I don't do a lot of photography that involves the use of a tripod, but for the few times that I do, it makes sense to have a decent tripod. Up to now I've been using a cheap tripod by Rayovac (yes the battery company). I don't even remember where or when I go it. It does the job but one of the feet finally broke off and I decided to replace it with something better.
I did a decent amount of research and decided on the K&F Concept TC2534 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod. It was reasonably priced (before rush delivery and a delivery fee from the hotel to which I had it delivered).
I got it for a trip to Las Vegas, and more specifically to Red Rock Canyon, where I had hoped to take sunset photos and possibly do some night photography. Unfortunately there were too many clouds for decent photos, but I was able to play around with the tripod.
Setup is pretty intuitive and easy. One thing that was interesting was that aside from a panning action, all of the head movement is locked by one mechanism. Not sure if I like this or not, but it seemed pretty easy to control and maintain.
One thing I haven't tried is using the removable monopod. One of the legs can be removed and used as a monopod, which is a pretty cool idea.
Overall, this tripod seems to be a sturdy, lightweight accessory. It also packs down pretty well. Collapsed and in the case, it fit inside my Tactical Rush backpack, albeit without room for a lot of other stuff. The point is, it's a pretty compact tripod. I easily strapped it on the outside of my backpack for the way home, and both easily fit in the overhead compartment of the plane.
If you're looking for a light, capable tripod, this may well fit the bill for you.
Update 8/30/18
I've had the chance to use this a couple times and am very happy with it. It's easy to set up and best of all, easy to position. As I mentioned before, adjusting the head is pretty much the only thing you need to do.
One feature I didn't think I'd ever use was the hook on the bottom of the head area. This allows you to hang a light weight (think 10 pounds or less) to add a little extra stability. I was shooting in an area that wasn't level and simply hanging my backpack on the tripod helped a lot.
I still recommend this tripod and would purchase it again.
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
G Shock GW-6900
I looked for another Timex, but found the G Shock line while on Amazon. I started looking around and decided G Shock was the way to go. They're durable watches and got good reviews.
I initially bought a G Shock with an analog and digital interface, but the watch hands covered the digital face too much. Not the best design.
I eventually wound up getting the 6900 you see above and am very happy with it. As you can see it's pretty beefy without being too big. I though the digital readout might be too small, but it's perfect, even with my old eyes. The backlight works well too.
The functions are easy to figure out and once you go through the setup, they're easy to remember. Other cool features include solar charging, atomic time keeping (assuming you're in a location where there's a transmitter), dual time zones and several alarms.
On the subject of alarms, several reviews noted that it's a little on the quiet side. I have not found this to be an issue. It wakes me up everyday.
Another nice feature is that the buttons are not directly connected to the watch's electronic board. In other words, it's engineered so that it won't easily wear out.
It's a comfortable watch and I barely notice its on during the day. Overall, I'm very happy with this purchase and highly recommend this to anyone that doesn't need any crazy features, like compass, thermometer or whatever. Time will tell (pun intended) if this holds up, but it's been great for the last four months.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Altama Foxhound
With the update of the Army's uniform, it was time to get some new boots. I went for Altama, as I had such good luck with their Exospeed boots.
These boots were equally as comfortable pretty much right out of the box. As is the case with all boots, these got more comfortable as they got broken in. Good traction, and resistant to stains so far.
They've also held up well in the 6 months that I've owned them. I've gotta be transparent and let the gentle reader know I don't go on long patrols or road marches with them, but do a decent amount of walking around the area I'm at. The boots don't show any signs of stitching coming undone or other wear issues. They're not "lightweight" boots like jungle boots but haven't noticed sweaty feet even when the temps get up to 128 F.
The only thing I've done with them was replace the laces with 550 cord. Not that I had issues with the laces, but I have had issues with other boot laces and this seemed like a prudent thing to do before a deployment.
They clean up easily and look almost new when dry. It was mostly a matter of getting the surface dirt off that made them look more like a light tan boot than coyote brown.
I'm very happy with this purchase and would recommend them to anyone.
These boots were equally as comfortable pretty much right out of the box. As is the case with all boots, these got more comfortable as they got broken in. Good traction, and resistant to stains so far.
They've also held up well in the 6 months that I've owned them. I've gotta be transparent and let the gentle reader know I don't go on long patrols or road marches with them, but do a decent amount of walking around the area I'm at. The boots don't show any signs of stitching coming undone or other wear issues. They're not "lightweight" boots like jungle boots but haven't noticed sweaty feet even when the temps get up to 128 F.
They clean up easily and look almost new when dry. It was mostly a matter of getting the surface dirt off that made them look more like a light tan boot than coyote brown.
I'm very happy with this purchase and would recommend them to anyone.
Kershaw Ken Onion Blur
This is the Kershaw Ken Onion Blur. It's an assisted opening knife, with some cool grippy material on the handle. I opted for the non-serrated black blade.
After playing with the assisted open feature, which is lightening fast, I really liked how comfortable it felt. The curves of the handle seem like the conform to your hand. The blade is easy to deploy and it's a good length without seeming too big.
Not surprisingly it came razor sharp from the factory and I haven't had to sharpen it yet, although I've only used it to open boxes and such. I like the fact that the users manual actually recommends the sharpening angle. This is helpful for me as I struggle with the correct angle sometimes.
About the only thing I question is the liner lock. It works fine, but doesn't seem to engage the blade very deeply, as compared to my Emerson CQC 10. I haven't had an issue with it, but I'd be careful with it if I was doing some hard work with it.
Overall a great knife. It carries well and I don't even know it's in my pocket. It's got enough heft to it to feel sturdy but not feel heavy.
It will be a strong competitor as my favorite knife, up against the Emerson CQC 10.
After playing with the assisted open feature, which is lightening fast, I really liked how comfortable it felt. The curves of the handle seem like the conform to your hand. The blade is easy to deploy and it's a good length without seeming too big.
About the only thing I question is the liner lock. It works fine, but doesn't seem to engage the blade very deeply, as compared to my Emerson CQC 10. I haven't had an issue with it, but I'd be careful with it if I was doing some hard work with it.
Overall a great knife. It carries well and I don't even know it's in my pocket. It's got enough heft to it to feel sturdy but not feel heavy.
It will be a strong competitor as my favorite knife, up against the Emerson CQC 10.
Friday, June 16, 2017
5.11 Tactical Rush 24
My TAD Gear pack has served me well over the past 10 years or so but I wanted something with a little more space and organization. The 5.11 Tactical Rush 24 fits the bill perfectly.
The Rush 24 has about 200 more cubic inches of space and many more pockets for organization, while keeping the hydration pouch. It of course has the ability to attach molle accessories as well as a couple velcro areas for nametapes and morale patches.
Overall, it's a great bag. It suits my needs, is tough and handles everything well. The only thing I miss is the straps on top of and below the bag. They were very convenient on the Tad Gear bag, but something I've learned to live without. The extra space in the Rush 24 almost makes up for it.
Stay tuned for more updates as I take this into the field and see how it really performs and holds up.
Out here.
Update 8/30/18
Well the Rush 24 survived a deployment, numerous trips work and hiking trips, and a 3 day trip to Vegas. I packed light for Vegas and was able to get all of my clothes, shoes and toiletries in the bag.
The many different pockets really help organization, and the color doesn't yell out "tactical" as much as some other bags.
So far, no rips, tears or even errant strings. This is a definite upgrade to the TAD Gear bag and am very happy I made the switch.
Friday, February 5, 2016
Tad Gear Dispatch Bag
Well boys and girls, it's been a while since I posted. But fear not, I just received my newest package from TAD Gear, the Dispatch Bag (pictures coming soon).
I've had this for one day and really like it. I'm not quite a TAD Gear fanboy, but they do make great stuff. I've had the Lightspeed for about 7 years and it's held up like a champ. It's been my daily computer bag, hiking bag, and went to Iraq for a while. It still looks and works like new.
I expect the same from the Dispatch Bag. I got this more to carry notebooks and a laptop. The Lightspeed can do the same thing, and actually has a bit more room, but the Lightspeed doesn't allow as easy access to everything. The zipper on the main compartment makes it hard to see everything down inside, whereas the Dispatch Bag is wide open.
The DB features a padded pocket for a laptop, plenty of other areas for organizing your pens and stuff, several zipper pouches and the famous flashlight cave. That said, I have to agree with other reviews that note that the flashlight cave is a little too narrow for a normal sized hand to fit in all the way. Anyway, it's there if you want to try to use it.
The DB also features Molle on the front and sides and I managed to fit an OP1 pouch on the side below the shoulder strap and it works pretty well. I started out with it on the front, but it stuck out more than I would have liked and could possibly be the difference between fitting under an airplane seat or not.
Just like all the other TAD Gear, it's built like a tank and seems to have storage in all the right places. If you packed well, I think it could serve as an overnight bag, if you weren't travelling for more than a day.
Stay tuned for updates and pictures once I get some time and more experience with this.
Nice job again TAD Gear.
Update 9/1/2017
I ended up selling this bag. As much as I wanted to like it, it just didn't do it for me. I liked the organization part of it, but it just felt too bulky. By the time you'd get a laptop, files, books or whatever other crap you're carrying around, into the bag, it's almost like a backpack. Once it's filled up like that, it doesn't carry well. Yes, maybe I just put too much stuff in it, but hey, that's what I bought it for.
It also doesn't have the versatility of a backpack. Outside of an urban environment, I think this thing would be useless. Don't even think of taking this into the "field". I don't know why you would, but even as a day pack while hiking, I think this would be a pain to carry comfortably.
Update 9/1/2017
I ended up selling this bag. As much as I wanted to like it, it just didn't do it for me. I liked the organization part of it, but it just felt too bulky. By the time you'd get a laptop, files, books or whatever other crap you're carrying around, into the bag, it's almost like a backpack. Once it's filled up like that, it doesn't carry well. Yes, maybe I just put too much stuff in it, but hey, that's what I bought it for.
It also doesn't have the versatility of a backpack. Outside of an urban environment, I think this thing would be useless. Don't even think of taking this into the "field". I don't know why you would, but even as a day pack while hiking, I think this would be a pain to carry comfortably.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Lighthound Cree
This review is a flashlight offered by LightHound and is the Lighthound AA Tactical Flashlight, Cree XPG R5 LED. It retails online for $21 and is a pretty good deal. It's a pretty small light, and I've carried it in my pocket, using the clip, all day without noticing it.
I've had good luck with it and haven't gone through many batteries, although I use it on it's lowest setting most of the time. Most of my times using it have been while camping, without much other lighting, so the lowest setting works well. I have also used the higher settings and they do produce a good amount of light, although the throw distance isn't as much as you'd get with a higher power light. It does a good job for it's size though.
The Lighthound on the left, a Surefire G2 on the right.
Here are the specs:
I've had good luck with it and haven't gone through many batteries, although I use it on it's lowest setting most of the time. Most of my times using it have been while camping, without much other lighting, so the lowest setting works well. I have also used the higher settings and they do produce a good amount of light, although the throw distance isn't as much as you'd get with a higher power light. It does a good job for it's size though.
Here are the specs:
Mil-Spec Type
III Hard Anodized finish.
Water proof to
IPX-8 standard.
Fully-regulated
circuit
Broad input
voltage takes 1xAA (1.0V - 4.2V) *Can use a 14500!
Orange Peel
reflector for a nice flood.
Simple
operation. High (100%) - Medium (30%) - Low (1%).
Maximum output of 230 lumens for 1.2 hours
Tactical switch
for momentary on.
Anti-reverse
protection.
Pocket Clip
24mm (Head), 24mm (Tail), 102mm (Length)
105 lumens with AA
The light levels are controlled by a button at the end. Press once for the highest level, again for mid level and a third time for the lowest level. It takes a little practice to get it to stay on at the lowest level without turning it off, but it's not too bad.
Overall, I'm very happy with the light given the price. I gave one to my in laws and they enjoy it too, although they just use it for walking the dog.
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