#hardusegear

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Loadout: Black + Blue

In this loadout I’m sharing about some of my favourite items that have weathered the tests of time, plus a couple that have just started on the same journey.

I love orange gear, however a lot of my carry purchases gravitate towards black and blue. As will all my gear, it only gets my approval once it’s survived the kind of beating only hard use or many years can give.

GORUCK Bullet 10LwithTracker Patch
Years old and has been in pretty much constant use. I love the patina that black Cordura gets and this pack has only sweetened with age. Very occasionally the zip catches these days, but only when I’m stuffing 15L into it! They only have a 15L available right now, but to be honest I’d opt for that now anyway!
Petzl Carabiner
Has pretty much been attached to the Bullet for the life of the pack. The spring went on the clip one day after quite a serious hit. I stopped using it for a while and then bam, it just came back and hasn’t failed since. Used for those last minute attachments.
Mora Kniv Garburg
This was actually gifted by one of the Mad Dog Adventures team who had already tested it to its limits. Unfortunately, it had been replaced by other equally reliable blades and so he moved it onto a new home.
Filip Raboch PouchwithMudhorn Clan Patch
This is a new addition to my carry. Filip worked really hard with me to create this custom piece exactly to my requests, and I’m a seriously picky guy! He responded with grace, put up with my indecision and then produced something that blew away my expectations. A purpose built pouch has both streamlined and improved my daily carry, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts on this pouch in a future video.
PeliCasewithClan Bead
I picked this up second hand from local military store so it has already seen some hard use as an ammo case. I currently use it for storing some of my knife collection away from little fingers, however I also use it for transporting gear I want to keep protected.
Olight i5T
I’ve EDC'ed an Olight i3T for a long time now and it has performed more reliably than any other torch I’ve owned. I consider this upgrade for a while, plus my beloved leather caddy would fit the larger model (and unfortunately not many other lights in the same category), however I felt they were a smidge over priced, plus the power output wasn’t much of a jump either. Then Olight had one of their fantastic sales which brought the price right down, plus they had a new model with a rechargeable battery so I took the plunge. I’ve not looked back, or even swapped back, despite the fatter profile it hasn’t ever felt too much in my pocket, plus the click on/off feels firmer too.
Atwood Mini TRD
This was a gift from my wife and hasn’t yet been put to its full use yet, however it’s built so solidly and I’m looking forward to testing it out more.
Leatherman Wave BO
I think the Black Oxide finish has added to the look of this well beaten tool with a superb Patina. Looks aside this has been a constant companion buried away in my pack. It rises confidently to complete any job that my SAK can’t achieve and is a great work tool for any days I’m out and about without a tool box, but want to keep doing. Solid, reliable, dependable.
Thyrm Cell Vault
I received a couple of these years ago to be featured on the store. I did that and gave away a bunch of them (regretted it a little) but this is one I’ve kept. It has performed without fault, been thrown into a pack, attached to the outside and inside a pouch pretty much since I got it. It looks almost exactly like it did the day I got it which I think tells you everything.
Nalgene Wide Mouth
I think I was fairly late to the game with trying these out. They seemed to be a staple for many, but I loved my Klean Kanteens (and still do!). However this provides me with a larger amount of water a more stable base and is tough as anything else in this list. The lid annoys me less than I thought it would, plus it’s quieter than removing a stainless steel lid from a Klean Kanteen! It’s quite a job choosing a colour (plus I went for their standard anyway!).