Review: Gerber Strap Cutter

I was fortunate enough to spot a real treat recently. In the circles I run in there are many opportunities in which having a rope cutter would be a good idea. Crafters, yes, that's it, crafters. Many talented sets of hands, who occasionally need a hand cutting some cord or the like. Sure, yes. Anyways, having a means of safely cutting materials away from a person, product or package can be a very useful addition to my repertoire, especially in an emergency situation.

Medical sheers are one method, but as you may have noticed, I like rugged and solid, and if there is an opportunity to remove a moving part, I'm all for it.  Even in Foliage Green ....

That's where this tool comes in. This is the Gerber Strap Cutter, which is billed as a rescue tool and reported to cut through seat-belts and webbing like a hot knife through butter.  I've had the good fortune to never yet -need- to do this, but I do open a lot of packages, and cut a lot of cord. I bought my sister the larger Benchmade 8 Hook for her birthday a couple of years ago, so have seen several different designs.

What drew me to this was the plastic coating on the handle-side, which marries to the scabbard very neatly, the window breaker at the butt-end of the tool and the deep crenelations along the spine which give a very good positive grip even when wet, mucky or perhaps dangling upside-down. The scabbard comes with a PALS/MOLLE compatible clip, which can be removed to fit the included MALICE clip by Tactical Tailor for alternate attachment options to webbing. The cutting edge is very keen, and looks to have great geometry. The rounded hook is wide enough to accept a variety of items to cut, but is narrower than my little finger, which is a good safety feature if you are worried about working close to skin, but will limit the maximum width of cord that can be cut. The finger loops give plenty of room for two fingers, and will fit gloved hands well, if that is needed.

Not wanting to go on about a tool so readily testable without offering some proof, so here goes: Packing cable-tie, 550 paracord, "industrial" cable-tie, 1" webbing, IT grade cable tie, nylon packing strap, boot leather. The industrial cable tie gave me the most trouble, mostly because I was cutting it free-standing, rather than looped onto anything.

This is a gorgeous tool. I look forwards to using it to cut my way through all kinds of things, and hopefully not need to cut my way to freedom with it.

Review: Platatac Microfleece Half Zip Jacket

Winter is coming! which is the kind of natural disaster I am always fond of being ready for. I've lived in both the Middle East and West Africa, and much preferred that to my time in Calgary or England, especially the winters. I am not ford of being cold, so any opportunity to rug up is a good one.I happened to be trolling the Specials on the Platatac webpage
when I saw that there were microfleece jackets on sale. I'm a big fan of this kind of material, not only because it is light, and soft, but also quick drying and warm.

I also have fairly mutant-long arms, so generally end up with cold wrists and hands as they poke out the end of shirts and jackets that would otherwise fit my body. this means that it's rare for me to find something that fits me all over. I took a risk with the Microfleece Half Zip Jacket and have been really pleased with the results.

Made from 100 weight Highland fleece, the jacket is rather surprisingly thin to feel, but are really warm and cut the wind. The collar is high and I generally wear it up  to protect from wind chill but it can also be rolled down like a skivvy to trap heat escaping from the neckline. Each bicep has a big patch of hook-and-loop for attaching  patches, here I am sporting two from Triple Aught Design.


The extra long body of the jacket (admittedly this was the XXL) means that I am shielded from the deathly fingers of chill on my kidneys as I am adventuring. An especially awesome feature are the thumb-loops that sit unobtrusively just inside the wrist seam, and allow the wearer to hook their thumbs through to ensure the sleeves don't ride up, and keeping the hands and wrists snug and warm. I was so pleased that these fit my otherwise mutant-long 196cm arm-span. Great for cold mornings trudging, keeping your wrists warm at full-draw with your re-curve bow or going full mall-ninja tactical on someone. It keeps my paws warm. I like it. I bought a second one, in the "full-zip" in black, because, well, Winter IS Coming.


It pleases my Scandi heritage to no end that this top has evolved from the famous Norwegian army shirt or ‘Norge’. That's two kinds of win, to my mind.

Wish-Lust: QuikClot kits

I wanted to talk briefly about the plight of the overseas prepper when it comes to first aid and trauma kits. There are a lot of products out there which are spot on the money when it comes to either EDC kits or more specifically, trauma kits for those who are anticipating being around grievous bodily harm. The problem comes that We see all kinds of cool kits available which contain haemostaticly treated bandages, that is to say, bandages that are impregnated with clotting agents, such as those produced by Z-Medica in their QuikClot products. The problem being is that these products, like the industry leading QuikClot z-folded bandages, are restricted exports from the US.


This means that the extremely desirable trauma kits put out by ITS Tactical or the comparable trauma kits put out by AMP-3  are unavailable to those of us who would want to have them on-hand for our own preparedness planning. There was a recent report posted by ITS-Tactical outlining how a kit if this nature was put into place by a first-responder chance passer-by and it nails home the kind of reason that I would want to have one of these kits myself.  I'm sure there are reasons not to export these items, be they copyright, international security or customs in nature, but it is very disappointing when I can see these great products out there, potentially life-saving, or at the very least, injury mitigating products, that are out of my reach, "just because".


That said, there are cut-down, alternative kits that I could purchase. There are kits put out by both those vendors like the  ITS Tactical EDC Trauma Kit and the AMP-3 Comprehensive First Aid Kit but the point of these kits, or at least what makes them special, would be the inclusion of the haemostatic bandages. The ITS Tactical one DOES include them, so is out, as far as exporting to Australia is concerned.  I have first aid kits, I've reported on and reviewed them in the past  I even have a fairly well stocked Australian Defense Force range first-aid kit comparable to the AMP-3 Range kit but neither my first aid kit, nor the range-medic kit have the QuikClot bandages.  

My wearable options are, to build a better first aid kit in a pouch (like the Platatac MOAP), or to fork out for an "inert" kit from ITS-Tactical which is basically a training kit, with expired contents and a non-treated version of the Z-Medica z-folded bandages, and get an empty one of their cool trauma-kit pouches to stuff it all in, which is an expensive prop for roleplaying, or a similarly cut-down product by AMP-3 like their iFAK.







What I'd dearly love is to be able to find a similar product, with a reputation for success, eith in, or exportable to Australia.

Review: Maxpedition iPhone holster

On ANZAC day, after going to the parade with Triceratops Girl and Tactical baby, I visited my good friend at his place, and she showed me his new daypack, which I reviewed the other day, he was quick to point out that the pouch on the main chest strap was a separate piece. I was taken by that piece too, pulled it off to look at as well. Turns out it was the Maxpedition Phone 5" Holster in the "clip" configuration. I borrowed a spare phone, slipped it in and took some snaps.
 The construction is a taco of 1000d Cordura type fabric, again Teflon coated for grime resistance, and heavily bartacked throughout.


 Like all Maxpedition gear, the internal seams are fully taped and sealed. This might be overkill for a phone pouch, especially one that is only a partial cover, but it shows consistency of construction and attention to detail. Apart from the webbing loop and Fastex style clip closure, the pouch features a wide band of elastic to cinch the phone in place. These combined methods ensure a very firm hold on the phone, with no slip or sway noticeable.

The back of the pouch features three bands of webbing, which act as an attachment point for the heat treated heavy duty spring steel clip, which has a jet black powder coat, which will accommodate a belt loop up to 6.35cm (2.25") wide.


The clip can be replaced with MALICE clips or Maxpeditions own TacTie attachment strips to affix it to PALS/MOLLE webbing. this variety of attachment options appeals greatly to me. I also liked the way the pouch was able to take the phone seen here in a case, with both plenty of room, but also held it snug, still leaving the camera exposed. Whilst leaving the device somewhat exposed, would allow for timed photos or video to be taken whilst wearing the phone, an idea that greatly appeals to me. This is a cool little pouch, and I may well consider picking one up for myself.

Review: SAR Global Tool - Dead Ringer comb

On my recent fact-finding trip to New Zealand I was bemoaning the zealous Airport Security policy of taking away all my survival kit, and commenting on what one could, or could not take onboard a domestic or international flight. In the course of this, I got to talking with Spencer Alan Reiter of SAR Global Tool about a couple of his tools that I keep on my person, time to time, or all the time and in the course of our conversation, he reminded me about his titanium comb concepts. I was initially hesitant, as I'm more of a brush kind of guy rather than comb, but sharing a house with a teenager has reminded me that one is none and two is one.

I've had metal combs in the past, and when a brush isn't on hand to manage my mane, I have found that a plastic comb will generally snap rather than part my tangled locks, so often resort to the finger brush, which never works them all out. Grooming in the event of a disaster is an important moral building activity, I find that even in non-disaster crisis situations, I will subconsciously groom myself, or others, to relieve others. Very primate-brain activity, I think. I certainly also enjoyed a good combing when I had my own face-fur, that's for sure. So, onto the comb!

This is the Dead Ringer titanium comb, which is cut from a single piece of 6LA4V titanium, which has been given a non-glare finish, as well as groves for a positive grip. It also features a finger loop, which I found gave me both good retention and control when teasing out knot. The tips of the tines of the comb are beveled, but not sharp, and the tines themselves are stiff and sturdy. The spine of the comb has five notches cut into it, again, giving a sturdy grip on what is otherwise a very thin piece of metal. The bottom of the comb has a spur, which also adds a grip-point, room for a lanyard hole, as well as being sufficiently pointy to open taped boxes, without being sharp. The ring loop, and finger notches work just as well in a reverse grip.


Whilst neither the edges or the tines are sharp, SAR provide a kydex sheath for this comb, which features two eyelets at the bottom, and opens from the top and the side.

As with many household items, this piece of rugged kit could also be used as an improvised defensive tool as Mark Davies, a combat instructor demonstrates here . Fascinating to think that something as simple as a comb could be so effective in the absence of a traditional knife. Good thing the Dead Ringer is so rugged, and feature-packed. How convenient for me! Now I have a titanium tool to accompany the cute skully-faced NukoTool I gifted Omega recently.

I have had a little play, as I have access to ample supplies of double-thick cardboard boxes, and I am happy to report that the SAR Dead Ringer is the scourge of packing materials everywhere! Also, my mane is tangle free.


Here is Spencer himself giving a classy grooming demonstration on his face-weasel!

Home Front: Working Working

Hi readers,
Apologies for lack of content over this last little while. A big project of mine is going through another phase of approvals, so I have been busy fact-finding and writing documents.

More gear, tools and reviews soon, I hope!

Unless there is a global EMP, in which case you won't be reading them online...

Review: Under Armor shirts

I came away from Tough Mudder, with a congratulatory head-band, and a celebratory t-shirt, from their sponsors, Under Armor . As I staggered around after completing it, trying to find my team, I wandered past the merchandise tent and had a look at what they had going, and saw another design that caught my interest. As it turns out it was another Under Armor shirt as well, so I came away from the event with two. Since then I've worn both, a couple of times and have been very impressed, so thought I might share my findings with you all. First of all, I should mention the fit. The general philosophy beneath Under Armor seems to be that they make close fitting garments in order to keep maximum contact between the wearers skin and the garment. This makes sense when you consider the material used is pitched as having their "Signature Moisture Transport System" which wicks sweat away from the body, keeping you cooler and drier. I did a little searching to find out what material they actually use in the shirts.

The best guess  I could find was "63% Nylon, 23% Polyester, 14% Elastane" blend, which would account for the "ultra-durable 4-way stretch woven fabric" that is reported by the manufacturer. Both the stretch and wicking are dead on the money, and whilst I happen to choose a looser fit, mostly to give me torso a bit more "body", I have really appreciated the "give" that the elastic fabric has. It is very comfortable to wear, and certainly gives the impression of being hard wearing and functional. One of my two shirts is in their "Loose" fit, the other "Regular" rather than either "Fitted" or "Compression"but both shirts are from the "HeatGear" range, which are stated as suited to temperatures between 75-100oF (which is 23-38oC). As well as being wicking, the shirts are light, and breathable, which no doubt is part of the design of this range, but is also reported to be 30+ UPF (blocking 96.0 - 97.4 of UV light), impressive for such a light, and light-permeable fabric. Being both an anti-pick and anti-pill material, I expect these to be very hard wearing shirts.

UA's website purports "anti-odor technology" which prevents the growth of odor causing microbes, keeping your gear fresher for longer. I havent yet worn one of these shirts for long enough for that to have been something I can test, yet, but I think that I'll be wearing them a lot in future adventurous endeavors, both as a base-layer, a solo-layer and I also intend to wear them as named, under armour! My regular readers can expect to see me doing my best "Operator" impersonation in upcoming costume events, and I've worn these out clubbing, where I don't mind showing off perching, striding about or dancing my tail off. They certainly saw me clear camping over Easter; cooking, chopping and tenting...

One caveat to this is a message that UA themselves put out there: "WARNING! This product will melt when exposed to extreme heat or open flames, posing a risk of serious injury where melted product comes into contact with skin!"

So, not to wear fire-twirling, volcano spelunking or dragon slaying; CHECK.