Speaking of flashlights, I’d been wanting one of these for a while. While there are plenty of lights out there, I wanted one that could be clipped to a backpack strap for hands free use. (This is why, in case youre wondering, why those old GI flashlights are shaped like the letter L) The Inova 24/7 is waterproof, runs on the usual lithium batt, and has 8 functions. I carry the Streamlight in my Bag O’ Tricks ™ but it isnt a hands free. (And before anyone asks, I dont find the headlamp lights to be as versatile as I like.) The 24/7 also has a couple of features that make it a good choice for my late night bike riding episodes….I can use it as a flashing tail light or as a headlamp. And only about $25. Best of all, I found ’em in Olive Drab and not the usual ugly safety yellow color. Me like. I’ll report on how it works out.
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Attended the big Missoula gun show. Didnt see John Trochmann at this one with his usual MOM handouts and preparedness gear. I did, however, find some other dealers selling various sundries that will be of use. Additionally, I got to handle the new FN PS90 (used, $1200) and thought the ergonomics were great, the sights were majorly sux0r and I couldnt stop thinking of every episode of Stargate. Having read the ballistics of the cartridge, though, Im thinking that the only thing the P90/PS90 has going for it is the compact envelope. Anyway….

Also saw some Spec-Ops gear. I was under the impression this was the usual looks-cool-but-made-in-an-Asian-country stuff similar to Blackhawk. Cant say about all of it, but the few pieces I looked at were made in USA. (Pronounced ‘ooo-suh’) Specifically, I was interested in this piece of gear:

Which might fit the bill for the accessory (‘possibles’) bag for my CZ. The bag can be carried as a shoulder bag or can be affixed to a larger bag through the use of MOLLE attachment. Also it can be attached to belt/harness as a butt pack. Attach this 40mm pouch panel:

and I’ve got a way to carry spare rifle mags for the bolt gun. Might have to get one of these things…….
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And I meant to post about this the other day – MagLite has jumped on the LED bandwagon and are now selling LED version of their big D-cell lights. (Their website was sorely lacking details.) However, Pelican is making LED flashlights toowith a unique twist – the bulb points backwards into the flashlight. The idea is that the light is aimed into the reflector where it is then ‘focussed’ to provide a tighter beam than lights that simply have the LED point forward. This product line is called their ‘Recoil LED’ line. Looks interesting but I’d need to try one head-to-head versus, say, the LED MagLite.