Dirt Cheap Folding Saw

I recently took up the very manly task of pickin my own timber. I bought some cheapo tools for this: A small axe, a shorty crowbar and the folding saw. I was not quite sure to what extent that they would do the job, but surprisingly enough I went back home with 20Kg (44lbs) of wood. Most of the splitting I did was with this cheaper-than-dirt saw that cost less than 3€ (4$ right now)!

Open for business

It folds better, lazy me!

Up ahead came the uphill section

By the way, in case some tree-huggers read this, I only take fallen branches ;-)

The blade locks quite securely in place by means of a spring loaded button, with virtually no play. The grip is comfortable for a while, then you will get some nice blisters (or is it my delicate skin).

Look closer, there's branches inside the pack too

Should I label this as a 'survival' tool? Well, it is small and lightweight enough to carry, cuts through dry wood like a hot knife through butter, and it is holding up fine after cutting a few thick branches. As a funny remark, the colors are almost the same as those of Gerber's Bear Grylls signature series tools.

Then I had to split them small enough to fit the tiny hearth

Name the movie, LOL!

ACM STEALTH HOODIE (GEN.2-3 LINED)

The mandatory Hollywood pose

This ACM tactical jacket is heavily inspired on Gen.2 and Gen.3 of the Stealth Tactical Hoodie made by a prestigious firm from down-under. The original product costs a little fortune and may be suitable for those professionals whose life or death may depend on it. The copy is good enough for any non-threatening outdoors activities, at a fraction of the cost.

The Stealth jacket should fall in the lined softshell category, as it is made of “Shark Skin” fabric which is wind and rain stopper on the outside, and fleece on the inside. The overall finish is quite good, very well stitched and with no loose threads. The color is a shade of brown similar to the darker blotches in most desert camo patterns. The zipper pulls are color and material matching (unlike the older versions which had cords instead).

At 170cm and 80Kg, quasi-athletic built, size M fits me like a glove. Note that this is not a parka, so if you are accustomed to longer jackets you might find this one a bit short, as it won’t extend beyond your hip-joint. The cut is snug but it does not limit movement, with the help of the flexible and semi-stretchy fabric. The cuffs combine inner elastic with non-pile velcro tabs. The hood is the aero-type with a small visor and the drawstrings routed into the chest pockets. It also comes with a flap to keep it from bellowing in strong wind conditions.

The main zipper is two way and the pulls are on the wrong side (as in the original) so it is a bit tricky to engage at first. The chest pockets are vest/pack friendly, with internal dividers and D-rings to dummy-cord sensitive items. The upper arm pockets are zipper closed too, and have velcro on the outside for patches. All these pockets have slots for earphone wires. The signature wrist pocket on the left sleeve is quite practical for a car key or a garage remote (so you can do the Buzz Lightyear laser gig). There is also a butt-pocket which comes great to stash gloves, scarves and the like when not in use.

Softshells are defined as garments that protect from inclement weather while offering some transpirability. Some people take this as if you could run a marathon in them without a drop of sweat, so they get disappointed and frustrated when they find this untrue. This jacket passed my motorbike windstopping test in really chilly weather (with just a t-shirt underneath), and it truly leaks very very little after an hour in heavy rain. However you cannot expect to be able to do any strenuous activities in it without getting hot and sweaty. You can unzip the armpit openings, but in the sun or walking at a good pace you’d rather take it off.

Chest pocket

I read some negative comments regarding the zippers, but had no problem yet. In fact this jacket is quite rugged and you can machine wash it without fear of fading (you will lose some DWR though), and no bag strap seems abrasive enough to even put a mark the shoulders.

Butt pocket

Sleeve pocket

ACM CRYE STYLE V2 FIELD UNIFORM

When the police are in trouble they call SWAT...

Everybody needs a black set of BDUs, despite the “BB-magnet” effect in airsoft fields. SWAT teams wear them, James Bond wears them... even Chuck Norris made it clear that “Good Guys Wear Black”.

Crye Precision made popular the ‘combat uniform’ concept, with the spandex torso, the exposed knee and elbow pads and the adjustment tabs at the leg joints. This ‘field uniform’ is a more traditional and perhaps more versatile option. It is made of rugged ripstop material, with a looser fit and hidden inserts for knee and elbow pads.

Zipper

The jacket has no buttons but a two-way zipper closure with a velcroed storm flap. The stand up collar can be worn either closed or open by means of a double faced velcro tab. The cuffs are also velcro closed, with a wide range of adjustment. There is a triple pen holder on the left forearm, two small slanted chest pockets, and one large velcro covered pocket on each upper arm. Two velcro strips on the chest allow the use of nametags, eppaulettes on the shoulders for insignia. The bellowed back allows freedom of movement despite the absence of lycra on the body. As mentioned before, there are compartments for hidden elbow pads.

Bellowed back

Collar tab

Sleeve pocket

Elbow pad insert

The pants are pretty similar to classic BDU pants, with slanted hip pockets, two buttoned rear pockets and bellowed cargo pockets. However these pockets are velcro closed and have drawstrings. There are also two small pocket on the lower legs. The waist has an inner drawstring and a dual set of belt loops: a regular one and four bigger loops with buttons, for duty sized belts. There are also drawstrings at the bottoms, a reinforced seat and hidden kneepad compartments.

Cargo pocket

Calf pocket - Kneepad insert

I usually wear a size M and found this uniform quite ample, mostly in width. The ripstop fabric is a bit noisy and almost too warm in hot weather, but in exchange it is quite durable and won’t fade a bit no matter how many times you wash it. This is a highly recommendable choice at a very, very low cost.

Untucked

Untucked-rear

Tucked

Tucked-rear

THE EVOLUTION OF THE SPECIES: 1911 ROUNDUP

* KJW M1911A1 * Army Kimber Warrior * TM Hi-Capa 4.3 *

The 1911 model has been around for more than a century, and in recent times there have been several attempts to update its otherwise proven design. Many agencies and military units are going back to this old workhorse, maybe out of patriotic chauvinism or due to “the bigger the better” reasons.

In any case, we have chosen three airsoft examples of different stages in this sort of evolution: One is your classic no-nonsense Government Model, with its long barrel and single stack magazine, followed by a customized version which retains these two features but adds a railed frame, and the last one is a compact double-stack with a polymer lower body.

The three pistols compared here showed pretty similar performance, finish and overall quality. It must be noted that the single-stack/double-stack distinction affects only the capacity of the gas reservoir, not BB capacity, as all the mags hold 20+ BBs in double stack configuration.

KJW M1911A1

FEATURES:

-Standard model length and overall dimensions

-Combat sights

-Standard short trigger

-Right handed only safety

-Single stack-like magazine

PROS:

-Tight fitting parts

-Hefty

-Strong kick

-Great range and accuracy out of the box

-Suitable for any time frame reenactment

 -Can take CO2 mags

CONS:

-No trades (well, unfortunate “Made in Taiwan” ones)

-Poor gas efficiency

-Not compatible with aftermarket grips, due to CO2 ready frame

-Ugly orange blowback unit

-Combat sights are unobstrusive but hard to aim with

The KJW is the one that both feels best and shoots best, only that it will also be the first to stop shooting due to its poor gas efficiency. You may luckily get one full mag per fill if you space your shots, but any rapid fire will anticipate the end of the show to a half magazine.

Army Kimber Warrior

FEATURES:

-Railed frame

-Front serrations

-Detachable sights

-Guide rod

-Long match trigger

-Long tang

-Skeleton hammer

-Ambidextrous safety

-Single stack-like magazine

The Army aka Kimber Warrior is a crossbreed between a service pistol and a match one. You get all the good features of the classic design together with all the modern tacticool bells and whistles. However this model feels too loose, it will actually rattle if you shake it. That and the poor accuracy out of the box lowered the score a bit.

PROS:

-Hefty

-Well finished

-Full, quality trades

-Dotted sights

-Lower price tag

CONS:

-Quirky hop up out of the box

-Weak safety lever, hard to keep in place

TM Hi-Capa 4.3

FEATURES:

-Compact barrel/slide

-Railed frame

-Front serrations

-Detachable sights

-Guide rod

-Short tang

-Skeleton hammer

-Hidden lanyard attachment

-Double stack-like magazine

PROS:

-Fast blowback

-Good gas efficiency

-Smooth operation

CONS:

-Lightweight, plasticky feeling

-Fictional cheesy trades

-Expensive

The Marui Hi-Capa is a fictional model derived from futuristic IPSC race gun designs, with a tacticool twist. Like all Marui pistols, it offers an excellent performance out of the box, but –yes, the “Tokyo Marui-But”- it feels a little toylike and costs a little fortune. It is also the only one with double gas capacity due to the double stack type magazine. In addition, the lightweight plastic slide cycles faster and with less gas consumption.

The final veredict is that to each its own. If you plan to use a flashlight, get any of the railed models, if you are left handed take the Kimber, if you are a 20’s gangster or a GI, take the KJW...

PHANTOM/EAIMING "CHARLIE" BACKPACK REVIEW

At first sight this pack might look as a clone of the short lived and long discontinued* Arc’Teryx Charlie pack. However, ACM manufacturers Phantom/Eaiming introduced several improvements over the original design, namely a large velcro surface, a better padded backpanel and other less evident details.

(* It is even hard to find any reference photos of the original bag over the Internet, it seems as if Arc’Teryx tried to erase it from existence. You can read a thorough review at militarymorons.com)

The overall minimalistic and streamlined design is basically the same as in rock-climbing packs, that is just one big main compartment and a flat front pocket. A bit spartan, but lightweight and with less interferences. Inside the main compartment there are two thin dividers, one zippered for the hydration system, and one elasticated for flat items. There is a pass-through slot for the hydration tube on the top, and a bigbore grommetted drainhole at the bottom. The hydration compartment has built-in loops to hang any size of bladder quite properly.

The capacity is that of a grown-up daypack, enough to carry the essentials plus a bit more, so if you are planning on hiking to the Himalayas and back you’ll probably need a larger bag. Doing some maths it should be somewhere in between 20 to 30 liters.

Anyway, if you like pockets you can add as many as you like thanks to the MOLLE attachment points on the front and the sides. With those, and also with the compression straps on the sides, you can increment the load bearing capabilities of the pack beyond imagination. As you can see in the pictures, you can securely strap a rifle onto either side.

The carry handle is as sturdy as those on the back of some tactical vests, and you could certainly drag a person to safety with it. Another outstanding safety feature is that the shoulder straps can be instantly released, as they are attached by means of fastex buckles.

Speaking of shoulder straps, they are wide and well padded and incorporate loops to hang carabiners and such (but sadly no D-rings). They can be joined at the front by a fully adjustable sternum-strap. There is a small problem –common to many rucksacks- with the shoulder straps, which is that they are sewn in a straight line rather than angled outwards. This produces a twist on the backpanel when you tighten the shoulder straps against your wider-than-the-pack shoulders. Actually it is just an aesthetic thing, because the pack remains comfortable and stable.

In terms of stabilitiy, in addition to the sternum-strap you can either choose to use the waist belt, or stow it away into an ad hoc compartment behind the lumbar pad. This is a nice feature when you are wearing any other type of load bearing gear, or in case you carry a concealed pistol. The back panel has three padded areas, one on each shoulder and a third on the kidneys area. The padding is thick enough to form channels that should minimize perspiration. A potential problem is that the mesh lining on the back catches pine needles like a magnet!

The body of the pack is made of top-notch cordura, with seeming quality snap buckles and zippers. I used to pry away metal zipper pulls for stealth, but in this case they saved me the effort by using plain cord instead. The stitching seems quite durable too. The MOLLE webbing is quite stiff and strongly stitched, but on the negative side a full column of loops is too narrow to weave through (the one beside the pocket zipper). The “Dark Earth” color (there is also black available) goes with the majority of shades and patterns in use today. Did I mention the velcro surface for morale and ID patches? You will appreciate it when you have to fish for your pack in a sea of them ;-)

I can tell by personal experience that this is a rugged piece of gear, as I once managed to get lost in a thick brush area where I had to literally crawl my way out. Fearing a rather embarrassing rescue –or even death, glups!- I pulled myself free without caring much for the pack, just to find it clogged with pine needles but completely unscathed.

In any case, the most favorable argument is the price tag. This is a real bang-for-the-buck that you can get from most Asian retailers under either Phantom or Eaiming brands. I got mine from airsoftpark.com

Left: hidden belt

                             

                                      Right: belt in use

EMERSON FIELD PANTS MULTICAM REVIEW

Last summer I field tested these pants on my favorite Afghan-like terrain. As it can be seen in pictures, the MultiCam pattern blends great in both greenish and arid patches.

These are Emerson’s ‘field’ pants, which differ from ‘combat’ pants in the closed kneepad compartments and the lack of adjustment tabs at the knees and ankles.

The fabric is ripstop poly-cotton, and the cut is designed to conform an athletic male figure: narrow at the top and wider at the bottoms.

When it comes to Emerson sizing, I seem to be in between sizes S and M. These are an S and they are a bit too tight in the waist and the hips. There is little variation in length from one size to the next, but the adjustable drawstrings in the bottoms make it unnecessary putting your scissors to them. You can see a rather accurate size chart at airsoftpark.com, which is where I got them from.

The belt loops are wide enough for a rigger’s belt to pass through. I would have preferred that the front ones were a little closer to the button, so that it would not slip under the buckle. The fly is button-closed, which some users will love and others will hate.

There are ten pockets in total, scattered throughout the surface of the pants. This allows some weight distribution, to the point that you won’t believe the amount of junk you can carry in them. The front thigh pockets are a blessing to access while sitting, and the calf ones are great for those items that would otherwise end up digging in your anatomy. All of them are velcro closed, with no buttons.

The reinforcement patches on the knees are velcro-closed at the bottom so you can fit kneepads in there. The seat and croth are also reinforced.

What I like most about this line of garments is the durability and that they dry fast. This last feature is what leads me to always wear these pants in the rain, or in hikes which involve some river crossing. This also means that you can wash the pants and be confident that they will be ready next day. By the way, I have washed them a zillion times and they did not fade a bit.

Some negative aspects are a few loose threads, which may lead to unsewn pocket bottoms or lost buttons, and the position of the front belt loops. But when you look at the price tag you will forget about these...