G Shock GW-6900

The Casio G Shock GW-6900 was purchased to replace a Timex Expedition that bit the dust.  It didn't stop working completely, but the buttons were not always working and it had served me well for about 6-7 years.  Plus I wanted a new watch.

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.

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.

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.

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.