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Mountain Tribe Gear Packboard

By on July 24, 2013 in Survival, Tactical Gear

Here is something to get excited about! Mountain Tribe Gear is moving right along with their soft launch. They are already starting to show upcoming original products like the new Packboard.

PALS comparable pack boards aren’t necessarily a new idea. What is new is that this one is based around the comparatively affordable, very durable, and comfortable Down East Inc polymer frame.

I can’t wait to see what they come up with next. Check out the Mountain Tribe Gear Facebook Page to keep up to date on their progress.

Mountain Tribe Gear Packboard Mountain Tribe Gear Packboard Side Mountain Tribe Gear Packboard Suspension

Review: Down Range Gear Dynamic Strap System

By on July 23, 2013 in Reviews, Tactical Gear

Down Range Gear is one of those gear makers that just seems to be constantly creating simple, well executed solutions to common gear problems. Often, their gear isn’t stand-alone but rather meant to improve another maker’s gear or even create entirely new functionality for it. The Dynamic Strap System is one such solution. At its most basic, the Dynamic Strap System is basically just a replacement waist strap for chest rigs and plate carriers but spending any amount of time with it will make you wonder why manufacturers didn’t just make their straps like this in the first place.
Down Range Gear Adjustable 1 Waist Strap Down Range Gear Basic 1 Waist Strap

Overview

The Dynamic Strap System consists of 4 different straps that can be adapted to a majority of modern chest rigs and plate carriers. These straps have a common element, heavy duty shock cord sheathed in mil-spec tubular webbing, that is the source of much of their functionality. In this review, I will be covering the following straps:

The 1″ Adjustable Waist Strap is intended to replace a chest rig’s waist strap. It comes with male and female side release repair buckles and because of this, it works well to replace waist straps with sewn in hardware that is not easily removable by the user (if you don’t feel like cutting out the buckles). You shouldn’t have to adjust it much, but if you do, the strap is designed to allow the user to pull forward to adjust the waist strap while it is being worn.

The Basic 1″ Waist Strap is also intended to replace a chest rig’s waist strap. It comes with triglides to be used for managing any excess straps. This strap is designed to be set to one length and then left alone. It works well as a direct replacement for any 1″ waist strap that uses 1″ side release buckles as long as you can separate the original buckles from the original strap (even if you have to cut them out).

The Dynamic Strap System also has 2 additional strap types that will not be covered in this review: the 1″ Adjustable Lateral Straps for plate carriers and 1 1/2 / 2″ Basic Waist Strap for chest rigs with thicker waist straps.

Down Range Gear Basic 1 Waist Strap Installed Down Range Gear Adjustable 1 Waist Strap Installed

Observations from Use

The Dynamic Strap System is a fix for two common issues with chest rigs: the difficulty of achieving an appropriate level of tension while still allowing for movement and the need to adjust the waist strap as conditions and clothing change.

It is extremely common to see people with chest rigs that are entirely too loose. I think we all know that a tighter waist strap will help keep a heavy rig from moving around so much as we move but a tight waist strap can be extremely uncomfortable. If you wear it tight enough to cinch everything in place, it probably won’t be very comfortable when your chest is heaving while you suck wind after an intense shooting drill. Most waist straps have no give at all which is an inherent short coming since the chests that they are wrapped around need to be able expand and contract to ensure the comfort (and survival) of the wearer.

The Dynamic Strap System has 4.5-5″ of stretch built in by virtue of their tubular webbing sheathed shock cord sections. That means you cinch the strap down tight to keep your gear from bouncing around and still have the give you need to move your core and breath freely. Why aren’t all waist straps like this?!?!

Hopefully, if you are reading this blog, you know that it isn’t always sunny and 70 degrees outside when you where a chest rig. There are times with the weather conditions necessitate a change in wardrobe. Cold or wet weather often mean that additional layers much be added to the core of the shooter. The Dynamic Strap System has enough give to adapt to additional layers of clothing without any sort of manual adjustment. It works especially well with modern layering garments that are less susceptible to loss of function from compression like synthetic or wool base layers and soft shells. I can adjust my chest rig for a t-shirt and then add a wicking base layer, thin fleece mid layer, and soft shell without the need to adjust the strap for length. I can even swap the thinner soft shell for a thicker more insulated outer layer without having to adjust.

Basically, you can set these straps to a sensible length that is comfortable and allows for all your foreseeable clothing configurations and then forget about them. I like that a lot. Again, why aren’t all waist straps like this?!?!

I don’t foresee any durability issues with these straps. They still look like new after several range trips. The construction is top notch with plenty of attention to detail (check out the heat sealed rounded edges on the webbing below!). You might eventually wear out the shock cord but it is well protected by the tubular webbing which will go a long way toward extending its life (much of the break down of shock cord is due to exposure).

Down Range Gear Basic 1 Waist Strap Detail Down Range Gear Adjustable 1 Waist Strap Detail

The 1″ Adjustable Waist Strap is designed so that the ends of the strap can be pulled forward to adjust its length. It works well but I never had to use it. This strap comes with male and female repair buckles so it can easily be adapted to a variety of chest rigs.

The Basic 1″ Waist Strap is designed to be set to a particular length and left that way. It comes with tri-glides so you can tuck away any left over webbing. It can be adjusted for length though not as easily as the 1″ Adjustable Waist Strap. I suspect that most users will find this strap to be completely sufficient.

If you are worried about compatibility, don’t be. I was able to fit at least one of these straps to every chest rig that I own except for one. If your chest rig uses a 1″ waist strap with side release buckles, you can fit one of these straps to it.Down Range Gear Adjustable 1 Waist Strap Hardware

Wrap Up

These straps are certainly not very complex. They aren’t very sexy. They just make sense. Down Range Gear made the straps that everyone else should have been making for their own chest rigs.

Check out the Dynamic Strap System at Down Range Gear. Stay tuned for a chance to win one of these straps!

Crosstac Lightning Belt

By on July 20, 2013 in EDC, Guns, Tactical Gear

Crosstac Lightning Belt 1

Crosstac has a new belt in the works. The Lightning Belt is designed for the ladies but still has all the features you would expect from a Crosstac belt. It features a concealed knife like their men’s D-Belt, a wide variety of belt and stitching color options, and an AustriAlpin COBRA buckle.

The Lightning Belt will be available to order July 25th and will start shipping in August. Tell the ladies in your life to check out Crosstac.com for more details.

Crosstac Lightning Belt 2

MS Clean on Kickstarter

By on July 19, 2013 in Guns, Tactical Gear

In case you haven’t noticed, most AR-15/M4 stocks no longer have provisions to carry a cleaning kit and not everyone has room on their gear to add a dedicated pouch for their cleaning kit. The genius of the MS Clean and its magazine like shape is that it fits into pouches that you already have – your magazine pouches. This is a good idea.

Check out the MS Clean on Kickstarter and Facebook.

MS Clean

Review: Unity Tactical FUSION

By on July 18, 2013 in Flashlights, Guns, Reviews, Tactical Gear

The FUSION from Unity Tactical is a modular mounting system that gives the user the ability to mount a number of critical items on the same mount. It’s like a Choose Your Own Adventure book for your carbine. There are so many different options, you’ll want to try them all.

Unity Tactical FUSION with Offset Rail Unity Tactical FUSION Under Side

Overview

The FUSION consists of several components.

  • HUB – The HUB is the heart of the system. It is the foundational part that actually mounts to the handguard rail and to which all the other components are attached to create the various configurations. It can accept any of the FUSION components and Surefire Scout Lights can be attached directly.
  • Extension – The Extension is a rail that can be attached to any one of the three positions of the HUB in order to project a rail forward. It can also accept a Surefire Scout Light directly (without the rail clamp) or the 1″ Light Ring Mount.
  • BUIS – The BUIS can be attached to anyone of the three positions of the HUB though it is likely to be used at 12 o’clock by most users. It is an extremely compact, folding back up iron sight that can be locked in the upright position with a small set screw.
  • Offset Rail – The Offset Rail can be attached to either side position on the HUB. It places a short rail section at 45 degrees to the top rail.
  • Wing Mount – The Wing Mount can be attached to either side position on the HUB. It places a short rail section at 90 degrees to the top rail. It can also accept a Surefire Scout Light directly (without the rail clamp) or the 1″ Light Ring Mount.
  • 1″ Light Ring Mount – The 1″ Light Ring Mount allows the user to mount standard 1″ diameter handheld lights directly to the HUB, Extension, or Forward Rail.
  • Forward Rail – The Forward Rail extends forward from the HUB at the same height as the top rail of the handguard. It can also accept a Surefire Scout Light directly (without the rail clamp) or the 1″ Light Ring Mount.

All the components are machined from 6061-T6 aluminum and hard anodized. The come packaged with every screw (and usually extras) and hex wrench that you will need to that particular component. The HUB comes with a very large tube of blue thread locking compound which is a very nice touch. The FUSION is available in either black or flat dark earth.

Unity Tactical FUSION with Wing MountUnity Tactical FUSION with Wing Mount and APL

Observations from Use

Testing the FUSION is like a marathon. It seems like the configurations are endless. I tried to test as many as I could over a number of range visits.

Installation and configuration of the FUSION is easy. The HUB slides onto the rail and secures with a cross bolt. It must be slid onto the rail so users with a fixed front sight base (FSB) will need to remove the FSB or slide it on all the way from the rear of the receiver. I should note that the cross bolt was extremely tight on my sample. It was so tight that it screeched and squeaked like a dying rabbit when you brute forced it into place. Thankfully it loosened a bit over time.

Each individual component bolts easily to the HUB with the provided screws. I recommend using thread locker just because you should always use thread locker on a gun. I didn’t use thread locker because I have to return all this stuff but I had no issue with screws loosening in my limited testing. All of the screws holes on the HUB are recessed to prevent the screws from interfering with installation.

There were several configurations that I really, really liked and they all have one thing in common: the BUIS. The BUIS in this set is excellent. It is very compact and, cleverly, it can be turned into a fixed sight with the installation of an included set screw. It is just a really nice little sight. The HUB with just the BUIS and a Surefire Scout in the offset position in an amazingly compact and capable configuration.

The Extension Rail gives you some interesting possible configurations. You can mount rail mounted pistol lights or something like INFORCE WML to it but I think it really shines when you direct connect a Surefire Scout light or handheld light in the 1″ Light Ring Mount. The Extension Rail lets you push the light out well forward of the end of your rail where the effects of barrel shadowing are minimized. The lights are still tucked in fairly close thanks to the direct connect capability.

Unity Tactical FUSION with Extension Unity Tactical FUSION with Extension and Flashlight Mount

The Offset Rail is pretty straight forward in its use. If you already have a very long rail (12″ or longer), the Offset Rail is likely what you want if you plan on mounting an INFORCE WML or other pistol mounted light. The Offset Rail with the BUIS and an X300 or WML was one of my favorite set ups. The light falls right under thumb and is very easy to active. I should note that in order to make room for both the BUIS and the pistol light, you will need to mount the BUIS in the rear most position and the Offset Rail in the forward most position so it is sticks out slightly past the end of the HUB.

The Wing Mount is one of the most versatile pieces in the kit. It place the rail and object connected to it at 90 degrees to the top rail in a slightly lower position than the Offset Rail. It can be used to direct connect a Surefire Scout, the 1″ Light Ring Mount, or pistol lights. In fact, the INFORCE APL is magic on the Wing Mount due to its unique switch. When mounted 90 degrees to the top rail like this, you can now push down to activate the light and it is held a bit higher and tighter to the handguard than it would be on a side rail. If you don’t like having your light up in your field of view, the Wing Mount can lower it a bit versus the Offset Rail.

The 1″ Light Ring Mount is great. It allows you to attach a handheld light directly to your HUB or some of the other components. It is flexible enough to handle even lights with a slightly larger than 1″ diameter like the Surefire G2L. If you have a handheld light like the Surefire Fury or Streamlight PolyTac line that you want to put in the 10-11 o’clock position, the FUSION HUB with this Light Ring Mount and the BUIS is a great setup.

Unity Tactical FUSION with Flashlight Mount

The Forward Rail bolts to the bottom front of the HUB and basically gives you a rail extension at the same height as your handguard’s top rail. This is a great place to mount a Surefire X300, INFORCE WML, or other pistol light. It also allows you to direct connect a Surefire Scout light which gives you some very cool functionality. The Scout Lights mount very low because of the direct connect feature so they stay well out of your line of sight. There is enough room to reach up there and hit the tailcap switch with your thumb but this setup works best with a tape switch.

There are many, many possible configurations that I couldn’t test. For instance, an IR laser can be mounted directly to the HUB and still leave room for an offset light on one of the side positions. If I was set up for night vision, I would be taking a very hard look at this capability because it tucks everything very, very close together.

There does seem to be some misunderstanding about the FUSION out there that I should at least attempt to clear up. The FUSION is not a rail replacement. You could do a lot of what the FUSION does with a few mounts and a typical 4 rail handguard. The FUSION is a mount replacement. It consolidates mounts and other items that would typically be connected to the muzzle end of a handguard. By consolidating mounts, you save weight, gain space, reduce bulk, and add durability due to less potential failure points. It also happens to be a great mounting solution for the current crop of slick sided, narrow tube rails that are so popular right now.

I find the future of this system just as interesting as the FUSION itself. The HUB is really just a means to an end. I can see that the logical conclusion of a system like this might be integration directly into a dedicated handguard rail, forgoing the need for the HUB. I suspect that we will also start to see additional accessories and new configurations as the system matures.

Unity Tactical FUSION with Forward Rail Unity Tactical FUSION with Forward Rail and APL Unity Tactical FUSION with Forward Rail and Scout

Wrap Up

The FUSION is successful at what it sets out to do. You can use it to reduce to the number of mounts necessary to attach just about everything you normally attach to your handguards. The options and configurations are seemingly endless. Those options and configurations will only expand further as users get their hands on the system and adapt it to new technology and current TTPs. The beauty of the FUSION is just how adaptable it really is.

Check out the FUSION at Unity Tactical.

Note: The photos may show the FUSION with other iron sights visible. I am not advocating having multiple sets of back up iron sights. I just didn’t want to remove sights that were already zeroed for testing.

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