Hammocks!

DD frontline Hammock in MC 

Cost £££: 
At £57 it’s not the cheapest hammock out there but It’s a good mid range one with a built in mozzie net which will only cost you a night out down the pub. They also do a military discount for orders over £20 - http://www.ddhammocks.com/product/dd-frontline-hammock-mc?from_cat=27 



Value for money 3: 
There is quite a lot there, and there are more expensive hammocks out there that are almost the same but of a higher price .


Ease of use 3: 
There is quite a lot of buggering about when you first get started but this will get easier the more you use it. Setting up in the dark with no light would be very difficult but if you are in a situation when this might happen then a hammock probably isn’t the best thing to be sleeping in. 


Construction 4 : 
It’s well made but it’s not bomb proof, everything is well made and stitched but this is a civi item and I don’t think it will stand being used for a case vac. 


Allyness 2: 
I’ve given this a high 2 because I can't see your SF types using this outside the jungle to be fair. It’s more you echelon types. But allyness in the eye of the beholder and the looks of amazement I get when setting this up I just say “anyone can live like an animal“. 

  I've been interested in hammocks for a couple of years, but it wasn’t until an exercise in the Spanish Pyrenees that I thought a hammock might be a good idea. Because in a hammock you always sleep on the level, which is near impossible when you have a poncho up on a ski-slope. 

  The next years big exercise was in Estonia, looking at the ground it was wet and boggy and full of mozzies. So I went out and got a DD front line hammock. They are a British company coming from Edinburgh, and it came within a couple of days once I bought it. Once I set it up a few times in my garden I was ready to go. 

  When I got out here and set up everything worked well. The built in mozzie net kept out the biting insects and because of the suspension system the net didn’t collapse on your face. There are small pockets in each corner for stuff, and gear loops as well to hand things like a torch, it is quite roomy on there and feels homie when you're zipped up inside. 

  Because of the mozzie net It does take you a bit longer to get in and out, but it stops you from getting bitten to death and waking up looking like the elephant man. Saying that if I was just using it in the U.K I would probably forgo the mozzie net to save on bulk, and ease of set up.

  Summary:

  A hammock is not the most tactical of things so if you're a tier one operator then a hammock is not for you, but if you're back in echelon it could be for you. I’ve set it up in the back of man trucks, on the side of trucks, inside derelict buildings and between shelves in a store . 


  Once you have sorted out how you like it set up, and every time you sleep in it will be the same regardless of what the ground beneath you. If you're interested in hammocks then do some research, watch videos. You will find yourself getting quite nerdy about it and acquiring other skills like knot tying. It is also good for a life outside the military like wild camping etc. All in all, once it's setup right and you get the “ultimate hang” you get a cracking nights sleep. 

 - Coops

  This Kit Pest Review article was written by Tom Cooper. 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.

Agilite AMAP 2 Daysack

• Cost​​ (£138): This is about the same as a motherlode but much better. Get it here. 

• Value for money​​: The pack is bombproof and will serve you for years to come - 4/5

• Ease of use​​​: The extra features of this pack make it incredibly easy to use. Clamshell opening, antenna ports, what more do you need? - 4/5

• Construction​​: Agilite lives up to their reputation for quality. Battle tested before it hit the shelf - 4/5

  Small daysacks are all the rage in the teeth arms these days. With the advent of the fight light concept, the powers that be realized that carrying up to 65kg whilst advancing to contact wasn't really a great idea. Fancy that? 

  So the weight is going down and the bare essentials are to be carried. Who needs a bloody great big daysack? As the old age saying goes, "bullet, bombs, comms and water are all you need to prolong the slaughter".

  So as I've purchased Agilite kit before, their site was one of the first places I checked out. I had a few set pieces of criteria whilst I chose. 

*No more than 25 liters

*Antenna and hydration ports

*Slimline

*Can't take up much room in a vehicle

  Luckily Agilite has recently released a second generation of their Agilite Modular Assault Pack (AMAP). This pack is more tailored to the international market and has been trialled in the field by Israeli special forces before Agilite put it into production. The pack was designed to integrate with the Agilite K series of plate carriers and ops vests, with a large velcro patch on the back so it can be mounted on them, don't be put off by it. You'll hardly notice. 

  On first impressions I noticed the pack was made of 1000D cordura, so this pack is pretty much bombproof and can take a world of hurt, furthermore the material is genuine 1947llc Crye Multicam. So it most certainly won't make you look like a crow with some chip shop Kombat daysack from the PRI. 

  The AMAP can hold up to 14 liters (854.3 cubic inches) I've managed to fit in a PRC355 with two batteries, wet and warm kit easily, with room to spare. Any radio can be secured down with a internal retention strap and any antennas and cables can be fed through to antenna holes on either sides in the top of the pack. 

  Other internal features are the ability to fit a 3 liter hydration pack. I've trialled it with both a Camelback and a Source bag which both fit perfectly. There is a small hanging clip on the top of the pouch so as you drink water the hydration bag won't slump into a messy heap at the bottom of the pouch. 

  A rather interesting feature of the bag I found, was that when purchasing the ability to choose what types of straps you want. You have two options with a set of padded generic straps or a light weight jungle mesh. The straps are removable through a simple loops through a plastic eyelet. So you can remove the straps if you wanted to use it as a grab bag inside of a vehicle. 

  When wearing this daysack I found it sat perfectly just above my belt kit, but not too high that it would knock my helmet over my eyes in the prone position. This is a common problem for anyone who has worn a camelback Motherlode in this position. Size wise, you can top flap it in your bergan with no hassle whatsoever. If you remove the straps you can roll it up and fit it in your bergen.

  The design on this bag is top notch. One of my favorite features is the clam shell opening similar to the RAID pack KPR has previously reviewed. This enables me to get at kit with incredible ease and makes packing it a pleasant ordeal. On the front of the pack there is a helmet carrier. At first I wasn't too keen on the idea as I always carry my Mk7 on my belt kit, I tried putting my helmet in and it didn't fit too easily. This is perhaps the only downside of the pack. However you could use this helmet carrier for other purposes such as carrying link for quick access or carrying any kit you can't fit in the pack. 

  The AMAP 2 met every one of the criteria I set for my new daysack. All the extra features the guys from Agilite have put into the pack add to its usefulness. If you choose this pack to buy, you will not be dissatisfied and you will love this piece of tactical hardware. Regardless of what role you fulfill, wether you are a light role or armoured soldier this will suit you too the ground, no shadow of doubt. 

  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.

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

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.

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