Saturday 28 July 2012

Nerf Vortex Ammo Belt Review

Outback Nerf is proud to be able to bring you a world first - a review of the Vortex Ammo Belt.

In essence, it's the Vortex equivalent to the N-Strike/Elite Tac Vest - a clothing method of holding ammo.
Not a full write-up, but the pictures and their comments tell the story.

New in box.
Back of box. Note the Pyragon and scoped Nitron.

On the shelf at Kmart. $15. About 10 of them there (now 9 :P).
Out of the box, in the plastic casings. As you can see the belt comes disassembled with the exception of the belt clips and the blaster hook.
Left is one from belt, right from Praxis/Tech kit. Left is more orange, right is redder. The new orange matches the Lumitron orange. I'll take a pic later so you can see it properly.
 As promised, the two mags. Left is from Praxis, right from Belt Kit, with Lumitron for comparison.
The mag holder - one large moulded piece of grey plastic. Very solid and holds all Vortex mags well. Uses friction as well as the ridges inside it to hold mags in place.
The pouch. Simple but effective. Uses velcro to secure the flap.
Fits more than 35 discs, not the 25 they advertise.
Tall and wide enough to hold lots of ammo, small enough to be portable and comfortable.
The bare belt with blaster hook. Minimal and incredibly light.
Longest length, with Lumitron for scale. It gets really large and can be made really short. This allows it to account for much of the world's Nerfing population (kids through to adults).
Mag holder holding a 10 mag. Fits tight and nicely.
Holding a Light Up 10 mag. Should hold 20s fine as well. These mags are probably a little too long to be held comfortably.
How you put extra stuff on the belt - one end comes off easy but can be reattached easily and tightened. Also fits through belt loops of jeans and other pants with said loops. This one-ups normal belts though because it's adjustable to your exact width as opposed to belts using holes at set lengths.
The accessories - blaster hook and mag holder. Both simple and effective.
On me. Note that's not fat, just my hoodie. :P In actual fact it is fitting me perfectly.
Belt with accessories on. Extremely lightweight.
With pouch added. Note that they're not held in a specific position by anything other than friction. Still extremely light weight which is what you want from a clothing accessory. The accessories can be moved around at will.
Pouch can hold a 10 mag comfortably, but the flap is a little hard to close. It's much better for holding other things like darts/discs, a tiny drink bottle, maybe some medication etc...
And just for lolz, the blaster hook can hold a Lumitron. It's a little too heavy for the hook, which is suited more to sidearms like the Proton and NF.

My preferred layout. Note this was taken in the bathroom mirror. The Lumitron is below my right arm (I'm a rightie) and all the ammo within easy reach of my left, allowing for quick reloads.
Proof you can use the Camo Ammo Bag on the Vortex Belt for modularity and more ammo storage.


Using the Ammo Pouch to hold a 6 clip (mag) and 30 Elite darts neatly stacked.

So to sum up:
  • Pouch can hold at least 35 discs or a 10-mag in it, uses velcro to secure flap
  • Belt is completely customisable (custom accessories anyone?)
  • Position of accessories are adjustable with ease yet hold themselves in position when worn properly.
  • Blaster hook is designed for sidearms/small blasters
  • Belt is adjustable in length and fits through belt loops
  • Mag holders hold mags very securely and tightly but are easy to get mags out of
  • Fully accessorised belt is very light (with exception of extra blaster) and can fit tightly or loosely if necessary
  • Doesn't look as awesome as a vest, but still pretty cool
  • More accessories can be added if more belts are purchased (think 6 mag holders and 3 ammo pouches....)

Usability: 5/5
Value for Money: 5/5
Coolness: 4.5/5
Cumbersomeness/Weight: 5/5
Overall: 3.9/4

Bottom line: Well worth your $15 if you're a Vortex user. If not, save your money for an N-strike/Elite Tac Vest.

2 comments:

  1. I'm soooooooooo getting one.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hmm... You could glue one/two mag holders onto a stock of your choice(eg.Raider Stock)and then it's converted into a stock used for Vortex!

    Wouldn't that be cool....two mag holders on a Stockade Stock...

    ReplyDelete