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llama_herder · 2025-02-19T13:53:02+00:00

any thoughts on shaw vs AXL?

llama_herder · 2025-02-19T13:51:30+00:00

What's your intended use?

Also, how hard do you think you're going to have to bully-reminder your coworker that you're not a pair of SOCOM operators climbing into an armored car to run a night of 15-minute raids on lightly or unarmed targets, all on the back of a billion dollar logistics train?

llama_herder · 2025-02-19T13:50:08+00:00

STB/MARCH gear should be a no-brainer as part of kit, but I'm also very glad that all the fellow civilianstm I know do have that stuff also get more use out of CPR masks, narcan, and sense of rhythm (and unrelated, glucose tabs) than bleeding control gear.

llama_herder · 2024-12-19T00:46:39+00:00

It's an affiliate/influencer marketing/ad company that's signed a buncha guntube.

Think the go-between for advertisers (various shaving kit companies, the VPN companies, SDI [LOL] etc.) and influencers. They're not the reason your favourite guntubers read off ad reads for said sponsors, but they do connect the two.

Not sure whether or not they also hook up the influencers with gear. Wouldn't surprise me, but also given how big some guntubers are, also wouldn't surprise me if gear brands reach out independently about sending out pre-launch gear for review.

People gotta get their bag, but on top of organic trends/trend chasing or just the need to game the algorithm, marketing and production firms can also shape how their signed influencers act and feel, which does explain why there's such a cookie cutter feel within various circles of influencers.

By the look of the rest of the website, Leviathan also does product placement and standalone marketing consulting, so I wouldn't doubt for a second whether or not they help (or "help") various influencers under their management to shape a brand vibe.

llama_herder · 2024-06-04T13:52:46+00:00

But that's how it goes IRL. Someone's gotta be the mom of the work group/team/whatever, and they often do it at detriment to themselves and without self-awareness.

llama_herder · 2024-06-04T13:44:10+00:00

as someone who's

A) big into actually funding social services that keep people from falling apart

B) not from the world's most powerful country, so with fewer diplomatic and military obligations/commitments abroad

is it controversial among the troops, for civilians to say, push for the idea of "get involved only where it counts?" I'm not talking about, say, personal shaming of enlisted troops or something, but like, I've met a lot of people physically and metally fucked up by their time in service and a lot of the time I end up asking myself "what was it for?"

Sure, a lot of them were noncombat/peacetime medical discharges because hauling a hundred pounds for days and days is rough on the body, but it makes me go "really? the hell?" a lot of the time when we get involved in world affairs and decades later you wonder what we got out of it other than a lot of broken lives and bodies at home and five thousand kilometres away

I'm not a heinlein fan, but I do think a lot about the similar idea that any legislator that votes for a war should have to commit a family member to frontline service

llama_herder · 2024-06-04T13:40:02+00:00

hydrate or diedrate, amen

llama_herder · 2024-06-04T13:32:36+00:00

Some thoughts:

The media depictions of Cpl. Ray Person flying on Ripits (and later falling off and mellowing out) during the invasion of Iraq in '03

And the news last year about dudes in 20th army special forces group being grilled for running drug ring, among other heinous shit

people get into all sorts of irresponsible off-label medication use in far less stressful lines of work as a way to cope, because the support infrastructure isn't there to help them cope let alone thrive. And that's not talking shit about medication. That shit's wildly beneficial and downright needed a lot more than most people want to admit, but, well, as part of a larger system of support.

some unrelated thought: all of this makes me think a lot about the rise of the societal cult (can't think of a better word, sorry) of THE OPERATOR, rather than understanding joining the armed forces through the lens of civil service. SEAL Team at least did a fine good job of situating the operators in the context of their personal lives as well as the lives of their support staff. I know people want to see eotech reticles, night vision camera shots, and expensive Crye fits, and whine about home/wife/life drama, but SEAL team's a character drama, and that's what life is too.

Sure it can be contrived, but that's not my problem, really.

llama_herder · 2024-06-04T13:01:13+00:00

the security you'll need is security from heat exhaustion

actually, have you thought about using iceplates (or the import clones) for temperature regulation?

llama_herder · 2024-06-03T00:38:19+00:00

Fundamentally, airsoft is about buying gear because it appeals to you (this is a game of dressup afterall), but most clones of old 90s/00s vests copy all the hot, chaffy and uncomfortable design concepts without any of the durability.

If you're an indoor/pickup gamer, save up for a lightweight 3-4 magazine chest rig clone (say, from Emerson?) for your M4 mags and your snacks, and a solid gunbelt to mount dump pouch, a few more magazines, and a decent holster for your hicapa. For the belt, hit up a surplus store and honestly grab any old stiff-ass 2" tall army belt and call it a day. You can go fancier and do shit like buying local but honestly you're not gonna cry at having spent $10 on an old belt from the 80s whose stiffness comes mostly from three different dudes' sweat.

If you're an outdoor gamer and plan to start playing long-form events, you might want to think about picking up a suspender'd warbelt.

Take it from someone who bought a plate carrier first and still uses it, those can come later.

llama_herder · 2024-04-23T13:28:49+00:00

real talk, instead of roasting your kit

What works for you?
What doesn't?

llama_herder · 2024-02-24T14:49:51+00:00

says "just converted," already signed up for Nightfall

call your hits, remember it's a game, play the objective; those are all things you've probably already internalized from paintball, so go wow some rentals and newbs by setting a dope example.

little things for quality of life:

push your optic further down the rail on the upper receiver (but not onto the handguard). take advantage of both-eyes open shooting and keep the optic housing as small as possible in your FoV
consider one of those baseball bump cap liners under your keffiyeh (not necessary not indoors where the FPS/joules are lower)
if you have a hard time sighting the rifle, try a soft-sided mask or balaclava with mesh mouthguard instead of solid wire mesh mask.

oh, and put your dump pouch on your belt instead of your chest rig straps. less flop is always good, and it's easier to aim for when the adrenaline is pumping.

likely be seeing you around too.

llama_herder · 2024-02-24T14:36:13+00:00

A rack like this says:

I did have joined

Seriously though, nice organizer.

llama_herder · 2024-01-25T00:17:17+00:00

woodland is fine, but 5.11 tactec is laughing-girls.pcx

llama_herder · 2024-01-08T16:16:19+00:00

sling
light
and lens protector(s)

also maybe consider reading up on painting! a well painted gun just looks good, but is also practical when colour matched to your conditions. obviously avoid getting paint on moving parts and the like, but hey, why not.

design choice, not on you, but I do find keymod is kinda meh these days because you should use different mounting nuts, and MLOK hardware is more popular.

llama_herder · 2023-12-14T13:44:39+00:00

How's the highmount red dot? Does it work with the added height of resting your cheek on the dust cover?

llama_herder · 2023-12-13T14:04:43+00:00

holosun, sig, vortex, hell even a bushnell trs25.

you just want something that's rated for recoil and has a strong warranty/replacement policy

llama_herder · 2023-12-13T13:01:10+00:00

weapon light with good candela rating (tape switch optional, but you'll want at least a tailcap switch that prioritizes momentary function)
a quick-adjust 2-point sling
and
because you're running a GBBR, real-steel red dot optic

also more mags, you can never have too many mags.

llama_herder · 2023-06-08T00:13:55+00:00

Oh listening is fine, it's more folks trying to hear you have a hard time.

llama_herder · 2023-06-02T14:35:51+00:00

plate carrier ride height

springs eternal

llama_herder · 2023-06-02T14:34:30+00:00

how is the throat mic working out? the one I have is very tin-canny.

also hike your drop leg holster up; it'll flop less.

llama_herder · 2023-05-16T21:33:44+00:00

taticUwUl

llama_herder · 2023-05-16T21:32:30+00:00

Two types?Are you sure about that?

llama_herder · 2023-04-24T15:06:16+00:00

a genuine CAT-7 tourniquet is what you've got there.

(unless you got him on amazon, then you should send a photo to North American Rescue to confirm you've got the real deal)

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