Tag: gear

I'm sure that all the high speed guys I know have a lot of things in common. However, the one thing I have conversed with every one of my friends and acquaintances (that get paid or have been paid to do cool things at night) about is their abhorrence of excess and heavy gear, and/or their desire to use it only when absolutely necessary. These men are also some of the most fit people on the planet, who do things on a regular basis that the average person could not… Read More

I was recently loaned a Blue Force Gear Six Pack Bandolier by Deliberate Dynamics and have been spending a significant amount of time with it. Similar in design to the BFG TenSpeed line of products which sacrifice long-term durability for significant weight, cost, and size savings, the bandolier lists for $43.95 and is designed to hold six M4 type magazines in its elastic pockets. It has a shoulder strap and a waist strap, both of which are constructed from thin webbing. This piece of gear defines minimalism. It naturally hangs… Read More

Though I've always admired Arc'teryx apparel from afar, I've never purchased any. If I were to do a review of an Arc'teryx garment, which would be most interesting or relevant to folks who would consider buying their stuff? Here's the civilian-oriented site. They have a military-oriented branch as well.

Like many who've been in the military, I've spent long periods of time wearing armor. It's hot, uncomfortable, and tiring - though you eventually get used to it. While deployed, I wore ye olde Interceptor OTV, as well as the Eagle CIRAS-Maritime, and, occasionally, just a TAG plate carrier. The latter was the most comfortable, even if it was still intended to be used as an "external" plate carrier. I found it easier to sleep in, although the lack of soft armor did mean that my E-SAPI plates dug in… Read More

Not sure what to call it - Gen 2, Version 2, Series 2, Pro...Anyway, this is the prototype for the second Ultralight. After using the Ultralight for a little while, I commented to Shane at Multitasker that the Ultralight could really benefit from a knife blade, and he said, "Way ahead of you." My upcoming review will be of the original Ultralight, but with consideration given to the changes in the new version.

I really like the Mulititasker Series 2, as you can see in this review. There were a few things I wasn't enamored with, but overall, it's a very high quality and useful tool. The Tube is a reduced form factor AR-specific tool, which I review here. I am not really sold on many of the Tube's tool attachments, or its large case, but do think it would be nice to have in certain situations. If I had to pick just one of the Multitasker tools to buy, though, it would… Read More

I've come across a number of items that never really appealed to me - such as this "Battery Caddy" - before I actually used them. When I received two examples as a gift (during the AR15.com Christmas Exchange), I thought, "What are these for? Holding batteries? What's wrong with just having them in a box?" Then, as I said, I started using them, and found them to be very practical devices. They're injection molded polymer, and the 4xCR123 and 4xAA examples that I own weigh less than an ounce "unloaded".… Read More

I love Surefire flashlights. Don't get me wrong. However, recently, I've found myself needing - perhaps wanting is a better term - stuff that Surefire doesn't offer. I've been using some of the following products for a few months now, and I'm pretty impressed with what they have to offer. Before I get started, I should explain a few things. Your average Surefire 6P flashlight uses two 3 volt lithium batteries, type CR123. It has a xenon, or incandescent, bulb designed to be powered with 6 volts. There are batteries… Read More

Last year, I purchased a set (front and rear) of Level IV plates from bulletproofme.com. They fit just fine in my Interceptor, but when other plate carriers were used, the rear, which was countoured differently than the front, would not fit. Even after I had owned them for 6 months, the company offered to swap out the rear for a front plate (for a 20% fee - very reasonable in my opinion, since they would have had to X-ray the plate before reselling it). However, I decided to test the… Read More

I'll admit it, I'm addicted to flashlights. I have way too many of the things. I learned the utility of small flashlights that were easy to carry yet very bright when I was in Iraq. There are times when night vision is useful, and times when a flashlight is more handy. Today, I always have a flashlight on me. I use it probably a dozen times a day, for everything from working inside a computer, to trying to figure out what else has broken inside my Jeep, to identifying things… Read More