About
My goal: To present accurate, unbiased information so that users can make better-informed decisions about gear, weapons and equipment before they buy. Having lots of good, clear photos helps.
This site started was established on 04.10.01, and started out as a mixture of picture galleries of gear, weapons, uniforms etc. As more people started visiting the site looking for more information and asking me about the items pictured, I added brief descriptions under the photos. I then started writing short reviews of the equipment I had used, which grew into full-length product reviews.
Where did the term ‘military moron’ come from? Well, my cousin Fi referred to her husband Allan and I as ‘military morons’. He had been in the British military (RAF Regiment 3 Sqn) and explained that if you talk about military stuff all the time even when you’re at work (in the military), you’re called a ‘military moron’. Since that visit, her husband and I referred to each other as MMs. I thought it was a funny term, so it stuck. No disrespect is meant to the Military - quite the contrary.
This site is dedicated to my friends and family, and of course to the men and women who serve in the military and law enforcement who like to share info on the latest and greatest gear for their work, and who put their lives on the line for the rest of us. Some people have emailed me asking about the significance of the British flag on the front page of the site. It’s there simply because I was born in England (which I’ll always hold near and dear), and have made the United States my home.
I also coined the word ‘geardo’ in June of 2002 on an Assaultweb.net thread to describe someone who had an inkling for Cordura and webbing, as I didn’t like the term ‘gear queer’. The term stuck somewhat and is currently in use by…geardos. It’s been expanded to include any person who has an avid interest in gear or kit; specifically the equipment related to an activity, be it military or civilian. Similar to a ‘gadget junkie’.
I am not in law enforcement, nor have I served in the military, nor an ‘expert’ on anything (except, hopefully, my job) - I’m just an average working civilian with an affinity since childhood for the outdoors and shooting. So, I channel that interest into this website, and also work with manufacturers on equipment design and product photography in the industry as part of my hobby.
For a real job, working in the defense industry (for the past 15 years) allows me to contribute to the defense of our country the best way I’m qualified for. All these cool weapons and technology, planes, tanks, night vision gear, thermal imagers, communications etc are developed, designed and tested by us engineers, scientists and geeks who dedicate our careers and working lives to ensuring that our warfighters have the most advanced and effective equipment to make their already tough lives a bit safer. When you call in that air strike out in the middle of nowhere on an enemy postion or look at your GPS receiver to figure out where you are, faceless people like me helped make that possible. We’re your support on the hardware end.
But having this site allows me to contribute on a more personal level. I do learn from and pass along some of the knowledge and experience of the good friends who HAVE been there/done that, whose opinions I trust, but I’ll be sure to state that they’re not MY personal experience if I mention them. The opinions expressed on this site are mine, and unless otherwise mentioned, are based on my limited civilian/personal experience with the items I review, so bear that in mind when reading the writeups. That experience is limited to civilian activities over the years like backpacking, camping, hiking, shooting, running etc. And even so, my own experiences in those areas are limited with nothing really out of the ordinary worth mentioning.
I do try to use all the items that I review as much as possible. Some questions I can answer, about fit, form and function (like, this pouch fits two M4 mags). But some others, like long term durability or functionality in the field, are difficult to determine without extended field use under conditions by someone who does it for a living (not me). Wherever possible, I obtain specifications and information directly from manufacturers, and I strive for accuracy in presenting that information. I do not know anything about tactics, and don’t make recommendations about use of items outside my limited lane. If you don’t like my reviews or don’t think I’m qualified to write about the items, just ignore the text and look at the pretty pictures. It’s just an average Joe’s personal opinion, and since everyone’s different, yours might very well be different. So use your own judgement when figuring out if something fits your needs - don’t rely on my opinion alone.
Oh, and for those of you who’ve asked why all the faces are blanked out, it’s to spare the visitor from looking at my ugly mug. Enjoy, and thanks for visiting.