Some good items I’ve seen on sale for this Memorial Day — typically I ignore posting this stuff but the deals are pretty solid:
Update 12/13/21: It has been brought to my attention that Tuff Possum Gear has COVID misinformation on their website/blog, this is very unfortunate to hear. Please keep that in mind when/if considering ordering from them.
For years now, I have used heavy duty plastic ziploc style bags as boo-boo kits and storage for other small items in my bags. I have never bought one of these bags — I accumulate them from stuff I buy. But this also means my bags are a hodgepodge and I was often limited in what I could store as they are also either really small or too large to be useful. So I went out and bought several small pouches to try and remedy this problem, and the Tuff Possum Gear Pocket Possibilities Pouch is the clear winner.
This pouch is fantastic.
Welcome to the Mystery Ranch 3 Day Assault CL, stop here if you are not ready to buy this bag.
This bag is my ultimate go anywhere, do anything, choice — out of all the bags I own, or have tested. It’s that good. I actually thought going into trying this bag, that it would be a bag I would try, and decide was too large to keep — that’s not even close to the case.
There are caveats, so read on…
I’m not a huge optics guy, I don’t do ‘birding’, I don’t hunt, I don’t shoot long distances… or short distances, and I also don’t go on expeditions. The last time I talked about optics on here was to mention the most excellent Vortex Diamondback binoculars. But in a Member Journal I mentioned trying out a Brunton Monocular, which I did buy, did try, and do hate.
That monocular left me wanting. And here’s the thing, I know that binoculars are better in almost every sense — except in size. So I said screw it and grabbed what I have long wanted in the Vortex Solo monocular. And I really am a fan of this thing.
I’m a medium sized blade kind of guy. I don’t love small blades, and I don’t love big blades. I like knives that sit right in the 2.7-3.1” cutting edge length. That’s enough blade that the balance and handle length are nice, but still small enough to slip into your pocket.
I’m also not a heavy knife guy. I’m not a someone who loves to clip a knife to the top of their pocket (though I used to be). I tend to like the knife to sit in pocket, hopefully out of the way. Because of all of that, a knife that is thin and light really catches my attention (Benchmade Mini Bugout being a prime example).
I try to ruck in the mornings after the sun comes up, as that is generally a safer and much more enjoyable experience. But there are times when I need to go out for my workout before the sun rises — and doing that is something I am always hyper aware of how well I can be seen, and how I am perceived.
When I reviewed the Mystery Ranch Front, I thought I was reviewing a bag that would be in their lineup for a while, not one slated to be discontinued. But it seems gone, at least for now.
So, I knew I needed to do my job and not just let everyone know that a really good bag is one that you cannot buy. Which left me two options: get the really sweet 1 Day Assault from Japan, where I learned there is an adjustable yoke model but will cost me over $500 to buy; or get the USA variant which is the ASAP. I got the ASAP in Foliage because when a color is perfected, you stick with that color.
There’s a handful of bags out there I have always wanted, but never thought I would end up getting. Sometimes the price seems completely absurd (looking at you Mystery Ranch 1DAP), and sometimes as the case with this backpack the price is high, and my in-person impressions of the bag are not good enough to take the plunge. Recently though, I was able to trade with someone on the Member Discord to snag this one.
It’s long been on my list, so I first need to state a few things before you read on:
Ok, with that being said I have actually gotten to use this bag out in the world! I have taken it on a weekend trip, as well as back and forth to the office. I know what this bag is.
I figure now is a good time to share some long term updates on a few items I’ve kept using. I kept it to only things which I still have in my possession, because if I dumped it then the update is “sell it”. This is not a new review of these items, just a quick blurb on how they have stood the test of time and what I think about them today.