Maxpedition has had their EDC Pocket Organizer around for some time and apparently customers of all kinds of pant types have been asking for new size variants. The original EDC size was made to fit comfortably in a cargo pocket and now the Fatty size makes full use of the cargo space; Mini fits better in side hand pockets, and Micro is even smaller to fit in the majority of pant pockets.
As another part of the Magnum RD (Rapid Deployment) line, they also offer Tac shirts. I'll be showing the long sleeve version here, however the short sleeve version is available and even a female variant. Still using the 5.4 oz. 100% cotton ripstop in combination with some serious ventilation efforts, these shirts are made with hot weather in mind. This is a good setup for me as being a white boy I gotta cover up in the sun pretty much no matter how hot it gets. The SilencerShoot 2011 ended up being a good starter testing ground for the shirt as it must have been 100+. Many appeared shocked that I was in a long sleeve, so I just had to inform them this white boy has to cover or burn baby.
Woooo more pants. Magnum is mostly known for boots, but have expanded their offerings in tac clothing this year. One may have low expectations due to the company not specializing in apparel, but I personally was pleasantly surprised. Using 5.4 oz. 100% cotton ripstop, the pants are very light and breathable. The intent to make these hot weather pants is clear with other signs such as the vent holes in the inner thighs and even mesh material pockets.
782 Gear has come out with a some pretty cool tactical apparel this year sporting some pretty fancy fabrics. Rather than a bunch of small reviews I thought a varied item post would give a good idea of some concepts they have cooking.
For more bargain tac pants options the Genuine Gear brand has popped up semi recently. With a little research it appears the pants are actually made by Propper which I consider a good thing as they have been making solid uniform items for a while. The core material is overall lightweight (6.25-ounce) consisting of a 60 % cotton / 40% poly blend. Upon first look, the layout certainly has that 5.11 original tac-pant vibe, but there are plenty of differences to make the Genuine Gear pants unique.
I've had the Emdom M4 specific CQB pouches for a bit and despite being a tighter double fit than I'd like, I overall dig the core design. When some AK class opportunities came my way I was reminded I didn't have jack in the form of AK pouches so naturally decided to give the Emdom AK CQB pouch a try. I'm a fan of velcro flaps as they offer good error tolerance in stressful situations being overall easy to rip open and can half ass a closure yet still be decently secure.
SKD has been working on thier PIG plate carrier for quite some time so it is great to see all the work and wait paid off. The project started as mostly modifying the Eagle plate carrier with improvements and when it ended up not quite good enough, SKD wasn't satisfied with half-ass and thus the PIG carrier became its own monster. As a pre-warning, most of the issues I had was due to my small size since the PIG PC only comes in one size. Those of a more "normal" stature or larger will likely have even better accommodation.
Revision sent a pair of these my way out of the blue to give a try so I've been giving them a beating for about 3 weeks. At first I was pretty meh about them looking at the box thinking the concept is supposed to be a stlyish design. When I ponder fashion / style based I think of designs like Oakley Romeo and Juliet series were they really push the shapes. Thus offhand the Vipertail didn't look much different than the old school Tom Cruise "Risky Business" glasses. Anyway, after actually giving them a try and seeing no one was giving much notice along with worn photo review, they really started to grow on me. Rather than flashy fashion, I think they work great for something more covert and low key. They don't scream tactical and they don't scream metro douchebag either.
Based on the old Typhoon Gearslinger, which was based on a single strap design, it appears the design has been resurrected in backpack (2 strap) form. Since this size class is fairly taken care of by the Sitka and Noatak I can understand the concept to make it more like a traditional backpack to offer more small backpack options to Maxpedition's line. I suppose the Pygmy Falcon-II is the only other design that comes close currently.
If looking for something a little bigger than MOAB 6, mister MOAB 10 is the larger size of the 5.11 MOAB (Mobile Operation Attachment Bag) series. The overall layout is kinda like a backpack and a tactical log bag like the S.O. TECH Go Bag blended together. For those familiar with the Kodiak, the MOAB 10 size is overall similar, but with less depth offering a holding size between the Sitka and Kodiak. Being a single strap design, emphasis is put on ease for grab and go capability and being able to access while still worn. Attention to detail has been placed on the several parts of the pack including the main strap and inner front compartment dividers to offer enhanced ambidextrous usage.
Maxpedition went a more specialized route on this pack design where hence the name the intent is to be a pistol range bag. The foundation is a shoulder bag setup with a cube-ish shape. A removable shoulder strap is included as seen on many Max packs, with their usual modular pad as well. Carry handles are up top as you might have expected which will get plenty of use. Since this type of bag has the possibility to get very heavy with ammo, it would have been nice to have the handle webbing go all the way around under the pack for added durability.
Earlier this year 5.11 expanded their tactical pack line with the MOAB (Mobile Operation Attachment Bag) series, with the #6 here being the lil guy of the bunch. Since worn on the back, my first impression was the cube-ish shape was a little odd. I soon got over that by considering it like a shoulder bag that just happens to be best worn on one's back. The size certainly lends itself better as a GO-Bag as it can be stored easier in places such as under vehicle seats. Being an imported product, it won't have the same feel as US goods, but I think a good balance is made between quality and price. Most importantly it is made up to par to be used dependably in a tactical environment.
Maxpedition has some recent additions to their hook and loop based inserts. With all the cool guy bags using loop these days, always good to see more inserts to give more holding and organization flexibility.
Double Pocket Insert: 4.5" x 6.5" x 2" A nice compact organizer great for holding small electronics, compact toiletries, or even can fill up with some first aid basics. It sports 2 exterior pockets with velcro closure using a nice soft interior material making these area great for phones and compact cameras. The main compartment opens with a double zippers to a near clam-shell style, but not all the way to keep goods from flopping all the way out. Inside there is a simple sleeve pocket on one side with elastic divided into 2 slots and even a key keeper.
Vertx has been around for a bit, but they are new to me as I've mostly been getting full on tactical pants. These Vertx tactical pants take a different approach attempting to find a balance of looking like just some random pair of work pants to common folk while offering some solid tactical pant features. I was reluctant with the concept at first as I don't have a covert job and I've come accustomed to all the extra pockets seen on tac-pants these days for my everyday carry items. Even so, the overall quality of materials and design really grew on me and I quickly began to enjoy this Vertx style.
Looks like ze Germans appreciate Cobra buckles as well; STRATAGEM has stepped up to the plate offering a nice rigger's belt package with their Instructor´s ER COBRA Belt. The materials are all MIL-SPEC with construction utilizing the standard principles used in airborne gear fabrication.
WEAR GEAR
