Freestyle Cortez Watch

I really like this watch by Freestyle USA. The Cortez is a very rugged watch which works well for casual wear along with formal wear, yet it's hefty enough to be worn in more extreme environments.

One thing you notice when you first get this watch is that it's obviously not made of all plastic. It has a little weight to it. Not too much, but you definitely notice it when you first pick it up. It has a analog and digital time display, which can be set to different times for a dual time display if needed.

There aren't a ton of functions on this watch and the one thing that every watch review will get if the watch doesn't have it is the fact that it doesn't have a countdown timer. This is a feature I use a lot. But even with a lack of a bunch of bells and whistles I still like this watch. The one thing that's kind of different on this watch is the way you set the time. To get to the time setting feature you scroll through the modes and when you get back to the time it's in the setting mode. This isn't too much of a problem, but I can see the possibility of buttons being pushed on accident and then the time being accidentally changed. I haven't had this problem, but it's a possibility. For features here they are:

1. Time (dual, ana/digi), day, date
2. Backlight
3. Luminous hands. I've found after about a minute long charge the hands and number markings stay brightly lit for about 10 minutes, then dimly lit for about 45 minutes, after that, if your eyes are adjusted to the dark you can faintly make out the markings up to about a hour.
4. Chronograph.
5. hourly chime
6. Alarm
7. Solid Stainless steel case with screw down back. This means you'll have to take it somewhere to get the battery changed, unless you have the tools for this.
8. Polyurethane strap.
9. 100m water resistance.
10. An area on the end of the strap that will keep the strap retaining loop in place so that it doesn't move around. This means the end of the strap stays in place.

The only problem I've had with this watch is the placement of the small loop that retains the end of the strap when it's in it's proper place. It's only due to the size of my wrist in that it sets right on the wrist bone and will tend to occasionally dig into my wrist. I just move it down further on the strap and I'm good.

This watch is also covered with a limited lifetime warranty.

As I said earlier, this watch is just as nice out on the trail as it is in a formal or casual setting. I really like it and I like it's look. It's a larger watch and I really like that look.

Colors: black, silver/black

MSRP: $100.00

PROBARS

I recently received some Probars to sample and have been using them as meal replacements (which they are designed for) for the last few days. I have found that I like some of the flavors and don't like others. Although, that's just personal preference. Probars are kind of like energy bars that pack a bunch whole, organic, raw ingredients into a healthy bar that's not like eating a cardboard box, like some other energy bars. They taste decent and really do fill you up. They do a great job at being a meal replacement. I would suggest having a little water on hand though. They aren't necessarily "dry" but I did find that washing them down with some water was preferable.

The Probars have received several awards for being healthy foods, and I believe that they are. They do have a lot of oats, nuts and seeds in them so if you're allergic to any kind of nut...please check the ingredients before buying.

I've found these to be much better tasting and performing bars than others that I've used. They're healthy and easy to eat. Check them out here!

12 Flavors

MSRP: $3.29/bar
$35.48/12 pack

Amp energy drinks

Being on the night shift at work, having to routinely perform force-on-force exercises while working the night shift, and an overall lack of healthy sleep has led me to try different energy drinks for times when I need an extra boost. I would never suggest relying solely on energy drinks as a replacement for good sleep, but sometimes you just can't get decent sleep and need a little help.

One drink that I like that has good flavor and seems to do the trick for me without making me too jittery is Amp Energy drinks. They seem to wake me right up when I need it and although some people may tend to "crash" once the drink stops working, I think I've gotten a routine down to help this. I tend to sip the energy drink instead of just chugging it down. It might take me a couple hours to finish a can and this seems to give me a boost without the jitters and without too much of a crash at the end. This also tend to help curb your appetite. I've also found that when I drink this energy drink it tends to help me work through some aches and pains I may have. I'm no scientist so I don't know why this works...but it does.

Again, this shouldn't be used as a daily supplement to good sleep. But if you need an extra boost...this is one drink that seems to work.

Otterbox 1000 & 2000

Otterbox makes a ton of different types of boxes and cases to protect your electronics and any other gear you want to keep safe from the elements or damage. Cases for everything from PCs, to palm pilots, blackberries, etc, etc. Otterbox was named by it's founder due to it's original mandate, which was a waterproof box to protect items from damage. The otter (who's fur is waterproof) became the mascot of otterbox.

I received 2 new cases to try out. The Otterbox 1000 is a smaller box that fits a lot of flip phones perfectly. It's also good for other small items that you may need to keep safe, things such as jump drives, key fobs, medications, money and credit cards (makes a good temporary wallet when you plan on getting wet). This box, unlike most other Otterboxes is not padded on the inside. The reason for this is that if it were padded on the inside there wouldn't be much room for anything inside it. The exterior dimensions are 4.837" x 3.682" x 1.652" , Interior dimensions are 3.700" x 2.350" x 1". There is only one latch on this box which, like other otter boxes, has a break away feature to prevent you from accidentally damaging the latch by opening it too far. You'll notice that with this box I used some Tactical Camo stencils to give it a digital camouflage. The Krylon Fusion paint used for this adhered well to the Otterbox material.

The otterbox 2000 is a little bit bigger and it has found to be a great home for my TomTom. There is a little bit of extra room, but it's provided excellent protection for it. This box does have padding in it to help protect your items (this padding will crush to half it's thickness to get a nice snug fit for your gear and add a littl more room for larger items). It's good for thinner electronic devices and also would be good for things like a passport or other important paperwork. Exterior dimensions are 6.855" x 4.571" x 1.829" and Interior dimensions are 5.757" x 3.140" x 0.979". It's a little tight for putting a lot of items or larger items in, but again I've found something that it keeps safe on a daily basis and you can find otterboxes in most sizes.

Features that both boxes have are: ABS plastic contruction, a lanyard hole and webbing attachment points on both ends a small hole for a padlock to even further secure your items.

I haven't been nice to these boxes. I don't intentionally beat them up, but I'm not easy on them. They both have proven to be exceptional pieces of gear, as all the otterboxes I've tried. They keep my gear in good condition. Otterbox never seems to dissapoint me.

Colors: Blue, Yellow, Clear, Black.

MSRP:

1000 box - $11.49

2000 box - $17.95

Tactical Camo Stencils

Tacticalcamo.com is a provider of quality stencils for your camouflaging needs. They have plenty of patterns to choose from and are reasonably priced.

The stencils come on a large piece of paper, and by looking at the pictures you'd think it was a material similar to the blue painters tape. It is not. It's a quality vinyl stencil. The stencils peel off the paper easily, but I suggest using an exacto knife to help with this. I also wear latex gloves to help keep the oil from my skin off the item I'm painting and the stencil itself. The stencils have a low-tack adhesive which doesn't peel any underlying paint off when removed. What I found with this is that once you get all the stencils in place, you will want to go around and just make sure none have peeled up around the edges just before painting. The color you want as the background color of your camo pattern will be the last color painted. I used Krylon on all the pictured items. With this paint it was easy to remove the stencils once the paint dried. I'm not sure if you used Brownell's Alumahyde if you'd be able to peel the stickers as easily once it cures. Tactical camo has plenty of tips to use their stencils on their site as well. Also, I should note that I only used the "male" stencils as I do not have a airbrush to be able to use the female portion that is left when you remove the male portion. Another plus to this system is that there is plenty of stencil material left over if you need to cut out more stencils for touch ups.

I received 2 patterned stencils to test out.

The first pattern I tested was a diamondback snake pattern. This is a cool pattern that is unique to tactical camouflage, but works well in the wild...so why wouldn't it on tactical gear. I really like this patterns look. When using these stencils on flatter items it's pretty easy to use, a little time consuming since you have to line up the stencils because the snake skin is a continuous pattern, but not too difficult. I used this pattern on a red dot sight for my brother and it was a little more difficult to get the continuous pattern around the knobs and adjustment screws of the sight, but it didn't turn out too bad! I will be doing some other items with this pattern and updating this post when they are complete.

The other pattern I received was the digital camo pattern. I really like this pattern and it's super easy to use. Since it's not a continuous pattern it's easy to just peel and stick the stencils. I think when I painted the items shown I could have used more stencils to make the pattern little more "disruptive" in nature, since this is how the digital pattern works. But I'll be buying more stencils in the future and I'll work on my technique.

I really like these stencils. I highly suggest that if you want a specific pattern for your gear that you take tacticalcamo.com into consideration. Their products are high quality, easy to use, and they're great people to work with.

MSRP: $20 per stencil sheet.

UK Gear PT-03 SC running shoes

UK gear is a British sportswear company that provides the British Army along with other military and paramilitary (West Point, Air Force Academy) units with high quality running shoes. Their gear was and still is first and foremost athletic gear. They were tasked by the British military to create running shoes that would stand up to tough military physical training.

I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to test out their PT-03 SC running shoe, which was the original running shoe designed for the British Army Physical Training Corps, and has been given the privilege of bearing the British Army insignia.

The only problem I've had so far from them wasn't a quality issue, but a sizing one. And to no fault of the manufacturer...they're just about a half size too large. I still wear them and they're still comfy...but I can tell they're just a little too big. To give you a comparison I got a size 9...and 8.5 would be better. In New Balance I wear a size 9, Bates boots a size 8.5, Colombia hiking boots a 9, Altama jungle boots a size 7.5, 5.11 boots a size 9. So there you have it for an idea on sizing.

This shoe was built for high mileage running in any environment, as most military personnel will be doing plenty of running. Here are some of the features that make this shoe a great military PT shoe:

SOLE:

1. Wrap over toe for added traction and help with a good running last.
2. Durable carbon sole with multi-directional tread for traction on any surface. This tread is very durable and with running on a treadmill, the road, and other workout activities I haven't seen much wear in the sole.
   
3. Bio flex grooves on the bottom to aid in the natural flex of the foot.
4. NRG reactor and impact pads in the ball and heel of the foot bed (respectively) to aid in impact resistance and energy return. You can feel this as these shoes really do offer good cushioning for the foot when running.
   
5. Polyurethane mid foot support bridge which is also reflective for safety.
6. structured landing pad area on heel lessens impact.
7. Anti-microbial insole treatment to help fend off odors... And believe me this works great. I have worn these shoes for several months and have yet to get a whiff of odor from them.

UPPER:

1. 360° 3M reflectivity. I have tried to include a picture of the reflective nature of these shoes, which is outstanding, but my camera wouldn't cooperate. But let me tell you, if you get hit while wearing these shoes then you were hit on purpose because there's no way anyone can miss you out on the road at night. This is a great safety feature.
2. Reflective skeletal support ribs help give the upper stability.
3. Tongue lace loops. This is another great feature...each set of eyelets on the shoe has a coinciding loop on the tongue for the lace to pass through to prevent the tongue from sagging down.
4. Nicely padded tongue...not too much, but just enough.
5. Solite Eva sock liner for added comfort and support. It's also treated with the ani-microbial treatment.
6. Anatomically correct opening which fits the achilies tendon nicely.
7. Duomass sole helps prevent over pronation. And it's comfy too!!
8. Reflective Polyurethane medial support plates. You can really feel the added support of these and the polyurethane stabilizers in the sole...they add a lot of comfort.
9. EVA midsole is tough yet light.
10. Royal air mesh panels on upper make these shoes breathable. I have felt the breeze blow through these shoes on several occasions...so I know these panels work.
11. Added synthetic leather gives extra durability to the upper.
12. Mil-spec laces (seen in pictures) which are a round lace to aid in quick tightening of the laces. An additional pair of flatter laces are also included.
    

I have been using these runners for a few months now doing various workouts along with a little casual wear and I really like them. They're an excellent value for their cost. UK gear has really put some thought into these shoes and you can tell when you wear them. And for many military branches and academies to use them tells you they're built to last. They look just as good now as they do when I took them out of the box and they're just as comfortable. Since wearing these I've also not gotten any shin splints, which I've been battling for a while now. The reflectivity is awesome in these shoes as well. I recommend these for anyone that is planning a new pair of running shoes or even casual shoes that need to be durable.

Colors available: Gray/Red/Black (shown), white/gray/red
MSRP: $95.00/$90.00
Technical data/diagram

Guardian Tactical Muzzle Cap

This is the Guardian Tactical Muzzle Cover from Max Tactical. With today's combat environments in both Iraq and Afghanistan our troops have been using muzzle caps to keep sand and other debris out of the barrel of their firearms. When I was in Iraq we didn't have these and didn't have the luxury of ordering anything like this so we ended up using duct tape to seal up the end of our firearms. These are a great improvement over duct tape. They also prevent water and snow from entering the barrel as well. All this can cause the barrel to get dirty and affect accuracy and at worst, cause the barrel to explode do to an obstruction in the barrel.

What's nice about these muzzle caps is that you don't have to remove them if you do not get the chance. If you have to shoot with the cap on it'll either fly straight off the rifle or the round will go through the cap with no influence on accuracy at shorter distances. If automatic or sustained fire is used while these caps are on they may melt to the barrel a little bit. This is a easy fix though as they're designed to be able to be wiped right off the barrel with a gloved hand while the barrel is still warm.

If you prefer to remove the cap before firing but want to keep it with the rifle you can attach it to the rifle by putting the barrel through the slits in the cap, as seen in the picture above. Again, with auto or sustained fire, melting may occur.

The cap also has ribs on it to help you take it off. One thing that other caps that I've seen do not have.

These caps fit most NATO rifles / firearms with compensator / flash hider, including M4 series, M16 series, FN FAL, L85, AUG, M249 Series, HK G3, G33, G36 Series, Famas, and more...

Another good use for these is as a safety muzzle cover for airsoft training rifles to ensure that if there is a negligent discharge the BB is stopped by the muzzle cover.

Max Tactical will also send them free to troops overseas (one to each troop) with only a $2 shipping fee. A nice support for our troops.

I recently tested these on my rifle (see video below) and they work as advertised and I was very impressed with their performance.

I use these on my rifle and it's definitely comforting to know that my barrel has that extra layer of protection.

Available in Tan and Black.

MSRP: $5.00

Milspecmonkey Monkey Patch

Milspecmonkey provides a lot of good info and reviews on military gear. Another thing he does is design his own gear and morale patches. The first patch that I've used from the monkey is the logo for his company...the milspec monkey logo. This patch is extremely well made. The embroidery is very good and the velcro is of great quality. It will definately not be coming off on accident. This is going to be one of my favorite morale patches. It's just very unique and I like supporting the milspec monkey site...so...this will be one of my most worn patches.

This patch (along with monkey's other patches) is available in full color or an array of tactical colors that match different camouflage patterns. The one displayed here is the forest color.

Milspec money also has a ton of other unique morale patches....go check them out...

Outdoor Meal Kit

This is another great product by light-my-fire. The outdoor meal kit is the Swedish update to the mess kit. It's good for use while camping and hiking and also fits in just as well at home or the workplace. This kit provides plenty of unique features and uses. I have been using it for a while now for camping and taking food to work. I have used it in the microwave as well as the dishwasher and it shows no wear. Here are the features of this kit:

1. Dishwasher safe
2. Floats
3. Microwave safe
4. Main container retains all other pieces. Both the top and bottom of the main container can be used as a plate. Bottom of the container can be used as a bowl.
5. Bowl included that can be used as a spill proof cup. The top provides a waterproof seal and has a small hole in it to drink from. This bowl/cup also has measurements in it for 100, 200, and 300 ml, They are marked with a 1, 2 and 3. This cup also has a small handle that makes it easy to pick up.
   
6. Includes a strainer/cutting board. This is nice and thick and is a great addition to this kit.
7. Includes a smaller waterproof bowl/container which is good for keeping spices or anything else you want to keep moisture away from.
8. Included spork is very handy. One end is a spoon, the other end is a fork with serrated knife. The knife is actually very nice and works well. I have several of these sporks for camping and one I keep with my work gear for times when a spoon or fork is needed but not available. See my review for more details.
9. Harness available for attaching this to your pack and keeping the container closed.

I like this item and think that it's a really god item. The quality is outstanding. This kit has quite a bit that you can use all in one small package. There is even room inside for additional items. I keep my firefork and firesteel in the main compartment as well. A fairly simple kit, but with a lot of innovative and unique features!

MSRP: $19.95

Light-My-Fire FireSteel

Light-My-Fire is a Swedish company that has a lot of innovative products for the outdoors man or anyone who goes camping or is on the move. Their FireSteel is a really nice fire starting tool that was designed for the Swedish Department of Defense, but it's great fore starting camp fires, grills, etc etc. I have used mine most to start my MSR portable camp stove due to the fact that the gasoline can light very quick in a ball of flames and with this firesteel I can light it at a distance.

The firesteel comes in 3 different sizes (mini, scout, Army). The one I've been using is the Army model. Here are the specs on this version:

1. Up to 12,000 strikes
2. Works when wet and in the wind.
3. Produces a spark that's 5,500°F
4. Spark is bright enough to be used as an emergency signal.
5. Available in subdued colors.
6. Includes it's own striker which is attached via para cord. This striker works great. You get a spark every time.
7. Shipped and stored with a protective coating on the "flint" area. This is easily rubbed off with the striker or a blade.

This is a great piece of gear that you should have several of if you're in the outdoors a lot or a camper. I really like this model and I'll be buying a couple of the minis to test out and to use on my key chain. I like them that much!!

MSRP $17.99

KG Coating's cleaning products

KG coatings has everything you'd need in the area of firearm cleaning and lubricating products. I received several cleaning and lubricating products to test out and found them to be high quality items. The products are all made to meet military and police SWAT standards. I found these items pretty unique in that a lot of times, especially in the military and police work, you just use a simple CLP and possibly a spray solvent to both clean and lubricate your firearms. KG coatings has taken firearms cleaning much further. They have several products that perform and clean different parts of the firearms and I found this attention to detail amazing.

The following are the products I've been using and a description of each:

KG1 Carbon Remover:
This formula is specifically designed to remove carbon build up and powder fouling, and aids in loosening copper fouling. This is especially useful on black powder firearms and also helps greatly in any firearm. Having something specifically to focus on the carbon buildup is extremely helpful. MSRP: $5.95

KG12 Big Bore Cleaner:
This is designed to clean copper from large caliber military firearms, which is why you'll notice it's a larger bottle. KG12 contains no ammonia and will not etch or otherwise harm the bore. The military has used it on howitzers with good success. Again....I wish I had something like this while I was in the military. MSRP: $9.95

KG2 Bore Polish:
This formula also helps in removing copper fouling, but also improves the condition of the bore. It removes the copper fouling, but leaves the copper embedded in the bore, which creates a smooth polished bore. This helps maintain first shot accuracy. MSRP: $11.95

KG3 Solvent & Degreaser:
This degreaser and solvent flushes away all of the cleaners and polish without leaving a residue. It is fast evaporating. MSRP: $8.95

KG4 Gun Oil:
Made to military satandards (Mil-L-63460) this is a blend of fine lubricants which provides corrosion protection along with making cleanup of the firearm easy as well. It does this by keeping firing residue in suspension. MSRP: $5.95

KG5 Micro-PTFE Trigger Lube:
This is a lubricant specifically to be used on the trigger mechanisms. It takes the KG4 and adds other fine lubricants including a low molecular weight PTFE. Not only is it great for triggers it's also great for any other close tolerance parts. MSRP: $5.95

Overall I've found this system to be a great way to get a good cleaning and lubrication of your firearms. It takes into account all the specific areas to clean on the firearms and ensures that each area is cleaned and lubricated accordingly. I will continue to use these products to further test their effectiveness...but from what I can tell so far....they are definately a high quality product!

Update: This weekend I used these products to clean a bunch of my dad's firearms. Some of these have been in our family for decades and had rarely, if ever, seen any cleaning. Some showed surface rust and one 20 gauge that was my grandfathers had never been cleaned. These products along with the Otis Deluxe elite cleaning kit got these firearms extremely clean and with very little effort once I got a technique down. I was very impressed with the quality of these products, yet again!

Otis Deluxe Military Elite Cleaning System

Wow....that's what I thought when I received the Deluxe Military Elite cleaning kit from Otis. I had to sit back and just look through the kit before even beginning to clean anything. This kit is absolutely awesome. Great for the armorer or the regular civilian who has multiple firearms.

Everything you need to clean a gun is included in this kit. The Otis breach-to-muzzle system ensures that any fouling is pulled out the muzzle instead of deposited in the chamber. The Otis systems use a "flexible rod", which is a aircraft grade cable covered with a plastic or nylon coating. The attachment points at the end can take a half ton of pull...so these aren't coming apart.

One unique thing you'll find in the Otis system are the patches. In this system, which can clean 5.56MM, 7.62MM, 9MM, .45 Caliber, .50 Caliber & 12 Gauge weapons systems, only 2 patch sizes are needed and included in this kit. The patches are of excellent quality and do not leave behind any fibers. When it comes to this system the patch is attached to the flexible rod in such a manner that it comes in complete contact with the bore all the way around. With traditional cleaning rods & patches the patch tends to only come in contact with a portion of the bore and is off-center. This can also cause the rod to scratch the bore/barrel. They also thought of an attachment that aids clean the 12 gauge barrel more thoroughly as well.

All tips and tools are made of forged brass....which means no aluminum oxide build up on the parts.

One really cool thing that I really like about this deluxe system is that you can either take the whole thing with you or you can use the included ballistic nylon pouch that has belt and MOLLE attachments. This allows you to only take what you need with you. There is plenty of room in this pouch to carry patches, flexible rod, CLP, tools, and several different bore brushes, yet, it doesn't take up much room on a vest or pack.

There is also a DVD and instruction manual included with the system which explains the techniques to use. This gives you an idea of how this system differs from other ways of cleaning a firearm.

I figured that I would include a list of all the components of this system to really give an idea of how much you get...

1. Nylon Case


2. Compact AP brush (tubed)


3. Pipe Cleaners (4)
   


4. Chamber rod


5. Instructional DVD & Brochure


6. 3" mini CD rom (was not included in the kit I received)


7. 1/2 oz. CLP (3)


8. 5.56 bore brush (tubed)


9. 30 cal. bore brush (tubed)


10. 35 cal. bore brush (tubed)


11. 38 cal. bore brush (tubed)


12. 41 cal. bore brush (tubed)


13. 45 cal. bore brush (tubed)
    


14. 50 cal. bore brush (tubed)


15. Locks w/keys


16. Bore reflector


17. Scraper set


18. Lens cloths


19. Lens cleaning solution (2)
    


20. 12 gauge bore brush (tubed)


21. cotton swabs (6)


22. Lens cleaning brush


23. 5.56 chamber brush


24. 8" memory flex cable (2)
    


25. 20" memory flex cable


26. 8" memory flex cable w/30 cal. tip (2)
    


27. 30" memory flex cable(2)


28. 3" patches (100)


29. 2" patches (50)


30. Panoply 3" patches (50)


31. Soft pack case


32. nylon brush end


33. compact A/P brush
    


34. 22 cal. tip


35. 22 cal. obstruction remover


36. 30 cal. tip


37. Shotgun cleaning tip


38. NATO adaptor


39. Large Obstruction remover


40. T-handle base


41. Scraper


42. Pick


43. Pin punch


44. Female rod handle


45. 3/4" Large patch saver


46. Bore reflector


47. 3" patches (10)

I have cleaned my AR15 and Glock 19 with this system and it really works great. You definitely have enough tools here to get your firearm very clean. The system even comes with ends for the regular cleaning rod that are punches to take down your rifle if need be. And it's all covered by a lifetime warranty. I plan on taking this system to my fathers house and giving all of his guns a good cleaning and I will update this post when I get that done.

MSRP $410.50

Videos courtesy of US Cav on youtube:


Rifle cleaning


Shotgun cleaning


Pistol cleaning


Patch use


Update: This weekend I used this kit to clean a bunch of my dad's firearms. Some of these have been in our family for decades and had rarely, if ever, seen any cleaning. Some showed surface rust and one 20 gauge that was my grandfathers had never been cleaned. This kit along with KG coatings solutions got these firearms extremely clean and with very little effort once I got a technique down. I was very impressed with the quality of these products, yet again!

Loud Truck Energy Gummies

Loud Truck Energy Gummies provide you with all natural ingredients to include Guarana extract and vitamins such as the B vitamins to give you energy without a crash at the end like some energy products will. They also have 220mg of Vitamin C.

These gummies taste pretty good ad are fat free. I used them during some force-on-force training and I'm no scientist or medical expert....so I can't say 100% if these boosted my energy, but I believe they did. And not the jittery kind of energy, but just that awake and "ready to go" kind of energy. But yet after a few hours I didn't crash and feel like absolute trash like some energy drinks can make you feel. They come 9 in a bag and they're super convenient by just throwing them in a cargo pocket or backpack pouch.

When you buy a box of these they come out to be around $1.80 per bag...which is a savings over the high priced energy drinks that are on the market today. So if you like energy drinks to give you a little pick me up....try these out...they're good stuff!!

Flavors: Orange, Cherry

MSRP: $21.48 per box (1 box contains 12/1oz bags).

Revision Sawfly Glasses

When you wear safety glasses on a daily basis do you really want to risk your eyesight on the quality of cheap glasses. I was recently wearing a pair of safety glasses which are a known brand in the industrial safety community. I went to take these glasses off as normal and they broke in two on the bridge area between the two lenses. Right then I knew I wanted to get something a little better to protect my eyes. If something were to hit those glasses at a high velocity would they protect my eyes? Maybe, maybe not...well...my vision is too valuable to me for those odds.

When I received a pair of Revision Sawfly glasses I knew I would be able to put these to daily use and after having read about the glasses and seen the shotgun video I immediately had confidence in their ability to protect my eyes. There are countless letters that have been sent to Revision from troops overseas who have been hit with IEDs and the Revision products have saved their vision. For that reason the Sawfly has become standard issue at Army basic training and is in use by military and law enforcement all over the world.

I got the Sawfly military kit which includes the glasses with clear and smoke lenses, a microfiber cleaning pouch, a retention head strap, and a semi-rigid storage case (not a hard case). I will cover some of the features and give some comments on the features:

1. High impact protection which exceedes ANSI Z87.1 and military standards. Revision has tested these lenses with a shotgun test by shooting the lenses from 16 feet with #6 shot. (see video below) The lenses held up just fine with no penetration. Independent testing has proven this to be true, and when the same was done to other brands, the Revision glasses held up better than the competition. Other brands broke in two just like the glasses I was using. Not good!


2. Curved optically correct single lens shield provide protection through to the sides of the eyes. The lack of a frame design and the quality of the lenses provide an unobstructed field-of-view. The only issue I've had with the lenses, which isn't really a quality thing, just something I noted, was that I had trouble getting them to really come clean even with the provided cleaning bag. They seemed to have some hazing or streaking. I didn't notice it when wearing the glasses, so it didn't impair my vision. I ended up using a Clear-shot cleaner and this cleaned the lenses up well.


3. Interchangeable and replaceable lens system which protects you against UV-A, UV-B and UV-C rays. You can get lenses in clear, smoke, and high contrast yellow. Switching out the lenses is a breeze. You just pull down on the center of the lens and then pull the sides out. To place the new lens in you just have to put the sides in (at a slight angle) and then the center and make sure they're pushed up in place. That easy. I used the cleaning bag to hold the lenses while switching them to limit finger prints on the lenses.


4. The frames come in 2 sizes. Regular for most heads and large for hat sizes 7.5 plus. The frame temple arms adjust for length. I find this useful to not only get the right fit, but to get the arms out of the way when wearing head wear. The frames come in tan, black, or foliage green.
   
5. Prescription lens carrier available which can be switched out with the Desert Locust Goggle as well.


6. The case that comes with this kit holds your glasses and has soft sleeves inside it to hold additional lenses. These sleeves are attached so you don't lose them. It has belt loops on the back and a clip on the end to attach it to your gear. One change I would make to this case would be to make the straps on the back MOLLE compatible. This would allow for belt wear and attachment to a vest or pack. Also, additional case colors would be nice as well.


7. Comfortable nose piece and rubber on the ends of the temple arms helps to keep the glasses from slipping down.

I have been wearing these glasses on almost a daily basis during work and have found that they're very comfortable and light weight. At first they seemed a little loose on my head. But even so I had no problem with them slipping down. On one occasion while doing some training and sweating, they started to slip just a little, but adding the retention headband solved this problem. Being that they felt a little loose they weren't uncomfortable and tight on my head. Several times I've worn safety glasses that were uncomfortably tight on my head. Since they were uncomfortable I'd take them off, which meant they weren't providing me with the protection I needed. The Sawfly glasses are extremely comfortable to wear.

One thing that always happens with safety glasses is fogging when sweating. I have been in hot and humid environments the entire time I've work these and have yet to see them fog up. A big plus in my book because, again, if you take them off due to fogging, they can't protect your eyes.

Overall, I highly recommend these glasses from revision. If you care about your eyes, the MSRP of $89.99 for this kit isn't too much to save your vision. I will continue to use these glasses and report and update this post as necessary.