5.11 Tactical

The Rush24 2.0 From 5.11 Tactical

The 5.11 Rush series have been around for almost 15 years now. This year we see the first update in the form of the Rush 2.0 series. We got our greedy mitts on the Rush24 2.0 and have been putting it through its paces.

What’s New With The Rush24 2.0

First, they added a concealed carry pouch. It’s hidden ingeniously but quick to access. It sits as a pocket between the front pocket and main pouch. It’s sealed with hook and loop, so it’s effortless to open and access.

Second, the inside of the main pouch now features a laptop pouch that allows you to fit a 15-inch laptop in it. This was added due to user demand. The EDC world has largely adopted military and tactical packs, so small things are changing to better accommodate every user. Plus, the tactical world is changing, the implementation of technology is being infused into our warfighters.

Buy It Now

The Rush24 2.0 comes in a multitude of colors, including tactical favorites like Multicam, but also black, brown, and various greens. The bag has a wide variety of pockets and pouches to allow the organization of everything from sleeping gear to pens and paper. Let’s look at the features that stood out to me.

Organization

You learn quickly how important pack organization is when it starts to rain on your field op. Your sprint to cover your gear, but you packed your tarp at the very bottom of the pack. Organization is critical. It doesn’t matter if it’s an EDC pack, a hiking kit, a bug-out bag, or whatever. You want it organized.

The Rush24 2.0 exists as a pocket packing machine. There are pockets everywhere. The side pockets allow for the easy stashing of important gear. From phone chargers to IFAKs, you can store it all for relatively easy access. Organizing your gear in the dozens of pockets is easy and accessing them even easier.

Pockets in the top, front, and side give you plenty of room to stash emergency essentials that you might need right away. I pack an IFAK and rain poncho in the quick access compartments.

Capacity

Thirty-seven liters of your junk can be shoved into the Rush24 2.0. This much space gives me enough room to pack for days at a time. I can pack at least 48 hours of supplies in this bag. If I stretch it a bit and eat thin, then the bag can last 72 hours. I can pack a sleeping bag, extra clothes, a few MREs, lots and lots of water, as well as a good flashlight, an IFAK, and so much more.

I’ve put the pack to the test in my adventure rucks and packed it with a 45-pound load to simulate the Wildland FireFighter pack test. It fit in without making the bag bulbous and tough to close. The extra pockets and dedicated hydration pack makes a huge difference in your capacity.

I’ve loaded the bag for EDC purposes from the office to the gym, and it served as a bag for both. I filled it up with weight to help shoot a gun like an improvised Caldwell Lead Sled. The Rush24 2.0 is a powerhouse of a pack with plenty of capacity for crossing the border into Iraq or going to that 3 PM college class.

Fit and Comfort

Remember when I loaded this bad boy with 45 pounds? Well, I also took it on a three-mile hike. That three-mile hike was completed in under 45 minutes to comply with the Wildland firefighter fitness test. That’s mighty fast for a hump, and it admittedly gave me a good perspective on the pack’s comfort.

Without an external frame, 45 pounds seems to be about the top weight I’d want to carry in this pack. The good news is 5.11 designed the Rush24 2.0 to carry a hefty load for a ‘backpack.’ A healthy amount of reinforced padding on the back. Padding provides an excellent degree of comfort, and the pads allow air to pass between you and your pack.

The shoulder straps are thickly padded and extremely wide. These wide pads provide a high level of comfort to the pack and help support the weight without the straps digging in. The Rush24 2.0 provides a high degree of comfort even when loaded down with heavyweight.

Inherent Quality

Is it made well? Well, it’s made from high-strength 1000D nylon that’s also water repellant. It’s tear-proof, and 5.11 sews everything on with what appears to be a double stitch. The zippers are all YKK high-quality, smooth-moving sealing devices. Duraflex makes the buckles, so you’re well covered here too.

Plus, when it gets filthy dirty, I just hose it down, dry it out and get back at it. For the price, it’s tough to make a better backpack. I’m sure you could, but selling it for under 150 bucks is next to impossible. Give it a peak and let us know what you think below.

5.11 Tactical Expedition Long Sleeve Shirt, SWAT Tested and Approved

The 5.11 Tactical Expedition Shirt is a solid buy. Designed for the tactical professional, 5.11 has a knack for creating attractive clothing with all the bells and whistles. This shirt has them all, dual chest pockets, bartacking at key stress points, shoulder pen pockets, and an overall tough and sturdy construction. All that sounds good, but I put this piece of clothing to the test. Check out the video to see how the Expedition long sleeve shirt performed… and to find out what bartacking means.

Author – Matt Walker is a Texas Law Enforcement Officer of 10 years and serves as a SWAT Officer for his department. He is also the head defensive tactics instructor and holds various instructor certificates such as Krav Maga Force Division Instructor, FBI Defensive Tactics Instructor, Tactical Breaching Instructor and various others. Mr. Walker holds and undefeated Mixed Martial Arts record and is a practitioner of Muay Thai Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Olympic weightlifting.

5.11 Tactical Field Watch

I’m one of those guys that love watches. To me, it is not only a necessity, but it finishes off the “look” of whatever it is that you are wearing. As much as I’d love to have a nice smartwatch, I haven’t been able to pull the trigger on one yet. Why? Truthfully, I not only like the aesthetics of an analog or digital watch, but it really isn’t practical in my day-to-day life (except for the fact that it’d be useful while working out). To me, traditional timepieces just have more personality.

When choosing a watch for work, it not only has to have the “look”, but it has to be able to withstand whatever is thrown at it. That doesn’t mean that it has to have all the fancy bells and whistles either; because hey, I’m a firefighter, not a pilot. However, I expect it to keep time accurately no matter the abuse, and it has to remain relatively unscathed in respects to its finish. Let’s face it, who wants to spend their money on a watch because it looks good, only to have a scratched up POS a day, week or even a month later. Last but not least, I want the option to wear the watch for more than just work, because in the end, “all work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy.”

Chances are, that if you work in any field such as law enforcement, military, EMS, or fire, you’ve heard of 5.11 Tactical. They are a company that is known for quality, ruggedness, and durability. And (yes, I started a sentence with and), I can tell you from first-hand experience, that their customer service is pretty darn amazing as well.

The 5.11 Tactical Field Watch fits the description above for what I look for in an excellent watch. Over the past two months, the Field Watch has been worn almost daily, whether it has been on shift at the FD, coaching my kid’s baseball games, or heading out for the night with my beautiful wife. My experience with it has been completely positive, which can be very difficult to find when reviewing gear. I can tell you that it has seen some abuse over those two months; from traffic accidents with extrication to training, and worst of all, horsing around with my kids!

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The 5.11 Tactical Field Watch comes with a Nato style band, and my first time wearing one. To touch on that, all I can say is that if you have never worn one, do yourself a favor and get one; they are that comfortable. The watch itself has a good heft to it, giving it a durable feel. But what jumps out at you when looking at it, is the simplicity of it. The numbers and increments on the face are gray against a black background; easy to read, but not screaming to take over the look of the entire piece. There is a small orange window showcasing the current date. To me, having the date on a watch is a MUST. Every task that I perform during my day-to-day operations required time and date stamping and having this definitely helps.

The Field Watch has a uni-directional dive bezel with number markings at every 5 minute/second. On the inside of the bezel, just under the chip and scratch resistant mineral glass, are your markings for military/24 hour time. The hour, minute, and red second hand, all have a Phosphorus Luminescent paint on them that glows with the slightest charge. For you ladies and gentlemen out there that perform dive operations, the Field Watch is water resistant up to 100 meters or 330 feet.

One of my favorite points on this watch though is the finish. 5.11 Tactical knew that this watch would be used by many of us in the actual field. So just to the name it “Field Watch” wasn’t good enough. They finished this watch with Ionic Plating. For those of you not familiar with this process, a layer of titanium nitride and other strong materials are added to the base of the stainless steel and bonded together to create a lasting and durable finish. In fact, it is so durable that it is considered a permanent finish/coating.

As mentioned before, this is the first piece of wearable gear that I haven’t had any issues with of any sort. The 5.11 Tactical Field Watch is versatile; ready for day-to-day operations, but classy enough to wear on a night out on the town.

If you decide to give it a go, make sure to stop back and leave some feedback. Let us know what you think!

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Author – Tony Kuhn

The 5.11 All Missions Plate Carrier: The most modular plate carrier on the market

5.11 Tactical made big waves this year with the introduction of the new Hex Grid system they are using for packs, bags, and plate carriers. Needless to say, the idea of being able to mount gear at a variety of angles spoke to me. Upon seeing the All Missions Plate Carrier I knew I had to have one. Well, I got one! After spending a bit of time with the All Missions Plate Carrier I realized I couldn’t capture everything I wanted in one article, so this is the first of two. This article will capture what the All Missions Plate carrier is and its capabilities. Part two will cover it in action and talk more from how it functions while being worn.

What Up With the Hex Grid?

Hexagons have become the official tactical shape of 2019. Odd I know, but it seems to work. With the All Missions Plate Carrier, you get a healthy 12×9 platform on both sides of the plate, as well as a cumberbund with Hexgrib everywhere. Hexgrid is replacing traditional MOLLE or PALS webbing on this carrier due to the modularity of the Hexagon webbing.

Effortless Swap to a Vertical Configuration

The Hexgrid allows you to mount traditional MOLLE gear as it’s intended to be mounted. Or you can run it at an angle, or even run it horizontally. This allows quick and easy customization and you can tailor pouches you need to fit in a certain way. It’s honestly made me experiment over and over with the placement of my kit. I now run my 3×6 Med Kit horizontally and find it easier to reach with both hands, even when running it on my nondominant side.

I’m also able to fit more by running different gear at angles. For example, if I run a shotgun 5 shot bandolier at a slight angle I can fit another, the VTAC shotgun pouch, and a dual mag pouch all on the 12×9 Hexgrid. This isn’t even crowding the gear either. Everything is plenty easy to reach and use.

In the past adapters have existed to orient gear is different directions, but a truly modular option like this has never been tried as far as I know. The Hexgrid of the All Missions Plate Carrier makes things very simple to attach to.

Swapping Loadouts

Even though gear is simple to attach and replace via the Hexgrid who really likes to break down their gear over and over again to change their loadout? It’s a hassle to weave, unweave, reweave, and on and on. With the All Missions Plate Carrier, you can very easily swap loadouts without the need for the constant weaving.

Both the front and rear 12×9 Hexgrid is removable and 5.11 sells extra 12×9 Hexgrids. You can set up multiple Hexgrids with different loadouts and swap them onto the plate carrier. They change out very easily and attach in just a few seconds. I set-up two loadouts between my AMP. The first is a pretty standard rifle loadout with the new Flex AR mag and pistol pouches. I also have the internal Kangaroo pouches for extra AR magazines. It’s easy and perfect for most AR loadouts. This is my current AR Loadout for use with my 80 lower receiver AR pistol.

The second loadout is an all shotgun kit. It features two Vtac/5.11 Shotgun bandoliers as well as the VTAC shotgun ammo pouch, and the dual Flex Pistol pouch. The 3×9 kit stays constant between both kits.

There are two Kangaroo pouches in this plate carrier. The first is underneath the Hexgrid panel and the second is in the Hexgrid panel. The internal kangaroo pouch has a set of small bungee cords and magazine sized compartments this can be removed and swapped between both kangaroo pouches.

These two very different weapon systems use very different pouches and attachments to function. Instead of spending 15 or 20 minutes unloading one just to load up another I spend 15 to 20 seconds swapping hexgrid panels.

Why It’s Called the All Missions Plate Carrier

Obviously being able to near instantly swap loadouts from rifle to shotgun, to sub gun, and to anything in between is invaluable. That helps the AMP be versatile for a variety of missions. However, there is more to it than that.

The Carrier can be bulked up or stripped down with ease. The end user can remove the internal pads, the Hexgrid panel, the cumberbund, and everything else for a super low profile plate carrier. You can conceal the thing with a jacket on.

You can add it all back and built it out in a layered loadout for storing tons of gear and ammo. Perfect for that intense short duration missions. The removable kangaroo pouch with fit three AR magazines and the cumberbund has three elastic pockets on each side for gear like more magazines, a radio, extra tourniquets, really whatever you want. Another cummerbund compromised of Hexgrid will easily allow you to add even more gear. You can even reverse the inner cumberbund to place the mag pouch in the cumberbund on the opposite side of the plate carrier. This makes it easier to reach. So one side can rock a radio and the other a magazine.

You can tailor it for just about any task from sitting on a post to direct action missions. This makes it one of the most customizable options on the market. The All Missions Plate Carrier is a well-made piece of kit. It’s very adaptable and you can tune it and customize it in a wide variety of ways.

Stay tuned for part 2 where we get out and shoot with the thing on and we can talk about how it runs.

5.11 LV18: A low vis 30-liter backpack

Today I’m reviewing the best bag of Shot Show 2019, the 5.11 LV18 “Low-vis” 30-liter backpack. This isn’t your ordinary bag, in fact, I would consider it a piece of my kit now. It boasts a lot of cool features and leaves out the nonsense. I was able to fit my full loadout inside this bag for a quick grab and go of everything I need to operate.

Kelin Ray is a Corrections Officer in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest specializing in man tracking and is a member of the Inmate Recovery Team. He is a former Field Artilleryman in the Washington Army National Guard and served in Iraq as a gunner for convoy security operations. In his free you can find him Tactical Live Action Role Playing with his friends as Batman.

The 5.11 Defender Flex Jeans

“Oh, I get it now.” was the first thing I thought as I put on the Defender Flex jeans from 5.11. I’m a pretty frugal guy when it comes to clothes. It can be hard for me to justify spending 70 bucks on a single pair of jeans. That all went to the wayside as I slid the Defender Flex jeans on. They are so damn comfortable.

The Defender Flex Jeans aren’t your Mom’s Jeans. These are purpose-built tactical pants that offer you the casual, low profile jeans look. On the outside they are just good looking jeans, when you start wearing them you see the potential. Outside of looking good and being comfortable they are ultra flexible.

They allow tons of movement that jeans often restrict. Running, jumping, taking a knee, or getting in those odd behind cover positions are easy. You never feel the pants restrict you, or make you feel like they’re about to rip. The price made more and more sense as I continued to wear them.

The Defender Flex Jeans in Action

These have quickly become my favorite jeans and I’ve worn them for about a month now. This is the straight cut, but a slim fit is also offered. They feature you traditional five pocket cut, as well as a hip pocket on either side that’s low profile and easy to miss.

This extra pocket just happens to be the perfect size to keep a AR 15 magazine in place. The pockets are cut low enough to easily draw the mag, but high enough to keep it secure. You could squeeze in an E&E kit, a tourniquet or two, or a decently sized flashlight. The pockets are easy to reach and concealed easily under the right shirt.

The flexibility of the pants in the biggest draw to me. I love being able to move freely, and dip, dive, dodge, and duck without feeling restricted. The flex also allows for a comfortable IWB carry of your choice of firearm, large and small. The waist gives just enough to be comfortable but is tight enough to keep your IWB gun secure.

If you prefer a low profile Loadout then the Defender Flex jeans are for you. If you want a stylish, comfortable pair of pants you can work in then the Defender Flex jeans are also for you. I’m not really sure I can go back to my big box store jeans after sliding into these bad boys.