"Tactical gear"

Well, golly gee, Melancholy... don't hide behind innuendo and hyperbole... just come right out and say what's on your mind... :D
 
My wife just got me a Mont Blanc pen....it's black. Does that make it "tactical".:)
Wait a minute, my Bose stereo is "tactical" graphite gray.
I think I may have a problem......

Paul
 
Good Evening All-

Agreed....the whole "tactical" concept or painting standard consumer goods black or O.D. and calling them "military-grade" is absolutely laughable.

On the other hand, high-quality goods give you a larger "performance cushion" during everyday use. For example, a Pakistani POS can perform 90% of the duties of our Busses, Microtechs, Striders, and Benchmades....but who wants to be in the wilderness when that 10% opportunity of failure materializes?

I'm not military/LE, but this concept of "the best" extends to my firearms, watches, computers, knives, sporting equipment, tools, automobiles, motorcycles, flashlights, camping gear, home-building materials, clothing, and darn near anything else I buy with my hard-earned money. It's not called overspending, it's called making an INVESTMENT.

MelancholyMutt is right on target in this thread....

Regards,

~ Blue Jays ~
 
I agree with you that Pens are especially ridiculous.
I have some appreciation for a quality watch, but the $30 Casio I've been wearing for the last 5 years totally fills my needs.

As for the flashlights, maybe you gotta have some appreciation of the gadgetry of it all, but IMHO SureFires are worth the price ya pay... your Photo Microlight might do the job when all you need to do is fish keys out of your glove compartment, but some of us need a serious flashlight a bit more powerful than that. I just ordered a SureFire 6P which should be arriving next week that I have every intention of using heavily in my High-School Drama Tech-Crew endeavors, which include everything from script reading, to navigating backstage in the dark, to wiring the sound booth (where the wire box lives 3 feet underground, hidden under an immovable table).

and speaking of which, waddya say we go back and define "tactical", since alot of the marketers can't seem to. I've heard all too many foolish individuals insinuate that tactical immediately corresponds to "combat" or "fighting", which I perceive to (in some cases) be the anti-tactical. To me a tactical whatever-it-is is a device that should be excellent in almost any role that tool is intended to cover, a tactical knife shouldn't be something like a Spyderco Gunting, designed specifically for combat and good for little else, but something like a BK&T Combat/Utility 7, sharp enough to slice open chip bags with ease, strong enough to pry boards or chop off Buick rooves, weighted adequate for light slicing, and... oh by the way, if combat should occur, it's got 7" of clip point goodness which is more than anyone needs to eliminate an imminent dangerous threat. To me, that's a tactical, it cannot be exclusive or even semi-exclusive to any one task, that's a specialty knife (which certainly has it's place in the world), not a tactical.

So take that knife-based microcosm and then expand and apply it to anything...

This leads me back to pens being silly, a pen is designed for one thing, writing... so I'd have a very easy time arguing my 15 cent Bic is a "TACTICAL!", hehe, maybe I can sell it to someone at school for a dollar :D
 
Good Evening All-

Another funny thing about "tactical" or "military-grade" is that it is a product that was likely made by the lowest bidder for the contract! :D

That said, I still prefer "overbuilt" products for everyday service. Spend money now and amortize your purchases over a much longer usable lifespan.

~ Blue Jays ~
 
Originally posted by Blue Jays

Another funny thing about "tactical" or "military-grade" is that it is a product that was likely made by the lowest bidder for the contract! :D

~ Blue Jays ~
Click to expand...

This is why I laugh every time I run across a "what do they" thread about the military.

I stuffed my personal down bag in the issue liner. Used my own internal frame pack. Found a decent pad (back in the rubber bitch days) etc. Just about anything the military issues can easily be surpassed in the civilian market.

Low bid. "Grunt" proof. &tc.
 
Originally posted by YoungCutter
I just ordered a SureFire 6P which should be arriving next week that I have every intention of using heavily in my High-School Drama Tech-Crew endeavors, which include everything from script reading, to navigating backstage in the dark, to wiring the sound booth (where the wire box lives 3 feet underground, hidden under an immovable table).

:D
Click to expand...

Forget it Kid.Use a mini maglight for the reading in the dark stuff and save Your eye sight.The back flash from hi powered light will blind You.tom.;)
 
Let me just say that you are in the
dark ( pun intended ;)) as to the Spyderco Gunting ; Martial Blade Craft ( for which it is DESIGNED )
doesn't necessitate it's use as a "combat" knife. Quite the contrary,
the Gunting's "horn" ( protrusion
atop the blade ) is used for the so-called "kinetic opening";) and for striking at "pressure points" as
in with the yawara stick. No real slicing & dicing here. But the blade's there in case you need it.
GREAT MBC "device", if ya' ask me!

AET ;)
 
If a particular piece of gear is suited to your needs and you are satisfied with it, then why would it be considered silly or ridiculous?

Paul
 
Many of the newer "tactical" goodies will not stand "the test of time". Only after a product has proven itself will it find itself classed as a "standard". Among these "tactical" standards are:
Knives...The Spyderco Clip-its
Buck Folding Hunters
Swiss Army Knives
...And at the risk of being flamed, the CRK Sebenzas.
These knives (among others) have proven themselves to be reliable and are "standards" of the industry.

Flashlights...Mag-light
Sure-Fire
Arc
Inova
Streamlight
Say what you will, Mag is still the standard by which all others are judged. The newcomers are showing great promise.

Pens...Maybe not "tactical" to many, but still an everyday item that many have come to rely on.
Fisher
Mont Blanc
Bic
Just a few of the more commonly named brands. Some have proven themselves by performance. Others by craftsmanship or price point. It is purely up to the individual as to what they need/want in a writing instrument.

Watches...This is the one that you will find the widest margin of quality and price.
Rolex
Omega
Seiko
Citizen
Invicta
Timex
Casio
Sinn
Many great brands, many price points. With few exceptions you get what you pay for. Some require functions that others do not. You have mechanicals, quartz, analog, digital, and combinations. Only you can decide which is right for you.

The term "tactical" can and does mean different things to different people. Only by experience do we truly find what works for us.

Paul
 
A Burger King talking Homer Simpson
watch that crows "Mmmm Burger!" when you push the "non-tactical" plastic
red button!;) If we recall the Simpson episode where Homer was drilling Bart about he could become
a Chief Justice like Warren Berger..

Mmmmmm Burger!

AET ;)
 
Clothes:

Pants: Royal Robbins 5.11 Tactical Pants

These are the best pants I have found. Absolutly fabulous! I love the accessory pocket, because it gives me a place for my light. And the other pockets give me room for all my "tactical" stuff, without looking too much like BDUs.

Shirt: Any polo shirt, dark blue or black preffered :)

Flashlights: (oh boy, may as well sit back for this one, or read Candle Power Forums)

Surefire M2 in the accessory pocket of the 5.11 pants
Streamlight Ultrastinger in the car, home, office
Streamlight Scorpion in the house as backup

Firearms:

Belt open carry: H&K USP .40, with night sites
ammo for H&K USP: Winchester Ranger SXT (formerly known as black talon)
pocket in 5.11 pants: Keltec P32 .32ACP with S&B FMJ

Knife: S&W Special Tactical Tanto. Surprislingly good tanto chisel grind, soon to be replaced by a Emerson Commander and Benchmade 722SBT.

PDA: Handspring Visor 8mb, with Magellan GPS springboard module.

Radios:

/\/\otorola MTS2000 800mhz for trunking public safety (all the time)
Motorola HT1000 UHF for Ham and public safety
Yaesu VX-5R tri-band Ham radio for ham and public safety (sometimes, if field entry is a must)

and for the pocket, a super thin Alinco DJ-C5T dual band ham radio for short range public safety and ham bands. Uses lithium ion battery, 300mW, so great for emergency usage.

Body Armor: Paca Level II body armor, sometimes, soon to be Second Chance Ultima.

sunglasses: Ray Bans, love 'em.

Other gadgets:

Safariland retention holster for H&K USP.
Safariland handcuff and magazine holster.
cellphone
spare cr123 batteries
surveillance microphone / earpiece kit for Motorola radios

Now do I carry this stuff on me all the time? Not really, but when I plan on being out all day and am not sure what I'll run into, then I carry most of it.

My EDC stuff is:

Surefire M2
H&K USP .40 in Safariland holster
Keltec P32 .32 in pocket holster
S&W handcuffs (blued) and extra H&K USP magazine in Safariland Holster
S&W tanto knife (soon to be BM and Commander)
Ray Ban sunglasses
MTS2000 800mhz
cellphone

some ham radio

I guess thats why people call me recontech :)
 
ReconTech-

The radios you use look interesting. I'm going to have to do a GOOGLE search to get more information about them. Radios are something about which I've become fascinated...especially GMRS. One of the better sites I've heard about is Bill's 2-Way.

Can you comment about with which law-enforcement agency you're affiliated? Your gear strikes me as top-rate...beyond government-grade "tactical" in most instances! :cool:

Regards,

~ Blue Jays ~
 
Thanks for the compliment...and you are absolutly right, that is all my personal gear. And actually I left out a few things, was fairly sleepy when I typed that up. I have some Proline Textile gloves that I purchased from Actiongear and I am thrilled with them. They almost heat my hand up they work so well, yet are so unobstrusive that I can punch in the little buttons on my handheld radios.

If you are interrested in radios, I strongly suggest you look into Amateur Radio, there is some good information at EHam and Qrz. With amateur radio, the possibilities are limitless, and you can use it worldwide. Much better than GMRS and FRS. Besides, a good ham radio such as a Yaesu VX-5R and VX-7R, can do "out of band" such as conventional public safety, air bands, some shortwave, and FRS/GMRS.

For motorola radios, check out Batlabs and read about the MTS2000 model. That is one of their top trunking handhelds. The HT1000 is in the same series, great for conventional radio useage.
 
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