Some of us already wear bright orange or green tops when hiking in the backcountry or hunting in desolate stretches of woods, in case we get lost (or injured) and need to wait for rescue from folks who may or may not know our exact position. This price isn’t cheap, but if you’re using them to help make yourself more visible to your comrades-in-arms, or to search-and-rescue crews who may be coming to save you if you’re stuck in the wilderness, we’d consider this a damn cheap insurance policy. The V-lites come in six colors right now: Blue, Green, Orange, Red, White, and Infrared (IR), and they retail for around $40. This means that each one lasts for 120+ hours if burning “ON” continuously, and obviously will last a lot longer than that if it's blinking. They’re also extremely waterproof, with a non-replaceable battery to help keep everything watertight. They can also be slipped directly into PALS webbing or to a backpack. Except they burn brighter, they’re more easily visible because they have a blinking option, and they’re curved to mount directly onto your helmet if you’re wearing one. The V-Lites were designed as an alternative to chemlight sticks. We were intrigued by this identification lighting system for its apparent simplicity, durability, and imminent applicability for our outdoor adventuring. S&S Precision V-Lite Personal Illumination Markers We’re looking forward to try one out once they’re released, and put the HEXGRID webbing through some torture tests to see if it holds up as well as the company claims.įor more info on the 5.11 Tactical AMP bags, go to /fall2018-amp-bags.
The 5.11 guys said that they considered this and overbuilt the material to withstand fatigue cycling and tearing. Our only concern is that the attachment webbing appears very thin and low-profile - so much so that we’re wondering just how much weight it can support, with that weight cycling up and down on the attachment point over a 50 or 100-mile walking distance.
#Spec ops gear series#
The new series has a much cleaner look, and with the HEXGRID panels removed from the outside they blend in just fine at the grocery store or at the park. Basically the AMP12, AMP24, and AMP72 (pictured above in tan, black, and OD green in respective order) are replacing the well-worn RUSH12, RUSH24, and RUSH72 packs, and it’s probably a little bit overdue.