The-Knife-Connection has expanded their line of custom machined G-10 handles to include the ESEE Laser Strike. The new handles retain the bow drill pivot functionality of the original handles. They are also relieved at the blade end of the grip to aid in various techniques that require a pinch grip. Like the other grips in this line, these have curves and swells in all the right places.
Check out the Laser Strike Custom Handles at The-Knife-Connection.
We recently showed you Fight and Flight Tactical’s Cargo Tailgate for the LLAMA Pack. The list of available tailgates continues to grow. Feast your eyes on the Medical Tailgate.
The Medical Tailgate has a host of features designed to support its mission. It can be removed from the pack to serve as a stand-alone medical pack. It features 2 IV pouches and a large medical organizer pocket on its front. It also has a large main compartment (720 cubic inches) for storing additional gear.
Admittedly, not everyone needs a dedicated medical pack, but that is the beauty of the LLAMA pack. It is a solid, stand-alone pack that can be adapted to do just about anything with the addition of the proper Tailgate.
Check out the LLAMA Pack and the new Medical Tailgate at Fight and Flight Tactical.
If you are like me, you probably have several different types of water bottles that you use for everything from hiking and camping to staying hydrated on the shooting range. I even have water bottles that I don’t use much because I didn’t have a good way to carry them. Who wants to have a pouch that is specific to each type of water bottle that they own? I sure don’t and now I don’t have to thanks to the Mil-Spec Monkey (MSM) Bottle Corset.
The MSM Bottle Corset is a pouch that adjusts for various sizes and shapes of water bottle (and more) two different ways. The depth can be adjusted via a large Velcro flap on the bottom of the pouch. The diameter and overall shape of the pouch is adjusted via a matrix of shock cord. It also has shock cord retainer with pull tab that can be adjusted for length and be configured to retain the bottle in a number of different ways.
When it isn’t in use, the Bottle Corset can be adjusted so it sits nearly flat and out of your way. It mounts via 2 of the long MALICE clips.
It is made in the USA by Tactical Tailor.
I do not own a water bottle that the MSM Bottle Corset can’t hold. It is extremely adjustable. I have a bin down in my basement where I keep all the water bottles that my family and I use. I sat down with that bin and tried every bottle I could. The bottles included large 38 oz stainless steel Nalgenes, 32 oz wide mouth Nalgenes, 20 ounce wide mouth Nalgenes, multiple sizes of Camelbak Better Bottles, USGI Canteens, off brand hard plastic bottles, and even the little 12 ounce bottles that water comes in at the store. They all fit.
The bottles don’t just fit, they are retained. You can adjust the retention a number of ways. If you want more retention, you can adjust the flap on the bottom to make the bottle sit lower in the pouch. You can also adjust the tension or configuration on the retainer strap. It works well in an over the top configuration like you would find on a magazine pouch or in a loop configuration that can be looped around part of the bottle. The loop configuration works very well on the wide mouth Nalgene bottles because of the wide shoulder they have under the cap.
The Bottle Corset doesn’t need grommets or mesh for drainage because the sides are open. There is basically no way this pouch can retain water.
I found that I can hold more than just water bottles – a lot more. It holds 2 AR-15 magazines quite well but if you remove one, it loses tension and the remaining magazine can flop around a lot. It isn’t an ideal magazine pouch but it isn’t intended to be.
I tried it with AK magazines and it will work. The only issue is that the locking tabs will catch on the shock cord when you are inserting and withdrawing the mags. It doesn’t stop you from removing the mag but you will eventually wear out the shock cord this way and have to replace it (which is easily done).
The nicest surprise with this pouch was that it holds the two of the new PMAG 40s very well, almost like it was made for it. The Bottle Corset even has enough adjustment to allow them to sit fairly deep for retention.
I also found that it was great for carrying items like a rolled up wind shirt, rain shell, poncho, camping tarp, ammo boxes, and who knows what else. I even wedged a first aid pouch in it so I could carry it temporarily.
My Bottle Corset spends just about all of its time in one of two places. I keep it on the side of my pack or on the hip belt. If you have a pack with a MOLLE compatible hip belt like Kifaru, Mystery Ranch, and others, you will love this pouch. It gives you some serious versatility in terms of what you can carry on your hip belt.
The MSM Bottle Corset is one of the handiest pouches that I have in my toolbox. It solves a problem for me and that is probably the highest praise that I can give.
Check out the MSM Bottle Corset at the Mil-Spec Monkey Store.
The Austere Provisions Company CORE Panel is one of those pieces of gear that doesn’t really need a specific use because you can just look at it and imagine about a million ways to use it. It is a blank canvas that is just waiting to fill a void in your gear.
The CORE Panel is made by Blue Force Gear for Austere Provisions Company. It utilizes Blue Force Gear’s MOLLEminus technology to keep weight and complexity to an absolute minimum while also amping up the durability.
It features a 3 row x 6 column MOLLE compatible matrix of slots and voids on each side of the panel. The 3 row dimension was purposefully chosen so that it matched the dimension of most chest rigs which maximizes the number of pouches that will fit. The interior of the CORE Panel features a hook and loop closed pocket.
The CORE panel also features a loop at each corner that is useful for affixing buckles and straps (more on this later). It has two compact webbing handles that can easily be packed into the interior pocket if you don’t need them.
The uses for this panel are limited only by your imagination. It is designed to serve as a multipurpose organizer. Basically, it is just a platform on which you mount pouches. You choose the pouches based on what you need the CORE Panel to do. If it will serve as an ammo organizer, mount magazine pouches. If it will serve as a medical insert, mount med pouches. If it will serve as an EDC organizer, mount utility and admin pouches. You get the idea.
Most people will probably use the panel as a drop in organizer for another pack or as a stand-alone grab-and-go type bag. It works very well in both roles. It will easily fit in most messenger bags, 3 day size packs, and even some of the larger assault packs. It is also really easy to just toss between your car seats or on the car seat next to you all by itself.
Once I had the CORE Panel in hand, I started to see all kinds of potential so I started experimenting with various buckles and strap. The loops on the side of the CORE Panel are sized to accept 1” repair buckles which makes it easy to turn the CORE Panel into a bandoleer with waist strap. You can just attach a few female repair buckles and then use straps from one of your chest rigs. Viola! You have an instant bandoleer that is capable of carrying extra ammo and first items.
I also experimented with docking the CORE Panel to the exterior of a pack and I was very, very pleased with the results. If you have the right buckles and something like a Velocity Systems Swiftclip set, you can turn the CORE Panel into a compression panel on a back pack or you can just use repair buckles to dock it like you would a Dock and Lock Pouch from Kifaru. The simplest method that I found was to just attach a couple Grimloc Carabiners to the loops. This allowed me to quickly dock the panel to another pack, even in places that might not have PALS webbing.
The CORE Panel is so versatile and works so well in the ways described above that I would like to see Austere Provision Company offer optional accessory kits that expand the capability of the panel. At the least, there is plenty of potential for a bandoleer kit that included a shoulder and waist strap. I am not a police officer but I spoke with one who liked that idea for use as an active shooter response setup.
As of right now, I have mine set up as a bandoleer of sorts. I have 2 spare rifle mags and a flashlight placed in a Blue Force Gear 10-Speed Pouch where I can access them immediately. On the opposite side, I have 2 utility pouches that can hold medical supplies, a cell phone, or whatever else I might need to respond to some sort of emergency around my home.
It seems that often, when a piece of gear is designed to be versatile, it does several things acceptably well but isn’t truly great at anything. That is not the case with the CORE Panel. It is an exceptional bandoleer and an exceptional gear organizer. It docks onto a pack like it was made to do so and even works well as a stand-alone grab-and-go bag. If you can’t find a use for the CORE Panel, check your pulse. This is one of the most versatile pieces of gear that I have ever laid my hands on. 10 years from now, I will still be finding new ways to use it.
Check out the CORE Panel at Austere Provisions Company.
It is now easier than ever to get your hands on flashlight parts from one of the legends in the world of flashlight modifications. Malkoff Devices just rolled out a new website. Check out MalkoffDevices.com.
