OT: Gear and Tools Used by SURVIVORS!

Now back to the scheduled programing, a more down to Earth tarp & hammock setup:

[video=youtube;Cc6jprsKYmQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc6jprsKYmQ[/video]
 
Hangloose hammocks Hawaii make great hammocks. I like them over my eagles nest, and the owners are great people.
I love their grocery bags made from parachutes as well ;)
 
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Thanks casino, I love Mike's videos, surprised I hadn't seen that. He has one of his three day adventures recorded too. He spent that in a hammock.
 
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If I absolutely had to spend a few days in the woods with only one other guy, then it would have to be Mike from MCQ, as much as I luv all you guys on here.

Yup, I'm a heart breaker :D
 
Casinostocks said:
If I absolutely had to spend a few days in the woods with only one other guy, then it would have to be Mike from MCQ, as much as I luv all you guys on here.

Yup, I'm a heart breaker :D
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I'd love to hang out with Jack and Aaron from Blackscout Survival and Gideon's Tactical, respectively.
 
Anyone have experience with Spec Ops packs?

Again, I'm not really looking for recommendations on buying a pack, I'm just curious about this company because I've never handled their products.
 
Their packs are tough as old nails. I have three. Their T.H.E. Pack is LARGE. I'm pretty sure I could put my Maxped Condor inside it, stuffed, and have room to spare. There aren't a lot of dividers inside the pockets, though, so it is like several sacks connected that your stuff can just all be dropped in. I would not consider it an EDC pack. Also, for comfort, if you're going to fill it to capacity, you're going to want to buy one of the back stiffeners. I got the one that goes inside with aluminum stays. It greatly enhances comfort. But you won't get any help from the hip belt. It is purely a stabilizer belt, IMO.

I have two of their ALICE clones. If they would produce some kind of backboard for that pack, it would be my all-time favorite ruck for things like hunting (I've used one extensively for this, and that's why I have two), day-hiking, pretty much anything except middle-distance backpacking, or winter backpacking. To really get the most out of it, without a back stiffener, you'll need either an ALICE frame, or a Down East frame. They're the guys that make the external frame for the now-defunct (I think) MOLLE pack system for the military.

In summary, their packs are about as bulletproof as they come, unless you're paying almost an order of magnitude more. BUT, to get the most out of them, IMO, you're going to have to do a little work to get some accessory pieces, and use some inventiveness, perhaps. I made the stiffener for one of my SO ALICE clones out of the thickest piece of plexiglass I could find, cut down so that it would fit inside the pack in a slip-pocket area it has. It works like a champ. Another reason I have two of them. One with the plexiglass, one on a DEi frame.
 
Sweet, thanks, man!!!

Their THE EDC pack really appeals to me. I like the size and materials and attention to detail and features and toughness.

How have your packs done with water? They're one of the few companies in that price range that don't make a big deal about their Dupont Teflon super duper coating on the cordura.
 
My THE pack hasn't had a lot of exposure to rain. Like none.

My ALICE clone pack, the one I hunt with, has been exposed to snow, sleet, mist, light rain, and has been fine. The contents have stayed dry. When I've been out in heavy rain, I have always thrown the tail of my poncho over it, so I can't vouch for heavy rain. It has a coating on the inside. Not really a liner. And not the high-vis of the THE pack. Just a coating.

I can't say that I've watched rain and water bead up on it. But I can say that it doesn't absorb deer blood. I hiked out with a field-dressed doe over my shoulders, about a mile of her draining on my pack, back, and rifle. And the blood just dusted off... Over time. No stains. That's the best I can tell you. I don't think I'd recommend hiking in medium to heavy rain with any of them without a rain cover or poncho.
 
Dude, you are awesome! I love that type of specific feedback based on real experience.

You're not helping me talk myself out of a pack I don't need, but that's not your fault :D
 
Silver Needle said:
Dude, you are awesome! I love that type of specific feedback based on real experience.

You're not helping me talk myself out of a pack I don't need, but that's not your fault :D
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I'm not awesome. Just older, and have some experience that I don't mind sharing. Look at what you need a pack to do, and choose based on that. The ALICE clone is not a good EDC pack, IMO. A good overnight or three, absolutely. It has lots of extra strap length to strap things like ridgerests or tent/bivys under the top fold. I've used it on day hikes... But honestly, it was overkill. What I really like about it is the external pockets. It is great for organization, and being able to find stuff in reduced lighting. Like when you just made a shot at the end of shooting hours, and now need to dig out your light to try to see if there's a blood trail.

The THE pack doesn't fit great into my uses, yet. Mainly because the stuff i would use it for I have other packs that aren't worn out yet. I happened on it at a fantastic reduction, and jumped on it. I don't regret it, but it has more useful days ahead of it, I certainly hope.

Texas_toothpick said:
Any suggestions on an external frame?
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External frame pack? Or external frame for an ALICE or clone?

I haven't used an external frame except some with the ALICE clone Spec Ops. It is a bit of a toss up which is better feeling, the USGI frame or a Down East. If you get a Down East, I forgot to mention earlier that the best use of it is to look online for a surplus MOLLE pack belt kit. It attaches up nicely to a DEI frame, and actually allows you to carry some weight on your hips with an ALICE or Spec Ops clone.

If a whole pack... I haven't seen much available external-wise in a few years other than a Kelty. But I've always heard great things about them. If I were going for an external frame for backpack camping, a Kelty is the way I'd go. They aren't perfect, but they work well. But I've got enough ALICEs and frames and the MOLLE belts to not need another external pack.
 
Texas_toothpick said:
Any suggestions on an external frame?
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As painful as an ALICE pack can be, they're certainly serviceable. Some foam padding taped underneath the shoulder straps and some more fitted in front of the crossbar of the frame help a lot.

I always wanted to try a Hellcat modded ALICE to see if it took a bit of torment off the shoulders but then I got an ILBE and Halftrack and I don't think I'll ever need to worry about a new pack again.
 
Those both look really good grogimus. I really like the looks of that halftrack. It's making me rethink my BOB w/ AR setup.

rockspyder said:
What I really like about it is the external pockets. It is great for organization, and being able to find stuff in reduced lighting.
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I really like packs with organization for exactly that. Use one long enough and you know where everything is even in the pitch black. It becomes part of you almost with enough use. Also, you are too humble sir. Good information.
 
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