Let’s be clear about one thing, this is a fresh box, zero range time review. I have not put these pouches through any kind of drilling, extended use or target practice of any kind. This is one of those touchy-feely reviews that really irks the likes of people who think they can do it better, but rarely put pen to paper to prove it. I’ll be telling you what I think based on what I know so far.

If you’re at all familiar with TangoNovember as a project, you’ll know that we’re about a simple thing here – discussion from the standpoint of realism, through the lens of me – a dad, IT guy and casual shooter.

(maybe I’ll have to write something up on the topic of the somewhat-snooty WWII reenacting community to elaborate on that last statement.)

So, I purchased these pouches alongside some gear to build out a warbelt system for my new AR after a decent bonus at work. I purchased these pouches based on two things; I’ve always wanted these pouches and alongside that, I’ve always wanted to break away from my typical Condor-inspired gear purchases and try something made on this side of the pond – that so-called ‘legitimate’ gear.

Out of the box, minus one HSGI blowout pouch that was mispackaged and had to be sent back, the pouches are sturdy and sewn well. I honestly don’t know if there’s a mental trick at play here, knowing fairly well I was expecting this gear purchase to last, but the pouches are as well-constructed as I expected. The polymer sides are even and installed correctly. All the colours match exactly and the elastic band that holds everything together is taught and hot-knifed to finish it off. I’m very pleased with the way they look side by side.

The HSGI Clips are sturdy and slide in easily. They have a little locking mechanism that keeps them tight to my belt. Awesome.

Each pouch came with a black polymer HSGI clip. They are rock-solid and keep everything cemented into place. I’m not surprised, given the fanfare behind these products, to find that they’ve been engineered with very little ‘play’ in mind. It would almost be a waste to run airsoft specific kit through these rigs, they beg for a range day and I’m happy to oblige.

I decided to go with the ‘double decker’ pouches – the ones with piggybacking pistol mag pouches on the outside of the regular M4 pouches – to keep costs down and minimize the extra clutter on what is already turning out to be a pretty well-endowed belt. I’ve barely drilled in my man cave with empty mags to be able to tell, but the pouches seem easy to navigate. I was initially worried that I would fumble around, trying to figure out which mag was where but feel confident saying that with some time behind the trigger, the size difference alone gives enough of a different feeling to get your hand where it needs to be. Don’t forget, November readers, number those mags to tell the difference in case you need to troubleshoot a malfunctioning mag down the road.

All in all, they’re worth the cash as far as I can see. They will well outlive the work I put them through and I’m excited to put some time in at the range to learn to maneuver around the double-stacked approach. They’re a brilliantly constructed, professional piece of kit – I hope I can do them justice behind the bolt!

Hey! Want a baller-ass #tangonovember sticker like the one below for your rear-windshield

so you can be operator as fuck? Drop me an email – they’re 8 bucks each, EMT, shipped!

Bullets, WSAD and Kettlebells. Get shootin, get frags and get fit!