Arc'teryx Knee Caps

Arc'teryx Knee Caps

• Cost ££££
• Practicality 5/5
• Ease of use 5/5
• Allyness 4/5 

You can purchase them here

  Kneepads are a contentious issue among soldiers. Some couldn’t live without them, others utterly despise them. For years, the British Army didn’t issue any – they’re now a part of the Virtus system, and Blackhawk kneepads (in US Foliage Green, strangely) were purchased as a UOR for Herrick. A previous, rather woefully inadequate DPM version with no hard pad also existed. Part of the reason for the rise of the kneepad is the contemporary operating environment becoming increasingly focused on FIBUA – taking a knee in the soft, squidgy grasses of Brecon is a fairly pleasant proposition, doing so on the gravel-strewn concrete of Copehill Down is another matter. In real-life terms, when you start factoring in barbed wire, broken glass, and even such nasties as expended heroin needles, the importance of protecting your vulnerable joints increases substantially. The weight we carry has also increased significantly. Although the jury is out on whether kneepads alleviate MSKs, giving your knees a fighting chance and at least alleviating the pressure running through them with a bit of padding can’t be a bad thing. 

  So, with that in mind, what’s so bad about kneepads? A few common problems tend to plague most kneepads on the market today, and for some, they’re complete dealbreakers. To alleviate these, most wear only one kneepad, on their right knee where most of the strain will go through. All of us who use kneepads regularly will probably have encountered a few of these in our careers: 

• They move about, seemingly of their own accord. You know the feeling: you’ve strapped on your kneepads, you’re good to go, and you’re feeling like an old timey knight in armour. You step off, and within a couple hundred metres you’ve taken a knee two or three times and your previously secure kneepad is now somewhere around your ankle.
• The straps dig in. The tighter you try and get your kneepad, the greater the pressure on the rear of your knee, especially when kneeling. Eventually this becomes unsustainable, to the point that some of the cheaper and nastier offerings on the market, which don’t have elasticated straps, can cause sores and all sorts of dramas.
• Your Knee Sweats. The bigger and bulkier the kneepad, the more your knee sweats. As your trouser rides up behind it, it forms creases which can go solid with grime, and start rubbing and causing all kinds of dramas. In hot environments, ingrown hairs, more sores, and other nasties can quickly follow.
• They Don’t Flex. The optimum position for a kneepad isn’t actually on your knee, but immediately beneath. That way, when you take a knee, it sits comfortably over your patella. The reason for this is that most kneepads are protected by a fairly rigid bit of plastic. This has minimal flex and as a consequence, can sit really awkwardly when you take a knee.

  So how do you solve these problems? One option would be trousers with in-built kneepads, à la Crye Combat Pants, but that’s not necessarily a solution for all of us, particularly if we’re restricted to issued clothing or don’t want to spend £200 for a pair of trousers. 

  Enter the Arc’Teryx Knee Cap.

  Arc’Teryx have been in the ultra-high-end kit business for years, both in the civilian and military markets, and have established a reputation for durability, functionality, and allyness. Granted, all that good stuff doesn’t come cheap – do I really want to be dropping £40+ on a set of kneepads, I hear you asking. However, good quality has to come at a price, and the Knee Cap is an excellent product which solves most, if not all, the common problems associated with kneepads. Originally designed for the civilian market, it came into being as a kneepad for extreme mountain bikers, which required it to be durable, minimalistic, and comfortable under the repetitive flex of pedalling.

  The Knee Cap is a minimalistic piece of kit, with some pretty spartan padding and a hard outer shell. It’s held in place by two thin straps, an inch or so wide. The top one is elasticated, but the bottom one isn’t. By all criteria it shouldn’t work, but actually it does. Brilliantly. It’s ergonomically shaped, and, most crucially, it narrows to almost nothing in the middle, which means that unlike any other kneepad on the market, the Knee Cap flexes in the middle when you take a knee. This keeps it moulded to your knee no matter what flex the joint takes.

Does it move about? Short answer, no. Even during some pretty intense leopard crawling the Knee Cap stayed in place. Because it’s ergonomically shaped, it doesn’t sit awkwardly on the tip of your knee when you bend your leg at a 90° angle, but follows the lines of your shin and thigh. This alleviates the frustration inherent in constantly pulling your kneepad back into position. 

Does it dig in? Weirdly, no. You’d think that the narrower straps would cut into the back of your knee, but for some reason they sit just right. It may have to do with the shape of the Knee Cap, but whatever the reason, it’s pleasant to wear. 

Does your Knee Sweat? To an extent – you’re still dealing with a piece of foam rubber strapped over your skin, so it’s not going to be breathable. However, because it’s far lighter than most kneepads (and every gram counts!), the discomfort is minimal.

Does it Flex? ‘Nuff said! It’s the main selling point here.

  I wore the Arc’Teryx Knee Cap pretty much continuously on a fairly intense three day ex with minimal hassle, and it was barely scratched after a pretty nails scramble over several dozen metres of gravel. The Knee Cap is made in Canada, which is a welcome change and should invite more stringent quality control. Overall, it’s an excellent piece of kit which does exactly what it’s supposed to do, rather than what you wish it would. Do you want to spend £40 on a pair of knee pads? Well, that’s up to you. But if you want the absolute top of the line in field joint protection, then the Arc’Teryx Knee Cap is the piece of kit for you.

  

  This Kit Pest Review was written by Tommaso Lagana. 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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The Saxon Definiton of Strength

The Saxon Definiton of Strength 

This article is written by Nate Morrison from Spotter Up Tactical!

  The great Arthur Saxon is still considered to be the all-around strongest man known to history. In his 1905 book, The Development of Physical Power, he gave the following extended definition of strength and I couldn’t concur more.

  The usual idea about strength – I mean the idea of the average reader of health magazines – is generally a wrong one. Although a weight-lifter (and weight-lifters are supposed to be very narrow-minded in their views on this subject), I hope that I, personally, am broad-minded enough to recognize that a man does not prove himself an all-round strong man just because he is able to lift a heavy weight, especially when the weight is lifted once only. The following is my diagnosis of real strength:

  Genuine strength should include not only momentary strength, as proved by the ability to lift a heavy weight once, but also the far more valuable kind of strength known as strength for endurance. This means the ability, if you are a cyclist, to jump on your machine and ride 100 miles at any time without undue fatigue; if a wrestler, to wrestle a hard bout for half an hour with a good man without a rest, yet without becoming exhausted and reaching the limit of your strength.

  Apart from sports, enduring strength means that the business man shall stand, without a breakdown, business cares and worries, that he shall be capable, when necessary, of working morning, afternoon and night with unflagging energy, holding tightly in his grasp the reigns of business, retaining all the while a clear mind and untiring energy, both of body and brain. The man who can miss a night’s rest or miss a meal or two without showing any ill effect or without losing any physical power is better entitled to be considered a strong man than the man who is only apparently strong, being possessed of momentary strength, which is, after all, a muscle test pure and simple.

  In the latter case, where a man raises, once only, a heavy weight, all that he proves himself to possess is muscular control and great contractile power, but it does not guarantee sound internal organs, nor does it prove that a man would come out well in an endurance test. The man capable of long feats of endurance should live longest, and such a man will find his powers of more avail in every-day life than the man who has sacrificed vital strength for an extra few eights of an inch of muscle, and perhaps the ability to raise a few pounds more in a certain position in a weight-lifting test.

  I think the above will cause some of my critics, perhaps, to admit that, after all, I have broadminded views on this important question, i.e., “What is real strength?” Therefore, if a weight-lifting competition were held, I should like to see quite a number of lifts attempted, as is the method on the Continent, and to see each man go on with the lifting without too many opportunities for rest, so that we should not only ascertain who is possessed of greatest momentary strength but also who is possessed of endurance strength as well, and it is a combination of these two which makes real strength.

  Neither do I consider a man a really strong man if he is in certain parts developed out of proportion to others. If a man has tremendous arms and chest and weak legs then he is only half a strong man.

  If he should have strong legs and arms and weak lungs or a weak heart, then again he is by no means entitles to be called a strong man, and some day the inevitable breakdown will occur which will cause carping critics, always ready to attack physical culture, to point to such a broken-down athlete and say, “Here is proof of the harm done by physical culture and weight-lifting.” The cause really is that this man has not properly understood physical culture, and has developed one part at the expense of another. So you see that if a thorough examination could be made of all so-called “strong men” before the public, we should probably find that only one in twenty is really deserving of the name of “strong man.

  You can read the original article here!

  This Kit Pest Article was written by Nate Morrison for Spotter Up!. 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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Helikon Level 5

Helikon Level 5 Soft Shell

• Cost​​​ £49.99 (Although not on the website, Odin Tactical usually stocks these, give them a call to find out) • Value for money​ 4 • Ease of use​ 5 • Construction​ 5 • Allynes​s ​ 4

Foreword - I also own this jacket and I can confirm all the points below. I describe it as my 'summer smock' and think that description fits it particularly well. I can also confirm it does attract some attention on camps, so probably keep it for range days and ex. Stay Frosty - Alex

 - HELIKON Level 5

Soft shell jackets seem to be all the rage, they range from cheap ones made by Chinese producers, to the pinnacle of jackets made by Triple Aught Design (which you need a mortgage to afford). They serve a good purpose as a light weight jacket to keep the wind from getting to you and most seem to have some degree of waterproofing. Today's review will focus on one of the most popular brands in Europe, Helikon Tex. A Polish based company, Helikon is popular with the military, law enforcement and BB warriors alike. They offer a wide range of products from daysacks to jackets and all the rest in-between. My first impression of this jacket was how lightweight it was at 700 grams. Despite it being so light, it's made from a robust 98% nylon 2% spandex blend. This allows the material to stretch well and still maintain its robustness. 

- Plenty of velcro for high speed patches

I've used this jacket on a few exercises and a range package, it is by no means a replacement for a smock. However, due to it's lightweight nature it's good for anyone wanting to wear a lighter outer top layer. It's only really effective in cold weather if you're layering well. Yesterday on the ranges I was wearing the soft shell with a tee shirt and a thermal top and even in March weather for Salisbury plain I was very toasty. Despite it being a soft shell, it's waterproofing is really only useful in a light shower. So don't chin of your Gore-Tex jacket for this as you'll get soaked. The stitching of this jacket is well done however after some use you may have to burn a few loose threads on the cuffs. Pocket wise the jacket has two on the arms, two on the hips and two on the back like poachers pockets. The zips have pretty large fabric tabs to make grabbing them in gloves a hell of a lot easier.

- Terminal Lance

Helikon make this jacket in a plethora of camouflage. I chose the MTP variant and it blends pretty well with issued kit, to the point I have been asked for its NSN. A word for the wise, this isn't a jacket you can mince about camp in, as it is visibly different to the eye. Unless you're unit doesn't mind. My final thoughts on this jacket are that the guys at Helikon have made a terrific product. Amazing quality and a solid design. However, if your looking for a replacement smock or Gore-Tex I wouldn't recommend it. If you're light role and exposed to arduous conditions this may be suitable in spring or autumnal conditions. Even hanging out of a cupola on armor this is a great jacket as there is a minimum of things to get caught on the wagon. These jackets are all the rage in the tactical world and are popping up in camp PRI's and garrison town kit shops. If you're going to get a soft shell, avoid the Chinese knock offs and give Helikon a gander.

 - Callum, pretending not to pose

  This Kit Pest Review 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! 

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

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Situational Awareness

Situational Awareness

  When people are travelling they seem to enter a mental bubble where they are much less aware of what is going on around them.  This lack of awareness does not end with travellers.  If you look around you, you will find many examples every day.   Many London Black Cab drivers are fitting dashboard cameras after near misses where people step out in front of them talking on mobile phones or listening to music players.

 - British SBS at the battle Qala-i-Jangi, situationally aware af. - There's a great documentary on what happened early 2000's during that battle. You can find it here

  If you are aware of your surroundings you will be much safer.  There are many models of levels awareness, such as Cooper’s Colour Codes, most of which are aimed at Law Enforcement or Military.  Clearly this is more than most people need so I will not drag you down that particular rabbit hole. 

  So what is situational awareness?  Basically it is being aware of your surroundings and identifying potential dangers and threats.  It is more of a mind-set than a tangible hands-on skill.  In order to develop this mind-set you need to accept three things.  Firstly, that threats do exist.  You need to lose the “it can’t possibly happen to me” attitude.  Next, trust your instincts.  Thousands of years of evolution has given us a well-tuned set of “spidey senses”.  If something feels wrong it probably is.  Finally, take responsibility for your immediate personal safety.  The Emergency Services cannot be everywhere all the time.  They are necessarily a reactive service.

  Being aware is a conscious choice, and something you need to work at.  Here are some simple ways in which you can improve your situational awareness.

• Next time you come out of a shop into a carpark take a mental note of how many cars have people sitting in them.
• Try to identify all exits when you go into a building.
• Count how many people are with you in a restaurant or in a train carriage.
• Make a mental note of any cars which take the same turns as you when you are driving.
• Start people watching.  Try to work out what their story is.  What kind of mood are they in?  What do they seem to be doing?  What do they do for a living?

Barriers to Situational Awareness

  Previously I stated that situational awareness was something you must make a deliberate effort to cultivate.  As with any other endeavour there will be barriers to fully following through with this commitment.  Being aware of this will help you in developing your awareness.

• Perception – Our own mental interpretation of reality can have a significant effect on our awareness.  Our own perception can colour how we react to a given situation.  Our perception can be influenced by;
• Past experiences – We react to things based on our past experiences.  If it looks like something we have seen before we will instinctively react as we have before, but things may be different this time.
• Expectations – We interpret information in ways that ratify our beliefs.  We rationalise things are a certain way because we want it to be that way.
• Filters – We are constantly provided with information.  However, we don’t always use it.  We often ignore information which doesn’t match our mental perception or expectations.  This is the mental equivalent of “selective hearing”
• Over Motivation – Being overly or excessively motivated can affect your ability to fully assess a situation.  This might cause you to miss risks and overlook safety.  An overriding sense of “mission importance” could jeopardise sound judgement and objective thinking.
• Complacency – Don’t assume that everything is under control.  This will affect your vigilance.  When things are slow or you are carrying out routine tasks your awareness will diminish.
• Overload – Doing too much will cause distraction and stress, and will result in increased errors.  Prioritise and delegate to minimise distractions.
• Tiredness – This will affect your ability to concentrate on your surroundings.  Make sure you take time to unwind in an environment that doesn’t need your full awareness to remain safe.  Make sure you are getting enough sleep.
• Poor Communications – Teams are more efficient if they have high quality communication.  Working together and communication effectively will act as an awareness amplifier.

 This Kit Pest 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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Condor Mesh Tactical Cap

Condor Mesh Tactical Cap

• Cost: ££££ (£12.09) GET IT HERE
• Value for Money: 4
• Ease of use: 5
• Construction: 4
• Alliness:         2

*TRIGGER WARING* – Review of an airsoft brand!

  I have a thing about hats.  I wear a hat pretty much every day.  Imelda Marcos had shoes, I have hats.  I particularly like baseball caps.  The drawback I have always found is that after a while my head gets too hot.  Some of the places I work are very hot and I need to be able to protect my head from the sun and I need a peak that can shade my eyes, but I don’t want my head to overheat.  So, I went looking for a hat that was a bit different.  I was also looking for a hat in a plain colour because I like to wear neutral colours when I am working.  I also don’t like to wear bright colours when I am out and about in the woods or on the hills as I don’t like to jar with nature.

  One of the hats I already have is a so called “truckers cap” where most of the crown is made from mesh and is very cool to wear.  I saw something similar from a US manufacturer on Soldier Systems being sold as an “operator cap”.  I quite liked the look of it so I went to their website.  Given the places I work and the level of my ability to lose stuff I was not prepared to pay what they were asking plus delivery….

  Enter the Condor cap.  One quick google search later I found the Condor Mesh Tactical Cap.  So what makes it tactical?  Firstly, the range of different camouflage patterns.  If it’s in Ghost Recon Wildlands they have it!  Secondly there are Velcro patches all over it to stick morale patches to.  Finally it doesn’t have one of those annoying buttons on the top that would dig into your head if you wore a headset or ear defence over it.

  Frankly none of the above were of any interest to me, especially as I was buying a plain coloured cap.  At £12.09 delivered I was prepared to take a punt on it.  I was very pleasantly surprised.

  The hat is actually very well made.  All of the stitching is very neat, straight and uniform.  I was expecting lose threads to be hanging off all over the place, but there were none.  All of the internal seams are flattened and covered with a fabric tape to prevent any rubbing.  The peak and the front panel are made from a decent poly cotton fabric.  The remainder of the hat is made from a mesh which is slightly darker than the other fabric.  The Velcro patches are the same colour as the mesh.  When I got my hat, the Velcro was plain, but a look at Condor’s website shows the front patch to have a bloody great big Condor logo on it.  Whether this is the case when you actually get the hat or it is photoshopped on to stop the images getting nicked for Ali Baba, I couldn’t comment.

  The next feature I really liked was that the patches were all sewn on after the rest of the hat had been made.  This meant that I could remove them without destroying any of the other seams on the hat in the process.  Working abroad I prefer to be the grey man, as much as a pale white bloke can be, so ally morale patches are not my friend.  That said, if you are military or perhaps an armed security contractor a patch on a cap would be a good place to conceal some SERE kit like a handcuff key or shim.

  In terms of fit it was very good.  I have a 58cm head, which is about average.  For my head, I didn’t need to make much adjustment to the back.  If you were to leave yourself 10mm of overlap on the Velcro you could take this up to a 65cm head.  Likewise you could take it down to a 51cm head, although it would bunch up a fair bit at the back.  The crown isn’t overly large either.  Some caps have so much fabric on the crown that you look like your head is misshapen or the cap sits on the top of your ears, which is uncomfortable.  This hat fits nicely to the whole of my crown without coming down too far.

  The peak is a decent width and length.  It provides shade to the eyes very well and there is no issue wearing it with sunglasses or eye-pro.  I regularly wear it with a pair of Wiley X SG-1s and have no issues.  If you’re into having a back-pocket crease, like I am, the peak will take and hold it with no problem.

  Where Condor makes these hats in all of the different flavours of camouflage patterns, they only use genuine fabrics such as Crye, Kryptek and A-TACS.  Also, clearly the fabrics are not IRR coated, although I cannot see that this would be an issue, even Hereford use fabric softener on their kit so the coatings are normally destroyed the first time the kit is washed!

  I have recently retired mine, mostly because my missus claims the smell of it makes her eyes water…  I wore it nearly daily for the best part of 3 years and it never let me down.  The colour has never faded significantly, although that could have been because of the dirt.  There was some fraying along the front edge of the brim but that just added character!

In summary, I would say that if you want a really comfortable and cost effective baseball cap to wear in the field, on the hills or even in a pub beer garden I would go for one of these hats without hesitation.  In fact, my replacement I have just ordered is the same hat, but in the new brown colour.

  This Kit Pest 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.

 If you'd like to visit Gen Kit Exchange, you can find it here.

Knowledge is Power

Knowledge is Power

 - Einstein giving zero fucks.

  When you are travelling, having knowledge of your destination will empower you to take precautions which will enable you to travel safely. You cannot assume that your destination is even broadly similar to your homeland. Individual rights, laws and law enforcement procedures are very different even in western nations. For example, in Canada it is routine for Police Officers to restrain any individual present at an incident with handcuffs. In the United States Police Officers may seize assets, such as motor vehicles and cash, if an Officer believes they may be linked to criminality. Also, in many other nations Police Officers are routinely armed and will approach individuals with drawn weapons as a matter of procedure. In Thailand possession of even small amounts of drugs, which would not even lead to a caution in the United Kingdom, can lead to lengthy incarceration.

 - Good advice... Read.

  What is common is that ignorance of local laws is no excuse. It is beholden on the traveller to be aware of laws in their destination country. What should you do?

  The answer is simple. Do your homework! Most western governments offer travel advice for free via their websites. The three best are the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the United States Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs.

- Here are some FAL's, just because.

  Clearly these organisations will be offering very broad-brush advice. Most travellers on short trips will find the advice given in these websites as adequate. Especially if the intended travel is to be confined to major cities or large resorts. They do however have their flaws. For example, in China it is not unusual for laptops to be taken away at airports and to have spyware placed on them. This is not mentioned in any of the sources previously stated. Clearly this would require a business traveller to take a stand alone device, with a minimum of data on it which is not to be connected to a corporate network. It is also worth noting that they will include everything, regardless of its true significance to the individual traveller based on their specific itinerary.

  For any more significant duration trips it is worth delving deeper into the country you are visiting. This can be more daunting. Media outlets are a good place to start. Reading through events over the past few months can identify issues which may affect you. Look out for high profile court cases which have attracted demonstrations. Elections can also be somewhat more “rough and tumble” affairs in some countries, with supporters of various political groups having confrontations with each other or the Police. Beware of media bias however. Al Jazeera will have a very different slant on events than the BBC. Misreporting is also common. For example, during the Arab Spring a colleague of mine was in Cairo, staying in a hotel on Tahir square. I saw a report of an ongoing riot in Tahir Square on the BBC and called him to check he was safe. He was indeed safe and was in fact having breakfast on a balcony overlooking a totally deserted Tahir Square!

  Do not confine yourself to legal and political investigations however. Climate and geography can also have a great influence. At the simplest it will determine your wardrobe. However, it can also determine your requirements for water intake; your activity levels; your requirement for sunscreen and so forth. When investigating climate, you will need to be aware of seasonal variations such as monsoon (floods and landslides); average temperatures; altitude and geological stability (earthquakes and volcanic eruptions).

  You should further investigate levels of healthcare provision and whether there are any reciprocal arrangements with your home nation. For example, a friend of mine was taken ill on a trip to the United States. As his travel insurance did not cover him for hospitalisation he spent 3 weeks in a bed in an Accident and Emergency Department, was presented with a bill for several thousand pounds and had to pay for a new flight home. In some parts of the world it is advisable to travel with your own sterile needles due to the prevalence of re-use of medical sharps. The United Kingdom National Health Service Website is a good source of information for medical risks but can be short on practical actions to take to reduce your risk. Avoid travelogues and blogs as sources of information as their knowledge is often only Wikipedia deep.

- Wikipedia is a great tool, but sometimes it's wrong.

  The best means of getting this detailed information is to purchase a threat report from a company which employs professional analysts. Corporately this makes good sense as it creates a clear audit trail demonstrating a commitment to reducing travel risk to employees. As an individual traveller navigating many different information sources can be somewhat daunting. Additionally, individuals often lack the knowledge to assess what is a true threat. A few pounds spent here can prevent greater loss or injury at a later date.

  This Kit Pest 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.

 If you'd like to visit Gen Kit Exchange, you can find it here.

ESEE 5 - Survival Knife

ESEE 5

Cost: £££ Get it here!

Value for Money: 5/5

Ease of Use: 4/5

Construction: 5/5

Alliness: 4/5

 A good knife is an essential tool for any soldier – indeed for anyone who spends any time outdoors at all, particularly in remoter regions and for a prolonged period of time. A good multitool is almost as vital as a rifle in the right environment, not least because it can keep your rifle going, but a decent fixed blade can be equally important.  There is a lot to be said for the soldier’s classic, the Mora – it’s robust, great value for money and comfortable to use, but it’s just not enough knife to handle what I wanted it to.  I wanted to purchase the ultimate soldier’s knife, and there were several key criteria I needed it to satisfy.

• Robustness: Above all, the knife had to be robust.  There needed to be literally no question about it ever breaking, regardless of what I threw at it, whether I was on a two week exercise or a six month operational tour.  I wanted a tool that I could be confident would last me the rest of my career.
• Value for Money: I was content that this knife would not be especially cheap – like I said, I was in the market for something that would last for years, but I didn’t want to pay an outrageous premium – especially as if you pay too much for something, you tend to use it gently. I wanted a workhorse – something I could thrash and not be too concerned about.
• Size: A tricky one. On the one hand, I wanted a blade that could handle some rough tasks – batoning through wood, cutting through tree roots, felling small branches, what have you.  This would require a certain amount of size and heft.  But at the same time, I didn’t want a comically oversized knife – nobody likes some Rambo wannabe cutting around with what would probably be legally classed as a sword strapped to their webbing, particularly in the wilds of Thetford. 

  Enter the ESEE 5.

  ESEE, an American knifemaker, have been in the business for a long while.  They used to be part of Ontario Knives, but split over decisions to do with the steels used, and still share a few designs.  They have established a reputation in the military/law enforcement/survival community for absolutely bombproof knives, and to stand by this they offer an outstanding warranty – break one of their knives, no matter how, no matter when, and they will replace it.  They offer simple blades that are obviously utilitarian in nature – no fancy leatherwork, no pointless decoration, no saw backs, hollow handles or other wannabe nonsense.  Just straight-up, workmanlike tools.  Their knives come in all sizes, from the tiny Izula to the comically outsize Junglas, and are standard issue to a number of elite military units.  The one I opted for, after careful consideration, was the ESEE 5.  Originally designed as a survival knife for pilots downed over the South American jungle, it is meant as a utility knife which can, at a pinch, be used for fighting. 

  First, some specs. The ESEE 5 is 11 inches long overall, with a 5 inch blade.  It has a canvas micarta handle, a full tang, and a 1095 high-carbon steel blade (for ease of sharpening) with a textured powder finish and a sabre grind.  It comes with an excellent kydex sheath and is offered in plain edge (my choice) or part-serrated, in a variety of colours for both blade coating and handle.  And it is built like an absolute tank.  To be honest, it’s probably overbuilt for what a soldier needs.  The knife itself weighs almost half a kilo and is a whopping quarter of an inch thick at the spine, meaning you could use it to baton with a cricket bat and it wouldn’t even think about bending or breaking.  Hell, you could probably use a metal bar if you were that way inclined. 

  The knife isn’t light, but by God does it perform.  Once you’ve put a decent edge on it, it will chew through wood and tree roots like a hatchet.  If you use a stick or pick handle to baton with it, it can chop down small trees with minimal effort.  The point is remarkably sharp for such a wide-profile knife, and virtually indestructible – it would take some serious, deliberate effort to blunt it, and bending it is probably impossible due to the thickness of the blade profile.  If you ever found yourself in need of stabbing through some sheet metal, the ESEE 5 wouldn’t flinch.  You could pry open a door with it without worrying about it breaking.  The micarta handles are similarly bombproof, but can be easily replaced as they are held in place with exposed allen keys if they did happen to get damaged somehow.  The handle also offers a divot for bow-drill firestarting, which – let’s be honest – you’ll never, ever, use in our line of work.  I have large hands, so I found the handle scales very comfortable – they didn’t create fatigue or give any hotspots despite prolonged use, but be warned if you have tiny paws you may struggle.  The pommel is of the glass-breaker type, so it can be used to smash through windows or in a combat situation, but not to hammer with, which is a bit annoying given how hefty the knife is. 

  The Kydex sheath offered with the blade is outstanding – particularly given that in this price range (I paid £100 for mine from Amazon) you’re normally stiffed with some useless nylon rubbish which you have to replace.  The sheath comes with a handy belt clip which can thread onto either a standard belt or MOLLE PALS, but you can also purchase a MOLLE mount separately.  The blade locks securely into place with no movement and a satisfyingly meaty click, but if you feel like you absolutely, categorically want the knife to go nowhere, ESEE have thoughtfully provided a simple locking system which makes it impossible to extract the blade unless disengaged. 

  My one complaint about the knife is that it seems to lose its edge fairly rapidly.  Not a huge issue as this can be rectified with a sharpening stone and a few minutes’ work, but frustrating on a longer exercise when you’re living out of your Bergen and haven’t packed one to save weight.  However, given how well the knife performs in other areas I’m willing to overlook this.

  Could you fight with this knife? Probably – the makers certainly intended for you to be able to.  I’m no expert, and unless you’re either a fantasist or a wannabe you know that the chances of even an infantryman ending up fighting mano a mano with an enemy are slim – particularly as you have a rifle, a pistol and a bayonet with you to give the enemy the good news, so you’d somehow have had to exhaust all those options.  But let’s say, for the sake of argument, that you have.  Or, more plausibly, that you’re sat manning a night navigation checkpoint in the Kenyan Oloo and can hear creatures of the night rustling about in the undergrowth and have nothing to protect yourself with if they decide they want to sample you (not that a knife would do you much good, but it made me feel marginally warmer and fuzzier about things).  The ESEE is probably too heavy for the kind of ninja stuff you see people demonstrate on Youtube, as it’s likely too slow in the hand.  But ultimately, it’s a five-inch, sharp hunk of steel with a wicked point.  However, it’s not a combat knife in the true sense of the word, so if you want one, look elsewhere.

To sum up, then:

• Pros: Utterly bombproof, comfortable in the hand, packed with premium features (sheath, handle) at a reasonable price.
• Cons: Heavy, tends to lose its edge quicker than a harder steel would (but easier to put one on). 

If you’re looking for a premium, medium-length fixed blade which will never let you down, and which you can use for any variety of camp tasks within an exercise or operational environment without worrying about damage to the knife, then the ESEE 5 is the tool for you.  You can find it here.

This Kit Pest Review was written by Tommaso Lagana. 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.

 If you'd like to visit Gen Kit Exchange, you can find it here.

How/Why GKE Exists Part 4

How/Why GKE Exists

...Back to the actual site. Whilst all of the above was happening I'd spoken to countless potential business' and retailers who I thought would be interested in GKE. One thing I found is that for every 100 e-mails I sent to various people/business, only 5-6 would reply. Was this down to poorly written e-mails or were people simply not interested? Me being super naive I didn't factor in that I'd have to develop a relationship first whit potential users, that's something I quickly learned to do and it just involves being as honest and sound as possible I've found. I decided to move my means of contacting new partners, (I like to use the word partner for business' or retailers that use GKE as it's a continuos development of partnerships that define a good working relationship, and 'user' sounds shit.), onto Facebook Messenger. Although this might not be the most professional of platforms, in my personal experience i've found that a huge percentage of people actually reply to messages sent on it than an e-mail. I rate it so highly purely for the fact that you can see if they have read a message and I'm sure this has something to do with the subconscious guilt tripping them.

  I can't thank the great business' and individuals that have supported this from the beginning enough, just a simple 'Yeah, sounds cool mate.' goes a long way and still does today. I decided to focus on the business side of supply for GKE at the start as it's always going to be a problem of the 'chicken and the egg' with supply and demand for a marketplace. How can a business justify using a new sales channel with little demand in terms of customer and how can I entice new customers to use GKE if there are no cool bits of kit? Slowly, that's how. Every business that loads kit onto the site is a resounding success, and with each sale that they make the trust they have in me and GKE furthers (I hope). Through extensive Googling and research a couple of the bits of information that stand out are that it can take up to 3 years for a new marketplace to gain real traction and that around 60% of marketplaces fail for the simply reason that the creators of them give up on it. So with that in mind I'm as focused on making this a success and doing everything humanely fucking possible to further my knowledge of the market, social media and general business knowledge.

One of the coolest features of GKE is Kit Pest Reviews which is a review blog collaboration of Cooper's Kit Corner and GKE. It's basically a handful of self-confessed kit pests reviewing down-to-earth kit in a way we all understand and know. It's slightly refreshing as a lot of the 'gear' reviews out there are aimed at ultra turbo complicated spec equipment and confusing terminology. KPR just keeps shit simple whilst being as informative as possible. Ben OToole, Callum J Bickerton, Tom Cooper and it's also attracted another Tom and Sam, I can't thank you enough for the effort you put in and i'm looking forward to prying as much information out of your massive kit pest heads as I can. 

I wrote the everything above this line on a night shift and I left it to settle for a couple of weeks before revisiting it. A lot has happened since then, as it usually does. 

I applied for another business accelerator programme around the same time as the Ignite one, only this time I was successful. This one is called Entrepreneurial Spark and is backed by NatWest. It has 'Hubs' in most major cities in the UK and I am on the 3 month 'Sprint programme', which is the first of a series of programmes/courses/enablements. It's a little difficult to explain but i'll try my best; So the actual application process' was simple, just apply using an online form about you existing business/idea/start-up and you'll find out if you're successful or not. If you're successful your first date is the 'GoDoBootcamp', which is basically a day of essential briefs to explain more about the E-Spark programme, what you can expect to do and what you can expect out of it. This was a little daunting as i'd not actually put my business model under the scrutinisation of any outsiders yet. 

 After the Bootcamp you're put into either 'virtual enablement groups' or 'physical enablement groups', (basically a group including yourself, 5 other business/individuals and a 'entrepreneurial enabler', this group is your support over the 3 month sprint and they're your go to people if you need any kind of support. These enablement groups meet once a month over the Sprint, (I missed my first one due to a fucking course at work), and include different workshops along the way on a bunch of different topics, all business/start-up related. 

 Thanks for reading and Stay frosty for the next instalment of the GKE story - Alex

This Kit Pest Review Article was written by Alex Miller. 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.

 If you'd like to visit Gen Kit Exchange, you can find it here.