MECHANIX WEAR M-PACT 2 TACTICAL GLOVE REVIEWThe number one bodily injury since the dawn of mankind is.... yes, you guessed it, hand injuries. Like eye protection, most of those injuries could be prevented with something as simple and comfortable as Mechanix Wear's line of gloves. Protection of course needs to be tuned to the task at hand, with heat, cold, cut resistance, puncture resistance, fire resistance...etc. all being variables. But, a general purpose set of gloves will provide a significant increase in hand protection during preparedness and in a broad array of everyday situations.
Personally I am a huge fan of Mechanix Wear gloves and wear through a couple sets a year. My wife's gloves keep her manicure looking good when doing yard duties, and my Mechanix gloves keep the scar tissue I call my hands from looking any worse.
I prefer the M-Pact series as range gloves. They provide more comfort during high recoil shooting, provide improved grip, excellent dexterity for positive safety and ammo loading, keep my hands clean and cool when picking up hot brass, and most importantly keep my hands cut free while running more rigorous drills. They are also handy for moving shrapnel’ized junk around the range without getting cut.
The distinguishing feature of the Mechanix Wear line of gloves is that you can accomplish detailed tasks with a gloved hand which usually requires the fine control of bare fingertips. A poor fit will lead to constant removal for fine tasks, defeating the purpose of hand protection entirely.
FIT & FEEL
The Mechanix Wear gloves fit like no other glove you have tried. To be honest I have shorter fingers of medium width with a medium sized hand. Usually I end up buying medium sized gloves from most companies otherwise I cannot get my hands into them. The problem is the fingers are too long and I have no fine detail ability. With Mechanix gloves, they stretch considerably, so I can buy the small size and have maximum dexterity, fingertip precision, and still be able to get the gloves on and off. Simply put, the Mechanix gloves fit better than a glove, they fit like a second skin. The result is they stay on through an entire day of work without the need to be removed. Most of the Mechanix gloves are also heavily vented, so my hands stay far cooler than with typical full leather gloves.
FEATURES & FUNCTIONS
Mechanix Wear has a wide variety of lines, styles and colors for various tasks ranging from general automotive work to specialized extrication and military hand protection. Mechanix Hardware and Tactical lines have always appealed hand protection needs, however you may find other Mechanix lines which you like better. Various models focus on impact protection such as their M-Pact line, but others provide simple coverage such as the Original line.
For testing and the review, I picked up the Original, M-Pact, and M-Pact 2 Covert gloves from their Tactical line, The Original is a great inexpensive standard lightweight gloves which provides overall good protection during everything from moving lumber to yard work. The Synthetic Leather palm and fingertips extend the life of the glove while the Thermal Plastic Rubber hook and loop cuff closure and two-way stretch Spandex top provides all around perfect fit. I have a pair of these in the truck to protect my hands from dirt and cuts just in case I need to change a tire or load building supplies. It seems they get used quite often.
The M-Pact line has changed since its introduction based on customer feedback.
I still have a few pairs of old M-Pact’s, however the new M-Pact version features a new rubberized grip on thumb, index finger and palm, and sonic welded molded rubber on knuckles and fingertips. High impact Poron XRD foam absorbs more shock and vibration at the palm than the older versions. The new Poron XRD definitely takes the bit out of repetitive impact tasks such as shooting. The M-Pact is constructed heavier than the Original with double stitching and dual panels in critical wear areas, Trek Dry spandex top, and a hook and loop wrist closure all add up to a very secure fit. This is the pair of gloves I have in my bug out bags. They provide a good level of protection with very fine dexterity for tasks such as shooting and some skin protection in chilly conditions.
The newer M-Pact 2 Covert delivers 360 degree protection which would be handy if you were caught up in a tornado or small riot. The focus seems to have been to deliver a glove with comparable palm protection to the M-Pact line but with full impact protection on the backside of the hand and fingers. Comfort is maintained with tapered stretch side panels that form comfortably between fingers and a molded Neoprene cuff for a seamless fit to your wrist. If you are door breaching kind of person the M-Pact 2 provides a load of protection.
FINAL THOUGHTS
From my perspective, I have had preventable hand injuries and they can take you out of play. In a survival or preparedness situation it may not be an option to just tap out from a preventable hand injury. Without your hands you cannot make fire, build a shelter, hunt for food, defend yourself and stay alive. Your number one job in a preparedness and survival situation is to keep your body and mind in great shape. A simple solution for your hands is to slip on a set of Mechanix gloves to protect one of your most valuable assets.
I am almost religious about eye protection, and after a few serious hand injuries, I am becoming the same way about utilizing hand protection any time my digits may get into a potentially damaging situation. After doing a little yard work with my M-Pact's on, I started mowing the lawn without taking my gloves off and I found the vibration was significantly reduced on my old beast of a push mower. From the abuse and wear my Mechanix gloves have taken, I believe they are one of the least expensive investments anyone can make for everyday use and preparedness.
If you have found yourself in a survival situation where you are clinging to your bug out bag, the first things you should do are slip on eye and hand protection, because without either of those human abilities it will be exponentially harder to survive. Mechanix gloves are definitely inexpensive insurance for your hands.
SPECS
The Original - $24.99
M-Pact - $36.95
M-Pact 2 Covert - $40.95
SOURCES
Machanix Gloves
http://www.mechanix.com
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