Feral Jundi

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Gear Review: Sniper Screen by Military Illustrations

Filed under: Gear Review — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 10:10 AM

  Doug found this gem of a site and brought it to my attention.  This group not only does the art thing (please note Talking Tactics by Lance Nelson)  but also makes sniper suits and three dimensional camouflaging equipment.  The kit that caught my eye was this Sniper Screen.

    I thought that this was an excellent solution to a common problem on the battlefield.  Camouflaging the hole that you are looking through, wether through a parapet while on a rooftop, or while looking through a wall or fence.  Plus this thing is packable and cheap.   Very cool, and I am sure a can of spray paint could dress up this screen into whatever color you want.  And I am sure you could make a home made one if you didn’t want to buy this thing.  –Head Jundi

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The Sniper Screen in action.

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Sunday, July 6, 2008

Gear Review: Superfeet Insoles

Filed under: Gear Review — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 11:34 AM

  Well this is a product you won’t be seeing reviewed in Soldier of Fortune or Serviam.  LOL  But I do believe in this product and it has a lot to do with the security contracting industry in my opinion.  That product is Superfeet insoles.  

    Superfeet are insoles with a hard plastic arch support cup.  They come in various sizes and thicknesses and they are well made.  I have had my insoles for literally years in all of my shoes, and I have never had knee or ankle problems.  The thing with these insoles, is that they maintain the shape of your foot and they maintain a consistent bio-mechanics for your ankle-knee-hip-back relationship.  And a healthy body equates to being deployable and doing the job day in and day out.  

    And if you are like me, you have had leg or knee or hip problems do to years of wear and tear, and you also depend upon your body for your job.  So if you are walking and standing all the time, and you are wearing crappy boots and shoes that do not provide good support and your insoles are not supporting your arches, then you will suffer.  So the answer is to get well fitting boots or shoes, and get a good solid foundation for your foot that is consistent through all of your footwear.

   In Iraq, I wore a pair of Bates M-6 boots with Superfeet insoles.  I loved them and I never had tired feed after those long 12 hour days.  Same thing when I was a smokejumper and forest fire fighter.  I had a pair of Danner Rainforest boots with Superfeet in them, and I never had leg or foot problems.  And for running, I always put Superfeet in my ‘go fasters’.  I guess my point with this, is that if you have the same footbed in all of your footwear, then your body will have an easier time adjusting from shoe to boot to shoe again.  And the muscles and arches in your foot will thank you too, because they are properly supported and they are not strained from going back and forth between footbeds.

   I should also mention that I had a serious leg injury in 2003 when I was a smokejumper.  I broke my right femur during a parachute accident on a fire jump near McCall Idaho. And after they operated on me and I healed up after a long haul, I ended up with an inch shorter right leg!  So bio-mechanics was really important to me now, and I have been totally paranoid that my back or something will get thrown out from just walking or running again.  But thanks to a lift in my right shoe coupled with Superfeet insoles, I have not had any back or hip or knee related injuries.(knock on wood)

    Also, if you do get into the whole Superfeet thing, be sure to put them in all of your footwear to make it work.  The idea is to get your foot used to the same footbed in everything you wear.  And the benefit of this, is that from now on you can buy a new shoe or boot and put Superfeet in them and your feet will recognize the same footbed every time.  That means less footwear break-in time and less pain in your feet.

    One other point I want to make is do not just buy them off the website blindly, if you can help it. One suggestion is to go to REI Outdoor Equipment Stores and they have bins of Superfeet insoles that you can put into your shoes to try on.  Or just go to any running store and ask to pull a pair out of the box to try on.  They will feel weird at first, but trust me, your feet will get used to it and love them.  But definitely play around with them and find the Superfeet insole that works for you. – Head Jundi

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Super Feet

Superfeet’s firm, contoured shape provides comfort soft insoles cannot achieve.

Insoles are like mattresses. A good mattress is made of firm, supportive materials. A bad mattress is soft and unsupportive. Same thing with insoles. When you stand on a Superfeet Premium Insole, you can feel the firmly supportive shape and materials. It’s not soft and mushy like other brands…because although soft non-supportive insoles feel good when you first put them in your shoes, in the long run your foot problems don’t disappear.

Support the Foot. Align the Body.

Wearing soft insoles is like running in the soft, dry sand at the beach. Initially it feels good, but you quickly grow tired, waste energy, and begin to feel the stress on your knees and back. Wearing Superfeet Premium insoles is like running on firmer, wet sand. It’s still comfortable, but your feet feel more balanced and stable, and it’s certainly more productive and enjoyable from a performance point of view.

Body Alignment

Every Shoe. Everyday.

Everybody’s feet are different, and they wear different types of shoes. That means it is unreasonable to think one model of insole will meet everyone’s needs. That’s why Superfeet makes different products to fit different foot shapes in different types of footwear. No matter what type of activity or sport you engage in, Superfeet has a product for you – at a price you can afford.

60 Day Comfort Guarantee

With Superfeet’s 60 Day Comfort Guarantee you have nothing to lose but your sore feet. If you are not satisfied with your new Superfeet insoles, return them within 60 days of purchase to your place of purchase for a credit or refund. This guarantee is only valid with a proof of purchase, and is not good for misused, abused or improperly cleaned Superfeet product. THIS GUARANTEE IS SUBJECT TO THE RETAILER’S RETURN POLICY.

Superfeet Website

 

Friday, May 9, 2008

Cool Stuff: Hissatsu Folder

Filed under: Cool Stuff,Gear Review — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 11:19 AM

I like this knife a lot, and this is what I carry.  It is well built, and pretty evil looking.  It is not a field knife though, and I only recommend this knife as a defensive weapon for street carry (I recommend a multi-tool and a tough folder for field work)  If you are a fan of the large Hissatsu knives, then you will like this more compact version of the knife.  There are two locking mechanisms, and this has an opening assist mechanism(that can be removed if you want).  I would definitely recommend getting used to deploying this knife, and add a drop of good knife oil in it every once in awhile.  I would rate this as another quality product from CRKT and the Bugei Trading Company. –Matt

Buy the knife here.

 

The Hissatsu Folder

James Williams is actively involved in teaching Military special operations and government security professionals who must at times perform their daily high-risk duties in environments which do not allow them to carry firearms or a large fixed blade knife such as the Hissatsu–. At training sessions and demonstrations, they have asked James to design a folder with the defensive power of the Hissatsu that can be a concealed carry in a pocket or clipped comfortably under a jacket. The result is the CRKT Hissatsu– Folder. Blade length is 3.875″, which is safely under the legal limit in most jurisdictions, while blade finish is non-reflective black Teflon® coating.

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Thursday, April 17, 2008

Industry Talk: ShockRide Mineblast Attenuating Driver Seat

Filed under: Gear Review,Industry Talk — Tags: , , — Matt @ 3:54 PM

This is an old article, but one worth reviewing again.  The reason why I say that, is because a lot of old armored vehicles, that PMC’s are using, do not have these kinds of seats.  There are so many forces at play, when a blast goes off under these vehicles, and sometimes there is too much emphasis placed on just the armor.  You also need seats, that can absorb the shock wave from those blasts, that reverberate through the vehicle.  The kinds of vehicles, that should get upgrades, are the South African made vehicles that are currently in use.  Those would include the  Mamba,  the Casspir, and the Puma vehicles.  -Head Jundi

seat

Operational vehicles to be protected by ShockRide blast protection seats
ArmorWorks (published 10/09/2007)
 
Mine resistant vehicles from BAE to be equipped with blast attenuating seats from ArmorWorks (more…)

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Gear Review: Mechanix Gloves

Filed under: Gear Review — Tags: , , — Matt @ 1:03 PM

     I am a big fan of these gloves, and have gone through several pairs while over in the box.  I have used the originals and the fast fits, in the color black, and they worked great.  Now I own a pair of the originals, in the color ‘coyote’.  I kind of wish they made coyote colored fast fits, and I have notified the factory about this.  It would also be nice if Mechanix made a Nomex blend glove as well. For convoy operations, I would normally put on a pair of nomex gloves, but for out on the sites these gloves worked great.

     What I used them for, are just basic daily duties while on static and roving patrol in the hot sun.  In the middle east, everything is scorching hot, and having some protection on your hands is vital.  It is also nice to have some gloves for those last minute work details, and what not.  Although, if you are going to string some concertina wire, I would suggest being careful while wearing these, or find yourself a pair of the wire gloves that are designed for that work.

     The other reason I like these gloves, is the amount of dexterity I can get out of them.  The material is just thick enough to protective, yet thin enough to handle the controls of a weapons system.  And it is amazing how screwed up your hands can get, if you do a lot of active shooting with a pistol or rifle. These gloves are great for weapons cleaning as well. You do a lot of that, out there in the sand box and elsewhere, and this is where these gloves shine. These gloves are not for fast roping though, or any other kind of rope work.

    As far as cost, these go for less than your really high end gloves, but cost more than your really cheap gloves that fall apart really quick.  They are a mid-range priced glove, that will last a summer of basic security work.  For sizing, I wear a size 9 Nomex flight glove, and I bought (and like) the size 10 Large with Mechanix gloves. Cheers. -Matt

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DescriptionManufactured to handle the toughest work you can throw at it, our Original Glove continues to stand the test of time. With improved Clarino OW-927 synthetic leather palm, index, middle and ring fingertips, it repels 25% more water and oil preserving the life of the glove. The low-profile TPR (Thermal Plastic Rubber) hook and loop cuff closure, along with the two-way stretch Spandex top, provides you with a better fit. And it’s hidden interior seam stitching and Lycra inset panels ensures optimum comfort and freedom of mobility. The Original is available in a rainbow of colors and proudly displays the iconic Mechanix Wear scatter print logo.

Find them here.

 

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