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I’m proud to present my latest collaborative effort – the MM/EMDOM USA 6o4 PIstol Mag Pouch.

The problem I found with single mag pouches was that they took up a lot of real estate on a rig (unless stacked on top of other pouches) and since they were spread out (on my bib, side etc), reloads weren’t as quick as there I sometimes found myself fumbling to ‘find’ a pouch with a full mag after just a couple of reloads. Lack of proper training, no doubt.

The EMDOM CQB pistol mag pouch which holds two .45 single stack mags was a step in the direction of making better usage of PALS real estate. Even so, I felt that the idea of consolidating some of the pistol mags into one area had merit, as such a pouch wouldn’t take up so much space and reduce the ‘fumbling’ around for mags, since all reloads would be from the same general area.

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The SPRE sling mount from TAG Industries is pretty much the lowest profile sling plate you can get.

Machined out of 6061 T6 aluminum and finished with type III mil-spec hard anodizing, all edges have been rounded off to prevent wear to the webbing or scrapes to the user. The slot is designed to be used with TAG’s ASP slings, which use 1″ wide webbing.

Installation was a snap – took a few minutes to replace the DD ambi sling plate I had on there. Important for a lefty is the clearance to the forward assist. The slot is positioned as low as possible to minimize interference with the forward assist. I don’t use slings of any kind anymore, but my own strap that connects to my rig.

The weapon-side connector is a simple loop of webbing that goes through the sling plate. Since the SPRE-L was designed for a single thickness of webbing, I had a tough time getting my own connector through, which was a double thickness, but most people won’t have that problem. I was able to get it through, though, and make it work. I prefer it to the ambi Daniel Defense plate that I had on there, as it’s lower profile and I don’t have the uneeded loop on the left side of the receiver sticking out when I sweep the charging handle tac-latch with the knife-edge of my hand.

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Orc Industries will be ending their production run of the PCU L4 and L5 items (another company is continuing the contract), and are introducing their alternative, dubbed the Modified Combat Uniform (MCU).

Orc’s MCU L4 and L5 evolved from their PCU line, with a few minor changes, and will be offered to both Military personnel and civilians. PCU was not available in ACU (Universal Pattern), but MCU will be available in both Alpha Green and Universal Pattern (as an alternative to the equivalent ECWCS Gen III items).

Since the MCU items are very similar in design to the previous PCU articles, I’ll focus on the differences, rather than the similarities. Please refer to the ORC PCU review section following this one for more info.

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I’ve mentioned elsewhere on militarymorons.com that I haven’t been a fan of tight-fitting compression wear. Mainly because my experience with such clothing has found them feeling synthetic, too slick, and tight/restrictive.

The Zensah fabric (shirt – 85% Polyamide, 15% Polyester. Shorts – 95% Polyamide, 5″ Elasthan), however, is quite different from what I’ve seen in the past. It’s very soft without feeling ‘slick’, and is extremely stretchy. Very comfortable, and as advertised, really feels like a second skin. It’s also supposed to be ultra-breathable and wicking.

Compression Shirt – The shirt has mesh panels under the arms, at the sides of the hips, and down the middle of the back (you can make them out in the photos). Compression strips/panels are located to provide support for the muscles.

It does feel different from the other compression shirts I’ve used. I have not found a softer, stretchier material in this kind of tactical shirt. It doesn’t bind under the arms or feel restrictive (I wore this while running). I usually run in loose-fitting clothing, as I like to feel airflow.

With the Zensah shirt, I can feel airflow through the fabric as the mesh panels do aid in cooling. I also noticed that the compression panels keep my flab from jiggling as I ran – haha. The wicking ability of the fabric is helped by having full contact at all areas. Can’t wick sweat away if it’s not touching your skin. Definitely the most comfortable compression shirt I’ve used to date. It’s now available in V-neck style in Ranger Green and Tan.

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I really enjoyed the challenging hike that I did a few times last year in the fall (see the Kifaru Express and Footwear2 pages), and wanted to try doing it in the winter.

I asked ‘Brando’ if he wanted to do it, and he said ‘Sure, sounds like fun’. However, bad weather conditions or prior commitments prevented us from going in the dead of winter (probably a good thing). We’ve had a lot of rain this season, and fresh snow would have made it quite treacherous, so I waited for a weekend where it hadn’t snowed in a week or so to give it a chance to pack and harden.

This relatively strenuous hike is approximately 7 miles round trip starting out at an elevation of about 6000′ with the summit a little over 10,000′. The weather can change very quickly and be quite different at the summit than lower down.

Part of my motivation for these hikes is to try out different gear, of course, and see how it performs. Here’s a list of some of the gear I brought along that’s featured elsewhere on this site:

• Zensah tactical tights and tactical mock turtleneck, skull cap and neck gaiter.
• OrcInd PCU Level 5 Pants (no longer available) and OrcInd MCU Level 5 jacket (virtually identical to their PCU L5 jacket).
• TADgear soft shell hoodie
• Insport PCU L3 half-zip pullover (I brought this along but never broke it out)
• Hanwag Mountain Light boots from Lathrop and Sons, and Smartwool socks
• Kifaru Express pack, with 100oz bladder, food, small med and emergency kit etc.
• Revision Sawfly glasses
• High Speed Gear tactical hat

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Kifaru Hoodie. Not too bulky nor thin, Kifaru’s Hoodie is perfect for lounging around and relaxing on a cool evening. 50/50 cotton/poly blend with a soft brushed fleece lining, It’s available in light Khaki with a green Kifaru logo on the left breast and back. Drawstring hood and front handwarmer pocket. I’m wearing a size large (I’m normally a size medium but wanted a more relaxed fit). The Kifaru Rhino patch is also available.

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High Speed Gear’s Tactical Ballcap is the best-fitting cap for my head I’ve worn.

I’ve got a lot of caps, and none of them fit exactly the same. Seemingly minor differences in shape or dimension can make a large difference in how it feels or looks on my head (I’ve got a medium sized hat). Sometimes the cap is too deep, so it overlaps the top of my ears. Sometimes it’s too shallow. Sometimes the brim doesn’t look right etc.

Well, Gene’s cap fit’s my noggin perfectly, and looks good to boot.

It’s an unstructured cap that’s soft and conforms to the shape of the head. There’s no button on top, making it perfect for wear with hearing protector headbands. There are 2″ x 3″ velcro patches on the front and back, and a 1.5″ square on the top. Subdued HSGI logo on the right temple and U.S. flag on the left. The original version of the cap had an elastic strap at the back, which kept the hat snug on the hat. It worked just fine for me, however, some people wanted to be able to adjust the tension. Gene came up with an adjustment for the elastic strap (far right photo) and all new HSGI caps will come with that. I prefer this elastic strap to standard strap backs as the cap stays put in high winds and running around. The cap is available in MultiCam, OD and khaki.

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