vehicle preparedness

Vehicle Preparedness: Fast access to essential items | Grey Man Tactical RIP-M

In the quest to outfit my Toyota Tundra for Overland use, countless hours have been spent scouring the interwebz for specific products. Watching reviews (yes, we watch others review products as well) to figure out what works and what doesn’t. The Rigid Insert Panel MOLLE (RIP-M) from Grey Man Tactical is the result of both research and communication with the owner of Grey Man Tactical. I was searching for a well built seat-back storage solution. A place to organize items that too often end up tossed onto the back seat or floor. Items that I regularly need quick access to while traveling.

Although there are several seat back MOLLE panels available, the RIP-M from Grey Man Tactical is by far the best choice in my opinion. Other manufacturers tend to use a tactical nylon or Cordura fabric for their seat back panels. A great fabric for most applications, but not for a seat back organizer. Unless your drivers seat back is perfectly vertical, (which it is not) you will experience sag from the fabric panels once loaded with the gear you intend to carry. Here is why Grey Man Tactical is a clear choice. Instead of structureless fabric, they use 3/16″ thick High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) to manufacture their RIP-M panels. Which is a game changer in reducing sag. And the reason I selected these products for my Overland vehicle.

Grey Man Tactical RIP-M Panel Video Review:

Although the RIP-M panel from Grey Man Tactical lends well to firearms storage, my intent for the seat-back loadout differs a bit. And since the panel is precision cut MOLLE, I can add whatever pouches I want to it. My loadout is specific for Overland travel. I have a short list of items that I regularly dig for in the truck. Items like GoPro mounts and spare batteries for filming. Midland radios for communications. Flashlights, fire extinguisher, medical and recovery gear. Multi tools, knives and even cold weather gear like a hat and gloves. All organized on the back of my drivers seat and not haphazardly rolling around in the cab. Additionally, the use of quick release buckles make removal and installation a snap.

RIP-M Panel specs courtesy of greyman-tactical.com

Made for Vertical applications such as Vehicle / Truck / Patrol Car seat back mounting.
Material: High Strength Polyethylene
Panel Weight: 24.5 ounces each
DIMENSIONS
Height: 25″
Width: 15.25″
Thickness: 0.188″

Grey Man Tactical offers a wide range of Rigid MOLLE Panels, not just seat-back organizers. Panels that are specifically designed to fit inside Pelican cases. As well as some of the more popular backpacks. Allowing the user to organize the contents of their ruck as well as rapid removal of the panel and contents should the need arise. Several additional sized panels are available for unique mounting locations such as the FJ Cruiser Dash Panel. I’ve even seen them mounted to the back of a spare tire to carry recovery gear on a Jeep. Whether you’re a LEO, Military or flight crew, check out Grey Man Tactical to find which panel works best for your application.

Due to the limited leg room in the rear of the Tundra Double Cab, I can only mount this seat back panel when no-one is sitting behind me. Not liking to waste space in my truck, I intend to permanently mount a 27.25″x19″ RIP-M panel in the dead space behind the rear folding seats this winter. A covert location that would be perfect for mounting an SBR and a few magazine pouches. And a good alternate location when I have rear seat passengers and can’t use the seat back panel. Stay tuned to the Loadout Room for future Grey Man Tactical reviews.

The end of flat tires? Michelin plans to sell airless tires by 2024

We’ve all been there — stuck on the side of the road swapping out a flat tire for our spare in the pouring rain. For a fair number of us, that rainy flat tire happened to come on a day when you were wearing your best duds for an important meeting or your finest uniform for a pain in the ass inspection; either way, your day was ruined along with your clothes, and that’s before dealing with the annoyance of taking the tire in for repair or replacement.

In worse circumstances, a flat tire could leave you stranded in an unsafe situation and even put your life at risk… but maybe not for much longer. Michelin recently announced their intentions to introduce a new kind of tire to the market in 2024 — one that won’t get flat on you no matter how big a hole you tear in it: The Uptis (or Unique Puncture-proof Tire System).

Photo: Steve Fecht/courtesy General Motors

These tires aren’t technically a “brand new” invention, seeing as tires of this sort have already existed for smaller applications like lawn mowers and bicycles for years, but this would mark the first time the use of rubbery spokes inside the tire itself replaced the need for air in tires meant to automotive applications. Those rubber spokes, Michelin claims, will not only eliminate the need for a sealed tire full of air, they also offer a smoother ride than the air-bags they would replace.

Of course, making it so you never get a flat tire again is awesome, but that doesn’t mean there wouldn’t be a downside to this new design. Unlike air, the structural rigidity of the internal rubber spokes will eventually wear out, making a tire that fails to hold its shape just like any flat would. It can also be assumed that filling your tires with rubber spokes rather than air will mean a lot of added weight — adding to the mass your engine needs to turn to keep your car moving and increasing the wear and tire on your vehicle over time.

Is that worth living in a world with no more rainy day flat tires? Michelin thinks so – how about you?

Feature Photo: Steve Fecht/courtesy General Motors

Panthera Silva Eyewear Hardcase survival kit

The advantage of a small kit like this is that I can throw it into any bag really and turn that said bag into a go-bag if you want to call it that. Due to the compact size of the Panthera Eyewear Hardcase, this makes an ideal sized kit to keep in the glovebox of my truck too. Get a few of them and have a kit in each vehicle as well as your bag. Being able to layer kits could potentially be a lifesaver one day. The time chooses you. Prepare now so that you’re ready to save yourself or someone else.

How much are your eyes worth? Probably enough that you spend some real money on proper eye protection. Your Gatorz aren’t cheap, but your eyes are worth it. With that in mind, we’ve designed the Panthera CC Hardcase to protect that valued set of eye protection. There is no need to risk scratched lenses or broken frames. The last thing you need before a mission kicks off is glasses you can barely see out of. The Hardcase is coated with a custom camo pattern that mimics the natural camo of big cats. We top it off by adorning it with the Crate Club logo, signifying your status as a member of the best gear club on the market.

Available on the Crate Club AirDrop store

Sneak peek at the Grey Ghost Gear RRS Transport Bag

We just got in the new Grey Ghost Gear RRS Transport Bag. The idea behind this bag is a vehicle go-bag, so that’s how I plan on employing this bag. Over the course of the next few weeks, I’m going to load this out as a vehicle go bag in my Chevy Silverado Trail Boss. Once I have it dialed in, I will be doing a more in-depth review of the bag and the contents I chose to carry in it. Stay tuned to the Loadout Room.

We took the ‘Go-Bag’ concept and transformed it into a slimmer profile upon request of Law Enforcement and First Responders. The RRS Transport Bag is the ideal size for storing in a vehicle, either behind or under the seats. Should you need to rapidly reacting to a critical situation, the RRS Transport Bag can be easily grabbed and brought into the fight.

Vehicle Preparedness: The Batman Bag

We have published a few articles highlighting vehicle loadouts, but most of those are wrapped around the concept of bugging out. In this article, I’m referring to my backpack as a Batman bag. The term Batman Bag is coined from Pat McNamara’s Sentinel course. One of his breakout sessions deals with vehicle preparedness and the concept of the Batman Bag. The bag can be used as a go-bag for yourself or to assist others that may need roadside assistance with finding a lost person, immediate medical care or any other host of possibilities.

“This is your emergency escape and response vehicle; if it’s not ready for an emergency, you aren’t” – Pat McNamara (Sentinel)

I prefer to use a backpack versus a tool bag because you may find yourself having to travel by foot depending on the situation. The backpack I’m currently using is the Direct Action Dragon Egg Mk2 backpack. I chose this pack because of the organization and ruggedness it offers. The pack contains just the right amount of pockets for the Batman Bag concept. It’s also a mid-size pack, so you’re not going to be bogging yourself down while walking with it on. Typically, the bigger the pack you choose, the more shit you’re going to end up carrying and not needing. You need to contingency plan, but not go overboard with the planning. It’s really easy to get carried away with contingency planning and pack way more than you need. This pack / Batman Bag is meant to sustain you for a few hours; that’s it.

Let’s dig into the contents of my Batman Bag:

Two water bottles. One for me and one for another person. It’s a good rule of thumb to carry a 2nd water bottle because more than likely you won’t want to share your water and risk getting sick or picking up germs from someone you don’t know.
For signaling, I’m carrying a signaling mirror and road flares. My flashlight and headlamp can be used for signaling as well.
First Aid and Trauma. I carry one of each because I need smaller first aid items on more of a regular basis than I do Trauma care supplies. By carrying both a first aid kit and trauma kit, my bases are covered for any immediate medical needs. I also have a small bottle of ibuprofen inside the pack.
Paracord and tubular nylon are my choices for rope or cordage. Paracord has many uses while the tubular nylon can be used for a hasty rappelling line. With that said keep a carabiner attached to your pack as well.
Other smaller tools include a handheld flashlight, headlamp, Gerber multi-tool, Gerber folding knife and a roll of 1″ Gorilla Duct tape.
A 5×7 emergency tarp. This has multiple uses. You can use it in conjunction with the paracord to construct an emergency shelter, use it to wrap around someone or you can construct an emergency litter by using this blanket and some long poles or tree branches.

A rough layout of the kit. Top left is my vehicle trauma kit. Bottom left is my survival kit which contains duct tape, fire starting supplies, rite in the rain notebook, folding knife and multi-tool.

A few other pieces of emergency kit I keep in my car are not part of this bag, but still worth a mention.

Flat tires are a pretty common thing and relatively easy to fix if you know how. Although this may not happen much to you, you can use these supplies to assist others who may have a flat tire.

Tire plug kit
Can or two of fix-a-flat
12v air compressor

In addition to the tire repair supplies, I also carry a pair of jumper cables and a portable jump pack for jumping a dead battery.

Think of your vehicle as the Batmobile. Put together a small kit that stays in your vehicle at all times. Be ready to assist others that need help as well as yourself.

Vehicle Preparedness: (Update) Grey Man Tactical Rigid MOLLE Panel HD

Recently, I published an article on the Rigid Insert Panel – MOLLE (RIP-M) from Grey Man Tactical. This product answered all my requirements for securing gear to the seat back of my Toyota Tundra. Items I need to keep organized for quick access while Overlanding. And it performed as advertised on my recent trip to Overland Expo East in North Carolina. But as luck would have it, a newer updated version of the RIP-M was released shortly after I received the original version. The Rigid MOLLE Panel HD. Lucky for me, Grey Man Tactical hooked me up with the updated kit to keep our readers informed and up to date.

Due to the heavy loads that some weapon systems exert while mounted to the RIP-M, Grey Man Tactical offers a steel stiffener to help alleviate any deflection. Although an easy solution, the owner wasn’t satisfied and continued to research other potential materials to manufacture the insert panels from. It was ultimately narrowed down to metal or Glass Reinforced Polymer (GRP). Weight and potential damage to the weapon or seat back ruled out metal as a viable option. Glass Reinforced Polymer was the clear winner. And for good reason.

Maintaining the exact same overall dimensions as the original HDPE Polymer panel, the updated GRP panel is 10x stiffer yet only weighing 34.5oz. Moving forward, Grey Man Tactical will be updating the specs and shipping all of the 15.25″ x 25″ seat back panels with their new GRP Rigid MOLLE Panel HD. I recently swapped my Overland Loadout from the original panel to the new HD panel and it’s the bees knees. No metal stiffener required. The new and improved Rigid MOLLE Panel HD is considerably stiffer than its predecessor. I also highly recommend the Push Button Mounting Straps. These further streamlined the install and cleaned up the panel once removed from the vehicle.

Rigid MOLLE Panel HD Details and Specifications:

9/16″ holes around outside edge accept Quick Detach Push Button Bases for Quick detach mounting straps.
1″ slots around outside edge accept 1″ webbing for mounting.
1/4″ holes around outside edge accept 1/4″ machine screws with spacers for mounting with Riv-Nuts
Material: Glass Filled Nylon
Panel Weight: 34.5 oz
Height: 25″
Width: 15.25″
Thickness: 0.188″