by Scott Smith Contributing Editor
At long last, the flowers are blooming; it seemed like winter would never end. With the blooming of flowers come three things: NASCAR, competitive shooting season, and graduation time.
Right around graduation time come Fathers and Mothers days. All of which raise the question, what to get as gifts? When thinking of shooters and gifts we often look at the obvious; holsters, range bags, etc. While we will consider these items, we also will look at some other items that can be used on the road or at home too. Outdoor companies have many items outdoorsy types can use from season to season.
UA’s Speed Freek or Lowa’s S-Cloud and Renegade boots
If you shoot competitively, you end up spending a lot of time traveling.
Clothing that travels well is something men and women appreciate. Columbia (Columbia.com) makes several items to meet a shooter’s needs.
First, let’s take a look at a few pieces of clothing for the ladies: Back BeautyTM Pants ($65), Trail Dash Tank ($50), Freeze Degree 1/2Zip ($75) and Armadale Dress ($60). These four pieces are made to offer protection from the sun, be lightweight, wash and wear well and look good. To accomplish this, Columbia uses polyester blends with Omni-Wick and Omni-Shade materials.
While some ladies may not wear the Back Beauty for the range because it lacks belt loops, for skeet, trap, clays shooters these pants will be comfortable and allow her freedom of movement.
It may seem like a small thing but Columbia adds a lay flat zipper pocket along the left seam to carry your phone, keys, etc. On chilly days the Freeze Degree 1/2Zip can be warm and cool, while giving protection from the sun. The Trail Dash Tank and Armadale Dress have built in shelf bras which are supportive (I got the information from my best friend) and help reduce chafing. These four pieces of clothing work well for travel, casual wear, workout and range wear. Another bonus of the materials used in these pieces is they can be washed in a hotel sink, line dried and be virtually wrinkle free. From what I have been told, lady grads will appreciate these and other pieces in the Columbia line.
Streamlight’s Sylus Plus and Pink Strion will light the way while Industrial Revolution;s Ultra and Cell Pods will allow you to mount your camera.phone to film or watch videos. Spyderco’s 2GB Spider will store data while Brite Strike’s Alarm will deter bad guys, and if that fails Spyderco’s Para Military will act as a last line of defense
For the guys, Columbia has many offerings. We chose to look at the Airgill Chill Pant ($80) and Zero Long Sleeve Shirt ($130). As the names imply, the shirt and pants are designed to keep you cool in the hottest conditions, while they give you protection from the sun’s UV rays. Omin-Shade and Omni-Freeze technologies are truly cutting edge.
The Airgill Chill Pants and Zero Long Sleeve Shirt travel amazingly well. While I was looking at these for travel, I found they work well on the range. I wore them for a long range session and the pistol grime and dirt washed off the pants and shirt, making them look new. New to the Columbia line are the zippers and cargo pockets; both lay flat to give you smooth lines instead of pockets and zippers that catch on things when you put your stuff in the pockets.
If you are going to be comfortable on the range, you must have quality footwear. Two of my favorite boot companies are Under Armour (1010 Swan Creek Dr., Ste C, Dept TGM, Curtis Bay, MD 21226; phone: 888-727- 6687; online: underarmour.com) and Lowa (86 Viaduct Rd., Dept. TGM, Stamford, CT 06907; phone: 888-335- 5692; online: lowaboots.com). Both offer styles for men and women, in waterproof and non-waterproof versions.
Since shooting and travel are done in the elements we looked at the waterproof models.
Lowa Boots has been the choice of military units throughout Europe and are making inroads with the US Military and outdoors people as well.
Lowa’s Renegade GTX ($220), S-Cloud GTX ($170) are built for men and women; in this case they are for women. Lowa builds women’s boots on a female last, unlike many manufactures who simply build smaller men’s boots. From the feedback I have been given, these boots give all day comfort and have kept feet dry on some of the wettest days southwest PA has experienced.
Tuff Products Taclett II Bailout Bag and Complete Range Bag System
The Renegade is an ankle high boot available in many colors to meet your personal style or for use in the field, while providing the wearer a waterproof boot. Renegades wear like iron. If you prefer a more athletic cut shoe for the range or field, the S-Cloud is an ideal choice. It offers you the fit and feel of a running shoe with the support of a light hiking boot. Either of these boots will serve shooting moms and grads on the range, on the street or in the field.
For guys who want a lightweight comfortable boot, Under Armour’s Speed Freek is hard to beat. I have been wearing a Multi-Cam pair for the last year and swear by them. These boots have kept my feet dry in the seasonal monsoons during competition and training, thanks to the Gore-Tex liner. Speed Freeks give superior traction in the muddiest conditions, making them ideal for any action shooting sport. If any of our dad’s and grads is in law enforcement UA offers this boot in a black leather version.
They take a decent shine, too. Priced at $174.99, these are a good buy for field, range or duty use.
One of the items that has become part of many folk’s daily lives is a smart phone or a mini digital camera. For outdoors people the problem with these small digital devices is how to stabilize them for shooting photos or video.
Industrial Revolution (5835 Segale Park Dr. C, Dept. TGM, Tukwila, WA 98188; phone: 888-297-6062; online: industrialrev.com) has a solution for this problem: the Ultra Pod and Cell Pod. These miniature tri-pods give you a tri-pod or you can secure the closed tripod to a post, stake, branch, etc. with the hook and loop tie wrap. I have used the Ultra and Cell Pods at the range when shooting images for theGunMag and shooting videos for training. They are well worth the $14.99-19.99 retail.
Comp Tac’s International and Bravo Concealment’s Patriot holsters
You can also purchase a cell phone mount for your tripod for $9.99.
In today’s dangerous world and all of the politically correct lunacy that surrounds us, when traveling you need something for your safety. Brite Strike Technologies (11 Raffaele Rd., Camelot Ind. Pk, Dept. TGM, Plymouth, MA 02360; phone: 508-746- 8701; online: brite-strike.com) offers the Pink Personal Alarm for $20. This keyring-sized device gives the user a pull activated alarm of 120db that will wake the dead with built-in white LED light and flashing red alarm LEDs. This pint-size device will get passersby attention should the need arise to activate the alarm.
In this day of the self-protection free zone, this is tool I’d carry.
If you require a bit more aggressive bit of personal protection, I carry a Spyderco knife (820 Spyderco Way, Dept. TGM, Golden, CO 80403; phone: 303-279-8383; online: spyderco.com)— in this case a Para Military Blk. The Para Military has a 3.438 inch blade, is easily opened with the Spyderco Hole, and gives the owner a choice of how to carry the blade, thanks to mounting points on both sides and ends of the Digi-camo G10 handles. This knife will handle most anything you can do to it, making it worth the $205.95 price tag.
One of the coolest gizmos I have come across is also from Spyderco: the Spyderco Flash Drive. This is a 2GB flash drive shaped like the Spyderco Spider. The USB connector stores in the body of the drive.
This flash drive is priced at $19.95, thanks to the Spider shape and colors, and is worth it. Your flash drive will not get confused with others.
STI International – The continuing evolution of the 1911
An item that any grad can use is a quality flashlight. I am a fan of Streamlight (streamlight.com). The Strion is a pocket-sized, tail capactivated, usable 65- a blinding 240 lumen rechargeable light; complete with charger, online pricing varying from $99 to $150. This Strion is a BCRF light, with Streamlight donating $1-5 to the BCRF to further cancer research. Strion lights seem to last forever; I have been using one for the last five years and it still runs like the first day I opened the box.
When your lighting needs lean towards finding a missing pen under the seat or trunk, not dazing your opponent, the Stylus Reach Pro is a good option.
By clicking the tail cap it is constant on or it is momentary on with a simple push. Running on AAAs, the Pro gives you 38 lumens of light…which gives you plenty of light for most applications. It costs around $25.
When you need to carry your handgun, you need a good holster and belt rig. There are many on the market today to serve your needs. I have found holsters from Bravo Concealment (PO Box 1871, Dept. TGM, Edinburg, TX 78540; phone: 956-783-7682; online: bravoconcealment.com) and Comp Tac to be two of the best Kydex holster companies in the market.
Bravo Concealment is run by a Marine veteran who is currently a police officer in Texas. Mario builds holsters to fit the customer’s needs and body. Our Patriot models ($69.99) were built for a Glock 12 and 21SF. Thanks to their pancake style they conform to the body like a leather holster. Bravo Concealment offers their holsters in many colors to keep shooting fun and to meet your needs. These were made from red and a multi-cam style pattern.
Bravo Concealment holsters are my go to holsters for my Glocks for CCW, range or competition use. We also have nothing but positive feedback from a few women who have used the Patriot for CCW; comfortable and the butt of the pistol does not dig into the ribs or chest. Bravo offers inside the waistband and other holsters for use with a light attached.
Another company known to many IDPA shooters is Comp Tac (Comptac.
Columbia Sportswear’s Back Beauty Pants, Trail Dash Tank, Freeze Degree 1/2 Zip, Armalade Dress for the ladies, and Airgill Chill Pant and Zero Long Sleeve Shirt for men
com). Their newest holster is the International. This holster ships complete with a paddle, belt loop and offset for those who wish the holster to ride lower. The International is designed for range and competition use, conforming to IDPA and USPSA competition rules. Over the last few years, Comp Tac holsters have become the holster of choice for IDPA and USPSA. You can have your International crafted from black, red, pink or desert digi-cam Kydex with your choice of straight drop, FBI or cross draw cants for most popular pistols on the market. These holsters sell for $69.99, with an additional $20 for the digital finish. This is a good buy for a holster that offers all of these features and options. This holster carries my XDm for USPSA matches, and in my opinion it is an ideal match holster.
To ensure your pistol/holster stays on your hip and isn’t leaning, you need a good belt. For daily wear one of my favorite belts is Special Operations Equipment’s (online: SOEtacticalgear.com) EDC. This belt is built from dive grade webbing with a hook closure so the hook is not bulky, while giving you a secure closure. This belt fits most Kydex holsters that are on the market and unlike many other EDC nylon holsters this belt does not get larger throughout the day; the belt adjuster secures with hook and loop.
The quality and colors available set the SOE EDC apart from the competition and the prices are competitive, ranging from $45-$69, depending on size and options.
If you need to carry your gear to the range or you need an off carry option for CCW, Tuff Products (phone: 877- 883-3776; online: tuffproducts.com) offers quality range bags and butt/ shoulder bags. The Taclett II Discreet Bailout Bag ($89.99) will allow you to carry your handgun, cell phone, mini camera, extra magazines, pretty much whatever you can fit in it. The right front pouch is secured with hook and loop and dual open zippers. When pulled forward you have instant access to your handgun. Try as I might I could not get this pouch to “accidentally open.” Of course, if someone or something grabs the pull handle, the pouch will open. That said, this is one of the most secure butt/shoulder bags I have seen. This pouch has a pull off ID panel/zipper pouch to allow LEOs to attach an ID panel.
The left pouch is zipper closure with a mesh outer pouch. You will find loops in the main body to secure handgun or carbine magazines and a rear zipper closure for other items.
Tuff’s Complete Range Bag System is another example of Tuff giving the consumer a lot of bag for the buck, actually $199. The half-moon shape 13X16X11 semi-rigid (bag forms are included) size is not reflective of the size and capacity of this bag. The end pouches have room for ear protection, shooting glasses, shot timer, whatever support gear you pack for a range trip.
On the outside of these are mesh pouches for water bottles or other gear.
The front and rear of the main compartment have padded integral pistol pouches, with the front having a zipper area to secure magazines and other gear. The main pocket of the Range Bag is large enough to carry several boxes of ammunition with the brass/ ammo neoprene pouches included.
These pouches will carry 200+ rounds of .45ACP each. Tuff Products builds gear that exceeded my expectations.
These bags have all of those great little pluses that make these bags a must have for CCW carry, bailout, range and competition use.
Hopefully I have given you some ideas for gifts for dads, moms, and grads of all ages. These items will make your trip to the range easier, travel more fun and safer, and keep you looking good getting there and back.
Have a safe summer, and to continue to be able to shoot join the Second Amendment Foundation, NRA, CCRLBA or GOA. Politicians nationwide are fighting to restrict your God given rights.
