GearExpert

An exciting new LaserMax Laser Sight for the exciting new S&W M&P Shield!

Aug 31 • News • 13673

Perhaps the most exciting new gun to hit the market this year is the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield. It’s so popular that we haven’t even gotten our hands on one yet! From what we hear, S&W can’t make them fast enough. We have a few S&W products in our store, but their bread and butter is firearms, and the M&P (Military & Police) 9mm and .40 S&W are two of the most popular. I’ve read about them all over the place. The M&P came out about 6 years ago, and it’s starting to replace Glocks as the preferred choice for law enforcement officials.

Smith and Wesson saw this popularity and developed a more compact option that maintains many of the same features of the regular M&P. The new model, which was released earlier this year, is the M&P Shield. You can still get it in 9mm and .40 S&W, but it’s a lot smaller and easier to conceal. The comfort of the grip and power of the gun makes it ideal for many looking for a new compact auto. The single stack 9mm is impressing a ton of people in the gun world, especially police officers looking for an off-duty concealable handgun that’s similar to the power and quality of their duty firearm. It appears LaserMax is a big fan as well.

LaserMax, as their name implies, is all about laser sights. They’ve developed models for Berettas, 1911s, Rugers and more, including guide rod lasers, rail mounted lasers and trigger guard lasers. When they heard about the M&P Shield they got to work right away on a new laser sight that would perfectly fit this popular new handgun. What they came up with is the new LaserMax CenterFire Laser Sight for S&W M&P Shield.

Let’s run through a few specs on this CenterFire Laser Sight. First, it mounts to the frame, so you don’t have to remove or change any part of your M&P Shield. It’s also pretty easy to mount. I got to take a look at a CenterFire for the M&P Shield, and it looks like it’ll fit around the trigger guard easily. Put in a couple screws, tighten and you should be good to go! I know a lot of shooters take great pride in the care and attention they give to their firearms, whether it be through cleaning the gun or mounting and sighting in a rifle scope, but I have to say I prefer simplicity, and it doesn’t get much simpler than this CenterFire.

Turn on the CenterFire with your index finger, and off with your thumb!

Once it’s mounted, the laser is simple enough to turn on, and the ambidextrous buttons will no doubt be welcome to southpaws. Turning it off is slightly more challenging, as you have to push the button back to the middle on the other side, but that isn’t a huge deal as your thumb is almost in the exact position it needs to be to turn off the laser.

The LaserMax CenterFire for M&P Shields is a simple laser, so don’t expect a ton of bells and whistles. No strobing laser, and it’s a red laser sight, not green. Those are nice features, but they complicate the technology. The more moving parts, the more expensive the laser becomes and the more likely it’ll fail. As recently departed American hero Neil Armstrong told people, the one thing on the lunar shuttle he was most worried about was the button to release fuel. He wanted a lever. A simple, hand-pullable lever. Why? Because he could trust it would work.

LaserMax CenterFire for M&P Shield Open and Battery Removed

The CenterFire may not have a ton of bells and whistles, but it’s simple enough that there’s little chance it’ll break down on you. I opened it up, took out the battery, and put it back together in less than 15 seconds. When you pull it apart, one side is solid, with no wires or batteries. LaserMax kept all the technology to one side. That way, if something comes out, you know which side to put it in. If the battery dies while you’re in the field, all you need to keep track of are the screws. The rest holds together nicely.

I can’t speak from experience as to how tough the CenterFire for M&P Shields is. It’s tough to find an M&P Shield right now, but the construction is solid and it it feels sturdy in my hands. I don’t anticipate problems, especially as LaserMax knows cops and soldiers will be using this laser, and they aren’t shy about letting you know if something doesn’t work.

As the M&P Shield has really taken off as an off-duty sidearm for many law enforcement officials, having a laser attached is a great help. Concealed carry and everyday carry is about being prepared for anything. When you find yourself in a defensive situation you’ll really like having a laser sight on your sidearm. Not only does it improve accuracy (especially for those suddenly dangerous situations, when accuracy tends to decrease) it also acts as a deterrent to discourage would-be attackers.

The S&W M&P Shield is a really exciting new handgun, and I know people are salivating over the chance to get their hands on one. No doubt when they do they’ll want to make their M&P Shield their own, both with laser sights like the LaserMax CenterFire and with holsters. Whether you go with the 9mm or .40 M&P Shield, the LaserMax CenterFire gives you a compact, easy-to-use red laser sight so you can be on target in no time.

OpticsPlanet • 4 Comments on An exciting new LaserMax Laser Sight for the exciting new S&W M&P Shield!
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Novatac OPMOD Flashlights – Safe Personal Defense, Serious Weapon Lights

Aug 23 • News • 4843

A flashlight is a powerful tool. We use them for work. We use them for play. Flashlights help calm fears (as I wrote about in my recent camping post) and make our lives easier. But one of the best ways to use a flashlight, especially here in Illinois, is for self defense. We’re not allowed to carry concealed firearms in Illinois, and while the state is overall quite safe, there are some rough neighborhoods in Chicago that I wouldn’t mind having a bit of protection. A flashlight is the perfect way to go, and two of my favorite options just became available on OpticsPlanet: the Novatac OPMOD STRM120 Flashlight and Novatac OPMOD SO120 Flashlight.

How can a Flashlight be used for Self Defense?

Flashlights are a brilliant non-lethal self defense tool. First, you need to be able to identify an attacker. If you’re laying in bed at night and hear a glass break, you need to be able to see there’s an attacker and it wasn’t simply your dog bumping into a table. If it is an intruder, you need to see the level of threat you’re facing. A hockey mask-wearing, butcher’s knife-weilding maniac requires a very different level of force than a stupid neighbor kid playing a prank.

If you’re walking home one night and take a shortcut through an alley when someone approaches, you need to identify the level of threat. Someone armed with a handgun is going to be a lot harder to evade than someone with a knife. If someone with a knife is coming after you and you see them coming from a distance you can probably run away and avoid confrontation all-together.

So identification is first, and being able to identify at a distance is key. Both Novatac OPMOD Flashlights give you plenty of light to identify potential threats. Both lights have three power settings: 120 lumens, 50 lumens and 5 lumens. For self defense, you definitely want the 120 lumens. The low setting of 5 lumens is great for taking a quick look at a map or reading in bed without disturbing/alerting anyone else, but for a good view you want the full power. 50 lumens isn’t bad, and the extended battery life from medium power gives you enough light to find your way without draining the battery too quickly.

Novatac OPMOD STRM120 with mount

While self defense begins with knowing you’re in trouble, sometimes you actually have to take offensive action to defend yourself. Fortunately, a flashlight is good for this as well! If you’re at home and have your firearm, like a shotgun or AR15, mounting a flashlight on your weapon helps you take the right shot and hitting an attacker, not a friend or someone/something else you don’t expect to see in your home (like a dog or a drunk neighbor). Having the weaponlight attached also lets an intruder know you mean business. Much like a laser sight can tell someone you have them in your crosshairs, a flashlight lets them know you can see them and are potentially ready to stop them if the situation escalates. Both of our new Novatac OPMOD Flashlights have the option of coming as a kit with weapon mount. The mount also includes a remote switch that you can place where it’s easy to turn on and off without changing your grip.

But let’s say you’re here in Illinois, walking along the street one night and an attacker steps from the shadows to mug you. You don’t have a firearm because concealed carry isn’t permitted. Sure, you could carry a can of pepper spray, but even if you aim that cannister correctly you’ll likely suffer some effects from the spray floating in the air. Plus, if you need to hit your attacker with the cannister it might break open, flooding the entire area with pepper spray. You may not end up mugged, but I bet you’ll be in the hospital because your eyes are burning. Knives are another option, but if used incorrectly your attacker may end up with the knife and you’ll be hoist by your own petard. Not a good thing.

A flashlight is a better option. You can use the high setting of 120 lumens to blind an attacker, at which point you sidestep while keeping the light in the same place. If you attacker is armed he’ll think you’re in one place while you’re really a foot or two to the side, at which point you can launch a quick attack before making your escape. The Novatac OPMODs are great for this because they use super strong LED lights and have nearly unbreakable aluminum bodies and polycarbonate lenses. If need be you can use the light itself as a weapon. Your opponent will be momentarily blinded and you’ll have a clear shot to remove any threat.

Novatac OPMOD SO120 is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand

There are a lot of great reasons to use a Novatac OPMOD Flashlight as a self defense tool, but my favorite reason is that it’s non-lethal. Even the best of us makes mistakes. Non-lethal force means your mistakes don’t have lethal consequences. When you can pick up a great light like the SO120 or STRM120, which are really like 2 lights in one, as you can use them handheld or weapon-mounted, there’s no reason NOT to have one. If you’re wondering what the difference between the two lights is, it’s size. The STRM120 is 1.3 inches longer than the SO120. This is because it holds 2 CR123 Lithium batteries instead of just one. The STRM120 is a little heavier and bigger than the SO120, but the extended battery life is worth it. If you need a bit more compact option for a pocket or purse, the SO120 is just right.

These new OPMOD products are only available at OpticsPlanet, so stop by and we’ll help you defend yourself.

OpticsPlanet • 4 Comments on Novatac OPMOD Flashlights – Safe Personal Defense, Serious Weapon Lights
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Digiscoping with Kids – Stargazing with the Celestron Ultima 80 Spotting Scope!

Aug 17 • News • 6257

Tired of watching your kids play video games on camping trips? Did you take them to a beautiful spot in nature to get them to ACTUALLY ENJOY nature? I’ve been there. To be honest, I was once that kid with the video games. Every year of my life I’ve traveled to Northern Minnesota with my dad to a family cabin. We hike, fish, swim, waterski and relax in the great outdoors. My dad always referred to our little spot as “God’s Country.” He was right.

There are differences in opinion about the cabin and how to best enjoy it amongst my family members. One uncle likes to really rough it. That’s why we’ve never installed a hot water heater or shower. My aunt likes to give her kids more options for fun, which is why there’s a powerboat. My dad was somewhere in the middle, and I suppose I’ve adopted his perspective.

I love to rough it. Watching a spark turn to a flame turn to a blaze as you start a bonfire is a wonderful thing. The wind plays music through the leaves at night. Every animal plays its part, even the awful mosquitos. The world keeps spinning on as it always has, and always will, and with that comes advancements. These things, smart phones, computers, TVs with 500 channels, ereaders and more, are wonderful things. They help us discover more in the world around us, but they can also serve as distractions.

I remember when my brother and I were about 10 years old we convinced our dad to let us bring a video game system up to the cabin. My brother was more of a gamer than I at the time, so he was glued to that thing nonstop. I played some, but spent a bit more time with my dad. We were over at a neighbor’s cabin one night while my brother stayed at the cabin and played video games. He was sitting right in front of the large bay windows overlooking the lake. A bear walked right through the yard and he didn’t notice. A neighbor saw it. Not him. He missed out. Neither of us had ever seen a wild bear, and we had a deal with our dad that the first one to see a bear would get $5.

I saw my first wild bear this last trip. It was a large black bear and was watching the cars drive by on a highway. After I passed, it crossed the road and ran into the woods. My first bear. I told my dad about it when I came home. It was a bittersweet moment, as my dad passed away in April. I stood at his grave and told him all about my trip. I reflected on how much I enjoy the great outdoors and how much of this love came from my dad.

I thought back on my brother and I playing video games, and it occurred to me that at some point I stopped playing them on vacations, but my brother never did. He hasn’t traveled to Minnesota in years. He never developed a love for it. I think this is probably in part due to his reliance on electronics. I love my phone and computer as much as the next guy, but the most beautiful things to see and experience in this world don’t have low battery warnings. You can capture some of the beauty of a sunset with a camera, but that’s just a single snapshot of something that is, in it’s truest form, far more beautiful.

Simon on Boat

Check out the picture above. That’s my cousin’s dog Simon. We were out boating one night and this image just happened before me and I was lucky enough to get a photo. My cousins and I were reminiscing on a pontoon boat about our wilder days in high school, and Simon hopped up to take a closer look at a loon. He’s kinda crazy, so we had to be careful he didn’t jump off the boat after it, but he laid down on that armrest and enjoyed the gentle rocking of the boat and cooling temperature. That was a beautiful moment. And it was made better because I could capture it with my phone, but after I took the picture the phone went back in my pocket and I continued with the conversation.

My cousin’s kids, the little monsters, love to play in the water make up games and get dirty. I like that. But the Olympics were on during the trip and they wanted to watch the games. I’ve never cared very much about the Olympics, and I’ve certainly never cared enough to skip a bonfire or sunset for them. My brother would probably miss out. He never figured out how lovely something like a bonfire can be. I looked at my cousins kids and decided, on a clear night, that they should take a better look at the heavens with my spotting scope.

I’d brought along a Celestron Ultima 80 Spotting Scope to try out. The package includes a tripod and is exclusive to OpticsPlanet, so I wanted to run it through its paces much like I did with the Blackhawk Sling Backpack and Streamlight ProTac Flashlight.

I like reading about astronomy and looking at photos taken from high powered telescopes, but I’ve never been great at setting up my own gear and star gazing. I decided to give it a shot with the Ultima 80. It turns out this is a real breeze. The tripod and spotting scope connect quickly and easily even the first time you set it up, and it’s a very stable platform overall. The sky was absolutely gorgeous that night, and the moon was especially big. I swear I never see it so big here in Illinois. The light reflected off the water perfectly.

Moon reflecting off Ten Mile Lake

I walked out to the end of the dock. There was almost no breeze. The water hardly rippled at all. A long moment passed as I admired the sky. The moment was unfortunately broken by the sound of the Olympics from the cabin. I decided to bring out the Celestron Ultima 80 and let the kids take a look.

For an unobscured look I set up the spotting scope on the end of the dock. There was plenty of space to get around the scope, and as long as I was careful there wasn’t too much risk of the kids knocking it into the water. I called them each out in turn and made sure they didn’t all just try to grab it at once. I’ve learned over the years that if you have something cool you only need to show one kid, let him or her leave, and the rest will come. Ian was my first astronomer. He’s easily the loudest of the bunch, so I knew he’d spread the word in a flash.

Ian with Spotting Scope

We had a great night for taking a look at the moon. It was a full moon, which is not as good as a quarter moon (you get more and deeper shadows during a quarter moon), but it was so clear you could see some really great detail. As with anytime you look at the moon, we saw the coolest things on the outer edges. If you look right at the brightest spots you’ll pretty much just see light. Around the edges you can see craters that are no doubt thousands of years old.

Moon through Celestron Ultima 80 with iPhone

I didn’t bring a full digiscoping rig, but I did have my iPhone with me. It’s not really intended for this purpose, but digiscoping is the simple process of lining up a digital camera with a high powered optic like a telescope, spotting scope or binocular. I decided to give it a try, and as you can see above, it worked out very well! You can really see the craters on the right side of the photo. It was far clearer with the naked eye, and no doubt you could get a much better photo with a better camera and a spotting scope mount, but it still worked incredibly well for a quick pic!

Each kid was given a chance to take a closer look at the moon, and I heard more than one, “Whoa!” The best part was that afterward we all sat by a bonfire and watched the stars. For at least that night the Olympics were over.

It can prove quite challenging to get kids away from the TV and their video games for a while. Most of the time when you’re successful they have far more fun outside than they ever would inside. I suppose they won’t all learn to love the outdoors as I have, but maybe whatever love for the outdoors I inherited from my dad will pass on to them and maybe my own kids some day. If you take along the right camping gear or astronomy equipment, like the Celestron Ultima 80, I’m betting you’ll be able to get your kids away from their electronics long enough for them to figure out there’s something to this whole ‘nature’ thing.

OpticsPlanet • 4 Comments on Digiscoping with Kids – Stargazing with the Celestron Ultima 80 Spotting Scope!
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Camping with the Streamlight ProTac Flashlight!

Aug 14 • News • 4588

I’ve already written about my recent trip to Northern Minnesota and my great success with Wiley X Sunglasses and a BlackHawk Sling Backpack. Today I want to cover lighting. The number one thing I wanted to bring along for my trip was a flashlight, and I asked around for a new model that might be fun to try out. The Streamlight ProTac Flashlight is one of the latest flashlights to hit our stores, and it looked pretty good based on the description. Small, lightweight, powerful and uses easy to find CR123A Batteries, the ProTac was a good option for some light camping and hiking.

It was immediately apparent when I first picked up the ProTac that this was a strong flashlight. This feeling didn’t come from the weight, but rather the tough aluminum housing. I don’t see the ProTac as a terribly useful weapon, it’s size and weight may prevent it from inflicting much damage if it came to that, but I didn’t feel the least bit apprehensive about it falling apart or breaking easily. I don’t go on vacation to worry about my gear, so I always look for durabilty first. The ProTac had that covered.

Streamlight ProTac Flashlight and Pouch

My first chance to use the ProTac was actually on the first day. The drive from Chicago to Hackensack, MN takes about 11 hours, and I left right after work on a Friday. Fortunately, I didn’t hit much traffic, but it’s still 565 miles, so I didn’t get there until after 1am. This trip was actually my first time alone at the cabin. I’ve always visited with my dad in the past, but he passed away in April so I was on my own.

I couldn’t find the key before leaving Illinois, so I was hoping a cousin would be at the cabin to let me in. No luck. I pulled up to a dark cabin and no cars in the driveway. Those of you who’ve camped or hunted far from major cities already know this, but for those NOT in the know, it gets really dark when you’re far from a town. Hackensack has a population of about 300, and that’s 7 miles away. There were a few stars out, but the moon was too low to clear the tree cover.

It was dark. Very dark. I don’t care how manly you are, when you’re alone in the middle of the woods with no one around and it’s pitch black, it’s a little scary. I’ve been running around these woods since I was old enough to chase my older brother, and I know almost every tree and trail within walking distance. Still, I felt a bit spooked. While I’ve seen plenty of wildlife in these woods, it’s the wildlife I’ve heard that grips my heart with cold fingers. When I was young, under 10 years old, I heard a mountain lion kill a animal while I lay in bed. I don’t know for sure what was killed, but it was likely a deer based on the horrible cries it produced.

Staring into the blackness that cry came back to me. My way into the cabin is through a side window that’s usually kept unlatched in the summer for cases like mine. All that’s necessary to get in is to remove the screen, slide the windows open and hop up. I’ve done this a few times over the years, but never at night. Never alone.

What made this worse is that my car lights would not shine on the window, as it’s on the opposite side of the cabin. I’d have to walk all the way around in the dark. Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen.

I grabbed the Streamlight ProTac Flashlight. I’d read about the 600 lumens of light it outputs, and that impressed me, but you can’t really gauge that kind of light if you haven’t seen it in the dark. Not ‘pretty dark’ or ‘fairly dark.’ Dark. I pressed the tail cap and it was like turning on the sun. The treeline immediately lit up.

Considering how lightweight the ProTac is, this is insane. The light fit in the palm of my hand. The size proved especially helpful for getting through the window, as I needed both hands to take down the screen and was able to hold the light in my mouth. I didn’t love the feel of aluminum on my teeth, but the weight wasn’t a bother at all. I was in the cabin in a heartbeat. The rooms were even darker than outside, but I had the lights on and was unpacking my car in next to no time. This was a very impressive first showing for the ProTac.

I didn’t just use the flashlight once though. I’m always looking for a bit more light on these trips. Or, at least, I USED to always look for more light. When starting a bonfire or lighting off fireworks it’s helpful to have a flashlight handy. The ProTac proved more than capable in every setting. Finding the wick on a bottle rocket was super easy, and it was nice to have the momentary on tail cap switch that could be turned on and off in the blink of an eye.

We have a wood-burning sauna built into the boathouse, which is great, but it’s super old-fashioned. There’s no light in there, so when I wanted to take a night sauna (which is just about the single most relaxing experience EVER) it was really helpful to have a flashlight I could set down on the ground next to the stove that wouldn’t roll away. The design of the ProTac’s body makes it steady on a lot of surfaces. I could load the stove just the way I want for a roaring fire and deep-penetrating sauna.

I’ll have a full post on this later, but this Streamlight Flashlight also came in handy when setting up the Celestron Ultima 80 Spotting Scope I took along. A clear night gave me a perfect chance to let some of my cousins’ kids take a look through the scope, and I set it up on the end of the dock for a perfect view of the moon. There’s no light out there so I used the ProTac to help me see the various parts of the tripod and spotting scope mount as I set it up. The Celestron Ultima 80 is pretty easy to use, so it probably wouldn’t have been hard regardless, but I was scared I’d drop it in the water so having the light there to guide me was great.

The Moon Rises Over Ten Mile Lake

The last time I used the ProTac was my favorite. I was sitting by a bonfire one night with my cousin and three of her four kids. We were having a grand time and as it got later the kids slowly but surely drifted off to bed. All of them except for Zach. Zach is the youngest, and he was sitting next to me. I think he wanted to prove he could stay up late, but he started dozing off in his chair so his mom suggested he go to bed.

I’m quite a bit younger than my cousins and only have an older brother, so I know how it feels to be the little guy. When his mom told him to go up to the cabin, the look in his eyes as he looked down the path reminded me of how I used to feel when my dad would tell me to go to bed. The walk isn’t far, but between the warm light of the fire and the comforting protection of the cabin there’s a stretch of about 20 yards with essentially no light. When I was Zach’s age I’d walk very calmly for the first few feet of that dark stretch, but I couldn’t make it halfway without breaking into a full sprint. Not only would I run to the door, I’d also close it behind me and look at every window and sit in a central chair for a minute until I calmed down.

I said I needed to use the restroom and asked Zach if he’d mind walking up with me. I carried some marshmallow bags and garbage up and handed Zach the ProTac. After turning it on it was as if he’d never been afraid at all! Instead of running to the cabin he ran over to the treeline to look around. If I hadn’t called him to help me open the door I think he’d have run straight into the woods to catch a bear!

Once inside, he handed me the flashlight and ran into the kid’s room. Just as I was heading back outside toward the bonfire, I heard Zach telling his older brother and sisters that he got to play with the ProTac Flashlight and it was “really cool!”

Streamlight ProTac Flashlight Partway in Pouch

I had a very successful trip to Northern Minnesota, and the Streamlight ProTac Flashlight performed extremely well in many circumstances. I didn’t actually run into a situation where it received any real damage, and I didn’t test its waterproofing, but the power of the flashlight proved to be more than enough, especially when you consider how lightweight and compact it is. The pouch it comes with was nice, and attached to the BlackHawk Sling Backpack easily to keep it close at hand. For its size and power, I don’t think you can beat the Streamlight ProTac Flashlight. I give it two thumbs up!

OpticsPlanet • 4 Comments on Camping with the Streamlight ProTac Flashlight!
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BlackHawk Sling Backpack – Pick the Right Bag for the Right Situation!

Aug 9 • News • 8328

An important part of any camping/hiking trip is the bag you use to haul your gear. On my recent vacation at a family cabin in Minnesota I packed a full duffel bag of clothes and toiletries, but I knew I’d need a second bag for day hikes and bringing supplies to neighboring cabins for picnics and parties. I’ve had a decent bag since college that I love, but it’s getting old and never really held a whole lot. It was intended for a few schoolbooks and pens, and not hiking supplies, so I thought I’d bring something else along this year.

Obviously, I needed a tough bag. No one wants a bag that’ll fall apart on them. We have a few brands that provide durable options, but Blackhawk has always impressed me. I’ve checked out various pieces of Blackhawk gear in the past, and not a single item could be classified as less than impressive. I’ve been wanting to put one of their bags through its paces, and not just take a quick look in the office, so I perused our various Blackhawk Bags. There are currently 78 options, which is somewhat daunting at first, but as so many of their bags are pretty specific to particular purposes I could exclude some, like the A.L.E.R.T. Bag (too big for a quick hike, though I did consider it as a suitcase. It holds a ton.) and the Tactical Long Gun Drag Bag, as I wasn’t going to be carrying any firearms.

After seeing so many options, I realized I needed to think some more about what I was looking for. I like to go for shorter hikes, and I want to be super comfortable every step of the way. I wanted a lightweight bag with good straps. My old bag is a messenger bag, so while I really liked the Cover Carry Messenger Bag I wanted to try something different.

The waist strap on this BlackHawk bag really made a difference!

The bag that finally caught my eye was the Blackhawk Sling Backpack. I’d never actually seen it in person before, but when I pulled one out I knew I had a good bag for my needs. It has a single strap, which I prefer, though for longer hikes it can get be a hassle to switch the bag from shoulder to shoulder. This turned out to not be a problem for me though, as the strap on the Sling Backpack is wide and padded. In addition, the waist strap allows you to secure the bag to your body very snugly. This eliminates any jostling or shifting. It takes a bit of adjustment though, as the waist strap can be both lengthened and shortened, as well as moved up and down along the main strap. This is nice, and once you have it set you should be good to go.

I used the Sling Bag a few different times. When I was driving up to Minnesota it was on the seat next to me, and I used it primarily for hauling snacks. I had a couple books and headphones in there as well, but I was driving so I didn’t really need access to them and they were placed at the bottom of the main compartment. The bag was perfect for quickly grabbing a snack, as it opens really wide and has easy to find zipper pulls. I could be in and out of the bag in no time without having to take my eyes off the road.

Blackhawk Sling Backpack Open with Supplies

As well as it performed as a convenient travel bag, the main reason I took it was for hiking. The Sling Backpack is fairly compact, and while it rode a bit high on my back, it was super comfortable for longer treks. I packed a few basics for my hike: water, snacks (trail mix, Rice Krispies Treats, etc.), my Streamlight ProTac Flashlight (I hiked during the day, but if I got lost or hurt a flashlight is not only helpful for finding your way around, but also for signaling for help), some bug repellant bracelets, a few first aid items and my Wiley X Sunglasses. Much of the trails I regularly hike have heavy tree cover, so I rarely really need sunglasses, but from time to time I hit the main road and like to shade my eyes.

Blackhawk Sling Backpack from behind

I set out on the trail with a few cousins, who range in age from 5 to 35 years old, and we had a great time. The air was cool in the shade. A steady, constant breeze made it difficult for mosquitoes to bother us. I hardly felt the bag after a while, and the waist strap made it easy to run impromptu races up hills or past trees. My 11 year old cousin Katie is fast as the wind (she already runs 5ks in about 20 minutes), so I needed to sprint full out without worrying about my backpack to beat her. I don’t like to lose, and she knows I won’t go easy on her.

Blackhawk Sling Backpack Strap with MOLLE Webbing

The BlackHawk Sling Backpack had a ton of room, it was super easy to open and use, and the strap was incredibly comfortable. The only thing I regretted about it was that there was a ton of MOLLE Webbing that I hardly used. The only thing I had that could attach to it was the carrying case for the Streamlight ProTac Flashlight. I always like to use every part of a bag to its fullest extent, but I really didn’t get to do much with this. If I was hiking at night I’d actually have attached the flashlight to the MOLLE Webbing that was on the main strap that came across my chest. That would put it right at my fingertips when needed.

All in all, I was quite impressed with the BlackHawk Sling Backpack. I wish I could’ve used the MOLLE Webbing a bit more, but other than that it was more than strong enough for everything I carried. The important thing to remember with this bag is that its made for speed and mobility. You can really get around while wearing it. If you need to haul a sleeping bag, lots of clothes and supplies you’ll need more room, but for everyday carry, either for school or when you want to stay mobile, the Sling Backpack is a fantastic choice.

OpticsPlanet • 4 Comments on BlackHawk Sling Backpack – Pick the Right Bag for the Right Situation!
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