LBX ARMATUS II REVIEW!

Hey friends!

Welcome back to the blog!
Today I have another gear review for you - on the LBX Tactical Armatus II plate carrier! I originally came across this plate carrier completely by accident - on my second visit to the US! I needed a MultiCam Black plate carrier for the very first Desert Fox Events: Battle for Lost Angeles so my friend Josh came to the rescue and lent me his MCB Armatus II for the event, and in November last year I got my very own Armatus II. After putting it through its paces during multiple game days, I’m ready to give you guys and girls my thoughts!

The LBX Tactical Armatus II is a low profile plate carrier made of 500D Cordura. As standard, the carrier has a fast clip front panel and comes with a Triple M4 Panel from LBX and also a removable back modular panel that is compatible with MAP components (I’ve accessorised my MAS Grey Armatus II with the Banger Back Panel). Other features of the carrier include removable padded shoulder straps, removable adjustable modular mesh rib cage cummerbund, it has a reinforced drag handle and a front zipper admin pocket (that is a great fit for my iPhone XS).

The construction is sound - with clean, straight stitching and the materials feel sturdy, even the mesh in the cummerbund. As for size/fit, I chose the medium size and once adjusted (as the carrier is fully adjustable) it fits my body well and still has a little room to allow me to wear thicker layers underneath. The padded shoulders allow you to have the carrier loaded and wear it for extended periods of time without your shoulders becoming sore - it would be cool for these to have a fabric cover though. The M4 mag pouch included is really handy for those of us who run M4 platforms, but needless to say, if you want to run the Armatus II with any other platform, another front panel would be needed.

My only complaint towards the Armatus II, as is with the 0300S, is that it doesn’t come with foam plates as standard like some other carriers on the market do. This means that the carrier as standard doesn’t stand up or hold its shape too well. In both of my Armatus II carriers, I have added the PTS Syndicate foam plates to give it more stability and keep the shape when not in use.

Priced at $249.99 from the LBX website and comes in MultiCam, MC Arid, MC Black, Coyote, Ranger Green, Wolf Grey, Black and MAS Grey. The carrier also comes in 2 sizes - medium and large (to fit the corresponding plates). I have the Armatus II in both MAS Grey and MCB, and I switch these carriers in and out of a number of different loadouts - from MCB, RG and even M81 (US Woodland), the colours work for me. At the current exchange rate, $250 is around about £191 (this doesn’t include customs and shipping, so be sure to budget extra to accommodate those!).

Overall, it is a comfy carrier, has sound construction and does the job intended. The range of colour/camo options is varied enough for there to be an option for most loadouts.

Photography thanks to Stuart Manks
Patron: AirsoftPanda

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FLYYE SWIFT PLATE CARRIER FROM MILITARY 1ST REVIEW!

Hey everyone!

So I’m back with another review! I’ve teamed up with Military 1^st to bring you guys a short series of affordable plate carrier set ups for both tan and green team uniforms and first on my list we are going to look/review the base carrier for my first build, the well-known Flyye Swift Plate Carrier in MultiCam.

The Flyye Swift Plate Carrier is an adjustable, lightweight and low profile plate carrier that has a similar look and functionality to the JPC plate carriers that have become really popular amongst airsofters. The plate carrier has a number of built in features including an integrated top admin pouch with a velcro closing and three elastic loops inside the pocket, the admin pouch is suitable for pistol mags, pens, chemlights and tonnes of other useful bits and bobs that you would need to carry on the field. It also has three integrated magazine pouches with loop velcro surface inside, elastic internal dividers and removable shock cords with pull tabs for retention which are suitable for both M4 and M16 magazines. At the top of the plate carrier just above the integrated mag pouches it has a loop Velcro panel for patches (so patchwhores, Flyye have you covered!).

As for its construction, it is made of genuine Crye Precision MultiCam Invista 1000D Cordura Nylon material making it extremely durable and water resistant for wet game days. Its laser-cut Hypalon shoulder straps are extremely durable and make for a closer and more comfortable fit. The stitching and general construction of the carrier is top quality. The carrier comes with two soft armour plates at the front and back included, and the plate compartments have velcro-secured flaps and pull tabs at the bottom making them easy to insert and remove. The plates are a little stiff at first due to their newness, but this is to be expected - after a few game days the plates become a little bit more malleable which means they sit better on the contours of your body.  It has rectangles of durable mesh at the inside top of the plate for ventilation and added comfort – this helps prevent the carrier getting too sweaty on game days. It has sturdy webbing throughout its construction for modular attachments. As it is a JPC style plate carrier it is super lightweight, weighing just over 1.2kg including the soft armour plates that are included, because of this I feel like it would be a really good piece of kit for a MilSim or a weekend event where you end up wearing your plate carrier for an extended period of time.

One of my favourite features of the Flyye Swift plate carrier is the cummerbund made of PALS webbing – the webbing is designed to help improve ventilation and provide extra carrying space for additional magazine pouches and radio pouches etc. I have found in the past that plate carriers with the PALS style of cummerbund have fit my body better than standard cummerbunds. It is easy to put on and adjust – simply pull the front of the vest up to reveal the Velcro fastening, which can be adjusted either at the front or via the cord on the back of the plate carrier. Due to the small size and adjustability of the carrier, I think it would be a great gear option for women and younger players. The only issue I had with its adjustability is that the shoulder straps fit really snug in their cover so it was a little bit of a mission to adjust them, especially with long nails!

I really like the simple aesthetics of the carrier, it’s sleek, low-profile and the integrated mag pouches give it a tidy look but because of the molle on the integrated mag pouches you can add extra pouches to add usability and of course beef it up. For a lightweight loadout I paired this with my cobra shooters belt – super effective and lightweight.  

What’s the retail price? The Flyye Swift plate carrier is available from Military 1st for £137.95 for the MultiCam option and it is available in a wide variety of camouflage patterns - MultiCam, black, coyote, A-TACS FG, ranger green, AOR1 and AOR2. It is worth noting that the price is dependent on the camo, some of the camo options are a little less expensive. It is available in sizes small, and all the way up to an extra-large with room for adjustment on all sizes of the carrier so the size range is really inclusive. In regards to price I would say that the Swift Plate Carrier is in the mid-price range, it definitely isn’t the cheapest plate carrier that you can get your hands on but as it’s made of genuine Crye Precision MultiCam you do have the peace of mind that the material it’s made of is durable and the construction is good quality meaning it will last you a good while! In fact knowing airsofters, you’d probably want a new loadout before you wear one of these out.

I’ll be using this carrier as the base of an affordable to mid-priced plate carrier set up which will be featured in a YouTube video on the Femme Fatale Airsoft YouTube channel so be sure to keep your eyes out for those which will be uploaded towards the end of the month!

Photography thanks to Pewpewpatriot

Post sponsored by Military 1st

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YOUTUBE: A CATCH UP!

Hey everyone!

Wondering what I've been up to on the YouTube channel lately? Here's my latest videos for you to check out! I've been working on 3-4 gameplay videos over the last few weeks so expect them to drop soon!

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ENOLA GAYE FUG GLOVES!

Hey everyone!

So a couple of weeks ago I stopped off at Enola Gaye HQ in Reading to catch up with the team and to pick up some supplies for my upcoming Airsoft games! Whilst I was sat drinking a cup of tea and catching up with the team a delivery of some new swag landed at the door! Amongst the new products were the new FUG gloves.

They come in a range of colours to suit any loadout and they have cute little pistol/sight graphics on the first two fingers as a cheeky design feature.

The new FUG gloves come in 6 colours - black, grey, camo, tan, digicam and olive drab, and in sizes XS-XL.They are going to retail for around £20 and will be available from retailers now!

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The prototype XS size has been sized to my hand - they are still a little roomy around the back of the hand so, EG now have specific women's sizes on their drawing board at this very moment so it won't be long until we have our very own line of sizes. It's a pleasure to work with companies that are helping us push the industry forward for women.

Photography thanks to James Murray of Enola Gaye

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IWA 2017 SHOW REPORT: VORTEX OPTICS!

Hey everyone!

Next in our IWA 2017 Show Reports is Vortex! Vortex Optics are a family owned/run business that develop optics for hunting, bird/wildlife watching, outdoor recreational sports and law enforcement. So far their range of optics includes binoculars, rifle scopes, spotting scopes and other optics. With the Airsoft Community slowly moving away from replica sights to explore real steel optics, Vortex offer real steel products at an affordable price with an awesome guarantee. Here's what caught my eye from Vortex at IWA 2017: 

SPARC AR

The SPARC AR is a sight that I will be reviewing later in the year. It is a durable, lightweight, compact sight which makes the perfect sight for any AR platform. It has digital rear-facing controls that control power and dot brightness and it features a 2 MOA dot diameter which promotes a precise point of aim.

Unlimited eye relief means that you always get the full picture and parallax free helps shooters hit their targets early. It is also waterproof, fogproof, shockproof and automatically shuts off after 12 hours to prevent the battery from running down. What I really love about this sight is the rubber armour that protects the sight and the tethered lens cap. The sight is super bright and I am really excited to get it to a game! It looks similar to the T1 sights that Airsofters know and love.

Venom

Another sight that caught my eye was the Venom. The Venom is the perfect low profile sight choice for an AR, Pistol or Shotgun.  It comes in both 3 MOA and 6 MOA size red dot varieties for rapid target acquisition. It features a durable machined aluminium housing that helps protect the unit from whatever the shooter throws at it and the top load system makes throwing a new battery in super easy and you don't have to remove the sight to change the battery - awesome. The power and dot intensity controls are located on the left hand side of the unit for ease of access. The Venom also features a premium Wide-Field Lens. Unlimited eye relief and is parallax free.

It is waterproof, shockproof, coated with a anti-reflective lens coatings and ArmorTek that helps protect the exterior lenses from scratches, oil and dirt.

RAZOR

The Razor is the high end reflex sight that is built specifically built for top-tier performance - from an AR to a pistol, this is a great option for competition shooters. It is clear, accurate, compact and durable.

It features either a 3 MOA or 6 MOA Red Dot, is waterproof, shockproof and is coated in XR (delivers the highest level of light transmission for maximum brightness) fully multi-coated lens and ArmorTek coatings.

VIPER

The Viper Red Dot from Vortex has a super-low mounting height which makes it the perfect solution for handguns with cut out slides. It offers shooters the accuracy, simplicity and speed advantage of a red dot sight whilst keeping the stock iron sights perfectly in view. All the controls are conveniently placed on the left hand side for ease of access.

It is waterproof, shockproof, has a fully multi-coated wide-field lens 

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IWA 2017 SHOW REPORT: VIPER TACTICAL!

Hey everyone! 

Next in our IWA 2017 Show Reports is: Viper Tactical! Viper Tactical are a Tactical clothing and kit manufacturer who have over 10 years experience in military and outdoor kit markets who are a well known brand amongst Airsofters. We caught up with them at IWA 2017 to see what is new for the coming year!

At IWA 2017 we saw tonnes of new products from Viper including their new Flexi-Fit Hat, Hoodies and Fleeces, the new 'Expandables' Backpack range and the redesigned gloves in all new colours!  Check out our video interview with Gav from Viper to get the low down on the redesigned gloves and 'Expandables' Backpack range:

Next up is the new Special Ops Fleece Jacket and the Tactical Zipped Hoodie

First up is the Special Ops Fleece Jacket which can be seen in Tan on the torso form and Titanium on the full mannequin. So this new fleece jacket is made from 250 gms polyester fleece -  the material is very smooth and doesn't feel like regular 'bobbly' fleece which is usually what puts me off in regards to fleece. It has 2 x zipped sleeve pockets with velcro panels, a zipped chest pocket, 2 x zipped lower front pockets, elasticated cuffs and an elasticated waist draw string. It is available in sizes S-XXXL and comes in V-Cam, Titanium, Coyote, Black and Green. Retail price will be around £29.95 but will vary between retailers. It feels great and looks like a warm and cosy layer for those cold game days!

Next up is the Tactical Zipped Hoodie. Now, before I get any comments of people crying saying 'but you said a hoodie isn't tactical!' in reference to one of my Facebook posts earlier in the year - what I actually said is that a hoodie that has no features to distinguish itself from a standard hoodie means it's JUST a hoodie - and there's nothing wrong with that, just call it 'Tactical Inspired Clothing' or simply stick some velcro on it or make it in camo!

And that's exactly what the team at Viper have done, the hoodie is made of 100% Polyester, has a full length zip, 2 x front pockets and velcro on the sleeves. It will be available in sizes S-XXXL and in a variety of colourways from V-Cam, Coyote, Green, Titanium and black. It feels pretty comfy and is a great shout for players who love playing in a hoodie but want them in camo colours with velcro so they can show off their favourite patches! Retail will be around £31.95.

Viper has also brought out a Fleece Hoodie! Again this is made from 250 gms Polyester Fleece so is really cosy and comfy. It has a front pocket, a drawstring hood, velcro panels and is available in V-Cam, Coyote, Green, Titanium and Black. Sizes S - XXXL and it will be priced around £23.95. It's great to see Viper catering for players who prefer playing in more casual kit but have

In the above image we can also see their new Flexi-Fit Baseball Cap made from Rip-Stop Polycotton with a polyester mesh back that has a velcro patch space on the front and top. It's available in V-Cam, Black, Titanium, Green and Coyote. The difference between this and their Elite Basball cap is that there is no adjustable velcro strap on the back of the cap as the cap is elasticated to fit multiple sizes.

Last but not least onto the gloves. This style is the 'Recon' glove, a hard wearing glove that features reinforced rubber on the back of the hand and knuckles. It is available in 5 colours including V-Cam, Titanium, Coyote, Green and Black,

The next style is the 'Venom' Glove which is a development of the Elite Glove, instead of having one solid knuckle piece, the Venom features a split knuckle. It also has the reinforced rubber along the fingers to protect against finger shots! These are available in 4 colours.

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