Review: SpiffyLab - Tactical Marker

I back a lot of Kickstarter projects, and sometimes they're just on a whim. I have plenty of tactical pens, I like the metal body construction, and the durability that comes with that, not to mention the ability to increase the tool-bearing nature of an every day item like the common pen, so when the chance to get a tactical pen that is built around a Sharpie permanent marker, I jumped at it.

The Tactical Marker upgrades the Sharpie refill from a simple writing implement into a rugged multi-function writing tool, making it a value-added item for camping, work or using as part of your EDC.

As well as the casing for the Sharpie Refill pen, the Tactical Marker includes 3 tool tips machined from  7075 alloy different to the more lightweight but durable 6061 alloy the barrel is made from. The cap and tip tools are made from super tough 7075 alloy (7075 is even used in the M16 series of rifles), which is useful, given the intended uses.

The smaller "Tapper" is fine great for little tasks such as dislodging items, or tack-driving and other small tasks. The "Hammer" is especially handy when you want to leave the house without dragging your tool box along. Neither are especially weighty, and won't effectively drive nails into timber, but for breaking small things, and dislodging items, defrosting a freezer or the like. If you need a proper hammer, get a proper hammer.

The “Spike" end works for punching leather, plastic and sheet metal or using as an awl, breaking hard ground, breaking and gripping ice, boating, prying, rope work and the like. Even being a hard-wearing alloy, the 7075 is still just aluminium however, and the end will bur and bend under hard use.  Again, if you intend to do hard punching work, get a hardened steel tool.

Without the cap, it measures about 145mm (5.75") in the standard configuration and about 165mm (6.5") with cap in the standard configuration. The "Spike" adds and is about 2.30" making the tool a fairly sizable 215mm (8.5") long. The “Hammer” end puts it at around 195mm (7.75") long. The TM weighs in at about  60g, for the "Tapper" 70g, for the "Spike" and 80g for the "Hammer". 80g isn't much for a hammer, but it's not bad for a tactical pen.
 
The Tactical Marker pen cap attaches with a screw cap requires two hands, but holds very tightly, with o-rings at both cap and tool ends, to ensure the ends stay snug, without putting undue strain on he threads. One problem I had with the tool is that the tool-ends and pen-cap ends are not interchangeable, and their threads are not compatible. It would have been nice if the cap and tool could have been combined into a smaller tool.

The Tactical Marker is also available in 'non-sparking’ Aluminum-Bronze, for use in high risk work environments, which is a nice thought, as well as a carbon-fiber barrel option, for extra fancy flair. I mostly got this tool to help with rope-work and rough and ready hole-punching in sacks and hags and the like when camping, but it's a well thought out tool for what it is. Good for hobby-use and workshop tasks when a light touch is needed. 

Review: Go! Outfitters - Apex Camping Shelter

Here's an addition to my camping hammock collection that I really wanted to get out to you ASAP, as it was a pre-release and is being launched via Kickstarter imminently. You may recall the Go! Outfitters camping hammock that I backed and covered not too long ago, as an addition to my hammock suite, which was a fully enclosed two part hammock, with an asymmetrical cut, to allow a flatter, more comfortable sling.

The enclosing flyscreen made it an ideal hot-weather outdoors hammock, and its built in ridgeline made it fairly easy to sling a waterproof tarp, or a poncho over to add some protection from the weather if needed, but Jason and the folks behind Go! Outfitters
already had something in mind, and that has come to fruition with the Apex Camping Shelter.

Less involved than the Seirra Madre Research Nube, the Apex is essentially a stand alone, purpose built shelter tarp, designed to be used in conjunction with the Go! Hammock, but equally suitable for any hammock, or even on its own.
The Apex is made from 70D polyester with PU (polyurethane)  waterproofing, in a elongated hexagon shape, much like an animal hide, and measures 335cm (11') along the ridgeline, and 290cm (9.5') wide. This makes it both long enough to enclose the G0! Hammock, but also wide enough to drape down around it, with a sizable leeway given at the top to stand up in, giving you ease of entry and exit to the hammock.

The ridgeline seam is factory sealed with tape for additional protection not only from the weather, but also taking the strain of keeping the Apex taut as well as reducing sag or bowing.


The Apex comes with a set of 6 stakes, and 8 guy-lines for both attaching to the tree you are hammocking from, but also to stake down the sides of the tarp. It comes with 6x 240cm (8') guy-lines and 2x 455cm (15') guy-lines, which really adds versatility to your set-up. The supplied lines are from a pretty common kind of nylon cord, not my favorite, but water-resistant and light.

Along the perimeter, 20 tie-out loops have been sewn in, for maximum versatility in the way and stability of the layout, given the situation you set up in. Each tie-in loop is affixed with a large triangle of sewn in reinforcement, which was an excellent consideration. As well as the ridgeline and corner points, the edges featured an additional 3 loops per side, whilst the ground-facing long edge of the Apex has a single extra. The side loops are likely to play host to a rumored Door Kit (watch this space), and the long edge loop can be set up with additional poles to add an even roomier, canopy-like interior.

The whole Apex kit comes in its own stuff-sack, which I was sad to see wasn't sewn into the body of the tarp, which would have matched the elegant solution the Go! Hammock had, but I can see why it wasn't. Doing so would leave a sag at which ever edge it was sewn to. An engineering problem for the next version perhaps! All told, it weighs around 800g (28oz) with 225g (8oz) being guy-lines and stakes and
565g (20oz) for the tarp itself.

The Apex Camping Shelter will be coming in Forest Green and Slate Grey and really rounds out a camping hammock kit, without adding significant bulk or weight to the mix. It was super simple to set up and pack-down, and I think it will be coming with me whenever I go camping and even out on long hikes. Staying out of the weather can not only be comfortable, but in some settings, really conducive to your survival.

Check it out when it goes live on Kickstarter!

Wish-Lust - Green Magic Homes

It's been a while since I've covered housing and house design, but I've recently seen a couple of really interesting design platforms and I wanted to share with you all one of the standouts.

These are the modular pre-fabricated homes, that are sod-roofed that are offered by Green Magic Homes. 
This US run, Mexico based production company offers both design and production of homes built with prefabricated fiber re-enforced polymer modules.  Green Magic Homes are light weight, waterproof, mold resistant, impervious to rot and infestations, and offer infinite design possibilities. Flexible and durable, the structure will reportedly last hundreds of years with minimal maintenance.

These elegant arched structures are made of fiber reinforced polymer modular components which are durable, flexible and waterproof. With seemingly endless design possibilities, these structures can be assembled quickly and easily, with minimal cost to create a gracious living environment in harmony with nature. GreenMagicHomes offer 12 different pre-made designs to give an idea of what their whole-home builds can look like.

Green Magic Homes are quick and easy to assemble. Each component has perforated flaps that screw and seal together and are anchored to the foundation, which allows for fast installation and solid construction. No special skills or heavy equipment are required for assembly, just scaffolding.  All the seams are sealed to maintain waterproofing.

In general, they are designed to withstand the weight of 20cm (7.8") of soil and plants in the highest point of the structure, which is the most critical. Additionally, they are also designed to support 200kg or more per square meter  (1.4 psi) of live load, i.e., there may be people walking or sitting on them, as well as light structures such as kiosks or pergolas. 

The earth berms on the sides of the structures and on the roof are structured in such a way that they actually collaborate with the stability and strength of the finished structure, instead of being a dead load. The technology used in these earthworks is an evolution of various methods of earth construction and stabilization such as superadobe and geotextiles, designed for the living earth and vegetation covering of the GMH system. Composite ducts and channels for electrical wiring and water pipes as well as mechanical ventilation ducts, can be added to the shell at any point necessary.


Green Magic Homes are super insulated with a high stabilization index, are virtually earthquake proof, deflect tornadoes, offer maximum resistance against hurricanes and provides UV radiation protection. Having a layer of soil over the top of them not only gives you stability, and cover, but the arched shape leaves nothing for high winds to catch on, if you are in storm prone areas.


The system is designed and calculated structurally by GMH's engineers, reportedly using the latest spreadsheet software and simulation software, in compliance with national and international standards and the IBC, or international building code. Logically, these calculations are additionally supported by actual tests of materials and structures already completed.

Other than the ducted channels for wiring, A/C and piping, any additional fixing or fastening internally brings a challenge that regular plaster, timber or even stone houses don't face. Putting a screw or nail into the walls punctures the shell and creates a breach in the waterproofing of the structure. Fastening elements, fixed to the walls with special adhesives, such as two part epoxy and in some cases adhesive polyurethane sealants like those used for sealing the modules can be used for this purpose instead.


In the case of very heavy elements that have a strong leverage effect that may exceed the capacity of an adhesive (such as in the case of a projecting arm for a 50" TV), it will be necessary to fix this item before covering the walls with earth, in order to put through-bolts that then can be sealed from the outside according to instructions.

Small diameter ventilation ducts with or without extraction fans can be installed in most areas as long as they are specified in the initial design so that they can be incorporated into the production of the modules, they really do offer a holistic approach to  home building. 

You can also use the areas where there are unused electrical ducts for securing screws, since these pipelines form a double layer that prevents the formation of any possible leaks.

 The typical foundation system, applicable in most of cases, is a simple reinforced concrete beam 30 x 30cm in section, that goes under all the modules and which also serves to anchor them. However, GMH recommend that a soil study is important (as for any construction), to determine the soil’s load bearing capacity and other characteristics which may affect the foundations.


Whilst more of a Tatooine House than a Vault-Tec bunker this design and modular functionality really appeals to me, and if I were to ever be in a position to build and deign my own home, I would strongly consider something like the Green Magic Homes, for the buried in features, and Hobbit-like aesthetic, if nothing else.

Review: ZU Bladeworx - Mekanik

I got in touch with the fine and fierce minds at ZU Bladeworx, who are based in Rouse Hill, NSW, after seeing some of their handywork on one of the groups I frequent on FaceBook, and was delighted after making introductions and inquiries after one of their fine blades to be sent this particular piece, right before Giftmas.

These pretty-much local bladesmiths have a very straightforward approach when it comes to making stabby steel: make it simple, make it elegant and this they have done in this piece, the Mekanik.

Being 100% made in Australia, and  machined from a solid billet of 15mm thick A2 steel (very similar to another tool-steel, cryodur 2363 is the steel from Germany). The handle is 9mm thick (0.35")  and the blade is 6.5mm thick (0.25") and weighs a meaty 110g (3.9oz) for its mere 174mm (6 7/8") length. 

Given its A2 construction, its no surprise that it has a skeletonised handle, and an additional pair of holes drilled to keep the weight down, as well as fullers ground into the sides of the blade as well as along the spine.
 Double tempered then cryonically treatment to a Rc58-59 hardness, it has been black oxide finished and shipped "sterile" (no blade markings)  to keep a spartan presentation. 

The Kydex sheath is done in house  and fits like a glove. plenty of attachment grommets and with the addition of the paracord lanyard, it can be easily drawn even though the scabbard comes up along deeply up the handle.

Jimping along the back and front and butt of the handle gives a really solid grip, in even some mango and/or fish slime covered tasks. The front finger groove allows you to take a very firm and stable grip. The edges are all smoothly finished, keeping you from giving yourself a grazing when making sudden, vigorous use of the knife.

One of the things I really liked about the design was the gradient between blade and handle, working down from a nicely wide grip, to a serious, no-nonsense 65mm long blade. 


Sharpened by "Dirty Harry", the blade is a compound grind with deep fullers. The main edge of the blade is machine hollowground with flat grind tip. the A2 steel holds a good edge and will be one of my first attempts at old-fashioned stropping for a razor finish.

When gripped neatly in the hand, the butt fits just outside the heel of my palm, and I have had not a worry with my hand sliding forwards whilst cutting, slicing or stabbing with it. 

ZU reports that the Mekanik is in use with several deployed Aussie soldiers (infantry and SF) via private purchase, so if you're deployed out somewhere unpleasant, keep an eye out for it on a steely-eyed digger with or without a beard. I'm really impressed with it and fancy it a keeper, either for plate-carrier or battle-belt wear. The broad flat scabbard makes it a bit too awkward for boot-wear, but don't let that stop you.

Review: Propper - Range Bag

First seen on Breach Bang & Clear ....
Here's a follow up from my sneak-peek review of the Propper Range Bag. I took the Range Bag with me on an international trip to the jungle-covered mountains of Bali, Indonesia in mid October for a family event, rather than for a Tropic Thunder or Rambo4 themed get-away ... I wanted to maximise my gear-totage, as well as my carry-on capacity. The Range Bag was my upgrade to the very similar Propper Multipurpose Bag, which I had been using as my every-day bag and as carry-on for some time previously.

The Range Bag is in many respects an up-sized version of the Multipurpose Bag, with many of the same design aspects, such as the long-side opening panels, the double zippered opening top lid as well as it's carry handles and the like.

I decked out my bag with a variety of airport-safe goodies, and needfuls, and set out for international customs and far away vistas. I checked out the 48cm x34cm x 23cm size restrictions on Virgin Australia's international carry-on regulations, and had already confirmed it was good-to go.

Almost twice the width of their Multipurpose Bags, the Range Bag measures 25cm x 38cm x 23cm (10" x 15" x 9") and as I mentioned is a beefed up and expanded version of the MPB. Padded on all sides for increased protection and rigidity, it holds it shape even when empty. There are two stiffened internal dividers, fitted with flaps with hook-field ends to affix the dividers to the fine-finished loop-field covered internal walls of the bag.

These walls can be adjusted or discarded, as fits your use or mission, and the whole of the internal cavity is lined in hi-contrast orange, to help you find your OD tool in its OD sheath in your bottom of your OD bag. I fitted the "back" compartment of my carry-on with a 1L Nalgene bottle, a folded up First Strike Snatch-Bag ii for any extra incidental bagging I might be needing. In the center compartment I made, I had my novels and iPad for in-flight and hurry-up-and-wait times, I also included my Propper mesh-sided boo-boo kit, loaded up with all kinds of travel first-aid needs and spares. In the "front" compartment, I had the Propper 5x7 case, which held all our passports and travel documents, and my Snowgum iPhone case as a batter-backup for my phone.

The main compartment has a lockable zipper, good enough to keep little prying hands away from dangerous things.


On the "right-hand" side panel is fitted with a mesh pocket, and a fold-out mat to do your weapon maintenance or lay out a picnic. The Range Bag also comes with a removable hook-field backed accessory panel. I used that mesh panel to stow PPE gear like my Barz goggle sunglasses, earplugs, and other assorted goodies like Paracetamol and Ibuprofen. In the folds of the maintenance mat, I included wet-wipes, and a couple of nappies as well, for on-the-go emergencies, as well as acting as very effective blood-sponges. You know, in case of misadventures trying to get a taxi ...


The large end pocket, I filled with a super absorbent travel towel, two hospital grade sick-bags and my Multicam Headsox . My last international trip involved getting not one, but two lots of little-kid barf on me. Not this time matey! The internal material is also the high-visibility orange, but is off-set by the OD surface material, to make rummaging for items easy, without exposing yourself to unwanted attention by flashes of Blaze. The end pocket had a hook-and-loop patch for securing it, but stuffed full as it was, was not useable. However, the design of the bag kept it all snug and sound. I suspect you could keep a small to medium sized pistol in that pocket, without too much trouble.


The outward facing side panel is covered in a mixture of loop-filed at the top, and two rows of seven channel MOLLE, and inside has another mesh-lined pocket, along with six pistol magazine sized pouches. I stowed personal electronics cables and the like, as well as parkers, crayons (good for both occupying little people as well as waterproof communication and as both kindling and illumination purposes (they make pretty functional candles), as well as an asthma pump.  Again, the lockable double zippers allowed me to have a sense of security around both theft and also being reverse-pickpocketed with contraband materials. Indonesia has a death penalty for drug smuggling.

The front side panel is also fitted out with more MOLLE channels, but I didn't make any use of these. I can see any number of small pouches and carrier working well there though.

One thing I found was that it was very convenient to have the internal compartments, which allowed me to set very specific places for my load. Not misplacing travel documents, (or perhaps a backup pistol, if that's the way you pack)  is always a good thing. That said, the extra width of the Range Bag over the Multipurpose Bag meant that it wasn't as easy to rip back the top flap one handed, to get at the insides. the zippers were too fine, and pinched when I tried a few times. Slow and steady wins the race in this case.

It was also pretty comfortable to heft around, the internal padding not only kept my gear safe and secure, but also kept them from jabbing me in the hip and kidneys as I carried it all around.



I also liked that I could pull open the side panels to access the gear I had in there, on the fly, and that it acted as a mobile platform to work from.

Even with a pack on my back, the Range Bag on my hip was able to be swung around and rummaged through with no real problem, and its broad top even acted as an additional platform for carrying more things (or even little people as a bench-seat). The shoulder straps were both just wide enough to spread the load and not too big as to get in the way. The sliding shoulder padding I found was placed in an awkward place, due to the broad tri-glide adjuster, but I managed to feed it into the padding strap eventually. I didn't like the clip-attachment the shoulder strap had though. The broad Fastex buckle from the Multipurpose Bag would have been much better, and enable a one-handed quick-release, in the event I needed to drop and go. With the heavier load of the Range Bag, this would have been even more useful.



I made use of the fold-out mat a couple of times, mostly doing paperwork and the occasional fix-it session, the finish was good and gripping, and not tacky, which is a plus to my mind. I didn't loose and widgets, or little screws so I'll call it a useful addition.

The Range Bag ticked all the boxes for a carry-on bag, as well as a travel accessory. I don't like taking anything I can't carry or sling onto me. I like having my hands free for whatever might come my way, so the Range Bag was a logical step up for when I needed to carry a bit more, or if I needed to carry bulkier, heavier items than I might have otherwise done. Need to carry a bunch of lead to and from your favourite pew-pew place? I have no doubt that your personal needs would be met with this bag. Need to run up and down a hill? Get a ruck.

Sneak Peek! Knives Knives Knives

So, here's what I have sitting on my counter to review.

Hardcore Hardware Australia ASOT-01

Hardcore Hardware Australia CQC-01 trainer

Hardcore Hardware Australia CQC-01

ZU Bladeworks FFSK trainer and blade

and the ZU Bladeworks Mekanik

stay tuned for some very pointy reviews! 

Review: Dual double mag pouch

Here's another item from my bulk load of pouches and packs like the S10 Haversack that I have been slowly rolling out. I had a windfall of a truckload of army surplus gear ages ago, which have been sitting in the bunker, being musty, but there are some real gems in there. These may not be the cutting edge of high-speed, low-drag gear, but have been mil-spec at some stage, so they're damn tough, if nothing else.

This particular pouch came from a box full of here, and I just reached in and grabbed one at random. You can see it's already had a rough life, but has held together.

This double, dual-magazine carrying set of pouches is made of a high Denier (800-1000 I'd guess, by the feel) and are built into a single backing. From the frayed stitching marks, I'd guess that they originally came with some sort of Fastex style clips to act as the primary closure points for the box-like pouches, but was probably removed to speed things up in the field.

A broad loop-field panel on the front of the outside of the pouch acts as the primary closure as a result, with a corresponding hook-field inside the box-top lid. A tongue of webbing with a hook-field can be pulled out from inside the pouch to mate with the loop-field on the front to neutralize the hook-and-loop closure entirely, which was probably useful when the original Fastex loops were still in place.

Internally, the pouches have been given a polyurethane coating for additional waterproofing, and are double stitched throughout. Drainage grommets with a wire mesh grit filter are found in the bottom of each, this would act to keep the grit and sand out of your magazines, and was a nice little feature.

The inside of the box-lid has a little pocked sewn in, big enough for a MRE packet of waterproof matches, a P-38 can opener or maybe a button compass, I found a couple of match-packets and even a couple of water purification tablets when I went through the pouches.

The back panel of the pouches have several different ways to mount, and also shows the vintage of the pouches. ALICE style brass-wire belt hooks, and no PALS-MOLLE to be seen. A pair of steel rings allows extra strapping to be attached to sling the pouches, though the angle of the two ring mountings being different suggests there is a "right way" to do this. A question for the veterans out there. What gives?

The pouches have been stamped with a NSN, but they are all so aged that I couldn't make out the cage numbers. I'd say these pouches would work well doing double duty in much the same way as any of the Platatac FUP or bigger pouches I've grown to love, but with a far older look.