All posts in Tactical Gear

5.11 tactical bags and accessory pouches

It seems that everyone and their dog has making nylon gear but there is a very big difference  in the quality.   We’ve sold a ton of clothing over the years and it often amazes me about the customers that have pointed out product defects.   There have been stitching issues with just about every clothing manufacturer and sometimes missing buttons.  Nobody is perfect but there are definitely customer service issues and consistency differences.  5.11 tactical is King of the tactical accessories and clothing, but there are several smaller companies that do things better and have their own niche.

As an internet based business we don’t stock everything in our Pennsylvania location and we ship from multiple locations.   When it comes to stocking gun cases and rifle cases  we have chosen to stock the Elite Survival Systems product line because it just seems more interesting.  Don’t get me wrong the 5.11 gun cases we sell are very nice and to each his own when it comes to choosing a gun bag.   The 5.11 rush messenger bag is a very popular gun bag and it might just be the right size for what you need.

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You learned how to make your bed, now pack your bags right!

If you have not fried your brain on drugs, you should remember when your parents taught you how to make your bed and put the laundry away.   There are always stories about guns and gear being mismatched or people bringing the wrong thing to the range.   I for one have been a strong advocate for being range bags that are for individual firearms.  I like to leave sight in tools for an AR15 and leave unloaded magpul pmags in the outside of the bag just so I know I have brought the right ones.   It can royally suck when you bring a gun to the range and find out you have the wrong magazines or the wrong sight in tool.

When it comes to bringing handguns or other equipment a good range bag is the key to avoiding these types of things.  The range bags we seem to be moving the most right now are the Elite Survival bags which come in 3 different sizes.   I think most people are probable better off with the medium sized range bags because it’s better to start off with something a little bigger than what you think you might need.  Larger bags are for people that really know what they want but be careful you stow your gear consistently and don’t loose your stuff in the bag, it does happen.

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Sleeping bags hunting trips and survival

People seem to forget about the weather and how variations in temperature can mean the end of life.  Anyone that has taken an Astronomy course or studied Planetary bodies, especially the planets and moons in our solar system will understand.   The extreme hot and cold temperatures on Mars because it does not have an atmosphere, means that you will freeze at night and burn during the day.   There are some places even on Earth where this can happen to you.   Bringing a cold weather sleeping bag with you on a desert trip.

One of our new products from Elite Survival Systems even though they don’t make them are the Recon Sleeping bags.   I’d say at first glance, the Recon sleeping bags are so small that, that alone is a reason why they are useful.  Being able to stow something with life saving protection in varying degrees of weather makes them very practical and worth the investment.   I’m not sure about the long term durability of these, but I would say considering the number of people that have purchased them from us and the lack of complaints, they were worth it.

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Handgun lights that never seem to be out done

I can still think of the time when my Grandfather use to come home from Radio Shack with some new powerful flashlight that was very impressive to a 9yr olds eyes.  That giant flashlight that took those giant D batteries seemed like modern technology was displayed for my eyes only.  Later it was the spoiled rich kids that showed up on camping trips with the expensive mag lites that their parents gave them because they thought you need that much candle power on a camping trip.

 

Well, there’s nothing wrong with a bright flashlight, nothing at all.  The flashlights that I see in stores like the Streamlight Flashlights are so bright and compact that the only draw back is having CR123 batteries in storage and the fact that some of these flashlights are easy to loose.   I have seen many weapons lights on M4 Carbines, but the one hand held flashlight that everyone seems to use is the Streamlight TLR-1.   This handgun light is still the staple for rail handguns and could be used on any shotgun or rifle.  The best thing about it too is most of them can be had for under $120.

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Diversifying our product line with cool stuff

I didn’t think about it too much when I thought of the subject title for this blog post after doing some playing around with the Recon Sleeping bags.   We sell a ton of clothing and tactical apparel to military contractors and security forces but there are some products that they have asked for that we did not carry.   Some of the outdoors type of products line the rain gear and camping type things are products we may bring in stock in the near future but right now we gotta sell what people are asking for now.   The vast majority of our next day air shipping orders are for military customers that have been quickly deployed and usually less than 3 days notice.

Special Forces are being used more and more around the world and that’s not going to stop anytime soon.  We’ve add the Recon Sleeping bags to our product line to fill in the holes in our inventory that customers are looking for.   Sleeping bags have come a long way and like every good product, it usually needs to be compact and lightweight.  You may want to even consider leaving something like  this in a car or vehicle for emergency or use them for camping.  The Recon 2 sleeping bag is pretty much considered to be the Jungle Sleeping bag while the Recon 5 is your coldest weather.  I saw a recent critical review of the Recon 4 online and stated that it wasn’t good for cold weather but somebody forget to mention there is a Recon 5, oops.

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Training with new gear and being consistent

There is no debate about firearms safety, you either follow the rules or you will have an accident.   The problem with fireams training is everyone has an off day, not everyone wakes up in the morning and is at 100% mentally there.  Everyone trips or falls at some point, every slips on the ice they didn’t see and not everyone can think straight until they’ve had their cup of joe. I’ve seen more accidents with Glocks than any other sidearm, but I would say that Glocks are the most reliable firearm I’ve seen at training courses.

One thing that I have seen happen with gun owners, is they juggle firearms around too much.  It really is not a good idea to switch up your holsters and firearms too often because mental lapses can occur.  This seems to be the problem people are having with the Blackhawk Serpa holsters that are getting on the news.  If you don’t use this holster all the time, you may have a problem keeping your hand in the same spot and you’re more prone to curling your finger and causing an ND.  I very much like the retention design and the strength of the holsters, but I would not let a novice shooter start out with  one.

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Search gloves from Turtleskin

I do not have much experience with needing to use search gloves, but the liabilities of not using search gloves like the Turtlskin gloves are life altering.  Years ago I remember seeing a few fundraisers for emergency response individuals that all got Hepatitis C while working on the job.   You can spend your life trying to save other people’s lives and then find out you just shortened your life because you were exposed to the scum element of society and got HIV or Hepatitis C from a needle user because you got stabbed by a needle.

Blood splatter can occur just from someone spitting on you and that is one reason even the clear eyewear we sell from Smith Optics Elite is so popular.  It’s  not just about sunlight getting in  your eyes, but products like the Turtleskin gloves like the Bravo and Alpha gloves are what you are going to want to stow in your car if you are dealing with this type of environment.   Skipping this step can be easier but all you have to do is look at all of the beef and beer fundraisers for so many in the emergency response community and you’ll see why protective gear is so important.

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Clearing Malfunctions on an AR may mean finding out how good your stock is

I found out the hard way while taking a newby to the firing range and teaching them how to clear malfunctions from an AR15 if they couldn’t get the bolt back.   When I showed them how to clear the malfunction, they told me they were afraid to hit it hard on the ground because they thought they might break the stock, I told them to just got ahead and hit it hard enough to have the bolt fly back and they did.   When I checked the stock to make an adjustment on it, I found out that the stock was broken and I could not shorten it.  This was an AR15 that I built myself and very much consider it to be a hobby rifle, but I will not be putting hobby gun parts on it in the future.

I have no reason to deviate from using anything but the best for my AR15 hunger, the gun parts I have on my M4 rifles are what I like and it took me a long time to get to this point.   There are several choices to make for your magpul accessories and the most popular CTR stock is hands down my favorite.  I like the way the stocks lock   into place and they feel very sturdy.  I have done slam down malfunction clearances and never even cracked the stock.  I expect at some point it may break, but I’ve already got my monies worth.

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Frisk Gloves for winter vs summer

Turtleskin has a line of frisk gloves called the Alpha and Bravo gloves and the real difference is one is a medium weight glove and the others are summer weather.  The company behind Turtlskin have been making everything from Space suits to cell extraction gear.  It’s somewhat disturbing to know that there is slash gear and tactical stuff for dealing with the worth elements of society and it’s just a little reminder about what Law Enforcement have to deal with every day.  Most of us live in the safety of our neighborhoods and rarely run into criminals but for Law Enforcement dealing with criminals can be life altering.

Every time a Police officer makes a traffic stop, he or she doesn’t know if they are one stop away from a shootout or if they are dealing with a drug dealer or user with a hypodermic needle in their pocket. The newest product line we have brought in are the Turtleskin gloves for Law Enforcement for everyday Summer or Winter frisk protection.    Hepatitis C and HIV are a reality and a Cop is one frisk away from contracting something so awful just because his gloves failed or he or she was not wearing them.

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New Product line coming in soon

We just got in some more of the Elite Survival tactical messenger bags and we’ve very happy with what we are seeing.  Just holding up the quality of the Made in USA product line compared to the 5.11 and Bulldog nylon cases gives you some contrast.  Blackhawk and Bulldog make some nice stuff for the money, but if you want something to show off and brag about, check out the Elite Survival Systems product line.   I am going to have to admit that I have been an Elite Survival Systems fan for almost a decade and I found out about them while shopping for a gun case for my DSA FAL.

The Tactical Messenger bag is a bit larger than what I was expecting but the waterproof compartment is about the size I would think someone would want.   We’ve sold a few to guys running laptops and solar power systems and the Elite Survival Systems bags we are selling worked well for them. The Elite Survival Tactical Messenger bag is for law enforcement and military applications in the modern age.  Being able to stow tactical gear especially electronics and work in adverse environments is a hard thing to do.  If you are in the area stop by our Pennsylvania location and check out the gear yourself.

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