Princeton Tec announced that the Byte is getting an output upgrade. The new version will boast 50 lumens versus 35 from the original model.
The Byte is one of my favorite headlamps because of its small size and functional red light option. It is also fairly inexpensive. Check out PrincetonTec.com.
Ruger recently came out with a really slick take-down version of the 10-22 which has been a smash hit. Lost in the excitement of the new take-down 10-22 is the fact that people have been using standard 10-22 as a take down rifle for years. The 10-22 is held in its stock by a single screw so it is easy to separate into two pieces for easy packin. The QDS from SwissBianco makes it even easier to turn your standard 10-22 in a tool free take down rifle.
The QDS, or Quick Dissassembly Screw, is a thumb screw that replaces the standard stock screw. This allows you to quickly remove the barreled action for the stock without the need for tools. This is a pretty simple solution and it is considerably less expensive than a dedicated take-down rifle.
It is good practice to witness mark the screw somehow so you can return it to roughly the same torque spec to ensure that your zero is unchanged after you replace the action in the stock.
Check out the QDS on SwissBianco.com.
From Blue Force Gear…
SAVANNAH, GA—December 17, 2012—Blue Force Gear® announced today that they will provide their weight-slashing Helium Whisper™ pouch attachment system to Tactical Tailor. Tactical Tailor is the second company to license Blue Force Gear’s Patent pending Helium Whisper and this technology will enhance the products they currently provide to elite users.
“Providing exactly what the customer requires is our goal, incorporating this technology into our product allows us to do it very easily, that’s exciting,” said GW Ayers, Tactical Tailor’s Director of Sales. “Helium Whisper will support our efforts to fulfill an immediate SOF LCS Contract requirement.”
“We are excited to have engineered a system that other respected load carriage companies are choosing to utilize,” said Ashley Burnsed, Blue Force Gear’s CEO. “At the end of the day, we are all working towards the same goal – to improve the soldier’s safety and survivability.”
Helium Whisper allows modular pouch backs to be constructed from a single piece of high-performance laminate versus the multiple straps and snaps of outdated designs. This amazing breakthrough increases strength and durability of pouches while eliminating failure points and reducing weight by up to 60 percent. Helium Whisper licensing allows OEM customers to reduce sewing costs, minimize alignment errors, maintain or increase durability, and stay relevant to today’s weight-conscious military customers.
About Blue Force Gear, Inc.
Blue Force Gear® designs the best weapon slings and leads the lightweight equipment revolution with its Ten-Speed™ multi-use pouches. They also reinvented MOLLE to be the world’s lightest with their revolutionary MOLLEminus™ technology and Helium Whisper™ pouch attachment system. Unrivaled innovation and attention to detail set Blue Force Gear apart from others in the tactical equipment industry.
Press Contact:
Brittney DeVane
Blue Force Gear
brittney@blueforcegear.com
(877) 430-2583Licensing Contact:
Dawn West
Blue Force Gear
dwest@blueforcegear.com
(877) 430-2583
Blue Force Gear, Ten-Speed, Helium Whisper, and MOLLEminus are trademarks of Blue Force Gear, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Start with one of the excellent UW Gear Minuteman MKII Chest Rigs, add a magazine pouch, and split the front. That is, in an over simplified way, exactly what the new Swampfox MKII Chest Rig is and that is a very, very good thing.
The Swampfox MKII is a split front chest rig that utilizes the excellent pouch and flap design for which UW Gear has become known. It has 4 integrated magazine pouches (2 on each side of the split) and a 3×3 PALS panel on each side of the rig.
The magazine pouches have the same design as those that I have already documented on the Minuteman MKII Chest Rig and the UW Gear Bandoleer. That means that the great parachute rigging inspired flap closure system, sewn in drainage holes, and tall, well fit pouch design is intact.
The “H” harness is also largely unchanged which is great because I find them to be the best executed harnesses that I have ever used. They are made of multiple layers of webbing and folded 1000D nylon to give them structure. Their width and structure make them very comfortable to wear without having to add the bulkiness of padding. UW Gear also avoids bulky hardware on the front of the harness so there is no interference with the buttstock of your carbine.
As is typical for UW Gear, the quality of this chest rig is excellent. There is a box stitch at nearly every point where webbing is joined to the body of the chest rig. Every conceivable stress point is reinforced. The stitching is straight and clean. There isn’t a cloth edge visible anywhere on the rig. You won’t even find a bare webbing end on this rig; it has all been meticulously melted, folded, and sewn down.
This is the third magazine carriage rig that I have been able to review from UW Gear and I can safely say that this is my favorite so far due in no small part to my appreciation for split front chest rigs. Split front chest rigs are exceedingly easy to don and doff. They keep bulk off of your sternum for an added measure of comfort when you are prone and most breath just a bit better than a one piece chest rig thanks to the gap in the middle.
Even though the Swampfox MKII is basically a split front version of the Minuteman MKII, it feels quite different. The Minuteman MKII feels fast and light while the Swampfox MKII feels more conducive to carrying more gear. It is sort of a cross between a chest rig and a load bearing vest. That is not to say that the Swampfox MKII is a bulky or heavy chest rig. It isn’t. Split front chest rigs just seem to work better with side pouches and hydration carriers. Speaking of hydration carriers, UW Gear is working on one that will integrate with their chest rigs. I hope they complete it soon because the Swampfox MKII’s more load bearing theme would be well served with one.
The Swampfox retains one of the best and least talked about features of the Minuteman MKII – it can be adjusted to ride just as high. UW Gear’s harness design can accommodate a wide range of ride heights. UW Gear makes the best harnesses that I have used.
One thing that the Swampfox MKII lacks is any kind of admin storage or magazine retention pouch like the Minuteman MKII. These kinds of features are less common on split front chest rigs but it would be cool to see something like a Minuteman MKII magazine retention pouch on each side of the split. I suppose the pouches might not be as easy to access due to the shoulder straps and this is likely why they are not included.
The Swampfox MKII works with the same designated speed reload pouch technique that I use on the Minuteman MKII. I simply fold one of the flaps back behind the magazine in the pouch. UW Gear designed the pouches to do this and it works quite well. The main difference with using this technique with the Swampfox MKII is that with 4 magazine pouches and the split, the outer magazines end up pushed pretty far off of your center line. This means that the fastest, easiest to reach magazine pouch may not be the one closest to your support side arm.
UW Gear stuck to the formula and created a pretty darn good chest rig. Their magazine pouch and flap design isn’t broken and I certainly don’t want them to fix it. It is great to see them adapting the same design to a 4th platform (Minuteman MKII, Bandoleer, standalone magazine pouches, and now the Swampfox MKII).
If you are deciding between this and the Minuteman MKII, you have your work cut out for you. If you want a chest rig that is as trim and light as possible, go with the Minuteman MKII. If you want one that can be pretty trim and light but also scale up to carry more, check out the Swampfox MKII.
Learn more about the UW Gear Swampfox MKII on UWGearInc.com.
I am not a big fan of many of the modern, high-end stainless steels for use in field knives. They are just too much of a pain to sharpen in the field. There are a handful of stainless steels that have managed to win me over for use in field knives and my favorite of those is VG-10. Given my appreciation for VG-10, I was thrilled to see that Spyderco has introduced a new line of no-frills utility knives made from the steel.
The Spyderco Enuff has three available blade shapes – Spyderco’s well known and much loved leaf shape, a clip point, and a sheepsfoot. Each will excel at different tasks. The leaf shape is probably the most versatile of the bunch, while the clip point has a tremendous amount of belly for dressing game. The sheepsfoot is a classic rescue knife design.
Spyderco outfitted these knives with contoured and textured FRN handles which are very functional. The texture is similar, if not identical, to what they typically use on their FRN handled folding knives. They are easy to clean and really lock the knife into your hand. Spyderco also provides a kydex sheath that offers a multitude of carry options.
Check out the Spyderco Enuff on KnifeCenter.com.
