Wise words and ally pictures from Rhodesia

Ferreday Rhodesian assault vest and the Rhodesian Army

Ferreday and Sons of Sailsbury, in the former Rhodesia, was the premier maker of tactical equipment to the Rhodesian security forces during the bush war.

Due to the short comings with the standard issue webbing, which was similar to the 58 pattern webbing, the Rhodesian forces began tailoring their own belts as well as taking the better constructed Warsaw Pact chest rigs of dead terrorists. Often buying from ferreday and sons in Salisbury Rhodesia. Some of the foreign volunteers who came from the U.K. Europe and the USA came with their own load bearing kit which was incredibly superior to that of a Rhodesian soldier. 

The Rhodesian forces had a lot of freedom when it came to equipment and clothing in the bush, hence the bush shorts and gym shoes. One soldier in 3 commando RLI wore a top hat into battle adorned with an AA badge. This ended in the mid seventies as the influx of foreign volunteers and media attention drove the Rhodesian forces the adopt a more rigid order of dress, the takkies and veltschoen were gone and boots and trousers were back. 

The load usually carried on a Fireforce mission was generally suited to carrying ammunition and water for short fire fights with quick support from aviation assets. 

For the collector, these vests are hard to source but can be found in online retailers in Zimbabwe or if you're looking for a decent reproduction some Ferreday kit can be found on eBay. 

I thought I'd bring this interesting bit of history back into the light, as I see a lot of similarities between the fighting load carried by a Rhodesian soldier on Fireforce and the new fight light policy being pushed by the Infantry Battle School at Brecon. Tell me what you think and leave a comment on the Blog. 

Remember to read the history of those who fought as well, however doomed the fight may have been - Callum

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This Kit Pest Review article was written by Callum J Bickerton. Hopefully you enjoyed it and if you have any thoughts or comments related to this article then leave a comment! 

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Kylmit Sleeping Pad

Klymit Sleeping Pad  Get it here!

•  Cost: ££££ (£64.16) 
•  Value for Money: 4 
•  Ease of use: 5 
•  Construction: 4 
•  Alliness: 3 

  Over the years I have had a number of different sleeping pads and roll mats. I had always used a foam roll mat of various descriptions but frankly I was not a fan of how bulky they were strapped to the outside of my pack. I once swapped an issue Norwegian shirt for a self-inflating pad with a Canadian soldier. This was a great bit of kit in terms of comfort, but it was really bulky and eventually got a puncture. It was also not quick to put away so a real pain if you got bumped out of a harbour area. 

 As I’ve gotten older the attractiveness of sleeping on the ground has significantly lessened. That said I do still love to camp and hike. So I recently went looking for something new. I wanted something that wasn’t bulky and that I could pack away quickly if I had to. 


  Enter Klymit. This company have a novel approach to sleeping pads. They are of a really bombproof construction and give you a great deal of comfort without being really bulky. First up they are designed to go inside your sleeping bag. This is because a significant amount of your heat loss to the ground is due to the insulation in your sleeping bag being compressed. The Klymit sleeping pads are designed so that your sleeping bag will still loft under and through the pad. Secondly they are of a skeleton design and basically there is only padding where your body needs support. 

  I have two of their models. First up is the Inertia XL. This is the “larger” of the two. It has a built in pillow and a wider sleeping platform. It is shaped for a mummy style sleeping bag so it tapers towards the foot end. This thing is awesome. You blow it up orally at the valve in about 5 breaths and then you can fine tune the firmness with the included pump. Once you undo the valve it deflates in about a second. I use a US sleeping system so I usually put the pad between the bivvy bag and the sleeping bag. Once the air is out of this pad it goes completely flat and you can just stuff it away with the sleeping system. If you were to roll it up into its stuff sack with the included repair kit and hand pump it comes to the size of a wine bottle without the neck. It is very light too weighing in at 476g.

  Next is the Inertia X Frame Recon. This is the super-lightweight option coming in at just 275g. It is significantly more skeletal that the other pad but doesn’t lose any performance as the support is body mapped to where it is needed. This pad inflates in 3 breaths and deflates in just a second too. Just like its bigger brother it comes with a hand pump, a puncture kit and a stuff sack. This pad folds down to the size of a coke can. Just like the other pad you can simply stuff it away with your sleeping bag. 

  To sum up, these are great bits of kit and I would highly recommend them for both soldiers and outdoorsmen. The Klymit brand is highly innovative and I would check out their full range on their website or Odin Tactical stock a good range of Klymit gear.

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This Kit Pest Review was written by Ben OToole. Hopefully you enjoyed it and if you have any thoughts or comments related to this article then leave a comment! 

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The SA80 Carbine

The SA80 carbine

 ....and other SA80 ramblings.

 When the SA80 came to design in the seventies, it was envisioned that it would be a single caliber family of weapons that would replace the multitude of different weapons in an infantry platoon. As well as easing the logistical nightmare of the platoon sergeant by tying all platoon weapons under one caliber. 

 Don't ask me what there plan for the beloved gimpy was because I've no idea. 

 So initially the SA80 was not a great weapon, but that's another story. With the increase of operations in the post gulf war era several capbadges were reporting that the rifle variant of the SA80 wasn't ideal for their role. In the past three previous attempts had been made to create a carbine SA80 but all three had been shelved in the post options for change military. 

So when the demand for carbines reached Whitehall the army created the initial weapons from surplus LSW's while choosing the 1989 carbine concept seen below. 

 Initial fielding was primarily with tank crews and pilots for out of wagon contacts. Prince harry himself carried one on his second tour due to his role as an Army aviator in an Apache. 

 However the carbine has found its way into the hands of dog handlers and combat camera teams on operation HERRICK. Most notably 43 commando RM formerly the fleet protection group. The size was judged to be ideal for boarding operation and the increased caliber of 5.56 offered the added stopping power. However it should be noted 43 commando have been recently seen carrying diemaco C8 carbines.

 To finish the SA80 carbine is a unique addition to the family of weapons as it dispels the myths that the SA80 family lacks modularity. With the evolution of the weapon systems through internal improvements to the A2 and A3 variants as well as new sights, magazines and hand guards the SA80 is finally beginning to shake of the negative image created by keyboard commandos and pissed of crusty Cold War warriors pining for their SLR's. I've used this weapon for seven years and I like it, but haters gonna hate. 

Maybe a dog handler attatched to Hereford will do a bit for the carbines reputation. 

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This Kit Pest Review article was written by Callum J Bickerton. Hopefully you enjoyed it and if you have any thoughts or comments related to this article then leave a comment! 

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Keela Special Forces Smock

Keela Special Forces Smock

 As an armourer I tend to spend a fair bit of time open to the elements on the back of firing points waiting for stuff to break. So because of this I see the need to have good wet/warm kit made from robust, trusted materials. 

 With Keela jackets people tend to go for their SF smock which features a weather proof liner and is favourited over the issue tissue goretex by most infanteers.  The jacket features the liner in the arms meaning they aren't insulated as well as the torso however, there is an insulation layer between the outer waterproof shell and the weatherproof liner. The torso of the jacket features a grid fleece liner and another insulation layer which provides fantastic warmth. I was able to wear just a t shirt beneath the jacket and at times I was getting rather warm. 

 It isn't too bulky as a jacket considering it combines both wet and warm kit. The front of the jacket has a fleece lined pocket similar to the ones on hooded sweat shirts. There is a kangaroo pouch situated on the chest area too, ideal for maps. There are 2 angled pockets on both upper arms similar to that on the PCS smock. The forearms are reinforced with cordura which is ideal for those in combat roles and while on ranges firing. The fit of the jacket is fantastic and while firing the body position is not hindered by the jacket bunching up in areas (managed to blag some trigger time to find this out). The hood is lined with the same lining as the torso of the jacket itself. There are also draw strings to tighten the neck baffle to prevent heat escaping through the top of the jacket. There is also an elasticated drawstring around the hem of the jacket.

 Overall I found this jacket ideal for uk conditions, the stereotypical wind, rain and possible snow. However for anything kinetic I would probably advise against wearing this while doing so. It is an ideal jacket for standard range shoots, directing staff and other people who sit at the back of the range. 

This Kit Pest Review article was written by Sean Hannigan. Hopefully you enjoyed it and if you have any thoughts or comments related to this article then leave a comment! 

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Maps!

Preparing a Map 

 So a map is a map right? 

 Wrong! 

 - possibly the worlds cheesiest stock photo

 There are a multitude of different maps all with different types and levels of information on them. So map selection is absolutely vital. You should consider whether topographical information is useful to you, how large an area you need to cover and the general level of detail you need. Over the years I have used air navigation maps, topographical maps and air photos/satellite images printed to scale.

 In the UK we are very lucky in that we have the Ordnance Survey to produce mapping for us. OS mapping is quite simply the best that is available worldwide. I have never seen any mapping which comes close to giving the user as much information as OS maps do. 

 - old school air nav

 Choosing a Map:

 In the UK it is a given that we will use an OS map. But which one to use? This is entirely down to what you are planning to use it for. A 1:50k map will cover a wider area, but a 1:25k map will give you more detail. For my particular area of the UK I use a 1:25k map. 

 You can buy premade and folded maps but I tend to steer clear of them. Firstly they may not cover the entirety of the area I am interested in. I don’t want to be having to carry 2 or more maps as this only confuses things. Secondly they are not waterproof. Yes you can use a map case but this is very bulky and it’s a bloody nightmare when you need to re fold it to the area you want. Because it is pre-creased you can’t use any plastic coverings to waterproof it as the wont stick. Finally because they are a paper map you can’t mark them in any non-permanent way. 

 So here’s what I do. OS have a service on their website that lets you get a custom map centred wherever you like and printed flat with no folds1. They cost £16.99 delivered. This is about a tenner more than one of the premade maps but it meets your exact needs so arguably will be of more use, especially if you are straddling 2 or more sheets. This will be your base map. 


 Map preparation:

 The first thing you are going to do is take a pair of scissors to it. There is tons of extra paper you just don’t need. The actual map is surrounded by a thick black line. Trim away anything outside of this square. Keep hold of the key, the magnetic data, map datum and the scale. Trim them down so you only have the information you need. Put them to one side for now.


 Next get hold of a highlighter in a nice bright colour which isn’t yellow or green as they will blend into the map. Now mark all the grid numbers. They are found all around the edge and throughout the map sheet itself. This will make it much easier to find them when you want to plot a grid reference. 

 - eastings and northings on an OS map

 With this done we now need to gather up our map key, magnetic data, map datum and scale. This would also be a good opportunity to get any other data sheets which might be of use such as pace counts, compass variation in a vehicle or tables for things like call signs and radio frequency matrices or route cards. Clearly the amount of information you carry is entirely dependent on the permissiveness of your area of operations. I personally go for less being more and stick to just the offcuts, adding anything else freehand if need be. 

 We are now ready to waterproof the first side of the map. I use clear sticky-back plastic for this. I like this because it makes the map waterproof, durable and means that I can mark my map with either chinagraph pencils, Lumicolours or sharpies without being stuck with the results forever. 

 Lay out your sticky-black plastic on the floor so you can see the printed grid. Lay the map on top of it allowing a small margin around the edges. Mark your corners taking into account the margins and take the map away. Check over the plastic to make sure there are no blemishes, you might as well start with a nice smooth map. Trim up the plastic and let’s get ready to cover the map. 

 Now we turn back to our off cuts. Firstly take the magnetic data and write the year the map was produced on it nice and clearly. This will help you when you are changing grid bearings to magnetic bearings and vice versa. Next lay the map out face down on a flat, hard surface. Then lay out your offcuts face up on the back of the map. Next get your pre-cut plastic and a soft cloth and slowly cover the map starting at one edge and making your way across. Wipe the cloth over the plastic as you go to ensure there are no air bubbles. Once you have done that trim off the excess plastic. Now repeat this process for the front of the map. 

 The final job is to fold the map: 

•  The first thing you do is lay your map down on a flat surface. 
•  Now fold the map from top to bottom, creasing it well in the centre. 
•  When you unfold the map so that it is again flat, you should clearly see the centre crease. 
•  Now fold the bottom half up to the centre crease. 
•  Now fold one half of the side, which you just folded to the centre crease, back on itself. 
•  Next, you fold the last three layered fold under to the centre crease. This sounds more confusing than it is. You should now have four thicknesses of map, with three under the map. 
•  Now do the same with the top half of the map, starting by folding the top down to the centre crease. Then follow the same procedure as used above. 
•  When you are finished, the map should look like an accordion with all printed portions facing up. 
•  Now fold the map in half so the short edges are touching. 
•  Fold the map back on itself to the main crease on both sides so it is a nice compact size. 
•  The final thing to do is to leave the folded map under something heavy for a few days to set the creases, otherwise it has a tendency to spring open at inopportune moments. 

 Other Options 

 If you are in the UK OS have the fantastic OS Maps service which for an annual fee of less than £20 lets you print as much scale mapping as you like on your home printer. I use this regularly for day hikes or walking holidays. Couple a good quality printer with some waterproof paper, which can be easily bought from somewhere like Amazon, and you can carry a very detailed yet small waterproof map with you.

This Kit Pest Review article was written by Ben OToole. Hopefully you enjoyed it and if you have any thoughts or comments related to this article then leave a comment! 

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Goal Zero Power Pack

Goal Zero 10 Plus USB Power Pack 

* Cost: ££££ (£43) 
* Value for Money: 5 
* Ease of use: 5 
* Construction: 4 
* Alliness: 1 

 This is a handy piece of kit I’ve had for a while now. When I’m out on the ground I probably use this at least daily. Basically it’s a combination charger and recharger. It takes AA and AAA batteries. You can either use it to power any device which plugs into a USB port, or you can use it to charge rechargeable batteries. 

 I have made a concerted effort to ensure that, other than my phone and tablet, my electronics take either AA or AAA batteries to make replacing them easier when I’m in more remote areas. I usually carry a bunch of rechargeable batteries with me so I always have the ability to charge my electronics on the move. I can then re-charge the batteries whenever I get the opportunity. 


 It’s a really sold unit, despite being made from plastic. It’s fairly hefty considering that it’s just a bit bigger than a packet of fags, but that’s the weight of the batteries inside it. It does get pretty warm when it’s charging batteries or charging a device, but this apparently normal. 


 In terms of its capability it will happily recharge an IPhone in about an hour, which doesn’t quite drain the batteries in the unit. I have yet to test it on a Sat Phone as I don’t have one which will charge from a USB cable. 

 When it comes to using the unit to recharge batteries you can power it in a number of ways. You can plug it into a 12V socket in a car, if you have the correct adapter; you can use the mains, plug it into a computer USB port; or you can use one of Goal Zero’s solar panels. I have used all of the options bar the solar panel and it works really well. Don’t expect it to be a quick job, it will take several hours, but that’s the same for any battery charger. 


 To sum up, it’s a really handy little unit that you will use a lot more than you think. I am more than happy with mine and never go anywhere without it! Check it out here.

This Kit Pest Review was written by Ben OToole. Hopefully you enjoyed it and if you have any thoughts or comments related to this article then leave a comment! 

 If you'd like to visit Cooper's Kit Corner, you can find it here.
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Boots!

Boots

 So today we’re talking all about boots. This might seem like a pretty simple topic, but there’s quite a bit to it. I am an Infantryman by background, this means that I am borderline obsessive about my feet. I will not accept anything which will cause them to be in anything other than top condition. If you spend any time on your feet you will rapidly find out how important the right footwear is. This is why getting the right boot for you is so important. 

 - The original Jungle Boots

Boots are a very personal thing. What is perfect for one person is not necessarily the best for another. I have had tons of different boots over the years. Always trying to find the perfect boot. I think I’m there now, but I am still looking just in case! 


 The first thing to be considered is the environment you are going to be wearing the boots in. Thick leather boots lined with a Gore-tex membrane are great in a northern European winter but not so great in the desert. Feet need to breathe otherwise they start to rot and cause you all sorts of problems. 
 The next thing you need to look at is your gender. Lots of manufacturers will market boots as being unisex. Avoid these at all costs if you are a woman. Womens’ feet are shaped differently from men. Rather than just being smaller proportionally. Womens’ feet are narrower at the heel and particularly at the arch, the lateral side of the foot, the first toe and the ball of the foot. Given these differences any boot that is manufactured to fit a man will not fit a woman properly. This can lead to obvious injuries such as blisters but also to more long term issues such as sensation loss and stress fractures. So quite simply if you are a woman, buy womens’ boots! 

 - The British Army recently undertook a trial for Female specific boots.

 I also like to consider where I am going to be wearing my boots alongside the environment. This is specifically in terms of what other clothes I will be wearing. My aim is always to dress in a manner that does not attract attention. Therefore, wearing a pair of high leg army boots with shorts is not going to work. This will have implications for style and colour choice. What this will boil down to is that one pair of boots is not going to be enough. 


 The easiest way to give you an idea of what might work is to talk you through my boots. 
I love Altberg boots! After many different pairs of boots these are the manufacturer that are my go-to. 

- Old school Altberg

This is for a number of reasons;

 As I have gotten older my feet have somewhat spread. Where as a young lad of 18 I wore a size nine I am now a 9.5. Altberg make ½ sizes. Many manufacturers do not, so straight away you will be buying a boot which does not fit properly. Altberg have consistent sizing across all their boot styles. They still hand-make their boots using an old fashioned plast for each size. This means that I can simply order up the boot knowing that it will fit regardless of the style. 
I also really like the range of boots that Altberg make. They make jungle boots, desert boots, lightweight patrolling boots and heavyweight winter boots, all in different colours. This means that they are a one stop shop for me. Finally, they replace the soles on their boots when they wear out. Because I like leather boots, and I bother to take care of them with regular cleaning and polishing, the uppers always outlast the soles. Given that their boots are over £100 it is a no brainer to be able to get the soles replaced for about £40 rather than be forced to buy a whole new boot. 


 If you are feeling particularly flash, or like a mate of mine are oddly shaped, you can go to Altberg’s factory in Yorkshire and they will make a plast of your feet so that your boots are truly custom made. 
So now let me talk about boot types. Most days you will find me wearing jungle boots. Light and comfortable, with an aggressive tread pattern they are what I choose to wear provided I can wear trousers. I have these boots in black and brown. They are great for all day wear as they let your feet breathe. I also like them because they don’t draw attention when you are wearing a pair of jeans. Wherever I travel in the world I will travel in a pair of these boots. I have worn them in Kabul, London, Cape Town, Freetown and numerous other places around the world. There is enough leather in them that you can get wear them on a rainy day in the city without getting wet feet and enough fabric that you won’t rot your feet somewhere hot. 


 I also have a pair of desert boots. These I save for somewhere that is hot and dry. Given that I have spent quite a bit of time in Southern Iraq they are worth having for me, but unless you are going to this specific environment I would give them a swerve as they are pretty limited in use otherwise. 
If I find myself somewhere with some more challenging terrain, I will wear a pair of all leather boots. This is simply to give me more ankle support than is offered by jungle boots. Again I try to keep these pretty lightweight. They are not 100% waterproof and I am happy to get my feet a bit wet because I know that with a change of socks and a pair of Gore-tex socks over the top I will be good to go. Along with a pair of gaiters I have not had any issue with wet feet so far though. 

- Altberg Desert Micro-lights

 I will deliberately try to avoid any boots with a Gore-tex type lining except for some specific circumstances. Firstly, they are very hot to wear. This means that your feet sweat a lot which means they stay wet, not good in terms of growing foot fungus and other pleasant things. This also encourages your socks to rub at your feet inside your boots making hotspots and causing blisters. My last reason is because if they get wet inside they stay wet! When I was a young soldier I had a pair of Gore-tex lined boots that I wore onto a week long Infantry exercise. On the first morning of the exercise we went through a waist deep swamp. My boots stayed wet for the whole exercise. Given that we couldn’t take boots off at night due to tactical constraints I wore wet boots for the whole exercise. My feet were rotten! As a rule, I have avoided Gore-tex lined boots ever since. 
So having said why I don’t like Gore-tex boots, let me tell you all about my Gore-tex boots! I have a pair I use only in very specific circumstances. They are a pair of heavyweight winter boots. I wear them when I am going to be pretty much static and usually only when there is snow on the ground. Frankly in any of the other boots my feet would really suffer from the cold leading to a whole load of foot issues I can’t afford. Wet feet in that kind of weather makes you a write off! 


 I really dislike fabric boots. This is for a number of reasons. Firstly, they lack robustness. If you are hard on your boots like I am you will soon end up with tears, rips and damaged fabric on the boot. Leather, or at least partially leather boots like jungle boots, can handle this without a loss or performance. Secondly they lack basic water proofing. Without a Gore-tex membrane, which I dislike, a simple walk through dew sodden grass will get your feet soaking. Equally the fabric will naturally retain water at the surface level which can leach the heat out of your feet on cold days and cause non-freezing cold injuries, even with a Gore-tex membrane. A well looked after pair of leather boots are much more robust, concomitantly giving your feet more protection, and shedding water at the surface level. 


 Once you find a pair of boots you like, buy another pair. Remember one is none and two is one. If your boots break while you are on task you won’t just be able to soldier on without doing your feet some damage. You will need a spare pair. I always have a spare pair of broken-in boots in my 
bergan when I am on task. Duct tape might have 1001 uses but serious boot repair isn’t one of them. 
My final piece of wisdom on boots is that you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince! I don’t know how many different boots I have had over the years until I found the ones that were best for me. Finding the right boot is an expensive pass-time especially as the only way to tell they are right being to sling them on and cover some mileage. By the time you’ve done that there’s no chance of getting your money back for them being badly fitting. Persevere though, once you get it right you won’t look back. 

 Socks 


 I also want to spend a bit of time talking about socks. Socks are just as important as boots! A decent sock is more than just a fabric tube to stop your toes getting cold. The way it fits to your foot and the material it is made of is of equal importance. 


 Firstly, it should fit your foot. This sounds like a no-brainer but if you take a close look at the socks you own you will find that they don’t really fit you. This is because socks are manufactured to meet a size range, unless you are at the upper end of that range, you will often find that they are quite baggy at the toe and at the heel. In terms of this then being inside your boot, this means that you have a potential issue with this excess fabric bunching up and rubbing your foot to cause blisters. You will also find that some socks are pretty loose around the arch too. Same issue as with the excess fabric, it causes rubbing. When you buy socks check that they don’t have too much excess fabric at the toe and heel and that they contour snugly to your foot arch. When you are selecting socks to go in boots it is advisable to buy proper walking socks. Walking socks will have smaller size ranges and will be properly fitted to the contours of your foot. 

 Next make sure they are appropriate for your foot wear. If you wear high leg boots and ankle length socks guess what? Yep more rubbing! Think about what they are made of when you select your socks. Avoid synthetics if you can. Natural fabrics such as cotton and wool, regular and merino, are by far the best way to go. I personally love the British issue desert socks. They are all cotton, fit snugly, are long enough to wear with high leg boots and don’t have too much excess fabric. 


 The final point to consider is that socks wear out. If they go threadbare then they are not protecting your foot from the inside of your boot. Once they start going, get rid of them. Pay careful attention to them inside if they are plie lined. Some socks are filled with loads of thread loops to create a cushioning effect around your foot. After a while this all starts to breakdown and matt together turning into something that feels like a bit of sandpaper after a few miles. Once they start to go, get rid. Don’t wait until they cause you an injury. If you wash them inside out, not only will you get rid of all the dead skin and nasties that fester inside other people’s socks, but you will be able to spot more easily when your socks need to go in the bin.

This Kit Pest Review article was written by Ben OToole. Hopefully you enjoyed it and if you have any thoughts or comments related to this article then leave a comment! 

 If you'd like to visit Cooper's Kit Corner, you can find it here.
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Solo International LRP Smock

Solo International Long Range Patrol Cold Weather Smock

 BLUF: the fact that 1/3 of my January PSBC course werewearing them at the end of FINAL EX says it all.

 Solo International don’t seem to scream about their kit too often,  however their clothing systems, much like their MOLLE kit is starting to become more and more prevalent. Maybe it’s a certain shop on a certain Battle School supplying a lot of kit or people struggling to justify obscure Crye kit, it doesn’t matter because SOLO make some fantastic stuff.

 The LRP smock is one of those. It promises quite a few things, and actually manages to deliver on them. The waterproofing is sufficient that I can honestly say there was no requirement for Gore-tex throughout TAC (although it was more snow than driving rain) and was breathable enough to be worn on both GREEN DRAGON and up the Fan without too much degradation in performance. 

 Depending on what size you order, and what generation of smock you’ll either have one or two 5.56mm pouch sewn on to each side of the smock. At a stretch you can get 2x 5.56mm magazines into each, which makes this smock fantastic when conducting OBUA/Trench clearing operations as you can literally rock up with a CamelBak, your ammunition and a pocket full of grenades. The rear pouch is advertised as a map pocket, but it is more than capable of holding a bandolier or some more grenades/smokes. 

 The top and bottom bellow pockets are of a decent size, however be aware of over stuffing them, the tops won’t close properly unlike a G10 smock. You’ll be pushed with more than a Rite In The Rain sized notebook and your crib cards per pocket. The bottom ones are the same size, however if you’re using them as dump pouches be aware that any more than 3 magazines per pocket are a rattling, falling out nightmare (in my opinion).   The hand warmer pockets are secured with zips, and do what they say on the tin. Unlike the G10 option, they’re not fleece lined. That’s a bonus as far as I’m concerned. 

 At the bottom sides of the smock are further zips that allow easy access to a pistol were you to have it covertly concealed on a belt. If you’re not ally enough to have a pistol then it allows you access to your trouser pockets too, so that’s a bonus!

 The quality of materials is top notch,  it survived all that Brecon could throw at it with only minor fading to colour which in all honesty may have been down to an accidental boil wash. The zips, buttons et al are robust and didn’t fail at any point.  It’s also one of the few items that come with built in elbow pads where they do the job well without hindering movement (think the first run of issued PCS UBACS for a neoprene nightmare).  I wear 180/96 PCS shirts and the Medium fit me fantastically, even over ECBA.

 As with all items there have to be some downsides, but these are rather minor. Firstly, the cord for tightening the bottom of the smock can hinder drawing a pistol from under the smock. Easily remedied by getting rid of this bit of cord. It doesn’t bring much to the party. Secondly, the magazine pouches only fold away so much (you can turn them into an open topped pouch through the marvels of Velcro), so be aware that your battlebelt/webbing will need to be a little but looser than usual when wearing this smock to compensate. Thirdly, the Velcro that secures the cuffs doesn’t last that long when it is constantly wet. Again, not particularly difficult to fix, just something to be aware of.

 At £180 full price, or currently £120 (05 Jun 16) its not a cheap piece of kit, but if you want cheap, buy Webtex and buy every time you deploy. For the amount of money you’re paying you get a piece of kit that in my opinion surpasses the Level Peaks offering.

 This Kit Pest Review was written by Samlonkshankswatt. Hopefully you enjoyed it and if you have any thoughts or comments related to this article then leave a comment! 

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