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Stuff I Like – Platypus Polo Blazer from Platatac

Friday, December 9th, 2016

If you’ve seen me around trade shows, I often wear a softshell sport coat I bought from Nau many years ago. As it’s getting a little long in the tooth, and Nau no longer makes it, I’ve been on the lookout for a replacement for some time. Earlier this year, I was speaking with my friend and Platatac founder, Ben Cox, during SOFIC, when he presented me with a Platypus Polo Tie. We talked about the Platypus Polo line and he mentioned that he was working on a Blazer. I told him I was in as I had been searching for a good travel Blazer to replace my old one for quite awhile. A few weeks ago, I received a parcel from Australia and in it was one of the first Platypus Polo Blazers off the line.

There are two things I like about it. First, is the generous cut, which leaves ample room for concealed carry, or layering. The second thing I like about the Platypus Polo Blazer is the material selection. It’s made from a DWR treated, 4-way stretch offering a high level of wind and water resistance while maintaining high breathability. That little bit of mechanical stretch is great when you’re doing more than just standing around and it doesn’t hold wrinkles when taken out of luggage, but rather looks great right after you put it on.

Platatac has released the Blazer and is offering two FREE Platypus ties, like the ones I have, for the first 20 Blazers sold.

Features
-(DWR) Treated for water resistance
-Wind resistant
-Generous cut to allow for concealed carriage of firearms
-Notch style lapel
-Single vented
-Half lined interior
-Two interior pockets (1 zippered for passports and other important items, 1 with button closure)
-Shock cord loop for headphone routing
-Welted hand pockets with flap covering
-Single welt breast pocket
-Three non-kissing functional cuff buttons
-Softshell 4-way stretch DWR treated Nylon/Spandex blend

Offered in Navy Blue, sizes Small – XLarge in a generous cut.

Get yours at www.platatac.com/platatac-platypus-polo-club-blazer.

Tags: Platatac
Posted in Advertiser, Clothing, Stuff I Like | 21 Comments »

Stuff I Like – ‘Eagle Facing West’ by Jay Mach

Tuesday, September 20th, 2016

Recently, a friend recommended that I read Jay Mach’s ‘Eagle Facing West’ based on my interest in military history. At 254 pages, this Kindle book is a quick, yet engaging read.

I grew up fascinated with the Vietnam war and remember the mountains of data presented by the National League of Families and others alleging that US POW and MIA personnel had been left behind by our government in Southeast Asia and were still being held captive up into the mid-1980s. ‘Eagle Facing West’ takes this concept one step further and supposes that a core group of “Keepers” had survived to this day and were being kept alive by the Vietnamese and forced train their personnel and serve as analysts. The men who are the main focus of this novel, craft a plan to escape using modern technology and end up with some very capable assistance thanks to an escape signal captured by US overhead imagery. Intrigue ensues with a rogue politician attempting to bury their existence.

Right out of the gate I’m going to tell you that Jay Mach is a pen name. I now know who is behind the book but I won’t tell. What you need to know is that Mach is actually a team made up of a former congressional staffer and a military insider. The duo has close ties with the US Special Operations Forces community and US Air Force pilots. Boy, does it show. To be sure, it’s a technothriller, but elements of the story carry a degree of plausibility. On more than one occassion, my jaw dropped as I saw details which are not common knowledge. I give it two thumbs up!

Download your Kindle copy from www.amazon.com.

Tags: Jay Mach
Posted in Stuff I Like | 9 Comments »

Introducing The BRAVO “War Rug” Collection

Sunday, August 28th, 2016

Many of you may know Berto from his DEFCON endeavors but he dabbles in a lot of stuff including the BRAVO line of photography bags. He created the line with his partner for the best reason ever; necessity. They just couldn’t find the camera bags they were looking for. As you know, Berto has a serious creative streak and for his latest run, came up with the War Rug pattern based on Afghan prayer rugs festooned with the weapons of Jihad. Add it up and you’ve got great functional designs and a great looking bag. I first saw the pack at an event in Utah in late Spring and wanted to buy one from him right there but it was a prototype. I’ve got to say, the pack that arrived in the mail doesn’t disappoint. He’s also offering MultiCam Black for the more traditionally minded.

Los Angeles-based BRAVO is back with the second drop of their latest collection for the latter half of 2016 and as per usual, it delivers. This new pack of goods — the “War Rug” collection — strays from the normal program just a bit with the addition of a towel created in collaboration with Beech Brand.

The “War Rug” collection consists of some of BRAVO’s best offerings including the Sierra Block I backpack and the Range tote bag, as well as the aforementioned towel. Each piece boasts a very meaningful Afghan war rug print which blends ancient traditions with the tools of modern warfare as it has impacted the region throughout history. By incorporating scenes and paraphernalia that surround the rug maker’s’ lives, symbols of war have come to figure prominently in their craft. The BRAVO war rug print design juxtaposes images of events and dynamics that profoundly affect and alter the world we live in.

In addition to the overall striking nature of the print, each piece boasts BRAVO’s high benchmark of quality found throughout all products. Both bags are comprised of highly durable materials: a weatherproof 840 denier nylon in the case of the Sierra Block I backpack; and a cotton/polyester blended textile for the Range tote. Both bags also feature extra strength nylon straps, Duratuff ™ compound material and other features that ensure your bag makes it through hell and back.

Now, as for the towel created in collaboration with Beech Brand, this “War Rug” towel improves upon the functionality traditional beach towels thanks to the brand’s Beech Shield technology. Beech Shield is a revolutionary antimicrobial technology that helps to prevent the growth of of a wide array of odor and stain causing bacteria, fungi, mold, mildew, and algae. It’s designed to stay activated for up to 100 washes and is environmentally friendly, so don’t hesitate to run it through the rigors of beach life.

The BRAVO “War Rug” collection is available now at www.bravocoworldwide.com.

Tags: Bravo
Posted in Packs, Stuff I Like | 6 Comments »

Did You Know Arc’teryx Offers Giftcards?

Thursday, May 5th, 2016

I’m not really sure what else there is to say. You get what gift cards are, and Arc’teryx offers them (hint, hint!)

www.arcteryx.com/GiftCards

Tags: Arc'teryx
Posted in Advertiser, Arc'teryx, Stuff I Like | 6 Comments »

Stuff I Like – SplashMaps

Sunday, September 20th, 2015

During my recent visit to England for DSEI, I picked up a Wearable SplashMap of central London. It featured every street I needed, including what essentially were alleyways between major streets. Plus, it was easy to stuff in my pocket yet pull right out and use. No crazy map folding skills needed here.

Inspired by silk escape maps, Wearable Maps can be worn as a scarf or stuffed in a pocket. They won’t wrinkle and there’s no stretch. You can even write on them with Crayola washable markers and was the map clean later. They are printed on weatherproof, colorfast satin and are 72cm x 72cm.

In addition to a wide variety of ready made cloth maps featuring popular international destinations, SplashMaps will custom make a map for you (Make-a-Map), using native digital sources such as Ordnance Survey, OpenStreetMap and US Geological Survey. Maps of the UK are generally 1:25 000 scale and international maps 1:40 000. You even get to pick the title. Naturally, they’ll do limited runs for events such as races or training as well.

www.splash-maps.com

Posted in International, Stuff I Like | 11 Comments »

Casca – A Blast From The Past

Monday, September 7th, 2015

Did you read this book like I did? If so, did you know that the Casca images by artist Darrel Millsap on the cover of every title were based on this photo of author Barry Sadler?

And, did you know that Special Forces Veteran Barry Sadler also wrote and performed the song “The Ballad of the Green Berets” which hit Number 1 on the charts in the Spring of 1966?

Sadler passed away in 1989 of complications following a gun shot wound. Although, the Casca-series of books are still being produced.

Tags: Barry Sadler, Casca, Darrel Millsap
Posted in Media, Stuff I Like | 14 Comments »

In Honor of Recent Comments

Wednesday, August 26th, 2015

Patches & Stickers coming soon.

Tags: SSD
Posted in Stuff I Like | 44 Comments »

5 Pieces of GI Gear You Don’t Have to Give Up Even Though You Got Out

Monday, August 3rd, 2015

There are five pieces of issue gear that literally everyone used while they were in the employ of Uncle Sam. Sure, sometimes supply was stingy, but you always figured out a way to get your hands on them. Even though your term of active service is up, you can still get them, thanks to the internet.

550 Cord

Named for its breaking strength, Type 3 – Olive Drab, 550 Lbs tensile strength, 400 yard reel NSN (4020-00-246-0688) was designed for use as parachute suspension lines. For its intended purpose, GI paracord has traditionally been procured in just a few colors including OD, Red and White but now, a whole rainbow of hues and prints have been developed to support the 550 craze. Everyone seems to be making bracelets, belts and even slings out of the material, which also makes for a great survival aid. The kernmantle design features a woven outer sheath that can be broken down into 32 strands with a core consisting of seven two-ply yarns. Even a few feet of paracord is a treasure chest to someone in a survival situation. Day-to-day, 550 cord is used to repair or reinforce a wide variety of equipment, including packs, load bearing systems and even vehicle tarps. Used in conjunction with the next item, there is nothing that can’t be done.

90-MPH Tape

It doesn’t matter if you call it Duct, 90-mile per hour, 100 mph or LAPES tape, the PE-Coated Cloth General Purpose Duct Tape, 60 yds Length x 2″ Width, Olive Drab literally holds the US military together. Its uses are limited only by your imagination. Civilians too have discovered Duct Tape and make a wide variety of items with it. Now, they offer it in every color under the sun but if you’re a Veteran, you’ll want the real thing. When I first enlisted 30 years ago, the tape was all a Light Green almost florescent color, but later we started to get Dark Green, then OD, and finally Tan variants. A search on Amazon revealed a wide variety of military colors.

Skilcraft Pen

More specifically, the U.S. Government Retractable Ball Point Pen, Fine Point, Black Ink, Box of 12 NSN (7520-00-935-7135) made by Skilcraft. You can never have enough of these. Everyone in your corcle will look on in envy, as you sign the restaurant check.

Green Leader’s Book

No self respecting NCO would be caught without a Green Military Log Book, Record Book, Memorandum Book, 5-1/2″ X 8″ Green LogBook NSN (7530-00-222-3521). Modified in a wide variety of ways, they are indispensable for taking notes during long, rambling meetings, recording PT scores and keeping track of room inspections. It served you well while you were in, think how awesome it will look, with your name written in big block letters underneath pin-on rank and scare badges, when you pull it out of your Leader’s Map Case during that board meeting. Your significant other will love it when you write down everything (s)he says and your children will be thrilled when you remind them of how many pushups they did during last week’s practice PRT.

Memo Book

Available in two styles (bottom or side opening) the Green Military Memorandum Book / Military Memo Book, 3-3/8″ x 5-1/2″, Dark Green, Side Bound, NSN 7530-00-222-0078 was found in everyone’s uniform pocket, chock full of notes. Think of it as the little brother to the Leader’s Book, it contained relevant notes passed down from the novel-like scribblings in its big brother.

Tags: Skilcraft
Posted in Stuff I Like | 32 Comments »