Medic pouches

One thing that's good to have on hand no matter where you are or what you are doing is a first-aid kit. I've always carried a few essentials with me, like bandages, ibuprofen, &etc, and I've needed to use them on a number of occasions, just going about my day. So when we (D.I. and I) put together these medic kits, I had practicality in mind. Basically, we stocked our MOLLE medic pouches that we'll wear out in the field, with all the stuff we might need (and know how to use).

The large MultiCam pouch on the left mounts on to a tear-away velcro panel, so it can be quickly removed from your vest. The pouch on the right is slightly smaller and the front flap just folds down to provide access to the contents.

Large medic pouch, open:


Contains an instant ice pack, adhesive bandages of different shapes and sizes, packets of antibiotic ointment, hand sanitizer, gloves, a bottle of disinfectant spray for cleaning wounds, gauze bandages and medical tape, scissors, some packaged single doses of medications like Tylenol, Advil, etc. Check the travel-size aisle at the pharmacy for these types of convenience items. You could easily stock a medic pouch with the contents of a pre-packaged first-aid kit, but in that case, you are paying for the packaging. You can get more value by buying your supplies in bulk, or as D.I. and I did, we purchased full-size supplies and divided them up between our kits, and we had some extras left over for restocking later. This is just a starting point, and I'm sure we'll make some updates and changes with experience.

Smaller medic pouch, open:

Is slightly smaller and doesn't hold as much stuff, so contains a subset of what is in the larger pouch.

According to one of the books I'm reading on building survival kits, the minimum recommendation for the smallest kit includes butterfly bandages, antibiotic ointment, and alcohol pads. Whatever else you want to add would depend on the situations you need it for, and the number of people who might need it.

PMC loadout, Take 2

The only thing missing at this point is the drop-leg holster, otherwise, this is prolly what we're rollin' with for a "PMC" loadout: 24x7 polo shirt in black, desert digi TRU pants, Tru-Spec chest rig in coyote, an assortment of pouches in coyote or multicam. DI is also wearing the Hybrid gloves from WileyX, and the XL-1 Advanced goggles with Rx transition lenses. That's the CA Sportline M15A4 Carbine, on a Specter SOP sling.

See www.darkthreads.com/ or contact sales@darkthreads.com for more info.

Specter Gear: 3-Point Tactical Sling

So you spent all that money on a rifle - protect your investment with a reliable sling. The sling is to a rifle, what a holster is to a pistol - a necessary piece of equipment, and one that you probably shouldn't skimp on if you're serious.
When I first started out, I tried using a 3-point sling, and found it awkward and confusing. I switched to a single-point sling, and it was easier to manage, but after a while, I realized that it was lacking in maneuverability. I was also ready for an upgrade, so I was lucky to discover the Specter Gear line of slings. Their products are well-designed and extremely durable. They pack a lot of unique features into their 3-point tactical sling, which make it easier to use and more adjustable than others I've handled.
There are dozens of carry options possible with this versatile sling, and transitioning from one carry to another is very quick once you get the hang of it. Specter slings are handmade in the USA, and backed by a lifetime warranty. So we have the SOP deployment-ready package with ERB option in stock, in black and coyote (OD is also available by request). Check it out here - http://www.darkthreads.com/store.shtml?ifrm_1=spec-sop-sling.html

Special: Magpul PTS CTR Stock

We have a few of these in stock now, and for a limited time only, we'll be offering it at a very special low price of $65.95. You'll find this same stock listed elsewhere for upwards of $125. I don't think we need to say anything about the quality or reputation of Magpul products, in particular the PTS line, so if you're looking to upgrade an M4 or M15 stock, now's your chance.

http://www.darkthreads.com/store.shtml?ifrm_1=magpul-stock.html

I will survive...

I've always considered myself to be a survivor. My friends would probably say that about me, too. I've gotten through some hard times, and I'm still here kickin' it, so I guess it's true, as far as emotional/mental well-being is concerned. However, I'm also interested in the survival of my physical well-being, and lately I've been reading up on the topics of disaster preparedness. No, I'm not a paranoid crazy person. Well ok, maybe just a little bit, but we'll see who's laughing when the zombies come...anyhoo, it's not such a bad idea to be prepared for a crisis, especially considering that the Gulf coast is still recovering from hurricane Katrina, not to mention the 9/11 terrorists attacks, and so on. No matter if its natural or man-made disaster, what would you do if you were suddenly without power, water, food, shelter?

So I picked up this book, When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need to Survive. It's not bad. The authors sound like they know their stuff. The first half of the book covers the whole survivor mentality, and the second half gets down to the nitty gritty with tips on how to do stuff, like make water potable. The book focuses on taking care of your immediate basic human physiological needs when the comforts and modern conveniences of civilization might no longer be available to you. It doesn't go into long-term self sufficience, or fending off a ballistic attack or anything like that, but the information it does provide is very useful.

I also picked up this one, Build the Perfect Survival Kit. This book is more specific in that it practically gives you a recipe for how to prepare and pack a kit for when that disaster-occasion finally comes. It goes into all types of survival kits, from small sewing kits that you can carry in your purse, to duffel bags full of stuff you'd want if you had to leave town and lay low for a while.

This kind of stuff has always fascinated me, especially the clever gadgets and compact camping gear. I just hope I would never need to actually use it!

D.I. and I are actually putting together some basic survival kits for out loadouts. We got a bunch of medical supplies to stock our medic pouches. Photos will be forthcoming!

[Work in Progress] PMC loadout

[Redacted: we're going to make some revisions and repost at some point]

D.I. and I are working on PMC loadouts. PMC = private military corporation (i.e. Blackwater). Specifically, we are basing it on the uniforms from the TV Series, Jericho.

D.I. is wearing the Tru-Spec 24x7 series black polo shirt and coyote pants, with a MultiCam rack vest, Wiley X Saber glasses - all available at darkthreads.com. He also has on the Wiley X hybrid gloves with removable knuckle plate, and we can get those for you (I just don't have them listed in the store yet).

A complete line of eyewear

I just updated the DarkThreads.com store with a new page for the WileyX eyewear, and now I'm impressed with all the options we have to offer. The XL-1 Advanced goggle is a versatile style that can be worn like a goggle with the foam gasket and elastic headband, or you can remove the gasket and wear them like regular sunglasses. They can also be fitted with prescription lenses. Contact sales@darkthreads.com for more info and pricing.

If you just need a good pair of shooters, we also have the Saber - a classic style with the features and quality you can expect from WileyX.

Of course, we can get anything from WileyX, so if there's anything else you are interested in, please let us know.

Don't forget, we also carry Revision eyewear, and for full face protection, we have Save Phace masks.

Back from MegaCon

At least, D.I. is back. I didn't get to go this year :-(, but I just posted some of the photos that D.I. took. Apparently, a big group of people dressed up in BSG costumes went through the TerrorWerks simulation. It looked like a great time. I wish I coulda been there, doh!