Thursday, May 22, 2008

Eagle Drag Bag

The Eagle Drag Bag is yet another product that has amazed me with it's quality. Eagle really knows how to put Cordura together into a functional AND good looking piece of gear.

There are two external pockets which are large, covering over three quarters of the length of the bag. There are also numerous attachment points on the front of the case for cam or for strapping on extra pockets. Two strong seatbelt-type material handles are excellent for portage, and very comfortable on the hands.


Both of the external pockets have two compression straps inside, which can be used to store items seperate from you rifle and scope. They both have zip closures, and are as weather-proof as Cordura can be. however, there is no padding from outside impact, so bear that in mind when deciding what to carry in there. The rear pocket also has a angled zip to access another storage area in its lid, which could easily be filled with a sheet of foam for padding.


The nose of the drag-bag is covered by a hood, that serves to keep out any debris that would otherwise be continually forced into the zip and nose section, which would rapidly cause wear and tear. Dragging hooks, there are two of them, are made from heavy duty seatbelt-type material. Very strong, yet soft to the touch.


On the inside, there is heaps of padding and space for rifles with large optics fitted and a pocket that runs the full length of the bag is designed to take a solid cleaning rod. Two compression straps hold the rifle firmly in place. The zip also has an external cover, which has plenty of press studs to keep the weather out.


A thick weather-guard runs the whole length of the zip, and a pouch with three press-studs will take two full factory boxes of .308 ammunition.


The back of the bag is heavily reinforced with strips running along the area where the bag will drag on the ground. This area also houses the back-pack setup, which stows away when not in use. This has been really well thought out, and even has a Velcro access point to assist with tucking it all in neatly. You can also reverse the strap setup, so you can carry the bag as a back-pack, muzzle up or muzzle down.


My Remington 700 Tactical with 20" barrel is fairly short (40" overall length), but you can see form this pic that there is plenty of room for longer barrels, and although I don't have my scope fitted in this pic, you can also see the room available for optics. Plenty!

Overall, this a great piece of gear, and I am very happy with my purchase.
My Eagle Drag Bag was purchased from Warrior Gear, and delivered to Australia in five days. Great customer service.

Hardigg Storm Case

I recently purchased two of the iM3200 (one black and one OD), and as soon as I opened the packages I was impressed.These cases are extremely well made and the design has no fault that I have yet discovered.


The case body is extremely durable. I am 87kg and I can stand on the centre of the lid of the empty case without concern for damaging it. It barely even flexes under my weight.


The hinges are very strong and the iM3200 has four of them, being made from a thick metal rod that slides into the mouldings of the case itself. The rods are approximately 8mm thick.


The foam inserts (four of them) are firm but easily cut to suit your individual equipment application. There is an egg-shell foam lid-liner, two 45mm thick panels, and one thin panel (10mm) that lines the bottom. 100% custom-design it, just as YOU like it!


The six latches are strong, yet easy to open, with the press-to-release button on each one. There is one latch at each end, and four on the front. They have never opened accidentally, and I have never skinned a knuckle on them. Great design!


The carry-handles are soft-coated, yet still tough, allowing for better grip than plastic. There are two handles, with one allowing for normal carriage, the other on the end of the case for use when wheeling the case on it built-in wheels. The wheels themselves are very tough and silent running. Both handles fold and 'Click' in to the body of the case, so as to be out of the way when not in use.


I have found that the iM3200 is perfect in size for my 20” Barrelled Rem700 Tactical, which is 40” overall. This leaves me a full 2” of padding at each end. Any longer barrel and you will need to consider the iM3300. There is room in the case for areas to be cut out for; rifle and scope, bolt (removed from action) bipod (removed from stock), rolled-up sling, full-length cleaning rod, and I still have room to spare with generous areas between items.


I highly recommend Storm cases to anyone that wishes to properly protect their equipment and I will certainly be buying more Storm cases as the need arises.

My Storm cases were purchased from Warrior Gear.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Storm Case -iM3200

Storm Case iM3200 review coming soon: If you need the ultimate protective package for your rifle, look no further.

The Basics:
Storm Cases are the most solid protective cases in the industry. More than just a protective shell, they’re integrated protection systems. Manufactured with our own HPX® high performance resin, easy Press & Pull latches and durable soft-grip handles, they’re the most comfortable, toughest transport cases available. Our multilayer foam option allows you to easily customize the foam to your exact needs. If you’ve got sensitive, expensive or vital equipment to move, you need the power of a Storm behind you. We’ll even guarantee it for life. That’s how sure we are that our Storm Cases will never fail.Storm Cases are more than just watertight, padlockable and made in the USA, they’re also Unconditionally Guaranteed for Life. Ideal For Use In: Electronics, Video Broadcast, Aerospace, Chemical/Petroleum, Marine, Scuba, Law Enforcement, Fire & Emergency Services, Military/Government, Sports & Recreation, Public Safety and Photography. Any place you need superior protection.