Gear Geek's

Testing of the Walther P22

2012-01-11T17:11:00.001-05:00

MSRP: $379.00

Walther P22

Walther

Hike and Shoot

2012-01-11T16:59:00.001-05:00

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Otterbox Commuter Phone Case

2011-12-01T03:45:00.001-05:00

MSRP: $29-40

Many colors available depending on model of phone.

Otterbox

5.11 Tactical Rush 24 Pack

2011-11-27T05:23:00.001-05:00

MSRP:

Multicam $179.99

Black, Sandstone, Tac OD, Flat Dark Earth: $139.99

Responder 24 Version (Red): $139.99

5.11 Bags and Packs

5.11 Tactical Online Shop

5.11 Tactical Rush 12 Pack

2011-11-27T02:03:00.001-05:00

MSRP:

Black, Sandstone: $109.99

Multicam: $149.99

5.11 Bags & Packs

5.11 Tactical Shop

Tactical Mic Keeper

2011-10-26T15:35:00.000-04:00

This is an excellent product that I can't believe has just been invented. I don't know how many times my microphone for my portable radio has come flying off my uniform. This product takes care of that problem. The Tactical Mic Keeper (TMK) attaches securely to your uniform button and then your mic clips to it and doesn't come off unless you decide you want it to come off. Brilliant. I love this and suggest anyone carrying a portable radio with mic use one...especially if your life may depend on effective communication.
Shoot, move, communicate!
The TMK
MSRP: $9.95

Maxpedition Methuselah Bag

2011-10-17T00:46:00.000-04:00

Colors: Black, OD, Khaki, Foliage
MSRP: $79.99

DiCaPAC Waterproof Camera Case

2011-10-06T11:59:00.001-04:00

MSRP: Depends on model

DiCaPAC

OC Tactical Mag Pouches

2011-07-17T12:19:00.000-04:00

I received these mag pouches quite some time ago and have been using them quite a bit since. OC Tactical is a company that makes custom and hand made tactical gear, ad from my experience I'll add to that QUALITY gear.

The pouches I've been using from OC Tactical are the 30 round and 20 round magazine pouches. The features of each are as follows:
- Each holds 2 magazines
- The entire pouch is made of 2 layers of Cordura
- PALS webbing covering the back.
- Bungee retention cord with cord lock around the front of the magazine. This bungee is replaceable because it is not sewn into the pouch. Another great feature for longer life of the pouch.
- Drainage hole
- Extra material on flap to prevent holes from use.
- Pull tab on flap.

The 20 round mag pouch can also be used for things like GPS units, Cameras, combat bandages, etc, etc.

I have to say that these are some of the best made magazine pouches I've used. The attention to detail is great, the materials are great, and the workmanship is great. Noticing things like the extra cordura material on the flap where a lot of wear comes in from rubbing of the mags are things that really stood out!

Another thing is OC Tactical's use of many different patterns and solid colors that are available. And if you had requests for gear or patterns that aren't up on the site you could email them and work something out.

Each pouch is available without buckle (as shown here) or with a SRB buckle for extra security.

Overall I wouldn't hesitate to turn to OC Tactical for gear used for real world tactical use. The pouches I've been using are excellent in design and durability!

20 Rd mag pouch - $24 w/o buckle
$26 w/buckle
30 Rd mag pouch - $25 w/o buckle
$27 with buckle

Disse Gear Quadrula-X

2011-05-30T21:12:00.003-04:00

Stitching Coming Loose in One Area

**See Update Below**

Inside Wearing from the Grip Tape I added to my Glock. Perhaps a normal Cordura should be used instead of the lighter fabric that is used on the inside of the concealed carry pocket.

MSRP: $69.99
Colors: Olive tan
Black

Dimensions:

Main Compartment:	L 10" x W 8" x D 2.75"
Front Pocket:	L 6.5" x W 4" x D 2"
Rear Pocket:	L 10" x W 8" x D 1.5"
Buckled Side Pouches:	L 4.75" x W 2" x D 1.5"

**Update: 06/01/11 - I spoke with the owner of Disse Gear, Ed Disse, the night this review was posted. He assures me that the stitching issue will be looked into and that no further products will have this problem. I believe this is true as the family name is on the product and I believe Ed to be an honest and sincere man. I will do further reviews of the Disse lineup and I don't think stitching will be an issue. As Ed said "if there is a problem, we will make it right".

TAWATEC Dive Watch

2011-05-30T18:54:00.001-04:00

MSRP: $295.95
Tuff Writer

UTG Rifle Case

2011-05-30T16:43:00.002-04:00

5.11 Quality

2011-04-18T09:51:00.001-04:00

Safariland Model 27 Inside the Waistband Holster

2011-04-06T14:49:00.002-04:00

Approx. $45

Energizer Swivel Head Light

2011-03-30T18:13:00.002-04:00

www.afmo.com

--LINK--

$125.00

Energizer Hardcase Tactical

Cowboy Studios Customer Service

2011-03-30T18:12:00.001-04:00

Evercare Fabric Shaver

2011-03-30T11:46:00.000-04:00

This is a cool item by Evercare that I picked up at Target a while back. It gets rid of pilling on clothing. Pilling for those that don't know what it is are those little cotton balls, or fuzz balls that build up on certain pieces of clothing over time. Mostly found on socks and fleece. When these little balls of cloth build up on socks it can cause "hot spots" and make the socks uncomfortable. Instead of throwing the socks away you can get rid of these little cotton balls with this shaver.

To use you simply turn it on and lightly rub it back and forth and in circles on the piece of clothing. You may have to add a little more pressure for larger pilling, but start light because you don't want to damage the material. When you're done, there is a piece on the front that pops off to empty the shaver.

You can see the before and after pictures....it really works. This version is an older version, but you can still find it here. Newer versions are available just by googling "evercare fabric shaver".

Average price is around $12-13.

MOLLE Fighting Load Carrier

2011-03-09T12:27:00.002-05:00

Dynaflex Powerball

2011-03-02T14:07:00.002-05:00

MSRP: $59.95 (ball with docking station)
DynaFlex Powerball Webpage

Rail Rider's X-Treme Adventure Pant

2011-02-09T15:38:00.005-05:00

MSRP: $98
Colors: Khaiki, Slate, Sage
Rail Riders Webpage

ChicoBag Daypack

2011-01-19T12:38:00.002-05:00

Chico Bag Daypack20 rePETe
MSRP: $24.99

ChicoBag

Condor Quality

2011-01-19T12:37:00.000-05:00

Drifire shirt & balacalava

2011-01-19T12:18:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple more items from DriFire. A long sleeve shirt and cold weather Balacalava. Great items and very comfy. The balacalava is super warm and comfy and offers the DriFire protection.... check out the vid...

Belleville Hot Weather Safety Toe Boot

2011-01-19T10:25:00.000-05:00

My younger brother (in the video) has been wearing these boots for a couple months now both for some daily wear as well as during training with the US Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol.

He says that comfort with these boots is exceptional compared to other boots he's worn. He's had absolutely no comfort issues with them.

As expected with a good footwear company like Belleville, durability has also been exceptional. Him and I both do not believe there will be any issues with the longevity of the boot. I myself have worn Belleville boots in the military and they are excellent boots.

The sole on these boots are a tri layer sole with the outsole being the aggressive Vibram® Sierra sole, the midsole of rubber/polyurethane, and the insole being a removable polyurethane insert. My brother said they're very comfortable for standing in for hours but when driving the aggressive nature of the outsole can catch on the pedals.

The upper is made of leather and Cordura®. Similar in style and design to the traditional jungle boot, with improvements in quality, to include a padded collar.

This particular model features a steel toe that meets ASTM F2412-05 and F2413-05 standards, if that's a standard you need to meet in your footwear. Great for those dealing with heavy items, like tankers, mechanics, etc.

Overall it's been a good boot. I will update this review as time goes on.
MSRP: $117

www.unclesamsretailoutlet.com

Gear Geek's Shirts

2011-01-15T23:49:00.002-05:00

I'm thinking of getting some shirts made up. If anyone is interested get me your size and how many and I'll get you a quote back. Cost depends on quantity ordered.

Luna Optics SM30 Monocular

2010-12-28T10:02:00.003-05:00

This monocular, by Luna Optics is a civilian 1st generation night vision device. 1st generation means it's older technology. With newer technology comes higher prices, that not everyone can afford. Selling at Uncle Sam's Retail Outlet for $199.95 it's a decent device for that cost.

This monocular is better used, and most likely designed for, outdoors. The reason I say this is that 1st off it has a 3x magnification. This is honestly hard to tell. If I didn't read that it had this magnification I'd say it had none or maybe 1x. But also when I've tried this device inside in an average sized room in complete darkness you can't see a thing. But the monocular has an infrared illuminator, so I turned that on. When this is turned on inside and the light reflects off something in close proximity it flushes out the optic and the optic will turn off. This is a good feature so that the optic is saved from damage, but that's my reasoning behind specifying that this is for outdoor use, at least when using the illuminator.

The illuminator needs to be used in complete darkness and on extremely dark nights for a good picture. This is a result of this being lower/older technology. In the civilian market this shouldn't be a problem as you won't have "bad guys" looking through their own NVDs trying to spot your IR illuminator.

Quality of the picture is what you should expect from 1st generation technology, and under optimal settings the manufacturer claims a 200 meter viewing distance. I'd say under most circumstances you're looking at 100 to 150 MAX distance (with the IR illuminator being used).

Durability has been good so far, though I haven't had the opportunity to test it under harsh conditions. As I continue to use this device I'll update the review with any new observations.

This device is powered by 2 AA batteries. AS with any electronic device, I suggest using lithium batteries to extend battery life and for the better durability of lithium batteries.

Overall, not a bad device for civilian use. At an affordable price it's proven to be useful and practical.

Details:

• High-quality all-glass optics. • Built-in IR illuminator and tripod mount. • One-touch controls with power and IR light indicators. • Attractive Duo-Tone rubberized finish. • Technology--------------Top-Grade Generation-1 • Magnification:-----------3x • Objective lens:----------50mm • Field Of View:-----------12 degrees • Focusing distance:--------1.5m (4.9ft) to infinity • Viewing distance:---------200m (650ft) • Power:--------------------2 x AAA-size • Operating time:-----------30 hrs • Warranty:-----------------1 year

ITW military Products

2010-12-22T16:26:00.002-05:00

Kole Gear Hydration Pack

2010-11-22T12:19:00.000-05:00

This is a hydration pouch from a company called Kole Gear. They have a different take on the hydration bladder. The bladder is more like a heavy duty balloon instead of a bladder.

I wouldn't recommend this pack for hard use as the bladder is somewhat fragile when it comes to pressure being applied to it. I had one break by just placing it in the pack. The idea is unique, but for hard use I wouldn't use this pack. Also, the way of filling the pack requires extra equipment. Maybe it'd be a little more convenient if this equipment could be made more compact to be able to pack it in the pack to be able to bring with you. You have to fill a bottle, then use a hand pump system to fill the bladder. Maybe if the pump system was made smaller and the bottle exchanged for a collapsible bottle, like a platypus bottle this might make it easier to fill on the go. Check out the video for all the details...

MSRP: $64.00

Gear Geek's Discount Codes

2010-11-17T06:50:00.001-05:00

Some companies have decided to team up with Gear Geeks to provide our viewers with discounts on products... the discounts are as follows...

Maxpedition - GEARGEEK code for 5% off.

AFMO - GEARGEEKS for 15% off. In addition if you order over $150 of products you get free shipping too (some larger or restricted items do not apply). That would give a total of 25-30% off.

US Patriot Tactical - GEARGEEKS for 5% off

PacSafe DaySafe 100 Pack

2010-11-03T16:58:00.005-04:00

MSRP: $149.99

PacSafe

G-shock testing

2010-11-03T10:30:00.001-04:00

Screwpop Tool

2010-10-13T11:37:00.001-04:00

The screwpop tool is a cool 4-in-1 keychain tool that combines a bottle opener, 1/4" nut driver, flathead screw driver, and a phillips head screwdriver in one tool that's small enough to fit on your keychain or in your pocket without taking up much room.

I've used this tool and it works good for like to medium work with screws and will open a beer as advertised. One thing i'd suggest in future models of this tool would be to give the "ring" portion that's used as a bottle opener a slightly oval shape. I feel this would give it better leverage on the bottle cap. It will open a bottle just fine, but i've found the more oval shape in a bottle opener works much easier.

A handy little tool to have around. It can be purchased through Screwpop Tool's webpage for $4.95.

Blackhawk Advanced Tactical Knee pad (ver.2)

2010-10-04T23:20:00.006-04:00

One thing I did with these "Advanced Tactical knee pads" to make them more comfortable was to remove the extra padding at the inner top of the pad. This padding is there to prevent the knee pad from slipping down on the leg. I found, however, that it tends to rub on the top of my knee cap and make a raw spot. Which takes any comfort out of the equation. Other than that these knee pads have worked well for me. They provide comfort (once this mod os done) and protection and have held up well to some serious use and abuse.

Colors: Black, Coyote tan, Foliage, OD

MSRP: $24.99

Blackhawk

Contigo AUTOSEAL Travel Mug

2010-09-05T12:20:00.007-04:00

The Contigo AUTOSEAL West Loop Stainless Steel Travel Mug provides you with a great stylish way to carry and insulate 16 oz of cold or hot beverages in a spill proof mug.

The AUTOSEAL lid has a mechanism that allow you to press a button on the side which opens up the drinking hole and a vent hole so that you get a great flow of your drink and once you let go of the button, the seal closes and prevents spills. Now the company says 100% leak proof.... but if you throw this around in your pack it will leak a little. I did this and there was some small amount of leakage. This could, however, have resulted from the button being pushed while in the bag...I'm not sure. But I wouldn't throw this inside your bag while full. In one of your side bottle holders, definitely! So it probably is 100% leak proof, but you will want to be sure there is nothing pressing on the side button.

The double-wall, vacuum-insulated walls claim to keep beverages hot for 4 hours, and cold for 12 hours. Obviously this will depend on the air temperature around the bottle, but I've found that it does keep liquids warm/cold for a good amount of time. It definitely is very well insulated.

The bottle material is stainless steel not only on the outside but on the inside as well, which means there is less of a chance of retaining odors/tastes after being washed out.

One thing I have noticed with this bottle is that when you drink out of it and let go of the side button to engage the AUTOSEAL you'll have a small amount of liquid still on top of the seal in the drinking hole area. I just open and close the seal after drinking so that this little amount drains back into the bottle. No biggie!

Overall an excellent mug in both quality and design. It comes in many different colors to suit your style and is priced at $19.99. Not a bad price for this product!

Coleman Max Sleeping Mat

2010-08-31T10:30:00.004-04:00

I picked up this sleeping mat at a local store and thought I'd throw it up for review. Not a whole lot to tell. It's a self inflating sleeping mat, with an attached inflatable pillow. The pillow is not self inflatable. When the mat has been in storage and rolled for any period of time it'll take a couple hours for full inflation. Comfort is fairly good, and durability is increased with a nylon outer material. I'm kind of a bad judge on comfort, since I have a bad back, but in comparison to the old military isomat this mat is a definite step up!

Dimensions: 2.5" x 25" x 76"

MSRP: $46.99

Coleman 40-529 Watch

2010-08-29T10:14:00.008-04:00

This is a great value watch that can be purchased in the store or online for an MSRP of $20. Yep, $20. Not too bad for what you get. Does it have it's potential flaws or possible improvements, of course. But it's a $20 watch.

Here are some of the features:

- Time - 12/24 hour format

- Day and date display

- Dayglow display

- Backlight

- Stopwatch

- 24 hour countdown timer

- 5 alarms

- hourly chime

My observations of this watch are as such:

- The watch is slightly uncomfortable due to the stiff, thick watch band. The band may or may not be durable because of it's thickness. I have yet to determine this. It is nice and thick, but it's stiff, which leads me to believe it'll crack over time.

- The face of the watch is plastic instead of glass, which will be more prone to scratching.

- The buttons stick out from the side and have a lip to catch on stuff. I'm afraid this may cause the buttons to pull off, as happened with a Timex watch I had which had the same type of buttons.

- The buttons stick out and are easy to press, which causes them to inadvertently be activated when you don't want them to.

Despite the somewhat flawed design for an outdoor watch it's actually pretty decent for the price. And, it does have a cool outdoors look, with it's large size, compass bearings, and tire tred band design. I will update this post regarding durability as I use and abuse this watch.

Tru Spec ECWCS Gen 2 Parka

2010-08-29T01:26:00.006-04:00

This is the 2rd generation version of Tru-Spec's ECWCS parka. Based on the military version, but with more economical materials for a lower cost.

If you didn't know this was a commercial version of the ECWCS Goretex jacket you'd think it was the real deal. Features are the same, and quality is, for the most part, excellent. I've used this during training, for somewhat casual wear and pretty much any time it's rained in the last year or so and found it almost an exact match to the real deal.

The zipper is a plastic zipper, which is better than metal, but it is not of a quality like a YKK zipper. For the extent of features put into this jacket, I would have thought Tru Spec would have used a YKK zipper. The zipper is sometimes hard to start and zip, but isn't a show stopper. That is my only complaint with this jacket.

When wearing this in the rain I've only had rain get through once. This was during very heavy rain. When I took off the jacket my sides were a little wet. It was hard to tell where this came from since the inside of the jacket itself wasn't wet enough to tell where the leak came from. Either from the arm pit zipper or a faulty seam. I doubt it'd be from the seam since they're taped and it would be odd that it did this on both sides. I think possibly it leaked through the zipper area since normal zippers are used and not waterproof zippers.

When I first got this jacket I put it over the sink and poured some water in it. I let it set there for several hours. There was some slight dampening of the outer material, but no leaking through to the inside.

Durability has proven great with this jacket. No wear to the materials through the use I've put it through.

Here are the details of the features:

- Two way zipper with storm flap.

- Hand warmer pockets with velcro closed front pockets.

- Button up rain fly with a velcro closed document pocket on each side. These pockets open vertically and are hidden. In fact, I forgot that these jackets had these and it took me a week or so before I remembered and found them.

- Velcro closure wrists

- Reinforced elbows. This reinforcement is a thicker, higher abrasion resistant material and thoroughly covers the elbow area!

- Ability to snap in the Tru-Spec Fleece Liner

- Angled shoulder pockets w/velcro closure

- Hood that stows away in the collar.

- Drawstring cinches in the collar, inner waist, and bottom opening

- Rank tab on front for attaching rank pins/patches. This provides for a professional appearance as well as protecting the waterproof liner from being pierced.

- Underarm zipped vents.

- Velcro wrist adjustments

- Taped seams

Overall this is an excellent jacket and a great affordable alternative to the more expensive Goretex version of the ECWCS jacket. Durability has been good and on par with the issued jacket and quality is excellent (aside from the non-YKK zippers). Of course you do get a little swishing noise when moving just as you do with the issued jacket, but it's not excessive.

An overall good buy if you're looking for an affordable rain jacket/wind breaker for your outdoor or tactical needs!

Colors: Multicam, UCP, Digital Desert Camo, Digital Woodland Camo, OD, Coyote, Black

Found at AFMO.

Lowa Jannu Mid

2010-08-28T07:56:00.000-04:00

This is my initial review of the Lowa Jannu Mid trekking boots. I have given them some wear and light hiking so far and plan on giving them a good workout this summer and in the year to come. My initial impression of the Jannu was that these boots live up to the expectations I have from Lowa Boots.

A german company, created in 1923, Lowa Boots really knows what they're doing when creating comfortable and "mission specific" boots. The Jannu boots, designed for carrying loads up to 50 pounds) were comfortable right out of the box. I found that no break in period was required. Obviously, with time, the boots will become more fit to your foot, but they were ready to hike in right out of the box. The boots are light weight but yet supportive. You can tell this when wearing them... they're flexible enough to be comfortable, but yet you can feet the support to your foot and ankle.

One thing that concerned me right away was the inner lining. It's a perforated glove leather. With todays high speed synthetic linings it made me wonder about comfort. I have yet to wear these boots in hot weather, but my feet sweat no matter what the temperature is. I have found that the leather lining is just as comfy as any of the synthetic linings. I will update this post during the summer in regards to this.

Other features include:

- Pull tab at back to help put boots on.

- Lacing is smooth and easy to tighten, with speed lacing at the top of boot.

- Leather/Cordura upper

- Midsole designed to prevent over-pronation and supination, providing a comfortable footbed. The footbed also has a slow reacting foam, to help customize the footbed to your individual foot.

- Vibram Trailtek sole provides great traction, but sheds mud better than other soles.

- 3mm Nylon shank for support.

- The "C4" tongue and X-lacing are very comfortable. There is no uneven pressure on the instep. The tongue is also gusseted right up to the top of the upper. This really helps to prevent getting debris in the boot. The tongue also has a tab on it to keep it from slipping down.

These boots are by far one of the most comfortable hiking boots I've worn. And support is excellent... I can really tell the difference when I put these boots on. Footing and traction have been solid.

I plan on wearing these boots for many miles and while attending a fighting rifle course this summer, so they will be getting their test and I will update the review as necessary.

Weight: 2.90 pounds/pair

Colors: Black/Yellow, Beige/Anthracite (shown)

MSRP: $200.00

Update (June 2010):

I've been wearing these boots a lot lately and I have to say, I still believe they're some of the most comfy boots around. During a recent outing at a local gully They started to get wet and the water beaded right off the leather. At first I thought maybe the whole boot would do this, but after a dunk or two past the lower portion of the leather the boots were soaked. It did take several hours in the sun on a hot day for them to dry. After they dried I wore them, and they're just as comfy as before.

One thing to note though, is that these boots don't work well with socks that are lower than the opening of the boot. They will tend to dig in a little and if you have hairy legs, the leather inner lining will pull at your leg hair. I mitigated the digging in by just not lacing the top speed laces. However, I recommend wearing a pair of socks that at least come to the top of the boot! Otherwise I'm still extremely impressed with the Lowa Jannu.

Update (Aug 2010): Well, I've been wearing the Jannu Mids some more this summer for hiking and am still impressed with the comfort and durability. They're like new still. I thought I'd share these pictures of the most recent hike while wearing them. I still have nothing bad to say about these boots! Absolutely AWESOME!

Gear Geek's gets "Military Gear Blog's Top 6

2010-07-16T09:58:00.002-04:00

Military Gear Blog rated Gear Geek's Reviews as one of their top 6 essential military gear critics. Check it out HERE.

Homemade Milk Jug Game

2010-06-24T14:15:00.001-04:00

My son made this milk jug catch game and thought he'd share it with the Gear Geeks community.

RAP4 Affiliate

2010-06-23T20:13:00.003-04:00

Gear Geek's is now affiliated with RAP4 paintball/airsoft/military supplier. If you visit the link from the banner at the bottom of any Gear Geek's page or the one here and order from that page you will help the web page to earn money to provide more reviews and a better site.

Thank you to all my readers/viewers!!

MALICE clip

2010-06-22T19:53:00.002-04:00

Night Crawler Knee/Elbow Pads

2010-06-21T05:34:00.000-04:00

I was sent these Night Crawler Knee/Elbow pads for review last year by RAP4, a paintball supply company. Unfortunately, I had to have knee surgery so my review was put on hold. In a way though, it was good that I had the surgery, because I now use the knee pads on a more regular basis!

The knee pads come in several different colors, some of which are unique to RAP4. I like this as many manufacturers only sell products in a few colors.

Here are the features of the pads themselves...

Elbow pads:

- Thick foam padding

- Hard elbow cap for greater protection

- Neoprene sleeve styling with elastic adjustment bands. This is a nice strong fit, however, the pads seem a bit too bulky for standard tactical use. For hard use they are probably great, but seem a bit too much for just everyday use. For this type of use you may want to go with RAP4s regular elbow pads. Great pads though!!!

- Durable materials.

Knee Pads:

- Thick foam padding

- Hard knee cap for extra protection. I found that the cap is not quite centered on the foam padding like it should have been. A little quality control issue, but never became an issue with protection or use of the pads.

- Combination of neoprene straps and nylon/elastic straps make these pads comfy!!! I like this styling of knee pad!

- Durable materials

These pads have been excellent in protecting my knees and elbows. Especially after having knee surgery! Durability seems great and the materials used seem to be able to take the abuse. Having many color options to match your uniformity needs is a big plus with RAP4.

Colors:

UCP, black, DPM, CADPAT, digital woodland, 3-color desert, flecktarn, OD, 8-color desert (imitation of Multicam), woodland, tigerstripe, Realtree

MSRP:

Knee pad - $34

Elbow pad - $29

Aquamira Frontier Pro

2010-06-16T14:32:00.001-04:00

The Aquamira Frontier Pro is a great little item to have with you when hiking or camping. It takes up very little room in your pack, yet provides you with the ability to filter 50 gallons of water which, when used only in dire circumstances, should be plenty to get you through a survival situation.

The filter has a 2 stage filter to provide excellent filtration of 99.9% of Cryptosporidium and Giardia. It also has Miraguard on the internals to prevent the growth of funky stuff inside the filter.

The filter can be used in a couple different ways...

Attach the drinking tube and drink directly from the source (stream, pond, etc). I suggest getting a replacement tube for a hydration bladder and using this, instead of the included tube. My reasoning is that it's more flexible and can be cut to the length you choose. The included tube is kind of stiff and can get kinked during storage. This kink doesn't come out. Just be sure you get a tube that has anti-microbial properties.
The filter can attach to a hydration bladder tube to drink that way.
The filter will also screw on to a water bottle top (a soda bottle sized top) and the water can be taken with you in the bottle and filtered as you drink.
You can remove the mouth piece and attach this to a bottle and turn it upside down and the water will slowly filter through and drip out into a second bottle/cup. This water will be filtered.

I've used this filter on several occasions and found it easy to use, and a really good addition to your kit when going out hiking or camping. Always try to find the cleanest water you can to filter from. This will help ensure you're getting good water, and also save on the filter. I highly recommend anyone who goes into the outdoors pick one of these up.

MSRP: $24.95

EcoBB

2010-06-03T18:41:00.002-04:00

My brother bought some of these to try to limit the amount of airsoft BBs laying around the yard at various locations he plays airsoft. Thinking that the biodegradable BBs would be better for the environment and better for the look of the property (they disintegrate in a few days...kind of like a medicine capsule) he started using them... but not for long. They ended up jamming up in the barrel and providing hours of work trying to get them unjammed and the barrel cleaned out.

He had been using them in an electronic airsoft gun (AEG), and thinking that maybe it was too powerful and was breaking the BBs apart, he let my other brother use them in a lower powered spring gun. Same issues as the AEG.

When my son got old enough to want an airsoft gun I got him a very low powered spring gun. Thinking that there was no way these BBs could break open in this gun we gave them a try. No dice, they jammed up in this gun too.

All in all, the idea of the biodegradable BB is great, but for this particular brand I would say steer clear... I haven't had experience with any other brand because we're nervous about having the same problems again.

Blackhawk Force 5 Pack

2010-06-03T08:31:00.000-04:00

The Force 5 Pack by Blackhawk is, essentially, the same as their 3-day pack... just marketed as a hydration pack. It includes the Blackhawk Hydration bladder with it. I don't own a Blackhawk 3-day pack, but as far as I can tell the only difference between the 2 is that this one has carabiner loops on the front and includes the bladder. Also included with this pack are 2 straps for attaching sleeping bags or sleeping mats to the bottom.

Features:

- Hydration compartment w/bladder.

- Padded shoulder straps with plenty of attachment points.

- Padded back panel to protect you from the inner contents. This also gives the pack some rigidity.

- Attachment points on the bottom for attaching sleeping bags/mats.

- Compression straps on the sides with quick release buckles (QRB).

- "Ice ax" loops on the bottom with matching adjustable loops higher on the pack.

- Carabiner loops on front.

- Front sleeve pocket (half height)

- Full front pocket

- Large main compartment with padded sleeve for hydration bladder.

- Rubber top carry handle

- YKK zippers with Blackhawk zipper pulls

- Waist belt

Overall I really like this pack.

I tried out weight in it and in the video below the weight being carried in it was 70 pounds. This seems to be too much for this pack. Not that the pack has any trouble carrying this weight, but the suspension and the way the pack carries the weight is not at all comfortable. It's not designed for this amount of weight. I'd say you don't want to go over 50 pounds with this pack...30 pounds being probably the best.

I like the features on the pack and haven't found anything wrong with it either in features or quality.

Short Hike Gear

2010-06-01T18:14:00.000-04:00

Bug Band Products

2010-05-30T22:40:00.000-04:00

Bug band products are a safe, effective alternative to deet repellents that are on most shelves. Deet is a pesticide that is not good for your skin or the environment and can be harmful to plastics, rubber and paint. In fact when I was working for the Sheriff's Office I had a brand new jacket ruined because a deet repellent got on it. I've also heard of sunglasses, watches and other plastic and rubber items being ruined by it. When I was in the Marines we were always told to put the deet repellent on out clothing and not directly on our skin because it is a skin irritant and it clogs up your pores so you overheat. It is also recommended to remove the deet product when it is not longer needed, which most people forget to do or don't know this is supposed to be done.

Bug band products use an oil derived from geraniums, known as geraniol which has no known toxicity to animals or wildlife. The geraniol give off an vaporous odor that repels insects and is a good area repellent.

Bug band sells several products with their geraniol repellent in them. One is their wrist band, hence the name Bug band. This is a band that comes in several different colors and is adjustable for any wrist size. It uses geraniols evaporation process to give an area reallent type effect. These can be worn on the wrist or attached to the belt, pack, etc, etc. It works for up to 120 hours when not in it's case and is water resistant. It has a breakaway feature too if it gets caught on anything. I've found that these wrist bands do work. They don't work as well as the spray or wipes, but they do work. I believe if you were to wear two of these...one high on the body and one lower that it may help repel bugs better, but again, these do work and I love using these because they're convenient and don't require you to apply anything to your skin.

Another item are bugband towelettes. These come in a large box, large or small dispenser tubs, or small packages of 2. They have the insect repellent on them and they're super convenient for applying it to the body. I'd say that the 2 pack is just right for one person wearing shorts to cover the arms, legs, head, face and neck area. When I have my dog with me I take the wipe when I'm done with it and tie it to her collar to help keep the bugs away from her as well.

The last bug band product I was able to test was the pump spray. This comes in a more "civilian" style pump spray or a military styled spray bottle. This is your typical sump spray bottle that is used to apply the geraniol repellent to the skin. It will require you to rub the repellent into your skin after spraying it on though. I have had this bottle kicking around in my pack on several occasions and haven't had any leaks yet.

These products worked great for me. Again, the least effective product was the wrist band, but overall, all of these products were impressive. They also have a pleasant smell to them. Bug band has several other products like bead bags for area use, and spreadable geraniol for use in yards, playgrounds and pet bedding.

If you need to get rid of pesky bugs...Bug Band has something for you. They're effective, safe, and don't smell horrible!!

Update: One thing I've also found as an advantage with these products is that with products like "Off" I'm allergic to them and get sneezing like crazy... with these sprays and creams There isn't that allergic reaction!

Upcoming Reviews

2010-05-07T18:58:00.000-04:00

RAP 4 Stealth Knee/Elbow Pads

Casio Pathfinder Watch

Tru Spec ECWCS gen 3 Parka

DriFire Balaclava

DriFire Long Sleeve Shirt

OC Tactical Magazine Pounches

PacSafe Pack

Blackhawk Force 5 Pack

Streamlight Scorpion

CamoForm

Timex Ironman Triathlon Watch

Coleman Watch

Maxpedition Double Shingle

2010-04-22T12:09:00.005-04:00

This is the Double M16/M4 shingle made by Maxpedition in collaboration with Extreme Gear Labs. In typical Maxpedition fashion, this thing is made to last. Made from tough water/abrasion resistant 1000d Cordura and other high quality materials it hasn't shown any real wear yet.

For features here they are:

- PALS webbing on the back to allow you to use the attachment option of your choice.

- Velcro on the front for adding patches.

- Adjustable bungie retention. This is a nice added security feature, however, the mags stay in the shingle very securely without tightening the bungie. Good for extra retention, but I don't think you'll have to worry about retention either way.

These shingles come in many different styles. The one shown here is the double short shingle.

As with all maxpedition items, these shingles won't let you down. They are compact and hold your mags tight. If you want to layer them, Maxpedition has a version with PALS webbing on the front so you can stack them.

Colors: Black, OD, Khacki, Foliage green, UCP camo pattern.

MSRP: $16.99

Rustoleum Camo Spray Paint

2010-04-02T13:30:00.003-04:00

I've used this Rustoleum camouflage paint on a few items so far. I used it in conjunction with Krylon and Alumahyde 2 on my new AR15 and also my son has had me paint some of his toy guns with it.

Durability has been about on par with most other spray paints of this type. In high wear areas it'll wear off with time, but in other areas it seams to wear well.

One thing I don't like is the current spray nozzles. This may have changed by the time you read this, but as of the cans bought in late 2009 the nozzles did not impress me. Within the first 5 minutes of using the can for the first time i got some clogs that resulted in spattering and a interrupted spray. It wasn't constant, but it was enough to be irritating.

One thing I like about the Rustoleum is that they have a few more colors than Krylon currently has in their camouflage lineup.

Overall, a good paint and on par with others.

Cost is typically around $5 a can.

Streamlight Scorpion

2010-04-01T03:47:00.002-04:00

I've had this Streamlight Scorpion for several years...at least 9 years now and it's still going strong. This light is a regular Xenon bulbed light with none of the modern technological bells and whistles, but still a great little light.

The beam itself is not what you'll see from todays high end lights. There are dead spots and it's not as bright as others. When I was using it years ago, however, i noticed that you can really light up an area with it at 79 lumens (peak performance).

Run time is around an hour.

It's supposed to be able to adjust from spot light to flood light, and it does to a small extent. It does this by rotating the bezel. The only problem is that loosening the bezel is also how you change the batteries. So if you slightly loosen the bezel to adjust to spot light there can be the tendency for the bezel to come off. This happened to me while using an opened bottom light case and the handle part of the light fell off, through the bottom of the case, and the handle and batteries were all over the ground....not good. So, I suggest just leaving the bezel tightened down.

Overall this is an excellent light that I've found worth the money. Typical cost is between $30-40.

Insanity Workout

2010-03-31T13:33:00.001-04:00

Sometimes it's hard to fish through all the hype when it comes to workout videos and programs, which is why many just don't buy them.

Well, a coworker turned me on to the "Insanity" workout, produced by Team Beachbody. He had been using it and seeing good results. So, needing to shed a few pounds and get in a little better shape (other than round) I tried it.

WOW!!! Insanity it is. Now, you could fudge your way through the workout, half ass it, and continue to pause the video. You will, however, see great results if you follow the program and push yourself to the max during the workout.

Traditional interval training involves long periods of moderate workout with short bursts of intense workout. With insanity, it's 3 minutes (or sometimes 4 minutes in the second month) of intense effort followed by a short 30 second break and then back into the workout again.

In the month and a half that I've been doing the workout I've lost 12 pounds and 3 inches on my waist. I've improved my eating habits during this workout which I believe is necessary to get the best results. I haven't followed the included nutritional guide exactly, but have taken a lot of the concepts and changed my diet accordingly.

I highly recommend the Insanity workout....if you have the discipline to push yourself and "dig deeper" the Insanity workout will benefit you. I've lost 12 pounds and 3 inches on my waist in the 60 days, and I plan on losing more by repeating the workout routine for another 60 days.

Backpack Strap Modification

2010-03-31T13:26:00.001-04:00

Tapco Intrafuse Handguard

2010-03-26T15:13:00.003-04:00

I recently purchased a Intrafuse hand guard for my AR15 made by Tapco. When I ordered it I wasn't aware of how large this hand guard is. That's the main reason I wanted to do a review on this item. I don't have any pictures of it on a rifle or in use because I installed it and then took it back off and got rid of it because I didn't like how big around it is. I don't have large hands by any means, so maybe for someone with larger hands this hand guard will work out better.

Installing it wasn't hard... the best way to install it is to take off the side rail guards first.

The hand guard features rails on the bottom, top, and the forward half of the sides. Included are rail guards for the sides and bottom, with the top left uncovered. I would suggest some ladder style rail guards for the top.

Quality seemed good, but I can't speak to it because I never actually used the hand guard.

This hand guard is something you'll definitely want to think about before buying. If there's somewhere you can go to see it in person first I'd suggest that. It's large on the rifle and in the hand and looks like something that would be a better fit on a larger rifle or machinegun.

Colors: Black, Dark Earth

MSRP: $44.95

Safariland ALS Paddle Holster

2010-03-09T09:34:00.005-05:00

The Safariland ALS Paddle Holster (Model#6378-283-131 reviewed) is considered by Safariland to be a concealable holster. This holster works well under a loose fitting button up shirt or jacket and is good for open carry as well. It holds the pistol tightly and securely to the body. Depending on the model of pistol, it may be harder to hide this under a t-shirt. With my Glock 19 it's obvious that there's something idd riding on your belt when used under a normal T-shirt.

As for security, the holster features a tension screw and an automatic locking system (ALS). I won't get into how this works on an open blog, but it's easily disengaged while acquiring a good shooting grip and is the easiest locking mechanism I've used. The draw and unlocking of the mechanism is very natural and fluid!

This particular model comes with a paddle mount. This paddle, once on a sturdy belt, will not accidentally come off when drawing. I've had this happen before, but I find it almost impossible for this to happen with this paddle. In fact, you have to work a little bit to get it off your side.

The inside of this holster, as many of Safariland holsters are, is lined with suede to help protect your pistol. In some models I've found this makes it hard to draw the handgun... but not in this model.

The finish on this particular model is the STX Tactical; a carbon fiber looking finish is also available.

One nice thing about Safariland holsters is there many interchangeable mounting options. This holster, for example, can be placed on a belt mount, a leg shroud, and a quick release mount that allows you to move it from a MOLLE vest to the thigh or belt.

I really have been impressed with this holster. It's one that won't just get thrown in my holster box of unused holsters. In fact, I've ordered a leg shroud for this holster and will be using it in a Tactical Response "Fighting Rifle" course this summer. I will update this post after that course.

Cost: Approx. $55-$80 (depending on model of handgun & finish)

Tru-Spec ECWCS micro fleece

2010-03-08T01:12:00.002-05:00

The Tru-Spec micro fleece liner is designed not only as a stand-alone jacket, but also to be used inside Tru-Spec's ECWCS Parkas. This fleece is extremely comfortable, with the micro fleece and nylon liner, it's soft yet warm. On a chilly day it's great on it's own, and when the weather turns worse it's great insulation when combined with an outer wind resistant layer.

When combined with the outer layer the liner zips in and attaches at the cuffs and back of the neck via loops and snaps.

This fleece features an adjustable waist, via cord and cord lock and has elastic cuffs.

ID and rank can be attached on the front using the attached velcro loop patches.

For pockets you have 2 hand warmer style pockets.

Durability seems excellent, and quality is good. The only down side I can see quality wise is the zipper. I'm not sure why Tru-spec would skimp out on the zipper, but it's not a YKK zipper and tends to give you zipping issues every now and again and separates on occasion. For the cost of the fleece though, I suppose it's not a huge issue. This is meant as a liner for the ECWCS parka and it zips into it flawlessly. The zipper issues mostly come when using the fleece on it's own.

Overall I've found it to be pretty decent and serves it's purpose well.

Price ranges from $30 - $40.

Colors: Black, Coyote, Foliage Green

Sizes: Small - 3XL

Available from AFMO.

DriFire Boxer Briefs

2010-03-06T05:16:00.000-05:00

DriFire makes fire resistant clothing systems for use by military, Law Enforcement, or anyone going in harms way. Their products are used in place of other clothing items that may be harmful when fire may be present. Most moisture wicking clothing is primarily made of polyester, which not only burns well, but will melt to the skin. Cotton clothing will burn and not self extinguish. DriFire has eliminated this concern. The material used in their products doesn't catch fire easily, and when a fire is hot enough to catch the material, it self extinguishes in only a second or two. Their material is also moisture wicking and uses freshguard odor resistant technology. The flame resistant and odor resistant properties are permanent and will not wash out.

One of DriFire's products that I've recently tried are the boxer briefs. The material is typical DriFire material, soft and comfortable. The waist is comfortable as well.

I had a slight sizing issue as they tend to run slightly larger than normal boxer briefs... so keep this in mind when ordering. So wearing the T&E pair has been more like wearing regular boxers. Comfort is still good even with them being loose.

When it comes to layering and being protected, these boxer briefs add another layer to your protection and comfort.

Color: OD, Black, coyote brown, desert tan, foliage green, navy blue

MSRP: $23.99

FliegerDuffel

2010-02-25T12:09:00.006-05:00

The FliegerDuffel by Maxpedition is a duffel bag on steroids. It's a combination of duffel bag, luggage style bag, and tactical backpack. Somewhat simple in design, but with excellent features.

Of course, this bag is made to the rugged standards of all Maxpedition products... 1000 Denier ballistic nylon, YKK zippers, UTX-Duraflex buckles, excellent stitching with nylon thread, and many other features to enhance durability.

This duffel also meets FAA requirements for carry on luggage. This is excellent since this is large enough for a trip of a couple days to a week....depending on how you pack, of course. And being able to carry it on makes lost luggage and lines in the airport quicker.

As for carry options there are many. The bag includes a shoulder strap (with removable pad featuring a grip material on the inside) which can be attached for shoulder carry. There is also a cary handle on each end and top of the bag. Stowable shoulder straps allow for backpack style carry. These straps are comfortable and even feature a sternum strap. When not in use they store in a sleeve on the bottom of the bag.

Outside Features:

- Sleeve that stores shoulder straps can also be used for a hydration bladder and has drainage grommet on the bottom.

- Handles have padded neoprene for comfort.

- One sleeve style zippered pocket on each side with sleeve organizers inside. These are great fro small to medium sized items.

- Zippered sleeve on top; great for documents.

- Zipper for main compartment has holes for locking with a padlock.

- PALS webbing on both sides and on the top at each end.

- 2 compression straps with side release buckles on each side help to relieve the strain on the zippers

Inside Features:

- 2 mesh pockets on the top, one at each end. These pockets expand outward, away from the main compartment so that items placed in these pockets take up less of the inner area of the bag.

- strap system to keep your items from shifting.

I've not babied this bag at all during use. In fact, while using it during some training I had to sit on it to get the zipper to zip closed because of the amount of gear I had in it....and the zippers zipped right up and didn't fail. I've used this during travel, training, and camping....and it's been excellent. Wearing it on the back or with the shoulder strap has been extremely comfortable as well.

This is the smaller of two of this type of bag that Maxpedition carries..the larger is the DoppelDuffel.

Overall size: 22” long x 14” wide x 9” high

Main compartment approx 21” x 13” x 8” with tie down strap

Top exterior sleeve pocket 10” x 6”

Internal mesh pockets 10” x 5” x 2” (two)

External slip pockets 14” x 4” (two)

Capacity: 2380 cu. in.

Colors: Black, OD, Khaki, Foliage, ACU Camo

MSRP: $155.99

Kodiak Gearslinger

2010-02-08T09:23:00.008-05:00

The Kodiak is one of the newer (as of this post) Gearslingers by Maxpedition. Called a "gearslinger" due to it's sling style shoulder strap. Before I get into the review of the product itself let me say this... this pack and any "sling" style pack are not designed to be for heavy loads. This isn't a three day pack and is more of a carryall for a day out. If you weigh this pack down, you'll notice it in the right shoulder where the strap is slung. Since the weight of the pack isn't spread across 2 shoulders (and even a sternum and/or waist strap on hiking packs) all the weight is on the one shoulder. SO...don't load or expect to load this pack down with a ton of weight.

The Kodiak (and it's smaller version, the Sitka) have unique design features that allow them to be pulled to the front of the body while still worn to get to your gear. Now, any sling pack can do this but the Kodiak is specifically designed with this in mind. All the pockets and zippers are oriented toward the side to allow easy access when brought from the back to the front. This is convenient for getting items out on the move, or for bringing the pack to the front when getting on a bus. The location of the zippers still allows access from the top of the pack as well.

Another unique feature is that this pack has traveling and security in mind. The pouches can be secured by a cord system on the right side. This cord system allows you to pull all of the zipper pull tabs to that side of the pack and lock them down so that no one can easily unzip the pack. The front zippered sleeve is the only pocket that can't utilize this locking feature, so it features a tab that goes over the top of the zipper to limit access.

First I'll get to the features on the outside. When I say "back" I'm referring to the portion that lays against your back and the front is the portion opposite that. I'll refer to right and left sides as the pack is worn.

Outside:

- Wide padded shoulder strap helps distribute the weight. A mesh back helps with heat issues. The shoulder strap has webbing along it's length for attachment points as well as routing for a water bladder. An HK style hook for keys, etc. Large side release buckle for easy removal in a hurry.

- Top carry handle with comfortable neoprene padding.

- A removable "Y" shaped compression strap. This helps to hold everything snug within the pack and takes the pressure off the zippers. I've used this once to hold a jacket to the outside of the pack, but generally have this removed.

- The left side has a water bottle pocket. This pocket easily holds a 32oz Nalgene bottle and has a draw string top to prevent your bottle or other items from falling out.

- The front has one larger pocket on the bottom (10” high x 9” wide x 2” thick). This pocket has a couple of sleeves on the inside, both front and back. It also features a key ring lanyard. I've found that my netbook computer fits in here perfectly. The front of this pocket has a zippered sleeve style pocket. The zipper is secured by a tab that goes over it. This limits someone's ability to easily unzip this zipper. And, of course, the front of this pocket features 5 rows and 3/4 columns of PALS webbing. The web columnon the right of this pouch has a slightly larger opening (the width of 2 PALS columns). This is good for attaching items that might not fit under the PALS style webbing.

- The top front pocket (4.5” high x 9” wide x 2” thick) is perfect for organizing your gear. The inside features a sleeve for thinner items, and elastic loops (2 wide, 2 narrow). The narrow loops fit a pistol magazine perfectly, and the wider ones fit a cell phone, small GPS, etc etc. The front of this pouch features loop Velcro and a drawstring shock cord for additional storage.

- The right side has 3 rows of PALS webbing. They are about 3 inches long so they not only can accommodate MOLLE pouches, but just above the PALS there is a D ring. So when I hang my keys or other items off the D ring they can be tucked under the PALS webbing to keep them from flopping around.

- Right between the lower front pocket and the PALS webbing on the right side is a handle. This handle is good for picking the pack up from the side, but is there for holding the front of the pack from flopping open when slid to the front of the body and unzipped.

- Also on the right side is the security feature that holds the zipper pull cords as I spoke about earlier. Below this is a D ring.

On the back of the pack there is a zippered sleeve style pocket that is the full size of the pack that has velcro in it. This can be used for a laptop, a water bladder or for concealed carry, which is what I've used it for. Utilizing Maxpedition's CCW holster you can swing the pack to the front of the body, unzip the back sleeve area, and draw your pistol very easily. At the top of this sleeve area is a loop to hold a hydration bladder in place and an opening for a drink tube. In my opinion, using a water bladder in this particular model of pack would bulge this area out and take up too much room in the pack, but the option is there.

Inside

- The main area of this pack is decent size. It isn't, however, very thick (17in high x 10in wide x 4in thick). So stuffing large amounts of gear in here like a three day pack isn't happening. I think of this pack as more for thinner items. Maybe a good bag for carrying your laptop, some smaller items, and a couple books.

- On the inner front of the main area is a sleeve that is held closed with a side release buckle (SRB). This sleeve has a mesh zippered pouch area on the outside of it that is divided into 2 pockets.

- The inner back has another sleeve, held closed with a SRB, which has velcro in it to attach pouches to. On the outside of this sleeve is another zippered pouch area which is divided into 2 pockets.

Overall I like this pack for an every day carry pack. I use it for when I have to go out of the house or away from camp for a few hours. I throw what I might need for a few hours in it and away I go. This isn't a pack you'll want to load down with a lot of weight though. If you do you're in store for a sore shoulder. This pack isn't designed for that. For quality, well, Maxpedition's moto "Hard Use Gear" really means it. Using 1000D ballistic nylon and all other quality parts, the pack will last for ages.

Capacity: 1100 cu. in

Colors: Black, OD, Khaki, Foliage, Digital Universal Camo (ACU), Khaki/Foliage

MSRP: $151.99

Acer Aspire One (updated)

2010-01-29T19:05:00.000-05:00

I recently bought this Acer Aspire One mini laptop computer to help me in writing my reviews. I wanted to get something so I can write reviews from anywhere and update my site from wireless internet access from locations away from my home. This will allow me to get reviews done a little quicker and with more ease.

I'm not going to get into a full review as there's just way too many features on this computer. But I'll try to list a few of the main features and functions. I will say that I've been very impressed so far with this laptop. If you plan on putting tons of games and large applications on your laptop I'm not sure I'd go with a factory mini laptop without upgrading it. This laptop has plenty of RAM and memory, but I wouldn't want to load it down with those kinds of things. There is room to expand it's memory as well. It's keyboard isn't that much smaller than your standard keyboard either, so typing isn't too hard to get used to. I really like this laptop and I expect good things from it.

One upgrade my wife got for hers that is helpful is a wireless optical mouse. This is much easier than the typical touch pad mouse included on the computer itself. I like this accessory but I haven't gotten one because it's an extra item I have to carry around. It's nice, though for in home use or for when you can spare the extra room to carry it with you. SD cards are also a good accessory to have for storage of things like pictures, music, etc.

Here are some of the functions and features of this mini laptop:
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition

Platform: Intel Atom Processor N270
Invilink 802.11b/g Wi-Fi certified network connection
Mobile Intel 82801 GBM chipset

System Memory: Single channel with onboard SDRAM and one soDIMM slot
DDR2 533 MHz SDRAM memory interface design
512 MB onboard SDRAM
Upgradeable to 1GB/1.5GB using one 512MB/1GB soDIMM module

Display: 8.9" WSVGA high brightness CrystalBrite TFT LCD, 1024 x 600 pixel resolution.
LED backlight
LVDS interface

Storage: NAND Flash module: 8GB
Hard Disk Drive: 2.5" 9.5 mm 120GB
Storage expansion: SD card reader supporting SD card, MMC, RS-MMC, Memory Stick (MS), MS PRO, xD.
Supports storage cards with adapter: miniSD, microSD, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo.

Audio: High-def audio support
2 built in speakers
MS-Sound compatible
Built-in digital microphone

Communication: Integrated Acer Crystal Eye webcam w/0.3 megapixel resolution
WLAN Acer InviLink Wi-Fi certified network connection
LAN: 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet

Power: 30 W adapter w/power cord
24 W 2200 mAh 3-cell Li-ion battery pack (the web site claims 3 hours on this battery, but I've never seen the battery indicator go over 2 1/2 and most times when fully charged it only indicates about 2:05. This indicator isn't real accurate though as sometimes it'll say 2 hours and about an hour later it only says 38 minutes or something like that), I wish this battery life was better, but it works ok for my applications.

I/O ports: Multi-in-1 card reader
SD Card reader for storage expansion
3 USB 2.0 ports
External display (VGA) port
Headphone/speaker/line-out jack
microphone-in jack
Ethernet (RJ-45) port
DC-in jack for AC adapter

One thing I'd like different about the design is the mouse pad. It has an integrated "wheel" area, which is good, but I wish this area was separated somehow, either by indenting this area or some other way of distinguishing this area as the wheel area. Otherwise you sometimes accidentally use the wheel when you're just trying to move the mouse.

Dimensions: 9.8in x 6.7in x 1.14in
Weight: 2.19 lbs w/3 cell battery

Colors: Pink, Brown, White, Blue, Black

Price: Approx. $350

Where to buy

Update: Well...the one you see here in the picture has been returned. The fan started to get so loud that it sounded like a model prop. plane was sitting on my kitchen table. I returned it to Wal Mart with no issues.

The second one I got ran fine for a couple days then started refusing to shut down properly. You either had to unplug it or remove the battery...take away it's power source. Then I opened the internet browser one day and it froze the computer up and remained a blank internet page. This continued so I restarted to the factory settings. The shutdown and internet problem seemed to go away, but when I inserted an SD card into the reader, the reader wouldn't work no matter what I did. I'm not sure if I had used the reader previously in this second one. Well...pack it up and back to Wal Mart we go.

The third model seems to be working fine so far. Although, I suspect this one is a rebuild. My suspicions stem from a small "ding", if you will, on the back side of the monitor. The right mouse key seems loose too. Not as if it's going to fall off, but just doesn't seem right compared to the mouse keys on the first two or the left mouse key on this one....somethings not right with it.

I've heard that part of the problems stem from the Atom processor on this computer instead of a Pentium...I'm not a computer guy (as far as problems and such) so if anyone has any additional comments on these problems please comment.

This isn't a bad computer, but it's definitely not without it's issues. It seems to be a great little computer if you can get one that doesn't have one of the known issues that this particular model has. My wife's seems to be running fine and hasn't had to be replaced yet....hopefully I don't jinx that now. I definitely wouldn't recommend this computer to someone because of the issues I've had recently. I was telling everyone about it and how cool it was, but I've since put a stop to that.

Update (01/29/10) - Well, my wife has had her Acer Aspire One for a little over a year now, and finally, hers bit the dust too. It just stopped working...obviously a hardware issue. When you turn it on, the fan turns on and revs up and down, but the computer itself doesn't work. We have decided to try out MacBooks....so look for that review in the future!

Grayman Suenami 4

2010-01-29T11:32:00.002-05:00

A couple of years ago I was reading in a magazine about a custom knife maker named "Mike". His company is Grayman Knives. The magazine described a knife maker who made knives for hard military, law enforcement and civilian use. I contacted Mike and discussed with him a knife to use for a review. Mike responded and we decided to get a Suenami made for the review.

A little background about Grayman knives before we get into the review... Mike is experienced in combat and has worked around the world with combat personnel both foreign and US military, contractors, and indigenous personnel . When Mike first started making knives he never felt they'd be good enough to sell. Eventually his designs were sold to and marketed by Mercworx. Not completely satisfied with the knives being made by Mercworx, Mike created Grayman knives.

Grayman knives are not pretty knives. They aren't for display and aren't going to win any beauty contests. Grayman knives are tools meant to be used. They're meant not only for cutting, but for digging, chopping, prying, or any other tough task thrown at them. They are functional handmade pieces. No two Grayman knives are exactly the same. Some don't like Grayman knives because they "look" handmade and you can even see some slight flaws where the grinder slipped, two pieces of handle that aren't exact on each side, etc, etc. Those that use Grayman knives as tools however have nothing but good things to say about them.

When I first got the Suenami I was very impressed. On the spine you could see some imperfections from when the knife blank was cut out. I actually like this. It gives the knife that handmade look and you know this is a tool that was made by a person that put effort into it, not some automated machine.

The Suenami was chosen for the review because it was a knife that I felt I could best review due to it being a mid-sized knife.

First I'll talk about the sheath, then get into the knife itself. The knife comes with a nylon handmade sheath. The sheath has a MOLLE strap on the back for use on PALS as well as on the belt. There are also 2 rows of PALS webbing on the front of the sheath to attach additional pouches. The Kydex insert keeps the knife from cutting into the nylon. There are lanyard holes at the top and bottom. The bottom ones double as drain holes as well, which came in handy this past fall when I took a spill in some pretty mucky water. I expected the cutting edge of the blade to rust a little too, but was pleasantly surprised that it didn't. The only thing I'd change on the sheath would be 2 straps on the back. INitially I also thought having the kydex fit to the blade shape as opposed to a generic rectangular shape would be a good improvement at well (for better fit), but then I got thinking that if this was done the blade could only be inserted into the sheath in one direction. the way it is now it doesn't matter which way the blade is inserted.

The Suenami (and all other Grayman knives/tools) is made of 1/4 inch thick 1095 high carbon steel. This steel is chosen for it's strength. With this steel you will want to keep the exposed cutting edge oiled, or at least oil it when moisture is expected. The thickness of the blade really works well in combination with this steel as it makes this knife an extremely tough tool for more than just cutting tasks.

The edge on the knife is the only part exposed, the rest is coated in a black TAC coating that prevents rusting and gives the blade a more tactical look. The edge is double bevel ground and works great. When I got the knife the tip of the blade wasn't as sharp as the rest of the blade and almost seemed dull. At first I was find of disappointed that this area had been overlooked, but when I got thinking of what this blade was meant for I get thinking differently. this blade isn't made for precise cuts using the tip...it's more of a tool, and by leaving the tip with less of a grind on it it makes the tip less prone to chipping and breaking. I'm not sure I'd call the entire blade "razor" sharp, but it's pretty darn close.

For a handle there are different options; a smooth Micarta handle, a checkered G10 handle or a alligator skinned texture like the one here. This, again, was hand made and feels awesome in the hand, a perfect fit and a good grip. You'll notice that the new Suenami knives have a lanyard hole for retention.

With the blade of the Suenami 4 being 4 1/2 inches long and 1/4 inch thick it's been perfect for digging, bayoneting smaller pieces of wood and general cutting tasks. It's even small enough for some closer work with the tip, but again, the tip is left slightly thicker (therefor not as sharp) for strength, so for real fine tasks you may leave them for a pocket knife. I've used this knife while camping, hiking and as a backup weapon on my military gear. No, this may not be a perfect fighting knife, due to it's shorter length...but I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of one. As a general purpose knife for military or camping/survival....I think it's great. It's strong, durable and since it's not a display piece...you don't mind being rough with it.

In addition, personalized engraving is available and you can always email Mike to request customized features.

When ordering, keep in mind that Grayman knives ships to our military and law enforcement first. They have priority over "civilian" orders, as they should. The men and women who defend our nation, and each other deserve priority! So keep this in mind when ordering.

Grayman knives will also resharpen the knife for you for free...just send it to him, he'll resharpen it for you and send it back.

The warranty - Break it, he'll fix or replace it, don't like it when you get it, send it back for refund...the warranty is on the knife and no matter who it may get passed on to, they can always ship it back to get sharpened or fixed. Pretty good warranty in my opinion!!

Grayman knives have been used all over the world and they're definitely a knife that I like. Again, nothing fancy, but something that is built like a tank!!

Suenami 4 Stats:
Price: $195
4.25"x1.5"x1/4" blade, 8.5" overall
Textured Handle (Add $20)

Suenami 5 Stats:
Price: $215
Smooth Micarta Handle (green or black)
5" x 2" x 1/4" blade, 10.5" overall
Textured G10 Green or Black (Add $20)

Revision Desert Locust & Extreme Weather Goggles

2010-01-28T04:48:00.004-05:00

Desert Locust

The Revision Desert Locust is the standard goggle from Revision. Revision made this goggle for the war fighter and is not just a modified snow goggle. This goggle is designed to give the user excellent field of view and designed to be more streamlined to be worn with a helmet, along with excellent ballistic protection.

These goggles, since made for combat, meet ANSI and military specifications for ballistic protection. The polycarbonate lenses also provide 100% protection from UV-A, UV-B and UV-C rays.

Field of view really is excellent and the clarity of the lens is great. The top and lateral vents along with OcuMax® coating help to reduce fogging and provide fresh air to the eyes. The vents don't allow particles in, however, by the use of a filtration media in the vents. I have only seen very slight, temporary fogging around the edges of these goggles during high activity. The fogging isn't noticeable unless you're really looking for it and is more condensation than fogging.

The fit of these goggles is like no other that I've worn. They almost form to your face and are extremely comfortable. The first time I wore them I was really amazed that they didn't feel like goggles on the face, they felt more like a nice pair of glasses. The frame is like a smooth rubber type material that is pliable and forms to the face.

The strap system can be removed in order to add or remove the lens cover. The strap is also designed so that the goggles can be worn over helmets.

With the military kit that I got there is the tinted lenses provided as well as a carrying case, both nice additions to the goggles. Changing lenses was quick and easy.

Several options are available for these goggles:

- Prescription insert

- Clear, smoke, and yellow lenses

- Colors: Black, Foliage, Tan

Overall comfort and the comfort of knowing these goggles have been proven in combat and tested in the lab makes them a great investment if you are in a hazardous environment where your eyes may be in danger.

Desert Locust Extreme Weather Goggles

Revision sent this pair of goggles to me to test out since I live in NY and we get some pretty bad weather in the winter, as well as hot weather in the summer.

These goggles are based on the basic design of the Desert Locust, but have improvements for those who will be using them in more extreme environments.

First I'll cover the upgrades/differences in these goggles compared to the original Desert Locust goggles:

- One main difference is the lens. The Extreme Locust has a dual-pane lens. This along with the OcuMax coating greatly reduce instances of fogging.

- Instead of the smooth rubber face piece, the Extreme Locust has a fleece lined foam face piece. This provides better comfort in extreme cold and heat and is more pliable in extreme cold environments than the original face piece.

Other than these 2 changes they're the same design as the original Desert Locust. These 2 changes do, however, make a difference in extreme environments. I've experience no fogging while wearing these goggles in either environment. I did get some slight condensation from sweating while wearing these, but it was only slight (a couple beads) and toward the edge of the lens. I only noticed it once I took the goggles off.

Overall, if you're going to be in extreme environments, these goggles are a step up from the Desert Locust in dealing with these extremes.

Revision Video

Ipod/Iphone Flashlight App.

2010-01-12T17:05:00.000-05:00

I downloaded this application for my Ipod Touch 3G when I first got it but realized a new upgrade to it recently. The idea behind this app is that it lights up the full screen of your Ipod/Iphone to use as a flashlight. You can change the color of the screen by swiping side to side on the screen and adjust brightness by swiping up and down.

Recently it was upgraded to include several strobe type flash patterns. Initially I didn't see the usefullness of this, but then it hit me that this would make a great hasty warning device. I'm thinking during a vehicular break down on the side of the road this could be placed in the window or on the bumper when changing a tire, etc, etc. You can change the strobe colors in almost all of the patterns and although this doesn't compare to emergency stobe lights, it does catch the eye and gives additional warning in addition to your 4-ways. These strobes could also be used for signaling during other emergency situations as well

I've found a new and better use for this flashlight app and will keep it on my Ipod for the remainder of the time I have it.

Check the video for a visual of the strobe options.

ReviveX Wash-in Water Repellent

2010-01-12T11:43:00.002-05:00

ReviveX Wash-in Water Repellent Concentrate, from McNett , is used to restore the water repellent nature of your wet weather clothing.

Wearing and washing your water repellent garments in normal detergents will reduce the water repellent nature of your outerwear. You'll start to notice what McNett calls "wet-out". I've personally experienced this and is when the outer layer of your garment absorbs water. Now, most high end wet weather garments use a waterproof breathable layer with a more durable water repellent outer layer and a soft inner layer. Some garments just use a treatment to the garment instead of a waterproof layer. This treatment can help both.

For a garment with a water repellent treatment, this product will help restore it's properties.

For a garment that has a waterproof layer, generally washing doesn't effect this layer if done according to the manufacturers guidelines. However, wear and washing can effect the outer water repellent layer and cause "wet-out". This needs to be fixed for a couple reasons. One, this is another layer of protection against water. Two, when "wet-out" occurs it's more likely that water will seep in through seams and zippers. And, three, the "wet-out" prevents proper breathability of the garment because of the absorbed water.

I've used this product on several garments. I wouldn't say the water repellent nature is 100% back to "like new", but it does greatly increase the beading on the outer layer, where before the water would absorb.

It's always good to use a specialized treatment when you wash your water repellent garments, and the McNett wash-in water repellent concentrate does the job.

Rail Riders VersaTac Pants

2010-01-11T14:48:00.002-05:00

I have been using the RailRiders VersaTac pants now for well over a year. I have to say, that I have been VERY impressed!!

RailRiders gets it's name from yacht racing in which the crew "rode the rails" to increase speed. Well, RailRiders has expanded out to all outdoor adventures and there clothing can even be seen on security contractors and special operations personnel as well. In fact these pants were designed with spec ops in mind.

The first thing you'll most likely say is "whoa, that's too expensive for a pair of pants". I know that was my first impression, until I started wearing RailRiders gear, and specifically these pants.

I've been wearing both the mid and light weight styles of these two pants. I'll first speak on this aspect of the pants.

The pair of light weight pants I received came in sage green color. I've worn these comfortably in both the winter and summer, but are a bit cooler in both environments. The mid weight pair are comfortable in both environments but are a little warm in the summer time. They're quite a bit thicker, using 6.6oz canvas weave nylon than the light weights, which use 3oz Duralite nylon.

When it comes to materials used in each, they both have great water resistant properties. This not only helps in light rain, but also helps to repel stains. A few days after receiving the pants I got a nasty grass stain on one of the knees during some hiking in the Adirondacks. This stain set for a day or two before being washed and when washed it came right out with no residual hint. The weave of the heavier canvas material has a slight texture that hints at a ripstop type material, even though it is not.

The only difference in features between the 2 weights is that the mid-weight reinforcements on the knees/seat is made of the same material as the pants, and on the light-weight pants the reinforcements are "RailTex" Nylon...which seems slightly more abrasion resistant than the pant material.

For features, here they are:

- Reinforced seat and knees

- Both the cargo pockets and the back pockets have the option to close using either velcro or buttons. The buttons are held on in a unique fashion. Instead of directly sewing them on, a piece of web material is thread through the buttons and that material is what is sewn to the pants. I find this to be a much more durable design. The stitching has less stress on it than if the the buttons were sewn directly on.

- Side Cargo Pockets
* Bellowed to expand.
* These cargo pockets have a very unique feature. On the front of the cargo pocket there is a full length zipper. This allows entry to the pocket from the front when seated or kneeling. This is one of the best features of these pants in my opinion, aside from heir overall high quality. It's always been an issue with me both in the military, security, and civilian life. While seated, especially in a vehicle, the gear in your cargo pants is extremely difficult to get to. I've been wearing these pants for over a year and have never had these zippers unzip on their own and have not lost anything out of the cargo pockets. If the zipper does get pulled slightly open it opens from the top down, so there would be less chance of losing anything. I've actually had one left open (my own fault for not zipping it up) and the contents still did not fall out. A feature that should be on all cargo pants!!
* An internal pocket for pistol magazines (a tight fir for double stacked mags) or anything else of that size. I've used it for mid sized pocket knives, pens, a jump drive, and many other smaller items.
* These pockets even have their own reinforcement in a way. The pocket itself seems to have an additional layer of cloth underneath the pocket. So any strain put on the attachment seams s reinforced to prevent the pocket from ripping off.

- 2 back pockets with flaps.

- 2 hip pockets with reinforcements for pocket knife use. These reinforcements really save on damage to the material in this area when using clip on pocket knives. The only suggestion I have to make this feature better is to also reinforce the inner pocket area just opposite of where the knife would be. I have seen some wear in this area as can be seen in the picture. These pockets are nice and deep as well.

- Gussetted crotch provides better range of motion. This is something I've seen carry over from the martial arts uniforms that helps with strain on seams.

- Reinforcements at the back cuff. Being only 5'5" tall I find this to be another extremely good feature for myself. I always wear out the back of my pants due to them hanging low on my boots/shoes or from walking on the back of them when not wearing footwear. This is an area that takes a beating from everyday activities and these are the first pants I've worn that have included this feature.

- Wide belt loop opening accommodates most pant belts, including the military "rigger's" belt.

- Another awesome feature is that there is 5 inches of expansion in the waist. This provides a little give for a better range of motion, and also for that extra "winter weight". These pants are extremely comfortable, and I believe this elastic makes a world of difference. It is also good for "inside the waistband" carry of pistols. Most pants don't have this elastic and if you carry a firearm on a regular basis you need to choose between something that's your size or something that is a couple sizes bigger if you carry your pistol in your waist band.

The overall quality of these pants is excellent. I have had some of the stitching on the cargo pocket velcro of the mid weight pants come loose, but this didn't concern me and in my opinion isn't a strike against the quality of the pants. This cargo pocket is on my "weak" side, and I tend to use it more because I don't use my gun hand when getting things out of my cargo pocket. Something I've just grown to do in my lifestyle. So this cargo pocket gets a lot of use. This was a quick fix and I still will say these pants are AWESOME and great quality. I know they're a lot of money, but they're definitely worth it.

For features, great as well. I've used these pants for more than a year and haven't babied them, and they pretty much look like they did the day I got them. In fact I've worn them as much as possible. They've remained comfortable and they are a pair of pants that I will buy in the future as well!!

Weights:
Mid-Weight: 25 oz
Light Weight: 15 oz

Colors:
Mid-Weight: Dark Stone, Forest Green, Natural, Black
Light Weight: Khaki, Black, Sage Green

Sizes: Sm-XXL, Sm-XXL (30 in. inseam)

MSRP: $98.00

Lowe Alpine Sting Pack

2009-12-16T09:24:00.000-05:00

The Lowe Alpine Sting is an awesome pack that takes the best from the civilian market and makes it into a military style pack. I've used this pack for about a year and have found it to be very durable and it's features perfect for both military and civilian use.

For my review I'll consider the back of the pack the portion where the backpack straps are and the front the portion with the MOLLE webbing.

In regard to webbing, you'll notice that all the webbing is made of web material that is in the same camo pattern as the pack itself. This camo pattern is the DPM woodland pattern used by British troops and is very effective.

With a main compartment at 3576 cu inches this pack can hold a TON of gear. The main pocket is one large pocket with one smaller zippered pocket toward the top. I like this because it gives you a place to store some smaller stuff, but other than that it's a pretty simple main compartment. This main compartment can be used with it's full capacity or tightened down with the side compression straps to shrink the main compartment.

The closure for the main compartment it a drawstring neck with a top flap. The top flap has a pocket in it that is larger than you would think. The zippered opening for the top flap pocket is at the back of the pack. On the front of the top cover is a loop portion of velcro for attaching name tapes.

Moving to the outside you'll notice 2 "rocket" pouches on either side of the pack. These pockets are a great feature themselves. Not only do they provide additional storage to the main compartment. but they can be used individually as well. The pack comes with 2 additional smaller backpack straps. These are used with the rocket pouches. The rocket pouches detach from the pack and the straps attach to them to be used alone. There are 2 ways to use these pouches when detached from the pack:

Individually - The rocket pouch now becomes a rocket pack and can be used with one strap and slung cross ways over the shoulder as a sling pack or both straps can be attached and used as a backpack.

Together - These pouches can be zipped together to make a larger 2 compartmented pack. The only thing I've found with this is that the straps tend to be wide on the shoulders and feel as if they're going to fall off your shoulders. To remedy this I took a sternum strap from another pack and used and this solved the problem. You can also use the sternum strap from the main pack.

This feature is great for taking smaller items on a scout or short trip away from camp. I did this on a recent camping trip and was impressed with this concept. This pack isn't the height of comfort, but isn't uncomfortable either. It's great for it's intended purpose. Each of these pouches also has 2 straps on the front with side release buckles (SRBs) where additional gear can be strapped (as you see in one picture I have my rifle strapped there).

Under these rocket pouches on the main pack are the compression straps for the main compartment. Also on both sides, under the rocket pouches, there are sleeve pockets toward the bottom portion of the pack. These are intended for skis, tent poles, etc etc. I've found it useful for a short tactical rifle. When the rocket pouches are attached they help in holding these items in place. When the rocket pouches are removed the compression straps help with this.

Moving to the front of the pack there is plenty of MOLLE style webbing to attach additional pouches, hydration bladders, knives, tools, etc. Above the MOLLE webbing is a carry handle. I've found the handle placed here is very helpful. I use it a lot. At the bottom of the pack are 2 additional loops to hold the handles of tools like hatches and ice axes in place. Up further on the pack are loops to hold the upper portion of these tools. The front also has straps to hold down the top flap and compress the pack.

The back of the pack is great. At the top is another carry handle, but what I really like is the torso adjustments. The straps move up or down along the back of the pack to properly fir the pack to the individual for proper load distribution on the body. There is a nice padded lumbar support as well. The shoulder straps are very comfy and adjustable with a sternum strap and padded waist strap.

With a huge load carrying capacity, camo webbing, great features, and great durability I feel Lowe Alpine has outdone themselves with their military line of packs.

Volume: 3576 cu in
Load Zone: 20 - 55 lbs (although I believe this pack can hold more)

Weight: 7 lbs 14 oz

Torso: 15 - 20 inches

MSRP: $299.95

Blue Force Gear Vickers Padded Sling

2009-12-10T14:18:00.000-05:00

The padded Vickers Combat Applications Sling is the same concept as the original VCAS with the added benefit of wider padding for greater comfort.

When I received this sling BFG had also just started selling their Multicam and ACU patterned slings. I've come to like the Vickers Combat style sling for it's ease of use, simplistic design, and very few extra straps and buckles. I have always used 3-point slings as a tactical sling and never really gave much thought to a 2-point sling. I always thought the 2 point sling wasn't as versatile as the 3-point and didn't work well as a tactical sling. My mind was changed greatly when I received Blue Force Gear's slings for review. Here are some things I've found advantageous in the 2-point sling...

1.There isn't the extra material there is in the 3-point sling to get in the way of the functions of the rifle. With the 3-point sling there is the extra material that runs down the side of the rifle and can get in the way.

2.Can perform the same functions as the 3-point sling in a simpler format.

3.Quick and almost instant adjustment to length (on the Blue Force style slings).

4.When switching to your weak side you're not "locked" into the sling like 3-point slings that utilize a release that lengthens the sling but tightens it around your body.

5.The sling can be tightened around your body for things such as fast roping and then instantly loosened for action if set up this way.

The Blue Force 2-point Vickers sling uses a pull tab toward the hand guard end of the sling for instant adjustments. All you have to do is grab that tab and slide it forward to tighten the sling and slide it backward to loosen the sling. It's that easy. This is very useful when transitioning to the weak side. Just loosen the strap and drop your weak side arm out of the sling to grab the pistol grip and transition to your weak side (see video below). The pull tab is a contrasting yet tactically colored webbing in order to help you differentiate it from the rest of the sling in your peripheral vision. This helps you grab it in a hurry.

Another good use for the quick adjustment is when using a collapsible stock. If you want to extend the stock but have the sling set up for when the stock is collapsed you can easily adjust the length of the sling to accommodate the length of the stock. When taking a more precise shot you can lengthen the stock and sling and get a good shooting position. The sling can then be shortened to pull the butt stock back tight to the shoulder and give you a good shooting platform for a better shot.

For those with a standard M16/AR15 butt stock there is a separate sling adapter for that style butt stock.

All hardware (ITW) and webbing is high quality. This sling is also made in the US, Georgia to be exact. The webbing used in this sling is 1.25" wide with the padded area being 2" wide material covering the closed cell foam padding. For those of you with a lot of gadgets on their rifle, or with a heavy barreled rifle you're like the added benefit of the padding when holding the rifle for long amounts of time.

With this sling being in the Multicam pattern it can be seen in the pictures how it blends right in with the Multicam uniform and doesn't silhouette the sling like a solid black sling will. I really like having the camo patterns available. BFG is the first I've seen do this with a weapon's sling and it makes a big difference if stealth and camo is what you require.

I highly recommend this sling if you like 2-point slings. If you've never tried a 2-point sling...try it...you won't be disappointed!

Colors: Black, Coyote, OD Green, Multicam pattern, Universal Camo (ACU), Foliage Green

MSRP: $64.95

SOG SEAL PUP Elite

2009-12-07T13:02:00.000-05:00

The SEAL Pup Elite, created by SOG knives, is an absolutely excellent knife. I've used this knife for a little over a year and it hasn't let me down at all. In fact I haven't sharpened it yet and it's still cutting like it was new. I've used this knife during training and while camping and hiking. While camping I've split tons of logs with this knife...making tinder from logs was super easy. The features on this knife are very thought out and useful, whether using it for camping, hiking, utility use or for military use as it was intended.

For features I'll start out with the knife itself.

Knife

- Blade length of 4.85 inches. Excellent for utility purposes and just as good for fighting. Some argue on the length of the blade for fighting, but I think this blade is fine.

- Overall length of 9.5 inches. This seems to be a great length. Good for it's intended purpose, but not too long to be bulky.

- Weight 5.4 oz.

- Partially serrated blade. I love the partial serrations for use in cutting rope and cord. This saves on the blades edge.

- AUS8 Steel blade. AUS8 is a medium-carbon, high chromium stainless steel, which offers a good balance of toughness, edge sharpness and corrosion resistance. I've had this knife in the water and wet environments a lot and it's still had no rust buildup, keeping in line with it's SEAL name!!

- Black TiNi tiger striping.

- Blade spine rasp for notching, filing, and thumb placement. This is a great feature for striking a flint as well!!

- Injection molded, glass reinforced Zytel handle feels great in the hand. The perfect size with deep finger grooves. The handle is scored for a sure grip in all conditions. Lanyard hole.

Nylon Sheath (Included)

- Ballistic nylon construction.

- MOLLE attachment system. This system can also be used to attach it to the belt. The loops for the MOLLE system are a little tight on this sheath. The snap tends to get caught up on the loops especially when removing the sheath. If you remove the knife from the sheath when attaching and removing the sheath it helps a little with this.

- Kydex inner to protect the sheath from the blade.

- Strap holding the knife in the sheath has a snap and also velcro to help in case the snap doesn't catch.

- Cord holes in bottom of sheath for tying around the leg or as additional mounting option.

- Front pocket is great for a multi tool, firesteel, extra magazine, etc, etc.

I love this sheath because it offers great versatility. It allows you several mounting options and also the ability to hold extra tools in the front pouch.

Kydex Sheath (additional option)

- This sheath has a cool attachment system. It attaches to the belt with a sliding belt loop. To open the belt loop you squeeze 2 tabs at the bottom and half of the loops slides up. To put it on your belt just slide the sliding portion under your belt until it clicks. The only thing I don't like is that it digs into your side when worn under an untucked shirt.

- The sheath has a notch cut out of the blade portion for cutting cord without taking the knife out of the sheath. This is so when using it in a maritime environment on a boat such as a RHIB (rigid hull inflatable boat) the knife won't puncture the RHIB if cutting cord. It also makes it safer to cut cord and webbing.not bad....my birthday today so I guess I'm good.

- Drain hole in the bottom.

- One other thing you'll see in the video is that if you don't put the knife in in the right manner the shape of the blade can cause it to get caught up on the Kydex. Not a huge issue, but something to be aware of. Watch the video to see what I'm talking about.

Overall this is an excellent knife. As I said before.. I've used this knife for over a year and I've not babied it....and it's still in excellent condition. I had never used SOG brand knives in the past and had no clue of the high quality of their knives. I can see this as an excellent hard use knife, for military or otherwise. The only thing I would change would be to make the back of the belt loop portion of the kydex sheath a little less abrasive on the skin. Otherwise, everything on this knife is perfect!

MSRP:
Colors/Styles:

Maxpedition CCW holster

2009-12-02T22:03:00.000-05:00

The Maxpedition Universal CCW Holster is one of many items in Maxpedition's hook-and-loop modular accessory line. The holster is simple in design yet works great. It uses the hook portion of hook-and-loop to attach to the loop portion inside many of Maxpedition's bags. You can also find items in 5.11's line that this holster and Maxpedition's other hook-and-loop products will attach to.

The holster is made out of 2 inch wide webbing and you lay your pistol on the flattened out holster and then wrap the retention strap around it and then place it on the loop portion of velcro in your Maxpedition bag. It's that simple. The retention portion of the holster has some rubber like grip material added to it to help retain the pistol, so, you'll want to take that into account when adjusting the holster for the pistol. You won't want it too tight or that rubber will grip and make it difficult to draw your weapon.

I've found this holster to be a great value. It allows you to hold your pistol inside a bag in a safe manner and gives you yet another concealed carry option. Once adjusted right, drawing the pistol is easy and the holster stays in place and doesn't move around.

MSRP: $9.99
Black Only

Will work with the following Maxpedition items (at time of writing)

- Kodiak Gearslinger
- Sitka Gearslinger
- NeatFreak Organizer
- Fatboy Versipack
- Fatboy S-type Versipack
- Jumbo Versipack
- Jumbo S-type Versipack
- Typhoon Gearslinger
- Monsoon Gearslinger
- Condor 2 Backpakc
- Falcon 2 Backpack
- Vulture 2 Backpack
- MPB (Multipurpose Bag)
- Last Resort Tactical Attache
- Operator Tactical Attache

RAP4 BDU

2009-11-27T14:55:00.001-05:00

Real Action Paintball (RAP4) is a company that provides military, airsoft, and paintball gear for training and gaming purposes. They also make a good majority of the gear in their catalog. One item I got for testing was a set of RAP4 BDUs in the German Flecktarn pattern. I choose this pattern because it's a pattern that you can't normally find in new BDUs. Normally you have to settle with surplus gear in Flecktarn. RAP4 also has paintball and military load bearing gear, knee/elbow pads, vests, and belts in the Flecktarn pattern.

The Flecktarn pattern is comprised of 3, 4, or 5 colors depending on the pattern you get. It's "splotched" pattern creates a dithering pattern that's disruptive to the human eye.

The set of "cammies" as us Marines call them came with the top, bottom, and boonie hat. They feature the same good features that standard BDUs have and are made of 65/35 polyester/cotton blend material. The material is up to par with the other BDUs that I have in this material. The durability so far has been very impressive.

Boonie hat features:

metal mesh vents
webbing just above brim for adding camouflage.
Chin strap with plastic cord lock, a nice improvement over the leather slider on most boonies.
At the time of this posting only available in Large size...this is about a 7 1/2 size. If it's too big, you just put the chin strap around to the back and tighten it on the back of your head and this helps to size the hat for you.

Jacket features:

Four button closed pockets
reinforced elbows.
covered, button front
3 button wrist adjustments. These are a little off from the standard BDU in sizing. I normally use the middle button on the sleeves, but on these I use the last button. Not a big deal, just a note. Also, I would make the cuff adjustment tabs a bit wider...they start out narrow and get slightly wider.

Pants features:

6 pocket design - 2 thigh cargo, 2 hip, and 2 rear pockets.
reinforced knees
reinforced seat
drawstring cuffs
adjustable waist via pull tabs. These are wider than mil-spec and have plastic instead of metal adjustable buckle. They're more comfortable than the standard take up tabs.
Belt loops
Button fly.

RAP4 has really impressed me in not only their quality and design of their BDUs but their unique selection of camo patterns you can't find elsewhere. This style of BDU comes in:

Woodland
Flecktarn
OD
Urban Camo
Black
CadPat
British DPM
3 color desert
Digital Woodland
Realtree
Tigerstripe

They also have an 8 color desert that closely resembles Multicam in a different pattern of BDU and a tactical tiger stripe in a different pattern as well.

Sizes:
small
medium
large
X-Large
XX-Large
XXXX-Large

MSRP:
Boonie - $9.95
Pants - $29.95
Jacket - $29.95

Update (11-27-09): I was wearing these BDUs and ended up chest deep in mucky water. I had a pair of gloves and a Balaclava in the cargo pocket and only the top portion of the Balaclava, which was on top of the gloves was wet. Also, the shorts and t-shirt I had on underneath were only wet in a couple areas. The material these are made out of seems to be slightly water repellent in nature.

Gorillapod

2009-11-03T10:00:00.005-05:00

The Gorillapod by Joby is a really awesome product. It takes the portable tripod and improves on it ten fold. I used to use a small flexible tripod that was very cheap, but I thought served it's purpose, until I got a Gorillapod. A friend of mine mentioned them to me so I checked out their site. The first thing I saw was an animation of a Gorillapod holding a camera jumping from tree to tree. The Gorillapod was holding on to the branches with it's legs wrapped around the branches. Right away I knew one way or another I needed to try this product out.

First off, the Gorillapod came with 3 different attachment options. A screw on option for the bottom of cameras, a adhesive option (2 included), and a suction cup option. Now, you don't need to use one or the other, you can use all of them since these attachment points can be removed from the Gorillapod. When it comes too all these attachment options, they can not only be used for cameras, but also for things like an Ipod, where you may want to have the tripod hold it in place while watching a movie. To remove the mount from the Gorillapod you simply rotate the locking mechanism and push the button and the mount slides right off and another can be put on.

The legs of the Gorillapod are completely flexible. They are basically ball joints. The end of the leg is covered in a rugged rubber cap, and each leg has rubber grips up the length of the leg. The gray parts on the pictures are the rubber grip.

The Gorillapod is very durable and versatile. I like it because you can get your camera at different angles and place it on uneven surfaces. The legs can also be wrapped around railings, tree branches, etc, etc. You can basically place your camera anywhere with the Gorillapod.

The only improvement/change I'd make is to make the suction cup a little better. It takes some playing with to get it to stick. You definitely need to moisten it to get it to work.

If you have a digital camera, a compact tripod is a must. And I highly recommend the Gorillapod. There are different styles, sizes and colors of Gorillapod. The one shown here is the original Gorillapod. Functioning and quality are top notch!!

Price: $21.95
Suggested max camera weight: 11.5 oz.
Colors: Gray, Blue, Green, Orange, Pink, Red, Yellow

5.11 ATAC Shield Boots

2009-11-03T08:49:00.001-05:00

The ATAC Shield boots by 5.11 tactical are probably some of the best quality boots I've tried for their price range. Probably half of the employees where I work use them and durability and comfort has, for the most part, been excellent. There have been the occasional person the preferred something else over the 5.11 brand, but for the most part everyone that wears them loves them, myself included.

I've been wearing these boots for over a year and a half. I can't remember exactly when I bought them, but it's been at least a year and a half since I got them. They look as if they've only been worn for a few months...ad you can see from the picture below.

One thing you'll notice when polishing them is that they take a shine very easily. I generally polish them once a week and they shine right up with no problem! They also have an area that looks like the traditional leather basket weave of the patrol officers duty belt...a nice touch and looks professional.

Comfort is excellent right off the bat. I didn't feel as if there was a break in period, as they felt great right out of the box. To this day comfort is still good. I've recently replaced the insoles as the originals were wearing way too thin. I had to make some adjustments on the size for the new insoles as the edges rode up on the composite toe and pushed on my toes. So some trimming on them and we're back in business.

As for features, here they are:

- Composite safety toe. This is safer and more comfortable than steel! In cold NY winters they aren't nearly as cold on your toes as steel.

- Waterproof, breathable membrane. This, along with the full leather coverage provide your feet with protection from water and chemicals. Even though the membrane is breathable, with it along with the full grain leather your feet will be slightly warmer that with a nylon upper. The waterproof protection ends about 2 inches from the top of the boot because that's as high as the gusset in the tongue goes.

- Moisture wicking, anti-bacterial lining.

- Side zipper with zipper strap. The strap that holds the zipper pull tab is still in good condition. I find this the weak point of side-zip boots. Most times the velcro will wear excessively or the tab starts to come apart. No problem with these tabs yet.

- Hidden pocket on the outer portion of the ankle. This is supposed to be for a handcuff key. The idea is that an officer may want an extra key in case he's unlucky enough to get handcuffed with his own cuffs. I haven't used this for any key storage, however.

- Oil and slip resistant outsole This sole is quiet too, there isn't any squeaking on tile surfaces whether dry or wet. Great traction as well.

- Non-metallic shank. Stabilizes the foot and won't set off metal detectors.

- Semi-rigid heel and toe reinforcement - Shock Mitigation System provides excellent comfort without a lot of extra weight.

- "Sniper" grips on the inside portion of the toe and heel. The idea is that these small nubs will help you grip when you're in the prone. A nice idea, but I'm not sure if they'll make much difference. It can't hurt to have them on there, but I'm not sure they help too much either. These little nubs have also started to wear off.

Overall I highly recommend these boots. Based on these boots I'd venture to guess that the rest of the 5.11 footwear is excellent gear. Quality, durability, and comfort are top notch.

MSRP: $159.99

Sizes: 4-15 Regular & wide widths

After almost 2 years of use: