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Review: Grey Ghost Gear Lightweight Assualt Pack

By on October 3, 2012 in EDC, Reviews, Survival, Tactical Gear

It seems that everyone in the world has recognized the value in lighter weight backpacks except those is in the tactical gear industry. While the outdoor gear world continues to shed weight, tactical gear makers seem to make heavier packs all the time. Grey Ghost Gear (GGG) is bucking that trend with the Lightweight Assault Pack and proving that full featured, durable “tactical” backpacks don’t have to be heavy.

Where the Weight Went

Zippers, MOLLE webbing, straps, and all the other components of a typical tactical backpack all add up in terms of weight. You can remove features, modify features, or utilize lighter materials in order to shed weight. Grey Ghost Gear does a little of each in the Lightweight Assault Pack.

They didn’t really remove much in terms of features from this pack. The only notable deletion is an organizer. The Lightweight Assault Pack lacks any kind of small organizer pouches, pen loops, or anything like that. Some small interior organizer pockets would be nice and would weigh less than adding a separate organizer, but I don’t really miss it.

In order to save weight, GGG makes use of a pretty ingenious modification. The majority of the MOLLE webbing is actually about 2/3” the width of normal webbing. The webbing may be narrower but it still weaves perfectly with normal pouches. It is a very clever modification.

Standard width webbing shown with the thinner webbing used on the Lightweight Assault Pack.

Finally, GGG leverages some lighter fabrics to reduce the overall weight of these packs. Most of the Lightweight Assault Packs are constructed from 500D Cordura nylon which weighs nearly half as much as 1000D Cordura. The example that I have been using is constructed from Duro Industries LiteLok material which offers much of the durability of 500D Cordura nylon but weighs even less. The result is a pack that weighs just 19 ounces!

Overview

Don’t think that because this pack is designed to be light weight that it lacks features. The Lightweight Assault Pack has a surprising amount of functionality for a bag this compact and light weight.

The Lightweight Assault Pack has one of the better executed hydration pouches that I have encountered on a backpack. The hydration pouch is a top loading sleeve that is accessed separately from the main cargo compartment. The pouch is bellowed so that a full hydration bladder pushes into the cargo compartment instead of pushing into your back. The top of the hydration pouch features a sewn in tri-glide to be used as a hanger for your hydration bladder. The part of the hydration pouch that is against your back is nicely padded for insulation. The hydration pouch can be closed with Velcro and there is a covered hydration tube port located on the top of the bag.

The hydration pouch features a hanger for your hydration bladder.

The main cargo compartment of the Light Weight Assault Pack is bigger than you would think when you read the dimensions online. It is accessed via a zipper that extends about halfway down the height of the pack. The zipper is angled out away from your back which is handy since, if this pack is mounted to armor, it will have to be accessed by someone standing behind you. Some of the capacity is lost when you add a hydration bladder but there is still a surprising amount of space for a pack of this size. There are two sleeves at the bottom of the main compartment that can stretch to contain something as large as a 32 ounce Nalgene bottle. They are also handy for storing a few extra magazines where they can be found easily.

Interior sleeves hold your water bottles or spare mags.

There is also an additional, smaller cargo space on the front of the bag. This compartment is accessed via a vertical zipper on the side of the pack. Like the larger compartment, this one will surprise you with how large it is. It will fit 2 32 ounce Nalgene bottles with room to spare!

The exterior of the bag has 3 separate MOLLE webbing fields. There is one on each side and one on the front of the bag. There is also a large Velcro panel for patches and identification. The shoulder straps are thinly padded and contoured. They also feature a sternum strap and can be packed away into the hydration compartment when not in use. The zipper pulls have been replaced with para-cord and the zippers themselves are all nicely shielded for rain/dust resistance.

The Lightweight Assault Pack comes with hardware that is used to dock the pack onto armor or a larger pack.  Two sets of hardware are included.

Observations from Use

I have really come to appreciate the versatility of this pack. It is a versatile size that moves easily between day hikes, to EDC, to its intended role as an assault pack. It also derives a lot of versatility from the various ways that it can be carried. It works great as a stand-alone pack and when it is attached to the plate carrier.

Due to its light weight, it also works very well when used in conjunction with a larger pack. You can either pack it away to use as a day-pack once you have arrived at your destination. You can also dock it to your larger pack to use as extra storage space or an E&E type bag should you need to drop the larger pack. I used it docked to the outside of a Kifaru ZXR or in the cargo area of a Mystery Ranch Crew Cab.

The only stiffener in the pack is the foam padding on the hydration sleeve. This is appropriate for a small pack like this and is what I actually prefer so that the bag can be folded up for packing. If you are looking to carry heavy, multi-day loads, this isn’t the pack you want. A sensible packer could probably do an overnight out of this pack in warm weather. If you absolutely needed a stiffener, you could easily cut one from some kind of plastic (make sure to remove sharp edges) and insert it into the hydration compartment.

The shoulder straps are nicely executed. They are thinly padded and nicely contoured. Due to the nature of the LiteLok material, the straps are a bit slick so the sternum strap comes in handy.

Speaking of LiteLok, this material adds a heavy dose of cool factor to the Light Weight Assault Pack. The material is not only very light and quite strong, but it also has a very cool grid appearance that looks like a reverse rip-stop pattern.

When you first look at the thinner MOLLE webbing that it sewn on the pack, it looks like there is no way that it will create a tight weave but it does. Standard MOLLE pouches mount to this pack just as solidly as they do on full size webbing.

Wrap Up

The Lightweight Assault Pack is the type of versatile pack that just about anyone can use. It weighs less than you would expect and holds more than you would expect. Those are both pretty flattering things to say about a pack.

Check out the Lightweight Assault Pack on GreyGhostGear.com.

Disclosure: Grey Ghost Gear provided this pack to me for review, free of charge.

Review: ECHO NiNER Head Lamp Pouch

By on September 27, 2012 in Flashlights, Reviews, Tactical Gear

Head lamps are one of the most useful lighting tools ever created until you have to wear something else like a helmet or hat on your head that precludes the use of a head lamp. Using a head lamp as a hand held light when you are unable to wear it sounds like a good idea until you try it. If you can’t wear it and you don’t want to hold it, what can you do? Well, if the head lamp in question is a Surefire Minimus (previously known as the Saint Minimus), you can use the ECHO NiNER (E9) Head Lamp Pouch to secure the light to your MOLLE gear for hands free use.

Overview

The E9 Head Lamp Pouch combines both unique features with unique materials to create something very functional. In fact, there are some materials used in this pouch that you are likely going to start seeing a lot more frequently.

The main body of the pouch is made from Hypalon which is a synthetic rubber material that is relatively light in weight and very tough. It is not stretchy but feels somewhat rubbery to the touch like dry bag material. It is water resistant (though the pouch is not), chemical resistant, temperature resistant, and UV light resistant.

The interior of the pouch is stiffened with a thin frame of plastic. This is necessary so that the pouch doesn’t shift and sag under the load of the head lamp. It works very well for its intended purpose and also serves as some additional impact protection for the items contained in the pouch.

The top flap of the pouch is constructed of 1000D nylon with a pack clothe lining. The flap is secured over the opening of the pouch via hook and loop.

There is a large opening in the front of the pouch that allows the head lamp to protrude. The top of the opening is split to allow easy installation and removal of the head lamp. Each side of the head lamp features a short shock cord loop that prevents the head lamp from falling out the front of the pouch. This design works well for the wide barrel shape of the Surefire Minimus that I tested.

When the head lamp is secured in the pouch, the body of the light is outside the pouch while the strap and forehead “mount” is contained within the pouch. It is very secure and allows for all functions of the Minimus to be accessible (brightness adjustment, tilt).

E9 says that this pouch is also useful for GoPro cameras and any other item that you don’t mind being visible/exposed through the front of the pouch. I was not able to test a GoPro Camera but I did find that it the pouch is useful for items other than head lamps. You are really only limited by what will fit in the pouch without falling out of the hole in front.

Observations from Use

More than anything else, I wanted to test how secure the head lamp was secured by the E9 Head Lamp Pouch. It is very well secured. Even if the flap opens accidentally, the shock cord will retain the Minimus head lamp well enough that accidental loss shouldn’t be an issue. It is a pretty ingenious set up. E9 says the pouch will work specifically with the Minimus (which includes the Saint and Saint Minimus) and ICON head lamps. I tested with a Minimus but I suspect that other head lamps with a similar barrel shaped form factor will work.

The E9 Head Lamp Pouch work really well mounted on the high center of a plate carrier. From this position, the broad beam of the Minimus can be put to good use illuminating items in your hands like maps or the path that you are walking. It attaches via 2 MOLLE straps so it is also narrow enough to attach to items like some backpack or chest rig straps via the horizontal sections of webbing that can often found on these items. The higher you can mount the pouch, the better it will work.

There is enough room in the pouch to secure a few extra batteries and color filters. This can be very handy for the Minimus since the newest versions allow the use of somewhat bulky, “U” shaped color filters. However, if the head lamp is removed, these small items will likely fall out of the pouch immediately upon movement.

The quality of the pouch is very good. The materials are all bomb proof. There were no surprises here.

I did note two potential issues with the pouch. One is noted earlier. Small items like batteries and color filters will not be retained if the head lamp is not in place which renders the pouch useless for small items unless you also have the head lamp installed. Some way to close the opening in the pouch would make it more useful. Perhaps if the perimeter of the opening was covered with loop material a patch could be used to cover the opening.

The other issue is that the gnarled adjustment knob of the Minimus can rub on the stitching that secures the plastic stiffener to the inside of the pouch. Mine is already starting to fray the stitching a bit so I have placed a small piece of tape behind the adjustment knob to protect the stitching. This will likely be a non-issue with the ICON head lamps and care can be taken with the Minimus to prevent this when operating the knob.

Wrap Up

The E9 Head Lamp Pouch is extremely handy. It improves the usefulness of your head lamp when you don’t have it on your head. In fact, my Minimus will probably spend more time in this pouch than it does on my head. I would love to see a way to close the pouch’s opening in a future version. It would also be very cool to make an expanded version that was more of an admin style organizer with the head lamp holding capability built in.

Check out the E9 Head Lamp Pouch on ENiNER.com.

Disclosure: This product was provided for review by ECHO NiNER, free of charge.

Review: ECHO NiNER Light Speed Camera Strap

By on September 21, 2012 in Reviews, Tactical Gear

I recently reviewed the ECHO NiNER Original Camera Strap. Today, we will be taking a look at the new Light Speed Camera Strap from ECHO NiNER (E9).

Overview

The Light Speed Camera Strap is the second camera strap offering from ECHO NiNER. Like the Original, the Light Speed is designed to stand up to the abuse that comes along with combat photography. E9 bills it as a simpler and more low profile alternative to the Original Camera Strap.

The Light Speed is made mostly from 1” webbing. The quick adjust “tail” portion of the strap is standard mil-spec flat webbing while the main portion of the sling is made from 1” tubular webbing. There is one side release buckle that serves as both the quick adjust for length and an emergency release should you need to free yourself from the strap.

In addition to the quick adjustment tail on the SRB mentioned above, the Light Speed features a tri-glide for additional adjustment. The result is a strap that is longer and more adjustable than the Original Camera Strap.

Like the Original Camera Strap, the Light Speed utilizes para-cord attachment points for durability.

Observations from Use

I love the Original Camera Strap from E9 but I might actually like the Light Speed a bit more. It is hard to put my finger on exactly why but the extra length and adjustability has a lot to do with it. What it lacks in features, it makes up for in focused simplicity and greater adjustability. It is a good trade-off.

The Light Speed has a minimum length of about 27” so it can be cinched against your body to prevent your camera from swinging around. Its maximum length is about 52” which means that there is plenty of room for wearing the sling across your shoulder instead of just around your neck, even if you are wearing some gear.

The dual adjustment points make harnessing that extra length very easy. I found that the tri-glide provides a lot of gross adjustment while the quick adjust tail can be used to fine tune the length on the fly. I adjusted my tri-glide so that the strap was long enough to allow me to wrap it over my shoulder with the quick adjust in the fully extended position. That way, I can quickly cinch the camera to me by pulling the quick adjust tail. The Light Speed lacks the tacky rubber grip strip of the Original, so it doesn’t lock down quite as tight but it does an admirable job.

The choice of tubular webbing is excellent for this strap for a few reasons. One, its edges are rolled so it doesn’t wear out your neck as it moves. Two, it is slick which makes it easy to maneuver the camera. Three, it is extremely durable. Wider straps are typically more comfortable than thin straps but the tubular webbing goes a long way toward making this a pretty comfortable strap.

Wrap Up

This is a great strap. It has plenty of adjustability, enough length to handle various gear configurations, and purposeful simplicity. It is rugged, reliable, and looks good. The Light Speed Camera Strap is a nice change up from the Original Camera Strap.

Check out ENiNER.com.

Review: RE Factor Tactical Blasting Cap

By on September 17, 2012 in EDC, Reviews, Tactical Gear

Ball caps don’t really have to do much to fulfill their purpose. If they keep the sun out of our eyes, we are usually pretty satisfied with them.  The Blasting Cap from RE Factor Tactical is a ball cap, but it does a lot more than keep the sun out of your eyes. It might just change what you expect from a cap.

Overview

It seems like everyone makes a tactical hat these days. Many are basically identical low crown, unstructured hats with a Velcro panel on the front. Others have incrementally introduced innovative, end user centric features like ventilation and interior signal panels. However, few have so successfully combined these features into something that feels completely new like the RE Factor Tactical Blasting Cap.

The cap itself starts out as a Flexfit ball cap with mesh side and back panels. The Blasting Cap has features that you expect from a “tactical” cap. It has front and rear Velcro panels for attaching patches and identification. The edges of these panels are embroidered for durability. It has a 1”x1” Velcro panel that replaces the button on the crown. This allows for comfortable use of over-the-head hearing protection and attaching IR glint tape. Additionally, there is a second 1”x1” Velcro panel on the inside of the cap for storing your IR glint tape when not in use.

The interior of that cap contains still more functionality. The binding tape on the interior of the cap is printed with the RE Factors of various Es as a reference for those who need this sort of thing (which is not me). The front most two panels are lined with high visibility orange material that can be used for signaling which I find to be extremely useful.

Basically, this cap has many more features that you would typically expect from a cap.

Observations from Use

Caps must be comfortable to wear or they are useless. Since the Blasting Cap starts with a genuine Flexfit cap, it is extremely comfortable. The fact that it has mesh panels to greatly increase ventilation improves the comfort exponentially in warm weather.

The embroidered edges on the Velcro panels are a nice touch. It should help extend the life of the panels by preventing the edges from pulling when you remove a patch.

The signaling panel is the kind of feature that you will get more use out of than you realize. You can get someone’s attention in a crowd, get noticed if you find yourself in an emergency in the woods, or use it as a reference point for land navigation while using the leap frog technique. Of course, there are military uses for the panel that I am not qualified to comment on.

Wrap Up

I have been struck with the thoughtful touches that can found in this cap. Things like the embroidered edges on the Velcro panels and the interior glint tape storage panel show attention to detail from the types of people who wear these caps on the job. Many of these features can be found on other caps but you will only find all of them in the Blasting Cap.

Check out the Blasting Cap on REFactorTactical.com.

Disclosure: RE Factor Tactical provided me this cap for review, free of charge.

Review: Blue Force Gear RED Swivel

By on September 7, 2012 in Reviews, Survival, Tactical Gear

Push button sling swivels have become ubiquitous in this industry for good reason. They are robust, easy to use, offer a degree of flexibility that fixed mounts just can’t offer. However, in spite of their name, QD swivels, aren’t really as easy to detach as they could be and for certain applications and users that can be an issue. Enter the Blue Force Gear RED (Rapid Emergency Detachment).

BFG RED Swivel shown on LaRue Tactical 9.0 Rail

The RED offers similar functionality as the QD sling swivels that we are all familiar with but with a major exception. The RED features a relatively large knob on a steel cable that is pulled to detach the swivel rather than a relatively small button that is pushed to detach the swivel. Blue Force Gear hopes that the combination of the more intuitive motion (pull to separate) and the larger input device (knob on a cable versus button) make the RED suitable to serve as an emergency release in addition to its duty as a sling swivel.

I had two major questions regarding the RED going into this review. First and foremost, would the large knob snag at inopportune times causing the sling to release unintentionally? Second, do the limited angles at which the RED is designed to work limit its use as an emergency release? Essentially, I wondered if the very features designed to make the RED difficult to release accidentally would also make it difficult to release on purpose and if the features designed to make the RED easy to release on purpose would also make it easy to release accidentally.

Overview

The fit and finish are what I have come to expect from Blue Force Gear who are no strangers to QD sling swivels. The components are machined nicely and finished nicely with a flat grayish black phosphate finish (not the semi-glossy finish often found on cheaper swivels). The swivel moves in and out of sockets smoothly and mounts without excess wobble. The loop portion of the swivel that you actually thread the sling through is just as burly as any other heavy-duty QD sling swivel. Really, if it wasn’t for the big knob and cable sticking out of the back, it would feel no different than any of the other quality QD sling swivels on the market and that is a good thing.

To test the durability of the cable, I grabbed the swivel in one hand and the knob in the other. I am not the Incredible Hulk, but I couldn’t pull the cable out of the swivel. This is hardly a scientific test but I lack the equipment to do a true break strength test so I will leave it at that.

The RED Swivel will not detach when pulled off axis.

Observations from Use

The RED is designed to only release when the knob is pulled straight out. It will not release if it is pulled off axis by more than about 13-14 degrees on my sample. I should also note that, while it will release at angles less than 13-14 degrees, it actually starts to resist being released at as little as 8-9 degrees off axis. Basically, if you pull it straight out, it will release with very little resistance. If you pull it in any direction other than straight out, there will be some resistance which is a good thing.

I set about trying to make the RED release unintentionally and I was unsuccessful. I tried 5 different chest rigs with various magazine combinations and it never once came close to catching on them. I tried 4 different plate carriers with various magazine configurations and it never came close to snagging there. I tried to intentionally tuck it between or behind magazines to create a snag and it just pulled out without releasing. I tried catching it on doorways or other tight spaces as I moved through with no issues. Basically, I found that the tapered shape of the knob and the limited angles at which the cable can be pulled prevent accidental release in every situation that I put the RED in. This doesn’t mean that Murphy and his law will never make an appearance, but in my estimation you are taking that risk with a regular QD swivel as well. I have seen regular QD sling swivels release unintentionally for various reasons. I am completely satisfied that the RED will stay put when I want it to.

Which would you rather use in an emergency?

I also wanted to test that I could release the RED from a variety of positions. I basically just tried to recreate awkward positions (which I am sure looked ridiculous) to see if I could release the RED. In situations where I could see the RED, releasing it was intuitive and easy. In situations where I couldn’t see the RED in order to determine if I was pulling straight out I could either roll my wrist around while pulling until it released or use the sense of touch to orient my hand to the mount and then pull straight out. I found that if I could get my hands on it, I could release it.

Apart from the emergency release testing, I also wanted to see if the RED Swivel was any good as a replacement for the seemingly omnipresent QD sling swivels. I actually found the RED to be very easy to use and at least as easy to use as the normal swivel. I actually find the RED Swivel easier to insert into certain sockets than a standard swivel. Standard swivels work great if you are inserting them into something rigid that you can push against. If the socket is not mounted on something rigid, like on a sling in the case of an IWC 2 to 1 Point Triglide or the Blue Force Gear Burnsed Socket, then it can be a little bit difficult to fully compress the button and press the standard QD swivel swivel into place. The RED allows you to grab the knob portion with your palm and press the swivel away from the knob with your fingers which allows you to easily insert the RED into a socket without the aid of something rigid to push against.  Best of all, this maneuver was something that I just started doing intuitively. The RED Swivel just works.

The unique properties of the RED Swivel make it ideally suited to use with convertible sling devices like the BFG Burnsed Socket shown.

Wrapping Up

The RED Swivel may be a vital safety device for those who may find themselves in a situation in which they need to rapidly remove their slings from their body. In my testing, it seems to do a good job of both resisting release at the wrong time and aiding release when necessary. Both of these items are necessary if the RED Swivel is to be successful.

Though it is not advertised as such, I found that the RED swivel excels when used in conjunction with QD swivel based 2 to 1 point convertible sling devices like the IWC 2 to 1 Point Triglide or the Blue Force Gear Burnsed Socket. I would take the RED Swivel over a standard QD swivel for these applications.

Check out BlueForceGear.com.

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