In search of a cheap, yet powerful, LED light to mount on my (cheap) shotgun I stumbled upon the Ultrafire C2 at Deal Extreme. For a mere $18 (and another $6 for the remote pressure switch) I figured why not. Afterall, it is rated at 210 lumens and is getting great reviews (this is not the first time I had heard of Ultrafire).

The flashlight is quite light, much nicer to carry compared to the bulky Fenix T1, but I doubt it is nearly as strong as a Surefire. Still, it seems solidly built and does not rattle at all. The C2 is a very simple single-mode light, with a switch that is on par with most other tactical lights on the market. I did find the switch a little tougher to operate with my thumb as it is recessed into the body a little more than on other lights. The switch also lacks the ability to function momentarily by pressing it slightly, which I found rather disappointing. It will handle voltage inputs from 3.6 to 9 volts, and is designed to run on two CR123A lithium batteries or one 18650 battery. Batteries can be inserted from either end of the flashlight as both ends unscrew easily. The light lacks a pocket clip, but includes a lanyard. With a lens/reflector assembly this big, you probably wouldn’t want this light in your pocket or on your belt anyhow. The finish is strong, and yes, it is really that shiny. When running, the flashlight’s housing takes about three times as long to heat up as the Fenix and Surefire models tested, and it does not get nearly as hot. I am guessing this is due to the extra space between the LED and the housing.

The beam pattern leaves some to be desired as a multi-function light or a weapon light. While the distance of it’s throw is excellent, it is a true "pencil" pattern and is best suited to long range use. It would do well mounted to a mountain bike as a headlamp. The peripheral is not totally non-existant, but the brightness of the spot tends to take away from it. After having the four test lights out side by side I am tempted to carry the Ultrafire C2 in my truck and instead put the more flood-like Surefire L4 on the shotgun.

All things considered (especially price) I’d rate this light 4 of 5 and would buy it again. However the Fenix T1, despite it’s odd shape and size, is still the best bang for the buck in my collection.

I have wanted one of these since I was told about LA Police Gear, but I could never bring myself to fork over the $30 for one. I am glad now that I did not order it sooner. Currently it is on closeout sale at LAPG for $25: http://www.lapolicegear.com/bosublblandh.html

I found Deal Extreme the other day looking for one of those cheap Surefire knockoffs to put on my cheap Mossberg 500 (which I picked up for $200), I just have a problem putting a light that costs more than the weapon on a weapon. A Böker SUBCOM clone (or so I thought) popped up on their related items page when I was checking out, and for five bucks I figured what the hell. When it arrived I was surprised to find that the little pocket knife that slid out of the unmarked box was, in fact, an actual Böker SUBCOM.

The knife is small, very much what a Ka-Bar LDK would be if it were folding instead of fixed. It was a little tough to open the first couple times because of the way the locking system works, but now that I know what to expect it is just as easy to open as any of my other folders. Grip once open is secure and easy, and you quickly realize why part of the butt-end has a grip area (for your pinky finger). Closing the knife takes a bit of effort as the lock lever is very stiff. It is overkill, and this could be much better without adversely affecting safety.

The belt clip on the Böker SUBCOM is extremely stiff, so much so that I call it a belt clip and not a pocket clip. I was unable to get it to clip onto my pocket because of how stiff it is. On the other hand, it was extremely easy to get it onto my belt (a thick 5.11 Trainer) and I felt confident it was going nowhere unless I removed it deliberately. On the belt the knife hangs at most half an inch below the belt itself, and is thin enough you’ll forget it is there.

The knife is very well built and very sharp from the factory. When locked open it seems as stiff as if it were a fixed-blade knife, and there is zero rattle or play from it at all.

Overall I give it 3.5 of 5 meh’s. Would I buy it at $25? Maybe… doubt it. Would I buy it at $5? Hell yes, and I will probably grab a few more to dump into survival kits.

It took forever to get this in from Botach (seriously, don’t order ANYTHING but closeout items from them if you need it this year), but they had the best price by a good 20% and were the only place I could find that carries the camo version (the other one is black with big ugly white logos): Petzl Tactikka @ Botach.

The light itself has been upgraded from the unit pictured on the site, and has the Tactikka Plus style ratchet adjustment for tilting the light to the preferred angle. Granted we didn’t come anywhere close to using them for the advertised 110-hour runtime, but they did not fade at all on a 5 hour night hike (actually, the return leg of a 10 hour hike). They are light enough to be comfortable despite running on 3 AAAs, and are adjustable from helmet-size all the way down to thigh size.

Their built-in red filter is kind of a joke, ending up with a bright orange and a lot of white bleed out the sides. It is handy for working on something up close I suppose, though the white light is not terribly overpowering. While I still grab for my Surefire to investigate sounds or search along the side of the trail, for hiking/climbing/running it is the perfect amount of illumination for the path to see where you are going and not white-out your night vision.

Overall I give this light 4.5 of 5.

Of note: the Tactikka Plus has 4 LEDs, but I have doubts the extra bulb will make it that much brighter. It might be worth it though considering it is only $5 more, and has 3 lighting levels + strobe function.

In action, tested between 30 and 50 feet (click the image for details):

Using the JetBoil is simple enough, I almost think it came with a manual just for the CYA warnings. The JetBoil really is a no brainer. Unfortunately, we were unable to find any JetBoil-branded mini canisters along the remote route we took for our last trip, so we had to settle for a full-size Coleman canister. I’ll have to take their word on the whole “2 cups in 2 minutes” thing, as I was distracted by something and came back at around 3 minutes to find my water violently boiling and the pot difficult to approach. Suffice to say it works very well, but don’t let it run too long or you might need a glove to get through the molten rainstorm to shut it off…

As I have read in reviews elsewhere, the completed assembly is a bit top heavy, especially with water in the cup. Caution around the stove, and perhaps even one of those stabilizing stands they sell separately would be a good idea. We had no problems on this outing, but I could see this getting interesting at a more difficult campsite.

For some reason, when ordering the JetBoils it didn’t occur to me how easy it would be to simply boil a few cups of water and pour the boiling water into single-serving food containers. As a result, we purchased two of the stoves when one stove is quite sufficient for two people. I generally have the food packed this way anyhow so we can grab whatever meal we feel like. Of course, if you’re using individually packaged food you also have this option. If you intend, as I originally did, to finish preparing and serve your food in the JetBoil itself you will probably want one per person (or at least an optional extra cup/pot per person).

The Bad

My only quarrel with the unit is that a JetBoil stove will not fit “anywhere a 1L Nalgene will” as commonly advertised. Be forewarned: it will not fit in the 5.11 Bottle Carrier, the Maxpedition 10×4 Bottle Holder, the Nalgene pockets of any of the Maxpedition cases and Versipacks or even in the expanding Maxpedition Mini-RolyPoly. Maxpedition does make a 12×5 Bottle pouch it will fit in, however, and Kifaru’s Liter Pouch Plus fits it like a glove.

My Gerber EVO has been retired since damage to the frame now prevents auto-quick opening. Yes, it was seriously abused (prying) to cause the damage. Gerber is still my all-time favorite cheap steel.

Replacing it is a SOG Flash II (the black/aluminum variant) with “SOG Assisted Technology”, which so far has been a good solid knife and goes with me everywhere. It costs about twice what the Gerber EVO does, but it is as close as you can legally get to an auto-opener in California. The blade has held an edge nicely for the past 4 months or so on wood, cord and cardboard. The pocket clip is attached from the rear of the knife, allowing the entire knife body to sit out of sight. The clip is reversible to either side, or can be removed altogether. Yes, it has a “safety” to prevent accidental opening while in-pocket. The only thing I don’t like about this knife is the clip, which is way too strong and sometimes difficult to get over some pockets with reinforced hems.

I’ve had one of these tucked away in my go-bag for months now, but haven’t really had a chance to try it out until this past weekend’s thunderstorms. As usual, we decided to head out in the rain and enjoy tourist-free hiking/climbing in Joshua Tree, my lack of a lightweight waterproof jacket no deterrence. As a waterproof outer-shell the Packable Jacket performs excellently, I was completely dry the entire time up top. Well, except for perspiration which is where the jacket falls short. Unfortunately, it is quite unbreathable and gets hot inside very fast (especially in hot/humid weather). It was comfortable during the cold of the storm, but as soon as it started to clear (and warm up) I opted to open it up and take my chances. I will say this though: despite being hot inside it did not stick to me so many other similar jackets do.

Drying it off is a cinch, even in humid weather, and it was ready to pack up again not 5 minutes after the rain stopped. It packs up quick and easy, and when packed the Packable Jacket will fit nicely in most small bags, a standard BDU cargo pocket or the rear-center pocket of the 5.11 Tactical Vest (no doubt intentionally).

$20 from LAPG…

Curved side-zips are a very bad thing! I learned this on my last trip out to Kingman when the zipper on my Thorogood Omega split right open from the middle. Before this, they’ve always seemed to have a bad habit of unzipping during heavy activity since the zipper does not lock down. It’s kind of a bummer too, they were my favorite boots but with this bad a design flaw there’s no way I’ll buy another pair.

Enter the Tru-spec 4050 Side-zip boots, still on sale at LAPG for $30 it was perfect timing to try out some inexpensive boots for a change. These understated, logo-free boots are surprisingly good for the price. The straight zipper is a far superior design, keeping the stress of wear evenly spread and preventing failure. They’re hard to scuff, handle very well on slippery wet rocks, and are quite comfortable for moderate hiking or light climbing. So far, I have not needed to upgrade the insole they came with. The boots stay nice and cool in hot weather, and grip so well I found myself stumbling a little when they did not slip as expected. Oh, and these zippers do lock down so they aren’t coming undone on their own!

These boots do lack full waterproofness, though they’ll shrug off a good thunderstorm with no leaks.

It would appear I’m not the only one that has been extremely frustrated by the tube of my hydration pack swinging wildly around on hikes and climbs, and the manufacturers have listened (though I may have been ignorant for a while). The Tube Trap™ from Camelbak (yes, Blackhawk makes one too) is perfectly sized for both insulated and non-insulated tubes, and will attach to both 1″ and .75″ webbing (though it says only .75″).

Just $2.00 from LAPG at the time of this writing…

I’ll admit that I am a little biased by 5.11’s SlickStick system, but I’ll set that aside for this review and focus solely on the other features. Both products have their strong points and weak points, depending on what you’re after. I’m giving the Maxpedition a rating of 3/5, it is a good design but has some issues. The 5.11 came in at 4/5, it is simple but near perfect with one exception.

Maxpedition 10×4 Bottle Holder

All of the following should also apply to Maxpedition’s wine-bottle sized 12×5 Bottle Holder, as it is essentially the same pouch. This pack is elegant and thoughtful in it’s concept, though barely adequate in execution. Ample Velcro covers the top of the lid for attaching patches, as well as the front panel of the accessory pocket. As with the competition, webbing wraps all 4 sides of this pouch. Yes, “sides” – this bottle carrier attempts to be more rectangular than most, and forces itself to have unnaturally flat sides. While this makes adding even more pockets to the unit a little easier, it can make bottle insertion a little difficult. The webbing measures 2×2 on the front and 2×3 on either side. The back of the pouch features a snap hook for attachment that will remind you of the Keyper, and either side has D-rings for attaching a shoulder strap. The webbing on the back stops a ways short of the bottom, leaving you at 2×3 rows for attachment that is offset one-half row from the side webbing. I’m not terribly fond of Maxpedition’s choice of “khaki” for their desert color, but I can certainly think of worse and it does it’s job well.

The inside of this pouch is well insulated and I suspect it would keep a beverage hot/cold for hours. The main pocket has room for the taller narrow-mouth Nalgene and then some (you might even be able to get a cup upside down above the bottle). The accessory pocket up front has ample room for several packets of your favorite beverage powder, purification tablets, or perhaps even a (very) small filtration unit. This pocket also has an elastic strap at the rear to aid in gear retention, and is easily accessible through it’s large opening.

Here is where Maxpedition fell short on this pouch: the zipper setup for the bottle pocket is terrible. It is extremely difficult to open and close using both hands, and even more difficult to open once attached to a larger pack. It is impossible to open this pocket with one hand. As if that wasn’t enough, the zipper also has a nasty habit of catching on the surrounding nylon. It is so bad I am actually considering replacing this piece with a pocket-free, non-insulated carrier from another manufacturer and forgetting about carrying a cold beverage.

5.11 VTAC Nylon Bottle Carrier

It doesn’t get much simpler than this no-nonsense pouch. One pocket for the bottle, no insulation, no accessory pockets, no forced rectangles, and webbing all over. I find I actually prefer the rounded webbing that spans the outside of this pouch, measuring 7×2 in all (with column 8 and 9 on the back taken up by SlickStick™). The tall narrow-mouth Nalgene just sits inside with no room to move (good), and the nylon is strong but flexible just like 5.11’s other pouches. There are no alternate attachment/carry options to get in the way on this pouch – perfect for pack attachment.

Here’s the flaw with the 5.11 bottle carrier: Velcro AND SRB is used to access the pocket – a bad idea that cost this pouch it’s 5/5 rating. First off, Velcro inherently has all manner of noise-related problems that have been ranted about many, many times. In this particular setup, it is an extra noisy step to getting at your water/gear with no benefit we’ve been able to find. It doesn’t make the pouch more stable and it doesn’t help secure the contents. While I prefer the SRB alone, I would be happy if they had just gone with one or the other.

SlickStick™ System

5 of 5!

The SlickStick™ system is the best thing to happen to MOLLE/PALS webbing since MOLLE/PALS webbing! I cannot get over how incredibly easy it is using this system to attach pouches to packs and gear, and yes the snaps do hold quite well. The “sticks” themselves are a quad-layer of nylon webbing themselves, and are likely stronger than whatever webbing you are attaching to so there’s no worry of breakage. They are also quick enough to undo one might even consider using these pouches on a less-than-permanent basis.

5.11 VTAC Pouches

The 5.11 VTAC (Viking Tactics) line of pouches is excellent (4.5 / 5). Their pouches are well built, strong yet flexible, and well thought out without an overbearing amount of divisions and mini-pockets to get in the way (not EVERY pouch needs to be an “admin” organizer). I also appreciate their selection and consistency with colors here, well done. The “Coyote” is the true coyote/dark earth color, the darker more widely effective color that is also available in their clothing line.

Why didn’t we give this line 5 of 5? They lack a good “admin” organizer pouch in their lineup, so unfortunately you’ll have to buy elsewhere to fill that need. For everything else, this stuff rocks!