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Voodoo Tactical Scout/Swimmer Bag |
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Written by JT
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 Over the past few years VooDoo Tactical’s name has become with
synonymous with high quality tactical gear. They have proved that tough, dependable, quality tactical
gear does not have to cost and arm and leg. Their dedication to this shows not only in current products
but also the new products that have come out. Now most operators think vests and packs when they thing new
tactical gear, this however is not always the case. When VooDoo Tactical sees or hears a need for a new product
and then produce something to meet this need even if this product only files a
small niche. Nowhere is this is
more evident than in the new Scout Swimmer bag.
The number of operations personnel that would need something like
this in the operations community is relatively small compared to the other
things such as vests etc. The
“tactical swimmer” role and need for sometimes specialized gear is sadly
overlooked most times in the tactical community. It is a role that nobody thinks about until it is
needed. This fact though did not
keep VooDoo from making an excellent gear bag, if anything I would venture to
say it inspired them. While most
gear bags are designed for multiple types of gear in multiple roles the Scout
Swimmer bag has a pretty specific purpose in mind. It was made to organize, hold, and comfortably transport
gear for shallow water/scout operations.
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Insight Tech HX150 Arcturus Tactical Light |
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Written by Administrator
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 For the past few months I have been trying out the new addition to insight technology's line, the HX150 Arcturus Tactical Flashlight. I have tried to make this thing fail, dropped it from high places, tossed it from a moving car, I even accidentally ran over it with my car, yes it even survived it.
The HX150 Arcturus is not your average tactical light. This can also be a weapon mounted light (with optional mounting ring). When you first pick up the light you feel the solid construction, with its Hard-Coat anodized aluminum construction the HX150 takes a beating and keeps going.
The HX150 has 5 light modes, Momentary on, Constant on, Strobe, SOS, and Dimming. The strobe function is a great feature, this can stun an assailant to give you that extra few seconds that might save your life. In a survival scenario, the light dimming feature can extend the life of your light to almost 35 nights (based on 8 hour nights). All these features can be access one handed, the features are not hard to cycle through, within a few minutes of playing with it, i got the features down. Double tap for constant on, while on double tap for strobe, or press and hold for dim.
I can say without a doubt that this is light that any professional needs as your primary light.
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Contributed by Joseph Canady
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 One of the constant and on going debates with in the Tactical Medical community is how do you provide medical care to a team member that you cannot get to. The simple answer is you cant since you are not there with the team member. I have heard this over and over again and I respectfully disagree. If you have done your job as a Tactical Medical provider for your team then your team should have received several things that would allow you to do this. One is current and on going first aid training and hands on simulation, simulating if they are down, hurt and separated from the team. This should also include you being able to see them and talk them through lifesaving treatment on the radio. This should be practiced over and over again so the situation if and when it arrises is not new to either side and can be delt with accordingly with minimal time loss.
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Written by JT
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 As humans we have a desire for information at our finger tips. A result of this and our advances in technology we have managed to shrink the world and make it smaller so to speak. Despite this however the world is still a big place and many areas are still in hospitable for us. Sometimes this is because of nature being what it is and other times it is of our own doing as humans. Those of us with less than normal jobs or just a sense of adventure and exploration seek these places out on a regular basis. I feel very safe in saying that one of the goals is to be able to travel to these places and bring back the information to share with the rest of our social network, job, or what have you. In order to do this you must make it back alive and in one piece. This is more of a challenge than it sounds like at times.
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Written by Administrator
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 When you mention a new tool bag to your teammates the tendency is to give kind of a humdrum response. Even when you mention that is the new 5.11 Large Kit Bag the response is “oh really that is nice”. Unfortunately popular opinion is a bag is a bag is a bag especially when it comes to a tool bag. For the most part I have to agree with this opinion. Most bags are the same, rectangle a few pockets and a main compartment not something special at all. There are very few bags that seem to break this stereotype.
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Written by Administrator
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Over the past few years we at shooting resources have had the privilege of testing some wonderful things. Of all of these things the knives and other edged weapons have been some of the most fun. There have been many cool designs, different shaped blades, and features I never would have thought to put on a knife. While this if fun and cool sometimes it is hard to beat a good old plain carry knife. Now don't get me wrong the other exotic knives have their place and I take nothing from them. Sometimes though you need just a knife. Many knife makers are catching on to this i believe. There are two leading the way on this, one of them is 5.11. |
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Written by Administrator
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 In the operational environments of today sometimes having “just a knife” is not enough. There are times and situations in which you need a little bit more. You may need a small wrench or screw driver, or perhaps a mini pry too. Try as we may a plain knife cannot accomplish all of this. We have all done it myself included, broken or bent knives trying to use them for things they were just not intended. I believe this inspired the first multi tools. Now almost every knife maker has their own version of the multi tool. |
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Written by JT
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 Streamlight like many other flashlight companies has a reputation for great flashlights. Well what makes a great flashlight? The answer will vary depending on who you ask. It is my opinion that there is no perfect flashlight, only the perfect one for you. However the general factors that make a good one (aside from scuba lights) I have found are pretty standard. They have to be bright, though, at least water resistant, multi-function is preferable, and small. To get all of these features into a single light requires some out of the box thinking on the part of the manufacturer and design team. This is something that I have to say I have been very disappointed in until recently. |
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CRKT - MAK1 Multiple Access Knife |
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Contributed by Joseph Canady
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We have a new knife from CRKT that is geared to the professional, its part of their ER line. These are knives that are for Firefighters, Police, EMT & Military.
CRKT MAK-1 Multiple Access Knife, designed by Canadian knife maker and professional firefighter James McGowan. The CRKT MAK-1 features a 3.0" fixed blade made of 3Cr13 stainless steel, .20" thick. The blade of this CRKT knife has a notched thumb rest, blunt chisel pry bar tip. The MAK-1 has full tang construction with textured black G10 scales, window twist breaker groove, 8mm battery wrench, carbide breaker tip and reflective orange para cord lanyard. The CRKT MAK-1 has an overall length of 10.0" and weighs 10.0 ounces. |
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Written by JT
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 There are many problem and debates that rage within the civilian and military special operations. For those that are involved in operations in and out of the water one challenge faced is finding the best foot wear for this situation. This again is a strongly debated topic and one where everyone seems to have an idea and opinion. It is my opinion however that with a new product on the market the answer to this question should be clear and the debate coming to an end.
The name of the company is OTB Boots. They specialize in aquatic shoes that serve several operational parameters. In short they were approached by the U.S. Navy SEALs to design a boot totally different from all others with operations in and around water in mind. In addition to the SEALs there were others that put information in on what they needed and what had worked in the past and what had not. So after listing to their future customers and some cutting edge manufacturing techniques OTB Boots were born. These boots have now been used my countless SOF Operators to include SEALs and others that I am not at liberty to mention.
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Written by JT
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Not only in work but in play as well I am in and around allot of water. As with most waterborne activities there are many inflatable things either around me or on me. One thing that I have had to learn time and time again is these things do not react well to sharp pointed objects. The problems is a sharp pointed object such as a knife is a necessary evil in most of those situations. Over the years I have been introduced to various forms or dive knives, white water knives and others. The main problem I have though is most of these knives are not functional for those envionrments. They also have allot of features that are quite honestly useless in a water emergency. I am simple I want a simple knife that i can take with me, use in an aquatic situation if need be, and not break my checkbook when i buy it.
I introduce the Hammond A.B.C. (all bases covered) knife. There are two versions of this knife one with a standard tip and the other with a blunt tip. It is the blunt tipped aqua version that I will be writing about. CRKT carries two different versions of the Hammond A.B.C. The first is and aqua model with a black handle changeable to yellow. The other is E.R. model which does not have the black coated blade and has blaze orange handles. Other than that the knives are essentially the same. I will say though just from a corrosion stand point that i prefer the black coated blade because i tend to be in the water for extended periods of time.
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CRKT Crawford Triumph Folder |
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Written by Administrator
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Columbia River Knife Company, the name is synonymous with great knives of all types. It is no secret that I do believe that they make the best knives on the market today. Other companies try to keep up and out do CRKT all the time. Everytime I think somebody may be making a knife that can compete CRKT surprises me with a new innovative design that absolutely blows the competition away. The new Crawford Triumph Folder by CRKT is no exception.
I do not make these decisions lightly. Before I can say this is a knife that is reliable and I would trust it with my life if need be it has to be tested. I test a knife by torturing it in real world situations. In my world there are a number of substances and environments that a knife will be exposed to as well as tasks it has to preform. It has to preform in the tactical environment, on flight duty, and everyday carry as well. This knife is a complete blend of unique design and functionality.
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Written by JT McAvoy
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 For years there has been a quest for the perfect jungle bag. Unfortunately for those of us seeking this it does not exist yet. There are those bags that come close though. One of those is the Snugpak Jungle Bag. I have had the chance to try this bag out on a few occasions now and while I plan on doing more extended time testing I felt the need to put my initial opinion about it out there so to speak at this time. At this time I have tested this bag as a bivy over a sleeping bag
As I have tried different bags I have noticed that they have all struck me as being the same. They all seem to have the same features, same basic construction and materials just different names on the tags. My standards are more tough and strict than the “industry standards” and I would expect this to be true of anyone that has spent time in the field or other conditions. In typical Snugpak fashion they have been able to do this. So with that said it takes allot for me to feel like a manufacture has set itself apart from the rest. |
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Snugpak Elite 4 Sleeping Bag |
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Written by JT McAvoy
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For the better part of a year now I have had the opportunity to test Some of Snugpak’s equipment and products. This included their Elite 4 bag. At the time the Elite series was a new line of bags that was designed with Special Forces and special needs in mind. This bag line ranges from what I consider to be cool weather to sub-arctic conditions. The Elite 4 falls technically into the category of an all weather bag. It has a wide temperature range which in most parts of the country covers 3-4 seasons. It also has a few other impressive and what I considered at the time unique features. I can say after testing these that now I consider these features to be the standard bags should be built too and also mandatory for anyone spending time in the cold weather.
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Written by JT
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The Hissatsu has a razor-sharp edge with a blade length of 7.125” with an overall length of 12.25”.
Former Army officer James Williams is the designer of the Hissatsu. Mr. Williams also designs Samurai swords and has a deep martial arts background. He based the design of the Hissatsu in an old Japanese design made famous by the Samurai warlord Takeda Shingen. This particular design allows for extreme penetrating power with enormous slashing capability in a single blade. This blade is a modern version of that design with close quarters combat in mind. The blade is made of 440A stainless steel with a high satin, black EDP, or Desert Tan coating. The handle is double injection molded with a high impact polypropylene core with a non slip Kraton surface.
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Written by JT
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The M16-13T has a 3.50” blade that combines a razor sharp edge and a triple-point serrated cutting edge. The overall length of the knife is 8.25”, with an impressive weight of 3.4oz.
This design is essentially the same as CRKT other M16 designs. The difference being of course that this particular model is made of titanium. The handles are open frame which makes for a unique feel when you are holding it. The frame is made from machined 6AL4V titanium, the reason being that this gives it a better weight to strength ratio than most other metals. This also means that it has a nearly indestructible frame. The frame is then blasted with ceramic beads to give the handle a better and more comfortable grip.
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CRKT M60-14PK Fixed Blade |
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Contributed by Joseph Canady
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This 4.375” blade version of the M60 offers versatility for a variety of cutting tasks, with a curved bottom grind and dull top grind, also with Combination Razor-Sharp and Triple-Point™ Serrated edges.
A little about the M60 SOTFB series: These extreme-duty Special Operations Tactical Fixed Blades (SOTFB™) are built to withstand the hardest possible duty in combat. The knives themselves are built like rocks, by far the heftiest full-tang fixed blades CRKT has ever offered. All M60s have AUS 8 stainless steel blades with titanium nitride coatings for superior corrosion resistance. Their injection-molded Zytel® scales have an aggressive operator’s pattern. A double guard hilt, with thumb friction grooves and pronounced butt pommel, gives maximum security and grip.
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CRKT Lightfoot M1 Folder - M1-13D |
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Written by JT
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This model of the M1 has a desert frame and blade. The blade is a combined razor edge and triple point serrated edge. The blade length is 3.125”, is very thick (0.13”) and stout. The overall length of the knife is 7.625” with a weight of 5.8oz.
CRKT teamed up with renowned knife maker Greg Lightfoot on this particular knife. CRKT seeks out maker like Greg because they are always looking for perfection in a product. This knife is designed with heavy duty in mind. This knife on initial glance screams “just try and break me”. This knife has an interesting shape which is asymmetrical in almost every way. When you look at it you find yourself wondering how this could be comfortable to hold and use. Rest assured it is quite comfortable and seemingly has the ability to mold to your hand.
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Global Solar - SUNLINQ 12W |
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Written by JT McAvoy
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When on any operation particularly extended operations weight can be a huge issue. Too often (especially for medics and communications members) our packs are additionally weighted down by additional equipment. Unfortunately this is a necessary evil, certain items that are necessary for our mission on the team. Without these things we would not be able to function to the best of our ability for the team. More often than not these items require batteries and usually a lot of them. This adds pounds to our pack that can become an issue in certain situations. The usual solution to this problem is rechargeable batteries. This is good in theory but in the field where are you going to plug in a charger? Thanks to new technology this is now becoming less of an issue before.
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Voodoo Tactical STOMP Pack |
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Written by JT McAvoy
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Since the beginning of war itself delivering medical care even in its basic form to injured on the battlefield has been a challenge. As the face of war has changed so has the medical care. Medics can now provide life saving care to those wounded in a battle hundreds of miles from the nearest medical station, or even friendly territory. Combat medical care has undergone many changes and improvements in equipment and training. With these changes have come new challenges never thought of before, some have remained the same though. One of these universal challenges is how to get all your life saving equipment to those that need it on the battle field. Let’s face it sometimes you can’t land on the patient’s location with a helicopter or even drive up to them in any type of vehicle. Sometimes it has to be you on foot taking the care to the patient under fire and in the harshest conditions that man and nature can combine on a modern day battlefield. |
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Gear Reviews
When most people hear that Energizer makes tactical lights they laugh. I have to admit the idea was intriguing so I approached the idea with skeptical optimism. When I received the Tactical Helmet Light I remember thinking that it felt like was going to break the thing. However as the old saying goes dynamite comes in small packages.
