Men's Lifestyle

WATCH: The Absolutely Awesome XM42 Flamethrower in Action

(Article courtesy of Tactical Life)

When some people see the XM42, the immediate reaction is, “WANT!” While others cry out, “Why?” Those who cry out “Why?” are usually the type who don’t understand why you would need an AR, why own more than one gun and why you would want a totally awesome fire-breathing flamethrower from an American company.

The XM42 was conceived from American dreamers at The Ion Productions Team. It is the WORLD’s FIRST commercially available flamethrower. And quite frankly, this thing is badass. It melts ice, starts bonfires, eliminates weeds with extreme prejudice, does controlled burns (not suggested in urban environments), and can light your friend’s cigar and melt his face (not recommended).

RELATED STORY: VIDEO – FPSRussia Tests Personal Flamethrowers

This is a fire-breathing representation of what American freedom is. If you’re still asking yourself “why” and just don’t get it, maybe you would be better served if you took up quilting and started a cat collection.

Continue reading on Tactical Life

Photo courtesy of Tactical Life

Sharps Brothers – Getting Scrap Jacked

(Article courtesy of Breach Bang Clear)

Sharps Brothers – Getting Scrap Jacked

Richard Kilgore and Jake Call

The new (-ish) product in the Sharps Bros. lineup is called the Scrap Jack, and each one is actually the result of a failure identified during the QC process. If a “Jack” (one of the Sharps Brothers unique rifle styles) doesn’t pass muster, they recoup a small portion of the loss by chopping the skull half off the lower and making it available for sale. The skull portion being the most unique and immediately recognizable portion of Jack AR15 and AR10s, there is a significant (if initially unexpected) demand. People use them as business card holders, pen holders, field expedient bludgeons in extremis¹, or just whatever works best for their individual feng shui. As you can imagine, those who display them at the office tend to engender quite a bit of conversation thereby.

Grunts: engender.

Sharps Brothers founder and owner John Sharps readily admits to his surprise at the response the Scrap Jack has received.

“They’re actually very costly mistakes,” Sharps tells us. “When a Jack fails the QC process, rather than scrap the aluminum we cut off the front half and throw it up on the website for $50. I have received literally hundreds of requests for these things.”

Continue reading on Breach Bang Clear

Photos courtesy of Breach Bang Clear

Six Month JIU-JITSU Update

I’ve attended beginner Jiu-jitsu classes three days a week for the last six months. The Academy shut down over Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I missed a few due to work commitments or other training events. I’d estimate I’ve gone to over 65 classes so far.

I am taking Jiu-jitsu from the perspective of a tool-bearer (knives, pistol, impact weapon, OC spray).

My initial goals were:

improve my ability to escape side control and top mount
control my opponent on the ground so that they cannot hurt me with their body or tools
reduce the amount of panic I feel when someone is on top of me

Since training, I’ve added two more:

recognize and execute submissions that are high probability and minimize my exposure to tools and the environment (e.g., being slammed)
“feel” opportunities based on my opponent’s body and what they are doing

The following are my thoughts after six months of training.

ATTENDEES

I go to class during the day. These classes have fewer people than ones at night. This gives me more personal attention from the instructors, but limits my training partners. The She Shepherd and I are the only regular attendees. Two of the other “regulars” graduated to other programs a few months ago. There are three other students who attend on a semi-regular basis, including a law enforcement officer who works swing shift and comes to class after work. I know that one of the regulars now attends night classes with his wife. I assume the other students have dropped out.

In many ways, this has a negative effect on our training. However, there is one very large positive: when it’s just The She Shepherd and/or the LEO student, we “cheat” a bit on the curriculum and insert weapons-based concerns into the techniques. This is not part of the regular curriculum.

Continue reading on Short Barrel Shepherd

Photo courtesy of Short Barrel Shepherd

5.11 Ridgeline Pant – Purpose Built and Quietly Tactical

The 5.11 brand is known throughout the law enforcement and tactical activities groups worldwide for their quality gear; most of which was designed and enhanced by the folks that utilize the products every day. Built with the same material as their Stryke pant the cargo pockets give the appearance of casual wear but were designed and created for low visibility objectives and maintaining the ability to react quickly. The pant has a gusseted crotch; for that Chuck Norris high karate kicking fighter, and articulated knees that are not pronounced. The pant is a great edition for traveling to countries that might be a bit “dirtier” than most first-world cities and the Teflon finish keeps liquids and dirt from clumping and staining. The pant features covert pockets developed by working with teams in the field for quick access and is sized for everything from AR magazines to a cell phone to ensure your readiness for most operating environments.

Wearing the Ridgeline trousers for low-visibility missions, tactical objectives, GORUCK events or obstacle running events, meets requirements like drying quickly and stretching to accommodate a variety of physical activities; especially if you find yourself hoping fences in pursuit of bad actors or in bear-crawl or burpee hell. The colors run from uniform needs to casual and are the right choice of pant when there is no need for cargo pockets, like if you are wearing thigh rigs such as the 5.11 Thumbdrive or a G-Code Drop Leg holster. Choosing pants without cargo pockets is the correct selection with thigh platforms (e.g., holsters, gas mask carriers, first aid, etc.) for a few reasons. First, I have seen first-hand where the top of the cargo pocket can get wedged into the Level 2 or 3 holster retention springs on a few of the thigh rigs on the market, greatly reducing the ability to draw the firearm quickly. Second, you just can’t fit stuff in there and be comfortable or get to it fast enough.

The front pockets may feel a bit weird, especially if you are used to traditional slanted pockets found on jeans or khakis, but what I like about them is not having to worry about items coming out when performing serious physical activities. The utility pocket underneath the front pocket is placed perfectly to ensure quick and easy access to tools.

Specifications:

6.76 oz. Flex-Tac® ripstop fabric (great for bear-crawls or burpees)
Gusseted construction (Same as above, sprinkled with some Chuck Norris kicking abilities)
Bartacking at major seams and stress points (not overt)
Double-stitching
Extra pockets sized for tactical use
Nylon reinforced pockets (keeps items from ripping through or creating chafe)
Teflon® finish (perfect for those that stain everything)
YKK® zippers (can withstand great force when trying to make a “head call” with gloves and you’re in a hurry)

Taking Flight With The Vibram KMD EVO

The Vibram KMD EVO is a cross-training shoe that claims to, “defies gravity (and conventional wisdom), allowing athletes extraordinary freedom for dynamic movement both in the air and on the ground.” Unsure of what that meant, we put them through the widest variety of exercises we could think of. First, to determine what the claim meant, and second, if they could back it up. Here’s what we found.

A Quick Overview

Pros

Cons

A cleverly designed rubber outsole that provides traction on wet or dry surfacesWeighing in at only 7.4oz (for the pair!), the featherlike weight certainly won’t keep you stuck to the ground

Super breathable mesh upper that prevents your feet from getting hot and sweaty while working out

The addition of 6mm midsole provides the cushion needed to take the high impact stress out of exercises, while still being thin enough to provide good ground feel

Some “true minimalists” may not like the addition of the 6mm midsole

If your second toe is longer than your big toe, sizing can become an issue (I personally recommend going to a store for a fitting if you have this issue)

Versatility: 9/10

As I’ve stated in previous reviews, for me, being able to spread your toes while exercising or running is important. It increases balance, proprioception, and lets our body move more naturally. This is one of the most significant reasons behind why I love Vibram’s in general. Where I feel they are often lacking is in having some kind of midsole to take the bite out of it when you run over rocks, or are doing exercises like box jumps.

That’s why I was so glad to see that they decided to add a 6mm EVA insole to this new model, and why I scored it so high on versatility. I actually enjoy running on the road in these more than my old pair of Vibram FiveFingers (VFF) Bikila’s. It’s far less taxing on the feet for longer runs, even though this is listed as a training and fitness shoe on their site.

Continue reading on Spotter Up

Photo courtesy of Spotter Up

Jaybird Freedom Headphones – Final Review

I’m a big fan of the idea behind the Jaybird style of wireless headphones. A tough set of headphones, designed for adventure and sport. They are made with a healthy amount of metal for increased durability. They are sweat proof and designed to be comfortably worn under helmets. The Jaybird Freedom headphones fulfill a certain niche that the market was missing. Bluetooth headphones are becoming big right now, and tons of companies are entering the market. The Freedom headphones seems to be carving out their own slice of the market.

Comfort

Comfort is critical in the use of headphones. I don’t want to jam something in my ear if it’s going to hurt. The Freedom headphones have a tapered step-down design that allows to easily fit into your ears. This doesn’t just increase comfort but helps keep them from falling out. The Freedom Headphones come with a massive amount of different size ear buds in both foam and rubberized components.

Staying Power

The inclusion of a series of small fins and the tapered step-down ear buds helps keep these headphones in your ears. They just don’t stay in your ears when you’re running, that’s easy. These bad boys stay in your ears during everything I tossed at them. Running, jumping, pushups, burpees, tire flips, mace bashing, and working a heavy bag weren’t an issue with these headphones.

When hitting weights I loved not having a cord hanging down. So many times have I been in the middle of a set on the bench and my elbow caught the cable and ripped the earbuds out of my ears. This painful and annoying experience isn’t an issue with the Freedom Headphones.

Battery Life

The battery life is listed as eight hours. This isn’t completely honest. The headphones themselves have a four-hour battery built into it. The additional battery clip adds another 4 hours. The 4-hour battery clip is also used to charge the entire system. You plug it into the Jaybird Headphones and then plug a micro USB to charge.

If you lose the battery clip you can’t charge the system. Extra battery clips can be purchased for less than 30 bucks. Extra battery clips would be pretty handy for overnight trips in the great outdoors.

Sound Quality
I’m not an audiophile. I messed with the app a bit, but it wasn’t a major concern. If you are big into how music sounds you may find the app a little handier than I. However, I can see the appeal. The app itself works wonderfully, it’s stable, intuitive and easy to use. It also monitors battery power.

With just stock settings the headphones sound great to me. The music is crisp and clear as long as your music is high quality. It’s not quite noise canceling, but it comes close. The Jaybird Freedom headphones can be used with your phone as a mic. It actually seems to work with HD calling, and delivers very clear communication.

Downsides to the Freedom Headphones

I like the Freedom Headphones, I do. There are some downsides we need to talk about. That extra battery clip is awkward when connected to the headphones. This battery clip throws off the balance of the system. When moving rapidly this little bit of weight makes the headphones swing back and forth. I also wish there was some way to adjust the cord a bit. There are some limiters but they aren’t very intuitive and become frustrating. Also the 150 dollar price tag seems high, a 99 dollar price tag would make them much more attractive.

Final Point

The Jaybird Headphones are well made, tough and sound great. They are a solid set of wireless headphones if you are in the market. They are great for working out, hiking, and just normal everyday music use. Is the price high? A little. Is the system perfect? No, but it’s far from terrible.