring loaded, and incorporates a very clever Self Purging "SP" ports along the sides of the D to eliminate sand from blocking the mechanism.

These ports, along with the deeply fluted sides of curve of the D also add to the positive grip needed for   wet or gloved hands. This also reduces mass and adds strength.



 The locking mechanism will pop open given sufficient force, but will also open with a simple one handed press on the button, and opens partially, or with a little more force locks into an open position.

I've used this to hook my phone case to, run hydration tubes and comms cables over and round my shoulder straps and even offer a quick spot to dangle a bag.

The real magic of the design however, is the built in PALS/MOLLE loop feature.

That angled slit 1/4 along the length of the bar of the D allows enough of a standard 1" webbing strap to be fed into the gap that it will be able to be slotted in, secured into position, without compromising the strength of the clip, and eliminated the dreaded "carabiner roll" where the gate can migrate away from where you want or need it, usually pinching you in the process.

Here are a couple holding my ZuluNylonGear CAOS Admin Pouch to my Platatac Bullock Echo

When fitted properly, the GrimLOC will sit in place, where you need it, for as long as you need it, and come out without any fuss or tools.

I usually fit mine such that when they open, the gate forms a hook, rather than dropping my gear down to the ground. I suppose if I really wanted to go for the "high-speed/low-drag" alternative, I could flip them around, but really, I'd prefer to keep my gear snagged to me at this stage. I know, such a Geardo ...

These are great clips, come in a variety of colours to math your kit, and fill the gap that el-cheepo accessory carabiners simply can't be trusted  to fill.