The Loadout Room
Professional Gear Reviews
In early 2010 when I first joined the military the Oakley SI assault glove was the go-to glove for any hard use activities. Over time new players have come to the game offering their own take on a hard use glove. When Magpul Core announced their Breach glove I was immediately interested. It had many of the aesthetic qualities […]
I have featured the Vortex Optics UH-1 on a few articles and this is my final review on it. It’s badass and I can’t imagine switching to something else… end of review. Just kidding. The UH-1 has been adopted by anyone and everyone that can get their hands on it as the go-to CQC/CQB optic. […]
Light Infantry is anything but and it only gets heavier as time goes on. Most of the time, heavy is good: heavy squats, heavy deadlifts, heavy riffs, heavy metal, etc. Weight is weight and despite the endless discussions between your privates when they should be pulling security – a pound of feathers and a pound […]
Truthfully, I always tend to stick to backpacks by The North Face for every day and operational use, but I was given the T3 Gear 3-Day Hydration Pack to try out and now I don’t know if I’ll ever move away from T3’s backpacks. Through 3 maritime operations, it has held its in a league […]
I was shivering uncontrollably. My thin warm weather rip-stop Crye multicams did little to ward off the December chill in Northeastern Washington. It was 2030 hours, well past civil twilight this far north and it had been dark for four hours by this point. We’d been evading by moon and starlight and had settled into […]
Editors note: MACV-SOG was organized and functioned as the first true joint special operations task force (JSOTF). Formed during the Vietnam War, the unit conducted special operations, to include providing intelligence, psychological operations, and personnel recovery, in support of the theater campaign plan. From John’s book Across The Fence: The Secret War In Vietnam, here’s […]
U.S. Navy SEALs and AFSOC members conduct military jump operations during exercise TRIDENT 18-4 at Hurlburt Field, Florida. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Corban Lundborg) In the never-ending quest to remain technologically ahead of current and future rivals, the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) has assembled two documents containing lists of capabilities and technologies that […]
This article will speak about two vital weapons that served U.S. Special Forces during their service in the Vietnam War. They were the M-14 Anti-Personnel mine, more commonly known as the “Toe Popper,” and the V40 Mini-Fragmentation Grenade. Over the course of the conflict, these miniature terrors drew much blood against the North Vietnamese Army […]
Whether you’re running a chest rig or a plate carrier, there are some key features or additions that are going to remain requirements no matter what. I will readily admit that not everyone has the same needs for their gear but the following serves as a good rule of thumb. Magazines, communication, medical, and all […]
Whether you are a Military, LEO, security or a competition shooter, your choice for a battle belt is a one to be made with no small consideration.  A good belt needs to be versatile, rigid, easy to take on and off and shouldn’t add too much bulk to the other gear you use to get […]