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.

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.

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:

       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.

TAD GEAR Pathfinder jacket

I picked up a Tad Gear Pathfinder jacket after doing a lot of looking around both online and in stores.  Everything I saw was either too light or too heavy.  I wanted something for the strange season after winter and before summer.  I guess it's called spring but this year in the midwest, the weather has been all over the place.

The Pathfinder jacket seems to fit the bill perfectly.  It's a hardshell fleece that acts as a pretty decent windbreaker and is also suitable for light rain.  I wore it this morning (beginning of May) when the temps outside were in the upper 30's, over a short sleeve shirt and was very comfortable.  When the wind picked up a lot, I felt it a little, but it wasn't bad.

I chose the Pathfinder because it's got no hood and is still a pretty lightweight jacket.  The sleeves have thumbholes and the pockets feature a pass through for headphones.  Inside the zipper are loops for cord management.

Once again, I'm really happy with Tad Gear's quality and attention to detail.  It's not the cheapest gear, but so far all of their stuff has held up very well.  I would definitely recommend the Pathfinder jacket if you're in the market for something that will keep you dry and warm during the unpredictable midwest springtime.

Decal Grip

I've been in the market for new/different grips for my XD9 for a little while and found Decal Grips.  The standard grips on the pistol work well and are comfortable enough while at the range, but I wanted something with a bit more grab.  Grips that would allow me to maintain positive control even if my hands were wet.

I had heard good things on various forums about Decal Grips, and they were reasonably priced, so I decided to give them a try.  I chose the sand texture.  They're also available in a rubber texture, which I would imagine is similar to other rubber slip-on grips.

The grips come on a pre-cut sheet with directions on suggested applications.  They're made so that as many or as few can be used.  I put three pieces on each side and one in the thumb rest area on the left side.  I left off the ones for the slide and back of the pistol, as they seemed unnecessary, but it's all up to the individual.  They were easy to apply.  I just wiped down the pistol grips with rubbing alcohol, let it dry and applied the grips.

The sand texture is pretty rough, but not objectionable.  They're exactly what I want, and I have no doubt they would help my grip in the event that my hands were wet or greasy or whatever.

The grips also look like they'll stay in place for a while, or at least they better.  The glue or adhesive seems that it will stay in place as long as the grips are needed.  They are stickers though, and have that look, as opposed to one piece, slip on or replacement grips.  While they don't look bad, they don't have the factory look like some accessories.

Overall, I think these are good grips for the money.  I think I paid around $12.  I would recommend them to anyone looking for aftermarket grips.

Streamlight NF-2

You can never have too many flashlights, so I was pretty excited to see the excellent selection of lights at the troop store at Ft. Lewis Washington. Normally I just browse these stores because they're just too expensive, but I saw this Streamlight NF-2 for 50% off and had to get it.

It's a great little light, and these "tactical" lights do a fantastic job of putting out light, despite their size. I've got a couple different lights about this size, and they all use CR123A batteries. The Streamlight puts out a better, stronger beam of light than the Surefire G2, but has a shorter battery life.

Here's a quick look at the specs:
# High-intensity xenon gas-filled bi-pin bulb delivers up to 7,900 peak beam candlepower(78 lumens)
# Adjustable spot-to-flood focus
# 1.3 hours of continuous run time
# Spare bulb contained within flashlight
# Head: 1.25;" Body: .9" x Length 4.8;" Ring: 1.38"
# 4.5 oz. with batteries
# Two 3 volt CR123A lithium batteries with a storage life of up to 10 years (included)
# TactCap™ click switch for quick, easy momentary operation
# Momentary push button tailcap, which rotates for locked "on"
# Polymer grip ring adjusts to any hand size
# Removable spring steel pocket clip and adjustable wrist lanyard

Right now it's in my car, but I have taken it running on some dark mornings and it worked very well. I kind of regret not getting another one for the price. Streamlight lists this as a discontinued product but you can still get them on the internet at various places. If you have a chance to get one of this, I would recommend it.

Emerson CQC 10

I've been wanting an Emerson knife since I heard about it in a Richard Marcinko book.  I did some research and they are awesome knives, although they run a little more than I have ever spent  on a knife.   I decided to finally take the plunge and get an Emerson folder.

I got a CQC 10.   I picked that model because I wanted something with a substantial enough blade.  I had bought a different knife with a 2.85" blade, and it just didn't seem like a good, big, manly, solid knife.  It was good, but just not enough.

So anyway I got the regular blade ( a combo serrated blade is also available) and am very happy with it.  The blade measures 3.6 ".  It's a good size - not too big and definitely not too small.  It came razor sharp.  The blade has a black non reflective coating, and is made of steel with a conventional V grind.

Here are the specs:

Handles	Black G-10 epoxy / glass laminate
Blade	154 CM Premium Blade Steel
Finish	Black or Silver
Grind	Conventional V Grind

Overall Length	8.50 in.
Blade Length	3.60 in.
Blade Thickness	.125 in.
Hardness	57-59 RC
Weight	4.7

The handle is made up of a material called G-10 (An extremely durable makeup of layers of fiberglass soaked in resin, then highly compressed and baked. Impervious to moisture or liquid and physically stable under climate change.) and is just as substantial as the blade.  It has a good solid feel and provides a good grip.  It also includes a clip for your pocket and maintains a reasonably low profile.

The CQC 10 has the wave feature.  It's a little hook like thing on the outside of the blade, that's designed to catch on the pocket, as it's being drawn.  With a little practice, it's a very fast way to deploy the blade.

This is my favorite knife.  Although Emerson knives are expensive, so far I think it's well worth the money.  I purchased this online at Dave's Knife World and am equally happy with this vendor.  Dave himself takes the time to answer emails, and shipped me the knife very quickly.

After having the knife for about a month, and using it for various cutting tasks, the blade is still as sharp as when it came from the box.  Definitely worth the money, and I would recommend this knife to anyone looking for a good capable folder.
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