Feral Jundi

Monday, June 1, 2009

Training: Tactical Impact TV, With Larry Vickers and Aaron Roberts

    Wow, talk about a cool show!  Larry Vickers is an incredible force of influence in today’s combat arms and training, and it is just a treat to be able to listen to what these guys have to say.  The link I provided below has a bunch of episodes to watch, and they will easily keep you captivated with all the industry best practices for shooting and tactics. Check it out. –Matt

Edit:  Be sure to check out more episodes on Youtube here.

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Tactical Impact TV

From clearing a house to mounting a night assault on a fortified enemy, each episode of Tactical Impact will examine a real life tactical problem and the arms, accessories and tactics to prevail. Unlike traditional shooting shows that focus on gun reviews, features and interviews, Tactical Impact looks through the eyes of the guys who have really been there to tell the intriguing stories about the guns that have changed our world.

Watch the Episodes Here.

*****

Larry Vickers is a retired career special operations soldier, having served more than 20 years in the Army’s most elite forces. He is a longtime firearms industry consultant, firearms trainer and a founding member of IDPA. 

Aaron Roberts is a former U.S. Army soldier. After the military he went on to become a Texas State Police Officer and was a Primary Firearms and Tactics Instructor at Blackwater Training Center. He is a highly regarded firearms and tactics instructor.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Gear Review: The SOHPC by Paraclete

Filed under: Gear Review — Tags: , — Matt @ 12:40 PM

 

    Cool armor set up.  I do not own the SOHPC, but I have been hearing some good reviews about this thing.  Paraclete has always been a name associated with quality, and these guys make some good stuff.  Personally I own a CIRAS by Eagle Industries, but there are no side plates on the thing, nor are there pockets for side plates.  With today’s armor carriers, you should try to get stuff that at least has built in pockets for side plates.  Of course you can always get the plates with MOLLE on them, and just attach it to your carrier, but that is kind of ‘hoopty’ to me.  

   The way I use armor is I make it part of a layering system.  I wear a over vest or harness over the top of my armor, and so the lowest profile armor carriers are what I look for.  My CIRAS is a little bulky, but extremely well built.  My next purchase would be something a little more lightweight, more low profile, and has side plate capability–like the SOHPC.  I also like the PACA low profile soft armor carrier with plate pockets. Oh, and I want something that will not fight my arms, when I tuck in to hold my rifle.  I do not have a wide chest area, and armor carriers always get in the way of shooting for me.  Also, I like a shoulder pocket that is conducive towards shooting.  Some vests are better than others in this department. 

   My layering system works great, if you wear a pistol on your belt.  That way, if you take your vest/patrol harness off, you still have a weapon and you still have armor.  I mention this because at some FOBs and remote camps, you might want to wear your vest as much as you can, but not necessarily your full combat load.  Or even at the bigger bases, if they were attacked consistently with rockets/mortars, the base commanders would give the order that everyone is to wear their body armor.  That means you are are wearing your vest at the chow hall.

    For security contracting, good body armor is priceless.  I highly suggest you buy your own, and invest in quality when you do so.  Do not depend on these companies to provide you with quality stuff, because most do not.  Same thing with helmets.  For my helmet, I have really tweaked it out with some quality comfort items to make that thing ride like a Cadillac on my head. (right…it still sucks to wear-LOL)  

   Oh, and one more thing.  Don’t just buy this stuff out of the blue, without talking to a sales rep.  The sizing of this stuff is very finicky.  Large and Medium and Small are all different with these companies.  If you ask these guys about how to size for your body, they will totally help you.  If anything, go just a bit smaller than what you would think.  My rule of thumb for armor, is if I sit in a vehicle for 12 hours straight, will the plates and armor rest on my legs and annoy the shit out of me, or is it set up just right so it doesn’t pinch on my legs.  

     For me, I bought a Medium sized CIRAS, just for that reason.  It fit perfect, and it totally worked out to barely miss my legs while sitting.  Plus the thing is adjustable so I can get it off my legs.  But if you get a vest that swims on you, your adjustments won’t do much. I learned this the hard way with an oversized TA 50.  Like I said, talk it up first with the sales rep.  Also, do your research on the forums, like www.lightfighter.net . –Head Jundi 

SOHPC

 

Special Operations Hard Plate Carrier by Paraclete

Product Information

Hard plate carrier with next generation side closure includes integral soft armor side protection and easy-to-position side plates.

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Sunday, October 5, 2008

Gear Review: Electronic Hearing Protection-MSA Versus Peltor

     This is a review that I have wanted to do for awhile now, because it was one of the few times where I actually did a side by side product test in the field.  In Iraq I was able to play around with both the MSA Sordin Supreme Pro X and the Peltor Comtac 2  electronic ear muffs while out at a weapons range.

     I mention these two, because these are the top of the line tactical models of the two companies mentioned and they seemed to be the most popular models out there that guys use.  Now both are very good at what they do, and that is cut out loud noises (explosions, gun fire) yet allow you to hear normally when there is no loud noise.  They can do this, because they are electronic hearing protectors, armed with noise canceling circuitry.  So on the plus side, they protect your hearing, but on the down side, they require batteries and they can break down when you least expect it.  But hopefully they don’t break down and hopefully the batteries do no cut out on you, when you need them most.

     They are essential to command and control though, because if you can’t hear directions coming through a radio or from your buddies when you really need to hear them, then you could miss out on life saving information.  Gunfire from inside a vehicle is only amplified, and it is important to preserve your hearing as much as you can during an incident.  I even wore regular combat earplugs(little rubber guys) over in Iraq just for some insurance.  But I tell ya, these electric hearing protectors are cool.

     So I will start this out by reviewing which of the two seemed tougher or better built.  I would have to say that the MSA model was better built and it looked and felt more like it was built like a tank. I would say that both would do just fine out in the field.

    As for comfort, both fit on my head and under my helmet just fine, so I had no issues with that. Electric muffs in general will drive you nutty if you have to wear them for awhile.  Although you can buy various upgrade kits out there, in order to make the ear cups more comfortable, you still won’t escape the sweat build up and pressure buildup on your head from these things. I was more concerned in my testing on how they fit on my head and how they fit under my helmet, and they did just fine.  The helmet I used was an RBR.(I recommend getting the pad kit and making a pad channel in your helmet, if you use the head band style muff)

    The battery type and life of each model was interesting, and yet again, I would have to go with the MSA model.  The smaller AAA batteries took up less space, weighed less, and surprisingly the MSA model had longer battery life do to some interesting circuitry.  The Peltor model used AA batteries, yet had a shorter life.  I also liked the metal screw cap of the battery compartment on the MSA model more than the flimsy rubber cap of the battery compartment on the Peltor model.  It just felt like the MSA model was better built.

    Both models have input jacks, and that is great if you want to link your radio/MP3 into these ear muffs.  And both Peltor and MSA offer boom mics, cables, and push to talk switches to really make your headset useful.  For the models I tested, they did not have these components set up, and they were just basic.  In Iraq, I witnessed a lot of guys with interesting communications set ups that utilized these types of muffs–soldiers too.

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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

 

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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