Gerber Yari II Knife

Submitted by Eric Daniel

For the longest time I’ve been wanting to try out a “tanto” style knife but I never got around to it.  Given the chisel-like point, I figured that they would be good for prying as well as brute force penetrating things like sheet metal, wood and masonry.  The Cold Steel entry rekindled that interest, but I didn’t want a knife that big; I already had a big tool, what I was looking for was something small, yet strong, that I could use for probing and digging.

Providence smiled on me in the form of the Gerber Yari II.  The Yari II, with a blade length of 4.25”, is small enough to get into confined spaces easily, yet has enough mass behind it that it “punches” well.  Made from CPM S30V stainless steel, the Yari II is tough as hell.  I’m not a metallurgist but the literature on S30V says it’s tougher, more corrosion resistant, and more wear resistant than either 440C or 154HC steel, yet easier to work with than S60V/S90V steel; in practical terms I have experienced no issue whatsoever with using the knife in both freshwater and saltwater environments (the knife performed well hacking up salmon heads for crab pots on a concrete bench) and cleaned up nicely, with no hint of corrosion.  To test the point and flexibility of the knife I used it to extract nails from a section of my back yard fence (it’d been blown down in a storm and I was wanting to carve up the planks for use as kindling.)  The knife held up well under the process with no obvious chipping or cracking of the edge, and the point was more than equal to the task of prying out the nails (yes yes a hammer would have been a more appropriate tool, but I was experimenting.)

In addition to being impressed with the quality of the knife’s construction, I was also quite impressed with the quality and construction of the sheath as well as the "attachment” options that come with the knife.  In addition to the now standard MOLLE attachment straps, the sheath also comes with a belt loop, as well as a screw-in clip for attaching the knife to a molded plastic drop leg pistol holster such as the Safariland Model 6004.  While the knife is held securely in the sheath by a pair of “grippers” molded into the sheath (which is how I currently have it configured) an optional thumb release strap is included with the knife for additional retention piece of mind.

All in all, the only real complaints I have about the knife are the tang and the grip, and those certainly weren't dealbreakers.  The grip, constructed of machined aluminum, is grooved for increased grip in most conditions, and I found that it was easy to hold onto wet or dry, with gloves on or off, and being metal it is non-porous and so won’t absorb any contaminants, but it does get slick when greasy (remember the fish heads??)  While I don’t anticipate getting attacked by a prime rib in my foreseeable military future, the metal grip was at a decided disadvantage when oily (in this situation the knife seemed to grip best while wearing gloves and the ridges molded into the exposed dorsal and ventral surfaces of the tang were a big help in gripping the knife.)  On the issue of the tang, I only wish it had been squared off rather than pointed.  While the pointed tang allows for a lanyard, a squared off tang would have improved (in my opinion) the knife’s utility as a bashing instrument (the tang hole could have just as easily been drilled through the metal grip a bit further forward.

Get the Yari II here.

Fenix P3D Q5 Tactical Light

Submitted by Ben

Fenix makes some real quality lights, that are about as good on batteries as I have seen, and cost quite a bit less than SureFires.  I just picked up a P3D Q5 from one of their distributors for about 85 dollars. The P3D Q5 has variable output modes to help save on battery life when you don't need a lot of light to a maximum output of 215 lumens. 

Only downside for my use is that the push button is recesseded into the tailcap so you can use it as a lamp on a tabletop with the diffuser adapter... which means it isn't perfect if you are using it as an off-hand light for shooting... but as an all around light I would have to say it is a steal at the price for its performance.

Get a P3D Q5 Here

Seam-Grip for your Gloves

Submitted by Ripsaw

A small tube of McNett's SeamGrip can extend the life of your gloves a lot.

ED -- Cool.  A couple of questions though.  Do you reccomend applying this directly to all the seams of the gloves as a preventative maintenance measure, or just when the seams start to blow out?  Also, do you apply it to the seam inside the glove, where the material is sewn, or on the exposed, outside seam?  How flexiable is this stuff?  Does it work well in cold weather?  How often do you need to reapply it?  Finally, how flammable is it?  Will it affect the fire resistance of the nomex fabric?

Anyone else ever use this?

Get some McNett's Seam Grip here.

Wonder Gloves

Submitted by Eric Daniel

The nomex CVC (or aviator if you prefer) gloves are something of a polarizing piece of clothing.  They can be expensive (if you’re buying your own), and flimsy (they were built for aviators, not coal miners) and for those reasons folk don’t care for them very much, but hands down (pun not intended) for me, these are the best gloves I’ve ever had.

What I like best about them is that they are warmer than the issue wool inserts by themselves, they are far more dexterous than the stand alone inserts (not to mention the insert and shell combination with the black leather gloves) even to the point that I can accomplish most things with them on (I don’t have to take them off to dig in my pockets, for example.)  Moreover, they dry rapidly and don’t loose their shape and still provide some degree of insulation when wet (what is it with wool gloves that turn into stretchy blobs when wet?)  Oh, and as an added bonus, they’re also fire retardant.

Yes, I agree, they can be a little sensitive to abuse.  But, as with most things, you can find a work around for this.  In my case I carry a sewing kit (just like you did when you had all those buttons on those BDUs…) and a spool of nomex thread, and as soon as I split a seam, time allowing, I stitch it up.  In addition, when I pick up a new pair, I always try and give the fingertips another pass with the needle, just to reinforce those edges.  Also, I always carry a pair of black leather shells with me so that when I do engage in heavy labor, I can slip the shells over the nomex gloves to further protect them from abuse.  One thing folk also seem to forget with these gloves is that the palm is made of leather, and that leather must be treated.  Along these lines, what’s good for me is good for the glove – a little bit of Bag Balm rubbed into both the palm of my hand and the palm of the glove treats the leather inside and out.

As for keeping the cost down, your best bet is to look for “seconds” sales.  Just before deploying in 04 I found a site selling “seconds” (gloves that had a cosmetic defect or blemish.)  I was able to pick up five pair at $9 a pair (retail is between $20-30.)

Yes, I know there are more durable variants of this style of glove out there, but for the price I paid, I don’t think you can beat the issue ones.

CWU-33 Survival Vest

Submitted by SGT Pigg

I am a grunt who fought with 3 I.D. in 03 and 05 in Iraq and was a Sniper in 05. I can tell you I used to spend up to four days at a time in OPs.  The R.A.C.K. gear is great, until you have to go prone with it on. As a sniper in a Mech. unit, I liked the Air Crew Vest the best. It is all MOLLE and you can set it up as long as you ditch the harness. Plus, you still have the back area for more gear when not mounted. I bought mine on E-Bay for about 40 Bucks. I don’t know how that can kill a pocket book at all.

ED -- SGT. Pigg, I assume you're refering to the CWU-33 Aircrew Survival Vest pictured above.  I agree, the all MOLLE construction makes it a better choice for hanging stuff on than would the RACK, but I wonder how well it would fit over body armor.  I have one of the older nylon mesh aircrew survival vests and to test the theory I tried to put it on over my interceptor (I used books in place of SAPI plates.)  It wouldn't fit.

Also, as you pointed out, the only place I've ever found these for sale (on line that is) is on e-bay, where they seem to be running in the $15-30 range.

Has anyone ever tried out one of these in the dirt beetle role?

Man on Fire

Submitted by Christian

It wasn't exactly a chick magnet. But how're ya gonna call attention to yourself if you're not on fire?

During my recent month-long embed in Iraq, I had the good fortune to link up with some cool gear from companies working to supply the military with tactical equipment that's a lot more functional and, dare I say, stylish than the government-issued gear.

In that vein, Massif Mountain Gear, the Ashland, Oregon-based company that currently supplies the Army with its high-speed "combat shirt" (a hybrid shirt/jacket that incorporates a lightweight, moisture-wicking, fire-resistant torso with ACU-like fire-resistant sleeves), hooked me up with one of their "Elements" jackets and a set of their Hotjohns underlayer garments.

First, the Elements jacket.

Let me put it this way, it ain't the sexiest thing on the block. The tactical model Massif sent me had some cool accoutrements - it was in a coyote tan color, had a large, bellows pocket on one sleeve and an aviator-style pocket on the other. But by and large the jacket is pretty cut and dried.

Made of DuPont Nomex III, the Elements jacket is intended to withstand the kind of flash burns many troops (and embedded reporters) face on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. And the folks at Massif clearly know what they're doing when it comes to fire-resistant garments since they're also oriented toward the forest fire-fighting set.

In the cooler weather of the Iraq winter, I found the Elements jacket plenty warm. Its fleecy interior was comfortable, but I gotta say, it was a little bulky for my taste, inhibiting the kind of layering I like to normally do. Massif says the Elements has an abrasion-resistant and water-repellant exterior. I never tested the jacket in a downpour because I just didn't trust it to stave off the moisture. It's abrasion-resistant enough, but it's no Shoeller Dryskin.

One other nitpicky problem I had was the lack of ventilation. If the jacket's going to be as thick as it is (I'd compare it almost to a 300 weight fleece … let's call it a 250 weight) then throw in some pit zips and/or some widely gusseted cuffs. I couldn't roll up my sleeves or air out my underarms when the heat of a foot patrol built up.

To be honest, and I know the truly helpful folks from Massif are going to be disappointed in this, I might leave my Elements jacket back home on my next embed and opt for a simple flight suit. Unless you're going to be in very cold weather for a while or are cold-blooded by nature, the Elements is almost too much of a good thing. Like I said, I'm a layer-er and the Elements was too bulky for that.

But one item I will definitely not leave behind is my set of Hotjohns. A next-to-skin fire-resistant pair of long underwear that aren't bulky in the least, not too warm - but still warm enough - and non-binding (they really fit under pants and other layers and don't grab at them at all)? How can you lose? I wore them all the time and was always comfortable (and not too stinky either).

So, I wasn't exactly "on fire" wearing Massif's civilian tactical gear during my month in Iraq this winter … but, hey, wasn't that kind of the point?

Check out Massif Mountain Gear here.

Cold Steel Recon Tanto

Submitted by Steelcobra

Personally, my Cold Steel Recon Tanto served me very well while I was out at Robin Sage as a G. It's a solid knife I used to hammer, cut, pry, break things, and occasionally throw at trees, and it held up beautifully. The edge is nearly impossible to chip, and the protective coating held up to all kinds of abuse. The simple Kraton checked grip ensues confidence that it won't be dropped.

Finally, the stock molded Kydex sheath is tough, and the friction grips let you carry it around camp unstrapped without fear of it falling out.

While Cold Steel's site says $115, I got mine at the Clothing Sales shop for $50.

Check out the Cold Steel Recon Tanto here

Nite Ize MagLite upgrades

Submitted by Alan

Nite Ize (niteize.com) makes at least one push-button tailcap for AA Maglites, along with 1-watt LED upgrades.

REI carries a combo of the "IQ switch" and LED (item 760026) for $20:

They also have a simple switch and LED combo (item 737322) for $9 and the plain IQ switch for $8 (item 743038).

Note that the IQ switch might not be suitable for military use; it includes a low-power blinking LED in the replacement tailcap. I didn't see a non-illuminated alternative on their website.

ED -- Alan, Thanks for the info.  Items # 737322 and 743038 from the REI catalog appear to be Nite Ize products, and given the numerous products Nite Ize offers, I'd seriously recommend skipping the middleman and going straight to them for your maglite upgrades.

Check out Nite Ize here