Gotta-have gear - Marine Corps Off Duty | health, fitness, gear, gadgets, sports, travel - Marine Corps Times

Gotta-have gear

The best thing about the gargantuan military expositions held every year near the nation’s capital is not always the “million-dollar systems” for use on the battlefield. It’s eyeballing the latest dual-use, practical and tactical gear that soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines can put on their personal holiday gift lists.

Here are eight of the coolest new products we discovered after spending hours prowling the exhibition halls of the Association of the U.S. Army annual meeting in Washington, D.C., and the Modern Day Marine show at Quantico, Va.

Leatherman Serac flashlights

Leatherman, the venerable multitool titan, has waded into flashlight country with a trio of pocket lights priced right for gifting. The Serac S1 (6 lumens), S2 (35 lumens) and S3 (100 lumens) are all white light, and feature hard-anodized aluminum bodies and voltage-regulated circuitry for consistent output. Each has a precision-machined aluminum reflector, is activated by a tail switch and tucks nicely into any cargo pocket.

Average retail prices: $25, $50 and $70, respectively.

http://www.leatherman.com

Surefire T1A Titan flashlight

Hot out of the anodizing bath is Surefire’s little T1A Titan. This is the aluminum update to the original titanium version, which was released as a numbered batch of 1,000 last year. The T1A, like the original, has a smooth ring control that allows continuous brightness control from 0-70 lumens. It runs on a single CR123A battery for as long as 60 hours. This rugged, lightweight, O-ring sealed beauty is virtually indestructible and weatherproof. It’s also pricey, but a cool addition to any key chain.

Average retail price: $240.

http://www.surefire.com

Revision Hellfly sunglasses

These ballistic sunglasses wrap close to your face, giving nearly goggle-like protection, a huge field-of-view and a secure fit — all of it secured in a portable case that looks as good as anything you can buy in the mall. Weighing in at just 1 ounce with an adjustable nosepiece and soft temples, you might forget you’re wearing them. They come in eight frame/lens color combos, with optional prescription capability. Tough, durable and lightweight. Spot on.

Average retail price: $90.

http://www.revisioneyewear.com

Camelbak Urban Assault pack

Camelbak’s Urban Assault is clearly aimed at the office warriors instead of those on the battlefield. And that’s a good thing. The 2,000-cubic-inch bag has lots of places to stash your business or personal gear, including a dedicated, padded laptop pocket in the back, a main cargo pocket with a half-height sleeve for folders and a fleece-lined shade pocket. Up front is a large admin pocket and an expandable kangaroo for last-minute additions. There are also two padded side pockets for water bottles. The UA has some well-thought-out touches, like the fact that the laptop sleeve doesn’t extend to the bottom of the bag, keeping your laptop off the ground. A media player pocket up top, stashable straps for the kangaroo pocket and some Velcro for name tape are added bonuses.

Average retail price: $150

http://www.camelbak.com

Brunton Battery

Brunton’s Solo “Personal Power Plants” provide power — whenever, wherever. These USB portable batteries can keep your gadgets running for hours on a single charge. Just plug in the Solo for a few hours to fill it up, then plug in your iPod, portable DVD player, cell phone or other small electronics using the USB port and you’re good to go.

The 12-ounce Solo 3.4 is a little smaller than a pack of smokes and comes with an array of adapters that should get the most popular gadgets in on the power marathon. It has two bigger brothers, the Solo 7.5 and 15, that add size, weight and power.

Average retail price: $50, $119 and $200, respectively.

http://www.brunton.com

Eagle Crossover Pack

Eagle’s all-new MOLLE Style Crossover Pack is the perfect combination of versatility and durability. It has a padded zipper laptop compartment, laptop accessory pockets, hydration slip pocket, convenient key clip, elastic organizing loops and inside zipper pockets for smaller miscellaneous items. Made from 500D Cordura, the pack holds 1,570 cubes and weighs in at 2½ pounds.

Average retail price: $110

http://www.eagleindustries.com

Benchmade auto knives

Benchmade has updated two of of its popular autos. First, they’ve ramped up production on the popular and notoriously hard-to-find Out The Front (OTF) 3300 Infidel with D2 Tool Steel blade. Benchmade calls it a special operator’s fantasy come true. We just call it one deadly dual-edge dagger. It’s also newly available in a black blade version, 3300BK, for an extra $12.

Average retail price: $315

Next up is the 9050. It’s been updated to the 9051SBK and gets a larger activation button, stronger opening spring, a cleaning slot in the handle, a glass breaker in the tail, two additional carry options adding tip up/down for lefties, a slightly wider blade and an extra ½-ounce of heft.

Average retail price: $245.

http://www.benchmade.com

Danner Combat Hiker

Danner has a new boot that supposedly survived six months of testing by U.S. military units patrolling the high-altitude landscapes of Afghanistan. Danner says it had direct feedback from soldiers and Marines who reported that their issued boots were getting trashed by the sharp rock edges, while the higher-cut boots were limiting their ankle articulation on the rocky terrain.

In comes the Danner Combat Hiker, a 6-inch, full-grain leather hiker with a rubber rand surrounding the entire lower boot offering scuff protection. Danner is making the Combat Hiker in the U.S. so your S4 can make your whole unit’s feet happy. Or you can enjoy it yourself on those weekend hikes in the mountains. The boot has a Gore-Tex lining and brass hardware.

Average retail price: $175.

http://www.danner.com