Review: Platatac WUP

I've been collecting pouches for quite some time now, because I've found that there is always room for more pockets.

I've covered all manner of pouches in the past, from the very large, almost a bag in itself, to a variety of smaller utility pouches, down to the very small indeed. There are times though when a pouch needs to be a bit bigger, for large or bulky items, without wanting to add a whole other bag to your loadout, or better yet, having that item out of your existing pack. Thats where something like the Platatac Water Utility Pack, their WUP, comes into its own.

Large enough to fit a Platatac 1 litre Flask or a 1L Hydrapak Bladder,

or in my case, a 1L Nalgene bottle. The WUP fills a niche not unlike that of the Tactical Tailor Hydration Joey pouch, but in keeping with the Platatac range it is fitted out like a bigger version of one of their smaller pouches.


With both a chunky Fastex clip and a broad swathe of hook-and-loop the WUP doesn't lack for closure options, and security. Inside there is an internal loop with elastic shock-cord, to cinch in the lip of the pouch, giving even better retention.

I really liked that the Fastex clip strapping loops back through a loop on the lid of the pouch in a solid V shape, not only does this support the lid, but keeps the straps from flopping about and getting in the way.

A drainage grommet in the bottom of the pouch is a really good addition, something that you really appreciate if you've ever taken a dunk with a bunch of kit on. Especially if you then need to haul yourself up and out, and keep on running.

This is a pretty big pouch, with at least a 1L capacity, and it is held secure to you and your gear with a 2 channel, 3 row set of PALS/MOLLE on the back, ant its set up to be able to attach using 5 rows on the host side, giving a really secure fit for those heavy loads.

There are also three rows of two-channel loops on each side of the pouch, for attaching accessories to your accessories.

I took a couple of these on an adventuring weekend recently, one with an old style canteen on a Platatac Bongo battle belt, and the other on the side of a plate carrier covered in other pouches. Neither were ungainly, overly bulky and anything other than functional. Offered in both Multicam and traditional khaki, the two I picked up are in MC, see how I venture into the modern era!

Review: Mystery Ranch - 1Day Assault Pack

I put in just one request this Giftmas past, I saw on a Facebook group I am on (hey all you Secret Ranch folks!) one of the very limited, Singapore only release of a day pack from the inestimable Mystery Ranch. The good folks at Mystery Ranch, who have been putting together packs for Military, Fire and Rescue, Backpack Hunting and Mountaineering for 30 years, and I've been lusting after them.

I have a piece of Mystery Ranch kit already, the very cool Cinch Strap, which enables you to fit a pack over the top of a plate carriers shoulder straps and release it quickly as needed. That's the kind of forward thinking that they put into their products.

The Asia only release of this design is available through Hornest. It is very similar in design to the newly released ASAP Pack, and the more mature 3 Day Assault Pack.  This however is the Mystery Ranch 1 Day Assault Pack.

This 18.2L (1110 cu inch) pack features the iconic Mystery Ranch 3-way Y-zip which drew me to their packs in the first place, and weighs in at roughly 1.2kg (2lb 12oz) due in no small part to the tightly woven, water resistance treated 500d Cordura that makes up its walls. The bottoms of the pack is double layered and the inner layer is reported to be cut 1/2" smaller than the outer layer, placing the bulk of the load's weight on that inner layer, leaving the outer unstressed. Brilliant design.

The 1DAP is a smaller 3-zip pack with multiple pockets internally and externally. I have previously very much enjoyed the smaller packs I've used as my daily carry, with the much beloved Platatac Bullock Echo being the logical progression from my Crumpler Messenger Bag, and the MR 1DAP is a fitting successor to both of those, and my more recent every day carry bag, the rugged Propper Gen Multipurpose satchel bag. I wanted to be able to carry a bunch of my usual preparedness kit, without wanting to draw too much attention to myself, so I jumped at the chance for a "regular guy" black option, over my more usual khaki, this time.


The 1DAP features 3 rows of 3 channel PALS/MOLLE on both of the top sides, as twin 6 loop daisy-chain strips of loops running down the front of the pack. These are perfect for attaching lights, attaching carabiners, looping cord or what have you.

All the external facing zippers are reversed, and tape covered, to resist water and dust intrusion. The long stem of the Y of the zip extends from the very base of the pack all the way into three inches into body of the pack. The two arms of the Y zip all the way to the back of the pack, and each can be opened independently, to use as a flap lid for the top, a side entrance for just a hand, or opening all three, filleting the pack, for full access.



It offers several hydration configuration options, internally, there is a loop of cord at the very top of the inside of the pack for attaching a hydration bladder like the Source Storm WXP or the Platapus PIB, but more than just an attachment point, the 1DAP zippered access ports at the top corners of the pack (with some of my safety-orange paracord threaded through, to demonstrate here). Those zippers tuck well out of the way when not in use, shielded by the same reverse-cover design as the main body zippers, keeping rain and crud out.

The pale internal sleeve is made up of a backing, sewn into the top seam of the pack, and is open on the sides, with just two webbing anchors about 3/4 of the way down. This gives the internals of the pack some freedom of movement, without sacrificing stability. This allows larger items to be slipped under the front, cables and even additional hydration bladders to be fitted.

The internal sleeve also features a deep drawstring closure pocket, which can accommodate a variety of large items, like the 2L version of the Pathopak, which are 125x170mm, with ease. This is a great place to stow a hydration bladder, keeping its potential condensation off the rest of your kit, I also use it to secure larger items I don't want bouncing about the pack, or even my lunch. You could also use it as the base-cap of a longer item held secure by the drawstring, and projecting out of the top of the pack.

There are two mesh sided utility pockets with zippers against the bottom of the drawstring pocket of the sleeve, which are very useful as the rest of the packs internals are free from attachment points. Nowhere to attach pouches, which is a drawback, but the upside is that there is a lot of room to store larger items. The fact the internal sleeve is not fully attached also means you can shove it up, and out of the way, and place broader items at the base of the pack, and adjust for weight without crowding.

The top of the pack features a very clever, reverse opening and horseshoe shapes top pocket, as well as a broad patch of loop field, to attach patches and name tapes. Inside, a spacious main area, with a mesh-lining at the bottom allows storage of a variety of items. I keep a spare cap, and goggles, and a LazerBrite light in mine. The "top" of the lid features a zippered pocket, where I keep first aid kid, some gloves, a haemostat kit and the like. You may have noticed that at the tops and bottoms of each of the zipper runs, and lines of webbing, there is a loop, primarily for assisting a grip and unzip.

This is another example of the forward thinking put into the design of these bags. Another aspect, is the Futura Yoke system of shoulder straps and attachments, which allow for some really clever adjustment options.

The contoured padded components, with some built in webbing loops (you can see I've put a ITW GrimLOC on my left strap) and a pectoral strap, to secure the pack whilst you're on the bounce. These are nicely done, but pretty standard, there are tri-glide buckles with webbing feeding through from the back of the pack to the shoulder straps, and these play a really key role in adjusting the pack.

As well as the air-mesh backing of the pack, it has a built in semi-rigid packing behind that, which is how the pack manages its rather exciting transformation.

Fiberforge, a thermoplastics company Mystery Ranch has partnered with, builds their Framesheet Adjusters. These adjusters are a thermoplastic composite material created by fusing fiberglass with recycled softdrink bottles. The resulting material is apparently 60% lighter and 600% stiffer than steel, and 30% lighter than aluminium. This plate matches another one that sits inside the pack at the bottom, forming lizard like scales that give the pack a really good feel to wear. No jabs form hard-edged kit in the pack. It curves to match the natural inclines of the back, and sits nicely in the lumber region.

The back section of the pack can expand from around 40cm (16") to a whopping 60cm (22") because of the top of the back part of the pack is actually a loop backed insert,and a matching hook-field within the pack body itself. I had some trouble getting this quite right, as the broad sheets of hook and corresponding loop were only too happy to lock tight, but I managed to shoe-horn it into the best fit for me too.

This 40cm (16") part, which houses the Fiberforge insert, can be moved up and down, allowing the wearer to customise the placement of the pack, and by adjusting the webbing held by the tri-glide sliders on the shoulder straps, the perfect fit is easy to maintain.

This fits in with Mystery Ranch's resolve to solve the problem of packs not fitting properly over body armor because of the increase in relative torso size wearing armor creates. Being able to adjust the harnessing to account for this increase in size greatly enhances the stability and comfort of the pack when wearing armor.

Couple this with their Cinch Strap, and you have a pack system that will suit any body type, in or out of full kit.

I'm a chronic over-packer, so having a small capacity pack, with only two 3x3 PALS/MOLLE fields is part of my 12 step recovery process, but I like to think I am achieving my goals of remaining Equipped, without being someone who gets train services halted. I have put a few pouches on the outside of the pack, and I'm adjusting my load out in those, ad well as internally. One thing Ive noted is that even the "wings" where the shoulder straps meet the pack are padded, its a delight to wear as a result of these little thoughts, and whilst nothing from Mystery Ranch is cheep, they are made to be effective, and last.

I've found I really like the narrow silhouette of this design, being long and tall, it avoids the over-hang that other packs have given me, meaning I'm right and ready to duck and weave, getting in and out of where I need to go, be that in a busy laboratory, a crowded train, droid evasion in ventilation shafts or long forgotten command bunkers. 

Home Front: Ikea as a bug-out location

In the past, I have discussed several different situations where relocating from the relative security and comfort of home might be useful or needed for your ongoing safety and well-being. I don't live in an especially rugged house, but it's what we can afford, and it's in a very good neighborhood. House-hopping to one our better equipped neighboring properties is an option we've discussed, in the event of a bug-in situation in a fall of society type event. I've also covered some of the strategies and philosophies regarding sheltering from fall-out and CNBR type events. Given where I live is rather close to the Port Phillip Bay, sea level rise and storm surge type events are a more likely type of natural event that would cause us to bug-out. I've investigated the suitability of a self-storage facility as a quiet, out of the way place to dig-in, and even discussed the relative security of major infrastructure facilities like a hospital.

But today, I'm going to discuss the relative utility and safety of bugging out to another kind of location, dear to my The main showroom, with its labyrinth of lounge rooms, kitchens and bedrooms is situated on the second level, at my local Ikea, which is itself two stories up, above a dual-layer car-park. The warehouse starts our under the showroom, but also runs beside it, and stretches three to four stories up. Stairwells and escalators give main entrance to the facilities, as well as lift wells, but the broad concrete construction is fairly stark. Exits are clearly marked, as per whatever construction codes that must be adhered to, but I also noted that there not too many "other ways in". heart. Ikea!

 Tall plate glass windows faced some walls, the rest were enclosed. Skylights dotted the majority of ceilings, allowing natural lighting. Exposed wiring and piping throughout the facility gives a clear indication of the infrastructure, and adds a sense of space.

There is loot, so much loot. Essentially, whole houses can be fitted out by what is in stock at Ikea, so as far as establishing a livable space, there is so much to choose from, and room to do so. Big spaces are hard to heat however, and leaks in the roof could make for a lot of cold wet concrete flooring on exposed levels.Being raised up two floors from ground level gives you a lot of clearance for the "livable" areas, assuming you don't have tectonic collapse to worry about. Lots of concrete and little to no fuel (other than stock) in the construction means it is pretty fireproof.

There are a lot of resources to be had at an Ikea, and our local one is pretty well put together. The concrete ramps and stairwells would be hard to blockade and fortify easily, but that's the price one pays for accessibility in a pre-Apocalypse shopping center.

It's not inconceivable to me that an Ikea could be converted into a reasonably livable village for a small community. It's not a fort, by a long shot, but it is a stocked piece of real-estate, and even comes with more than just Allen keys, these days. A small restaurant and deli section offer only limited edibles, and there are only limited spaces for indoor crop growing, but plenty of materials for glasshouses.Remember that other people might have the same idea, however, and might not want to share.

Something to consider when you are next at a big center like this; look around, check the exits, look for structural flaws and the resources on hand ... You never know where or when you might need to hole up...

Home Front: summer garden 2014

As with previous years, I planted a vegetable garden over the winter-spring cusp, in order to have a good summer crop of greens.

Using wood I reclaimed from pallets that had been left on the road-side by a neighbor who was having some renovations done, I built this box in an afternoon, dug post holes, dropped it in place and left it lay-fallow with weed-suppressing cardboard boxes lining the base. I then filled the box 3/4 the way up with a mulch/soil mix that I had purchased (and got a water-saving rebate for), and hit our local garden/hardware store for seedlings.

In previous years I have planted in our low-sided veggie patches, but this year, as a result of my lovely partner Omega's request for a raised bed, to give better access to our crops without the need for bending and kneeling, which is one reason I built a hip-high box.

These little guys are the other reason. We now have four Flemish Giant rabbits. They started off palm sized, and will eventually get to be 10 kg (22 lb) each. I have now made two wired-off enclosures for them to run in, but we found they could both climb, and hop into the raised bed. Hence the "over the top" chicken wire over the bed, and the over-hanging lip to make a more effective perimeter fence.

A lucky finding was that the rabbits didn't like the artichoke plant that we had regrow this year from last years failed attempt. We've managed several meals worth of artichokes and Tactical Baby enjoys selecting which "dinosaur flowers" we are going to have. There are also several onion plants in there, also segregated from the bunnies, and it looks like we might have some invincible potato plants coming up as well.

I lined the side of the raised bed with a strip of copper tape, which has proven to be an effective slug and snail deterrent. We did have a cabbage moth caterpillar problem, which was attacking the broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage plants we planted, but the invading bunnies ate all the buds from them anyway, so we lost those crops.

What we do have going however is two kinds of kale, spinach,  Vietnamese mint and coriander, tomato and spring onions. We also have several eggplants on the go in there.

Its a very high density plot, and it takes some rummaging to get from one plant to another, but being hip-high has been a great improvement.

My other partner Lorin has been admonishing me for planting the tomatoes in there, and not separately, because of how big they've gotten, but I'm a sucker for high density, bountiful and bodacious harvests, and that covers my gardening too!

We might even give the vertical garden another go, although we've left it a bit late in the season. Between the two extra rain barrels we put in, and the unfortunate reduction in our number of chookens (lost 7 overnight, some kind of illness, down to one, the unkillable Princess Layer, veteran of four previous calamities) we might even make more use of the back yard this summer. 

Review: Propper - Gen Multipurpose Bag

As first seen on RecoilWeb .....

Here is another part of my Propper haul, and one that I have been getting a whole lot of utility out of.  I took it with me to Fiji for my island get-away, and it rode as my carry-on as well as emergency toddler change station. It's been my day-to-day bag since then, swapping out from my beloved Platatac Bullock Echo as I've needed a more briefcase style option rather than a backpack for my current duties.

This is the Propper Gen Multipurpose Bag and it punches well above its weight.

Filled with storage options, the bag offers a rather large carry-capacity to an otherwise standard briefcase-style design.  I can fit three 2L (2.1qt) milk jugs to the main compartment with no problem.

One of the first things I noticed, and have come to love, about this bag, was the easy-access, dual zipper opening, tapered grab handles. Grab and yank, and the bag opens up. No more fiddly zipper pulls and fine motor skills needed to grab your needfulls. More on that later.

The bag has a wide webbing strap, with a very well made non-slip shoulder-pad, a real boon for a habitual over-packer like myself. The shoulder pad itself has webbing loops that allow you to fix it in place via hook-and-loop tabs, through the pad, to eliminate slippage.  The strap can be adjusted at each end with a broad tri-glide loop, and there is a big-mouth 50mm (2") Fastex buckle at each end of the strap, for quick release. One of my biggest gripes with previous satchels has been the "slung across my chest" trap.

There is also a inset pocket at each end of the bag, between the main compartment and the side-saddle pockets, that very neatly fits my Propper Liberty bottle and even takes my venerable 1L SIGG bottle. 

The "front" panel of the bag is faced with a broad loop field, for patches, and I've made great use of that. Inside that front facing panel is a very spacious document compartment, with three distinct sections, that will fit a number of CD cases, iPads and the like. A hook-and-loop tabbed strap keeps your valuable documents and devices secured, and as with all the zippers on this bag, it features rubber-moulded zipper-pulls as well as "inverted" zipper material to give maximum crud intrusion protection.  

The opposing "inside" facing panel features an even greater selection of pockets, for holding all your needful tools and tricks. 

I have mine loaded up with a variety of goodies; both eating and entry hardware, medical and electronic. Things I don't like to leave home without! 

Again, the double  rubber-molded zipper pulls give good, fast access to my kit, and the panel itself offers a flat clean workspace that is flush to the ground, thanks to the design. 

You can see the main carry handles extend all the way through the pack from the side panels,  they continue all the way under the bag as it happens. They are NOT going to tear off, no matter what you fill it with.

The main compartment has its own surprises as well. Twin storage pockets add further capacity to the narrow ends and the bottom of the compartment is lined with loop-field to facilitate the removable divider, which itself has zippered pockets for business cards, death-cards, whatever. 

It is also loop-faced and includes a 3-channel organizer for all your highlighter pens, or double stacked mags, to go along with the hook-field sided adjustable pistol sleeve that would accommodate most handguns. I don't have any justification to have that in use, but you might. 

Coupled with the grab handle opening strap and you have a quick-access concealed carry option right there.

The side pockets, two on one end, and one bigger one on the other, follow the same pattern. Taped seams, inverted zipper runs to keep crud out, and internal pockets to maximize organization. The single big side pocket also features a clear plastic external ID pocket.

One more cool feature are the twin, adjustable hook-and-loop retention straps for an umbrella or flashlight that sits over the"inside" pocket. It also happens to be a perfect fit for my DeadOn Anihilator Superhammer, because, you never know ...

All in all, this is a pretty awesome bag. It certainly does everything it sets out to do, and had weathered all I've thrown at it, from kicking around trains, planes and hospitals, to being an overnight bag and a day-to-day hauler of my ever changing loadout.

If I had to pick something to gripe about it would be the overall "width" of the bag. When I sling it either across the front of my hips like a paratroopers reserve, I've found that it is  so wide that I bump and brush people with it where normally I wouldn't have, with a backpack. Same goes when I sling it behind me. The addition of the end pockets, whilst adding valuable additional storage, also add to the bulk of the bag.

That said, I'm very pleased with it, and will keep using it until it dies or I find something better.

Review: Propper Liberty bottle

First published on BreachBangClear here.
Many thanks to the Mad Duo and team for adding me as an auxiliary ... 'roo's on the barbie any time you rock up ...

My first item from a bundle of goodies from Propper that I am going to cover is their nicely branded "Limited Edition" Liberty Bottle. I've seen these good looking bottles in the past, but so far, had stuck to either my much loved but slightly unreliable 1L SIGG or the very reliable widemouthed 1L Nalgene.

The Propper Liberty Bottle makes a very nice addition to my collection, and let me tell you why.

Made from 100% recycled metal aluminium, with 100% recylcalable materials in the cap and bottle, the Liberty Bottles are both light, strong and friendly to the environment. Like the SIGG bottles, the Liberty bottles are formed from billet plugs, giving a seamless construction and are lined with a flexible and food grade coating, which ensures no flaking or chipping when the bottle itself is dinged and dented (as may happen with the hard wear some of us are guilty of putting our hydration systems through.

This coating exceeds FDA requirements and provides a non-toxic and non-leaching surface that ensures no heavy metal leaching or porous surface are present for bacteria to build up on, keeping them sanitary for longer.

The bottles are independently lab certified to by 100% BPA free, for those worried about that kind of thing.

The fact that that coating is white means that visual inspection of your bottle for both fullness, and skunge buildup is a lot easier than if it were a darker colour. I really liked this.

Three locking lugs on the rim of the bottle are not obtrusive enough to be a bother when either filling up the bottle, or drinking directly from the lip.

The taper of the bottle also acts to smooth out the pour, much like a wine bottle, all part of the design


The sports cap that came with my Propper Liberty bottle has some very nice design features too. The all-around silicone rubber plug fits both into the neck and also against the lip of the bottle giving a really good seal. I've had not a single drip from the neck once I worked out the "click" feel that indicated a full seal. The three inset channels take the locking lugs, and feature a slope and notch type system to hold the lugs snugly in place, with a 1/4 turn being all that's required to open and close the bottle securely.

At 700ml (24oz) this is a good sized bottle for me when I don't feel the need to carry a whole liter around.

That sports cap has a couple of other neat features. The circular dome just offset from the straw port is a vent. This means that the negative pressure put on your bottle by sucking on it doesn't pull that back through the mouth-piece (and your back-washing mouth...) further adding to the longevity of the contents, as well as making drinking much easier and more free. The straw itself is removable, and can be left out entirely, if you don't mind the "tilt-back" drinking style.

The silicone rubber nipple fits snugly against a ridge on the cap to keep it crud-free, and covers the vent hole when depressed. The lever also acts as a carry handle, and the whole assembly can be broken down to clean all the parts.

The only drawback I've found is that if I've let a cold drink warm up, or hold the bottle around any air-space, the heat of my hand can expand the air inside enough to make it spurt my drink up out of the straw when I flip the top.

Liberty Bottles cutting-edge cylindrical printers have done a great job on Propper's design, laying down graphics you can feel. I really liked that tactile diamondplate addition, and the surface material has taken a few drops and knocks already with no sign of wear.

Review: Vesterguard - LifeStraw

I picked up a LifeStraw when I purchased a box of the Mainstay Emergency Food Rations,and for a long while, it stayed in the bottom of my bear box, untried, untested. Eventually I found it, dug it out and got ready to test it. Then the dog found it. Talk about Disaster Preparation! I heard the chewing sound and rushed into action, rescued the unit, and decided it was salvageable.

The LifeStraw is a plastic tube 31cm long and 3cm in diameter. It has a Sieve end, and a mouthpiece end, both originally with a cap. The straw, as you might imagine is operated by placing the sieve end in your water source, and through some rather strong and vigorous sucking is needed to get water flowing, but when it does, you get a steady flow of water.

The way the LifeStraw works is that water that is drawn up through the straw and passes through hollow fibers that fill the tube. This bundled mesh of fibers filter particulates down to 0.2µm across, using only physical filtration methods and no chemical components to either run out, or leach into the drinkable water. The entire process is powered by the suction of the operator, and is reported to be able to filter up to 1000L (264gal) of water safely before clogging up.

Initial models of the filter did not remove Giardia lamblia, but this model is purported to remove a minimum of 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites including giardia and cryptosporidium. It is also touted as Removes up to 99.99999% of waterborne bacteria. It as previously stated also reduces turbidity by filtering particles of approx 0.2 microns which significantly improves the quality of water,

You can see the sieve end here, which keeps macro-particles from entering the straw, and for better or worse, after some dog-chewing, this end cap had popped off, exposing the internal fibers in their mesh packing sleeve.

The LifeStraw
did take some practice and perseverance to get going, but when it did, I managed to get some interesting results. I didn't want to take too many risks with my dog-chewed example, (giardia infection will ruin your whole day) so I opted for a more pedestrian testing regime. I chose to filter my fruit-concentrate cordial instead. I found that whilst still coloured, and sweet, the water I drew off certainly did cut the pulp and particles that were suspended, and I managed to drink the whole glass, with some effort. I expect that from a free floating and particulate light source, like a free flowing stream, you'd get swifter hydration. You can de-crud the filter by blowing back through it, expelling the contained water, and self-washing to some extent.

To recover and reseal the unit post-dog gnawing, I wrapped it in a cris-cross of tape, to ensure the seals and tube are air-tight. I think i will try to secure myself a new one, (which due to their awesome business model, then benefits kids in impoverished places) just because having a fully-working one is better preparation than relying on my already weathered and dinged one.

Review: Platatac prototype hydration carrier

Here is the hydration pack that I have been using for the last few Tough Mudder events I've done. This is an old prototype from Platatac that I picked up on eBay, and combines elements of both their Bravo hydration carrier that I have, and the MEOP Medic Pack both of which I've covered in the past, and are great pieces.

I found that wearing an extra set of straps was redundant when I was wearing a vest anyway on my Tough Mudder and similar adventures, which is why I looked for an alternative to the Bravo, which has served me well in other situations, and on my first Tough Mudder. When I saw this piece come up on eBay, I was thrilled to give it a go. It follows the same kind of design philosophy I've come to expect from Platatac pieces, with a tough 1000d Cordura exterior, and ITW Nexus hardware. It if "faced" with 6 rows of 4 channel PALLS/MOLLE loops, and features a hook-and-loop secured drag handle. Running down the flanks are nylon D-rings, three to a side, allowing shock or paracord to be run through these, to provide attachment points, or compression.

The wide-mouth of the pouch perfectly fits the Source Storm 3L hydration bladders main cap.

The baffled sides of the carrier allow for quite significant volumes to be carrier, without restriction, or perhaps even storage for other items besides a hydration pack. However, this particular piece lack the zipper-access of the Bravo, which means that the only access into or out of the inside is through the main cap.

This actually posed a problem when trying to run my hydration hose through it, and I bit the bullet and melted a channel in the backside to feed it through.

I also had to melt a drainage hole in the bottom, following the previous Tough Mudder, last September.
I found that the carrier filled up with nasty pond water when I took my tumbles, which really added to the weight I was hauling. No such trouble with a small drain hole melted in this time around.

The back of the carrier offers a variety of attachment options; Zippers paired with the MEOP carrier (which allows me to sandwich these two pouches nicely). It also features female Fastex clip ends top and bottom, tri-glide loops for all your clipping and looping needs. Best yet, the back features two sets of three three channel PALS/MOLLE PLMRS (Platypus Light Modular Recovery System) strips. These gave both a rock solid attachment and also load spreading capacity. I barely felt the 3kg that the full bladder weighed,and certainly not the sloshing side-to-side I might have with a pack-type carrier.

This was just a prototype, bridging the gap between the Bravo and the MEOP, but if you want to see the new production version, check out the Platatac Utility Hydration Cover. Looks like the logical next step.

Review: Source - Storm WXP 3L hydration bladder

Here's a much loved but oft forgotten item in my survival, training and adventuring kit. This is the
Source Storm WXP 3L hydration bladder which has seen some pretty heavy use in the past, and I thought it was fully worth showing the light of day.

Ive covered some hydration systems in the past, such as the the Platypus PIB hydration pack and several hydration bladder carriers, such as the lustful Geigrrig Tactical Guardian (I'd love to get my paws on one of these) the 0.75L version that come in the Tactical Tailor Joey hydration pouch and the backpack style Platatac Bravo pack. This isn't my first Source 3L bladder, as I failed to follow the care-and-cleaning guideline of DO NO USE BOILING WATER ... they melt. Hot enough for your hands is hot enough. More on this later.

The bladder itself is constructed from a very special three layer, coextruded polyethylene construction with a very special low maintenance liner layer. Integrated Grunge-Guard™ antimicrobial surface. This  435 micron thick surface prevents bio-film build up, my being almost glass-smooth, (Source quotes it as being  2000% smoother than standard TPU films, with virtually no difference from glass itself. This reportedly improves the systems self-cleaning function.

The wide opening access at the top opens with a slide closure for easy filling, draining and cleaning. The fold and slide lock gives a strong, airtight seal. A retaining cord ensures clumsy finders don't drop it in the muck, or let it wash downstream. It also means that you can add ice, or powdered drink supplements.

I found all the seams, including those at the tube attachment point to be very strong and well placed to take any tension that the bladder is challenged with, so far.

The drinking tube attaches to be bladder with their propriety QMT™ Quick Mate Technology hose fitting, which offers push button convenience, no leakage, and click-in compatibility with USMC Miox filter system. Sometimes the clip can be a little stiff, but hardly much of an issue for me, as I rarely took these off, except to rinse. However, even at the tube tip the QMT is completely self sealing.

This means that even with a full reservoir you can change tubes, add valves or whatever, without worrying about drips or leaks. Great for fitting a full bladder into a pack that already has a hose run through it. Sometimes hydration tube ports can be a snug fit.

The drinking tube is 94cm (37") long, and contains its own valve built in. Again, no drips or leaks when changing the tip or feeding it through bags and gear. The tube cover both insulates and blocks UV-light.

This helps your water cool and bacteria free from first to last sip. I really noticed this when doing long stretches in the sun with this. the temperature gradient from tube-to reservoir was always delightfully small.

The very cool push/pull Storm Valve isn't a bite-valve, being a pull-open plug like on a sport bottle. It apparently delivers 25% higher flow than bite designs. The integrated valve has a twist-lock which will lock the valve in the "off" position, so you don't have to worry about inadvertent leakage. It is also set at 90 degrees from the tube, which apparently reduces the required tube length (for twisting it around to have kink-free drinking) by 25cm! It also rotates 360 degrees, allowing you to place the valve end on any side of your gear, and have access to it.

It comes with a dirt-shield cover, which is also dummy-corded on, and can be cinched with a dedicated slit, to stop it from dangling and rattling about when not used.



In addition to the Widepac wide opening access at the top, with its hanging slot,  the bladder also has a screw-top opening, which incorporates a carry-yoke. The yoke can be rotated to best suit your carry style, but allows even gloved hands to hold the bladder open for refilling without contaminating the reservoir.

The gasket screws down over the yoke to hold it in place, and is also dummy-corded to the wide-mouthed cap. I have had some troubles with the gasket winding loose, and this impacting on the seal the cap gets, but if its screwed down tight, all should work out well. 

Evacuating all the air from the bladder keeps it very quiet, no canteen-sloshing noise-disipline worries there, and the placement of the tube to the bladder means you pretty much get every drop emptying out, you can even set it to run continuously, using siphoning, to get regular irrigation, or when running detergent through it to clean it. The guys at Platatac recommended throwing it, washed but not dried into the freezer as a decontamination step, which is a far better idea than melting it with overly hot water, I have to say.

This particular bladder has seen me through camping, long haul drives, and three Tough Mudders, and it's going strong! I even inflated it and used it as a flotation aid when diving off one of the "Walk the Plank" high dives on Tough Mudder.

I'd love to try one of the Universal Tube Adapter  attachments, which lets you fill the pack from the drinking valve, from taps or bottles, without having to take it off your pack or out of a pack.