Oregon Mark from United States, OR Public Profile

I have several Vortex products in use at the moment. I’ve found them to be of good quality, well built, accurate, and a good value. I also have a number of Holosun reflex sights, the main selling point there being solar powered with battery backup in low/no lighting conditions. So when I came across the Vortex Defender ST SOLAR POWERED, I jumped at it.

I really, really wanted this sight to work for what I needed it for. Unfortunately it was just a hair too wide to fit. That said, I found it very well constructed, excellent quality, and intuitive to use. The circle dot reticle is clear and crisp. If I could have I would have held onto it for future use.

My only down mark is the included Glock MOS adapter was about 2 to 3 millimeters too long to fit in the cut on my G45 Gen5. It would probably fit the sight cut on the 10mm and .45ACP models though.

Regardless, still highly recommend!

I am still kicking myself for not buying this kit sooner. True it is a bit on the spendy side and it is not going to be as accurate as my digital FAT driver, but…

It makes in the field on the fly adjustments, repairs, and detaching and reattaching of rail mounted optics, accessories, and Mlok and Keymod attachments super easy, fast, and reasonably within spec. Add too that it’s relatively light weight, compact in size, and comes with standard seating driver bits in commonly used hex, torx, slot, Phillips sizes, and t bar driver.

Just like my Gerber multi tool, it has become an indispensable item in my range box and field pack. Knuckle down and get one. You will not regret it.

I was looking for a compact, visible laser only to fit on a shotgun foregrip to get a quick first shot. I’ve used visible lasers for work and personal use in the past, but in this case needed something small (ie can go in a shotgun scabbard still attached). Also it had to be disposable battery powered as it would be in safe storage for awhile, but needed to be able to work at a moment’s notice (still a bit leery of rechargeables being able to foot that bill).

I went into this with relatively low expectations, but was pleasantly surprised. It works great. Intuitive to use. It doesn’t have the same nicely finished feel you’ll find on more well known brands (ie more expensive), but it will get the job done! Plus it doesn’t hurt that the company is literally a mile down the road from me if there’s an issue.

If you’re waffling between getting a visible laser sight or not, it’s low enough priced to “try concept out” before plopping down big $ for a name brand. Besides, you’ll likely be happy with this to save the money and just keep using it.

I’ve been experimenting with a number of 870 accessories to get the right mix for an upgrade project. The FAB handguard went on without a problem. Dimensionally smaller than the Magpul handguard that preceded it, the desired mounted the barrel shroud doesn’t interfere with slide functioning. Its grip area shape aids in maintaining a positive grip especially for smaller hands or for a shooter who does not possess a lot of grip strength. The M-Lok compatible slots are a nice plus for mounting a hand strap and a short rail segment.

The only negative (which unfortunately deducts a star) is if you pull back on the slide with a bit too much “oomph” the rear of the handguard can get stuck on the shotgun frame. While easily remedied by pushing the slide forward with an equal amount of “oomph”, if you find this really bothersome you can Dremel out a small portion of the upper rear of the handguard to prevent this and still have the benefits of this item.

Let’s get this out of the way. It’s not the perfect bipod for long distance precision shooting. Because that’s not its purpose.

Need to steady up for a moderate distance shot? Unexpectedly have to hold on target for awhile before getting the shot off? Arms plain old just getting tired? Sure you can get things done without it, but it’s so much easier if you’ve got this bipod.

It’s relatively lightweight, multi-position adjustable, steady, and with the rail interface (only need a 3 slot rail segment), quick and easy to deploy even if it’s not already attached (slap it on, tighten it down, good to go).

This is my second one; the first missing, but likely destroyed in a vehicle fire. I’ll happily buy a third if necessary

Let’s get this out of the way. It’s not the perfect bipod for long distance precision shooting. Because that’s not its purpose.

Need to steady up for a moderate distance shot? Unexpectedly have to hold on target for awhile before getting the shot off? Arms plain old just getting tired? Sure you can get things done without it, but it’s so much easier if you’ve got this bipod.

It’s relatively lightweight, multi-position adjustable, steady, and with the rail interface (only need a 3 slot rail segment), quick and easy to deploy even if it’s not already attached (slap it on, tighten it down, good to go).

This is my second one; the first missing, but likely destroyed in a vehicle fire. I’ll happily buy a third if necessary

As typical Optics Planet has the next to impossible to find otherwise. As much as I like my original Camelbak reservoir, this Source one seems much tougher and unlikely to need extensive cleaning after each use. The wide open top of the bladder is definitely a plus when cleaning/drying.

Integrates pretty much seamlessly with my existing hydration packs. The pop out valve is definitely a plus as you don’t have to worrry about environmental goo getting into your bite valve!

I carried a 4 D cell full sized Maglite for several years as a backup to my backup work lights. I was about to sell it off until I stumbled across these LED replacement bulbs. A cheaper solution than buying another light that would only see an occasional use.

It won’t make your disposable battery operated Maglite have the light output of the full sized rechargeable, but it’s leaps and bounds ahead of the OEM incandescent bulb. It’s about equal with the Krypton bulb upgrade and you don’t have to worry about breakage (still carry the Krypton bulb in replaced as a spare, just in case). Another big plus I found is the LED low power usage extended the overall battery life.

Not much to say that the name Trangia evokes regarding high school quality. Alcohol stored long term in a spirits burner tends to eat through the O rings necessitating regular replacement. It’s always good to have at least a couple extra on hand, especially on long trips.

Other than ordering from Trangia’s website and paying for international shipping, I had the hardest time finding the O rings in stock in the U.S. among my usual outdoor gear retailers, or at a price that would’ve made replacing the burner more cost effective. Of course in hindsight I should’ve come to the OpticsPlanet site to start with. They had them at a reasonable price, and in turn I had them within a few days.

It’s a pretty decent QD endplate, a bit beefier (a plus) than others I’ve used. Nice finish and fits well. Takes a standard QD male end easily and holds well. I got the black matte finish. A big plus is Rainier is in the PNW and I’m always happy to support a semi-local business