WEAR GEAR

SafeGuard Armor - Stealth

Details: Category: Protective; Created: Thursday, 07 June 2012 22:26

Kevlar based soft-armor has been around for a while now so when it comes to deciding which one to get these days it comes down mostly to the small details in the carrier and of course price. My neighborhood isn't the greatest so I was happy to acquire SafeGuard Armor's Stealth package. Hence the name the Stealth design is meant to be a low profile/low viz carrier. Mine is level II rated so will be the lightest and most flexible they offer, however armor inserts are available up to IIIA rated with Stab and Spike level 2. Level II raw should be fine for my intended use as street thugs don't tend to roll with .44 mag or similar larger powered pistols and I'm not sticking around for a knife fight.

BAE Eclipse RBAV-AF

Details: Category: Vests / Platforms; Created: Sunday, 22 April 2012 22:20

Amongst all the ultra-light carriers these days, there still is a need for full armor carriers and the BAE Eclipse RBAV-AF is one of the best current specimens. Many modern plate carriers offer a soft armor slot, however these are sized similar to the hard armor leaving the sides unarmored. The RBAV-AF accepts SPEAR/BALCS soft armor to offer more complete wrap around soft armor side coverage. Highly based on the RBAV-SF, the AF version has many small improvements and rather than going into super detail let's just say the vast majority of users will prefer the new AF version.

Propper TAC-U Combat Shirt

Details: Category: Clothing; Created: Sunday, 15 April 2012 23:09

Although Crye was one of the first to make a combat shirt, other companies are now offering some worth while variants such as this Propper TAC-U Combat Shirt. The basic concept of a "combat shirt" being the sleeves and upper portion are done with more traditional military jacket materials while the torso is done very low profile with light weight breathable materials; the intent that armor will be covering that zone all day anyway. This concept change certainly helps a lot to keep cooler in hot climates and prevents pressure points from any extra buttons or pockets. The TAC-U Combat Shirt in particular uses 65/35 poly/cotton Battlerip fabric which includes a Ripstop weave, and torso has a 60/40 knitted Cotton/Poly Blend.

782 Gear Rogue Parka

Details: Category: Clothing; Created: Saturday, 03 March 2012 00:00

I've been beating on the 782 Gear Rogue Parka for a few months and have definitely been pleased. Soon after receiving it brought up the question; what the hell is difference between a parka and a jacket? The internets don't have a very unanimous definition, but something along the lines of: a parka is a hip length hooded coat made for cold weather. On the 782 site they claim "an amazing 3-season parka" which greatly to my surprise is actually an appropriate description. Whatever fabric magic they have going on, I've been able to comfortably wear this parka inside at cramped Shotshow ranging all the way to the snowy winter of Kentucky.

Maxpedition Fatboy G.T.G.

Details: Category: Packs/Bags; Created: Saturday, 25 February 2012 00:00

Using the same concepts from the Jumbo KISS, it was pretty much a no brainer to apply them to the Fatboy, the result being this GTG (Good To Go) variant. I would have just stuck with the KISS name variant, but I suppose it helps makes a distinction between the Jumbo and Fatboy. Anyway, the main idea appears to be get costs down while still keeping the core functionality of the bag intact, which I think it does well. Generally small details are taken off such extra webbing and dividers to achieve this while keeping the same overall size and layout. These changes along with using 800D as the core material achieved approximately a 25% weight reduction. The 800D is slightly more flexible compared to the usual 1000D Maxpedition uses, however is still plenty strong to achieve long term durability.

Maxpedition Velcro Pockets

Details: Category: Pouches; Created: Monday, 13 February 2012 00:00

Some more velcro insert goodies for you tac bag folks out there; Maxpedition has expanded the hook back pouch line with the 5" x 7" and 3" x 5" Zipper Pockets. The layout is overall simple using a double zipper opening. The interior has a sleeve pocket on one side and elastic divided into 2 channels on the other.

Maxpedition - Pocket Organizers

Details: Category: Pouches; Created: Tuesday, 09 August 2011 23:51

Maxpedition has had their EDC Pocket Organizer around for some time and apparently customers of all kinds of pant types have been asking for new size variants. The original EDC size was made to fit comfortably in a cargo pocket and now the Fatty size makes full use of the cargo space; Mini fits better in side hand pockets, and Micro is even smaller to fit in the majority of pant pockets.

Magnum RD Long Sleeve Shirt

Details: Category: Clothing; Created: Thursday, 21 July 2011 14:57

As another part of the Magnum RD (Rapid Deployment) line, they also offer Tac shirts. I'll be showing the long sleeve version here, however the short sleeve version is available and even a female variant. Still using the 5.4 oz. 100% cotton ripstop in combination with some serious ventilation efforts, these shirts are made with hot weather in mind. This is a good setup for me as being a white boy I gotta cover up in the sun pretty much no matter how hot it gets. The SilencerShoot 2011 ended up being a good starter testing ground for the shirt as it must have been 100+. Many appeared shocked that I was in a long sleeve, so I just had to inform them this white boy has to cover or burn baby.

Magnum RD Pants

Details: Category: Clothing; Created: Sunday, 10 July 2011 17:11

Woooo more pants. Magnum is mostly known for boots, but have expanded their offerings in tac clothing this year. One may have low expectations due to the company not specializing in apparel, but I personally was pleasantly surprised. Using 5.4 oz. 100% cotton ripstop, the pants are very light and breathable. The intent to make these hot weather pants is clear with other signs such as the vent holes in the inner thighs and even mesh material pockets.

782 Gear Tactical Apparel

Details: Category: Clothing; Created: Saturday, 09 July 2011 23:37

782 Gear has come out with a some pretty cool tactical apparel this year sporting some pretty fancy fabrics. Rather than a bunch of small reviews I thought a varied item post would give a good idea of some concepts they have cooking.