Light Gear: Fenix E01

Make: Fenix
Model: E01

Small lights are like small knives: the unsung heroes of the gear bin, always at hand, always ready to do the menial tasks and everyday chores.  And for the same reason there's no need to whip out a 3" blade when 1" will do, there's no reason to pull the big light out of the pack when the E01's 10 Lumens will do the trick. 

10 Lumens isn't blinding by any means, but in a pitch black room, it's more than enough to light your way.  And in a real emergency, the 10 Lumens in your pocket is better than the 250 you may have left at home.

Everyday MOLLE: Tactical Diaper Bag

Let's face it, there's a reverse sexism to most baby gear.  Most designs appeals to the mother's fashion sensibilities.  At the most, they aim for complete gender neutrality.

Enter the Tactical Diaper Bag.

Think about it, dad's need a MOLLE-based tactical bag for many of the same reasons the military does.

Fast access to mission critical items:
You'd never throw spare mags into your gear bag and hope that you can find them quickly when you need them.  Why would you do it for your spare diaper?  When you're trying to change a squirming toddler with a fully loaded dirty diaper in a crowded public restroom, you need that fresh diaper ready and at hand!  This is the ultimate speed reload...

All day comfort:
When I take the kid out for the day, we can be gone for hours, and anyone with young children knows you have to pack for all contingencies: food, more food, extra clothes, distraction devices...  I usually skip the stroller and rely only on what I'm carrying on my back, so comfort is absolutely as critical as it would be for any long hike.

Low profile mobility:
If you've ever tried to chase a toddler through a playground tunnel meant for human beings less than half your size, you know why you need a stable, balanced pack that will let you maneuver through tight spaces.

Mission configurable:
This is where a MOLLE system comes into it's own.  What you carry depends on the situation and the need.  Normal diaper bags give you storage and arrangement options, but you have to fit your personal needs around their design.  By contrast, and by its very definition, MOLLE gear configures around your specific need.  Plus, when the need changes, so can your gear.  Newborns have different needs than toddlers.  What if you have one of both?  What if you have twins? 


Here's my solution to all of the above, using an Eagle Becker Patrol Pack as a base (see the post for a general description of the pack, and then see the Tactical Diaper Bag applications below).

Ziploc bags fold up and then thread nicely into the webbing for quick access.

The front pouch (Tactical Tailor 1H pouch) is accessible without opening the main pack and carries things like sunscreen and the kid's sunglasses.

You can clip anything onto PALS webbing, in this case some web dominators, a few Grimlocs, and a couple spare hair clips in purple and orange.

A Tactical Tailor Strobe/Compass pouch holds a travel pack of tissues readily available for sudden snot emergencies.

The 50 Series Hardcase to the right holds the digital camera ready for Kodak moments.

On the other side I keep a Tactical Tailor 7.62 Single Mag pouch (left) and a TAG Gear folding dump pouch (right).

The open-top single mag pouch is perfect for stuffing bits of trash or odds and ends.  While the dump pouch often holds dirty diapers when there's no garbage handy.

There's a zippered accessory pouch in the main flap of the pack good for miscellaneous items.

A Tactical Tailor Canteen Pouch...










...is perfect for holding the most critical items in my book: a fresh diaper and a box of wipes.  I throw blue medical chux in for good measure. 



A Tactical Tailor 7.62 Single Mag Pouch...










...holds an eight ounce bottle of milk so perfectly you'd think it was made for it.

Molle Attachment Systems

The first thing I want to say is that I'm really splitting hairs in the article below. It may appeal to connoisseurs of militaria or those afflicted by the Gear Fetish, but the truth is that all the systems below will, generally speaking, do a pretty decent job of attaching one piece of MOLLE gear to another.  Note that for the purposes of this post, I'm only talking about how well the attachment system works, not the quality or functionality of the pouch itself.

For any followers of the Everyday MOLLE Movement, however, you will probably end up shifting pouches from one pack to another quite often, so you may want to pay closer attention to the kind of attachment system you end up using on the bulk of your gear.

That being said, let's talk attachment!

The first thing to understand is that MOLLE attachment systems can be broken down into two main categories. Let's call them Detachable systems and Integrated systems.

Detachable Systems

By "detachable", what I mean is that the means of attachment is not a part of the pouch itself; it is a completely separate piece of hardware.  Probably the most common and well-known Detachable system is Tactical Tailor's Malice Clip, but others include Blackhawk's Speed Clip and Maxpedition's TacTie.  If your pouch has PALS webbing and the platform you're attaching it to has PALS webbing, then you can use any of these Detachable systems to join one to the other.  This is actually an important fact to note.  In other words, Tactical Tailor pouches are sold with Malice Clips, but you could use a Blackhawk Speed Clip to mount it to your vest if you so desire.  Or you can buy a Maxpedition pouch and mount it with a Malice Clip.  Think of it like a pair of sneakers; the sneakers will come with shoelaces when you buy it, but you can replace them with any other shoelaces you want.

Integrated Systems

By contrast, "integrated" attachment systems are a part of the pouch itself.  They are typically a set of straps attached to the top of the pouch that have a fastener at the bottom to lock it in place.  Examples of manufacturers that have Integrated systems include Eagle, S.O.Tech, and Spec-Ops.  When you buy a pouch with an Integrated system, you're pretty much committed to using that method of attachment.  Theoretically I suppose you could cut the integrated straps off and use a detachable system instead - but that would be a bit like buying a 4" revolver and then sawing off a couple inches to get a 2" barrel. 

Detachable Systems

Advantages:

- Easy to replace attachment hardware if it becomes damaged or lost
- Freedom to use any type of Detachable hardware you choose
Disadvantages:
- One more thing to lose if it becomes separated from the pouch

Integrated Systems
Advantages:
- Can't be lost or separated from the pouch

Disadvantages:

- You're stuck with that attachment method for the life of the pouch
- Difficult to repair or replace if it becomes damaged



Specific Systems

Tactical Tailor MALICE Clip (Detachable)

Overview: 

A heavy duty polymer strip with a locking tab closure method.  While the literature claims that the locking tab requires a screwdriver or some other tool to open it, it's actually very easy to use a fingernail to open the tab by hand if you're in a pinch - which I believe is a feature, not a defect.  It's not something you'd want to do a hundred times in a row, though.

Advantages: 

- Very easy to thread through tight webbing because you're only pushing a slim piece of plastic with nothing to get hung up.
- Given that the straps of made of a stiff polymer, you can actually get away without doing a complete threading (in which you alternate going through a loop on the pouch, a loop on the vest/bag, then a loop on the pouch, etc), even on bigger pouches.  This is very handy if you're in a hurry or if the pouch doesn't require all the extra support and security of a full thread.

Disadvantages:

- It would be preferable to have a screwdriver or other tool if you have to detach a lot of pouches.
- I've noticed that if you're not careful, the plastic around the tab can get chewed up by metal tools you use to open it.  So far, it has never affected the overall functionality of the tab, other than to sometimes make it a little harder to open because the tab becomes a little deformed around the edges, and it's then harder to work in the edge of your tool.  But of course, you can always just get a new Malice Clip when the old one gets too worn.

A well-worn tab.

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Paraclete's patented "Paraclete Attachment System" (Integrated)

Overview:

It's patented for good reason - it's a smart design.  It's a soft fabric strap with a stiff section a couple inches long at the end.  After you thread the strap through your webbing, the stiff section tucks back neatly into a slot at the bottom of the pouch.

Advantages:

- Very easy to thread through tight MOLLE loops because you just have to slide the stiff end through and the rest of the soft fabric strap follows.  Think needle and thread.
- Almost nothing to break or malfunction.

Disadvantages:

- Because it's just a soft fabric strip, bigger pouches really need to be fully threaded through alternating webbing to hold the pouch tight and supported.  So you can't cheat by not doing any threading at all like you can with the Malice Clip.
- It can be a bit difficult to get the strap back out through tight webbing when removing the pouch because there's a little finger loop at the base of the stiff end (used to pull it out when it's tucked away) that has to be pushed through "against the grain".  It's not so much an issue going in because the loop is facing the "right way".

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Eagle Industries button snaps (Integrated)

Overview:

Known as the "Natick Snap", it's essentially the traditional MOLLE fastener.  It's a strap stiffened with polyethylene to give it some inherent support along with a button snap at the bottom to lock the whole thing down.

Advantages:

- No frills, and no nonsense. 

Disadvantages:

- The thickness of the button snap itself can sometimes make it difficult to thread through tight PALS webbing.

 

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TAD Gear velcro straps (Integrated)

Overview:

It's essentially like the Natick Snap except it substitutes a hook and loop fastener for the button closure.

Advantages:

-  Not really sure there are any distinct advantages to this system, unfortunately.

Disadvantages:
- The hook and loop fastener just never gives you as much confidence as something like a button snap.  With a button snap at least it's either snapped shut or it's not.  With hook and loop it always feels "sorta" locked tight.

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Coming Soon...

S.O.Tech's Flex-Tab
Spec-Ops' modified Natick Snap
TAD Gear's licensed version of Paraclete's patent

MOLLE Gear: Eagle Becker Patrol Pack

Make: Eagle Industries
Model: Becker Patrol Pack MOLLE
Color Pictured: Khaki

Impressions

I love this pack.  It's versatile, it's adaptable, it's low profile when almost empty, but expands three fold to accommodate a heavy load.  Throw in the fact that it carries Eagle's reputation for making top quality gear and you just can't go wrong.

This bag pretty much has a MOLLE loop everywhere you can think of which makes it insanely configurable.  As usual, the interwebs will be full of pictures of this pack clean and bare, so I'll only show pictures with several pouches mounted to give you some idea of how it looks with gear on it.

The picture at the top of the post along with the next two here show the bag filled to about average capacity (it could handle more).

Now here's the same bag but with less inside.  Notice how the main flap folds neatly down into place.

The small pouch you see at the bottom is a Tactical Tailor horizontal utility pouch (1H).

The pouch on the left is a Tactical Tailor strobe/compass pouch.  On the right is a 50 Series Universal Hardcase.

On the left is a Tactical Tailor 7.62 single mag pouch.  On the right is a TAD Gear folding dump pouch (RDDP1).

The main compartment has a weatherproof top...which rolls up and fastens with a Fastex buckle.

When there's not much in the bag, I like to push the weather proof cover down into the main compartment to keep it out of the way.

Here's a shot with the top flap open to expose the additional rows of MOLLE.  There's more MOLLE than you'll know what to do with...

The main compartment has side pockets front, rear, and on both sides.  This shot is taken with the pockets pulled into view.

This is the same angle but with the side pockets pushed out of the way.

The top flap has a zippered pouch compartment for misc items.

The zippered pouch open.

Big beefy handle at the top.

You can run your drinking tube through a hole in the top flap, otherwise it seals closed with a hook and loop patch.

The fabric on the back is lightly vented.  The straps are padded.  It comes with an padded waist belt, but I've removed mine and haven't yet needed it to make the pack comfortable.

This tag means you've likely got a quality piece of merchandise.

MOLLE Gear: TAD Gear BC4 Pouch

Make: TAD Gear
Model: BC4 Nylon Storage Pouch
Color Pictured: "Coyote Khaki"

Attachment System: Integrated hook and loop straps
MOLLE Footprint: 2 loops across x 1 loop high

Intended Purpose: Holds one BATUCA battery case
"Everyday MOLLE": Holds a set of keys or handful of quarters

Impressions
This is one of the pouches I bought when I visited TAD Gear's brick and mortar shop here in San Francisco for the very first time.  Honestly, I think I bought it simply because it's one of the smallest MOLLE pouches I've ever seen.  It's one of those pouches you buy first and figure out a use for later.

It's perfect for keeping one key item readily accessible, and with such a small MOLLE footprint, you can really put it almost anywhere.

The only thing I'm not crazy about is TAD Gear's hook and loop attachment system.  In this small pouch, the hook and loop runs the full length of the strap (that's not the case in TAD's larger pouches) so you have to maneuver the loop part underneath your MOLLE and then get the hook section fully underneath that.  Given the strap is so short, it's not that it's hard to do - it just feels harder than it needs to be.  And like many people, I always have the nagging feeling that the hook and loop is wearing out every time I open and close it.

But it's a convenient little pouch with a dozen possible uses (as long as you think small).
 

Never been a fan of the hook and loop attachment system, but in a pouch this small, it does the job adequately.

Good for a set of keys.

Shown with a Swiss Army Classic and a Fenix E01 for scale.

The pouch has such a small MOLLE footprint that it can be attached where few other pouches can.  This is a perfect utility pouch to mount on that single strap of MOLLE that runs down the strap of your pack (in this shot, a Gerber Evader).

Shown with a Grimloc for scale.

MOLLE Gear: Pouch Round-Up

If you're in the market for a simple MOLLE magazine pouch, it's hard to go wrong with any of the major US brands. At that point, you'll probably choose the pouch based on price or your preferred MOLLE attachment system.

But there are plenty of variations on that basic theme, whether it be pouches with extra retention capabilities, shorty or staggered stack versions, pouches that combine rifle and pistol pouches into one, etc. I'd wanted to do some side-by-side comparisons of these kinds of pouches, and as I wrote up a table of which company offered which pouch, I realized that maybe the table itself would be a valuable post.


Basic M4/M16/AR-15 rifle pouches
* Standard Pocket: This refers to the most basic type of pouch that is essentially open on one end, closed on the other, and has some kind of bungee restraint to hold the mag in place.  In pocket pouches, one end of the mag will always be exposed.

* Flap: This is essentially a pocket pouch but with the addition of a flap that folds over the top of the mag and typically secures by either hook and loop or Fastex buckle.

Other/Specialty rifle pouches

* Retention: This refers to pouches that use some type of system to exert extra force on the magazine to hold it in place.

* Combo = Pistol/Rifle Combined: This refers to pouches that integrate a rifle and pistol mag pouch into the same unit.

* Shorty = Short Pocket: This is a pocket pouch made deliberately shorter than normal so that more of the magazine body is exposed at the top.

M4/M16/AR-15 MOLLE Mag Pouch
	Standard Pocket	Flap Pocket	Other/Specialty
Tactical Tailor	Yes	Yes	No
Eagle Industries	No	Yes	Retention
Paraclete	No	Yes	Combo
Spectre Gear	Yes	Yes	No
HSGI	Yes	Yes	No
S.O.Tech	Yes	Yes	No
TAG	Yes	Yes	Combo
Blackwawk*	Yes	Yes	No
Maxpedition*	Yes	Yes	Shorty

* Manufactured offshore


9mm Pistol pouches
* Standard Flap: This refers to the standard type of pouch that has a fold-over flap, usually secured by hook and loop, which holds the magazine in place.  Note that these pouches will also hold flashlights, multi-tools and folding knives, and are sometimes even sold under the "sheath" or "knife" category.

* Added retention: This refers to pouches that use some type of system to exert extra force on the magazine to hold it in place.

Pistol MOLLE Mag Pouch
	Standard Flap	Added Retention
Tactical Tailor	Yes	Yes (Magna)
Eagle Industries	Yes	Yes (FB)
Paraclete	Yes	No
Spectre Gear	No	No
HSGI	Yes	No
S.O.Tech	Yes	No
TAG	No	Yes
Blackwawk*	Yes	Yes (Talonflex)
Maxpedition*	No**	No

* Manufactured offshore
** While Maxpedition does make a standard pistol/knife flap pouch, it is not designed to be MOLLE compatible.


Made Where?
It may be worth noting that both Blackhawk and Maxpedition use offshore facilities to produce some of their gear, though I include them here simply for the sake of comparison.  All the other companies listed handle both design and production in the US.

Tactical Tailor: Washington State
Eagle Industries: Missouri
Paraclete: North Carolina
Spectre Gear: California
HSGI: North Carolina
S.O.Tech: California
Tactical Assault Gear (TAG): California

Knife Gear Comparison: Kershaw Black Shallot vs Benchmade Griptilian

Make: Benchmade
Model: Griptilian 551

Make: Kershaw
Model: Black Shallot 1840CKT


I will not even attempt to sell you on which of these knives is better overall; that's truly a personal choice.  I once read that the right knife for you is the one that just "feels" right in your hand (same as a pistol, I suppose).  Both of these blades are quality pieces of hardware, made in the US by highly reputable manufacturers.  I'll simply try to compare and contrast them as Every Day Carry knives.

Opening Mechanism

The Griptilian uses Benchmade's AXIS mechanism and it amounts to having three ways to open the knife.  You can use the traditional thumb stud and simply push the blade out until it locks.  You can pull backward on the AXIS thumb stud which essentially lets the blade drop free and either gravity or a flick of the wrist will get it the rest of the way.  And finally, on most Griptilians I've seen, a more energetic flick will snap the blade open (though this can take some practice).

The Shallot uses Kershaw's SpeedSafe assisted opening, which only requires you to get the blade moving a small distance before the mechanism takes over and snaps the blade quickly and solidly into place.  Note that unlike other SpeedSafe models (like the Leek or Chive), the Shallot has neither a thumb stud on the blade or a safety lock.















Getting a Grip
The Griptilian is almost an ounce lighter, but the handle is considerably thicker.  That means it feels big in the pocket, but also gives you plenty of material to wrap your fist around.  The handles have good checkering and also have a slight bulge to them which again makes for a secure, comfortable grip.

The Shallot is thinner, heavier, and while the handles are flat, smooth stainless steel, they also have a more dynamic contour to them.  This, combined with a deep forefinger groove means that if the overall shape fits your hand, chances are you'll find the grip to be equally secure and comfortable.

Left or Right, Up or Down?
The Benchmade can only be carried tip-up, though the clip can be put on either side of the knife.  The AXIS lock has studs on both sides which means that it's easy for both lefties and righties to close the knife. 

The Kershaw, on the other hand, can be carried either tip-up or tip-down, but the clip cannot be put on the other side of the handle.  It's also worth noting that the Kershaw is a liner lock and therefore rather awkward to close for lefties.