Nexbelt Review

Do you have a difficult time deciding what belt to wear when you are getting dressed for work, a day at the range, or a night on the town? If you are like us you might have days where you need one belt that can do it all! Finding a belt that is not only stylish, but that can also adequately support the weight of a firearm isn't easy. Well, we may be able to help you out. We were fortunate to come across a booth with a unique product at SHOT Show 2016. The company is called Nexbelt. They gained popularity on the PGA Tour as they are the preferred belt for many professional golfers. They have expanded their line which gives more options for every day wear and have now reached into the tactical market.

They carry a very large selection of buckles and straps (belts) so you can customize your own look. Nexbelt has a men's and women's line, but many of the products can be considered unisex. The buckles and straps are offered in various widths, styles, and colors. Nexbelt offers several lines such as golf, dress, motorsports, tactical, and a USA line to name a few. They even have a Folds of Honor line which donates 20% of the sale price to Folds of Honor charity.

Nexbelt offers a few additional unique qualities that really brings them to another level. All of their straps can be cut to fit. The lengths average from 25" to 50". They have lines for each one inch increment and the sizes are marked on the inside of the straps. That makes it very easy to cut to your perfect size. I have lost quite a bit of weight this year and one of my favorite things is getting into smaller clothes. Even with my weight loss, I can continue to wear my Nexbelt straps because all I have had to do is cut off the excess length.

When cutting your strap you can easily use the numbers as a guide, but I do suggest to try them on first so you know how much to remove. It is suggested on their website to add three inches to your current pants size. Once you cut the material off, there is no going back. Believe me, I definitely will not let myself gain any weight back so I can continue to wear them.

Instead of holes, every Nextbelt has a ratcheting system which allows for customized on the fly adjustments. I think this is one of their best features. I have so many standard belts that I can't always wear because the fit depends on the clothing I have on at the time. The problem is that one hole makes the belt too small and the next one makes it too big. With the Nexbelt ratcheting system I never have that problem. They can be adjusted in 1/4 inch increments so they always fit just right.

After meeting the owners of Nexbelt at SHOT Show we were sent samples to test and evaluate. We were so impressed with their products that we purchased additional belts. We have been putting them to the test for almost a year. Our buckles and straps are all interchangeable except I doubt Gene will want to wear my rhinestone buckle. I have to admit that one is my favorite. This girl really loves her bling. The best part is I can wear the same black tactical strap with my chrome buckle to work and with my rhinestone buckle when we go out. Changing out the buckle definitely gives me a new look.

Gene and I both have buckles and straps from the Tactical series. I have some from the Dress series too. The Tactical series are offered in both leather and nylon belts. Their tactical nylon belts are much sturdier than most other nylon belts on the market. We can definitely tell the difference between the Nexbelt standard leather strap and tactical leather strap. The sturdiness of the tactical straps definitely make it easier to carry a loaded firearm.

Gene has been wearing his Tactical nylon belt during IDPA shooting competitions which requires a belt that can be worn through his belt loops. The belt is sturdy enough to hold all of his gear which includes his holster, firearm, magazine holder, and two extra loaded magazines.

Gene and I have been wearing our Nexbelts faithfully and both of us have only positive things to say about them. Don't be fooled by similar "As Seen on TV" belts as they are not Nexbelt and are not of the same quality. If you are interested in checking out the Nexbelt website to peruse the products, be sure to use the link along the right side of our blog. You won't be disappointed.

-Christine Ross

Rogue American

You may not be familiar with their story but you are more than likely familiar with their line of apparel. The company we are referring to is Rogue American Apparel based here in Austin, TX. First, we will familiarize you with their story and then we will fill you in on their retail store. Rogue American Apparel is a Veteran owned and operated company founded by a Marine in 2011. The founder's goal was to create an apparel line that embodies the warrior's spirit and their way of life. Their apparel, and the logos that they proudly display are geared towards veterans, soldiers, people in high risk jobs, adventure athletes, and people who take a stand for something they believe in. Their apparel may be considered on the fringe by some but then again these are not the type of people they are trying to cater to! One of my favorite slogans on their clothing is "Stand For Something"! Such a powerful message considering the times we live in.

A couple of weeks back we saw a post on Instagram that they have officially opened their first retail store here in our backyard of Austin, TX. As excited as we were we could not make it out due to celebrating Gene's birthday and competing in a two gun match. We did pass the word onto our local friends and a few of them got to check out the store before we did. Admittedly we were a little jealous. We were chomping at the bit to pay Rogue American a visit this past weekend, so we made sure to clear our schedule.

We knew this was the right store for us because as soon as we walked in we were greeted with a Hillary for Prison sign. The store is packed with apparel for both men and women. This includes hats, shirts, shorts, exercise apparel and accessories, wall art, and even Invader Coffee. Everything they sell has a unique look and feel. They are definitely not your typical apparel company and this is evident as soon as you walk into the store. From the thrash metal playing overhead to the Americana decorating almost every inch of the store [a lot of which has been donated by their loyal customers] you know you are a long way from your typical retail store.

We really didn't give ourselves enough time to take in the store itself and thoroughly shop through their selection. And of course their staff is so friendly it was inevitable that we would strike up conversations that slowed down my browsing which pleased Gene because it also slowed down my spending! Next time we are going to give ourselves time to at least have a cup of that delicious smelling coffee that they had at the counter. Another aspect to the store that is different but totally cool is they have an in-house tattoo artist ready for you to add some more ink to your collection.

I was totally psyched to do some shopping when we got there. I am assuming the staff member who was helping me had eaten her Wheaties because I had her running back and forth checking on sizes and she still wasn't exhausted. Maybe she was just hyped up on coffee! Overall she was just really cool! Once I was finally done I let Gene try a few things on. That was nice of me, huh? He was striking up a conversation with the tattoo artist about possibly getting some new ink that he has been wanting so I see us making that trip up there in the near future. At least I can shop and drink coffee while he gets the work done!

Remember, when you buy apparel from Rogue American you are not only supporting a veteran owned company, you are also supporting Americans because their clothes are made right here in the USA. We wish them all the best and will definitely become regulars at their store so I hope they are prepared for us! They are celebrating their 5 year anniversary this year and we know they will be around for many more years to come!

Veteran's Memorial Park

Memorial Day, 2016

This is a video that we shot at the Veteran's Memorial Park in Cedar Park, TX on Memorial Day. Given the design of the park we thought it would be fitting to film it from the air to show the overall design. The monument was designed by artist Gregory Beck of Fort Worth, TX and opened in 2011. The path leading up to the center of the monument is lined with engraved paver stones with the names and dates of service of brave men and women who have served both past and present. There are also two paver stones that honor the victims of 9-11 and the firefighters and police officers that gave their lives that day.

Along the pathway their stands a box that you can deposit retired American flags in. The flags are then properly disposed of in a fire pit a few yards away. At the center of the spiral pathway is a 22ft marble statue that has laser engraved panels with very realistic pictures representing each branch of the U.S. Military. The statue of the soldier that stands watch over the park was modeled after a local soldier, Matthew Morris, who was killed in 2008 by a bomb in Iraq. We can only imagine how his family feels when they visit the park and see their loved one forever standing guard over the memorial.

We have been to the park several times over the years but we had never seen the park from the air. As soon as I piloted the drone over the memorial itself we were in awe of the overall design. You cannot fully appreciate the spiral design unless you see it from above so we decided to share what we saw so others can appreciate it also. Even though it is a little long, we hope you enjoy this video.

All gave some...some gave all...

Dang Texas Weather

What was supposed to be a weekend full of fun and shooting has now officially turned into a weekend of thunderstorms and mud! We were going to Copperhead Creek Shooting Range today in Marble Falls, Texas to watch the 3 Gun Nation 3 gun match and to support our friends that were shooting this weekend. INSTEAD, what are we doing? We are sitting on the back porch watching the rain come down!

Tomorrow's plans might get messed up as well since most of the local ranges turn inhospitable after a good downpour. Our plans were to travel to Temple, Texas and shoot a USPSA match put on by Temple Gun Club. Since those plans might quickly wash away as well I guess we will have time to start working on our blog again! We have a few new products to review and a couple of events to blog about so I guess we have played the lazy game long enough and need to get to work. We have, however, been keeping up with our social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and the new gun friendly, Instagram-esque app called Gun Squad. Be sure to check them out and download the app. You won't regret it!

Selfies, Drills and Drones - An Hour At The Range

Well, we officially got back from SHOT Show 2016 in Vegas a week ago. After a week of decompressing, relaxing tired feet and getting over being sick we decided it was time to get back to shooting. With some upcoming competitions around the corner we decided to take advantage of this gorgeous day and head to the range to run some drills and have some fun. And most importantly, enjoy the sun.

We strolled into the range house like we owned the place [feels like we should after all the money we have spent there] and we were quickly brought back to reality when the kind lady behind the counter informed us that there was a wait.....a LONG wait! What else did we have to do on this great day? We made the obvious choice and decided to wait...and wait...and wait! It felt like we were at a fine dining establishment at dinner time, and we were h-u-n-g-r-y! As we sat in the range house counting the number of 5.11 pants that strolled through [Christy's didn't count], we did what we knew how to do best, SELFIES!! The one selfie that makes it on to Instagram or Facebook is the generally the most serious one out of the hundred goofy ones that we took!

By the time our names were called we only had an hour but we were determined to make it count and have a good time! We made our way to our bay and started to get set up. The Range Master decided to do a couple of drive by's just to say hi and make sure we had everything we needed. As always, he quizzed us on range rule #21 [everyone should know this one according to him]. Range Rule #21 clearly states, "It is mandatory that I MUST take my wife out to a nice meal after leaving the range." He further dictates that Sonic Drive In does not count as fine dining! Who knew? Of course, all of this talk about food actually did make us hungry.

We ran through as many drills as we could in the short amount of time that we had and just like any other time that we shoot together, it turned into a friendly husband and wife competition. If you ask Christy who won she would proudly tell you she did! If you ask me who won, I will quickly change the subject to prevent the repercussions I would face once you walked away! [She actually just rolled her eyes as I typed this]. We were both enjoying ourselves, as we always do together at the range, that there was no way that we weren't both winners.

To wrap up the short amount of time before the final "cease fire" was called for the day, I wanted to test my AR after some recent changes to my rifle. I also brought our big drone out to practice aerial range photography. For fun, I loaded up a 30 round mag, lifted the bird [drone] up into the sky and then turned Christy loose on a unsuspecting target while I filmed her from about 20' up. Filming with a drone definitely adds a different perspective that you cannot get using a regular camera.

Even though we didn't have a lot of time and felt rushed we managed to get everything done that we wanted to do. This lends credence to the saying, "A bad day at the range is better than a good day at the office!" We then wrapped up the day by going to eat with our good friends from Diversified Defense that were at the range teaching a class. Looking back, I'm glad we decided to wait instead of leaving and going back home!

SHOT Show 2016 - Sunday 1-17-16

Hey everyone! We haven't been doing much on here for the past couple of months but we have been active on Instagram and our Facebook page. Not much new has been going on except we have been staying extremely busy and a lot of changes have been going on. We still have been staying active with shooting competitions though. We are never too busy for that!

What has been occupying our time recently was getting ready for SHOT Show 2016! We can't believe it is that time already. I still can't believe it and I am typing this while staring at the giant High Roller ferris wheel from our hotel room window! We arrived at the hotel at 4pm today and had just enough time to unpack and then we headed downstairs to the Flour and Barley restaurant where we gorged ourselves on some awesome tasting food. Hopefully we can squeeze into our shooting jerseys tomorrow!

Speaking of tomorrow, we will be heading out to the Clark County Shooting Complex for the Sig Sauer Range Day! We are going to get to check out their newest products, eat some good food and most importantly put some round down range! As always we will be including pictures and stories of our adventures so be sure to tune in for more to come from SHOT Show 2016, Las Vegas NV.