VBSS

T3 Gear 3-Day Hydration Pack

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 like no other out on the open ocean which is mainly where my operations are. It isn’t waterproof, but going 45-55kn in a “fast attack” open console boat doing operations it has held its own in a league of its own.

I’ve had many of times where I would reach into my pack and my food is soaked and or my gear is. My food and my gear inside remained dry every time I was out on ops even if I came back drenched head to toe in the salt water. This is a huge factor to me. During downtime, all I want to do is get some food in me and possibly some dry socks or so on and so on. The fact that all my gear was dry every time I reached into my pack really shocked me. I was expecting at least my socks to be wet, but I was wrong.

With the ocean comes salt, with salt, comes corrosion. Often times I have to apply wax to any of my zippers on my north face packs but with the T3 the zippers have remained smooth and I haven’t had a problem with opening and closing it rapidly even if there is salt all over it. After each of my ops I would dip my pack into the salt water and let it air dry really putting it to the test and I still never had an issue with the zipper getting caught up. The T3 3-day hydration backpack is extremely rugged and probably in my top 2 of most durable packs out there.

The T3 3-Day hydration backpack features one large main compartment and 1 medium compartment. I personally put 3 large frozen smart waters (it was 82F that day) and one 40oz hydro flask in the medium compartment. I put the Rite in the Rain notebook in one of the smaller slips and even with frozen waters, the pocket that my rite in the rain notebook was in was still dry. In the large compartment, I put my Type III Gore-tex pants, my food, a Northface windbreaker, goggles, a shemagh, an extra pair of sunglasses and my helmet and I still had plenty of room to fit maybe 3-4 days worth of clothes in there. The comfortability of the T3 Gear 3-Day Hydration Pack is truly remarkable. It sits really well on the shoulders and I would feel very comfortable having a medium-long range land based load out on my back with it. It has a waist strap which adds to the comfort of being able to distribute weight. To test out the comfort, I added 3 of the heaviest front and back plates I had and I started running. With the ability to cinch it down to be tight with your body gave me the comfort I needed. Usually, with weight in packs, your weight slides around with the momentum of your weight. With the T3 Gear 3-Day Hydration Pack , this just doesn’t happen. It feels like you’re just carrying weight. No shoulder rub, no shifting of weight. I usually get rubbing on my shoulders with some weight in my north face packs at about 5-6 hour mark into a trip. With the T3 Gear 3-Day Hydration Pack , I had no shoulder rub.

Another plus is that It fits really well on top of a plate carrier, and its slim enough to almost use as an assaulter pack if you really wanted to. The ability to cinch everything down to make it super slim is very attractive to me which is why I would consider using it as an assaulter pack. With the ability to compress it, it makes moving on a boat easy. Being in a 26ft boat, moving from side to side around the center console to either tie up mooring lines, set up your weapons platforms, or just help out your coxswain in general, you can get snagged, lot especially with molle. I did get snagged when we pulled up to the dock the first time but I ended up tightening everything down a little more and that took that problem away. When I did get snagged though I got snagged good and still the molle did not rip. The quality in this pack is another outstanding feature.

The versatility is what I like most about the T3 3-day hydration backpack. It’s not too big to carry every day, but it can still be used for medium-long range ops. It is very easy to route a drinking tube due to the ports in the key areas of the pack. The D ring hooks make for a good way to air out a backpack. Most of the time my gear gets salt all over it and ruins it, so I always rinse out my gore-tex and gear after ops. The D-rings make it easy to drain. There are a number of drain holes in the pack (I mean its made by a former SEAL, so of course it’s somewhat built to operate in water) but take care of your gear and it’ll take care of you. The accessibility is another strong feature T3 brought to this pack. If we’re in between ops, floating in the ocean and so on and so forth, it is very easy to be able to have your buddy grab something out. The compartments are easy to access and grab something right away (Another reason why it would be a good assault pack or medium range op pack).

Summary – The best gear in the world can cost you a whole paycheck, but the durability, the price, the comfort – none of those can be beaten with the T3 3-Day hydration backpack . It is a step above the rest and it comes with a lifetime warranty which means that the guys over at T3 stand by their word and genuinely love their own gear. Now remember, I don’t get paid to write these reviews. I write these reviews because I genuinely want people to have the best gear out That’s. That’s why the writers and I at the Loadout Room do what we do, so if you don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself – but from what I’ll tell you, I probably won’t ever use a north face or any other brand of pack again. T3 Gear is the way to go!

Author – AJ P. Is a former US Navy Sailor who made the transition to private military contracting. He currently is working as a DoD contractor on the east coast. In his free time he enjoys training, shooting and hunting.

The T3 Gen 2 Kit Bag: A weatherproof kit bag for any operation

A kit bag is what all my gear goes into. I have a contractor bag by LBT that I put all my normal clothes into, but in my kit bag goes my expensive gear and often times its overloaded with gear that is a pain in the ass to carry. The second that I found out that T3 came out with a kit bag that had shoulder straps I was all about it and that’s honestly why I’m writing this article. This article is for the guys that actually do the jobs that you see in movies and tv shows although I’ll never be as cool as Hollywood portrays us.

Being a contractor requires constant travel outside the U.S. but luckily for me, I oftentimes don’t have to maintain a low visibility look, so I can have Multicam bags for my gear. I recently reviewed the T3 3-day Hydration pack and I knew after utilizing that pack in so many maritime operations that I would be able to trust another T3 bag with all my expensive gear. If I’m going for a week-long trip I really only need to take this Kit bag and my T3 3day pack. I can fit my helmet, plate carrier, 2 pairs of pants, a pair of shorts, my hydration bladder, all my normal clothes, NVG’s, a couple logs of the ever so delicious Copenhagen wintergreen, My mac book, and any other extra gear I may need such as fins, extra pair of boots or even a couple pairs of Altama Maritime Assault boots. This bag has “so much room for activities” that I can be gone for a week and only take the kit bag and a backpack and I’m usually a heavy packer.

The T3 Gen 2 Kit bag really nailed all soft spots of normal kit bags. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had kit bags develop moisture on planes or ships. The T3 3-day Pack is made of the same material that the Gen2 Kit bag is made of and that’s what really drew me to it. I’ve never had moisture get inside my 3-day pack and it has been soaked top to bottom in saltwater. T3 really makes all-weather gear for affordable prices.

The T3 Gen 2 Kit bag is basically a revamped version of their old kit bag. I cannot comment on their old kit bag as I never used their’s, but if its half as good as the Gen 2 bag, I think I might buy one. The T3 Gen 2 Kit bag really molds to your gear when using the shoulder straps and that’s usually a downside, but in this case, it’s very comfortable. It is soft lined so when we’re talking about using these types of bags don’t be the guy that put $10000 NVG’s in your pack wrapped up in a towel or anything. Put them in the hard case, I mean it is a kit bag after all, not a pelican case. The shoulder straps are very comfortable when you throw them on your shoulder although they do require some adjusting out of the gate. Going from point A to Point B in-between our RHIB Launching platforms or the planes we fly in is my main priority and that’s where I really gained respect for this kit bag compared to others. Another great aspect is the Dual side closure so if you need to grab something on the top quickly you can or if you need to really get in the kit bag you can open the other side and you’re golden for packing.

The T3 Gen2 Kit bag repels moisture by using weather resistant 10 point zippers along with 500 weight solution dyed Cordura®, fabric that is very durable and it even softens with time and wear maintaining its durability. Along with all of the specs comes the lifetime warranty of a product that is built to be abused. It even says it on their website. My favorite part about T3 is the fact that all of their products are made right here in the red white and blue capital of the world – the USA. The dimensions for the T3 Gen 2 Kit bag are 19″x22″x12″ and it only weighs a little under 3 lbs. The T3 Kit bag collapses for easy storage and that’s probably my favorite part of it. It doesn’t take up much room in my locker at work or even at home in my closet.

Next time you decide to take a look at T3’s website, do yourself a favor and find the Gen2 kit bag and hit the add to cart button, I will promise you won’t be disappointed. I mean I’ve been disappointed for less than $153 before, but that’s not the point, right?

Photo of the day: Running a Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) wide open

Pictured Above: Running a RHIB “wide open” in formation off the East Coast practicing launch and recovery from the “mothership” as well as chasing, evading and practicing small boat tactics for maneuvering against ships.

Running a RHIB wide open

RHIB’s are some of the greatest vessels to drive and honestly getting to ride/drive them every day was a blast. This photo was taken off of the East Coast after we launched from one of the “Mothership’s”. Driving a RHIB in east coast chop was honestly some of the hardest driving I’ve ever had to learn. I mean you name it – bike’s, sedans, SUV’s, truck’s, jeeps, mini bikes, jetskis; I can drive them all. But a 33m RHIB with 4-5 guys onboard hauling ass (40-60 knots) over 4-5 ft waves with close intervals between waves? It’s hard getting used to and you can definitely tell the great drivers from the mediocre drivers. I’ll be honest, I was a mediocre driver on my best day. Coming from the west coast, I’m used to long intervals between waves so driving is a bit easier for me on the west coast. The big problems I had on the east coast was finding that “groove” between speed and safety as having a rider fly out of your boat when you’re going after a ship is no Bueno. I had plenty of guys that can really drive help me out and I still was never able to find the groove after 8 months. Maybe I’ll find the groove another day, or then again maybe not haha.

Some of the gear that was always with me on the water

Altama Maritime Assault Boots
Gatorz Eyewear (Magnums)
First Spear AAC Frog Kit
Hurley Boardshorts (if it was warm)
Garmin Fenix5 plus Sapphire
Gerber LMF Survival II, Half Face Blades tomahawk, or CRKT fixed blade.

Testing the new First Spear AAC plate carrier system

Two RHIBS running and gunning and conducting training in a formation on a calm and warm day 2 miles off the east coast.

Nothing like a selfie to show how tactical you can be! This picture was taken right before the RHIB behind me made its approach to “tighten up” the formation. Doing this at 45 knots on the water takes trust and precision in both RHIB’s – without trust and precision things can get sketchy very fast. This was also the first time I was able to wear the First Spear AAC Frog (AKA ‘The Frog’) plate carrier system. Maritime operations and First Spear just seem to go hand in hand and with the versatility and comfort of “The Frog” at high speeds on the water or on land. I don’t think there is another plate carrier system in the game quite like it.

S&S Precision Warm Weather Maritime Assault Gloves – A Multi Purpose Glove

Having S&S Precision located right down the road in Virginia Beach, it makes connecting with them even easier. They presented me and some of the guys I work with, with their warm weather maritime assault gloves to test and evaluate. I’ve kind of been on this new kick lately of having the boys I work with try out the same gear I’m testing or running to get their perspective. I can say all day long that I love something, but what does the consensus say? Would you trust me having never met me? Or would you trust a group of people all giving feedback? Now I can say every piece of gear I have written about I personally use in real-world operations. Plate carrier, shoes, knives – it’s usually being used during the wee hours of the morning or at “zero dark thirty”.

Now that summer has officially ended (except in Virginia, it’s still hotter than 2 rats screwing in a wool sock here), let’s talk about gloves. Now S&S Precision makes badass gloves. Their gloves are built for the maritime warrior, although they can be used for a multitude of environments. I use them when I know I’m getting wet, or when I’m on dry land. Gloves are in one way or another part of everybody’s loadout or kit. Every guy I know may not shoot with gloves, but they definitely use gloves or have gloves close by during operations or while in cold weather environments. Holding onto a single bar with a rifle in one hand, a full loadout on your body, and you’re jumping 3-4 foot waves going somewhere between 30-45kn chasing down an HVT – holding on and staying in the RHIB is the difference between completing the mission or failing the mission. Nobody wants to go for a swim in the ocean unless they absolutely have to, so that’s where these gloves into play.

A view of Ray’s Gloves after 4 months of continuous use

I reviewed the cold weather gloves S&S came out with a while ago and you can read that here. For security reason’s, I’ll change the names of the guy’s I work with. Brad, Ray, LL Cool J and myself all tested out the warm weather gloves on a trip with the intent of seeing how far they would last until they ripped. Mechanix and just about every other glove out there has ripped or fallen apart after a week of constant ops, so these were destined to break rip apart, right? Negative ghost rider, the pattern was full and intact.

LL Cool J TnE’ing the Warm Water gloves on the jet ski’s we use at work

Now I’m still the “new guy” at work so I don’t really know the struggle of finding a glove that’ll stay intact, but Brad, Ray and LL Cool J do. There are a combined 40 years of experience in military and contractor service between the 3 of them and if they haven’t seen it, nobody has. LL Cool J was a Recon Marine, who has worked with literally everyone on all aspects of maritime operations told me that he’s never seen gloves that have lasted as long as S&S Precision’s warm water gloves. “Bro, the only bad thing about these gloves is that they don’t have a little loop for putting them on a carabiner, but that’s literally the only bad thing I can say about them. Literally, I cannot get these things to rip.”

Brad ran lines through his gloves, as in mooring lines… he tried to make them rip and couldn’t. Brad asked me for my medical shears and I asked him why, he replied, “If I can’t get these things to rip, I’m just going to cut them because that’s the only way they are going to come apart.” Ray’s take was a little different. He decided to drag them across non-skid. “I mean I don’t know how to get these things to rip man. They just don’t. They grip like no other. I tried wearing them out. I tried getting a stitch to come apart. I just can’t do it. I can’t get them to rip or come apart.” I could see the frustration on their faces and all I told them was “I told ya so”.

The day after we got back from the week-long op. These were Brad’s gloves.

Fast forward 4 months later and the guys are still on their first set. Not one person I know has been able to get them to come apart. The second most impressive thing about these gloves is the grip. The same grip technology was used in the cold weather gloves and it is almost unbelievable how they go from “sticky” with pressure to smooth without pressure. It’s almost like these things have an on and off button for whether or not you want to hold onto something or not.

Myself personally testing the gloves on one of our RHIB’s

The gloves feature a touchscreen friendly padding on the most important fingers and this helps us a lot when it comes to using navigation equipment or any of our touch-screen systems when our fingers are wet. The Trigger feel on these gloves is incredible. “You can feel every detail of whatever trigger you finger is on,” says LL Cool J. “They’re perfect for hunting, the water or just a day at the range,” says Ray.

So what it comes down to is would you pay $49 for S & S precision’s gloves or $20 for Mechanix. The consensus reads as follows.

Brad – S & S

Ray – S & S

LL Cool J – S & S

Myself – S & S

“Mechanix are great and all, but the feel and grip of the S&S Precision gloves are just so much better and they last 4 times as long” – Brad

Vortex Optics Viper PST 1-6×24 Gen II

When talking optics, Vortex has always been hands down my favorite. The quality, the craftsmanship, the price point and lastly the customer service is hands down the best in the market. When you buy your first Vortex optic you immediately feel like family from the jump and that’s the best feeling in the world. When I was approached by Mark B. over at Vortex to review the Viper PST 1-6, I was all over it. Vortex has been good to me throughout my hunting career and my career as a military contractor (I currently run the UH-1 Holograph by them, review to come soon!).

First thing is first about the Gen II Viper PST 1-6, the glass on this ol girl is incredible. It is crystal clear and its all in all pretty remarkable for the price point. Looking down the glass is pretty close to looking down the glass of any of the Razor HD optics as far as clarity and that is what the big difference is between the first and second generation PST optics. I also love the fact that they etched in the reticle, now it’s not American Made Glass (AMG) but the Philippines made glass is a good second best to the AMG.

1-6‘s are my personal favorite. A little bit of Distance, CQB, 3 gun – I personally think 1-6 is the jack of all trades. 1-6‘s are ideal for mountainous, desert, or urban landscapes as well as for hunting up to a certain distance. Now the Gen II Viper PST is heavier than say the 1-6 Strike Eagle and although the Strike Eagle is an excellent optic, the weight to quality ratio is well worth it in the Viper PST. The Viper PST also features an illumination that is very bright, but doesn’t draw your attention from your field of view.

The only downside to the Gen II Viper PST 1-6 is moving it from 1x to 6x out of the box is very tough and you almost need a throw lever to loosen it up. Now, after some time it loosens up without a throw lever but over time it becomes as smooth as butter, but like I said a throw lever with the scope would make things easier.

On the range, the Gen II Viper PST 1-6 holds up to the vortex name. Even dropping it a few times for testing purposes, it held its zero. I ran it on a buddies competition 6.5 Grendel. Now I’m not the biggest Grendel fan, but I wanted to run it on something that wasn’t a 5.56. He has a custom 18in carbon fiber handguard, with a 19in lilja Barrel, Precision Firearm’s upper and lower, with the Geissele SSAE 2-stage trigger. SLR rifle works adjustable gas block, and his can is a SilencerCo OMEGA 30 suppressor. His setup comes with a small mortgage, (but its okay because it’s a 30 year fixed rate). The Viper PST 1-6 held true to the Vortex name and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome of the groupings. Vortex continues to make the best optics in the world in my opinion.

Now even though some would call the Viper PST 1-6 a poor man’s RazorHD, it’s still such a great optic for the price point. Nothing out there beats the quality for the price. On my next review I’ll show the Pro’s and Con’s of the Strike Eagle vs. the Viper PST (You can read my 1-6 Strike Eagle review here) but until then do yourself a favor and check out the Gen II Viper PST 1-6 and do yourself a favor and buy one. Best Mid-upper level optic on the market.