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Garmin BaseCamp

By on February 24, 2011 in Survival, Tactical Gear

Garmin GPS devices typically come packaged with their MapSource Trip and Waypoint Manager software. It is used to move maps and waypoints from your computer to your GPS. In my experience the MapSource software works but it seems to be geared more toward on road use rather than on trail use.

Thankfully, Garmin now has their BaseCamp software available to download for free. BaseCamp is a more wilderness oriented product that offers some very nice functionality for those who take their Garmin GPS outdoors.

The best feature of BaseCamp for me is how easy it is to create routes and waypoints. You can plan an entire trip on your computer before you ever set foot on (or off) a trail. There is also support for Google Maps and Google Earth. BaseCamp lets you print professional looking maps that even have automatically generated map details, lat/lon or UTM grid lines, magnetic declination information, and maps scales. Sadly, the maps do not necessarily print in a common scale, but they are still very useful. I have found that it handles large topo map sets much better than MapSource Trip and Waypoint manager. It works great with the free maps from GPSFileDepot.com.

Garmin updates BaseCamp fairly regularly and there has been talk of upgrading the printing so that users can print in common scales like 1:24K. Product support and free software like BaseCamp is part of the reason that I own several Garmin GPS units.

Download BaseCamp from the Garmin website.

Granite Tactical Gear Modular Pockets

By on February 10, 2011 in Tactical Gear

Granite Gear, maker of excellent outdoor gear like backpacks, has quietly been making some very innovative tactical gear for the last couple of years. Some of the newest products in the their tactical line are the Modular Pockets (MP’s).

These are not unlike any other MOLLE utility pouch on the market except for two key differences. They have a rigid foam reinforced back sheet that helps the pouch keep its shape and makes for a rigid attachment to the host pack (or chest rig, belt rig, etc.). They also have compression straps to help prevent noise and shifting. The rigid backing helps prevent the host pack from bunching when the compression straps on the MP are cinched tight. I have never seen a MOLLE pouch with compression straps and when I saw these MP’s I was immediately struck by what a simple, functional, and worthwhile addition they could be to a pouch.

If you have 15 minutes to fill and you want to drool a bit, check out the Granite Tactical Gear 2011 catalog for more info on their entire line of gear.

Magpul Rifle Length MOE Hand Guards – Now Shipping!

By on February 8, 2011 in Guns, Tactical Gear

The the long awaited rifle length MOE Hand Guards from Magpul are now shipping. These were originally announced back at the 201o SHOT Show. There have been pictures all over the web of these hand guards being used on “dissipator” type carbines and they certainly seem to be well suited to that type of build.

They should be on dealer’s shelves shortly. You can read more on Magpul’s website.

Review: Diamondback Tactical MOLLE CR123 Battery Holder

By on February 7, 2011 in Flashlights, Reviews, Tactical Gear

Diamondback Tactical makes a slick little battery holder that solves a problem for me. I have had a CR123 battery become dented and unusable while knocking around loose in a pocket of my backpack. I have also read accounts of how CR123 batteries can heat up and vent when loose items in a pocket are able to short the battery. The Diamondback Tactical 123A Battery Holder (MOLLE) solves these problems by providing a dedicated holder specifically for CR123 batteries that keeps them protected, separate from other small items, and  easily accessible.

The pouch is simple. It is two elastic loops covered by an upper and lower flap. There are two snaps that allow the holder to attach to a single column of MOLLE webbing. It has a very small footprint so you can find room for one on any chest rig, belt rig, or back pack. The snaps allow these to be attached and detached from MOLLE webbing in just seconds.

These battery holders are a great way to keep batteries around on your training gear. You never know when you will need a fresh set of batteries to keep you on the line in a low light course. I also use them on my hiking packs so I can keep spare batteries around for my headlamp or flashlight. They are simple and effective.

IWC 2 to 1 Point Triglide 1.25″ Now Available

By on February 5, 2011 in Guns, Tactical Gear

Impact Weapon Components just made the 1.25″ version of the previously reviewed 2 to 1 Point Triglide available on their site. The new version is sized to work on slings that use larger 1,25″ webbing like the Vickers Combat Application Slings (VCAS) from Blue Force Gear. The VCAS is my personal favorite sling so I will have to pick up a few of these.

You can check out the original 1″ version and the new 1.25″ version on the IWC website.

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