Extreme Tolerance » Gear Review

Magpul iPhone 4 Case

Admin — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:01:05 +0000

After a year of waiting I finally got the magpul iPhone case. I have to say I was perfectly willing to say all kinds of bad things about it. Especially considering the wait.

Its also important to note that this is not the original case I was after. When Magpul first announced the iPhone field case the iPhone 3GS was the latest and greatest. In the intervening time the iPhone 4 dropped, which being a giant nerd, I immediately bought. So I was pleased when I got the email blast from Magpul saying they case was shipping and there was an iPhone version.

By basis for comparison is the many cases I have had for my past iPhones and the Apple iPhone 4 Bumper.

It seems to me that the Magpul, iPhone 4 Field case is very thin. It adds virtually no bulk to the phone. Plus is seems to slide in and out of my pockets easier. Additionally, with the Apple Bumper I still always felt like the phone was about to slip from my hands, the Magpul case makes the phone gripper, yet again without really high friction surfaces that turn your pockets inside out when you pull out the phone.

If you have every tried typing on an iPhone 4 you know the ergonomics is weird. The thinness and flat back seem to be not optimal. Somehow the Magpul iPhone 4 Field Case solves this problem. Most likely its the ridges that run along the sides of the case.

The iPhone 4 clipped into the case perfectly. It does not move or wiggle. Basically, I get the feeling the quality of this product is much greater than the cases you will find at the Apple Store or Best Buy.

What pushed me from liking the case to loving the case was actually something that was on the packaging. There was a small stamp that said “Revitalizing America. Designed and Manufactured in the USA”. I was floored. I guess the USA part explains why the product was so nice, but how can they only charge $9 for it?!?! I thought for sure this was going to be a plastic fantastic China special. Especially since the market rate for a generic iPhone case is $30.

So for all you people saying, oh the Magpul iPhone 4 case is just a Tacti-cool Mall Ninja accessory. Ask yourself, what has your case done for America lately?

P.S. The Otterbox is imported. And MidwayUSA.com finally has the Magpul iPhone case in stock.

Under Armour Compression Shirts Updates?

Admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:02:09 +0000

A few weeks ago I decided to refresh my collection of workout shirts. I like to wear the Under Armour compression shirts. I picked up two large shirts one tan and one black. When I examined the shirts closer, the tan shirt was labeled “tactical”. Aside from color differences I did not notice any differences until I hit the gym.

The “tactical” version is the cut that I am used to, while it appears the “standard” version has minor updates to the seam placement. Most notably Under Armour moved the neck-to-arm seam off the traps, rolling it forward toward the collarbone.

This might not seem like a huge update, unless you put very heavy things on your shoulders. It seems that every time I use the standing calf machine (the weight is applied to the shoulders) , I come away with lines down my traps, along the path of the shirt seam.

So what is the practical upshot here:
1) I tend to think the new cut is a minor difference but looks a little cooler.
2) More importantly, my wife will not ask me what happened every time I come home with those bruises.
3) although I have not tried it yet, I wonder if it would make a backpack more comfortable.

While I like the colors on the “tactical” version, I think the cut of the “standard” is better.

Bonus Anecdote: The day after I bought the “tactical” version, I went white water rafting with a high school friend of mine. This guy is an army lifer has done a few tours in Iraq. I loaned him this shirt because he needed a rash guard. It instantly recognized it, and it color scheme. He said that he had a bunch of these on his first tour and they really helped deal with the heat, especially while all kitted up. Basically these things rock.

I should also note that they call it “heat gear” for a reason. On more than one occasion I have had to quickly layer up, when conditions changed and my heat gear started doing to good of a job.

Nikon Prostaff 550 Rangefinder

Admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:44:32 +0000

A rangefinder, like night vision goggles is one of those things that I have always wanted. Now, having put together a rifle that actually shoots far enough for bullet drop to be a factor (I don’t count .22s), I had the perfect excuse.

Compared to some of my other recent purchases, I have not researched this as much. I started casually looking around and then played with a bunch at Cabelas. Then when I found something I liked, my wife informed me that she would let me buy it, “for my birthday”. awwww…

At first I really liked the Redfield range finder. It is about half the length. Granted it more roundy, but it feels like holding a ball in your hand. However, the guy working behind the counter said that the Redfield does not work near as well as the Nikon. On paper they have the same range and the Redfield is cheaper. Not to diminish Redfield, which is owned and operated by Leupold, but the little reading I had done seemed to agree with the counter guy that the Nikon was better.

Cabelas says that the Redfield will work on reflective targets out to 550 and non-reflective targets out to around 300 yards. I have tested the Nikon. I can shoot trees out past 400 yards, I don’t think it gets much more non-reflective than an evergreen tree. Also I have done most of my testing in bright daylight, which the Nikon owners manual said was not optimal. I was able to take a the Nikon out to 646 yards on a reflective target. Take a look at the youtube, I recorded it.

In the youtube you will notice the cross hairs and then an X over those cross hairs. This is the continuous scan feature. This might be handy if you target was moving or in my case, if you are looking for something that will reflect the laser.

And Yes, it is a laser. I thought that was cool. Guess because its a laser you can’t point it an planes.

No if I were to do it again, I might take a longer look at the Redfield rangefinder. But I am very pleased with my Nikon Prostaff 550 Rangefinder. If you are feeling like spending more money they do make rangefinders that take angle into consideration, that way you calculate bullet drop as if you were shooting level.

Maybe someone at Redfield/Leupold can hook me up with a demo unit so I can actually compare them head to head. Come on guys I know you are just down the road.

Shot and edited on my iPhone 4.

Benchmade Pocket Knife

Admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:50:50 +0000

Last weekend I bought a Benchmade Griptilian with a tanto blade. I will write a review but I am currently busy. So why post this? Because I do not want to forget. And if I do this I will feel pressured to come back. Related posts:511 Pants: Tactical iPhone Pocket Lack of Posts Why is [...] Related posts:

511′s Tactical Office Pants

Admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 23:32:16 +0000

Ok so 511 actually calls them Covert Khakis but I think I could come up with come better ones:

Cubical Commanders
CQB (Cubical Quarters Battle) Pants
Tactical Computer Operator Pants

I have wondered for a long time, why is it that I go out adventuring on the weekends, demanding the highest performance from my gear. Then I show up on Monday and I am rocking cotton pants that have not changed since the stone age. These pants give me hope that some company gets it. All I have to say is: Please make me more!

What I like
First of all these really feel great. These are probably the first of my “work” pants that I would consider wearing on the weekends. They have a flat front that looks great and is magical with you check out the pocket on these. There is SO much room!

The zippered pocket in pocket design in really cool. I can stash my pocket knife in one of the “mag pouches” zip the zipper and no-one knows it there. The inner zipped pocket is about the same size as the main pocket. Got something you need to keep secure with rounded edges that like to work its way out (pens or iPhones maybe), the zippered pockets solve that problem.

These things are sturdy. I have no doubt that I will be wearing these for a while. I tend to churn and burn work pants. Unlike my other these feel solid.

I would love to know what 511 was thinking about this:

What I can tell you (and this is probably it), these pants stay comfy even after loading up the pockets, eating a huge meal and then plopping down in my cube.

What Could Be Improved:
Its a nice day here in the Portland Vancouver area. The sun is shining and the wind is blowing hard out of the Gorge. Its a great temp but I am hot. These pants are hot. The outside layer is a great thickness and feels really durable but the large pocket system stacks up the insulation. If I were 511 I would consider making some of the middle layers a lycra type material that does not get as warm. Basically I would try and trim weight and insulative layers wherever possible, without loosing durability. Additionally, can we get fancy with the outer layer?

The “magazine pockets” on these are curious. They bairly accommodate my pocket knife in diameter but they are deep. If you had a hi-cap .380 they might work great. I would re-engineer them slightly to better fit a knife or small flashlight and some pens.

The cargo pockets are cool but I am not so sure they are useful. That might be a place to remove material for a summer version of the pants.

One final comment, where is my iPhone pocket? How about a little pocket inside the left front pocket?

Remember this section is “things that could be improved” not “things that are wrong”. There is nothing wrong, these are pretty dam cool.

Overall:
These kick ass and the price is right. I bought mine for $17 bucks and pair but in retrospect they would be worth spending the full retail $50.

511 Pants: Tactical iPhone Pocket

Admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:40:18 +0000

It seems to me that on items that its small things that take everyday items from good to great. Last weekend I posted about buying a few pairs of 511 tactical pants. And I spent all weekend in them.

Sure I was mostly loafing around the house and the most strenuous things I did in them was build some Ikea shelves and chop down a tree but never the less I got some quality pants time.

This may sound strange bu the thing that impressed me the most was how the iPhone fits exactly in the left upper exterior pocket. Not having it dodging my knife, keys and flashlight in my main pockets gave me a little piece of mind, plus it was always handy.

To put this in perspective I would consider my iPhone to be possibly my most critical piece of daily gear.

I should also note there are other features I like: the rear pockets are off set to the outside to when you sit down you wallet is not in an uncomfortable place. The rear pockets are also huge which is nice because it always seems faster to cram stuff in your back pockets. The strap above the right rear pocket made this ex-rock climber feel at home, nothing like a gear loop for quick access. When you squat, the pants do not cut of circulation to your balls, yet another plus.

I give them two thumbs up.

Its Fing cold. Mountain Hardwear Power Stretch Gloves Make It Better.

Admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:02:22 +0000

No joke, between my wife and I we have probably bought 10 pairs of
Mountain Hardwear Power Stretch Gloves. They are not wind proof but they keep your hands warm and (more importantly) dry. The best part is you don’t sacrifice dexterity. I wear them any time I am in the cold.

I have a wool pair that I have not been able to find anywhere but the Columbia employee store. Love those to but I am not sure they shed water as well.

FYI, I pair of these will make cheap ass ski/snowboarding gloves into winners.

Review: Compaq Mini Netbook

Admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:22:24 +0000

A while back I posted about Best Buy’s black Friday netbook. These little computers were going for $200. Which is a good deal for a netbook. Because I have spend buttloads of money at Best Buy, they let me get one of these things a week before Black Friday (although it required about 4 hours of phone calls and hold time).

As a minor historical tangent, when netbooks first arrived on the scene (think Asuse Eeepc) they were priced at $200, but they were so popular, the industry jacked up the price.

Compaq Mini Netbook Good Points:

Small: The Compaq Mini Netbook goes anywhere. Its small size makes it perfect for any sort of travel or casual use.

Battery Life: I was prepared for crappy battery life but have been pleasantly surprised. It seems to be good for over 4 hours. Honestly I have not run out of battery yet.

Price: At $200 the Compaq Mini Netbook is impossible to beat. Unfortunately now that Best Buy’s special is over, its priced in the same range as the other netbooks. If you are shopping for a netbook keep in mind, the guts are all almost exactly the same.

Compaq Mini Netbook Good Points:

Sluggish: The Compaq Mini Netbook has a 1 ghz processor and 2 gb of ram. Not exactly a screaming machine. It runs my virtual machines and other processor intensive tasks but slower than my desktops. Still the tradeoff of size makes sluggishness worthwhile.

Awkward to open: Some people might complain about the keyboard, I don’t mind it, what bugs me (and its a dumb thing) it how the netbook opens. It has more in common with a flip phone than a laptop. Really this is a size and weight thing. The hinges offer more resistance than the lower portion has mass, thus its a two hand, or wedging type job.

Web cam: Yes is has a webcam, I can skype! Ahhh… compared to my iMac the picture (and frame rate) blows.

Bloat-ware: Its probably took three hours of uninstalling to get the bloat-ware to an acceptable level. Come on HP (they own Compaq), your hurting your product.

Windows 7:

One final note. Windows 7 its like taking XP and OSX and combining them in a bad way, which is still an improvement over XP. No angels will not descend from the heavens nor will symphonies be composed over Windows 7. OS X is still better. But I would rather use Win 7 over XP.

Surefire Outdoorsmen E1L

Admin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:47:08 +0000

By this point its no secret that I am a fan of Surefire. So it should not surprise anyone that I have bought another. I found that my Surefire 6P was not really pocket sized and I needed something smaller. After doing a bunch of research I settled on the Surefire E1L.

The E1L is significantly shorter than the 6P. It is also narrower. You can carry it around in your pocket without giving up to much space. It has variable outputs. Low: 5 lumens and High at 45 lumens. On the low setting it has 45 hours of battery life! Surefire does make a similarly size flashlight that can match the 6P LED’s 80 lumen output, the Surefire E1B. And the E1B is actually the same suggested retail price.

I chose the E1L over the Over the E1B (B for Backup) strictly because I could buy the E1L at REI, thus taking of 20% (during REI’s fall sale).

The one complaint I have about the E1L is the clip. If the clip could be reversed it would be perfect for attaching to the inside of you pocket (think the clips on pocket knives). That would avoid the problem of feeling around in your pockets to find it, especially when you need it fast.

Overall I have been very happy with the E1L.

Mountain Hardwear Alchemy Jacket

Admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:06:28 +0000

I have kinda been on a firearm and flashlight tangent for a while. Now its time to review a item that has been on my list for a long time. Mountain Hardwear’s Alchemy Jacket is probably the best jacket I have ever owned. Its perfect for all manor of active cold weather activities, let me tell you why:

What I Love about the Alchemy Jacket

The Alchemy Jacket is light: before settling on this jacket I tried on other soft shells. This jacket is among the lightest, to the point where I questioned its heat retention capabilities.
The Alchemy Jacket is form fitting: I have a light yet muscular and athletic frame (6′ 168lbs). This jacket feels like it was made for me. Its wide at my shoulders, hugs my lats and tapers to my waist. Why is this good? It makes me feel like I am not swimming in jacket. When I put on a backpack I don’t have to get fabric folds all sorted out. Oh and my wife thinks is sexy.
The Alchemy Jacket is Stretchy: In the old days, you needed a certain amount of extra material otherwise you would not be able to move. Now it seems that textile geniuses have been able to create fabric that says sealed while getting stretched. The Alchemy’s form fittingness would not be possible without this stretch.
The Alchemy Jacket is warm: much to my surprise it insulates but even better it completely cuts the wind, all why being completely breathable.
The Alchemy Jacket has the right pockets: What can I say? The pockets are user friendly.
The Alchemy Jacket is tight around wrists: This might be a feature/bug type scenario. At cuff, there is a 1″ section of fleece that can either sit flush against the arms or get folded out toward the arm opening. The effect of the outward fold effectively fills the gap between your wrist and the sleeve stopping all manor of cold progressing up your arms.

(FYI, This is not me)

Downsides

Its Form Fitting: Yes this is a pro and con. Its also the only downside I can think of. because it fits me so well it does not allow for a lot of room for base layers. If you are planning on sitting still in a cold environment, the Alchemy Jacket might not provide the layering capabilities you need. Or you could just buy a bigger size.

Where to by the Alchemy Jacket

If you can find a local climbing/outdoors shop do that. Having said that, I live in Portland, where those shops are abundant but I still go to REI. I bought mine near the end of last season so I got it on sale. Even if I had to buy it full price, I would still say it’s worth it. My best advice would be get a REI membership or sign-up for their email and use the 20% off coupons.

Update: During REI’s fall sale this jacket is going for $139. Which is a good price. Normally $200.