Nick Betts

Nick Betts Nick spent 8 years in the US Army as a Scout Sniper before moving on to close protection work for celebrities and DoS personell domestically and abroad in high threat environments. An Avid fan of fine tequila, finely crafted watches and international adventure, he now resides in Baja Norte Mexico where he surfs, eats tacos and does brand development for various companies.

The MSR Pocket Rocket | Your little camp dragon

Everyone has their preference when it comes to camp cooking. Some are completely kosher with an MRE; freeze dried food or some sort of protein and granola bars. Others take solace in the process of making a good, warm meal on the trail, out in the wild enjoying Mother Nature. There’s something to be said about hiking 12 miles a day and sitting down with your boots off while cooking some fajitas in your camp kitchen kit. Luckily there is someone to help you with that fine meal at the end of a long trek; the MSR Pocket Rocket.

This past week I spent 5 days out in the gorgeous Arizona desert overlooking Roosevelt lake with 3 of my very best friends from the Army. During the day we were off-roading in my buddies jeep till sunset so there was very little time in the morning to cook a proper breakfast. Well I’m not the one to skip breakfast out in the field, so out came the MSR Pocket Rocket and my stove-top kit from Winterial.

Preparing for these types of meals before you head out to the field is crucial to making your life easier. For breakfast I dice up some raw bacon or breakfast sausage with some potatoes, onions, peppers and keep them in a sandwich bag for each day. This way you can just dump the contents inside the small skillet and sauté away. Turning on the MSR Pocket Rocket reminded me of a fighter jets after burners being engaged at an air show. The burner puts out some serious heat that nearly causes you to worry that you’ll melt the pot over the burner. The new addition of the push-start Piezo Igniter worked the first time and every time thereafter. Flawless operating gives you the peace of mind when out in the field and builds the confidence you need in your gear.

MSR boasts’ that the Pocket Rocket can boil 1 liter of water in 3.3 minutes, and they’re not wrong. I think if you have a Titanium cook set it works faster due to the thinner alloy allowing the water to heat drastically faster. Regardless, I was incredibly impressed with how easy making French Press coffee became in the morning. Coming in at just 2.9oz, you can easily stuff this in a pocket or hang it off a belt loop and you would never notice the weight. It’s actually quite impressive to see the immense abilities of this petite device. Crazy to think that 20 years ago Coleman was making the massive propane burners with far less heat capabilities and minimal thought to packability.

Perfecting your zero | A little help goes a LONG way

In the world of marksmanship, more specifically, precision rifle, there are a million different opinions on how to do things. “I’m an NRA shooter and this is how I do it”. “My grandpa fought in WW2 and he said this is the best way to do this”. “I read the blog of a guy who says he’s a Delta-Ranger-SEAL and he says to do this.” We all know those guys; the guys with more opinions than brain cells, the guys that hassle the fuck out of you and your wife at the range because he wants to have the biggest dick on the firing line. Even worse is the guy behind his keyboard, trolling the forums and articles, claiming his trusty Mosin Nagant is a sub-MOA rifle, and he regularly places in thousand yard matches. Fuck that guy. I’m going to give you a quick piece of advice here that you can take and use, or you can tell me to go eat a big bag of you know what. It’s just another tool for your toolbox.

The basis and foundation of hitting any target with your rifle is all about your zero. If you have a shit zero, you’ll have shit shots. It doesn’t matter if you’re just plinking targets with a 600$ AR or if you’re truly passionate about a precision rifle and you need sub MOA accuracy out past 600 yards. I can write an entire essay about proper fundamentals, but I want to be more specific here. So, let’s just assume that you can keep all of your bullets within about an inch of each other. When selecting your zero targets, there are a multitude of them on the market, thousands actually. You don’t need to waste your money on that nonsense. Prior to range day, I just snag some 8×10 sheets of paper from my printer and I sit down with a ruler and draw as many 1”x1” squares on the sheet as I can. Make sure that they’re about 4” apart from one another. Fill in all the squares to make them black, it doesn’t matter how you do this. Make sure that the squares are parallel to the borders of the paper so that they’re not crooked.

The key to having a dead-on zero is having the same point of aim for every single shot you take. With some of the mass-produced targets, they’ll print a big ass bullseye in the center. If you’re shooting a pistol, that’s all great and dandy, but when you’re trying to get the best shots out of your rifle, that leaves a lot of guessing room as to where your last point of aim is. You don’t want your crosshairs floating in the circle or the box (see above image), you need the smallest, most precise aiming point possible. The quote from The Patriot comes to mind, “aim small, miss small.” Human error is the largest contribution to having bad shots, so with this tip, we’re trying to eliminate all human error possible.

What I do is I take the 90-degree angle made by one of the corners of a drawn square on the sheet of paper and I match it up perfectly with the 90-degree angle made by my crosshairs (see above image). This gives me two separate reference points for my point of aim. I know that I can break the shot only when my horizontal and vertical lines are completely flush with the drawn square. When you get ready to take the shot, make sure that you are solely focused on your reticle, not the target square. You want to shoot a 5 round group, using the same point of aim every single time; this will establish where you need to move your turrets so that your point of aim, becomes your point of impact. Adjust your scope accordingly and shoot another 3 rounds. You should be shooting out the corner of the square on the paper; you’re not trying to get your rounds in the box. Once you’re dialed in, annotate the environmental data at your location and slip your scope turrets back to zero. The reason for annotating environmental data is because the temperature, elevation, barometric pressure any number of other factors will change our POI (point of impact) the next time you shoot.

I hope this article was of some use to you, and I hope that it will allow you to get the most out of your gun. Like I said earlier, this is just another method of getting your zero spot on. If you settle for a 2” group at 100 yds, you’re running the possibility of having 20” of error at 1000 yds. That’s a pretty big margin of error. Many other factors can affect your zero, such as cheap ammo, a dirty barrel, loose scope, etc, etc, etc. Give this a shot next time you hit the range and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Hitcase | The Ultimate Protection for your Phone

In a world where phone cases are quickly running out of steam and the market is demanding more protection with a smaller profile, it’s tough to find the case that doesn’t render your phone a brick. You frequently see a slim iPhone X in the most ungodly of cases from manufacturers like OtterBox and LifeProof. They fail to understand that less is more. But we, the consumer, fail to understand that complete protection comes at a cost. For a while, I accepted the fact that I would sacrifice waterproof and drop protection for something that was just going to keep the screen from getting cracked with a small drop.

Hitcase is a Canadian phone case company that has heard our cries for help and has addressed the issue head-on by creating a phone case with complete protection and the smallest profile possible. I was sent a box of their cases just prior to the desert event known as Burning Man, where the dust and mayhem can completely destroy your digital devices with swift efficiency. In such a visually stimulating environment, most “Burners” rely on their phones to take pictures of various art cars and their friends; capturing memories that could hardly be explained weeks later. So this was to be a true test of capabilities for Hitcase and my precious iPhone.

With an aluminum frame and rubber gaskets covering the ports, the Pro case hugs the edges of the iPhone X without rolling over the sides, feeling big and bulky. In fact, the case is so sleek that it feels almost natural holding the phone like Apple designed it themselves. The case comes with two top covers for the screen. One is the waterproof and dustproof cover that offers the ultimate protection needed for the active person. The other case is for your more casual environments which allows you to directly touch the screen without a protective barrier. I found that over the week in the desert, the protective cover held up incredibly well and sustained only minor scratches. This was strictly due to the fact that you often find yourself without pockets, so your phone sits inside your bag, smashing up against any number of things like water bottles, goggles and a dust mask.

Hitcase sent along three of their TrueLUX lenses to test out. On the site, they sell Superwide, Wide and Macro, but I seemed to have obtained two different Macro’s as well as the super wide. The Superwide is phenomenal and really allows you to replicate a fisheye with a simple quarter turn of the lens onto the back of the case. With the aluminum frame of the case coupled with the strong threads of the lens, you get a really positive connection without the worry of the lens falling off during active activities. However, I did notice some image quality degradation in the photos where I used the lens. The two Macro’s really allow you to pull out the smallest details in whatever subject it is you’re taking a picture of. But one of the Macro’s sent to me required that I put my phone so close to the subject that they were almost touching. I felt like I turned my phone into a microscope. So I found very little use for those lenses for any practical purposes.

Out of the box, the case has what they call a Railslide that allows you to mount the phone to various accessories to enhance the capabilities of your now waterproof device, similar to GoPro. When not in use, this Railslide is mildly annoying due to its awkward protrusion from the side of the phone. What makes it more annoying is the fact that the only way to remove the rail is with a small Allen wrench that doesn’t come in the box contents. So to go from a sanitary case to the ability to mount it and get in the water takes a little more effort than is desired. But looking at it from an engineering perspective, there really is no better alternative without some serious engineering complications. Covering the lighting port is a rubber gasket that works incredibly well at keeping the water out, but it’s also quite difficult to get open if you have slightly damp or oily fingers. Picking at the small flap over the past few weeks caused the rubber to tear leaving me unable to open the port, so I just took it off entirely. Yes, this is preventing my phone from keeping anything out, but I’m not requiring my phone to film the next Bluefin I spear on a dive trip. If Hitcase sent one or two extra’s with the contents, that would alleviate this issue entirely. With the durability of the Pro Case, I find a hard time believing it will need replacing until I upgrade to the next phone model. So this small oversight is something that I hope they will address in the future. Overall, Hitcase knocked this out of the park and have stepped in the ring with the big dog case manufacturers to deliver a knockout blow, cementing themselves as the only case to find itself protecting my most needed piece of technology.

Specs

Triple patented design
Low profile anodized Aluminum frame
IP68 Waterproof rating up to 33ft/10m
Drop-proof to 16ft/5m – MIL SPEC Shock rated
Take stunning photos/videos with 3x TrueLUX® Lenses: Wide, Macro and Superwide (sold separately)
Mount it anywhere with our Railslide mount system.
Compatible with all 8 HITCASE mounts and GoPro® mounts
Scratch resistant screen
Get your phone in and out in seconds with our super secret Shockseal design
Seamless Touch ID: talk, text, shoot, share = do all the things.

Black Ember Citadel Pack | Sleek, Versatile, Waterproof

The name Black Ember may not be familiar to some of you and I wouldn’t feel bad. The pack community is quickly becoming a saturated market now-a-days, leaving us to discover new companies every single day. This market saturation could crush brands that make an amazing product, but slack in their marketing efforts. As I was scrolling through my Instagram feed a few months back, I immediately stopped scrolling when I saw an add for Black Ember and their Citadel Minimal Pack. This doesn’t look like every other Cordura bag on the market. It’s refined, sleek and sexy, carrying with it an aesthetic sure to catch everyone’s eye.

I’m a self-prescribed pack-head due to my ever incessant need for “just one more bag.” My wife rolls her eyes every time a new bag arrives in the mail and I do nothing but smile and shrug like a child caught opening the cookie jar. First glance at the Citadel, I was immediately amazed at how technical the materials are. The 800-Denier 3-Layer Micro-Hex material feels durable and also carries an IPX-06 waterproof rating which means your gear will not get wet. The strength of the material is far greater than the standard 70-denier nylon typically used for dry bags and leaves me completely confident that no amount of dragging or hard use will ruin the integrity of the bag’s waterproofness.

The level of detail and precision that their team took on this bag is evident throughout. The laser-cut and bartacked Hypalon is tastefully added around the bag to add extra features and accessories allowing you more carry space. The handle is comfortable and contains two easily interchangeable aircraft grade aluminum hooks that stay secure yet detach easy. The Citadel uses a body contoured back panel that maintains the shape of the bag but doesn’t render it overly rigid. They have a series of airflow channels that sit up against your back and funnels hot air and moisture away, preventing that embarrassing wet spot on your shirt after a good trek around town.

The 3D shoulder straps are crafted from two layers of EVA foam and may be some of the most comfortable straps of any bag I own. They have a unique Velcro adjustment at the top of the strap so you can truly dial the bag in for a personal fit. My only gripe about the straps is that they use a polymer triangular gated clip at the bottom to connect to the bag. They appear quite flimsy and leave me feeling uneasy about their durability. On one occasion during a recent trip, the gate on the clip came out from underneath its normal housing and shifted around the other side, leaving the clip vulnerable to coming undone. The reason why I note this is I typically carry my Nikon D850 and two lenses in the bag. If the bag were to drop from my shoulder height, I run the risk of damaging my gear if the clip fails. My recommendation for the team would be to use some of their pre-existing aluminum clips in place. The reason I note this is I’ve had another bag fail me and fall to the ground breaking my Nikon and the lens in what turned out to be a very costly gear failure. So I think there is some PTSD from that tragic day.

One of the best features of this bag is the magnetic buckles that can easily be done and undone with one hand. The design is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and a small feature that is easy to fall in love with. The buckles are especially awesome when I’m attaching and detaching the DSLR bag that they also make. This system is incredibly useful and one of the main reasons I wanted this product. As a photographer, I frequently need to carry my gear with me on trips but often times I’d rather leave behind my dedicated camera bag due to its size. So now with the DSLR kit, I can pack my D850 with two lenses inside, attach it to the inside of the bag and still have room to pack other items like a jacket and a change of clothes. The DSLR bag is mounted high on the back panel, allowing you to open the lid of your Citadel and have immediate access to your camera.

Inside the Citadel is ample storage for all of your accessories. I carry an 18” MacBook Pro as well as a multitude of dongles (Damn you Apple), chargers and memory card readers. I have yet to come up helpless when searching for the right accessory pocket for any particular item I need to find a home for. Included with the bag is a compression panel that is perfect to separate your outfit from other items. Nothing worse than pulling your laptop out in the airport and a pair of underwear wants to come with it. Luckily Black Ember has also thought of this possible embarrassment and they have a dedicated top access zipper that allows you to access your laptop without having to actually open the bag and ruin your impeccable packing job.

I’ve amassed dozens and dozens of bags over the years and I think many are poorly made and thought out. There are others that I regularly use for certain trips that I enjoy. But the folks at Black Ember have really outdone themselves and created one of the finest bags I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. The attention to detail is remarkable and the aesthetic is eye catching to say the least. You can tell that they built an amazing team to design and create one of the best bags on the market. I will forever be a dedicated loyalist to Black Ember and all that they create. MSRP – $225.00

Get your own Black Ember Citadel Minimal Backpack using the deal we found below!

Bowers and Wilkins P5’s will change the way you hear music

We live in a world saturated with headphones. Ranging in prices from the thousands to gas station earbuds. I’ve always fancied myself an audio connoisseur since I’ve spent a large majority of my life on airplanes. Early on I was on the Bose kick and then adopted the SHURE SE series in-ear headphones. All of which were phenomenal for a short amount of time. But after about three months the audio would start cracking, the cable would short out, and they would just shit the bed. I’m terrified to actually know how much money I’ve wasted over the course of twelve years.

The time came for me to look for another option outside of the standard Apple earbuds. One of my close friends was the co-founder of LifeProof phone cases and is more pretentious about his audio than anyone I knew. So when we sat down for lunch and I asked him what model he was using, he very quickly told me he was using Bowers and Wilkins . Now, this caught me off guard because up until that point I had never heard of B&W.

In 1966, when people were just really starting to give a shit about sound quality, John Bowers and his lifelong friend Peter Hayward founded a manufacturing company originally called B&W on the South coast of England. John served in World War Two as a special operations executive in clandestine radio contact for the allies. Between this specialty and his love for classical music, Bowers and Wilkins became his lifelong passion.

Hesitant to drop more serious coin on headphones that would most likely fail me as well, I went to Amazon to see what model Mr. Bezos would sell me. I found the P5’s for an incredible refurbished price of $80.00. At that price, even if these did fail me, I wouldn’t shed a tear. They arrived a couple of days later in a standard box, but a very non-standard diamond stitched soft case with magnetic closure that contained the detachable cable, a splitter and spare magnetic ear pads.

The fit and feel of the P5’s are a 9/10 due to the tendency to slide off from the top of my head whenever I bend down. And after about three hours, the compression from the center band causes your ears to get slightly tender. But, these are small gripes to an otherwise ergonomic and sleek headphone that is probably the most aesthetically pleasing pair I’ve ever seen on the market. Although not advertised as a noise-canceling headphone, they work incredibly well drowning out crying children or the annoying drunk sitting next to you on an international flight. And I feel obligated to state that you should not be hesitant to blast your music full blast in crowded areas, regardless of how embarrassing your playlist is. No one will be able to hear the music and pass judgment, so carry on wayward son.

Now to the most important part of all. The sound. As with every new pair of headphones, you grab your phone, plug in the cable and find the most savage song you have on your playlist. For me, I put on Pink Floyd’s Time and just laid back and focused on what the P5’s were going to put out. The high and low tones were perfectly balanced with a deep hearty sound that I haven’t heard from another set of headphones before. It has actually kind of ruined my other music listening experiences from my home or car speakers and my Bluetooth speaker that I use at the beach. I find myself wanting to put on the P5’s if I’m going to listen to music, regardless of where I’m at. The last test was to put on Biggie Smalls, crank up the volume and let the bass go to work. Not a single crack came from the drivers, even at high volume. I let the whole album play till the end without remorse or a care in the world. Bowers and Wilkins P5 now have my full, undivided attention and I will be a lifelong customer.

Buck Knives breath life into an old classic: The new 110 Auto Elite

Buck Knives have been around for generations, and to me, are the quintessential classic pocket knives that you would expect to find in any old man’s pocket to this day. The classic 110 was created in 1963 when Al Buck decided that outdoorsman needed a sturdy folding lockblade instead of carrying a longer fixed-blade. The 110 was born and has been a best seller ever since.

Out of the box I was quite surprised by the weight of the new 110 Auto Elite. The Nickel silver bolsters pack a ton of weight, but it’s this weight that makes the blade feel light as a feather during the opening. With an overall length of 8.5”, this is no dainty pocketknife. The blade is a good 3 ¾” allowing you plenty of space for cleaning a deer but still nimble enough to handle a rabbit. Now during this T&E, I was not cutting up any freshly harvested venison, but I did filet some Bluefin to see just how sharp this updated S30V steel is from the factory. I was incredibly impressed that it wasn’t butchering the flesh. It looked as good as my sushi knife which is no easy task for a pocketknife.

The new G10 scaled have a perfect texture to them, allowing for better retainability compared to the older versions. It also adds a modern look to what is typically a finely finished wood or bone scales. I can see the performance really shining with blood-soaked hands. I would be curious to see how the spring action performs over time under harsh backcountry environments. Will a mixture of blood, dirt and hair gum up the springs? Only time will tell I suppose.

If I have one critique with the 110 Auto Elite, it’s the fact that it doesn’t have a pocket clip, which would be a much-welcomed option. I know this will detract from the classic appearance and may be taboo to some, but you won’t find me putting this in my EDC collection just yet. The leather pouch is meant to have a belt woven through it for ideal carry. But outside of a camping/hiking environment, I don’t wear anything on my belt. I tried for a week to carry it in my pocket like the good ole’ days, but with the weight, the knife would fall down sideways inside my pocket. This caused me to look like Steven Tyler pitching a side pipe on stage. So I switched it out for fear of some mother catching me making eye contact. Overall I’m insanely happy with this knife and it will find its forever home in my camping kit that I hit the trail with. I’m glad to see Buck breathed some modern metallurgy and updates into this classic.