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Review: TAREINCO SOB-Pouch

By on July 25, 2012 in EDC, Reviews, Survival, Tactical Gear

There are a lot of belt pouches available that are marketed toward EDC (every day carry) but there are very few that anyone actually wants to carry unless they like being called “Batman” by their friends. The typical EDC belt pouch has lots of buckles, zippers, flaps, and bulk which make them far too conspicuous for me.

The TAREINCO Survival Options Belt-Pouch (SOB-Pouch) is very different from most EDC belt pouches. The biggest difference is that you may actually want to use it since it can be carried fairly discreetly.

Overview

The SOB-Pouch is very simple at first glance but there are some neat features if you look closer. It is a belt mounted 3” x 5” pouch with a single zipper and no organization features. It also has a Velcro field for attaching patches or a red cross if the pouch is carrying first aid items.

The pouch portion of the SOB-Pouch is cleverly constructed from a single piece of 1000D nylon that is folded over, sewn on the ends (and bound with bias tape), and completed with the zipper. This construction technique minimizes failure points and makes the SOB-Pouch lay very flat against the belt. This low profile construction method and the quick release belt loop are what make this pouch special.

It features an ingenious belt loop system that can be mounted on belts up to 2” wide and can be released simply by pulling a short tab the protrudes below the bottom of the pouch. The belt loop is constructed from wide pieces of overlapping Velcro. When you pull the tab, you are simply separating the Velcro and allowing the pouch to release from the belt. It is a simple system and it works.

Quality

The quality of this pouch seems to be excellent. The stitching is straight and even. The quick release pull tab is box stitched to the belt loop. The belt loop is attached to the pouch via heavy double stitches. The seams in the pouch itself are kept to a minimum and are all bound so there are no cloth edges. All the materials are top notch.

Uses

Obviously, with a wide open pouch like this only the size of the pouch limits what it can carry. It is certainly a versatile pouch but I think it has some features that let it excel at certain uses.

It is designed to serve as a small survival kit pouch and it does that very well. It can carry a surprising amount of gear while still remaining quite compact. I have packed it with an EXOTAC nanoSTRIKER, water purification tablets, a small roll of duct tape, some cordage, a fishing kit, tinder, some tin foil, a small knife, saw, and more with room to spare. This one tiny pouch can cover your needs for fire (fire starters), water (purification tabs), and possibly even food (fishing kit) and shelter (cordage). A pouch like the SOB-Pouch lets you store these vital items on your body instead of in your pack where they can be more easily separated from you.

I also found that it makes a great small first aid or boo-boo kit. When you are in woods or training on the range, there are many medical issues that you can encounter that you won’t be able to treat with a blowout kit. Items like pain relievers, anti-diarrheal meds, adhesive bandages, and all the other mundane but commonly used first aid items should be carried separately from your trauma treatment supplies so you don’t have to root through your blowout kit to access them. These items are especially important when you are in a multi-day training class where you are, hopefully, more likely to suffer a scraped knee than a gunshot wound. The last thing you want is a case of the “quick steps” or killer headache to ruin your expensive training.

Observations from Use

I have already said it in this review, but I will say it again… This pouch is great in part because it has such a low profile. It disappears under an untucked shirt. Most people really won’t even notice it and if they do, it doesn’t look like you are carrying a rucksack on your belt.

The quick release belt loop system is also part of what makes this pouch work so well. Rooting around in such a small pouch would be difficult if you had to keep it on your belt. The SOB-Pouch can be easily removed from your belt. In fact, it is so easy that you can do it by feel. Just find the tab and pull. This means that you can mount it anywhere on your belt, even spots that you can’t see. It can be replaced on your belt just as easily.

I did not have any problems with the belt loop releasing unintentionally in 1 month of near daily carry.

The belt loop is constructed from raw Velcro without a backing. It seems very sturdy and has held up well so far but I wonder if it will start to fray over time. Some kind of backing sewn onto the Velcro material might prevent this if it is even an issue at all.

The belt loop is good for more than just belt carry. I found that it worked very well on a backpack strap.

The zipper is located part of the way down the front of the pouch instead of on the top. I thought that I would find that to be a pain but it actually seems to make packing easier because the items in the pouch are less likely to stick up into the zipper when you are trying to close it.

I was dubious about the Velcro field on the front of the pouch at first but it would be a great place to place a small red cross patch to indicate that it contains first aid items. TAREINCO would probably build a pouch without it if you don’t think you will need it.

Wrap Up

The SOB-Pouch is handy, versatile, and well-made with clever features that make it better for its intended purpose. It is compact and low-profile enough that, if you look like a goof when you are wearing it, it isn’t the SOB-Pouch’s fault. Check out the TAREINCO SOB-Pouch at TAREINCO.com.

Disclosure: This pouch was provided to me for review, free of charge, by TAREINCO.

Review: Battle Systems LLC Marker Panel, Individual, Lightweight

By on July 23, 2012 in EDC, Reviews, Survival, Tactical Gear

People have been cutting down the VS-17 Marker Panels to make them easier to handle and pack for years. The Marker Panel, Individual, Lightweight (MPIL) from Battle Systems LLC is an evolutionary upgrade to that concept but it has some additional features and functionality that make it more than just a downsized rehash of the VS-17.

This Multicam Mystery Ranch Crew Cab pack would all but disappear without the MPIL attached.

Here is the pack without the MPIL attached for reference.

Overview

I should note that I am reviewing the Mk1 version of the MPIL. A new Mk2 version that is 100% Berry Compliant will be released shortly. It will have some subtle changes but the functionality will be unchanged.

The MPIL is a 2 sided marker panel made from lightweight rip-stop nylon. One side is International Orange (Blaze Orange) and the other is fluorescent pink. Each side has a 2 x 2” color matched Velcro square that is intended to allow the user to attach an IR reflective patch.  There are paracord loops sewn into each corner.

The panel, with IR patch, weighs about 1 ounce. The MPIL 16 x 16” in its fully open position and it folds down to about 2.5 x 2.5” for storage. It comes with a shock-cord loop that is used to secure it when folded.

The MPIL is available on its own but Battle Systems also offers some worthwhile additions and packages that will help you get the most out of it. Battle Systems will be offering IR patches that can be purchased at the same time as your MPIL. They will also be offering National Molding Poli Bina Clips that make it easier to attach the MPIL to a variety of gear or to attach multiple MPIL together.

The National Molding Poli Bina Clips are a worthwhile addition to the MPIL.

The Poli Bina Clips can be staged on your pack (or any other MOLLE covered surface) so that you can quickly attach the MPIL when needed.

Be Found

I am unqualified speak to the military uses of the MPIL, though they are many. However, the MPIL’s uses are hardly limited to the military. It is potentially a very useful tool for the outdoorsman.

The MPIL is a compact and lightweight means of signaling in the event that something goes awry while you are in the woods. The ability to seen over large distances is paramount when you are lost or need rescue. Basically, when you need to be found, you need to be seen. I never walk into the woods without at least one means of getting someone’s attention.

It packs so small, that it can easily be carried with additional signaling methods. In fact, I have found that you can easily tuck a SAR Global Eclipse Signal System and a quality survival whistle into the folded MPIL to create a very compact, very light weight, and very versatile signaling kit. These items together are compact and light enough that even the most weight conscious packer can find room for them in their kit.

The MPIL, SAR Global Tool Eclipse Signal System, and a whistle make a compact signal kit that works across a variety of conditions.

At just 2.5 x 2.5″, there is always room for the MPIL.

Stay Found

Just as the MPIL can help you be found, it can also help you stay found. It sounds simple but, not getting lost is a great way to avoid needing to be found.

If your usual outdoor haunts have acre after acre of forest with little to no under growth, I envy you. Around here, the little bit of wooded area that we do have is all second growth forest that tends to be choked with dense underbrush. This type of forest makes it nearly impossible to use a sighting compass to identify a landmark on your azimuth to walk toward.  In places, it is thick enough that even the leapfrog technique of walking an azimuth can be difficult because you can’t see your navigation partner more than a few yards in front of you.

I’ll briefly explain the leap frog technique for those who are unfamiliar. When using a map and compass, you first determine an azimuth (the direction to your desired destination). Then you use your sighting compass to sight to a landmark that is on your azimuth so you can walk to it and repeat the process until you reach your destination. In the absence of landmarks or when your view of suitable landmarks is obstructed, you can use the leapfrog technique (I have no idea if that is what the technique is really called). Essentially, you use your partner as a moveable landmark. They walk out ahead of you only as far as they can be seen and then you, using your compass, direct them until they are right on your azimuth. They then hold their position while you walk to them and then repeat the process until you have suitable landmarks or your reach your destination.

Years ago, I found that having a brightly colored panel can greatly improve the efficacy of this technique because it makes the navigation partner easier to see and sight the compass against. It essentially allows you to send them further away from you in dense brush which increases the ground that you can cover with each “leap.” The MPIL is tremendously effective tool for this technique. In fact, the MPIL spends a lot of time in my favorite map case for just this purpose.

If you are lacking a suitable landmark on your azimuth, the MPIL and a partner can be use to make your own. It works in wide open fields or in woods that are choked with undergrowth.

In Use

The above uses really only scratch the surface of the MPIL’s usefulness to the outdoorsman (and we haven’t even touched on military uses). In addition to the above, it can also easily be used to identify yourself as something other than a deer in hunting season. It can be used to mark your camp or gear so it is visible from a distance. It could be used in a vehicle kit as a means of indicating that you need help or being more visible when you change a flat tire on the side of the road. The potential uses go on and on.

Much of the MPIL’s usefulness is derived from how simple it is to attach to various objects. The paracord loops at each corner allow you to use just about any kind of clip or lashing to secure the MPIL. It will attach to some packs without additional hardware (especially any Mystery Ranch pack with the Daypack Lid). The National Molding Poli Bina Clips make it easy to attach to just about any piece of gear whether it has MOLLE webbing available or not.

It is also very simple to attach multiple MPIL together to form a larger panel. The Poli Bina Clips make this especially easy. Battle Systems will likely be offering some form of a multipack of MPIL and Poli Binas once the Mk2 version is available that will facilitate this type of use.

The IR reflective patches that are available expand the capability of MPIL to include low and no light signaling. I would like to see Battle Systems introduce a visible light reflective patch as well since it likely has more relevance to the outdoorsman market than the IR reflective patch.

I have found a way that I like to fold the MPIL that allows me to quickly deploy it as a small square, rather than unfolding it all the way to its full size. This is useful for the above mentioned leapfrog technique where you may not actually need a huge aiming point for the compass. This method can also be used so that the IR patch can be exposed with just one fold instead of fully opening the panel. Additionally, the panel can be folded so that the IR patch is visible without unfolding. Then it can be secured to a pack or gear in this folded state for use as a sort of make shift “cat eye” or “ranger eye.”

The MPIL can be used a “cat eye” when it is hung from a backpack while still folded.

Wrap Up

I hope you are getting the idea that the MPIL is ridiculously versatile. When every ounce counts, you want the items that you are carrying to be able to be used in multiple ways. I think it is an incredibly useful part of any well rounded survival/signal kit.

Check out the Marker Panel, Individual, Lightweight on BattleSystemsLLC.com.

 

Review: OC Tactical Mondo Patch Panel

By on July 19, 2012 in Patch Collecting, Reviews, Tactical Gear

What use is having the coolest collection of patches around if you can’t show them off? OC Tactical can help. Their Grande Patch Panel was a smashing success but people wanted an even larger patch panel so OC Tactical introduced the Mondo Patch Panel.

OC Tactical Mondo Patch Panel (left) and Grande Patch Panel (right)

The Mondo Patch Panel has all of the same craftsmanship and attention to detail that made the Grande Patch Panel great except the Mondo is twice the size of the Grande. The Velcro is one continuous sheet (not sewn together segments like some copy-cat designs). The backing is 1000D Cordura lining and the edges are all bound.  The binding and Velcro are both Multicam printed on the Multica version of the Mondo.

There are 6 heavy duty blackened grommets that can be used to mount the 24 x 36” Mondo Patch Panel. The grommets allow you to hang the panel using a number of methods. I like to use 3M Command Adhesive hooks.

Even though these are just for displaying patches, OC Tactical doesn’t skip any details.

I currently have my Mondo and Grande Patch Panels mounted in my office over the desk where all the JTT magic happens. They look great in my office and would be perfect for a man cave or workshop. The PredatorBDU blog also pointed out that the Mondo would be an excellent display for retailers who sell morale patches.

One thing that I didn’t really appreciate until I was mounting the Mondo Patch Panel on my wall is that it shares a dimension with the Grande Patch Panel (each of them have a 24” side). This makes mounting them side by side more attractive.

The Mondo Patch Panel is available in Coyote Brown or Multicam. It is an attractive and well-made way to display all your favorite patches. Check it out on OCTactical.com.

Disclosure: OC Tactical (an advertiser on this blog) provided me this patch panel, free of charge, for review.

Review: Strike Industries Tactical Sling Catch

By on July 16, 2012 in Reviews, Tactical Gear

The Tactical Sling Catch from Strike Industries is a fairly clever widget that attaches to your plate carrier or chest rig and promises to help keep your sling off of your neck. It is a very simple solution to a common problem and it works with some caveats.

The Tactical Sling Catch consists of just 3 simple parts: the catch and 2 strips of Velcro.

Overview

The Tactical Sling Catch (TSC) consists of only 3 pieces: the black plastic sling catch and 2 strips of the Velcro that are used to attach it to your shoulder strap. It has a ledge that is intended to prevent it from pulling off of the shoulder strap and some fairly sharp spikes on the underside that are intended to prevent it from sliding on the shoulder strap.

The hook that captures your sling is fairly large and easy to hook your sling into. It is large enough to work with padded slings though it works best with non-padded slings (more on that later). It is flexible enough that you would probably never break it but sturdy enough to keep from bending under the weight of a rifle.

These small spikes on the underside of the TSC are effective at keeping it from sliding forward and back.

Installation

Installation is very easy but you will want to take some care that you are installing the Velcro strips correctly and that you install the Velcro strips as tightly as possible. The installation is described very well in this video provided by Strike Industries (installation starts at 2:42):

Use

The purpose of the TSC is simple. It is intended to keep the sling off of your neck. It isn’t really explicitly stated but it seems to be more of an administrative tool for those times when the rifle is at rest. The sling is worn as usually and if the wearer is not actively using their rifle, they can easily reach up and pull the sling into the TSC. Once they need to actively use the rifle, the TSC will not inhibit movement of the rifle by either allowing the sling to slide through or releasing it.

TSC installed on a Diamondback FAPC

Observations from Use

The Tactical Sling Catch works if the right conditions exist. I had a couple of issues with it occasionally rolling inward. Some of the issues were my fault and some were just the reality that a device like this just isn’t going to fit every shoulder strap.

Plate carrier and chest rig straps are hardly standard across the industry. They vary widely in width, thickness, amount of padding, and shape. In order for the TSC to work, you will need a strap that is fairly wide and has sufficient thickness and rigidity to stand up to the weight of the rifle pulling on it. Smaller or thinner straps won’t really retain the TSC. Overly padded or extra wide straps may not produce good results either. You can’t really count this against the TSC since it would be impossible to make a device like this work on every plate carrier. It just isn’t going to happen.

Padded slings tend to bind in the TSC.

I tested the TSC on a Diamondback Tactical Fast Attack Plate Carrier which happens to have the perfect shoulder strap set up for use with the TSC. Once I figured out how tight I needed to get the Velcro strips (as tight as possible), it worked pretty well. It traps your sling and keeps it off of your neck. The sling will occasionally jump out of the hook if you are moving the rifle around a lot.  This is rare and I consider it a non-issue since I view the TSC as more of an administrative tool for keeping the sling off your neck when the rifle is at rest. It you are moving and shooting, it may jump out of the hook and that is probably best since it will increase your mobility with the rifle.

Padded slings will bind in the TSC. The sling needs to be able to slide through the TSC to allow a full range of motion. If you use a padded sling, you probably don’t really need to keep the sling off your neck anyway.

Non-padded slings, like this Blue Force Gear VCAS, work very well with the TSC.

Wrap Up

The Tactical Sling Catch works but with more caveats than I was expecting. If you have a plate carrier that will work well with it and a non-padded sling, it will probably work very well for you. I can’t speak to the usefulness of the TSC in military or police circles but it might literally prevent a pain in the neck during a carbine course by keeping the sling off of your neck during all the time spent standing on the line.

Check out the Tactical Sling Catch at StrikeIndustries.com.

Review: LaRue PredatAR

By on July 13, 2012 in Guns, Reviews

The current consummation of my quest for a battle rifle, which I recently discussed, is a LaRue PredatAR. This rifle strikes an amazing balance between power and weight and as such is one of a very few 7.62 caliber rifles that are truly general and not special purpose. Frankly, this type of rifle fills a void that has been marginalized or wrongly patterned by many companies in the industry. The result of this near perfect blend has been wildly successful sales for the manufacturer.

Overview

The PredatAR is one member of a family of 7.62 rifles in the company lineup and it is largely being marketed to the three gun/hunting crowd. The original rifle design is the OBR, which is heavier and more precision oriented. Forthcoming is a PredatOBR series of rifles that blend the precision/suppression features of the original OBR with the lighter weight and balance of the PredatAR. I have one of these on order to replace a heavy bolt action rifle with a four round magazine. I will review this rifle as well once it is in hand and I have had a chance to wring it out.

LaRue’s high quality products have earned the company one of the best reputations in the business and this rifle is no exception. PredatAR’s are assembled with LW-50 stainless steel 1/11.25 threaded barrels available in 16″ or 18″ lengths, an incredible 14″ skeletonized aluminum hand guard, Magpul furniture, hand polished chrome carriers with properly side staked gas keys, and a two stage Geissele trigger. The top rail is continuous with no cant built in (0 MOA), which is a welcome departure from the OBR in my opinion.

Let’s talk about weight as this, more than any other issue, has been the achilles heel of most modern 7.62 caliber rifles. LaRue has found a way to harness this caliber into a controllable rifle package that ships from the factory at 7.7 lbs! For context, my BCM AR-15 with a sling, T-1 micro Aimpoint, FF rail, and a weapons light stands ready at 8 lbs 10 oz (empty). As tempting as it was to keep the PredatAR a feather weight by accessorizing it in like manner, I wanted to better harness its potential with a low powered, variable magnification optic.

My PredatAR is the 16″ barrel model and is equipped with a Leupold MR/T Mk 4 1.5-5×20 in a LaRue SPR mount, Troy front and rear BUIS, a Viking Tactics padded sling, a Surefire weapons light, and a Harris bipod on a LaRue QD mount. In this configuration my rifle weighs 12 lbs even and when I remove the bipod (which I do often) the rifle is a svelte 10 lbs 15 oz. Add a fully loaded 1lb 5 oz Magpul PMAG LR magazine and you’re ready to go. This is POUNDS lighter than the 7.62 AR pattern competition.

Regarding bipods – ever since Pat Rogers introduced me to the magazine monopod at a carbine course I’ve been hooked! The 30 round magazine of an AR-15 offers most of the stability of a bipod with no weight penalty and as such they really don’t belong on these rifles unless they’re dedicated precision rigs. However, the 20 round magazine of a 7.62 AR is much shorter and depending on the terrain I find myself bracing the rifle more off the pistol grip than the magazine and it just doesn’t work as well. As a result I keep a bipod at the ready as part of the permanent kit for this rifle, but often remove it for running and gunning.

In Use

I’ve been shooting my rifle since September 2011 and have about 600 rounds on it, mostly 145gr FMJBT Prvi Partizan. I should point out that this is my rifle that I selected and bought for personal use. The only factory part that I’ve changed is the A2 style flash suppressor. I found the rifle to be controllable, but with a fair amount of muzzle rise so I swapped that muzzle device for a PWS FSC30. This has performed well and adequately tamed the rifle.

When I zero rifles or test for groups I shoot on the ground in a prone position (bipod used in this case) as this more closely represents field conditions than firing from a bench. Here is a sampling of how the PredatAR performed at 100 yards shooting 5 shot groups over a chronograph:

  • 145gr Prvi FMJBT 1 7/8″ and avg velocity 2637 fps
  • 168gr Federal Gold Medal Match 1 1/8″ and avg velocity 2472 fps
  • 175gr Georgia Arms SMK 1 1/4″ and avg velocity 2449 fps
  • 150gr Winchester Power Point SP 1 1/8″ and avg velocity 2580 fps.

I have not attended any formal training with this rifle, but I do have access to a couple of ranges that offer the opportunity for some distance work and running around a little bit. I’m pretty comfortable with hitting any reasonable sized target inside 200 yards without using the bipod, but after that it’s nice to have the option. The farthest I’ve shot the rifle is out to 600 yards and using the 145gr Prvi ammo I was able to hold 2-2.5 MOA on paper at this range and nearer. First shot hits on 2/3 sized IPSC steel targets out to 600 yards are no problem with this rifle/ammo combination and my come ups are not too different from 5.56 standard calibration on the scope.

Beyond initial testing and grouping to establish base rifle performance, I have exclusively used M80 type ball spec ammo. My reason for this is because that’s the only type of ammo I can (barely) afford to run through the gun in any quantity and it fits my general purpose rifle mission more appropriately than depending on expensive match ammo for serviceable results. Only a precision oriented rifle should demand a constant appetite of match ammunition.

While I enjoy shooting at distance, I have also put this rifle through CQB paces. Here is the main place where the light weight, well designed gas system, and the PWS FSC tame this caliber into something that can at least hang with the AR-15’s on the line. It wouldn’t be my first choice as a CQB gun but off hand shooting is quite reasonable and being able to zoom down to 1.5x greatly helps at closer ranges. You’ve got to be able to carry a fighting rifle around all day without undue stress and after 9 months of fairly regular use it’s evident that this factor was a keystone part of the overall design.

The way that a company resolves a problem is extremely insightful and I’m proud to report that LaRue aggressively supports its products with excellent customer service. Temperamental Midwestern weather offers a variety of extremes and on a cold day last December I had two instances of “short stroking” with my rifle. I called the company and in minutes was talking to an extremely knowledgeable man who answered all my questions. I learned that I have a standard H2 buffer in the rifle with a heavy buffer spring as the system was optimized towards high velocity, heavy grain ammunition.

Designing the PredatAR to work with a standard AR-15 buffer, tube, and spring is an important feature of this rifle. Because of this you can easily “tune” the rifle according to your preferences by substituting a commonly available, different weighted buffer (H1, H2, H3, etc). Of course this should not be necessary for most end users. However,  another huge benefit that may find broader appeal is that this standardization means the shooter has the option of using any AR-15 stock assembly available on the market. Many of the competing rifles available use proprietary buffers and tubes.

The customer service rep offered to immediately ship me free of charge a standard weight buffer spring, which might work better if I was going to exclusively run lighter loads such as 145gr Prvi. However, he advised that I continue to try the factory spring and see if after additional break in the problem continued. I took his advice and shot the rifle on several other cold days last winter (cold maximizes sluggishness in the gas system) and to date I have not had a recurrence of the problem. This type of quick help and the fact that LaRue already has a spare parts kit available for sale show their forward thinking attitude towards customer service and support of their products.

Wrap Up

If I had to knitpick and find something I don’t like about this rifle all I could really come up with is that the ejection port cover sits flush on a lip of the receiver and makes it mildly difficult to close with your trigger finger. I’m fairly picky about gear and somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to rifles and how they are best configured so my lack of griping here really speaks volumes. A switch block would be nice, but that’s really a different mission than this rifle’s niche and I’m pleased to see this addressed with the PredatOBR. I invite anyone looking for a light weight, 7.62 caliber, general purpose rifle/MBR to sample a Texas made PredatAR rifle. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!

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