Criterion Barrels has DPMS pattern barrels chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor for your next AR10 build. They are available in 16’’, 18’’, 20’’, and 22’’ lengths.
Features:
DPMS Compatible
Barrel extension by JP Enterprises for improved feeding of 6.5 bullet designs
0.750” Gas Block, dimpled for ease of installation
Rifle length gas system compatible with AR15 gas tube lengths
Gas hole tuned for proper function both with and without a suppressor
Hand-lapped rifling for a pristine internal finish—aids in barrel cleaning and paramount for accuracy
Finely polished chambers for reliable extraction
5/8-24 TPI muzzle threads compatible with a wide range of muzzle devices
Nitride finish for corrosion resistance and improved barrel life
Pre-cut, pre-made cardboard silhouette targets are nice but it can be hard to spend money on them when it seems like a never-ending supply of cardboard is delivered to us almost daily in the form of delivery boxes. Operator Survival Tool is now offering stencils that can help you turn that cardboard trash into training treasure.
Their stencils are made from 10mil thick Mylar material which should basically last forever. They are available in a variety of styles including multiple sizes and styles of silhouettes and some shoot/no-shoot indicators.
You simply trim the carboard however you see fit, lay the stencil over, and spray with your choice of spray paint. You don’t even really need to cut the cardboard to a specific shape and you can even spray multiple targets on the same sheet to create various scenarios.
I remember when I purchased my first hydration bladder. It
felt like a superpower. I could basically just conjure water like a wizard.
Abrakadabra… Hydration. Several years, experiences, and broken hydration
bladders later, I now question whether they are even a good idea.
Why…
A list of grievances:
Hydration bladders are more fragile than almost any bottle. I have broken at least 6 hydration bladders from a wide
variety of manufacturers including your favorite. In the best case, your stuff
gets wet. In the worst case, you lose your most vital resource.
They don’t handle the cold as well as a bottle that is built
for cold. Granted, the bladder itself is usually
well insulated enough inside your pack to prevent freezing but your mouthpiece
and hose will likely freeze. This can happen even if you are careful about
blowing out the hose if it is cold enough.
They are more expensive especially compared to free bottles. That’s right. There are some really good bottles that are
basically free with the purchase of something like Smartwater, Gatorade, or
maybe those tradeshow freebie sports bottles. Even if you have to buy some
bottles for specific purposes, they are less expensive than a bladder (and they
lost longer with less maintenance).
They are terrible to clean. If something requires tablets, special brushes, and weird expanding drying rack to clean, it kind of sucks. Those bladders and hoses get really, really nasty if you don’t clean them well.
They make it easy to over-utilize your resources. “Gee whiz, this climb is kicking my tail. I’ll just take a quick swig.” Do that a few times and before you know it, you’ve knocked back all 3 liters and you’re looking for a place to refill. You need to hydrate but hydration bladders make it easy to take in more than you need.
They have the word “bladder” in their name. That’s a little weird, right?
I will grant you that they do have some advantages. The convenience can’t be beat but, again, this is a double-edged sword. They are also often lighter in weight than the bottles required to carry the same volume of water.
This pack in this photo (HPG Ute) has 6 liters of water on board. 5 liters are in bottles on the outside of the pack and an extra liter is tucked inside in preparation for an overnight trip with no water access.
How…
The “how” basically boils down to a few key factors. The first is having the right gear. You need to make sure you have the bottles you need to carry a sufficient amount of water and then you have a pack that will support your new hydration bladder-less existence.
The bottle part is easy. Just find bottles that will let you carry as much water as you would have with a hydration bladder. I like to use the big Nalgene 48-ounce bottles. They are the same diameter as the typical 32-ounce bottles so they fit all the same pouches. Two of them will carry roughly the same amount of water as a 3L bladder. Alternately, the 1-liter Smartwater bottles are a great shape for packing in a backpack.
Speaking of backpacks, I like Hill People Gear packs for carrying a lot of water since they typically have ample bottle pockets and provisions for attaching bottles to your pack belt. I can easily and comfortably carry 5 liters of water on my Umlindi or Ute without even having to stash any water inside the pack. I can place additional bottles in the pack as necessary.
This Hill People Gear Umlindi has almost 5 liters of water on board in preparation for a day far from any water source.
Once you have the gear sorted out, you can address the convenience aspect. This is important because, while hydration bladders can lead to over-hydration, you still don’t want to make it hard to take a drink. My standard is that I must have at least once bottle that can I drink from without having to stop to access it, drink from it, or stow it again. I like to use a sports bottle as you might use on a bike but really, almost any bottle will work. The key is to make sure this bottle is easy to access like on your waist belt or lashed to your pack strap. I just rotate water to the easy access bottle from other bottles when I get a chance.
Don’t submit to the tyranny of hydration bladders any longer. Save money, save headaches, and save water by switching to bottles.
Attaching a bike bottle to your pack strap is easy. Photo Credit: Hill People Gear
Many of the vendors that firearm-related content creators have traditionally used for merchandising are not on our side when it comes to protecting the Bill of Rights. Ballistic Ink is different. They are veteran owned and have been formed specifically to serve the 2A community.
Kit Badger now has a Patriot Partner store on Ballistic Ink. The store contains all of Kit Badger’s previous prints like the Professional Human and Grey Death Adder designs. The newest design, Tyrants and Patriots, is also available on t-shirts, long sleeve t-shirts, and sweatshirts.
Wilde Custom Gear’s MOLLE Taser Holster for the X26 and X26P was designed in conjunction with law enforcement to be low profile, adjustable and to secure the taser via a thumb-break which is already familiar to most users.
This pouch is currently in use by multiple agencies. It is available in both right or left hand versions and multiple colors camos.
Features:
1000D nylon construction
Internal foam layer and stiffener to protect the weapon, maintain the shape and allow for easy re-holstering
Adjustable retention strap and snap thumb break for traditional draw technique
Milspec webbing and hook/loop adjustment points provide a perfect fit and adjustable weapon draw tension
Attaches with two Tactical Tailor Malice Clips (included)
