Mission Gear

REFactor Advanced Special Operations (ASO) Bag

I’ll admit it. I have a bag problem. In my garage, there is an entire storage shelf where I keep my wide assortment of shoulder bags, rucks, backpacks, duffels… you name it. There are many categories and I have at least one entry from each. Although I have a wide variety of them, my favorite bags tend to be those with a high level of compartmentalization. Call it the former military in me, call it OCD, call it whatever you want but I enjoy having a well-organized bag.

So, when I found out about the Advanced Special Operations (ASO) bag from REFactor Tactical, I was very interested. The company, founded by a former Green Beret, has put a lot of attention into this bag and you can tell that it was designed for utility by people who have a lot of experience. That experience informed the design of the bag and some good forethought made it accessible to a very wide market. It comes in a variety of colors, including navy blue in case you want to be a little less conspicuous.

Advertised as a bag “specifically designed for the individual who needs the ability to travel with a tactical bag, without the tactical look” which is mostly accurate except for the color choices. I don’t think you’re fooling anyone if you carry a Multicam or Ranger Green bag but certainly, the black and blue offerings look ordinary. The ASO bag is constructed to last, using very sturdy stitching and durable materials. The bottom of the bag, as well as ¼ of the sides, are covered with a vinyl material which goes a long way toward keeping the contents of the bag dry, even if set in standing water.

The three exterior Velcro pockets are great for smaller items that need to be readily accessible. I tend to use those for snacks, simple first aid items and to stow the strap the bag comes with. Using those straps, this duffle can turn into a shoulder bag or a backpack in a matter of seconds. There is also a medium-sized zipper pocket on the right side of the bag which I use for a more extensive trauma kit, but could fit a few pistols, several magazines or boxes of ammunition, 3 boxes of power bars or whatever you prefer.

The large main compartment is large enough for me to fit my kit (plate carrier, helmet, battle belt) and a carbine. I have a folding stock on my rifle, but you could fit a full-sized AR15 if you detached the upper receiver. The lid to the main compartment has 3 mesh zipper pockets and the inside of the compartment has MOLLE lining in case you wanted to add pouches for even further compartmentalization.

Conclusion: The Advanced Special Operations bag is an excellent and sturdy addition to anyone’s range, bug-out or duty gear, especially if there is a desire or requirement for low-visibility.

Durability – 5/5

Design/Use of Space – 5/5

Color Choices – 4/5

Utility – 5/5

Author – Eddy South is a security consultant working in both the government and private sectors, where he works in full spectrum security operations in austere environments. Previously he served in the U.S. Army for 10 years as a Combat Engineer, Infantryman and finally Psychological Operations specialist for an SMU. He is an enthusiastic shooter, boater, snowboarder, gamer and traveler.

Watch: Basic setup for go-bags and 3 day assault packs

It’s a simple topic but one that can always be updated as the times change. Today we take a moment to discuss different types of Go-bags/3-day assault packs and how I would pack one (generally).

You can purchase the Cannae Assault Pack HERE

Blue Force Gear Triple Mag Pouch | A combat proven mag pouch

In today’s market, there is a myriad of mag pouches to choose from. They range from low-profile to very secure. Its a rarity to have a piece of kit that can do both without compromising the other. In my opinion, the Blue Force Gear Triple Mag Pouch is the way forward. They provide a solid grip on the magazine like no other I’ve used and trust me when I say ‘you put your magazines in these and they’re going nowhere.’

They are highly versatile and work on different mags – 5.45, 7.62, 5.56, no problem. While in my last area of operations (AO), I used AK-74s and AK-47 magazines with zero issues. The 7.62 are a bit tight, but they still work very well. While working, I have mainly used the 74s with 30 round mags and one 45 round mag. Even with the weight of the 45 round mag in these pouches, there’s been zero movements with any force I’ve thrown their way.

One downside is you can forget about a tactical/combat reload of placing the empty mag back into the Blue Force Gear Triple Mag Pouch. During this situation, there is no way you will get a mag back in these pouches. I’ve tried and tried repeatedly, but maybe I’m just not as good as those tactical gods out there. Maybe there is an operator out there who can do this, but it’s not me. Spend the mag, dump it in a cargo pocket, reload, and crack on.

As stated previously, the main positive of the Blue Force Gear Triple Mag Pouch is I’ve never seen a mag pouch hold like this before. Crawl, run, climb, handstands, do whatever you want – your mags will still be there when counts and that’s the most important thing. You would think it must be difficult to put a mag in this pouch, but they side right in with a push. Combat reloads are the only time when it will slow you down. When in need of a magazine you can get another quick as your reflexes will allow.

As for durability, these are tuff as nails and been on the go now for some time. I’ve punished these in some very unforgiving environments and not a single hole has formed in the material. As you can see in the photos, there is some fraying of the material, but they are still fully functional. Also, the Velcro at the bottom of the straps is starting to fade, but this is of little concern to me as they still hold their functionality and have loads of life left.

As you can tell, the Blue Force Gear Triple Mag Pouch is one of my favorite products on the market right now and well worth purchasing if you need a super secure mag pouch. I will continue to use these mag pouches in the future and give any updates if they happen to fail.

Overall, this is a great product from a great provider. I score these 9/10. The only reason they don’t get a 10 is that I can’t manage to get a magazine back in the pouch during a tactical reload. This issue is not a personal concern to me, but I know guys out there that would like the option.

The Blue Force Gear Triple Mag Pouch MSRP is $49 and can be purchased here.

UH-1 Holographic Sight by Vortex Optics

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. It’s fair in weight and the eye relief is incredible (I mean it is a holograph so that’s not really a point I can make lol) and the stigmatism is non-existent and that’s a big factor of why I like it. It doesn’t “blow up” or “star out” as some people find with the EOTech’s.

Craftsmanship and Durability

The durability is incredible as I have really beat this thing up. My buddies over at Vortex Optics told me to take it through the ringer and that’s exactly what I’ve done. The only thing that has happened is it has scratched but that’s nothing that a little paint can’t fix. I’ve dropped it, taken it on and off the rifle and I have also thrown it (for testing purposes). It has held its zero every single time. Trying to get it on paper is hard at first and that’s my biggest complaint, but I also only had a few minutes to get it on paper so I was rushing a bit. I also didn’t have it benched up so that may of been part of the problem as well.

Pictured Above: working on hot extract tactics in an undisclosed location in Virginia. Technically they say to always secure yourself in, but we were working on a new product to keep yourself in vehicles. Typically trucks are the best, but you have to use what you have around you. *Photo by @NatRodgersPhotography*

UH-1 vs EOTech

UH-1 AMG vs any EOTech I’ve used? I’ll take the UH-1 over just about any EOTech.. you may ask why? Stigmatism, man. Stigmatism is a b*tch and its always there for me.. until now. Vortex did a fantastic job on the UH-1 and broke into an area where they haven’t really been.. in fact an area where not a lot of optics companies have been. EOTech was the main go to.. Vortex shut that down. The guys I train are all slowly moving to the UH-1 and that’s great news. EOTech is still out there, but the sales have gone down a lot since the UH-1 came out. During training my buddy asked me “Have you ever used one of these?” and he pulled out a UH-1. I went to my bag and said: “I got one right here buddy”. After about 30 minutes of talking about how great it was, we finally got to doing a little weapons work.

Pictured Above: Doing some “shoot and move” training on a building in Suffolk, Virginia. Some people will ask why I’m running a monocular, but I was testing one out by ATN. *Photo by @NatRodgersPhotography*

The dot color is bright red, with adjustable brightness settings. It has unlimited eye relief but it is a holograph haha, it has a built-in Picatinny mount with a quick detach. It is a little heavy at 11.8 ounces but it’s not terrible. I would take a little weight on my rifle, rather than a little more weight on my kit. Vortex does have a magnifier, but I have not tested that out yet. Eventually, I will, but I’ve been traveling for work recently.

The UH-1 with NOD’s

The UH-1 is “not compatible” with NOD’s but it is at the same time. It is visible, but it takes some getting used to. Maybe Vortex will come out with a NOD’s “compatible” system, but so far I have not had any problems with NOD’s and the UH-1. Having a PEQ is ideal and in all honesty, if you shoot enough in a shoot house or CQC situation, you don’t really aim. You know where your guns are and where they are going. Oh boy, that whole not aiming sentence is going to start a conversation and I can already tell I’m going down a rabbit hole, but with a PEQ, or even without a PEQ, in CQC high-speed situations you barely have a chance to look down your optic. You live and die by a tenth of a second.

Pictured Above: Shooting during “Low light and no light” cold and wet conditions in the shoothouse in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

All in all, the Vortex UH-1 is a great optic and it’s a little cheaper than the EOTech. It doesn’t “starburst” so its great for those with astigmatism problems and all in all its a durable and well-constructed optic. Not to mention the Vortex guarantee. Vortex is a family owned, family run business.. by that I mean everyone that works there is family and you are family too since you purchased their product. The UH-1 is my choice for a CQC rifle optic!

Jack Murphy’s new book, “Murphy’s Law” is on sale now – Here’s a look at his Special Forces loadout

Jack Murphy’s incredible career has spanned years and continents. From his time as an Army Ranger and Special Forces Weapons Sergeant, to his his post-military career as an investigative journalist, Jack has demonstrated his ability to perform at the highest levels in the most daunting of circumstances–and now, you can read about his experiences all over the world in his new memoir, “Murphy’s Law.”

Grab Jack’s book from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or wherever books are sold, but until then, take a look at Jack’s loadout from his days as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant below!

M4 w/EO Tech, LA-5, Pentagon Light, Magpul stock, SOPMOD foregrip
6x additional 5.56 magazines
M9 pistol
Safariland drop holster
Sordins
4x additional 9mm magazines
Mossburg 500 12-guage shotgun
Approx. 12 additional 12-guage rounds
MICH helmet
PVS-14’s
5x Flashbangs
1x Fragmentation grenade
MBITR radio
Flexcuffs
Merrill boots
Penflare gun and flares
spare batteries
Camelbak
Platecarrier w/ sideplates
pistol belt w/E&E kit (small knife, blood chit, compass, signal scarf, IR chemstick spinner, red light LED, survival tin)
translation cards, calculator, pen, paper in Admin pouch
Thermite grenade
ATS medical pouch (tourniquet, curlex, Israeli dressing, pill pack, needle and seal for tension pneumothorax procedure)
Surefire helmet light
Oakley M-Frames
Maxpedition dump pouch-Usually we wore Multi-Cam but transitioned to Iraqi MARPAT knockoffs to blend it with our FID force. I’d wear some of my own stuff just to mess with my Team Sergeant though!

“As the deployment wore on I dropped a lot of the crap and just started wearing concealable body armor and a HSGI warlord chestrig. Whatever you can get away with…” Jack explains.

Grey Ghost Gear UGF Battle Belt

The current rage in tactical gear at my unit is the battle belt. The current generation of the battle belt has a padded inner belt; the exterior of which is covered in soft sided Velcro. The outer belt has an interior of hook Velcro and an exterior lined in molle. The most popular buckle used on the outer belt is a cobra buckle. This setup gives a shooter the ability to quickly attach or detach whatever equipment he has on his belt, without losing his pants.

I bought a Grey Ghost UGF Battle Belt a few years ago. I wanted to use it for covert operations and also for competition shooting, which is why the one I own is black. They have several different color patterns you can choose from. Out of the box, the outer belt was STIFF. It felt like I had a plastic hoop attached to my waist. There was zero conformity to my body and I would get chaffed along the hips pretty quickly. The fix was super simple, I threw it in the washing machine once or twice to loosen up the material. Since then wear and comfort have been excellent. I have seen newer versions of the belt which are not as rigged as the one I purchased.

I wore it on my last deployment as a tactical rig. I carried a CRYE Precision Frag pouch, two MBITR’s, London Bridge Small Blow-Out med pouch, a Winkler II Combat Axe and swapped out a variety of fix blade knives that I wanted to test. Even with this ten plus pound load I didn’t need suspenders, it remained comfortable whether ride in vehicles, helicopters or during foot movements. I did multiple high elevation movements of five plus kilometer movements with no issue.

One of the two drawbacks of this belt for tactical applications is that it doesn’t have an attachment point for a safety lanyard. A safety lanyard is a tether that attaches to an aircraft via a quick connect systems. This prevents a soldier from being accidentally ejected from an aircraft in flight or during emergency landings. To overcome this, I wore an Arc’teryx Rigger’s Belt underneath my UGF so I could attach myself to the aircraft.

The other drawback to the system is the way the molle is configured. It doesn’t have enough spacing to properly weave the molle into the system. This isn’t a big issue with the product but for the OCD out there, the pouches will have a little bit of slack associated with them. I had a chance to talk to both Grey Ghost Precision and Tactical Tailor representatives (it’s a joint company) and asked why they designed the belt this way. They told me that they designed it to fit the needs of both tactical and competition shooter. In doing so it lost a small amount of strict tactical applicability but broadened the use of the overall system.

If you are looking for a strict tactical belt you might want to look at the Ronin Tactics Senshi Belt. They built their belts for the more tactically minded individual. I haven’t personally tested out any of their products, but I have numerous coworkers that swear by them. The downside is that they are more expensive than the UGF which is $160.99 on their website and the Senshi is $187.00-$192.00 on their website and you will also have a couple week waiting for your backorder.

All in all, if you want a battle belt, they are a great piece of kit. The UGF is a great system, it is comfortable, maintains its form and keeps your gear in place. If you’re looking for a battle belt that can do a little of everything, I recommend this one.

John Gobby is a member of 2nd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment. He has served with them for eight years and seven combat deployments. He has experience with both tactical direct action, tactical reconnaissance and covert operations. Recently he has started participating in competition pistol shoots and has a passion for long range shooting.