Navigation

Archive | Reviews

Review: Ten-Speed Small Ultralight Dump Pouch with Helium Whisper Attachment System

By on July 3, 2012 in Reviews, Tactical Gear

Blue Force Gear’s Ten-Speed line of pouches set a new bar for compact and lightweight performance. Then they raised that bar with the Helium Whisper attachment system that lightened the Ten-Speed line even further. One the pouches that benefited the most from all of these efforts to lighten the load is the Ten-Speed Ultralight Dump Pouch. It may be the lightest and most compact dump pouch on the market.

Right at home on a MOLLE belt

Overview

The Ten-Speed Ultralight Dump Pouch utilizes the hallmark of the Ten-Speed line, heavy duty elastic, to retain the ultralight rip-stop nylon dump pouch. It utilizes the revolutionary Helium Whisper attachment system and only takes up 2 columns and 2 rows of MOLLE real estate. It is only 3” x 3.5” x 1” when it is in the closed position.

The dump pouch is stuffed inside the elastic pouch and can be deployed by pulling a webbing tab that hangs below the pouch. The pouch can be stuffed fairly carelessly back into the pouch, but it will be more compact and the pull tab will be more accessible if you take some care when you repack the pouch.

The dump pouch has a draw string closure that is mounted in such a way that the pouch can be cinched shut with just one hand. It will hold 8 or 9 AR-15 magazines if you really stuff it, but when you just dump your empty mags without paying much attention, it holds 6 or 7 without putting up much of a fight.

Many dump pouches take up a lot of space, even when they are folded. The Ten-Speed Ultralight Dump Pouch is designed to be forgotten until you need it. Its small size and 61 gram weight mean that you will never know it is there until you have to deploy it.

The Helium Whisper Attachment Systems works great on regular belts too.

Observations from Use

This dump pouch follows the formula that I like for dump pouches. It should be made from flexible material and hang down below its mounting point. If a dump pouch is made to be too rigid or has a fixed mounting point on the back of the pouch, your gear will pop out of the top when you move. Using flexible material and mounting the very top of the pouch allows the pouch to move freely with its contents rather than letting its contents move freely within it (right up until they bounce out of the pouch).

You will have a hard time getting anything to accidentally come out the top of this pouch unless it is grossly overloaded. It is so flexible and swings freely enough that it just about becomes one with its contents. You can run, jump, roll, and crawl and it will retain its contents even with the pouch opened all the way.

The opening of the dump pouch has no reinforcement to keep it open so it tends to sag into a closed position. Once there is a magazine or two in the pouch, it tends to open up a bit. This is generally a non-issue since reloads with retention should generally not be attempted when speed is of the essence but it will be an adjustment for some who are used to dump pouches with broad openings.

I have used the Ten-Speed Ultralight Dump Pouch mounted a few different ways in a few different locations. The Helium Whisper attachment system attaches to MOLLE webbing easily but it also works well as belt loops. The rubbery and slightly textured material really locks the pouch in position when your belt is tightened. It works very well mounted on a MOLLE belt. I like to position it centered on the back or pushed slightly to the support side. It also works well mounted to the support side of a chest rig or plate carrier.

The Helium Whisper Attachment System makes this pouch extremely light weight.

The uses for a compact, lightweight pouch like this aren’t limited to the range. I used it to hold a water bottle on my pack’s hip-belt on a hike. It swings a bit but it didn’t really bother me. In fact, it worked so well in this function that I hope Blue Force Gear will consider making a smaller, water bottle sized version. It could also be used as a forage pouch for things that you find along the trail like tinder or wild edibles. It is a great choice for any application where you might unexpectedly need some additional storage (hiking pack, EDC bag, etc.).

Some people have voiced concerns about the durability of the lightweight rip-stop nylon that the pouch is constructed from. I haven’t seen any ripping, tearing, or holes develop in the time that I have been using mine and I suspect that the rip-stop material will limit the damage in the event that there is a tear. Only time will tell how it holds up and in my time with the pouch, it has held up well.

Wrap Up

This is probably the ultimate dump pouch for those who don’t always need or use one. There are other dump pouches that may be easier to use if you use one constantly. However, if you want one that can be mounted and forgotten about until those rare times that you use one, the Ten-Speed Ultralight Dump Pouch is definitely what you are looking for.

Of course, the same features that make it great for part-time users, make it a great choice for anyone. It is just smaller and lighter than anything else that you are going to find and, in this case, smaller and lighter is better. It also happens to have a great form factor that keeps it both compact and very functional.

When a pouch is smaller and lighter than its competition while still offering the same functionality, you call that “better.” Check out the Ten-Speed Ultralight Dump Pouch on BlueForceGear.com.

The pouch expands quickly and easily.

Review: ALG Defense ACT and QMS Triggers

By on June 21, 2012 in Guns, Reviews, Tactical Gear

The feel and quality of the typical AR-15 fire control group can vary greatly. In my time shooting AR-15s I have experienced triggers that were light and crisp, mushy with tons of pre-travel, crunchy with multiple stages, and everything in between. This issue is often compounded by the lack of truly high quality lower parts kits on the market. While the standard trigger, foibles and all, is probably sufficient for most shooters, the inconsistent nature of the standard trigger often drives people to the aftermarket in search of a better trigger pull.

The aftermarket brings its own issues. After market “match” triggers are often not up to the task of handling a steady diet of live and dry fire training thanks to the more delicate geometry that must be used to achieve the lighter trigger pull. These triggers often use lighter springs which does lighten the trigger pull but can also reduce reliability by creating light strikes. This all started to change when Geissele Automatics hit the scene with their 2-stage trigger groups that were extremely durable, reliable, and still managed to offer a light, consistent trigger pull.

Geissele triggers are great but not everyone or every rifle needs a light 2-stage trigger. This is where ALG Defense comes in. They are a spin-off of Geissele that is offering different product line that consists of standard mil-spec trigger groups of the highest quality that have been tuned by the skilled and knowledgeable people at Geissele. These are not match triggers or the type of trigger that you would choose for a precision AR-15. These are designed to be no frills, reliable triggers that offer consistent performance.

ALG Defense was kind enough to send me 2 samples of each of their 2 trigger options, the QMS and ACT, for review.

QMS Trigger Overview

QMS stands for Quality Mil-Spec and that tells you nearly everything you need to know about the QMS. It is a quality, mil-spec trigger. There is nothing fancy here – just pure function.

The QMS Trigger consists of parts that are sourced from a one of the best manufacturers of these parts. The trigger, hammer, and disconnector are honed to be consistent and come with all of the springs and pins that are necessary for installation (along with a nifty slave pin for the disconnector and trigger). Both of my samples measured right around 5.9 pounds and had remarkably similar feel with a hint of pre-travel and a clean break.

ACT Trigger Overview

ACT stands for Advanced Combat Trigger. I am not qualified to determine whether or not the name fits but it does seem to be an excellent trigger.

The ACT also consists of parts sourced from the same quality manufacturer and are also honed. However the ACT receives an additional feature to enhance function. All parts are HardLubed which is a nickel-boron or nickle-teflon (depending on the part). This coating increases corrosion resistance and has self-lubricating properties that are desirable for a trigger. Both of my samples measured around 5.8 pounds with very similar feel with the same hint of pre-travel and a clean break of the QMS.

What’s the Point?

If all these triggers do is offer a improved version of the standard mil-spec trigger without drastic lightening, then what is the point? To me, it comes down to two factors: consistency and reliability.

Consistency is a very good thing when it comes to triggers. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that the trigger group that comes in the lower parts kit on the internet will be consistent from one kit to another. Some will feel like they have multiple stages. Some will have grit that may never work out completely. Some may be very heavy while others are lighter. Out of the box, the ALG Defense triggers feel like a very good example of the mil-spec trigger group that has already been broken in. All 4 of my samples felt like this and were at the low end of mil-spec in terms of pull weight (spec is 5.5-9.5 pounds). ALG Defense triggers make sure that you win the trigger lottery every time.

The standard mil-spec trigger may not be a match trigger in terms of pull weight but it is just about as reliable as a trigger can be… well, it is reliable as long as you have a well-made example. Unfortunately, quality can vary wildly across various brands of lower parts which reliability can vary wildly. I have seen trigger groups with a variety of problems out of the box including broken j-springs and parts that were so poorly cast, they had large voids of missing material. Much of what makes the AR-15 reliable as a whole happens in the upper but when there are reliability/durability problems in the lower, it is often an issue with the trigger group (breakage, weak springs, walking pins, etc).

An additional consideration that is not applicable to me but may be a consideration for you is that these are mil-spec parts and thus may be more likely to be approved for department or unit use than other aftermarket triggers.

In Use

I have 4 samples (2 QMS and 2 ACT) and all of them feel remarkably similar. They all have a small amount of take-up (pre-travel). After the take-up, you feel the “wall” and then a very clean break. There is little to no movement between when you hit the wall and the break. There is no grittiness in any of my 4 samples. The best words that I can use to describe them are clean, smooth, and crisp.

All 4 triggers seem to have noticeably stronger resets than the triggers that they replaced. I am not sure if this is due to spring quality or the fact that the springs that were replaced had already been used for a number of years. Regardless, the ALG Defense springs make it very easy to feel the trigger reset and offer proof that you don’t need lighter springs to achieve an improved trigger pull.

Quantifying the benefits of the ACT’s HardLubing is difficult to do in this short of a time. The coating’s properties are fairly well known and should reduce wear and corrosion long term. In the short term, the ACT does seem to have a slightly smoother, lighter, and crisper trigger feel than the QMS before lubrication is applied.

ALG Defense includes a slave pin with every trigger that makes it very easy to install the trigger and disconnector. This is a nice touch. The slave pin serves to lock the trigger and disconnector together before you drop them into the lower. This way you don’t have to line them up while fighting spring tension inside the receiver. That little pin saves a big headache.

You can’t help but note the quality while you are installing the ALG Defense trigger groups. It is especially noticeable when you have the old trigger group out of the lower and along side the ALG Defense trigger group. Many trigger groups have a sort of matte, gritty appearance on all surfaces except the bearing surfaces. The ALG Defense parts have a sort of smooth luster that reminds me of Colt lower parts and the old LMT lower parts kits that used to be available. They also come well coated with oil and packed with a small square of rust inhibiting paper.

Verdict

I like these trigger groups a lot. All 4 samples have a very consistent feel which was very important to me since these went into 4 different ARs. All 4 samples were honed to be as good as a mil-spec trigger can be in terms of feel. The quality seems excellent and the price is very reasonable for what you get. If you have lost the AR trigger lottery, you just want higher quality parts than what you currently have, or you have multiple ARs that you wish had more similar trigger feel, these triggers could be the answer.

Check out ALGDefense.com. You can purchase both the QMS and ACT at Brownells.com.

Review: Princeton Tec Charge MPLS

By on June 4, 2012 in Flashlights, Reviews, Tactical Gear

I am a big fan of Princeton Tec’s (PT) “tactical” line of lighting products and I have had the opportunity to review a few of them in the past. Their tactical lights aren’t what you typically think of when you think of a “tactical light” – in fact, they might just as well be called practical lights. PT doesn’t make hand held lumen cannons. Instead, their tactical line is focused on hands free task lights, many of which can be integrated easily into your existing tactical gear. These are versatile lights that are ideal for those times when you just need to a read a map without blinding yourself and showing everyone where you are for miles around. It is from this line that we get the new Charge MPLS.

The Charge MPLS is right at home mounted high on a plate carrier.

Overview

The Charge MPLS is a single AA battery powered task light that offers a variety of mounting options and output types. MPLS stands for Modular Personal Lighting System and the words “modular” and “system” certainly fit the Charge. Out of the box, it can be attached MOLLE webbing or 2 different types of helmet mounts (a bracket for use with the MICH/ACH or attached directly to Ops Core side rails). There is also an accessory strap available that turns the Charge into a headlamp.

All versions of the Charge MPLS have 4 LEDs clustered in their heads (3 3mm LEDs around the edge and a large center LED) at the end of a flexible neck. The large center LED on all versions pumps out 55 lumens of bright white light. The 3 3mm LEDs are available in a number of different color options – all red, all blue, all green, all infrared (IR), combination red/blue/IR, and combination red/green/IR. All of these LEDs combine to offer multiple light modes low color, high color, and bright white.

The Charge MPLS utilizes 4 LEDs to achieve its various output settings.

User Interface

I mentioned earlier that I am a fan of the PT tactical line of lights and this is largely because of their user interface. Most tactical lights turn on in the brightest setting. That makes sense for a light that may be used along side a handgun or mounted to a rifle. However, tasks lights should turn on in the lowest possible setting to avoid ruining dark adjusted vision (and risking broadcasting the position of those who must be concerned with such things). PT is one of the few companies who recognize this and it makes their tactical lights exceedingly useful even to the least tactical among us.

The switch is protected very well from accidental activation. Notice the mounting screw as well.

The switch is recessed on the Charge to prevent accidental activation. The user presses it once for low color (low red on my sample) and then presses it again quickly for high color output. If the user waits more than a couple of seconds after a press, the light will turn off on the next press. If the light is off, on low color, or high color, the user can press and hold the switch for about 1 second to activate the bright white mode. The next press will turn the light off or pressing and holding again will switch back to low color.

It sounds far more complicated than it is. PT uses this user interface on a few of their tactical lights and I find it to be ideal because it comes on in low mode and, maybe more importantly, it makes it so you have to be very intentional about turning on the bright white mode. This user interface is easy to use and promotes light discipline.

Fly in the Ointment

The Charge is extremely versatile thanks to its many mounts and varied light output. It runs on easy to find AA batteries. It is fairly rugged and water resistant. It has a great user interface which makes using it very easy. However, there is one fairly large fly in the ointment.

When the Charge was first prototyped, it utilized a small locking tab to keep in locked into its various mounts. The user just needed to lift the tab in order to move it from mount to mount. However, after thorough field testing by end users, PT found that the locking tab might not be sufficient to retain the light so they replaced it with a set screw. Unfortunately, it is a set screw that requires a fairly small phillips head screwdriver to turn.

On one hand, I am grateful that PT takes the time to thoroughly test their gear rather than relying on the customer to be the beta tester as so many companies seem content to do. However, this choice of screw is frustrating. A flat (slot) head screw is far easier to improvise a driver for in the field (coins, crushed 5.56 brass, a bent paper clip, a knife blade, etc). The screw used is really too small to turn even with the driver found in many multi-tools.

It would have been even better yet if PT used a thumb screw that is similar to what they use on the battery cases of their Quad, EOS, and other headlamps. It is knurled so you can use your fingers to turn it and it has a slot that can be turned with any improvise driver that can be used on a flat head screw. It can even be turned with the slider on the head lamp strap!

A small thumb screw like the one PT uses on this EOS head lamp would be an unpgrade versus the small mounting screw.

So, if you are just going to buy this light and mount it in one place, then this may be a non-issue for you. If you are going to buy it in order to utilize the multiple mounting options, be advised – it requires a tool in order to move it from mount to mount. This puts a serious damper on a what could have been very versatile mounting solution.

In Use

The Charge is very light weight, especially with a lithium AA battery installed. It looks like something that would weigh more than just a scant 47 grams but it is lighter than it looks.

The mounts appear to be very well made. I had to really work on the MOLLE mount to get it onto some webbing that had Velcro sewn onto it, making it very rigid. The mount handled a lot of flex without breaking or fatiguing.

The MOLLE mount allows you to mount the Charge anywhere that you have 1 row and 2 columns of webbing.

The light works well on MOLLE but seems to be most at home on your head. The helmet mounts work great and are easy to install. The Charge can be installed directly to the Ops Core accessory rails without any modification or accessory mount. The head lamp strap is a must have. I found that it added a ton of versatility to an already versatile light. I thought it might be strange to have the light on the side of your head unlike a traditional headlamp which is on the front but it was a complete non-issue. It worked great.

The output modes are very well set and spaced. The low red output is quite low like it should be and the high red output is quite bright. The two modes are very visually distinct. The bright white mode will really surprise you. It is very impressive in its brightness and and color. It isn’t blue or green at all but rather a very nice warm tone that renders colors very realistically. All of the output modes have a very broad beam that is well suited to a task light.

The flexible neck is a great feature. It lets you mount the light in a fixed position and aim it just about anywhere. The neck will bend and stay bent to nearly 90 degrees from the light body in any direction.

The switch is very clever. It is so well protected that it can actually be difficult to find if you don’t know what you are looking for. It is small rubber pad with 3 raised ridges to you can easily locate with your finger. It would be very difficult to turn this light on unintentionally.

Swapping batteries is very easy on the Charge. The back of the light has a hinged cap with a latch than can be operated with gloves on. The cap is o-ring sealed and seems to do a good job of keeping out the stuff that shouldn’t get into a light. The cap is actually attached to the light so it can’t be lost.

This battery door latch can be operated with gloved hands.

The hinged battery cap makes battery swaps a breeze.

I found this light very useful mounted either somewhere on the head (helmet or strap) or high on a plate carrier. It is optimal in these positions. I also found that the bracket from the head strap  or MOLLE mount could be used to mount the light on a back strap which was also very handy. The strap bracket worked best for this because it held the light in a vertical position on a backpack strap.

This light is also extremely useful inside of a pack that has internal MOLLE webbing or you can add some adhesive Velcro to the back of the head strap bracket for use in packs with Velcro interiors. The flexible neck on the light lets you mount it near the top of the bag and use it to illuminate the contents of the bag very discreetly.

The accessory head strap is well worth a few extra bucks.

Conclusion

Overall, I like this light but I wish that it didn’t require a tool (especially a tool that you aren’t likely to have with you) to swap mounts. One of the major selling points of this light is the modular mounting system and that tiny Phillips head screw really limits that feature. Hopefully PT can get it sorted out on subsequent versions of the Charge MPLS because even with the screw issue, it is my favorite of the MPLS lights that I have tried. The form factor, user interface, and use of an AA battery make this light worth your consideration.

Check out the Princeton Tec Charge MPLS at PrincetonTec.com.

Disclosure: The Charge MPLS was provided to me by Princeton Tec, free of charge, for review.

The Charge can be mounted to either side of a helmet but it works best on the opposite side of what is shown. The perspective of this photo also makes it appear larger than it really is.

Review: Bogota Titan-Flats Entry Toolset

By on May 25, 2012 in EDC, Reviews, Survival

People have been requesting a full size Bogota Rake for years. SEREPICK heard their pleas and created the Bogota Titan-Flats Entry Toolsets.

Top to Bottom: Bogota single, Bogota triple, a shallow hook, and a basic tensioner

Overview

The Bogota Titan-Flats Entry Toolsets are made from titanium which makes them very light weight, corrosion resistant, and non-magnetic. The kit contains a Bogota triple, a Bogota single, a shallow hook, and a basic tensioner.

Rather than the familiar compact, quarter bend format of the typical Bogota Entry Toolsets, the Titan Flats are more like traditional picks in form. They are larger overall than the other Bogota Entry Toolsets but they are flatter. This makes them ideal for use as a very flat stand-alone kit or as an addition to a full kit.

A little heat shrink tubing keeps the tools together in one compact kit.

In Use

I have already covered why Bogota Rakes are so effective in some depth in previous reviews. They work and they work well. I know of no other pick that gives even the first time user such a good chance of success.

I thought that I would find these Bogota Titan-Flats had better “feel” and were even more effective than their smaller counterparts due to their larger handles, but that wasn’t really the case. That isn’t a knock on the Titan Flats but rather a compliment to the smaller Bogota Entry Toolsets because these Titan Flats are still quite good.

They do have excellent feel. If you are used to picking, you would likely prefer this set. The shallow hook is quite good as is the Bogota single. In fact, the Bogota single is quite versatile. It can be used to rake or as a pick when inverted. Both provide very good feel and feedback when picking.

The Bogota triple works very well but I found myself actually preferring the form factor of the compact Bogota rakes. It may be that I would feel differently if my first experience with Bogota Rakes was with the Titan Flats, but I have become so used to the hooked handles of the Entry Toolsets for raking. This is purely preference.

The tensioner is very basic but it works. I prefer a tensioner that has a little more flex than this but that is only because I lack skill and the flex makes up a bit for my heavy handedness. Skilled users will likely find this tensioner to be completely sufficient.

Titan-Flats shown with Titan-Minis and a quarter for scale

Conclusion

I think the biggest upside to this kit is its versatility. It is just as comfortable as a stand-alone kit as it is as an addition to someone’s full pick set. Until now, it has been somewhat difficult to find a Bogota triple with a full handle. It will also serve as a great gateway to raking for those who are used to bypassing locks with full sized tools. Every tool in this kit works and offers performance that will satisfy everyone from beginners to pros.

Check out the “Titan-Flats” on SEREPICK.com.

Review: ZAGG invisibleSHIELD

By on May 16, 2012 in EDC, Reviews, Tactical Gear

I have used a ton of different clear screen protectors in an effort to get more mileage out of my electronics, especially the ones that I use outdoors. For the most part, they were all found lacking. They would either peel, shrink, or discolor. Then I found the ZAGG invisibleSHIELD. They aren’t the cheapest screen protector on the market, but they are the first one that I have found that actually works well enough to be worth any amount of money.

I have one on my cell phone which has been in my pocket for more than a year with no signs of distress. The previous screen protector that I used started peeling in days and quickly had pocket lint stuck to all the edges. It was a mess.

I put them on all of my GPS units as well. I really enjoy orienteering and these units can really take a beating. The plastic screens that GPS manufacturers use scratch and scuff easily. It only takes a couple of days of use before the scuffs can start to make the screen less readable.  The invisibleSHIELD shrugs off scuffs and scratches easily that would otherwise damage a GPS.

They are extremely clear and do not seem to change the readability of the screen that they are protecting. In fact, they can enhance readability in some cases. It seems to fill in shallow scuffs. I have a GPS with some scuffing on the screen that can’t be seen through the invisibleSHIELD.

Installation is easy and, unlike most screen protectors, the invisibleSHIELD comes with everything you need to install it yourself (a spray bottle of lubricating solution, a lint free cloth, and a small rubber squeegee). I even keep the lint free cloths so I can tuck them into my gear. They are great for wiping down binoculars and rifle scopes in the field.

Electronics from GPS units to smart phones to tablet computers are becoming more and more common in the field. These items aren’t cheap so it is prudent to protect them. Check out the ZAGG invisbileSHIELD screen protectors.

Powered by WordPress. Designed by Woo Themes