Bristol Blast July 2023 - After Action Kit Review

Equipment gets tried and tested in the cauldron of playing. With being back on the field now much more regularly, documenting my kit journey and the lessons learned after each event should be something I get better at.

To that end, I've reviewed a bunch of changes to my kit and made a note of anything else I need to change going forward. The 130FPS rig is pretty mature at this stage and I'm very happy with it over all. There are minor niggles and changes that ought to be done but it's tweaking, nothing fundamental needs to be changed.

Tempus Blaster:

This thing continues to be a frustration. I got it on field this morning at the start of the event and rapidly realised that darts were fishtailing out the front and generally being difficult to keep on track. I swapped back to the Gryphon for the rest of the day but it's an aging platform that's wobbly and in need of it's own refreshment and upgrade. I pretty much concluded that I suck at building blasters and should stick to tactical gear. I'll see what I  want to do with this. I might send it to someone to fix it or I'll take a period of time to properly work on it. Frankly, the former is more likely.

40MAX Shells

 This was my first time trialling these in anger. For those not in the loop, they're compressed gas canisters that use Green Gas to propel darts from a blaster when it's actuated. I fire these from my Mayday Mk2. The test two shells I have here are for firing two MEGA darts (great for shield busting) or 10 half darts in a scatter shot which is great as a secondary in HvZ. The printed parts are from files created by Old Fusion Designs and screwed into the canisters. They go off with an almight crack or pop and spread foam down stream. You need to charge them between each shot so they're not the most efficient things but they're great as secondary options. Dual MEGA for shield busting and I'm investigating MEGA XL or Demolisher rocket for even more shield busting. I need to consider the mix of shells I want going forward since I've got 5 canisters to hand (and one lost to Royal Mail). I also need to modify the Skirmish Belt pouch for these since they're far too small and I can only carry them securely on my main vest.

OTG Eye Protection

I've relied on my spectacles for eye protection at 130FPS but the recent prospect of a high energy CQB game caused me to look at further options. I've looked around and OTG specs that sit over my main frames seem like the best option. With wrap around cover and no need to look into bespoke lenses, they're less likely to fog up, too. I wanted shooter yellow because it's easier on the eyes and reduces glare much better when you're out in the sunshine. These are a pair of DEX FIT OTG Safety glasses that I got from eBay. They're rated to the usual EN!66 which should allow them to dissipate any incoming eye shots and protect the expensive frames underneath. Thanks to Sam for the nod in this particular direciton. They didn't steam up today despite the rain and I'm pretty happy with the clear visual field they offer.

Hat!

Sun and sweat and whatnot mean that a hat is a good idea in any weather. I use a DPM boonie when I'm in my high FPS field kit but a field cap is a much better option for something like a low FPS game. I added some extra velcro to the front for a patch. My modern BritNerf patch seemed like a pretty good choice for front and centre. This is a cheapy Beechfield field cap off eBay but it's cotton so light weight and keeps sweat out, hair in and sun off my head.

Mayday Mk2 Holster

 The Mayday Mk2 holster needs a slight adjustment in the form of a muzzle strap. I was finding it with was working it's way down deeper into the holster which opens the latch making it tricky to draw. A muzzle strap will support it in place and prevent that up/down movement. I might also consider half dropping it so that it's easier to grab when wearing the full over vest.

And finally a train related photo. Two GWR Class 802s wait beneath the Brunel designed ironwork at Paddington.