Pocket Carry EDC Knives

By

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January 7, 2025

GAT_Pocket Carry EDC Knives (5) — In the pocket carry Chickpea made possible by Badger Claw Leather has a 3-inch fixed blade made of Nitro-V steel, which is corrosion-resistant and easy to sharpen. (Badger Claw Leather photo)

Everyday carry (EDC) knives are vital because of their versatility and practical applications, as they are crafted for a wide range of tasks. The methods of carrying Pocket Carry EDC Knives have progressed to enhance user experience, featuring options such as pocket clips, sheaths, and lanyards.

This ease of use benefits individuals by saving time, providing reassurance, promoting regular carry, and enhancing functionality. The growing popularity of EDC knives has driven innovation in their design and materials, resulting in a diverse market that meets various preferences and requirements.

Pocket Carry EDC Knives

Carry systems are essential as they impact the user’s experience and the practicality of knives in daily life. Everyday carry (EDC) knives symbolize a culture of preparedness and self-reliance, highlighting a trend toward functionality and efficiency in personal gear.

Big Idea Lookout

The TI Lookout Fixed Blade by Big Idea Design showcases precision engineering and high-quality materials, making it a must-have for everyday carry enthusiasts. Its M390 blade steel offers excellent edge retention and wear resistance, ensuring it maintains a sharp edge with minimal sharpening.

The TI Lookout Fixed Blade by Big Idea Design is the modern EDC Knife of the bunch featuring Grade 5 titanium scales, M390 blade steel, and an inside pocket carry system.

Featuring Grade 5 Titanium scales, the knife is both lightweight and durable. The lanyard hole adds functionality for easy attachment. Measuring 6.2 inches overall with a 2.2-inch blade and 3mm thickness, it provides a perfect balance of control and cutting power.

The knife comes with two Kydex sheaths for versatile left- or right-pocket carry, each with a titanium pocket clip for easy attachment. Consider it a gentleman’s fixed blade!

Utility Pocket Carry EDC

I tested the TI Lookout on various everyday tasks, including cutting through light-gauge metals, where it performed exceptionally well. However, it struggled a bit with thick cardboard. Despite this, it remained impressively sharp after slicing through cordage. Wire, 550 paracord, nylon webbing, and heavy leather were no challenge for the TI Lookout.

The Big Idea Design TI Lookout Fixed Blade Kydex sheaths offer versatile left and right pocket carry options and include a titanium pocket clip for easy attachment.

Overall, the TI Lookout Fixed Blade is a functional tool and showcases exceptional craftsmanship and material quality.

Knives By Nuge Chickpea

This knife is small enough to fit clipped to your pocket at 6.5 inches overall but powerful enough to cut through wood, cardboard, cordage, fish, and game. The Chickpea has a 3-inch fixed blade made of Nitro-V steel, which is corrosion-resistant and easy to sharpen. The blade has a curved edge ideal for slicing and skinning and a 90-degree spine that can strike a firesteel or scrape bark. The Chickpea can be purchased with a Badger Claw Leather in the pocket carry sheath fitted with an Ulti-Clip.

In Training

I participated in Randall’s Adventure & Training class in Alabama, helping with a parent-child session. I taught kids how to carve, make feather sticks, and start fires using the Chickpea knife. The 3.5-inch burlap micarta handle was comfortable for them to use.

Modern Day Pocket Carry EDC Knives are here. The Chickpea has a 3-inch fixed blade made of Nitro-V steel, which is corrosion-resistant and easy to sharpen. (Badger Claw Leather photo)

Soon after, we headed to North Carolina to teach a weekend wilderness survival class with training and active Search and Rescue personnel.

While the Chickpea excelled in quick cuts, It also handled utility tasks like cutting paracord and preparing food. The blade remained sharp, and overall, the Chickpea proved to be a reliable and versatile companion for outdoor adventures.

Modern pocket carry EDC knives are available. The Chickpea features a 3-inch fixed blade made from Nitro-V steel, known for its corrosion resistance and ease of sharpening. (Badger Claw Leather photo)

Get a pocket-friendly Pocket Carry EDC Knife and join the club!

For more information, please check out Badger Claw Leather, Big i Design, and Knives by Nuge.

The Leupold Mark 5HD 2-10×30 FFP M5C3 Riflescope (Part 2)

By

P.E. Fitch

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January 7, 2025

Leupold 2-10x30 Mark5 HD FFP M5C3 Riflescope

^{Title Picture: Admittedly, mounting the Leupold Mark 5HD 2-10×30 riflescope on a heavy-barreled 6.5mm Creedmoor bolt-action rifle is weird, but sometimes you take what you can get for a nice photo, especially given the cool high desert background.}

(Continued From Part 1)

Originally implemented as an improvement over the traditional mil-dot reticles that preceded it, the TMR replaces the old dots with evenly spaced hashmarks at 0.5 mil intervals. The TMR is best described as a “dialing reticle” since it lacks grids, dots, or extra reference points. To its credit, the centermost aiming point has negative space, which I find aids in precision aiming.

With the DOPE for one’s rifle and cartridge, it’s certainly possible to hold-over using the 0.5 mil spaced hashmarks. I did this often in the Green Ops course, especially at more distant steel targets. In fairness, I recognize that it’s no different than holding-over with the majority of standard LPVO reticles at top-end magnification.

M5C3 / M1C3 Turrets + Setting Zero

Ultimately, the TMR in the Mark 5HD 2-10×30 is meant to be dialed, and its M5C3/M1C3 elevation turret is designed to excel at that. The turret is easy to zero and set, and its “zero-stop” feature works well and provides physical cues. The turret’s markings and numbers are also very easy to track visually while shooting in position, especially prone.

The M5C3/M1C3s turrets also allow shooters to dial up to 0.5 mils down from their zero for added flexibility. The windage and side-focus/parallax turrets are similarly designed and also easy to precisely adjust.

For clarity, the “5” and the “1” are codes that denote MRAD (5) or MOA (1). The “3” refers to the fact that Mark 5HD’s elevation turret is capable of 3 full rotations of elevation adjustment.

Setting the zero is quite simple. Make the shots and adjust the windage or elevation turrets as needed. Then, undo two tiny Allen screws to remove the exposed turret’s cap and re-set it with regard to the new zero.

The turret cap features a flat button that locks the turret into the fixed zero position. To dial, one must depress this button, and once the turret is turned all the way “up,” the button mechanically recedes.

Among other things, it can signal the shooter that their turret is maxed out. For example, when I had the Mark 5HD 2-10×30 mounted on my 16-inch BCM upper and zeroed for 55-grain 5.56mm ammo at 100 yards, the scope maxed out roughly three clicks shy of that full 3 turn / 30 mil limit. Not bad.

Reticle Drawbacks

Similar to the Lucid Optics E7 shown riding next to the Mark 5HD in Part 1, here is a Gideon Optics Omega pulling the same type of duty. I think a supporting reflex sight mounted elsewhere on the weapon is mandatory when using a scope like this Leupold. The offset dot definitely covers the scope’s single biggest weakness.

I wouldn’t be the first to point out that the biggest downside that currently affects the 2-10×30 Mark 5HDs is their lack of modern reticle options. Though classic and precise, the TMR reticle isn’t without its drawbacks. This reticle makes more sense for a stationary and prone-fired heavy bolt gun that you dial as opposed to that more modern and dynamic carbine meant for 0-800 meter shots, say, like any SPR or modern accurized gasser.

With basic dot-grids to facilitate holdovers and their considerably thicker outer stadia lines that are easier to see at low magnification, a reticle similar to either Nightforce’s FC-DMx (ATACR LPVO) or the Vortex EBR-9 (Razor Gen3 LPVO) would be a better fit on a scope like the 2-10×30 Mark 5HD. Because of this, on any “tactical” semi-auto carbine, I’d argue that an offset/piggyback reflex sight is “mandatory.” For closer distances, the first focal plane arrangement can present some challenges too.

First Focal Plane for CQB?

As I mention in more detail in my TMR write-up, the combo of the reticle being presented in a first focal plane format along with its thin, cross-hair style form leaves much to be desired when it comes to providing an easy-to-see and fast-shooting close-quarters reticle. Hence my bringing up the other LPVOs above. Even the Vortex I mentioned above gets its fair share of criticism when it’s set to 1x for the same reason. When I shot CQB drills at the Green Ops carbine class with the Mark5 HD 2-10×30, it wasn’t so much that I was limited to 2x minimum magnification that made CQB shots more challenging. Rather, it was the combination of the TMR being thin and dark, especially in a first focal plane format. Had we not been shooting in bright daylight, it could have been more difficult to see the reticle, hence my argument for an offset dot being mandatory for very close targets. Shooting with it on low power isn’t the end of the world, but it’s definitely not ideal.

However, I keep hearing chatter that Leupold is working on launching additional models with different reticles in the future. I’m looking forward to seeing what they bring us. The scope itself, its glass, the construction–it’s all superb.

The Takeaway

As a first focal plane scope in itself, the Mark 5HD 2-10×30 is a fantastic optic. Overall, it measures a total of 11.2 inches while only weighing 24 ounces. As a member of the Mark 5HD family, this 2-10×30 riflescope is built around a proven formula of strength, durability, optical clarity, and precision while maintaining a fairly light weight.

Be it turret clicks or the way twisting the zoom ring feels, this scope’s controls do not feel cheap and flimsy, something no one wants to feel on any scope. The Mark 5HD 2-10×30’s feature set and the way the scope is built—in the United States of America, by the way—provides the shooter with an extremely comfortable eyebox on both the lowest and top-end magnification.

According to the official details on Leupold’s website, the delta in difference between both extremes is only 0.10-inch. However, when shooting, it honestly feels imperceptible. Moreover, its eye-relief is in the same ballpark as high-end LPVOs.

Compared To an LPVO

Where the Leupold Mark 5HD 2-10×30 utterly (and predictably) dominates is shooting at top-end magnification. Since it’s not an LPVO, it’s not plagued by the shortcomings associated with LPVOs straining to shoot fully zoomed-in. The eye box hardly changes and I found I didn’t have to shift my face like I do with LPVOs to shoot fully zoomed-in.

I also had the benefit of both an exposed dialing turret and the side-focus knob to adjust parallax if I needed them. Once again, during the Green Ops class, it felt like I was basically cheating during the portion of the course where students were shooting at the furthest targets at full magnification. This scope takes after its DMR/SPR ancestors, after all.

Accurate tactical semi-auto rifles aside, I can see this scope working well on a modern light-and-handy bolt-action hunting rifle meant for intermediate distances. In this way, it’s like your grandfather’s old 3-9×40, but better.

For more information, please visit Leupold.com.

Leupold Mark 5HD 2-10x30 FFP Riflescop vs LPVO — Though this picture is from 2023, it represents the majority of my experience shooting with the Leupold Mark 5HD to date. Even with some of its drawbacks, it brings great functionality to gas guns in need of a more precise sighting system than a mere LPVO.

Tyrant CNC Snub Nose Grip Module for the Sig Sauer P365

By

Tim Stetzer

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January 6, 2025

Tyrant CNC just released the CNC Snub Nose Grip Module for the popular Sig Sauer P365 handgun. The new grip module is compatible with all P365 variants and will work with existing holsters. Tyrant’s grip balances concealability and high capacity. So, if you’re rocking a P365 you’ll want to read on.

The CNC Snub Nose Grip Module

Tyrant CNC’s Snub Nose Grip Module is made from a blend of glass and carbon composites that combine light weight with durability. It features an X-Macro-sized grip that accepts 17-round magazines but is compatible with all P365 Slide & Barrel lengths. That allows you to have a full-service pistol capacity coupled with a compact 3.1-inch barrel and slide.

Tyrant says that they did intensive biomechanical research to come up with the optimized ergonomics on the grip module. The grip has a high undercut and medium-length beavertail to allow for a high, secure grip closer to the center line of the bore. It comes with medium and large-sized back straps to fit a wide variety of hand sizes. The texture consists of finely detailed 3D Tyrant logos, which is a neat touch. It’s been optimized for better grip, and has reduced texture heights on areas that are prone to being hot spots.

The Snub Nose Grip is compatible with all SIG Sauer manual safeties. It’s even California Complaint for folks who live behind the sunny curtain of West Coast socialism. It comes with a pre-installed extended magazine release. The grip profile is designed so that it’s still compatible with existing P365, P365x, P365xl, and some X-Macro holsters.

Tyrant’s Snub Nose Grip Module is available in black and olive drab directly through their website. An FDE version is available from GunMag Warehouse, and a grey version is available at Optics Planet.

Tyrant CNC Snub Nose Grip features:

High grip undercut
Trigger guard cut
Medium length beavertail
Variable depth texture to prevent hot spots
Redesigned ergonomics for comfort during extended operation
Medium and Large back straps included
Hard use approved proprietary composite material
Works with manual safety (pre drafted)

For more information on Tyrant CNC and the Snub Nose Grip Module for the SIG P365 check out their website at TyrantCNC.com.

The Leupold Mark 5HD 2-10×30 FFP M5C3 Riflescope

By

P.E. Fitch

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January 6, 2025

The Leupold Mark5 HD riflescope family remains one of Leupold’s most pervasive product lines. All of them employ 35 mm maintubes and use first focal plane reticles. To date (1-6-2025), the 2-10×30 Mark5 HD is still the smallest scope in the Mark5 HD spread. When I first saw it at SHOW Show ’23 two years ago when the Oregon optics company launched it, this compact tactical riflescope immediately caught my attention because of my specific interest in lightweight and handy optics, such as LPVOs or 2-10x traditional riflescopes.

Moreover, this variant of the Leupold Mark 5HD called to me because Leupold developed this optic to be the “spiritual successor” of sorts to the classic Leupold Mark 4 LR/T scopes issued with Mk.12 SPRs, those famously accurized 5.56 mm AR variants of GWOT fame. My Mark 5HD 2-10×30 scope even uses the classic Leupold TMR reticle found on some Mark 4 LR/T models.

Mark 5HD 2-10×30 FFP Overview

The Mark 5HD 2-10×30 is built around a 5x optical zoom factor and a 35mm diameter anodized aluminum main tube with Leupold’s M5C3/M1C3 locking turrets. The rear half of this 2-10×30 has the exact same layout and feel as any other member of the Mark 5HD family. And like every other member of the Mark 5HD family, all 2-10×30 sub-variants are first focal plane riflescopes available in MRADs or MOA. They also possess the same wide ocular lens Mark 5 scopes are known for.

Unlike its larger siblings, the 2-10×30 has a very small objective bell that doesn’t take up much space. Because its footprint is so small, there is no risk of the bell clashing with the top of the rifle’s barrel or handguard. Likewise, because the entire scope is only 11 inches long, it doesn’t hog up much space over a rifle or carbine. Lengthwise, it’s comparable to most of the established LPVO models on the market.

Like every other Mark 5HD optic, the 2-10×30 is also assembled with Leupold’s Professional Grade Optical System consisting of the company’s highest tier of optical “high-definition” glass. Frankly, between this 2-10×30 and my other Mark 5HD 3.6-18×44, looking through their glass is an amazing experience.

There might be a tinge of chromatic aberration over bright daylight, but nothing outside of the norm at their price point. After racking up plenty of hours behind Mark 5HD scopes by now, their roomy eye boxes are very “comfortable,” especially during extended shooting sessions.

Mounting And Shooting the Mark 5HD 2-10×30

Even though 35 mm is a less common tube diameter than the “wide” standard of 34 mm, enough third-party companies that sell mounts and rings offer 35 mm options. Leupold offers some of their hunting scope models with 35 mm tubes as well, and they naturally offer hunting-grade and tactical scope rings for this diameter. In my case, I mounted the Mk.5-HD 2-10×30 to a 35mm 0-MOA Leupold Mark AR IMS 1.5-inch tall one-piece scope mount.

To date, I’ve been shooting the Mark 5HD 2-10×30 with this mount combination on different carbines for different tasks, reviews, and courses. So far, the most significant experience I’ve had with this scope was when I mounted it on a 16-inch 5.56 mm upper and took it to Green Ops’ comprehensive 2-Day LPVO class.

The course covers shooting with LPVO from 10 to 500 yards. So, this training event provided an abundance of opportunities to shoot targets at different distances with the 2-10×30 Mark 5HD. Shooting scenarios varied from running rapid-fire CQB drills, shooting and moving with a 2-point sling, and shooting at further distance steel targets from the prone.

In short, I was able to use the scope at high and low magnification to truly get a feel for it (and how it compares to an LPVO). Even though I had an offset auxiliary red-dot on-board, I made it a point to shoot with the scope at close distances, too.

Testing the Mark 5HD

When I reviewed the .22 LR S&W M&P 15-22, the shooting portion mostly consisted of grouping various types of .22LR ammunition at 50 yards off a bench. However, I also burned a few magazines of closer-in rapid fire, not unlike what I practiced with during my Green Ops course.

Shooting a rimfire rifle off a bench is hardly a challenge for a riflescope, but the Mk.5-HD’s glass and optical attributes provided a very comfortable experience. The scope worked so well that I almost took it for granted while I was focusing on my shots.

That afternoon was overcast and gloomy, yet the HD glass did a wonderful job of projecting a clear and bright image. By the end of the session, my vision didn’t feel strained in spite of the fact that I was shooting groups for nearly three hours.

At the time I pen this, the Leupold Mk.5-HD 2-10×30 and its Mark AR mount sit over a 5.56 mm Big Tex Ordnance/Hodge Upper Receiver with 12.5-inch Rosco Sage Dynamics stainless steel barrel.

Despite its shorter length, this AR-15 configuration shows a lot of promise, and this 2-10 riflescope is the perfect candidate for glass duty on this compact upper.

All About The Reticle: The TMR

A core feature of any magnified optic is its reticle. The Mark 5HD 2-10×30 is available with three different reticles: an MOA PR-1 reticle and two MRAD versions with Leupold’s classic TMR (Tactical Milling Reticle); one of these is illuminated.

My scope, SKU #179702, has the un-illuminated MRAD TMR reticle. The Tactical Milling Reticle, which is now old enough to be considered classic, has been a staple in many tactical Leupold riflescopes including the issued Leupold Mark 4 optics for the Mark 12 SPR.

To Be Continued In Part 2

Joe Biden Pardons Son, Hunter – What’s the Point of Gun Control?

By

Travis Pike

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January 5, 2025

In a move we all saw coming, Joe Biden has pardoned his son, Hunter Biden. Hunter Biden, known crack addict, prostitute enjoyer, tax evader, and famous for filming every crime he’s ever committed, has had his conviction for lying on the 4473 pardoned. Hunter Biden, in the throws of enjoying crack cocaine, purchased a Colt Cobra .38 special revolver in 2018 from a Federal Firearms License holder.

As such, he lied on the form. All of us have filled out a 4473, right? The 4473 asks a very specific question. It’s question 11. E “Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?” Hunter Biden lied on the form and said he was not and received his firearm.

In an odd turn of events, Hunter Biden didn’t film this crime, which is unusual for him. However, on June 11th, 2024, he was convicted of three felony counts. Those counts are:

Making a false statement in The Purchase of a Firearm
Making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed firearms dealer.
Possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

Biden hadn’t made it to sentencing yet. He could have faced up to 25 years in prison, but that wasn’t a likely sentence. Part of Biden’s defense was that he only possessed the gun for eleven days. Okay, well, how’d he get rid of it? His girlfriend, also his brother’s widow, tossed it into a trash can. The Biden family sure enjoys some gun safety.

It’s Not the Crime – It’s the Hypocrisy

Joe Biden assured the American people he would not pardon his son in June 2024, but a short six months later, he retracted that claim and issued the pardon. To be clear, I don’t think Hunter Biden should be prosecuted for purchasing a handgun. It’s his right to keep and bear arms. He’s not been convicted of anything that removes that right, and a question shouldn’t disqualify him from exercising his Second Amendment rights.

It’s not the crime or the pardon that bothers me so much. It’s the hypocrisy. Joe Biden has continually pushed for tougher and tougher gun laws. He’s used the DOJ to enforce non-laws, he’s used Executive Actions, and the ATF has run wild during his administration. Yet, here he is, pardoning a gun crime just because it’s his son.

He claims Hunter Biden was targeted unfairly. He committed the crime. This wasn’t an odd interpretation of the law, but it was clearly written and clearly violated. If Biden truly wanted to pardon people who were unjustly targeted by the government, he could start with Matt Hoover. Matt Hoover, a YouTuber, was convicted of selling machine guns.

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, boards Air Force One at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York, U.S., February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz Via CNN

In reality, he just said words. He took a sponsor from Auto Key Cards. Auto Key Cards sold little metal cards that could be cut into a lighting link or a machine gun part. To be clear, these were just metal cards, not actual lightning links.

What’s the Deal?

How can Joe Biden press so hard for stricter gun control while ignoring the problems in his own home? How can the democratic Party as a whole push for additional gun control and civil rights degradation while the head of their party pardons a gun criminal? This is absurd and shows why these aren’t serious people.

Modern Balisong Knives

By

Reuben Bolieu

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January 4, 2025

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Modern Balisong Knives, the Boker Plus Papillon, and Trainer have lightweight stainless steel handles. The live blade uses D2 steel, while the trainer uses 420 stainless steel (bottom).

Today, renowned manufacturers such as Benchmade, Boker, Schrade, and Squid Industries are enhancing the craftsmanship of balisongs. Modern Balisong Knives utilize advanced materials like high-quality steel alloys, carbon fiber, and titanium. These brands have heightened the performance and aesthetics of balisongs to new heights!

Legendary Balisong Knives

The Balisong, or butterfly knife, is a folding pocket knife with two handles that rotate around the tang, concealing the blade when closed. It originated around 1900 in the Philippines and gained popularity globally after World War II due to American soldiers. The name “Balisong” translates to “broken horn,” as early versions were made from carved animal horns and recycled steel blades.

In 1988, the Bali-Song Company rebranded as the Pacific Cutlery Corporation and later moved to Oregon, becoming Benchmade, known for its Balisong-style knives. Notable designs include the original by Jody Samson and the Gemini by Darrel Ralph. The market expanded with various manufacturers, but the Balisong’s roots lie in Batangas, Philippines.

Boker Papillon Modern Balisong Knives

The Boker Plus Papillon is a contemporary take on the traditional balisong knife, seamlessly fusing classic design with modern materials and engineering. Its skeletonized stainless steel handles, featuring a bead-blast finish, ensure a comfortable and secure grip, even during prolonged use.

At the core of this knife is a D2 steel blade, known for its remarkable edge retention and durability. The stonewashed finish not only adds to the blade’s visual appeal but also enhances its resistance to corrosion. The pronounced ricasso gives the Papillon a distinctive tactical aesthetic.

Modern Balisong knives feature pivot systems that connect the handles to the blade’s tang, achieving a perfect balance of fluidity, strength, and design.

Equipped with a ball-bearing mechanism, the knife allows for smooth and effortless blade deployment, a signature feature of high-quality balisongs. Its overall construction is sturdy, built to handle the demands of everyday carry and occasional tactical scenarios. The Papillon beautifully balances portability with functionality, boasting an overall length of 10.20 inches, a blade length of 4.57 inches, a blade thickness of 0.14 inches, and a weight of 4.34 ounces.

Modern Balisong Trainer

The Boker Plus Papillon Trainer is a carefully crafted training tool that mimics a real Balisong knife, making it perfect for safe skill development. It features skeletonized stainless steel handles with a matte stonewashed finish for better grip.

The Boker Plus Papillon and Trainer have skeletonized stainless steel handles, with D2 steel on the live blade and 420 stainless steel on the trainer.

The blunt blade is made of 420 steel, with deep recesses for easy identification from sharpened blades while maintaining the original’s weight and balance. A pronounced ricasso adds a tactical touch.

Measuring 9.92 inches overall with a 4.49-inch blade and weighing 4.37 ounces, this trainer comes with a high-quality nylon case for secure storage.

Flippin’ Good

This part was the most enjoyable. I have to admit that I was a bit rusty since I hadn’t practiced in a while. However, it was still a lot of fun!

The Boker Papillon features skeletonized handle scales, merging aesthetics with functionality for a unique design.

I had the Boker Plus Papillon Balisong Knife and trainer for a long time. I liked the weight and the way it flipped right from the start. The latch provided peace of mind during transport, and the nylon carrying case was a great addition. The skeletonized handle felt secure, which gave me a positive grip and allowed me to confidently control the action. Overall, it was smooth, solid, and incredibly sharp!

The Boker Papillon features striking skeletonized handle scales that combine eye-catching aesthetics with practical functionality.

For more information, please check out Boker USA!

Boker Papillon Trainer Specs

Blade Length	4.49 inches
Material	3CR13MoV Stainless Steel
Grind	Dull
Blade @ Thickest	0.15 inches
Finish	Stonewash
Handle Material	Stainless Steel
Overall Length	9.92 inches
Country of Origin	China
MSRP	$49.95

Boker Papillon Specs

Blade Length	4.57 inches
Material	D2
Grind	Flat
Blade @ Thickest	0.14 inches
Finish	Stonewashed
Handle Material	Stainless Steel
Overall Length	10.00 inches
Country of Origin	USA
MSRP	$49.95

5.11’s Chukka Boots

By

P.E. Fitch

-

January 4, 2025

My Background With Chukka Boots

A decade ago I worked in San Francisco’s 1355 Market St. Building. To this day, its most famous tenant continues to be Twitter/X. Now, I didn’t work at Twitter. I worked at another tech office two floors below.

As I remember it, nearly the entire building consisted of modern tech-related offices. This meant that the vibes and ambiance of the people staffing these offices were similar amongst the companies occupying the building. For the most part, this also meant that the demographics of their workforces were quite similar, too.

The men in the office wore the modern professional office casual “uniform” consisting of form-fitting shirts (usually with buttons and never T-shirts) and slacks or denim.

Image of a man wearing chukka boots and dressed in such a way that he wouldn’t look out of place in a tech office like I describe. Source: Pinterest

Many of the actual coders wore their trademark coders’ garb of hoodies and T-shirts. However, for anything dressier, white collar button shirts and ties were considered too formal and stuffy—more so on the West Coast. That’s the world of tech.

The same casual outlook applied to footwear. So, when it came to dressy men’s shoes, anything that made you think of a law firm like Oxfords and Penny Loafers were out. Even double-monk strap shoes could have been too risky unless you were a sales guy who dressed the right way and had the chops to pull them off.

I’d wager the sales guys could probably get away wearing brogues, too.

So what did men in these environments looking for dressy footwear, that wasn’t too formal, gravitate to?

The chukka boot.

Modern Versatility, Humble Origins

The chukka boot has some interesting lines, and even those (like me) who aren’t versed in formal attire can immediately look at them and realize they’re anything but stuffy. Typically fashioned out of tan, brown, or earth-colored suede uppers, chukka boots mesh well with hues and tones found in denim, slacks, and the shirts worn by young and modern office workers.

To this day, chukka boots continue to be a mainstay in the wardrobe of legions of the younger urban professional crowd. And they wouldn’t look out of place in any major city anywhere in the world either.

I’m a lifelong blue-collar man who’d only ever worried about steel-toed work boots, sneakers, or technical outdoor footwear to wear to the range. So, I would have never “discovered” the chukka boot were it not for working in the tech offices of San Francisco. And because of this, I mentally associated the chukka boot with the urban tech crowd.

Imagine my surprise when I accidentally discovered that chukka boots were called desert boots and had a more ruggedly humble heritage that had nothing to do with modern, well-heeled, professional, and dressy attire.

Before these ankle-height boots became trendy, their forerunners hailing from Africa had a more down-to-earth origin (quite literally). Proto-chukkas were what South African farmers and fighting men from the region used to wear.

A Brief History Of Chukkas And Desert Boots

The Second World War era was perhaps one of Great Britain’s last official affairs as a true global empire, and British forces were spread across the globe. They fought the Axis powers in places beyond continental Europe, including the North Atlantic, North Africa, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, South East Asia, and several Pacific islands.

One Nathan Clark, a British Army officer and member of the British Clark family of footwear fame, took note of a particular style of light boot that British soldiers came to adore and take with them on campaign. These “desert boots” as they were called, were crafted cobblers in Cairo’s famous and ancient Khan El-Khalili bazaar.

Cairo Desert Boots

It turned out that many a Commonwealth soldier, tired of trudging around in his British Army issued boots, came to replace those with these Cairo desert boots instead. These lightweight boots were built around a crepe (rubber) sole and a lightweight suede upper. The rubber soles and lighter construction were easier on the feet, especially in hot desert climes.

If there’s anything more important than the soldier’s rifle, it’s his own feet. The original design for those Cairo desert boots hailed from South Africa, from similar footwear called veldskoen. These, in turn, were derived from a form of moccasins indigenous tribesmen (Khoi-San) would wear in order to protect their soles from the harsh southern African terrain.

The Dutch settlers took the tribal veldskoen moccasin concept and further developed it into a work boot for field use. It’s not hard to see how vellies (as they’re still called in South Africa) ended up not only on the feet of fighting men participating in bush wars throughout Africa but also in Cairo’s bazaars over time.

The forces of the empire cross-pollinated these boots amongst Commonwealth forces only to return back to England. After the war, taking what he’d seen on the feet of British servicemen, Nathan Clark and his family business developed a design that would eventually be unveiled to the world as the original Clarks Desert Boot in 1949.

Chukka?

The term chukka, which is synonymous with these types of desert boots, ostensibly comes from a reference to the sport of polo. Starting from the 1950s through the present time, the Clarks Chukka/Desert Boot has become an archetype of fashionable footwear—as I mentioned, encountering them during my time working in San Francisco tech offices.

Tying It All Into 5.11’s own stylized Chukka Boots

Thank you for reading through the first part of this article. Not only is this the first fashion-related piece I’ve ever written, but I also wrote this review backward by first delving into the history of the chukka boot and mentioning my relationship to it.

I’ve been walking around in a pair of the 5.11 Chukkas since September, and they’re great. That’s what Part 2 will be all about: the 5.11 chukka boots themselves.

But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that part of this shoe’s appeal is its rugged background as a fighting man’s shoe during the Second World War from the deserts of Africa and beyond. A wide variety of men’s fashion has origins in military uniforms, and this applies to chukka boots in a roundabout way, too.

Compare and contrast the original “Clarks style” chukka boot above to the actual 5.11 model, which has much to offer the wearer.

Continued soon, in Part 2…

The Ultimate Cache – Using Storage Units for Preparedness

By

Jim Cobb

-

January 3, 2025

A cache, in the preparedness world, is a curated collection of gear and supplies that’s been positioned away from home for use in an emergency. The cache is a resupply point, more or less, if you’re forced from your home for any reason.

Probably the most common type of prepper cache is a PVC tube that’s filled and then buried. That concept has been around for decades. I remember reading about it in an old Ragnar Benson book in the 1980s, and it wasn’t exactly new then.

Those PVC caches are certainly viable, but there are other options worth exploring, such as self-storage units.

Now, before we go any further, let me say this. I am not and would not recommend securing one of these storage units strictly for preparedness use. The expense is too high for that. However, more and more families are using these storage facilities to contain the overflow from their homes and garages. If you’re one of them, why not let the unit serve double duty?

Self-Storage Units

These have been around since the late 1950s, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that they started getting popular. Today, they’re big business and you can find them everywhere. Interestingly, self-storage facilities are largely an American phenomenon. I suppose that makes sense, as there are few cultures outside the United States that place such as high value on stuff more than Americans.

For those who’ve not used one before, these facilities offer a range of sizes for storage, with the most common seeming to be 10 feet by 10 feet. The rates will vary based on location and amenities. Locally, the 10×10 units run about $100 a month. Basically, you’re renting what amounts to a large closet or small room with a door you can lock. While they aren’t all climate-controlled, they’re dry and will protect your cache, as well as old household goods, from the elements.

Location, Location, Location

If you’re considering renting a storage unit and then using part of the space as a preparedness cache, location definitely matters. Many of these storage facilities are located in urban areas and often not in the greatest parts of those cities. In other words, their location isn’t someplace you’ll want to visit if things are already getting dicey and chaotic.

However, there are tons of these storage units located well outside city limits. Not only are those safer options, they’re less likely to be hit by looters. From where I’m sitting in my home office, I can think of at least four self-storage facilities that are each within a 20-minute drive and are located in rural areas.

Cache Access

Something to consider is whether you’ll be able to access your storage unit cache in a grid-down situation. Many of them are fenced in and utilize a gate that is opened by a key card or keypad. It’s worth asking the management about any provisions they have in place for getting to your unit if the power is out. If you’re going to be unable to reach your cache in an emergency, what’s the point of having it?

Again, I’m not suggesting you spend a couple thousand dollars a year just to set up and maintain a preparedness cache. But if you’ll be spending the money on a storage unit anyway, choose the location using a preparedness mindset and toss in some supplies and gear, just in case.

Millennials and Gun Culture

By

Travis Pike

-

January 3, 2025

While plenty of people in the world of firearms snark at millennials, I believe millennials saved gun culture. We drug into the modern era and out of the realm of Mini-14s and M1911s. There are plenty of anti-gun millennials, but I have to ask. What level of gun control has been applied since millennials entered the voting market?

The NFA, GCA, Hughes Amendment, and Assault Weapon Ban were all passed under previous generations. I’m getting off subject today. I really want to talk about why the Millenials got into gun culture.

The why is important to me. Think of it as a Generational After-Action review. Knowing the why could help gun rights survive into the next generation and so forth. I’m no scientist, and my observations are purely anecdotal. I’ll save the data for the folks smarter than me, but I do have a few reasons why I think millennials got into gun culture.

Educational Channels

The History Channel, when it was actually about History and not Pawn Stars. Discovery channels weren’t just fake documentaries about mermaids. We had shows like Future Weapons Tales of the Gun, Shootout, and many, many more. Some were one-off specials, and others were series that continued over and over.

The shows weren’t all that accurate, but they were the gun content we had. There was no Garandthumb, Brandon Herrera, or Admin Results. None of that was available. This series introduced us to weapons from the past, present, and potentially the future of firearms. This captured the attention of lots of tween and teenage boys.

The Internet

The internet opened the world of firearms up in three distinct ways. First, we had dedicated gun websites. Some were incredibly esoteric and might be focused on weird Colt revolvers. Others were wide open and had lengthy blog posts about various firearms. This gave birth to websites that easily outpaced gun magazines in views. They forced gun magazines to change. They couldn’t get away with reviewing four 1911s and talking about how WMLs would get you killed.

The next big influence on gun-owning millennials was forums. Before I was old enough to own a gun, I participated in tons of forums about guns. These forums were a mix of fantastic information from experienced gun owners and idiots like me. Some covered specific niche interests, and others were massive and covered everything.

Finally, the early days of Guntube brought tons of us in. Seeing FPSRussia shoot AA-12s seems like a right of passage for guys my age. Guntube was much smaller, but watching Carnikon, Eric, Barry, and FPSRussia was massively influential on millennial gun culture.

Video Games

Video games drew me into the world of firearms. Reading the manuals that came with games often introduced me to real-life guns. I specifically remember the short description of each weapon in the Syphon Filter 2 manual. That made me want to learn more about firearms.

Video games like Call of Duty used real guns, and games like COD Modern Warfare likely spurred the night vision movement we see now. Who can forget using the PEG on your M4 under NVGs in Modern Warfare? For a short period, video games had no problems introducing real-life guns from real-life companies into their video games.

The End of the AWB

When the Assault Weapon Ban sunsetted in 2004, the market opened up. Seemingly overnight, my local gun store went from wood-stocked bolt guns to ARs, AKs, and more. Stuff I had never seen in real life was right there, in my face, and accessible. This made firearms more interesting as a whole.

Commonly Owned AR-15 — Photo Credit: CRPA.org

It also spurred a massive increase in firearms production, namely with AR-15s. A massive market not only creates better guns but lowers the price. One thing the anti-gun industry can’t seem to understand is that the AR is so popular because it’s cheap or can be cheap. For less than 400 bucks, you can have a modern, ergonomic, modular, light recoiling weapon.

The GWOT

The Global War On Terror is America’s longest war. Fathers who fought in the early stages ushered their sons into the war’s final years. So many millennials volunteered that we didn’t even need a draft. Military service exposed troops to guns, often for the first time. This created an interest. Match that with the fact you get something akin to your service rifle for a low price, and these troops got hooked.

The GWOT also exposed non-service members to modern gear, tactics, optics, etc. People wanted what soldiers and Marines used, and optics from Aimpoint and EOTech became popular with everyday gun owners. This continues to this day and likely will affect Zoomer gun culture.

Bonus – Mosin Nagants

As a quick aside, the fact that Mosin-Nagant rifles cost like 79 bucks at one point also helped a lot of guys get into mil-surp and guns. The Ammo was dirt cheap, too. Boomers might have gotten an amazing housing market, but millennials got the Mosin market, baby! Seriously, if a cool, old gun only cost $79, even if you didn’t like guns, you’d probably give it a spin.

Millennials and Guns

As a generation, millennials have done a great job protecting and expanding the Second Amendment. Constitutional Carry is now in the majority of states. Federal gun control has been kept at bay, and 3D printing might have killed gun control. As fun as it is to make fun of millennials, I think we’ve helped preserve the Second Amendment and carried the fight.

Stay Keen with Smith’s Sharpeners!

By

Reuben Bolieu

-

January 2, 2025

GAT-Smiths (1) — The lean-to fire in the background was ignited using fatwood shavings processed by the Smith's Pack Pal Tinder Maker.

Smith’s Sharpeners has been a trusted name in the sharpening industry for over 125 years. Smith’s is dedicated to providing customers with practical, easy-to-use sharpening and specialty tools. This commitment has encouraged them to help you Stay Keen with Smith’s Sharpeners!

Smith’s Sharpeners

Smith’s, initially a small stone company in Arkansas, has become the leading knife and scissor sharpening product supplier. You’ll always achieve the best edge with Smith’s Sharpeners, providing the best tools for every task.

They offer a wide range of sharpeners, from simple pull-through models for quick use to advanced precision kits for enthusiasts. Their selection includes manual and electric sharpeners made from various materials, including diamond, carbide, ceramic, and natural Arkansas stones.

Pack Pal Tinder Maker

The Smith’s Pack Pal Tinder Maker is a lightweight camping tool that quickly creates tinder from dry wood. It includes a stainless steel grater, a yellow tinder box, and a ferrocerium fire starter. The bright design enhances visibility outdoors, making it ideal for use with Smith’s Sharpeners to keep your tools sharp while camping.

The grater transforms wood into shavings that you can ignite with a ferrocerium rod or any preferred ignition source. It holds enough tinder for two or more fires, and softer woods ignite more easily.

The Smith’s Pack Pal Tinder Maker with Fire Starter is designed to scrape wood into small tinder shavings. The author used fatwood to collect the shavings in a plastic box.

Beyond fire starting, the grater helps prepare food, such as grating cheese and garlic. Overall, it’s a versatile tool for outdoor cooking and fire preparation. You can easily replace the ferrocerium rod when needed, making it a practical addition to your camping gear.

Smith’s Axe & Machete Sharpeners

Smith’s Handheld Axe & Machete Sharpener is necessary for maintaining your axe, hatchet, or machete. With preset carbide blades, it quickly sharpens both sides of your tool in minutes. The durable plastic design features a soft grip handle and an oversized finger guard for safe use. It’s an essential addition to any toolkit that includes Smith’s Sharpeners.

An integrated wire brush helps remove grit and rust, enhancing the sharpener’s performance. Its bright yellow color makes it easy to spot.

With the Axe & Machete Sharpener, you can draw it in either direction, whether up or down, and it works the same. The hand guard is another excellent feature, showcasing Smith’s attention to detail.

During a recent trip to Georgia, I sharpened a neglected machete, shears, and an old hatchet, restoring them to working condition. I also used it on a cleaver, achieving an ideal edge for slicing vegetables. Overall, this sharpener offers a fast and efficient way to keep your tools in top shape, highlighting the effectiveness of Smith’s Sharpeners.

The Axe & Machete Sharpener is used on an old machete, with a plastic safety guard protecting the hand while sharpening the blade.

Summary

Smith’s products, especially the Pack Pal Tinder Maker with Fire Starter, are excellent for outdoor enthusiasts and valuable in emergencies. The Axe & Machete Sharpener efficiently restored shears, a hatchet, a cleaver, and a machete, making it ideal for base camp or garage use. Together, these two tools effectively meet various needs!

For more information, please check out SmithsProducts.com.

Did the P365 Ruin The Carry Gun World?

By

Travis Pike

-

January 2, 2025

The P365 did many things for the carry gun world, and most of them started with R. It revolutionized carry guns. It reduced size while increasing efficiency. Without a doubt, it revitalized carry guns. It also ruined them—kind of. I know that’s a big claim, and it’s not the first firearm to ruin an entire genre of weaponry. Let me explain a bit.

The Problem With The Modern Carry Gun

HK recently unveiled a new handgun. We knew it was coming, and lots of people were excited. They’re starting production here in the United States, so what could it be? An optics-ready USP? I really want a P30 with an optics cut. What could it be?

It was the CC9. A gun most of the industry, including HK fanboys, gave a hearty meh. It’s a micro-compact, like the P365. It’s a polymer frame, striker-fired, optics-ready, has a rail, and offers 12 rounds of 9mm in a compact package. HK is roughly six years behind SIG and four to five years behind the rest of the industry.

I’m sure it’s a fine gun. It will likely perform very well and be reliable, accurate, and modern. Why the meh? The market is saturated with micro-compacts that more or less clone the P365. More options are better, but it seems like the carry gun market desires something different. When you examine the market, the only company doing anything different in this space is S&W, with the CSX.

Ever since SIG introduced the P365, the rest of the market has clamored to catch up. S&W has three micro compacts, Taurus has one, Springfield has one, Kimber has one, Ruger has one, and I know I’m forgetting some. There are just so many these days.

A Plague Upon Us?

Okay, that headline is a bit dramatic, I admit. The industry is in an interesting era. There are more options than ever for a carry gun. They’re all mostly affordable but also very boring. Boring isn’t bad. It’s just boring. As mentioned, this has happened before.

The AR-15 did the same thing to rifles. The AR-15 rules the rifle world, and every rifle released will be compared to the AR-15. I’m not the only one who quit reading gun magazines because every issue was a packet of AR-15 and 1911 reviews. Luckily, the rifle market was broken open by various AR-18 derivatives, such as the Carmel from IWI.

This also happened with Glock. We went from a fairly diverse market of guns to a ton of polymer frames and striker-fired pistols. FN, SIG, S&W, Taurus, and pretty much every other company seemed to make what’s basically a Glock clone. We haven’t fully broken out of Glock mania, but 2011s and guns like the CZ Shadow 2 are helping break the mold.

What about the humble carry gun? How long will we be stuck with generic polymer frames and optics-ready micro-compacts? I’m not saying these are bad guns; I just want to see companies try something different and new. I’ll give it up to S&W with the Bodyguard 2.0; it’s a pocket rocket with some micro-compact flair.

Taurus also seems to be willing to create optics-ready modern revolvers. S&W and the Ultimate Carry series also stand out in that same revolver world. They might help, but I don’t see us breaking the basic micro-compact mold anytime soon.

Is it That Bad?

The industry has hit a saturation point with firearms. There are more than ever, and it doesn’t seem like sales have been massive or impactful compared to previous years. Does the industry need a creative boost?

It’s easy to say they do, but what can they produce that’s all that different? We haven’t seen many radical changes to the technology, and the last big one was the efficiency change the P365 brought about.

So what’s the answer? I wish I had it, and I hate to bring up a problem without having some kind of solution. I think we’re stuck with the micro-compact carry gun for the time being. New calibers, like .30 Super Carry, haven’t taken off as predicted.

There isn’t much in the material game we can do, and technology hasn’t improved drastically. I think it’s a waiting game for the next product that will ruin a genre of guns. Maybe the industry and the media should put forward a focus on using your guns rather than just buying new guns.

SIG and Bergara have training divisions, and Walther, in coordination with Safariland, sponsors free classes for Law Enforcement. Why can’t other companies do the same? Maybe it’s time to retool and refocus from the guns to how they’re used.

Nosler’s New Deer Cartridge: Whitetail Country

By

P.E. Fitch

-

January 1, 2025

(Title Image) The .308 Winchester Taurus Bolt Action Expedition Rifle and the 6.5 mm Creedmoor Bergara B14 Sqaured Crest Bolt Action rifle. These are the two guns I’m using for my ongoing evaluation of Nosler’s new Whitetail Country rifle hunting ammo line.

Deer season traditionally begins in the fall in most states in the US. This year, Oregon-based Nosler recently launched a new cartridge specifically for deer hunting: the Nosler Whitetail Country.

Nosler loads Whitetail Country for some of the most timeless North American big game cartridges, including .30-30 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .270 Winchester, and .308 Winchester. Beyond those classic chamberings, Whitetail Country is also available for the 7mm-08 and 6.5 mm Creedmoor cartridges. These are two newer, milder-recoiling, and well-loved deer-slaying cartridges in their own right.

Finally, Nosler didn’t snooze on straight-wall rifle cartridge deer hunters either. Both .45-70 Government and .350 Legend are included in the Whitetail Country line.

Here is the complete list with the corresponding projectile weights:

6.5 Creedmoor, 140-grain
.270 Win, 130-grain
7mm-08 Rem, 140-grain
.30-30 Win, 150-grain
.308 Win, 165-grain
.30-06 Sprg, 165-grain
.350 Legend, 180-grain
.45-70 Govt, 300-grain

Nosler Whitetail Country Bullets

Whitetail Country deer cartridges are loaded with Nosler brass cases and can be had with two types of premium soft-point bullets. Specifially, the Nosler Solid Base boat-tail [for bottleneck rounds] or the Nosler Straight-Wall bullet [for straight-wall cartridges].

Due to their mission of traditional deer hunting, neither Whitetail Country projectile is bonded. They don’t need to be. In researching this new ammo, I noticed that Nosler’s information is quite clear about this being a standard and affordable deer cartridge. They also suggested that hunters looking for a more technical cartridge would be better served by looking at other products, such as the Nosler Ballistic Tip or Nosler Accu-Bond bullets.

Solid Base Bullet

The Nosler Solid Base Bullet is a premium soft-point boat-tail bullet. The design includes a tapering bullet jacket with a heavy solid base that completely encloses the core.

Externally, the Solid Base bullet has a standard “tangent ogive” shape with a large bearing surface. Internally, the rearmost part of the Solid Base bullet’s jacket resembles the web of a brass cartridge case, the really thick section of brass that supports the case head.

The corresponding core also tapers in the rear. However, its shape widens towards the front of the projectile, where the jacket is also thinner. The degree of the tapering core varies by each actual caliber, with the .264” 6.5mm 140-gr projectile having the most internal core taper.

Excluding the .30-30 Winchester load, G1 ballistic coefficients for most Whitetail Country Solid Base bullets hover around the mid to high .400s.

The tip of the core of all Solid Base bullets is exposed and bells out over the front edges of the jacket to form the meplat. If you weren’t paying close attention, you’d think this bullet had a gray-colored ballistic tip and not an exposed lead soft point.

Nosler manufactures these bullets by impact extrusion. In fact, they’re the only company that sells impact-extruded projectiles for light-skinned game like deer at the time of this writing.

Straight-Wall Bullet

Slower muzzle velocities are part and parcel of rifle shooting with straight-wall cartridges. Because of that, Nosler’s Straight-Wall bullet is designed for efficiency in this context. The goal is to guarantee reliable expansion on game at slower velocities. To accomplish this, Nosler profiled this bullet and its jacket completely different from that of the Solid-Base.

Instead of a tapering jacket with a thicker base, Straight-Wall bullets have a thinner jacket and a thinner base to ensure terminal effectiveness in lower-velocity impacts. To ensure feeding and chambering reliability across different action types, Straight-Wall bullets have a truncated nose design that culminates in a wide meplat that also exposes the tip of the lead core.

Nosler Whitetail Country .30-06 Springfield rifle cartridges, image courtesy of Nosler

Continued in Part 2 (with actual, hands-on ballistic information, which I’m still working on compiling)

The VX.I Sigurd Shirt

By

Travis Pike

-

January 1, 2025

Officially, it’s winter, but in Florida, it’s slightly cooler summer. In the mornings, it’s cooler, but by noon, it’s back to the heat and mugginess Florida is legendary for. The only cold fronts we’ve gotten this year are due to hurricanes, which pass as quickly as they come. With that in mind, I’m still rocking 5.11’s Sigurd shirts well into this supposed ‘winter.’

The Sigurd shirts fall into the fanciful named V.XI, which is the Roman numeral for 5.11, so I’ll give them applause for the clever marketing. 5.11 Tactical sent me both the long-sleeve and short-sleeve variants of the Sigurd shirt, and I’ve used them for a bit of everything. I mean everything.

What’s the Sigurd Shirt Do?

What’s so special about these shirts? They are designed to be sort of a noncamouflaged combat shirt. It’s perfect as a base layer and wears well under armor, chest rigs, and similar gear. What it does best is not suck when it’s hot.

The Sigurd shirt is made from a knit mesh that’s proprietary to 5.11. They call it Cryo-Tec, which either calls forward images of Walt Disney’s frozen head or simply instills an idea of coolness into your brain.

Let’s go with the latter. The material is cool to the touch and feels fantastic. It’s not thin enough to see through unless you purposely stretch it and try to take a peak. It’s not going to be inappropriate to wear to a gym or on patrol. The Sigurd is not as professional as a normal uniform shirt, but isn’t designed to be.

It’s a bit of a special-purpose design. The Sigurd isn’t fashionable or low-key, and I wouldn’t wear it out to dinner. It’s the type of clothing you’d wear to the range, train, or compete with. It’d be perfect for both the tactical games or a Spartan race.

While the design keeps cool, it’s just thick enough to be comfortable to wear while wearing armor and chest rigs. Your armor and gear won’t rub you raw while wearing the Sigurd shirt, and you’ll be able to keep cool. Cooler than a traditional combat shirt.

Digging Into the Sigurd Shirt

The Sigurd shirt is available in numerous colors, including green, gray, black, red, and dark navy blue. As mentioned, it is available in both long and short-sleeved variants. The short sleeve prioritizes comfort, and the long prioritizes protection. Both options have a rugby-style collar that can be folded down and out of the way.

It’s not quite form-fitting or an athletic cut, but it isn’t loose. It fits between the two and creates a fairly good fit, which is necessary if worn with armor. A looser fit might crumple, fold, or bunch under armor or a chest rig. That’s not a problem with the Sigured shirt. Instead of having a single seam under the arm and down the body, we have two that form a panel.

This panel ensures a good fit and excellent comfort. It allows the shirt to move and play well with body armor. It likely also increases strength and durability. The Sigurd shirt utilizes a 4×6-inch loop panel on each shoulder and has a pen pocket.

Beat the Heat

The Sigurd shirts help you beat the heat. My first day with the Sigurd shirt began at the range. I was testing the shirt, shooting shotguns for an article, and basking in the lack of shade at my private range. It’s hot! Yet, the Sigurd shirt was nice, even under a great big USMC TAPS rig. The moisture-wicking design helped keep things comfortable and cool and allowed me to move without restriction.

That’s just part of my day. After an hour at the range, I packed up the guns and started yard work. I had a giant mess to clean up after Hurricane Helene. It was a mix of chainsaws, machetes, wheelbarrows, and beyond. I worked for hours and then followed it up by mowing the yards to get rid of the small stuff.

By 1600, I had spent nine hours in the heat, wearing the Sigurd shirt and chugging water. I was sweating, but the Sigurd shirt kept me remarkably comfortable. At times, I was legitimately surprised at how well the Cryo-Tac material worked. It does a fantastic job of keeping you cool and comfortable in hot conditions.

The flexibility is apparent in the material and maximizes mobility, allowing you to move with ease and comfort. The lightweight design is a nice touch, and while it’s designed for tactical applications, the Sigurd also gets a hearty yard work endorsement.

Beyond Testing

I was at the range the other day, in the prone, sighting in a rifle optic, and I realized what the Sigurd shirt reminded me of. They are tactical Hawaiian shirts. They breathe and flex like Hawaiian shirts and are remarkably comfortable. The Sigurd shirts are perfect hot environment shirts, and if you’re wearing armor or gear, the shirt will help you stay cool and comfortable throughout your day.

They are tough enough for long-term use and hard work but light enough to deal with the summer heat.

For more information, please visit 511Tactical.com.

Secure Your Valuables – Hiding in Plain Sight

By

Jim Cobb

-

December 31, 2024

One approach to keeping your valuables secure is to squirrel them away in various locations within the home. I’m not suggesting that this is preferable to using a high-quality safe that’s been properly installed. However, not everyone has that as a feasible or practical option.

For many people, it’s instinctive to keep valuables, such as jewelry, cash, and firearms, in the master bedroom. Criminals know this, so that’s often their first stop during a burglary. Fortunately, there are many other places you can use.

Diversion Safes

These are safes that are disguised as common household items, like shaving cream or deodorant. They look neat, but most thieves are well aware of them, just like they know all about those fake rocks you can use to store an extra house key outside. Instead of spending money on them, you’re better off exploring other options.

Basement

Unless you have a drop ceiling installed down there, all of the wiring, pipes, and whatnot are visible, right? You could add another length of PVC, and nobody would likely notice. You can fit a pretty good amount of stuff in four-inch diameter PVC, even if it’s just a few feet long. Install a threaded cap on one end to make it easy to open and close.

While you’re down there, if you’re already using the basement for some amount of household storage, a couple of boxes labeled something like “Grandma’s Shoes” would blend right in. You could even go so far as to put your good stuff at the bottom of the box, then toss some old shoes over it.

One more twist on this would be to use a red marker to label every box that has something hidden inside, so those are easy to spot in a hurry. This same approach to securing valuables could also be used in the attic, if that’s more accessible or makes more sense for your situation.

Living Room

You could tape emergency cash inside photo frames. As long as the frames themselves aren’t expensive, nobody is going to grab them. There are a number of wall outlet safes on the market. These are diversion safes, yes, but they tend to blend in a lot easier than products on a shelf. These are easy to install for even the most inexperienced homeowner.

Kitchen

If you remove your utensil drawer completely, you can tape an envelope to the outside back surface or on the underside of the drawer.

Do not, however, secure valuables by hiding them inside the freezer. Experienced crooks know to look there, and they’ll find that box of frozen Brussels sprouts with the prize inside.

Caution

One word of warning regarding securing valuables by hiding them. Make sure you’re not the only person who knows what is hidden where. It would be a shame for you to be in an accident or something, and your family isn’t able to access the funds you’ve secreted away through the house. On top of that, you wouldn’t want them to get rid of anything without first removing the cash, jewelry, or whatever else is hidden inside.

Backpacking Lights!

By

Reuben Bolieu

-

December 31, 2024

Backpacking lights illuminate the night, transforming the darkness into a canvas of opportunity. Headlamps offer hands-free convenience, perfect for setting up camp, navigating trails, or reading a map. Compact, powerful flashlights are ideal for close-up tasks like fixing gear or checking a map.

Whether exploring a forest at night or needing a reliable light source for your campsite, backpacking lights are essential for any outdoor adventure!

Streamlight MicroStream Backpacking Light

This small light fits in the palm of your hand but doesn’t compromise on power.

Put this light in your pocket or clip it to the brim of your hat and have light wherever you go.

The Streamlight MicroStream is a compact backpacking light that fits in the palm of your hand yet delivers impressive power.

Introducing the Streamlight Microstream flashlight—a compact powerhouse on a single AAA alkaline battery. Its user-friendly tail cap switch lets you easily toggle between momentary or constant light. This light offers convenience with its handy pocket/hat clip. Built from durable machined aluminum featuring a robust Type II Military Spec anodized finish.

Measuring just 3.6 inches in length and weighing only 1.10 ounces (with battery included), this flashlight is both lightweight and portable. The unbreakable polycarbonate lens houses advanced C4® LED technology, providing an impressive 420-candela peak beam intensity, a beam distance of 41 meters, and an output of 45 lumens. Enjoy a reliable run time of 2.25 hours, making it perfect for everyday use.

Illumination and Hydration

Introducing the SOL Venture Solar Water Bottle Lantern, a 24-ounce (700mL) BPA-FREE Eastman Tritan™ water bottle that doubles as a powerful LED lantern. With a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery, it offers versatile charging options via USB or sunlight, fully recharging in 2.5 hours or soaking up the sun in about 25 hours.

The SOL Venture Solar Water Bottle Lantern converts into an impressive lantern featuring a rechargeable LED light integrated into the cap.

Featuring three lighting modes, it adjusts brightness from 20 to 100 lumens and provides up to 10 hours of continuous light. Made from shatter-resistant Tritan, the bottle is safe, durable, and dishwasher safe (bottle only) with a convenient carrying handle.

Backpacking Lights Field Test

The designers created the Streamlight MicroStream without intending to make it a backpacking light. However, It’s been mine since I got it. It’s tough as nails and easy to buy AAA batteries worldwide.

I don’t hike at night because it invites injuries. But in camp, there’s much to do in the dark. The convenient hat clip works well and attaches the light in a stable position. However, I rarely wear a cap with a bill at night, especially in winter. So, I made a super simple headband holder from elastic and velcro to accommodate the MicroStream.

For quick checks to see what that noise was in camp or rummaging in a pack, it’s hard to beat the AAA wonder. And if you need both hands and don’t have a hat or headband for it, use your teeth. This light should be in the pockets of every EDC kit and the pack or pouch of every camper and backpacker!

The convenient hat clip works well and attaches the light in a stable position, making it one of the best backpacking lights available.

The SOL Venture was a piece of gimmicky gear at first. Then I used it. I took it to a hotel, and it was my quick grab light and my water on the nightstand. I took it to Georgia and Alabama, and it caught the attention of some hardened outdoors folks. They thought it was cool, and so did I.

We used it at night and in the many camps above the grill. When filled with water or a colored drink, it illuminates like a lantern. With the top removed, it becomes a mini-spotlight.

Powered By The Sun

The red light indicates that it is charging while you hike or relax in a hammock.

SOL Venture Solar Water Bottle Lantern charges via USB and by the sun while hiking or lounging around the woods. It needs UV rays and will charge on a cloudy day. I’ve seen it myself. Seeing is believing. Try it out.

Finale

Kids love the SOL Venture Solar Water Bottle Lantern, and parents like the functionality. The Streamlight MicroStream is a no-frills, hardcore, tough light weighing nearly nothing. Stay hydrated and illuminated with one of these mighty backpacking lights on your outdoor adventures!

For more information, please check out Streamlight and Survive Outdoors Longer.