If you have coffee (or bourbon) that needs a cup and AKs that need slings then you need to head over to Echo93.com. If you purchase $150 or more worth of gear, you will get a free Echo93 coffee mug.
Archive | Tactical Gear
Blue Force Gear RED Swivel and Burnsed Socket
Blue Force Gear just added two new products to their line: the RED Swivel and the Burnsed Socket.
RED Swivel
The RED Swivel is a new take on the QD sling swivel. While most have a small push button, the RED has a larger “Pull Button” which is a knob on a steel cable. To quickly remove the RED (Rapid Emergency Detachment), the user simply pulls the cable. The RED’s Pull Button is not only a larger target, it is also a more intuitive action. It can be pulled by grasping it, by catching it between your fingers, by pulling with your teeth, or whatever else it takes to free yourself from your rifle in an emergency.
BFG was also careful to reduce the possibility that the RED could be released unintentionally. They shaped the knob to be less likely to prone and designed the mechanism so that if it is pulled more than 10 to 15 degrees off axis, the RED will not release.
Burnsed Socket
The Burnsed Socket is a product designed to allow you to configure your sling as either a 1 point or 2 point sling on the fly. It threads onto slings like the Blue Force Gear VCAS just behind where the sling is mounted to the rifle. It is a simple device that works with QD sling swivels like the new RED Swivel.
Check out the new RED Swivel and Burnsed Socket on BlueForceGear.com.
Hardpoint Equipment AMAS
A lot of companies throw around the words “modular” and “system” but few earn those words to the same extent that Hardpoint Equipment does with their AMAS (Axis Modular Armor System) plate carrier. Nearly every part of the AMAS is removable, replaceable, and adjustable or, in short, modular.
Perhaps the most striking feature of the AMAS is the replaceable front and back panel system. The front and back panels are secured with a Velcro and tab system and they are completely removable. Additional panels can be purchased and that opens up some interesting possibilities. You could set up one panel for an AR-15 and another for a 7.62 battle rifle or AK-47. The panels are also available without MOLLE webbing so you can turn the AMAS into a slick carrier. That is a tremendous capability. I should also point out that the panels are secure enough that the drag handle on the rear has been tested to actually function without the panel tearing away with the weight of a grown man.
The side straps and cummerbund are also completely modular and offer more adjustability than any other carrier that I have seen. The side straps have a unique 3-point design that allow a ton of adjustment for not only length, but also angle. You can choose the side straps or a cummerbund that allows the use of side plates (or both).
The AMAS can also utilize Hardpoint Equipment’s ventilation pads. These pads can be secured to the inside of the plate pockets to provide some standoff. This gap allows airflow behind the plates to keep you cooler and can help protect you from plate deformation in the case of an armor strike.
All of these features add up to what seems to be a very impressive plate carrier. The AMAS is currently available for pre-order from HrdPnt.com. You can stay up to date on when the AMAS will be available at the Hardpoint Equipment Facebook page.
GORUCK Adds New Color Options
GORUCK has a reputation for making some great gear and are especially well known for their backpacks. It used to be that you could get a GORUCK bag in any color that you wanted so long as it was black but now they have released 2 new color options: Sand (tan) and Multicam.
Check out the new color options at GORUCKGear.com.
Review: GearPods Survival Pro
When it comes to pre-assembled survival kits, the contents don’t seem to vary much from one kit to the next. Many kits use the same components from the same vendors or at least similar components. It is often the container itself that differentiates one kit from another. However, the GearPods Survival Pro is one kit that differentiates itself by its container and contents.
The GearPods container system is versatile, unique, and innovative.
The caps allow you to terminate a module, join modules to make a longer module, or join them as separate modules.
Overview
The bread and butter of GearPods is their innovative container design. The GearPods containers are translucent plastic tubes in various lengths that are capped at both ends. The caps can be end caps or couplers (open or closed style) that allow multiple tubes to be connected together. This tube form factor allows the GearPods to be carried like a water bottle and they can even function as a water bottle in a survival situation.
The Survival Pro kit is one of GearPods pre-assembled kits. It comes with the container and several items packed inside that cover a variety of survival needs:
- Navigation
- Signaling
- Fire starting
- Water purification
- Food gathering
- Food preparation
- Equipment repair
Removing the top reveals the cap on the cooking cup.
The Survival Pro kit contains two modules: the cup and the stove.
What’s Inside?
The list of items that the GearPods Survival Pro contains is extensive. There are many standard items that are survival kit mainstays and a handful of very innovative items that you won’t find anywhere else.
- GearPods CookMug: Compact 4.0” anodized aluminum cooking mug/pot with snap-in lid
- GearPods Stove: Solid fuel stove with windshield
- Esbit® solid fuel tablets (2)
- Rescue Flash™ signal mirror – 2″x3″ signal mirror with retro-reflective targeting, protective film, plastic sleeve and instructions
- Fox40 Micro Safety™ – loud emergency whistle for signaling distress and communicating location
- Spark-Lite™ – dependable, one-handed fire starter
- Tinder-Quik™ (4) – weatherproof waterproof tinder that burns 1-2 minutes
- NATO “Storm” Matches (10) – vacuum sealed, NATO-approved waterproof and windproof matches with striker
- 20mm Liquid-filled button compass – simple navigation tool
- Mini-LED flashlight – small keychain-type flashlight with rugged case and battery with 24+ hours of continuous use
- Folding saw – light- to medium-use saw blade constructed of 18TPI steel for cutting wood and metal, and housed in a rugged handle
- Folding knife – light- to medium- use knife with stainless steel razor blade and rugged handle
- Katadyn Micropur-1 Water Tablets (6) – 1 tablet per 1 liter (33.8 fl oz) of water; effective against viruses, bacteria, guardia and cryptosporidium
- Sterile, self-standing water bag (36 fl oz) – for pre-treatment water capture and storage
- Heavy duty needle – for repairing clothes and gear
- Heavy duty thread (50ft reel, 10 lbs BS) – for repairs and emergency line for fishing
- Safety pins (2) – 2″ – for repairs, first aid or even improvised hooks for food procurement
- Wire (8ft) – 0.02″ stainless steel wire, non-magnetic – use for repairs and snares
- Braided nylon cord (25ft, 70lbs BS) – many uses including securing gear and building shelters
- Fishing kit – 4 hooks, 2 split-shots and 1 snap swivel
- Duct tape (2″x30″ 9mm) – many uses from first aid to repair
- Weatherproof stationery – 2”x3” (4) – keeping logs, leaving messages, drawing maps
- Pencil (with protective cap) – use with weatherproof stationery
- Fresnel Lens (2″x3″) – redundant fire starting method
- Waterproof and tearproof instructions – with illustrations (PDF)
- Stuff Sac – with drawcord and fastener (2)
Cup module and contents
Stove module and contents
Observations from Use
I won’t talk about every item in depth. Much of what is contained in this kit are items that are already proven performers. GearPods has done a great job of sourcing quality components for this kit but the parts that really shine are the parts that they designed themselves.
The Survival Pro kit comes with a small cooking set that GearPods designed to fit their containers. The design of the cook set is ingenious. It consists of a small stove, a cup that nests into the stove top, and a windscreen. The stove is designed to work with fuel tablets like those from Esbit and has three legs that can be spread out to stabilize the whole unit. The cup has a heat resistant fabric ring at the top which makes it a bit easier to handle when it is hot and a concave bottom which helps catch and hold the heat from the stove.
The cook set can boil water fairly quickly, which isn’t really surprising since it is a relatively small cup. The set up and take down is very easy. The windscreen can be rolled tightly and inserted into the cup for storage but you should take some care when storing it because it will scratch and scuff the anodization on the cup. The fabric on the cup won’t make it possible to handle a cup full of boiling water but it does make it possible to handle the cup sooner than you would be able to without some protection from the heat.
The Survival Pro comes with an instruction sheet that contains valuable information like general survival tips and information about items in the kit. It is printed on a material that feels like Tyvek. That may seem like a small thing but it shows just how clever the folks at GearPods are. Tyvek is extremely difficult to tear and basically water-proof. Those are desirable attributes for something that may have to be used in adverse conditions.
Cup on stove
Many of the items in the kit allow for one handed use in the event of an injury. The Spark-Lite fire starter can be used with just one hand without much trouble. Additionally, the kit includes a rescue Flash signal mirror that has a retro-reflective aiming reticle which allows it to be used one handed (some mirrors require a second hand to aim).
The kit doesn’t include any shelter specific items but it does include items that can be used in shelter construction (cordage). An A-frame style shelter can be built without any tools or cordage if the right materials are present. You may want to consider supplementing the kit with a GearPods Shelter unit or at least carrying something like an emergency blanket/bivy, poncho, tarp, or similar item.
The kit itself is very efficiently packed. You will want to take note of how things are packed when you are using the various components or you may have some difficulty packing the contents. I played around with different configurations and there is some leeway with how you pack the kit but a little bit of care goes a long way. GearPods thoughtfully provided two small stuff sacks that hold every component of the kit except the cook set. These bags let you keep the kit components together and organized even if you are using the cookset.
Cup, stove, and wind screen
The kit contains some redundancy (the good kind). There are multiple ways of starting a fire, multiple ways of food gathering, multiple ways to purify water, and multiple repair items. Redundancy can be a very good thing in a survival kit. Take the fire starters for instance, you will likely find that the Tinder-Quik are a very easy and reliable fire-starting method. However, in situations when you have direct sunlight, you will want to use the Fresnel lens in order to conserve the Tinder-Quik tabs and matches. The redundant items allow you to conserve resources by choosing the tool for the job.
The kit itself is very easy to carry. It fits in most water bottle pouches or rides fairly unobtrusively in your pack. You can even add another small container module and it will still fit in most water bottle pouches. GearPods sent me an additional small module so I could see how the connectors work and I found that it was great for storing natural tinder that I foraged (something you may want to do immediately once you realize you are in a survival situation).
Wrap Up
The GearPods is a well-stocked kit with a good mix of innovative original components and proven standard components. Its water bottle-ish form factor is unique and functional. The cook set’s design is ingenious in how it fits the container format while still retaining a lot of functionality. Between the container and the contents, this is easily one of the most innovative survival kits on the market. Check out the Survival Pro on GearPods.com.
Disclosure: This kit was provided to me free of charge by GearPods as a “thank you” for mentioning their products on JTT.