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Posts Tagged ‘Tactical FanBoy’

Gerber Gear Round Up – Bear Grylls Compact Multi-Tool

Monday, November 4th, 2013

As you know, we’ve got Scouts here at SSD. Each week over on Tactical Fanboy they cover another product from Gerber. Awhile back I went out and bought one each of most of the available Bear Grylls products. We expanded it with a few other Gerber products. The deal is that they can reach into the box and try out an item so long as they write about it afterward. This is one of the write ups. Remember, it’s written by a kid.

Multi Tool

The Bear Grylls compact multi-tool features ten components:

  • Wire Cutters
  • Serrated Knife
  • Fine Edge Knife
  • Small flat driver
  • Lanyard ring
  • Tweezers
  • Needle Nose Pliers
  • Phillips screwdriver
  • Medium flat driver
  • Bottle opener
  • It’s lightweight and compact, perfect for fitting on a keychain or in a pocket. External components and nail nicks allow for easy access to tools.

    I like the variety of tools present on this multi-tool. The nail nicks make them easier to get out. Having a lanyard ring on the tool is good because it can be kept on a keyring or secured to other gear. I also like the small size, but at the same time that makes it a bit harder to find if you misplace it.

    www.gerbergear.com/Survival/Tools/Survival-Series-Compact-Multi-Tool_31-000750

    Call Of Duty Mega Bloks – Mini Review

    Sunday, October 13th, 2013

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    We purchased and constructed the Chopper Strike, RIB Beach Assault, and Mountain Recon Call of Duty Mega Bloks sets. The three sets were fairly easy to put together, although the Chopper Strike set was missing a couple of critical parts and required some workarounds to build up. The “super poseable micro action figures” are also a bit of a pain to snap together, and they come loose easily when handled, especially at the torso/leg joint. It’s pretty cool, however, how detailed they can be, with all the gear options they can be equipped with. Also, the faux-M4s the figures come with can swap magazines, stocks, and barrels, and can be further accessorized with scopes and suppressors.

    Overall, I would have preferred the sets had more of a LEGO-level quality to them, given they are Mega Bloks brand, but if you like your building block sets with a more military oriented focus, then these aren’t a bad option.

    www.megabloks.com/en-us/shop/construction-toys/call-of-duty/?view=list

    This article was originally posted on Tactical Fanboy, where pop culture meets tactical.

    Tactical Fanboy Morale Patches

    Monday, July 15th, 2013

    TF Patches

    Check out Tactical Fanboy for details.

    Coming Soon

    Tuesday, June 18th, 2013

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    Tactical Fanboy Presents – HSP Winter Problem Solver AAR – The Equipment

    Wednesday, April 10th, 2013

    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.

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    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

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    *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.

    This article was originally posted on Tactical Fanboy.

    Tactical Fanboy SHOT Show Montage

    Sunday, January 20th, 2013

    This compilation video is from three different events during SHOT Show. Can anyone identify all of the weapons Fanboy got a crack at?

    Tactical Fanboy Presents – The Unicorn Is Real! – SHOT 2013 – Media Range Day

    Sunday, January 20th, 2013

    Good luck trying to catch one, though.

    Tactical Fan Boy’s Wild Ride

    Saturday, January 19th, 2013

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    Other publications and websites may have taken pictures of the Magpul VW ‘MBUS’ at SHOT, but Tactical Fanboy was the first, and possibly only, attendee at the show to go inside it!