Millbrook Tactical Inc.

Update 9/20/16
Millbrook has moved to a new location. Click here for updated info, photos and article.

Just outside of Ottawa in Stittsville lies a real gem. Frank Paquette founded Millbrook Tactical Inc. in 2008 after a 15 year career with CANSOF. The organization supports Military and Law Enforcement by providing specialized training and SOF based equipment. Luckily for guys like me, they also have a storefront that’s open to the public. A few weeks ago I set up an appointment and over the Christmas holiday I had a chance to stop by for a chat.

Camelbak HAWG Review

The first “tactical” backpack I ever got was the Camelbak HAWG. I was in the market for a daypack since I had worn through the cordura on my Eddie Bauer schoolbag after about 13 years of daily use. A few of my friends already  had the HAWG and sang it's praise. So when I heard through the grapevine there was a possibility that Camelback was going to discontinue the HAWG in DCU, there was no choice. Find it and buy it as soon as possible.

ORC PCU Level 6 Pants - Review

I suppose it was only a matter of time before I did a review on a product that I didn’t like, but I think I’m getting ahead of myself. When I was first introduced to PCU, the only piece I knew about was the ORC level 5 softshell. Besides some RAID modded BDU’s they were the first jackets that I had ever seen with velcro pockets on the biceps. After I wrapped my head around the idea of what a softshell was for, I picked one up and fell in love. I needed more. I called ORC and was surprised when the answered their phone, "O.R.C. Industries, how can I help you?”. Wait a second… I had been calling them Orc all this time, like the green dudes that were chasing around the hobbits. I brushed it off like I knew their name was pronounced like an acronym the entire time and let them know I wanted a pair of their level 6 pants.


Top 4 things I do to make sure I have a good night's sleep while camping

I’ve heard all the excuses for people not wanting to go camping. I can sympathize because when I was starting out I had many of the same complaints! I’ve seen those lists that float around Facebook from time to time that are titled 70 Ingenious Camping Hacks! They are fun, but sometimes they seem more like things that I’d be more likely to do during a backyard BBQ than a camping trip. So to combat the excuses and to give a few tips of my own, here is the first instalment of Practical Camping Tips!

Failed rescue attempt at Moon River Falls

By the time we heard him calling for help it was too late, but we went anyway. We had made the decision to try to head up to Moon River Falls for Canada Day like we had for the last two years. Lake Muskoka feeds the river and the flow is controlled in Bala by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ontario Hydro. Three years ago, it was calm enough to swim underneath the main falls. This year however was a completely different story (shown below). The water proceeds towards a wide cascading waterfall that was easily crossed on foot. After the cascading falls, the river opens up and is calm enough to swim around and paddle around before it feeds to another choke point. When we showed up this year, we could hear the waterfall before we could see it as we paddled upstream from Moon Basin Marina. I expected it to be rough, but when I saw the falls from about 200 metres, the violence of the water took away any ambition I had to go anywhere near it.


Ontario Geardo is on Facebook!

Hey guys, I finally got my account set up the way that I want, with a web address that isn't 762 characters long. My focus is still going to be this blog, but since it seems that everyone under the sun is on Facebook, I figure it’s a good way for you to get a heads up on blog updates instead of checking from time to time. As well, I will post deals on gear that I stumble upon, events that I find interesting, as well as pictures from adventures that aren’t quite long enough to be blog posts.

So if you’re interested in following the last blogger in the world to get a Facebook page, please visit facebook.com/ontariogeardo


Perroz Designs Reflective DFQ Patch

With the recent news of the requirements of headlamps and reflective PT belts or strobes for GORUCK events, I figure it’d be good to pass along the info that a few of you have requested in regards to the reflective DFQ (Don't Fucking Quit) patch that I wore during class 981 in Toronto. The patch is made with high quality cordura with the option of pretty much every camo pattern available from Multicam to Kryptek Madrake. DFQ is laser cut, and has a reflective backing.

GORUCK Challenge, Class 981 AAR

Once the adrenaline settled after finishing my first GoRuck Challenge last year with class 524, I told myself I would never do anything like that ever again. It was the coldest and closest I had ever been to hypothermia, I went into the Don River… THE DON RIVER, my calves cramped so badly after the 4th hour I thought I’d have to drop, I pinched a nerve in my wrist early in the challenge and it took over four months to recover, and I was eaten alive by red ants whilst carrying a log. Never again.

Outdoor Research Endeavor Shells

Growing up in Ontario I was lucky enough to have parents that encouraged me to enjoy the winter outside. If was going to be cold for a third of the year I might as well look forward to it right? I learned how to skate, and learned how to ski in grade school. When I got to high school, I’d like to think that I was a fairly accomplished skier for my age. Unfortunately there weren’t many people that I hung out with that were interested in skiing so I picked up snowboarding at the same time as I was taking a 14 week first aid course to join the Canadian Ski Patrol System.


First Impressions: Perroz Designs Hearing Protection Headband Cover

A few months ago, I was lucky enough to get some swag from Perroz Designs to test out. One of the products I got was the Hearing Protection Headband Cover in Multicam. I wrapped the 500D around my Peltor 6S earpro and it was not surprisingly a perfect fit. One thing that I noticed immediately is that unlike the photos on Perroz’s website, my version had two 1” Velcro squares on either side. Great place to put reflective or IR patches!