The Ferro Concepts Kydex Triple Shingle I posted about awhile ago has an official designation now: FC-M4-KTS.
This is the Triple Kydex Shingle by Ferro Concepts. It’s designed to curve to body armor or the user’s shape and fits most kangaroo pouches, giving the user fast access to three magazines. The Kydex inserts have holes punched in them for weight savings and are removable.
Man Crates is a company that ships out packages made for men, made up of things like jerky, video games, grilling equipment, etc., but in a wooden crate with a laser etched crowbar (for opening the crate, of course). The above package is the ‘Zombie Annihilation Crate’, which includes a Gerber gator machete junior, gator combo axe and knife, profile fixed blade knife, gorge folding shovel, a copy of “The Zombie Survival Guide” by Max Brooks, a zombie LED flashlight, first aid kit, duct tape, and spam.
HauteMessThreads on Etsy has available this Boba Fett-inspired cooking apron. It’s 100% cotton and features a 2.5 inch brown waistband, halter style straps that tie at the neck, and two functioning pockets. Each apron is made-to-order and one size fits most. It’s part of a larger collection of villain-inspired aprons called, appropriately enough, ‘Grillain Villains’.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/129403236/star-wars-boba-fett-inspired-apron?ref=shop_home_active
MoneySupermarket has released an updated infographic detailing the cost of being Iron Man in anticipation for the upcoming ‘Iron Man 3’. Taken into account is his expanded armory of suits, the cost to rebuild his home, his collection of cars, and his super computer. It all comes out to just north of 10 billion dollars; being a super hero just isn’t a poor man’s game, unless your Peter Parker, of course.
http://www.moneysupermarket.com/money/the-cost-of-being-iron-man-3-infographic/
The tactical fire striker pen is, true to its name, a combination fire striker and pen. The pen body is made of T6061 aircraft aluminum; to use as a fire striker the clip end is removed and rubbed against the exposed grooves.
Available for pre-order from The Force Collectables is this Chewbacca themed bath robe. It’s officially licensed and made from 100% cotton. Also available is the Stormtrooper and Galactic Emperor robes.
It’s pretty much ‘Dead Like Me’ meets ‘Men In Black’ with Rooster Cogburn and Green Lantern as partners; looks pretty good.
R.I.P.D. releases July 19th
Yeah, this has been published before, but apparently the offer is still open, so if you’re in the Portland, OR area and want your very own tactical corset…
Because it’s been a slow season, the folks of Niall’s Zombie Control Service have offered to make ‘one’ (see, the all-caps emphasis in the title was totally necessary) custom ‘NZCS Tactical Corset’ for ‘one’ lucky female individual, a piece of kit usually reserved for one of their team members. There are four stipulations to getting the corset, however:
1. You must be custom fitted, this must take place in the Portland Metro Area (Oregon).
2. You will not get the patches that they have on our uniforms.
3. The cost will be $225.
4. It will take up to 2 weeks after the fitting before it is ready.
Interested parties may contact NZCS via private message on their Facebook page.
Hell yeah! B.P.R.D. summer camp!
http://trackerspdx.com/youth/summer-camp/day/hellboy-camp.php#.UXAt8Mq_CSo
We’re tired of waiting for the US Army Camo Improvement Effort announcement as well, so we created a White House Petition. If you can’t wait to get your oompa loompa, sign it now and tell your friends.
Available from ACME APPROVED, this set of four Army Men is made from cast white bronze, designed and hand-made here in the USA. The set includes four 2 inch figures: the rifleman, machine gunner, BAR gunner, and “Follow Me” officer.
I attended the Haley Strategic Partners Winter Problem Solver course in Telluride, Colorado from March 31st through April 4th. This was my first time attending a mountaineering/survival course.
It was a bright, sunny, early morning when we all met up at the Haley Strategic Partners headquarters for Training Day 1. The day started with an opportunity for introductions, as we all stood in a circle and one-by-one we gave our name, occupation, goals for the class, and one thing we were good at. Students came mostly from all over the States, with one student hailing from Canada. It was great to hear all the various occupations people held (doctor, arborist, software programmer, writer…) and that a few of the students were taking a class like this for the first time, myself included. This also gave us an opportunity to meet our instructors, two Search and Rescue personnel/Sheriff’s Deputies in addition to our host, Travis Haley.
We then stripped our rucks and went over every item to insure we were properly equipped for the class. We were also issued a logo’d Klean Kanteen and Moira fixed blade knife (more on these later) as well as additional class items and equipment as needed. After this, we repacked our rucks and stored them for the next day. The calass was also introduced to our beacons and completed a simple exercise to make sure they were functioning properly; this involved us sweeping for a signal at the far end of Travis’ yard that one of the SAR personnel had with them.
We stepped out for lunch, and upon our return convened to Travis’ office which was filled with, among other things, memorabilia from his military service. It’s here that we viewed a video presentation on avalanches. This was followed by a PowerPoint on weather identification and a PowerPoint on avalanches, headed by Travis and one of the SAR personnel respectively.
As a final exercise for the day we drove out to the hill above the classroom which we climbed as a group. Once at the top, we did a lap around the perimeter of the summit; both exercises served as a test of our general endurance for the trip ahead. Despite being acclimated to the environment, I didn’t find myself ahead of the rest of the group when it came to ascending or running. When we descended, Travis, instead of marching down with the rest of us, decided to paraglide down; the below picture doesn’t do the act justice.
With the exercise done, we returned to HSP for our final briefing of the day, followed by returning to our respective hotels in wait for TD2.
Stay tuned for a continuation of the HSP Winter Problem Solver AAR.
This jacket was only worn once and caused 17 unexpected pregnancies before it was seized by the CIA, sealed in a vault and thrown into lake Superior.
Check out Plaid Stallions, it’s a great website that functions as “…a love letter to growing up in the seventies.”
http://plaidstallions.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-ulitmate-jacket.html#.UWwAvipalU4.facebook
It’s a shoulder-mounted marshmallow bazooka with a built-in air compressor that shoots projectiles up to 40 feet. ‘Nuff said.
Last Friday, sound designers and authenticity staff from Red Storm Entertainment, based in Cary, North Carolina, accompanied the aviators and ground crews of the 1-130th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion. Their purpose was to record audio of the AH-64D Longbow Apache Attack helicopter, including the start up and take-off procedure and cockpit chatter.
You can read the full story at the North Carolina National Guard site.
This mash-up of ‘Charlie Brown’ and ‘Army of Darkness’ by Justin Hillgrove was featured at LTD gallery for the “Icons & Influences” show. It’s available for purchase in multiple print forms at Justin’s website, impsandmonsters.com.
Thanks to RJ for the tip!
Lansky, purveyor of a multitude of blades and sharpeners alike, has decided to release their own take on the ever-popular end-of-the-world survival kit. The T.A.S.K. (Tactical Apocalypse Survival Kit) comes with Lansky’s own Fire Fighter Battle Axe, 20 Function Multitool, Easy Grip Knife, Blademedic sharpener, and ‘The Puck’ dual-grit sharpener. Additionally, the kit also comes with a LifeStraw water purifier, tactical flashlight, firesteel/compass, and paracord bracelet. This all comes housed in a 20L tactical backpack with a padded back panel, large main compartment and front pouch, both with organizational gear pockets, PALS webbing, adjustable hip and sternum straps, water bottle holder, and compression straps.
http://lansky.com/index.php/products/task-survival-kit/#1
Hat Tip: Werd.com
Nathan Longest of HVDprops made some highly detailed prop models of a few of the weapons featured in the game ‘Team Fortress 2’. The models include the Sniper Rifle, Ambassador (revolver), Scattergun, and Bonesaw.
He also has an etsy store.
I attended the HSP Winter Problem Solver course in Telluride, Colorado from March 31st through April 4th. This was my first time attending a mountaineering/survival course.
Like any course, the Winter Problem Solver had its required equipment list:
-Winter appropriate clothing
-Winter hiking boots
-Cold weather hat, shade hat with brim
-Practical knife or multitool
-Sun screen
-Sun eye pro
-Water hydrating device
-Individual first aid/trauma kit or IFAK
-Quality headlamp + batteries
-Snowshoes
-Retractable ski poles
-Quality lightweight sleeping bag rated to 0*F
-Lightweight durable air mattress
-2 aluminum climbing rated locking carabiners
To meet these requirements, the entire time I wore the Helly Hansen Dry Fly Pant, Arc’teryx LEAF Combat Pants, and an Arc’teryx Envoy SS shirt; the socks I used were the Darn Tough Vermont Extreme Cold Weather/Mountaineering Sock. The weather, surprisingly, wasn’t that cold with some days reaching highs up to the mid 50s. The addition of an extra layer or two, mostly a Crye Precision WindLiner and/or an Arc’teryx Atom SV Hoodie in MultiCam, proved more than enough clothing wise. The boots I wore were the Salewa Pro Guide Insulated Mountaineering boot, which I supplemented with a pair of OR Crocodile gaiters. Throughout the course, I wore an OR Seattle Sombrero because of its waterproof properties in addition to the wide brim which kept the sunlight out of my eyes, although I did have several other options for head covers, including an Outdoor Research Radiant Beanie, Outdoor Research Novo Watch Cap, Under Armor ColdGear Tactical Hood, The North Face Windstopper High Point Hat, and a black neoprene half-face mask. I also carried a pair of OR PS150 gloves and a pair of Arc’teryx Alpha SV gloves.
Each member of the class was issued an HSP-branded Mora knife and Klean Kanteen before going out in the field, so although I brought my own knife, multitool, and hydration bladder, these items were ultimately unused and only added weight to my pack. We were issued, if needed, a climbing harness, helmet, shovel*, and ice axe. Mountain meals, rope and tubular nylon, beacons*, probes*, and other class materials were also provided by HSP. I had my own cooking stove, an MSR Reactor, and helmet, a Team Wendy Exfil Tactical Bump Helmet. My snowshoes and poles were both MSR Denali. The sleeping bag was a The North Face 0 degree Dark Star which I used with an REI Minimalist bivy sack. I paired this with a Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest SOLite; being a closed-cell foam pad, it didn’t suffer from deflation or potential puncture damage like an inflatable pad would. I also brought sunscreen, two carabiners, a Tikka 2 headlamp, an ITS Tallboy trauma kit and pouch, and a pair of Smith Cascade Classic Snow Goggles in addition to my personal sunglasses; I ended up not needing the goggles.
One thing that wasn’t mentioned on the list but ended up being required was a pair of camp shoes, slippers or other lightweight shoes for moving around a cabin. I just used my socks and changed out to a new pair just before sleeping, although this isn’t suggested. Other miscellaneous items I brought that weren’t on the list included a fire starting kit, snacks, a GSI Fairshare Mug, and toilet paper.
All together, my fully-loaded pack, an Arc’teryx Khyber 80 in MultiCam, weighed in at just under 50 lbs, quite a bit heavier than what would be suggested. Unnecessary items included the aforementioned knife, multitool, hydration bladder, and goggles, along with additional hard shell layers, heavyweight base layer, trauma kit w/ pouch, and (arguably) my sleeping pad. Ultimately, given the planned environment, it was better to have these items and not need them than suffer without.
It’s also worth mentioning that I didn’t feel at all under prepared with the equipment I brought with me. I did, however, manage to snap my Light My Fire Spork Extra-Medium in half while I was cleaning it; going in with an extra spork, or possibly one made of metal would have been a solid decision.
*The beacons, probes, and shovels were graciously provided by Backcountry Access.
Stay tuned for more information on the HSP Winter Problem Solver, including a full report on the course proper.
The M48 Kommando Tactical Survival Hammer is a multi-purpose tool, featuring a 5-pronged strike head/curved back spike made from precision-cast, oxide-coated 2cr13 stainless steel, a 30% fiberglass reinforced nylon handle with rubber toe at the end, and quality metal bolts. With a total length of 37 3/8″, the M48 can easily function as a walking cane, in addition to its use as a breaching tool, prybar, and a defensive weapon.
Available on budk.com.
The Z.E.R.O. (Zombie Extermination, Research and Operations) Kit contains practically every tool and accessory you could ever possibly need to combat the zombie menace . It’s admittedly more comprehensive than the offering by TACWRK, with a price to match: $31,375.00 $23,999.00 vs. $11709.50 (€ 8,999.00), but getting this you’d be missing out on a sweet Stihl chainsaw.
Paper Blasters are a project currently on Indiegogo for high-quality, durable cardboard models of AR-15s that fire prepared paper wads up to 75ft via a spring-loaded action. The basic kit includes: skeleton with all internal mechanics, layer one camo skin, layer two camo skin, 8 gold shells with 50 pieces of pre-made ammo, mold to make additional ammo, and a zombie head target. The camos shown are Digital Ops, Golden Touch, and Zombie Slayer.
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/cardboard-warfare-blast-paper-ammo-up-to-75ft
The LXVI MultiCam series of shoes from Vans SSD wrote about right after SHOT Show are now available for order.
Get yours at shop.vans.com now. Sizes are already limited.
