I picked this airsoft BB loader up from Airsplat to see how it worked. The typical loader included with most airsoft rifles is simply a tube with a stopper at the end that you feed BBs into, place that end into the magazine and then use the included rod to force the BBs into the magazine. This is not very convenient, fast and down right a pain in the butt. Plus, the loader is most times hard to carry on your person without damaging it.
The brand is Exterior Accessories sold at Airsplat(HERE).
This loader comes in a smoke color that you can kinda see through to view how many BBs are in it. I, of course, had to camouflage it (i seem to do that with a lot of gear). It's shaped like a pistol magazine so it'll fit anywhere a pistol mag will.
To use you fill it from the top and close it. Push the "trigger release" button on the side and what I'll call the "loading trigger" pops up. You place the end (where the rounds would be on a real mag) into the rifle magazine and then push down the loading trigger. This pushes several BBs into the magazine. Some times it'll skip a bit and not load any BBs if they haven't fallen down into the loading trigger area, but not a problem, just keep pressing up and down on the loading trigger until your magazine is full. Then you can refill the loader and put it in a mag pouch for use during a game or training.
The only thing you need to be aware of with this loader is to place it in the mag pouch with the loading trigger release button facing out, or away from anything that can press it, just to keep the loading trigger from popping up. If it does it could be broken off. This generally doesn't happen too much, but just something to keep in mind.
Overall these are something you need to order as an accessory for any airsoft gun. Much better and more convenient, and at a cost that's worth it.
Cost at Airsplat: $4.95 (return customers can get a discount)
This pack is a hydration style pack made by Condor Tactical and can be purchased through AFMO. My younger brother bought it for holding his airsoft gear and it can hold a decent amount for a day hike or some smaller tactical gear.
It is 17in. tall and 9in. wide and has a main compartment as well as a smaller compartment and is constructed of 600 Denier nylon.
The smaller compartment has 4 rows and 4 columns of PALS/MOLLE straps on the outside to add additional pouches/gear. The small pouch has a one way zipper and the main pouch has a 2 way zipper, both with pull tabs. The inside features an organizer to keep smaller items organized.
The back of the pack has some areas of mesh padding that are designed the allow air flow between the back and the pack. I have always found these, no matter what the quality of the pack, to be somewhat helpful, but not really that noticeable when it comes to airflow on the back.
This pack also includes a waist and sternum strap to help stabilize the pack when running and when carrying a heavier load. Some descriptions say that it has quick release buckles, which it does on the sternum and waist straps, but not on the shoulder straps.
One feature of the pack that I feel doesn't hold up too well is the hydration bladder (2.5 liter). For one, there is no indication whether it has a microbial coating to prevent mold buildup, like most name brand bladders. There is no way of buying a new "bite valve" if it becomes damaged from use (I imagine you could write directly to the company and get a new one). Also, the drink tube attaches to the bladder by screwing on. It is a plastic screw that looks as if it's easy to damage, and has already caused Tyler some leaking problems. 2 things that are good about the bladder is that it has a large mouth that helps in cleaning and filling with ice. The bite valve also has an on/off feature by pulling out on the valve. There is also a insulated tube cover included. It is unsure how much pressure the hydration system can take before leaking. The bladder slips down between the main pack and the back panel.
Not a bad pack, but not durable for real military applications.
This pack is available in the following colors: OD, Black, coyote tan, ACU camouflage.
Update: On a local hike within 6 months of having the pack, my brother noticed that the top carry handle of this pack pulled off on one side due to weak stitching. The rest of the pack is still intact.
This watch comes to you from the Nite Watch Co. out of the UK and distributed out of Florida. The specific model reviewed here is the MX20 model. The version of this model with the Stainless Steel wrist strap is designated 201. There is also a polymer strap version.
Most times I prefer a rubber wrist strap over metal, so this was really one of the first metal strapped watches I've really worn. My reasoning behind the rubber wrist strap is that it can be easily adjusted to go over outer wear or adjusted for the wrists swelling. However, this watch band hasn't really bothered me too much in this aspect.
For initial sizing it's best to go to a jewelry store or jewelry dept of a dept store over adjusting it yourself. Adjusting for initial fit consists of basically pounding out a pin and taking links out until it's at the right fit for you. I suggest going to a jewelry store because if they break the band doing this they're responsible... where as if you do it you may have just broke your expensive watch band. Before you have this done however there is one thing I suggest doing. On the buckle attachment there is a pin that can be placed in 4 different holes. I suggest putting it in one of the inner holes before getting the watch sized to your wrist. This pin can be removed easily with a safety pin. The reason for this is that once the wrist strap is adjusted this pin will allow you to make very slight adjustments yourself if need be.
While I'm on the subject of the wrist strap I'll cover the rest of the features of this strap. - Made of gunmetal PVD Stainless Steel - The wrist strap has a double locking clasp. When removing the watch you'll need to squeeze buttons on both sides of the strap, then there is a locking bar that has to be raised in order for the strap to lengthen. This is super sturdy and I haven't had it come loose yet. - The black coating on the strap is pretty durable but will rub off a little in high wear areas. I noticed this on the area where my arm would rub against a table when sitting. There is a little wear along the edges of a few of the links, but isn't noticeable unless you're looking for it. Along the same lines, if you look in the picture, when sweating the watch seems to turn your wrist slightly black. I wouldn't have expected this from a watch of this high quality, and it's not dirt collecting under the watch, it's discoloration from the watch itself.
For the actual watch itself, it's a fairly simple design, but is loaded with technology to make it very accurate, durable, and functional.The most noticeable feature which is what the company name is based off of is the tritium vials used to illuminate the face of the watch. Each hour marker has a green tritium marker except the 12 o'clock marker, which is orange. This helps to orient which markers are for which numbers. There is also a green marker on the 12 o'clock spot on the rotating bezel. Tritium generally lasts 10-20 years and glows non-stop, so no matter what light you're in, the tritium is illuminated. This also means you don't have to press any buttons to check the time in low or no light. One thing to remember on a tactical note is that if you need to have strict light discipline you'll want to make sure the face of the watch is covered by a sleeve or something else.
Covering the face of the watch is an ultra thick 3.2mm domed sapphire crystal with triple anti-reflective coating which provides high visibility, scratch resistance and dial protection. I can say I haven't been easy on this watch and there are no scratches to the face at all. Clarity of the face is excellent.
This watch features a screw in crown with double O-ring seals to give it water resistance up to 200 meters. I like the screw down feature as it adds durability and reliability to the watch. At first it rubbed on my hand (wearing it on the left wrist) when my wrist was bent a certain way but my hand got used to it and it doesn't bother me at all now.
The back of the watch is just as nice as the business side. It's laser engraved stainless steel and screws in to the watch to cover the 10 year factory installed battery.
When it comes to telling time this watch is by far the best I've used. I set it when i got it to the atomic clock in our house and it's been 6 months and it's still right on time. This is all due to the Ronda 715.Li.6 Swiss movement. Made in Sweden with swiss parts, this is the best of the swiss watches I've used.
The rotating bezel is a useful feature but I wouldn't rely on it as the sole purpose for timing when it comes to life and death instances like timing your air supply. The reason I say this is because it's rotates nice and smooth, which is a catch 22. It rotates nice and smooth with is nice because it's easy to rotate, but being easy to rotate it can catch on items or rub on your hand and moves easily that way too. But I've also had watches that are damned near impossible to rotate the bezel, which is just useless.
There is also a date window on the face. The only mechanical issue I've had was that the band fell apart when putting it on my wrist once a few days after having it sized. The pin where it came apart wasn't the one used to size the watch, but i believe the hammering from the sizing loosened it and once i got it hammered back together there haven't been any problems with it since.
I also did notice the tritium dial on the bezel is slightly canted. This isn't a huge issue, but more of an observation.
All in all I've really grown to like this watch. For being a digital watch guy I can say I've been glad to be able to test out this watch. I've worn it 24/7 for six months through all sorts of weather and situations. I haven't babied it at all and it's not skipped a beat....literally. The only thing I'd prefer be improved upon would be this black coloring that transfers to the wrist when sweating. Otherwise a great watch that will serve you well!!!
Update: One thing I forgot to mention in the original review is that this watch will not be wuined like others when it comes into contact with "Off" bug spray or other chemicals. I've seen many watches that have plastic on them melt with use of these chemicals.
The Rail Riders company claims to have the toughest clothes on the planet....well, through my experiences wearing their clothing, I tend to believe their claim. The company's name comes from the yacht racing sports in which the crew "rides the rails" to increase speed. The founder of the company didn't like the chafing resulting from wearing water logged canvas pants for the length of a 24 hour race, so he created the Rail Riders line of clothing.
One piece of their line that I've had the pleasure of wearing and testing is the Jammin' shorts. The first thing I thought would be a problem on these shorts was the included belt. It's a nylon web belt that's got a front release buckle. Any pants I've had with this type of belt have always been a pain because the belt would loosen up and I end up typing a knot in the belt to prevent it from slipping through the buckle and loosening. Well, I've worn these shorts as much as possible in the warm weather and the belt hasn't loosened at all. It really shows that Rail Riders puts quality control up front in their designs. This belt works great, and is much lighter than any other belt I may have worn with the shorts.
Speaking of light weight, these shorts are made of some really great material. They are made of allure textured nylon, which is soft to the touch, repels a light mist or rain (helping with stain repelancy), and is light weight for hot humid days. With this comfort you'd almost expect a loss of durability. Not with Rail Riders. These shorts can take a beating!!! Stitching on the Rail Riders clothing is great as well. Bar tacked at stress points and no loose stitching.
OK, and on for the features, which these shorts are full of.
Pockets - These shorts have plenty of pockets to tote your stuff around in. - 2 J pockets (hip pockets) that are made of mesh on the inside and have large enough openings to get your whole hand in easily. They are nice and deep as well so you don't lose items, and the mesh is nice for draining water, lighter weight, and letting out heat. - Right side J pocket also features a velcro closed change pocket. - Left Side J pocket has a hidden zippered pocket along the seam....I like to call this the "secure" pocket as it's harder to tell it's there and requires unzipping to get into. - 2 side bellowed cargo pockets. These pockets close with Velcro and have a pull tab to help in opening. These pockets also have 2 drain holes in them. They're nicely sized for shorts, but harder to get your hand into to get smaller items out from the bottom. Not a huge issue, but maybe another inch in width would have been a little help. - One rear pocket with a velcro closure.
Elastic waist that has several inches of give. This makes these shorts really comfortable!
Gusseted crotch for better range of motion. I recognize this feature from martial arts uniforms I've worn in the past. This is an added piece of fabric in the crotch that allows the legs more range of motion by having more material in this area.
Zippered fly.
9 inch inseam. I like this longer inseam on a short meant for outdoor adventure use!
They're also very packable. They roll up into a very small package and take up practically no room in a pack.
I've used these shorts quite a bit....to test durability I try to use them as often as possible and they look just like they did the day I got them. I have a feeling they'll last for quite some time. The features are great and very user friendly, and the fact that you can use and abuse them and after a washing they look brand new is absolutely great, whether camping, hiking, or just enjoying a day at the beach.
100% Nylon
Colors: Dark Stone, Granite, Grey Green, Natural Sizes: Sm - XXL
If you're a gear manufacturer or retailer and would like me to do a review of your gear feel free to email me and we can set something up. I will give and honest review and not only include it on the site but also email results and suggestions back.
