Review: Propper ICE Polo

As first seen on BreachBangClear!

As part of the batch of awesome goodies I received from Propper, along with the Liberty Bottle and some other cool items.

I wear polo shirts every day to work, and as I like to say disaster doesn't wait till after hours and weekend.  I like to slot in as much rugged kit into my everyday workwear as I can, whilst still staying within the limits of acceptable dress at work, so having some technical clothing in non-military cuts is quite a boon for me.

The Propper ICE Performance polo does just this, with a classical polo-shirt look that can still be packed full of features.

Made from an "advanced wicking fabric", made of 94% and 6% spandex, it dries 125% faster than cotton, 30% faster than traditional polyester. Pretty awesome. This is apparently fade, shrink and wrinkle resistant. It certainly is wrinkle resistant. I've worn and laundered this a number of times, slept in it and generally treated it shabbily, and it has bounced back every time.

Extended length for tucking into pants means no worries of it coming untucked and unprofessional looking, whether you are in the ceiling, or hopping out of a vehicle.  It has a sleek, smooth finish and is very comfortable to wear. It feels pretty weird for a shirt though, more like a swim-suit. That might be an issue for some people.

Part of that comes down to the 100% polyester gusseted mesh underarm which increases both ventilation and range of motion. These are made from and are colour matched so well I had to go back and check they were there. Hidden button down collar stays provide a clean, professional look, with no risk of an unexpected popped-collar douche effect.

However, not being just another polo shirt is where these come into their own. Hidden-in-the-seams pockets function as mic clips on both shoulders (I attached my 5.11 ATAC A1 flashlight on one, hands free illumination!)  and sunglasses loop under the placket which I attached some ID to, showcase the options here.

Even better, there is a two-channel pen pocket on the left shoulder, handy for us righties, but very useful for anyone who needs to have a pen handy, and not in the depths of a pants pocket.

This is a great shirt. Rugged without being barracks-wear, functional without being too tactical-chic, it lets me have a few tricks up (or on) my sleeves.

Review: Tribe Provisions - Go-anywhere Blanket

I managed to lay my paws on a prototype from the good people of Tribe Provisions, who have an ongoing Kickstarter for what they call their "Go-anywhere Blanket for Sports, Camping, Hanging Out" which is a very good summary of their creation, a multi-purpose outdoor blanket: comfortable, durable, machine-washable, and comes with a compact stuff sack.

It arrived in the mail just in time for our weekend away camping with friends. Perfect timing, and just what I needed. Triceratops Girl and Tactical Baby won't stay in chairs too long, so I needed options.

Its very mild camping in  Victoria at this time of year. The days get as high as the low 30's (33oC on Saturday, that's 91oF for all you Imperials)but the nights can get down to 6oC (42oF) or so, where we went, so I wanted to make sure that we had plenty of light weight blankets to add to the pile.

It a 172cm x 140cm (68" x 55") quilted nylon blanket, weighing in at 800g (1.7lbs) which comes in its own attached stuff-sack. I love stuff-sacks, and am always terribly sad when I have lost them in past. (Or rather, when I have loaded out a sleeping-bag, and it is returned bound in string, no stuff-sack to be found.) My Aurora Wanderer sleeping bag weighs 980g.
The machine washable ripstop nylon outer shell, which is overlaid above a strong, soft inner polyester shell for comfort.

Mildew-resistant hollow fiber polyester filler offers a variety of benefits; it compresses easily, retains body heat, dries quickly and as mentioned does not give organisms like mildew fungi habitat to flourish. 

With  double stitching at all the edges and seams, and a single quilt-stitched body to maintain durability and integrity, the Go-Anywhere blanket is built to last under the rough-and-tumble of outdoor use. 

My girls are not especially delicate, and romped about with it to no ill effect. The scattered bindi weed prickles at the campground we were at were no match for the Go- Anywhere, and in those rare moments I got to sit down, I found myself looking for my woobie!

My prototype model features a black and a grey facing, with the production versions being a green and tan to cream colour. 

I especially liked wrapping myself up as I lay in my hammock early in the day, before it heated up, as breakfast cooked, but also found that it was very comfortable to wear draped as a shawl, or wrapped around me as I sat on it. 

I'm a very long-limbed creature, so often have trouble staying all in a sleeping bag, so having the extra blanket option made for warmer nights too, when needed. You could even use the attached stuff-sack as a field expedient pillow, when stuffed with clothes. 

Overall I was very happy with the Go-Anywhere blanket. It has been well thought out and put together. It's simplicity, comfort and durability are its biggest assets, and it certainly performed as intended. If I had to add anything, I'd think that a set of compression straps to the stuff-sack, just to reduce its bulk. I'll probably do that to my prototype, and perhaps to my production versions too when they arrive, as needed; webbing and buckles aren't hard to come by in my house ... Check out the Kickstarter before it closes, and  the other kit that Tribe Provisions produce ...

Review: Ti2 - SentinelX

This beauty came to me as a Kickstarter (my initial pledge rewards got lost in the mail)just recently, and I've been thriiled to put it to some initial use.

From the makers of the Ti2-PB9 parabiner pulley and the Ti2 Sentinel S4S cache comes the the Sentinel X Cache. You may recall I wrote a wish-lust piece on it, a while ago, and am very pleased to finally have them in my hand.

Unlike the pocket sized Ti2 S4S cache, this is a large format, hard anodized aluminum cache.  It's internal dimensions are 51mm diameter x 153mm length (2" and 6"). Their  external dimensions 63mm x 204mm (2.5" and 8"). So around the size of a can of Coke around, and about the length of one, in the middle section. Empty, it weighs 400 g as it is made from aircraft grade 6061-T6 aluminium which has been strength optimized using "CAD parasolid modeling" giving it its unique ribbed / skeletonized design.

The tube is threaded at either end so you can access contents from either end, change out the end cap options, clean and empty it. The threads have a modified stub acme shape which is to say a trapezoidal cut, with twin Higbee blunt starts, so you don't get any cross-threading and better chances of a first-time screw.

Twin o-rings (white teflon rings shown here, orange food-grade silicone rings seen on the main project page) give redundancy and water-tightness. Both types of o-rings  are food grade  and able to withstand temperatures required to boil water. The teflon doesn't need greasing, which is an advantage in my books.

I really liked that the bottom cap has vent holes giving it a built in trivet  for boiling water or cooking in. I did a rough boil test, using an enamel camping mug, and the SentinelX was just a little quicker to boil. It also retained a lot of residual heat, with its thick walls, but its also worth noting that the entire container heated up. Even only lightly screwed on, the lid conducted enough heat to be barely touchable by the time the water boiled. I needed to use a wooden spoon to carry it off the flames.

The container holds 325 mL (11 fl oz), which is in keeping with its "less than a can f Coke dimensions, but to give you an idea of how much stuff you can store in it, I took this photo, of a fist-full of pens and pencils (23, but some mis-matched sizes).

I got one of each of the Type 3 Class 1 anodized coating. One in "regular" and one in the slicker looking "satin" finish.  This hard anodizing is typically used for military applications, but also on pots and frying pans offering excellent flame resistance. It's food grade finish was what I was most looking for, as  I wanted to be able to store and carry foodstuffs in it safely.

They also offer  Type 3, Class 2 anodized, NON food grade and available in black, olive drab and brown satin finish only.  Both Class 1 and Class 2 exhibit the same durability properties, so I wasn't trading off durability for food safety. Well worth it in my mind.

I haven't yet worked out what I will store in mine, long term, but I have carried it around in my Propper MultiPurpose Bag for some time now, with snacks and edibles.

I wanted to try making a up of tea with the hot water I had boiled, and found that it made a very passable brew, though the conducted heat I talked about earlier made it difficult to enjoy the drink, without wrapping in a towel first.

Those top lanyard holes make an excellent lanyard loop, for securing the cache, perhaps in a out-of-sight location, or perhaps as a hook point for when it is too hot to hold.

I am really pleased to have these in my collection, although as  I mentioned earlier, I still haven't decided what to fill mine with. I have been considering what item's from my Bug-Out-Jars would fit nicely, a line of thought that one of the beta-testers of the SentinelX shared.

As well as in my new bag, it's worth noting that the SentinelX also fits nicely into my Platatac FUP and would most likely fit into most double-mag pouches, like the Platatac 60Rnd or similar pouches.

This is a really cool product, and I certainly appreciate the modular and rugged performance that it offers. I'm looking forwards to keeping these on hand, filled with my needfuls.

Home Front: eww, don't get your Ebola on me!

So, I've been asked by a few different people "just what CAN we do to be safe from Ebola?"

Before I get into the details of PPE and other practices and procedures, I think it's worthwhile checking out some details on how you CAN'T get Ebola: I go to the CDC for all my Ebola guidance, and take their advice to heart. These are the people who know. Listen to the local guides ....

"In healthcare settings, Ebola is spread through direct contact (e.g., through broken skin or through mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, or mouth) with blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with Ebola or with objects (e.g., needles, syringes) that have been contaminated with the virus. For all healthcare workers caring for Ebola patients, PPE with full body coverage is recommended to further reduce the risk of self-contamination.

• Avoid contact with blood and body fluids of any person, particularly someone who is sick.
• Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids.
• Do not touch the body of someone who has died from Ebola."

 So, if you aren't currently in an Ebola affected area, treating suspected Ebola patients or planning to either eat bushmeat or take up embalming in West Africa, you probably don't need to worry much, right now.

That said, we're all about being prepared here, so in the interest of education and edification, here are some guidelines for how to protect against a virulent, non-airborne, aerosol-capable infective agent like the Ebola virus.


 N95 Respirator: Here is what the FDA have to say about the N95 rating on a facemask, or respirator

"An N95 respirator is a respiratory protective device designed to achieve a very close facial fit and very efficient filtration of airborne particles. In addition to blocking splashes, sprays and large droplets, the respirator is also designed to prevent the wearer from breathing in very small particles that may be in the air.
To work as expected, an N95 respirator requires a proper fit to your face. Generally, to check for proper fit, you should put on your respirator and adjust the straps so that the respirator fits tight but comfortably to your face. For information on proper fit, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions.
The ‘N95’ designation means that when subjected to careful testing, the respirator blocks at least 95% of very small test particles. If properly fitted, the filtration capabilities of N95 respirators exceed those of face masks. However, even a properly fitted N95 respirator does not completely eliminate the risk of illness or death.

N95 respirators are not designed for children or people with facial hair. Because a proper fit cannot be achieved on children and people with facial hair, the N95 respirator may not provide full protection."

Sorry kids and Tactical Beard Owners ...

Nitrile Examination Gloves:
 These tough and resistant gloves have a different feel to the more common latex examination glove, somewhat less tactile and more stiff, they have the become the standard for infection control PPE for this kind of situation.

Alcohol Based Hand Rubs are more effective against most bacteria and many viruses than either medicated or non-medicated soaps. Its common for me to squirt my hands with this stuff at work (even in my technical role) two or three times a day. It's ubiquitious at ever ward entrance and lift-well.

There is even some debate around alcohol-only ABHR versus alcohol-chlorhexidine ABHR: The addition of a low concentration of chlorhexidine to an ABHR results in significantly greater residual activity than alcohol alone and therefore potentially improves efficacy.

Then there is the "what do I do if I really, really don't want to be exposed, clinical worker level protection. Guidelines from the CDC again:

Recommended PPE for Trained Observer during Observations of PPE Doffing

The trained observer should not enter the room of a patient with Ebola, but will be in the PPE removal area to observe and assist with removal of specific components of PPE, as outlined below. The observer should not participate in any Ebola patient care activities while conducting observations. The following PPE are recommended for trained observers:

• Single-use (disposable) fluid-resistant or impermeable gown that extends to at least mid-calf or coverall without integrated hood.
• Single-use (disposable) full face shield.
• Single-use (disposable) nitrile examination gloves with extended cuffs. Two pairs of gloves should be worn. At a minimum, outer gloves should have extended cuffs.
• Single-use (disposable) fluid-resistant or impermeable shoe covers. Shoe covers should allow for ease of movement and not present a slip hazard to the worker.

Trained observers should don and doff selected PPE according to same procedures outlined below. Of note, if the trained observer assists with PPE doffing, then the trained observer should disinfect outer-gloved hands with an *EPA-registered disinfectant wipe or ABHR immediately after contact with healthcare worker’s PPE.

So, there you go: full fluid-proof gown, double-gloved, face-mask, booties. Even then, getting all this gear ON right isn't the only challenge. Getting it OFF again, when you have potientially been exposed is another task entirely. Which is why in hospital settings hey have those "Trained Observer" positions in the first place. All the PPE in the world isn't going to do you a lick of good if you rub that last contaminated piece of clothing on your face as you are getting it all off.

The University of Nebraska Medical Centre have these two excellent visual guides, which you may find useful:

Donning Visual Guide

Doffing Visual Guide

The question of "how long until it is safe to go back in there? "comes up: Again the CDC have all the answers:

How long does the Ebola virus persist in indoor environments?

Only one laboratory study, which was done under environmental conditions that favor virus persistence, has been reported. This study found that under these ideal conditions Ebola virus could remain active for up to six days. In a follow up study, Ebolavirus was found, relative to other enveloped viruses, to be quite sensitive to inactivation by ultraviolet light and drying; yet sub-populations did persist in organic debris.
In the only study to assess contamination of the patient care environment during an outbreak, conducted in an African hospital under "real world conditions", virus was not detected by either nucleic acid amplification or culture in any of 33 samples collected from sites that were not visibly bloody. Virus was detected on a blood-stained glove and bloody intravenous insertion site by nucleic acid amplification, which may detect non-viable virus, but not by culture for live, infectious virus.³ Based upon these data and what is known regarding the environmental infection control of other enveloped RNA viruses, the expectation is with consistent daily cleaning and disinfection practices in U.S. hospitals that the persistence of Ebola virus in the patient care environment would be short – with 24 hours considered a cautious upper limit.

Lastly, for area and surface disinfection, the relatively simple method of 1:10 chlorinated bleach in water to decontaminate highly soiled areas, and 1:100 to spray, soak and pre-wash infected areas bedding and equipment,  is believed to be highly effective.

So, be safe out there, but don't panic. There are far more common killers in the microbial world....

When

commercial

disinfectant

products

are

unavailable,

common

household

bleach

and

other

appropriate

disinfectants

may

be

effective

alternatives.

•

Use

a

1:10

solution

of

bleach

to

water

(e.g.,

1

cup

of

bleach

in

9

cups

o

Review: Kickstarter - Keystone

So in a brilliant turn of events, the prototype Keystone key-keeper that I did a wish-lust piece on last week, turned up this week, and I have been able to give it a go, just in time for the KickStarter to finish up.


What this means is that I can give you all some honest options about the kit in time for you to go and pledge to get one of your very own, should the idea appeal.


Here's the link to Abel's Kickstarter project .

I liked the smooth lines  of the keeper, and the built in cut-aways allowing me to use one set of keys to push out the other side, to retrieve the key I was after.

I swapped out my keys, and the associated keychain tools from my Tactical Keychains TiKeY keeper, which has served me well since last December to give it a true comparison.

One interesting design difference is the use of steel washers over nylon and rubber tubing. I had initially thought this would lead o a more jangly, slippier keeper, but it seems to have don the opposite, locked it down tight.

The steel screw-heads, even with their thin threading and thin overall pin diameter haven't caused me any of the worried I had had about the keys sliding about with either. In fact, if anything, the fit is TOO tight, and I have to really push to get my keys or tools out and ready to use.

That steel screw-head does take a lot more punishment than the more subtle aluminium heads seen on the TiKeY, and that durability is probably one thing really in its favour.

I put a steel face-plate on one side, and the black powder coated aluminium facing on the other, with no discernible difference at this stage. the steel will resist wear and tear better.

The nice thing about this system is that it is modular. Extra pegs mean you can add additional pegs to expand your key carriage by simply just adding one or two of those extra pegs, along with the extra included steel washers.

 Overall, I think I prefer the steel over the aluminium, in this case, I noticed no appreciable diference in weight in the time I've had it on hand.

I only had enough keys to warrant the single peg, but it was really nice to see the extra pegs be available to use. Between the extra pegs, and a sufficient washers to add as many keys as I'd want, its a really nice package.

This is certainly everything it advertises itself to be, and its rugged, secure and modular.

Go check it out, if you're in the market for a new key keeper.

Less jingle-jangle is less unwanted attention coming your way!

Repost - "How To Properly Remove Exam Gloves And A Tyvek Suit Without Contaminating Yourself"

From my friends over at Modern Survival Blog, which I follow happily: This came up recently, and I wanted to share it, not only becasue they are informative, but also becasue sometimes they are funny as well. Heres a post from October 9, 2014 by Ken Jorgustin ...

Here are the two clips he posted.

I've used this particular technique since first year uni. I can flick my used and twist-wrapped gloves across a room and into a biohazard bin


Very handy tricks.

Wish-Lust: Kickstarter - Keystone

I had one of my epic Kickstarting fanatic buddies drop me a line suggesting that he'd been contacted by a maker who was interested in a review. I got in touch, and here are the technical specifications for another key-keeper, with industrial lines ...

This is the Keystone, being Kickstarted.

You may recall that I have a couple of this kind of thing, in the form of the large and small TiKeY holders. So I am very keen to see how these perform once they go into production. Offered in two materials: 304 stainless steel in its "raw" colouration, and in 5052 aluminium in "raw", "gunmetal" and "black"

The hardware material, in the form of 2 male screw posts, 2 female screw posts, 4 extension screw posts and 30 spacers are all also made of 304 stainless steel. The Keystones are designed to take up to 20 keys, for those who have a keychain like a mace or a high school janitor. To carry 20 keys, you're adding 21g worth of hardware.

The steel Keystone frames weigh about 44g and the
aluminium frames weigh about 15g. Both types measure: 85mm x 20mm x 2mm per side.

The ultra thin screw posts are 3mm in diameter to fit all flat keys and by adding extension screw posts and adjusting the number of spacers used you can to customise the number of keys carried. The Screw Posts are adjustable with just a coin, a very handy feature.

I also liked the way the keys appear to be "ejected" for use, by squeezing the hand-divots from below.

I'm looking forwards to seeing what these are like in the hand, and both pocketed and hung from my EDC harness,
 and if they appeal, I'd certainly recommend checking out the Kickstarter, before it reaches the end of its campaign.