First, let me qualify this: I am no Delta operative, Chris Costa, Chuck Norris, or Jerry Miculek, just someone voicing his opinion.
What I have been noticing is a lot of people moving toward the HSLD, or High Speed, Low Drag sort of equipment when they are looking for options for their personal gear, survival kits, range toys, and end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it whizbangs. Some of these include things like kydex holsters, low-profile chest rigs, open-top mag holders, 3-day or smaller packs, etc. Now, all these things are well and good, and do make shooting slightly faster and much easier. But here is the problem I see with these if you are making them for surival/resistance/extended outdoor use: They might not be conducive to extended stays in crappy weather.
You see, I hail from the northwest corner of Oregon, and as an outdoorsman and hiker with a bit of search-and-rescue experience, so I am no stranger to surviving in pouring rain or snowy environments. When I buy my gear, I tend to think, "If I had to take this outside for a week or more, how would it do?" And the way I see it, not all the popular gear is well-suited for long stays in the wet and cold. The most obvious to me are A) how well would my weapons hold up to constant moisture? B) will my holster hold or attract water? C) is my pack capable of holding enough food/water/ammo to keep me supplied for a longer duration, and do I have the supplies I need? D) how does my clothing deal with moisture and heat retention?
To answer my own questions, my rifle is a Smith and Wesson M&P 15 with a Troy TRX Vtac rail and Vortex SPARC optic. The whole combination has held up well so far, but I do have some concerns on how the rifle deals with long-term exposure. My pistol is a Beretta 92a1, which has proven pretty reliable, but can be finicky. That could be improved upon. I am currently shopping for a holster, so that's in the works, and my pack is an 85 liter REI Mars in subdued greens and greys that fits my 3 liter camelback. My clothing is woodland MARPAT and surplus wool, but for bad weather, subdued rain gear is still in the works.
I know this is a very lengthy and specialized thread, and is of little use to warm weather climates, but I hope you like it, and remember to take it with a grain of salt. This is my own opinion only, and I want to draw attention to something people don't often talk about. Thanks for reading!
What I have been noticing is a lot of people moving toward the HSLD, or High Speed, Low Drag sort of equipment when they are looking for options for their personal gear, survival kits, range toys, and end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it whizbangs. Some of these include things like kydex holsters, low-profile chest rigs, open-top mag holders, 3-day or smaller packs, etc. Now, all these things are well and good, and do make shooting slightly faster and much easier. But here is the problem I see with these if you are making them for surival/resistance/extended outdoor use: They might not be conducive to extended stays in crappy weather.
You see, I hail from the northwest corner of Oregon, and as an outdoorsman and hiker with a bit of search-and-rescue experience, so I am no stranger to surviving in pouring rain or snowy environments. When I buy my gear, I tend to think, "If I had to take this outside for a week or more, how would it do?" And the way I see it, not all the popular gear is well-suited for long stays in the wet and cold. The most obvious to me are A) how well would my weapons hold up to constant moisture? B) will my holster hold or attract water? C) is my pack capable of holding enough food/water/ammo to keep me supplied for a longer duration, and do I have the supplies I need? D) how does my clothing deal with moisture and heat retention?
To answer my own questions, my rifle is a Smith and Wesson M&P 15 with a Troy TRX Vtac rail and Vortex SPARC optic. The whole combination has held up well so far, but I do have some concerns on how the rifle deals with long-term exposure. My pistol is a Beretta 92a1, which has proven pretty reliable, but can be finicky. That could be improved upon. I am currently shopping for a holster, so that's in the works, and my pack is an 85 liter REI Mars in subdued greens and greys that fits my 3 liter camelback. My clothing is woodland MARPAT and surplus wool, but for bad weather, subdued rain gear is still in the works.
I know this is a very lengthy and specialized thread, and is of little use to warm weather climates, but I hope you like it, and remember to take it with a grain of salt. This is my own opinion only, and I want to draw attention to something people don't often talk about. Thanks for reading!
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