gear review

Recently at a Midwest waterfowl show, I saw the new Lucky Duck 4 Slot Motion Backpack and I was amazed at the attention it drew.  Hardly a single person walked by without handling, exploring, commenting, and eventually buying one of three versions. 

I’ve fired several hundred rounds of buckshot and slugs through my Benelli M4 equipped with the Aridus QD-C side saddle, and shells have never come loose or even shifted in place. The QD-C carrier is as premium as it looks. It’s war-ready, and while some might say it’s over-engineered, I say it’s a buy once cry once affair.

s I reacclimate myself to the jungle, a forgotten bit of wisdom comes back to me. Very underrated as a tactical necessity, the time is now to start training with gloves on. Yes, even in the woods. Perhaps especially in the woods.

During my deep dive into the flashlight world, I discovered a relatively new brand AceBeam (est. 2014). The name kept showing up on forums and a friend mentioned they were excellent lights, so I had to try them out. They offer a wide variety of flashlights for any situation from diving to hunting and anything in between.

These combat grade flip flops are ones I can highly recommend. If you prefer partial nudity for your toes but don’t wanna be completely lacking, TEVA is the weapon of choice.

Tru-Spec, prior to this review, I would have called a medium brand. They aren’t Chinesium airsoft pants that will fall apart in a spin cycle, but also not Uber Gucci snobby kid tactical grade. In fact, I bought my stuff for personal use, it was never supposed to be a review. But when my package arrived, I decided I had to get the word out. 

Generally speaking, I am a fan of inside the waistband carry for real concealment. And across the years, Cross Breed has absolutely been my leather of choice. But, sometimes IWB isn’t the best answer. So I do like to have an OWB option laying around, especially for summertime carry.

If you have ever trained with me or read this column often, you know that I have been famously against mag loaders for years.

An avid rifle hunter switches teams, flinging arrows in the late season. Read about his steep learning curve and follow him on this adventure!