Archive for Product review
Nov
10
Product Review
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Alright, first up did you all take a few minutes and think about what I posted yesterday? This should have been a simple assignment… Anybody, come up with something to poke a hole in my theories? I seriously want to hear from someone that disagrees with me! Thanks for all the emails of support for the idea… It is only that an idea, kind of an interesting one to let your mind work on too, Hmm? Oh well, just an idea! Anyway, keep the emails coming and if someone can expand on my thoughts I encourage you to do so! This has always been intended to be a group participation website and not just me… I have had a number of folks offer ideas and even a couple that have stated their desire to write a guest article but unlike most preppers these characters have poor follow through? Just having a little fun, don’t get sore at me but you know who you are, so – guest articles please!
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Tactical Tailor - Enhanced Day Pack
I have another product review for you guys today! You’re even gonna get a little commentary again on the confusion I feel toward our current circumstances and living in a throw away world!
What I have for you to look at today might be interesting for your own use but assuredly it should catch your attention for your high school aged children. This product is another one from the tactical tailor line up – “THE ENHANCED DAY PACK”.
I don’t know about what other parents are doing but I have been having to purchase at least 2-3 back packs per school year for my daughter. Did you catch that, a daughter, not a son! My delicate young lady can easily destroy her back packs through everyday casual use/abuse, ie. without doing anything overtly destructive. I wouldn’t stand for destruction of property I’m paying for intentionally but this stuff just doesn’t hold up. Yes, I am speaking primarily of the Taiwan specials that you can get at the local Fred Meyer or Walmart for $19.99 during school supply shopping season each August.
Interior pocket for small items
I had been trying to stick to the 1 backpack per year strategy with her but when they just couldn’t function anymore off to the store we went to find another one. Now it sounds like maybe I’m just being petty, right? It is only $20 bucks and won’t break the bank, sure that’s true! It’s kind of the point, I started to let it bother me as I watched these backpacks destruct further by the day. What would a good dad do? I wouldn’t know but this dad headed down to the local REI outdoor store for something of better quality.
Interior pocket for small items
At REI I had a whole host of packs to choose from! Everything from their own store brand to internationally known name brands all with corresponding price tags. I wasn’t about to spent $300 bucks for book bag for my High School student but I needed something that would last the whole year and maybe longer. I have military surplus back packs that are older than her so I know its possible for a piece of equipment to last longer than a couple of months or even a year without utter failure, even while being used daily by someone who currently doesn’t have a financial stake in the game!
Side opening padded Laptop computer stowage
I looked everything over that the store had out on the floor and eventually decided to purchase a “North Face” brand for about $80 bucks. I thought that this would certainly last more than 6 months… How long do you think it lasted? That’s right, about 6 months… We went back to the low end junk and bought it as needed. That is until I wised up and engaged my brain. If I had military surplus packs that would hold up, why couldn’t I get a MIL spec pack for her. Obviously, she wouldn’t want camo but they would have something that we could compromise on…
Side opening padded Laptop computer stowage
Sure enough, as always, Tactical Tailor had just what I was looking for. Answering other customers needs they came out with this Enhanced Day Pack. It runs about $95 bucks, so this isn’t cheap! I went in to the store to check it out in person, I don’t really have to be talked into going by to see these guys but I wanted to ask about how they will handle warranty work. If I was going to drop $100 dollar bill for a students pack pack, I wanted to know they would make any needed repairs if it came to that.
Side zippered pocket open for water bottle
I was assured that it was doubtful they would have to make any repairs but OF COURSE they would stand behind their work… Made in America means something at Tactical Tailor.
This pack is almost identical in size to any school back pack and does come in an assortment of military camos and colors. I chose black for ours but when I got home with it my daughter seemed disappointed that I didn’t get it in one of the camo offerings. Who knew? Anyway, this pack has a two main pockets that are large enough to hold all the books and in-sundry items she has to have. In addition there are 2 zippered flat pockets on the front to have easy access to keys, ID or whatever she might want to stick in there. Inside the smaller of the main pockets there’s an integral containment system for pens and other small items.
There are a couple of additions to this pack that we haven’t seen on the more traditional styles. First, they have incorporated a padded exterior accessed zippered pocket on the side designed to hold a full size laptop securely. Now, my daughter isn’t carrying a laptop to school currently but this could come in handy down the road… Nice feature either way! Also, they have came up with a zippered pocket that opens up to contain a water bottle. Now this alone isn’t that unique of an idea, many packs have the nylon mesh pouch that holds the nalgene bottle. I have never liked this design, it is always there ready to snag on something and usually does… This one is designed to zipper closed when not in use. Pretty cool, Prepper Juniorette thought so too!
Just like the packs and equipment that we all have piling up in the basement or a closet somewhere, she will have this one for many years to come! Not only did I get to buy a product made in America by an outstanding company but it’s also going to last for long enough to out distance the extra acquisition cost that was required up front. So, I can actually feel decent about the money spent on something that will save me money in the long run. I highly encourage all of my readers to check out Tactical Tailor for all there needs and this pack is no exception!
http://www.tacticaltailor.com/enhanceddaypack.aspx
See ya tomorrow!
Prepper
Side zippered pocket open for water bottle
Oct
15
Product Review
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Concealment Holster - Tactical Tailor
Today, I wanted to bring you another Product Review. This time its a holster made by Tactical Tailor of Tacoma, WA. I know that many of us have our favorite holster and nothing is going to change our mind. I just want you to indulge me and listen to what I have discovered in using this holster last summer.
Whether you choose a Kramer horse hide special or one of the rugged Kydex offerings, or both like me. There are always situations that arise when something unique is preferable. This holster is that something!
Shown with Spyderco Delica for scale
Let me give you a little background on where I’m coming from. Sometime last year, 2008, I was in Tactical Tailor talking with them about making me a custom holster for a snub nosed .44 magnum that accompanies me into the woods. I am not a serious hiker but do like to get out into nature from time to time. Mrs. Prepper, on the other hand would have us up on the trails every weekend if she had her way. These are just day hikes and not REAL far from civilization but we are in the Pacific Northwest and bears are a common sight. I have personally only seen one but whats our motto? “Better to have and not need, than need and not have”, so I take it along…
I have a nice leather holster for the magnum but it just seems a bit conspicuous on the trail. I know, I know, I could just choose not to worry about this and let the small framed dayglow spandex clad “Serious Hikers” see first hand the difference between me and thee… Maybe, I would just meet their stares of judgement with the same contempt they were shooting my direction… I am fully aware that there are a few of you reading this right now that would be more than happy if you had the opportunity to offend some our more delicate brethren you found on the trails.
Handgun and a spare magazine for good measure
Well, I decided that the gray man approach would be better for all involved, especially my wonderful wife. As you know she makes me swear to be on my best behavior before we ever leave the house. She would even have me dressed up in matching urban camo, no not OUR urban camo, theirs – the neon dayglow spandex, if she thought she could get away with it. WHICH SHE CAN”T!
Anyway, I went out to Tactical Tailor to help me solve this problem. We looked into a couple of options that would accommodate the girth of that particular weapon. I don’t know who stopped calling who but we never got the project all the way to full assembly. That was a shame, I will need to get back on them about finishing that up for me… However, I was at the local gun show here in Western Washington last spring and what do I see? Thats right a concealment holster added to the Tactical Tailor product line. I didn’t purchase it right then as I wasn’t looking for the coyote brown that was out for display. I wanted to see what other options were available at the store.
I dropped in a week or so later and found something more to my liking, for the purpose I needed it for anyway. I also inquired with the store manager about the origins of this new product and sure enough they liked my idea so well they just went right around me, no credit for my intelectual property – nothing? Oh well, I bought the model you see in the pictures. Black w/ a strip of what they call ranger green.
"Malice" attachment clips
I bet you noticed already, this thing is nowhere near big enough to carry my .44 magnum, I guess we will have to go back to the custom job after all! However, I had an additional situation that I wanted this for as well. With summer coming I was thinking, how about everyday carry? I don’t know about you but when I’m wearing shorts and a t-shirt I often don’t care to wear a belt and therefore don’t use my usual holster. Guess what, I am about sick of the “Fanny Pack” option too. I have been utilizing the fanny pack since back in the 80’s when these things came out. The other thing with these packs is, who do we think we’re foolin, law enforcement and the public at large know what I got in there. I actually use mine as a mini survival kit as well, this means the thing has to be emptied of all its usual contents before I can use it to go down to the park or “CRINGE” to the mall… I know you’ll call me crazy but I swear those “kids” at the mall look just like the “kids” on gangland??? Crazy, I know!
Getting down to business, this thing isn’t tiny but sure is more practically sized and convenient than the fanny pack… It measures 7.5″ x 6.5″ x 1.5″ thick. It has an adjustable loop inside the main compartment that will adjust to fit your handgun. It has alot of adjustment for carrying on either side of the body and will accommodate different draw angles too. I do have to wear a light weight belt but not the heavy leather belt that I would if I had on jeans. The “Malice Clips” are a great design and hold the holster to the belt tightly enough that it doesn’t slide around much at all.
Inside the main handgun compartment there is an integrated elastic loop to facilitate a spare magazine, right along the top of the frame or slide. This main pocket opens only along the top 30-40% so even if the zippers were left open the gun woun’t fall free of the holster. There is also an additional zippered pocket that comes in handy for a cell phone or wallet, etc. – I usually stow my key ring in there so I have one less thing in my front pocket but hey do whatever you like with yours.
I think that over all this holster looks much more like a camera case or something similarly unthreatening than even the fanny pack. I am very happy with this purchase. I get to carry in a comfortable way and not upset the apple cart. Whether thats my hiker friends or the shopping mall security officers. Who me, I’m just another sheep along for the slaughter. I’m kidding -kind of?
Keep in mind that this is high quality gear, with a lifetime warranty and you get what you pay for so these aren’t cheap. You should be prepared to part with all of about $28 bucks… Not bad, right? Thats about one weeks Starbucks habit and for something you’ll have for more than about 40 minutes! On the serious side I give this holster a hardy Prepper thumbs up!!
Prepper
Sep
08
Product Review
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Brownell's Aluma-Hyde II Spray Paint
I want to take a minute to review a product that you saw me using recently. I know, I know, you’re thinking what product did you see me using? It was the spray paint I used to paint the quad in the project I showed you last week! You’re right you didn’t see me use it… However, I’ve mentioned that you will have to regularly use your overactive “Doomer” imaginations… I used a spray paint product from Brownells that was referred to me by a friend that had used it to refinish a rifle stock. It has “Special Qualities” that he thought would make it ideal for the quad project.
This spray paint was developed to withstand the solvents and cleaners used in the firearms industry. For the application I needed it for, this quality would also be ideal. How many of us haven’t spilled gas down the machine while refilling it? I sure know I have, its a wonder I haven’t torched my toys on several occasions. I’m telling you this not so you start thinking I’m careless or irresponcible but just human like most of the rest of you. Also, I wanted to give it my best shot at ending up with a good finished product. This was the best product I had even heard of for a project like this.
Well, you all saw what my bike came out looking like! I think the finished product was definitely satisfactory. I gave it a field test this past weekend and tried to go through as many bushes as possible to see how it would hold up. I must say it did better than expected. Usually I’m not overly hard on my equipment and would normally try to avoid the trees and bushes where possible. However, this time I wanted a worse case scenario for my test. It came through with flying colors, not perfect but very well overall.
I had a number of spots that peeled slightly and a few scrapes from branches. I didn’t try to stop anything that I wouldn’t have with the bike in its previous stock configuration. The damage was very minor and I had a partial can of paint left over so I just did my best to touch up the scrapes before putting everything away to head home yesterday.
Aluma-Hyde II comes in 9 different colors, all of which would be interesting to folks like us. I chose the “Coyote” as this looked like the closest match to my specific surroundings. I think what they have developed in this epoxy based spray product will be a hit with any number of Prepper Products. I plan to use these paints again in the future.
I give Aluma-Hyde II the “Preppers Thumbs Up”. Now its your turn get out there and do one of the projects you’ve been putting off. Send me the results and I’ll share it with the group! Don’t forget, “We like pictures”!!
Prepper
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1117/Product/ALUMA_HYDE_reg__II
Product Review
Posted by: Prepper | Comments (0)72 Hour Emergency Food
Welcome back, Friday again? I swear I was just saying this to you yesterday? The time flies by these days and just won’t slow down, no matter what I do… I refuse to embrace this fact but will continue to work around the reality of it!
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Alright, I have another product to talk to you about this week. This is the 72-Hour emergency meal kit from Mountain House. I think most of us are familiar with the Mountain House brand. They produce top of the line freeze dried meals for the backpacker crowd as well as us more Doomish preppers.
Mountain House is known in our circles for their extremely long shelf life products. The bulk packed product in #10 cans, this is the size of a old school metal coffee can, has a 30 year shelf life. I don’t know about you but thats impressive to me. I don’t recommend that we put all our eggs in one basket by purchasing only these VERY long term products. To get that shelf life you pay the price – Top of the line and probably the most expensive product available.
(12) Meal envelopes per case
Their product that is more main stream is used by hikers and back packers for the more important weight issues. These packages are almost weightless. They do take up space but save on weight, I believe the bigger of the concerns. These envelope style packages can be found at most any sporting goods store and generally in a wide variety of meals. Last I heard even Walmart was carrying these in most of their stores. The shelf life on these is rated at 7 years… It’s not the 30 you get from the cans but still more than adequate!
The contents of this particular product, the 72-Hour emergency meal kit, are compossed of 12 of these lightweight pouches. (6) main dish entree’s, (3) Breakfast entree’s and (3) vegetable side dishes. They have a good variety of items represented, so at least you have a choice and shouldn’t have to eat the same thing each day. Not that you would get appetite fatique in the first 3 days but still I would suppose that having a choice in an emergency setting would be a plus…
These meals are contained in their own cooking pot, dish. Meaning that you just add boiling water and allow to sit. They only take a few minutes and then you can eat them right out of their packaging. This makes preparation and clean up a snap. I do think that this would be a huge bonus if it came down to using these someplace other than safety of your own kitchen. I see why these are a popular backpack meal. Ease of use and quick clean up would be handy on the trail.
Now the down side or reality check… With all good things usually comes a trade off. These aren’t the cheapest products as I’ve already mentioned. Now for what you get in a fairly small buy it and forget it package they aren’t BAD but it can be done a lot cheaper for those of us on a tight budget. You do pay for the convenience factor! I will put a link to where these are products are available. Priced today at about $45.00, that comes out to $15.00 a day or $5.00 per meal. When I say meal, I am going off of the manufactures definition of meal.
Moving right along to this “Meal” definition… This case of food would easily keep you alive in a 72 hour emergency but it is quite limited. If you are preparing for much more than a short term power outage or grab and go senario, you had better think again. These cases do have something to eat 3 times per day but the total calories only come to 3051. That only slightly more than 1000 per day. Yes, you can survive without ill effects but you had better plan to be doing a lot of nothing for those 3 days. If you think you will have to be doing anything strenuous or even walking for that matter, plan on adding additional calories!
As you know we’re a family of three and have purchased several of these cases. I’ve seen them over the years but hadn’t added them to the stockpile until a year or so ago. I found a sporting goods store having a parking lot sale and decided to buy the last of the cases they had out. They were marked down, not sure why but everything in the tent was, so I got them for a good deal. These fill the role of extended short term storage foods in our plans. We have a good pantry stocked with everyday items as well for our first line food storage. If we found ourselves in a stop everything and grab the bug out bags situation, we could also quickly take these along to extend the bags range.
I do have to give these a thumbs up! I’ll only do that though with the caveat of, don’t make these into anything more than they really are! If you have a hole in your preps these could fill it. Sometimes we find ourselves in unique circumstances and need something compact that you just don’t have to worry about for years, these will also fit that role. I think that at $45.00 per case, the expense is justifiable… If you haven’t tried these foods yet for yourself, this might be a way to sample a variety fairly cheaply, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed…
I found these available through Amazon.com at the following –
http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-House-72-Hour-Emergency-Meal/dp/B000G2TOMM
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I hope you all have a great weekend! I’m off to the BOL as soon as I close the office. I might even just take it easy and enjoy the scenery this weekend? Try to catch a few episodes of “Gang Land” and dream up something interesting to talk about next week! See ya!
Prepper