BORELLI CONSULTING: Recreational Equipment Reviews

Blackwater Gear for Hunting & Fishing?
24 October 2005

It wasn't that long ago that I was attending a counter-terrorism conference, and a representative from Blackwater walked over and asked, "How come you write so much for Blackwater but you have never written about the Blackwater Gear line?" My answer, quite simply, was, "Because I haven't had any of it to test." Is that arrogant? Yes, and no. Given that I write equipment evaluations for Blackwater, some would expect me to have nothing but GREAT to say about the Blackwater Gear line. Those of you who have read some of my rants know that I refuse to write anything that I can't test first hand.

Less than two weeks later a box arrived at my house with some Blackwater Gear in it. In the box was a non-ballistic MOLLE compatible vest, and several utility pouches designed for various purposes. NOT in the box were things like a double-magazine pouch, holster, 40mm grenade pouch, etc. The things I recieved were for general purpose. Oddly enough, I had never before considered using Blackwater Gear for anything but duty purposes and here I was with a collection of stuff that wouldn't do me any good on duty. Being the imaginative guy that I am (a little pat on the back for Frank there), I put together a vest that I felt was well suited for outdoor use hiking, hunting, fishing, etc. Let's take a look at what was on the vest, how I used each piece, and how it performed.

OK, easily the most used item was the M3/Large Flashlight Pouch. This pouch held my SureFire C3 and my Night-Ops Gladius with equal ease. In fact, although I no longer have one to test fit with, I THINK it would also hold a SureFire M6, bezel up. The C3 and Gladius I carried head down, and I was comfortable with the security the pouch provided, as well as the ease with which I could unsnap the pouch and draw the light. It's an open-top pouch that holds in the light with the equivalent of a knife-sheath snap-strap. It's simple and effective. That's all that matters.

Next on my list was the Radio/GPS Pouch. Since I'm not a big believer in GPS (for hiking, camping, hunting anyway), I tested this pouch out carrying my police radio. Since I wasn't using it for comms, I didn't have to turn it on, but I was testing a couple of things just the same:
1) How well did the pouch hold the radio in a secure fashion.
2) How easy was it to get the radio in and out.
3) How adjustable is the pouch for different radio sizes.

What I discovered was a happy mix. The pouch holds the radio in a very secure fashion. There is a 2" wide elastic compression strap that holds the radio around the body. The inside of the radio pocket is padded so this compression strap doesn't crush anything or do any damage. Additionally, there is an adjustable hook-n-loop (Velcro) strap that wraps higher on the radio. Since many contemporary radios are contoured, this alllows for a second method of retention for your radio. And finally, the radio is held into the pouch by an over-wrapping nylon cord on a fastex buckle. The ONLY suggestion I have to improve this pouch is to leave extra cord on the buckle so that the end user can cut and tie it to fit his/her radio. I have an Ericsson radio that fit this pouch perfectly. BUT, had it been another inch taller, the corded buckle wouldn't have reached over it to secure. I also have a shoulder microphone on my radio and the pouch design is such that there was no issue between the mike attachment and the security straps. In fact, because of the nature of MOLLE webbing, I was able to hook the shoulder mike at multiple points on either shoulder with no problems.

Next was the Personal Medical Pouch (shown right). Now, I'm one of those freaks who always takes some basic first-aid kit with me into the field - even if it's just a day hike in the local state park. Blackwater and Michael's of Oregon did a good job with the design of this pouch. It can be mounted on the vest or worn on the belt and the double zipper allows it to be opened all the way up - like folding open a book. On the outside flap there is a velcro-close pocket that is plenty big enough for a collection of smaller items: I put a bunch of bandaids and some motrin packages in mine. On the inside are two columns of double-elastic straps. The straps are stitched in to create six rows of compressed storage. Since it's a double layer of elastic, you actually end up with twenty-four different slots to put equipment in. Some of those slots I used for an ace bandage, a couple of traingular bandages, a small bottle of hand sanitizer, a tube of neosporin, etc. In the couple of empty slots I had left, I put in two packages of granola bars. Ideally this pouch would be filled with some Quik-Clot, a few field dressings, anti-biotic agents, pain medicine, and perhaps an epinepherine kit for those with allergy / anaphilactic shock concerns.

OK: next item: Gas Mask Pouch. As I don't have / didn't have need to carry a protective mask with me for my trips out to the woods, I used this for other items. However, having had years of experience carrying a protective mask in the Army and some time doing it as a police officer, I can tell you that this pouch is well designed and functioned flawlessly. How? Let me explain. First, I should describe versatility of carry. The gas mask pouch can be mounted on the vest (as I did) OR it can be carried on a belt and wrapped around either thigh. Additionally, it can be put onto the belt WHILE the belt is around your waist. You don't have to take it off to thread the pouch on. The thigh strap has a signficant center elastic section which allows you to wrap it, make it snug without cutting off your circulation, and then secure it down (hook-n-loop holder). There are two drain holes in the bottom to allow any moisture to drain, assisting in the minimization of maintenance.

The main pocket flap is held down both by hook-n-loop and a fastex buckle. The strap on the buckle is significantly adjustable making this pouch suitable for a variety of masks. Additionally, the main pocket has a pull cord that closes the pocket mouth with a spring loaded cord catch. Inside the main pocket are two small auxilliary pockets - one on either side. I say "small", but they are big enough to hold a filter on each side, or a set of extra lenses, etc. To give you a good idea of the internal size of this pouch, I put two MREs in it and was happy with how little movement I experienced as I hiked and climbed about my little bit of countryside.

Last item: Dump Pouch / Breacher Pouch (shown right): Should also be referred to as a general utility pouch. What a benefit this thing can be for the miscellaneous odds and ends you have to take out with you that you just might not have room to put anywhere else. Once again, vest attachable, or it can be worn on the belt drop-leg style. It has the same security and comfort features as the Gas Mask Pouch described above. The internal pocket is roomy... I put all of the following items in:

- Spare battery carrier
- Folding Lockblade knife
- bottle of water purification tablets
- a pair of gloves
- my boony cap
- a compass
- my Kestrel Pocket Weather Meter
- SOG Power Plier
- an emergency "space" blanket
- a Knife Sharpening Tool
- a rolled length of 550 cord

... and there was room to spare.

So, I got to thinking... Sure, Blackwater and Michael's of Oregon designed this stuff for military and law enforcement use. They designed it for hard use under combat conditions. But here I was, wearing it for a day hike and quite happy with the fit, comfort, versatility, etc. Now, before someone questions: Yes, I wore it more than once. In fact, just to make sure it would take more abuse than "average" use would provide, I took it off and tied it on a length of paracord that I then tied to my belt. I went a half-mile dragging it behind me (and it was a pain to go over logs, etc with it like that). I carefully inspected everything after that. None of the pouches had loosened from the vest. None of the straps had loosened; none of the pocket flaps had opened. My radio was pretty beat up, but it cleaned up okay and still works right. Bottom line: it was all dirty, but everything still functioned as it was meant to. While it certainly wasn't the intent of the designers and manufacturers, the Blackwater Gear proved itself to be more than adequate for the outdoorsman. I'd highly recommend you look into it as you consider building a vest for hunting or fishing... or for hiking, camping, backpacking, etc. Built to withstand the brutatlity of war, this gear will be more than tough enough for the abuses of recreational outdoorsman.

To find out more about Blackwater Gear, visit them online at www.blackwatergear.com.

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Also, don't forget to read the Tactical Equipment Evaluations:

K5 Tactical Tomahawk-----24 October 2005
Plus others!!!

Check out this week's Highlighted Training Article about how the 21 Foot Rule has been misinterpreted by our courts.

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