Cast Gear Tactical Hoodie

Welcome back to CQB Radio, gals and gents.  Today we are taking a look at the Cast Gear Tactical Hoodie from Airsplat.  You can CLICK HERE to see it over on the Airsplat website.  How did I get this one?  Glad you asked.  When I was speaking to my contact over at Airsplat, they mentioned that they'd like to have some of their new Cast Gear items reviewed, so this is the first of a bunch of their items we will be looking at on the CQB Radio blog.

So Cast Tactical Hoodie.  Here's a look...

and here are the specs:
- Available in sizes Small through Double-extra large.
- Made of 60% cottom and 40% polyester; 10 ounce brushed fleece for warmth and softness
- Fully jersey-knit lined hood
- Thumb-holes on the sleeves cuffs
- Front kangaroo pockets
- Zippered side vents
- Hook-and-Loop closures on the side for open-carry
- Available in: Urban Digital, Woodland Digital, C-Cam, Black, Navy, Gray, and Camel Tan

The front pockets - comfortable and nicely placed.  The zippers are easy to use and though that may sound like a no-brainer - try getting a sweatshirt that has crummy zippers and you'll see why it's worth mentioning.

The thumb holes in the sleeve cuffs give you something like a fingerless glove built right into the sweatshirt.  Amazing how covering a just a little of your hand can give you some much-desired additional warmth in the colder weather.  The cuffs also have some elastic in them and this allows for your hand to be comfortable and also snug in the cuff.

On both the left and right upper arms are pockets with a patch panel on the outside.  These are large pockets in which you could easily hold a pad a paper, a mag, more other items.  They also have a pull built into them so that you can access them easily even with gloves on.

On the side, you can see that there is hook-and-loop at the bottom, with a zipper about 15 inches long that runs up the side of the hoodie.  This gives you the option to run a holster or any other larger pouch on the side of your body without having to worry about how you'll access it.  Also, if you unzip the zipper, you'll let in air to cool you down.

Another cool feature is the speaker-microphone holder on the shoulder.  If you have a mic that you can to clip onto your hoodie, well with this little cloth 'flap' of sorts, you can hook it on your right shoulder.

The hood - it works.  It fits nicely even with a hat on.

I've worn this one for a while, and I like it.  It's warm and comfortable, even though Urban Digital is not exactly subtle while walking around town, I didn't feel like I was walking around in a BDU blouse (yes, that's what they are called).  I've also got one of these in black - that one is just as nice.  

The cost for one of these bad-boys is $44.99.  If you are looking for a hoodie that is more than just cool looking but is also functional, this is a great option.  I've talked to the folks at Cast Gear and they seem like a solid group of individuals.  Check them out by CLICKING HERE and then check this item out over at Airsplat by CLICKING HERE.  

New Folding Knife from Condor

OK, let's talk knives and airsoft.  Of course, some people use fake knives for airsoft, but what place does a real knife have in airsoft?  Good question, and a fair one.  First off, I'd say for many airsofters, they don't have a place, so don't bother getting one (not to be too blunt here). But for those of us who know how to handle a blade - and by that I mean to use it as a tool, not as a fighting weapon - a nice pocket knife can be helpful.

When I get a new item and I want to take off tags, labels, or other things that are hanging on, say, a mag pouch - well, a knife can come in handy.  When it's a lunch break and I need to bust open a bag of something to cook over my camping stove back in the prep area - a knife would be handy.  So for those kinds of needs (AND NOT ON THE FIELD), I think this Condor Barracuda could be useful.

Check it out HERE from Airsplat.

Let's start with some specs:
Blade Material - Sand-blasted AUS8 blade steel
Length: 8 inches overall, 3.3 inch blade, 4.5 inches folded
Handle: G10
Pocket clip: adjustable 4 ways
Opening: Thumb stud and slipper
Weight: 4.3 oz.

We all know Condor makes some very popular tactical gear that airsofters use, but now they have broken into the tactical/folding knife market.  This one comes in a plan edge and one with a serrated edge as well.  I prefer a plain edge, but that's just my taste.

This blade fits comfortably in my hand and I'm 6 foot 2, so if you have smaller hands, it'll be plenty big.

Again, it's made of AUS8 steel - good, pretty easy to sharpen up.

As you can see it has a liner lock.  No issues here - just a heads up on how it locks open.

 To give you a little size comparison, I compared it to an AK and M4 mag.  As you can see, it's not too big, and it's about 1/2 this size when it's all folded up.

Overall, a nice blade.  It'll hold an edge for you and when you are prepping for an op, it might be just what you needed in the parking lot or staging area.  Again, I would NOT recommend having this on the field - it's just asking to be lost or for an accident.  Play safe, leave the knife in the car, and as always - keep on firin'.

Big thanks to AIRSPLAT for supporting CQB Radio.

- Carp

Let's Talk Tactical AKs

 

(this guy is from G&P - who we know makes great products)

Some people love tactical AKs, some hate them.  Me - I like them a lot.  As a guy who usually runs support, I am more biased toward a MK46 or a MK43, and of course - the M249 is always fun too.  BUT I am becoming more and more open to the AK-family, and the tactical AK is the kind I tend to like best.  I do get that some people are "AK purists" - they need a wood stock, nothing 'tactical', and that's the end of the discussion.  I suppose there are people like that with their AR/M4s too, but in my experience AK fans are more often purists than the M4 peeps are.

I think that the tactical AK is growing on people though.  Probably with the conflicts in the Middle East we are seeing more real contractors running AK-platforms, and we all know that a good part of airsoft is looking the part/looking cool.  Thus, if some professional contractor has one, more airsofters are going to want them too.

 

This one above is from Magpul PTS and I love it.  Partially it's just the 'it looks cool' factor.  Part of it is because I'm a Costa fan and he has run this one before.  But the other side of the equation for me is what this one offers.  Adjsutable stock - huge benefit to me.  Rail space - another great benefit.  When I run anything other than support, I love to have a vert grip or AFG on my gun, so this gives me that option.  And because of my style of play, a red dot is always nice.  That's one thing about this one - the rail doesn't allow you add a red dot closer to your face, but you can't win them all I guess (and yes I know you can add a scope mount, but I am not a huge fan of them).  The ICS AK (below) offers you more rail space closer to your face for optics, but it's almost impossible to find these days. 

One nice thing is that if you like tactical AKs, they are becoming more and more reasonable in cost.  JG (below) makes one and it's less than $200.  It's not going to be the quality of the G&P, but it'll save you some cash.

If you want to take a step up from JG, the Echo 1 Contractor AK is a good option (below).

And APS makes some as does Javelin - and you can get them with the blowback feature too.

With more and more coming to the market, the tactical AK has a future it seems, and to me - that's a good thing.

- Carp