OT: Gear and Tools Used by SURVIVORS!

Silver Needle said:
Hey guys, I'm a pack dummy... especially with Justin's favorite brands, but what makes that KHARD over $400? The materials?

I read the features on their website, is it all that goes into weight reduction that makes it so special.
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It's not just the materials.

Arc'teryx is generally pushing the limits and technologies used in that market segment. Part of the cost is developing these new things, the colours and materials, the various technologies, and often with Arc'teryx and in particular in the LEAF line, products are made in the USA or Canada. Lifetime warranty for it's practical lifetime. You have to pay an early adopter fee as well. You will find the little features are just right. Every little detail is gone into, and the craftsmanship is second to none. There are never lose threads that the stitching is unlocked and coming out, crooked seams, nothing like that. When you get used to their quality, nothing else will do. That's why I don't use my Hazard 4 stuff. It was way better than the Maxpedition stuff I upgraded from, but not Arc'teryx. Think of it like Survive! vs something crappy compared but still works well. Arc'teryx factory seconds at their outlet store are usually flawless, it tells you where the flaw is but most still can't find it, and it's very much like Guy in that respect.

Customer support is also superb. When my pack arrived, I went out to test it really well. It's from the initial shipment. I loaded it down with my chest rig, tons of 5.56, ifak, everything. I am picky, and two thing bugged me. One, there was no pad on the hip belt. Second, the velcro ties to retain the extra strapping material was the croc colour. So I called support, and they put aside a set of keepers in black, after custom cutting them for me, and took a set of hip pads off another model pack that would fit and put them at the front desk as well. The next day I picked those items up and added them to my pack. I bought a set of YKK Tri-bar adjusters to lock the hip pads in place, and it looks and works like factory. It's now a perfect pack for me.

All my LEAF Jackets were made very close to where I work. I actually work about 1 minute from the Arc'teryx head office, and the outlet store. So a Alpha SV from the civilian line is going to run $679 made in China. And the LEAF version which is very similar, but uses a different face fabric which is more durable, does not have the shiny logo, different cut and hood, but not crazy different is about $750. I'm happy to pay a premium to keep the work in North America.
 
Ok...so I agree that that arcteryx stuff is good. I have a set of multcam rain gear and the cld weather stuff that goes under it. It was issued to me. It is a $900+ set of gear. Its nice for sure. It costs that much because its made in batches and all of the spec ops units use it. So the government is buying it under contract, so arcteryx can charge out the yingyang for it. And once a seal team or delta or ground branch or SAS uses your gear there will always be a bunch of people in the private sector that will buy it becuase those units use it. I also have crye precision pants and combat shirts that are like $250 a piece. Also nice gear. Too hot in the summer in my opinion but... Same reason as arcteryx when it comes to the cost.
 
Guess this means I should get another harness from them before they disappear! Love those things!
 
I'm a civilian and weekend warrior wannabe with a bothersome herniated disk in my lower back. Therefore what was absolutely essential in my case was to find a backpack which had the best weight distribution mechanism and set up atop my hip bones and around the waist. Arc'teryx's revolutionary and patented rotating hip belt mechanism in their Altra model was my ticket. LEAF Echo, Khard and their tactical backpacks are great but they serve a different purpose for you the younger gunslingers. Years of abusing my body through sports / activities by not maintaining proper form when I was young, finally started to catch up with me circa when I hit 50 a few years back. Take great care of your back and your knees which are your foundation for the ability to stand upright, because otherwise it will happen to you too!
 
Casinostocks said:
Take great care of your back and your knees which are your foundation for the ability to stand upright, because otherwise it will happen to you too!
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I'm turning 36 and it's already happened to me. But I'm still young enough to take a beating :) I'll rest when I'm dead.
 
JustinFournier said:
I'm turning 36 and it's already happened to me. But I'm still young enough to take a beating :) I'll rest when I'm dead.
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Yeah, yeah, young pup! I have heard this many times and I used to say it myself! The wake up call for me was when I had to provide care for my elderly mother last year when she went through her left knee replacement, from start to finish. NOT FUN, I tell Ya ;)
 
I won't have to worry about that. I've seen my mom a handful of times since I was 10-11. My kids won't have to either. There will be bionic limbs by the time I'll need them. I'll just order a new back off Amazon.
 
Watched the video and it makes sense for the market, call me a dork for wanting blue/forest green/BLAZE orange :) the civilian line color scheme with the more up-tac features would be ideal!
 
These are my two day packs I use for various things. The Filson/Burton is more of my bob and the camelback is for day hiking. I also have an osprey Aether 70 for backpacking
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Very cool video. From only having looked at the packs on the arc'teryx website I thought they were a company like Osprey or Mountainsmith who specialize in very untactical and lightweight outdoor stuff.
 
JustinFournier said:
Blaze orange is s culture all its own. Not sure how many Law enforcement or armed forces would be buying!!
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Haha I probably meant more of a burnt hunter orange, and only as a highlight color to help spot your gear or as an inner lining color. I like black but it definitely gives the tacticool vibe. I think at the end of the day I enjoy the tactical features, would just prefer to avoid any stigma as I am clearly not in that line of work and don't wish to give the false impression that I am. Damn if it ain't good gear though!!

Also I just gave a fondness for graphite/green/orange/blue....
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I'd be more on board with wolf grey if it were darker
Silver Needle said:
Very cool video. From only having looked at the packs on the arc'teryx website I thought they were a company like Osprey or Mountainsmith who specialize in very untactical and lightweight outdoor stuff.
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I would say similar to camelbak, albeit different and probably higher end products.
 
I also have been using that green/orange MH pack as a range bag recently. Works pretty well for now
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Silver Needle said:
Very cool video. From only having looked at the packs on the arc'teryx website I thought they were a company like Osprey or Mountainsmith who specialize in very untactical and lightweight outdoor stuff.
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Arc'teryx was the original company. Very outdoors, lots of bright colours. My wife has bright pink and blue shells and mid-layers. Very not tactical. More like the opposite.

They spawned another entity known as Arc'tertx LEAF. Law Enforcement Armed Forces. That's the arm of the company that does the mil gear.

To be honest, the main reason I wouldn't sell the gear I have is not that I am a hoarder (quite the opposite actually), but that almost all of it was purchased through industry discount and I would consider it in poor form to try and profit from that. I think there is even an end user agreement with it somewhere, but a gentleman's agreement, not a written contract.

redwood22,

I'm not mil either, just did some contracting and 1 year in the Middle East, but I have never had any issues with wearing the gear here nor people giving it a second look. The wolf is grey enough and with the clean cut style, just looks like any other shell.

Obviously the multi-cam has only been worn in appropriate situations. I've never rocked it at the grocery store. Most of the Arc'teryx stuff does not look tactical really, they use small daisy chains etc rather than pals webbing.
 
I'm not mil or leo, although I work for one of them. But I work the s*** out of PALS gear. Darn handy invention, IMO. And heckuva reinforcement for packs, if done well. 5.11 packs with PALS has had the most useful config for me, and I have all sorts of stuff attached to my RUSH 24 or 12 daily. Casualty kit, medicine kit, Hazard4 glasses cases, Fenix light, etc. Just darn handy.

Have a couple of Nalgene bottle carriers MOLLEd to my Maxp Condor that are darn handy, too. I use PALS webbing a lot.
 
redwood22 said:
I also have been using that green/orange MH pack as a range bag recently. Works pretty well for now
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I keep forgetting to check one of those packs out! I personally prefer subtle looking gear like that and that color combo is perfect.
 
Not exactly gear, but......... does anyone recommend any survival or bushcraft books? I've seen books by Nessmuk, Kochanski and Canterbury all on amazon.

Any of those you like or dislike?
 
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