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Gear Review
ESS ICE 2.4
Interchangeable Component Eyeshield Safety Glasses

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So it's been requested that I do a review of this product, and I'd like to add as much as possible to these forums. I see there are no reviews that fall under the gear category yet, so here's the first one.

Introduction

In the past, I've owned various cheapo shooting glasses, multiple pairs of ski/snowboard goggles that I'd use when I'd airsoft from time to time, and a pair of Arena Flakjaks. I currently own a pair of ESS Profile NVG goggles.
Pieces of kit like the Flakjaks and the Profiles are very nice and there's nothing wrong with them...unless you've got no helmet. It can be done, but wearing these goggles that were designed to have good coverage when used with a MICH or Protec sometimes look silly if you're wearing a cap or nothing at all. So when I realized that I'd probably never get around to buying a helmet as that might have led to a horrible gear addiction, I decided to ditch goggles for the time being and convert to glasses. But where to begin...

My friends (mostly target shooters and paintballers) suggested Wiley X and Oakley, but I really didn't want to spend a fortune on a pair of Oakleys. I'd had experience with an ESS product which I thought performed really well, so I decided to take a look at what they had to offer. While browsing OpticsPlanet.com (which I highly recommend), I discovered the ESS ICE 2.4 system. At $50 shipped, I thought I'd give them a chance.

First Impressions

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The packaging is similar to other ESS products: a small box with logos and facts and whatnot printed all over it. The box is small, but it contains a bunch. The ICE 2.4 system comes with:

- ESS Interchangeable Component Eyeshield ICE 2.4 kit
- 3 High-Impact 2.4 mm Lenses - Clear, Smoke Gray and Amber
- Tough Protective Case with Belt Loops
- Elastic Neck Leash
- ESS No Fog anti-fog cloth

Initially, I thought that the glasses felt light, but sturdy. I didn't quite see at first how the lenses could be changed; the nosepiece and ear pieces looked and felt like they were part of the lenses, very rigid and solid overall. The nosepiece can be pulled off fairly easily, but the earpieces require a little more force.
When I put them on, they almost immediately fell off when I started to walk. The earpieces are straight at first, and must be bent so that the glasses stay on.
After I'd figured that out, I looked up and realized it was as if someone had dimmed the room on all sides. I literally had to strain my eyes to look far enough to either side trying to find a section of my field of vision that the lenses hadn't covered. When ESS says that the glasses give full coverage, they mean it.

Pros
Everything.
They do not fog. Okay, they fog a little, but rarely.
They hardly ever slip off, and when they do, you can use the band.
Full visual coverage.
Three lenses, the only three color's you'd ever use.
Combat proven, Warfighter Toughâ„¢.
Anti-fog cloth, actually works.
Super cool carrying case.
The lenses are indestructible. Here are some fun facts:

Full compliance with ANSI Z87.1 and impact requirements of MIL-V-43511C
Extra-thick 2.4mm high-impact polycarbonate lenses
Lenses are coated with a tough anti-scratch coating and can stop a shotgun blast from 35 feet away *
V50 impact rating is 823ft. / sec (.17 cal)
100% optical clarity for distortion-free vision
100% UVA/UVB protection
Frameless design - provides an unlimited field of vision
Adjustable temples can be made longer or shorter
Nosepiece accepts an Rx adapter

* Fuck yeah. Overkill? No.

Cons

Even with the ear pieces bent, the glasses do slip down from time to time. Included is an elastic band that attaches to the glasses, which helps a ton but almost turns them into goggles. I find myself switching from using the band to not using it.
Sometimes the ear pieces are difficult to get back on a lens. Once you get used to it though, the removal and reassembly becomes simple.
Can't find much else to complain about.

Pictures

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Disassembled

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Lens Attachment Point

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The Elastic Band

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The Case
I thought it was nice that ESS included a case that isn't total crap. It's actually quite nice. Basically a glasses case held closed with some velcro. Inside are different compartments for the multiple lenses, along with plenty of room for the glasses and the cloth. It also has both a belt loop and a plastic clip for carrying.

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In Use
The glasses hardly ever fog, and when they do it's simple to wipe off. No awkward angles. I also put them through a little test, and jumped on my trampoline for a good ten minutes whilst wearing them.

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Zero fog.

More pictures, notice black ops pixelation of the face and unauthorized logos.

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Conclusion

If you're considering a pair of glasses for shooting or for airsoft, look no further. If you need Oakleys for the Gucci effect then that's cool, but you won't be disappointed with this product.

Mini Movie Review
Shadow Company
The Cool PMC Movie That Not Everyone Has Seen Because Nobody Sells It
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There's been alot of talk about this film on Arnie's and it's also been discussed a good deal on other forums, so here's a super quick review.

Basically, the torrent is dead in the water with only a few seeders, and finding this movie in a local video store was impossible in my case. If you can rent it, consider yourself lucky and do so. If you're dying to see it but you'd have to buy it (as was my case), here are some reasons why you should shell out the dough.

The movie is, in my opinion, the best documentary thusfar on the private military industry. There was another film called Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers that I tried to watch, but I felt that it was so biased and one-sided that it wasn't worth my time. Iraq for Sale also doesn't focus on the PMC business alone.
It seems that Shadow Company has been discussed so much that the general consensus is that it's the best all-around movie on the topic out there at the moment.

Here's why I found it enjoyable:

The filmmakers let you decide whether PMCs are justified or evil, businessmen or mercenaries. They interview everyone from contractors to company owners to experts on the subject to those adamantly opposed to PMCs. You really get a full perspective from the film.
The movie is divided up into nineteen chapters, with basic titles like "What is a mercenary" and "Structure of the Industry" to deeper topics like "The human cost" and "What happens next?". The information is well-organized and presented excellently.
The film also includes several fictional segments called "Letters from Iraq", during which a fictional contractor named James (narrated by Gerard Butler a.k.a. Leonidas LOL) speaks through letters to his friends and family about what it's like to be a PMC in Iraq.
The footage is very current, but also includes candid footage of contractors in Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea. If you've ever watched movies like Blood Diamond and you've wanted to know a bit more about the business from the seventies to the early nineties, this movie is a good gap-filler.
Finally, the box. The DVD is presented very nicely, and the Special Edition DVD is worth the price with over 2 hours of extra features.

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In my opinion, it's slightly ignorant not to be interested at all in a topic as important as the privatization of our military. If you are interested at all, don't think twice. I suggest you pick this one up.

It's worth it just to hear Leonidas as a PMC. And they even include a short PMC cartoon. Buy it.

BTW, this movie IS available via NetFlix. Tongue02

dammit...I really don't want to re-activate my account with them...

*sigh*

A quick addition to the mini-review.

There's a rumor floating around that you can get the movie on NetFlix.

This may be true, but then you don't get the milspec SEALs-approved tri-folding box in tactical florescent red.

I vote for a passaround!!

Aiwebs_011

Render you just make me want to spend more $$$.

Colin Wrote:I vote for a passaround!!

I would totally do that...

Wow time to do some hardcore searching

I purchased the ESS ICE v2.4s myself.

No need for a second review, which I was wanting to do...LOL but I will give my throughts.

I ordered them on ebay for $32 shipped ^_^.

I was pretty excited for the arrival, infact so excited I was telling my airsoft friends everyday how many more days it would be untill the came Grin02

So I finnally received them and opened them up to find a a differnt looking package then the one I expected.

Mine came in the same style case (no box) with red text, and the ESS's didnt have "ESS" written on the ear peice. I emailed the guy and he says there the real deals so I am still happy.

But, I put them on and noticed they are very comfty and with the band they hold on great, there is some room for a bb to slip in on the sides but lets hope that dosnt happen. The coverage provides very wide protection, and if you have a big head or a fat head lol, you should be good. But anyways they are very nice and seem like they will do me good.

I have yet to wear them to a game but on the 21st I might have a chance to test them out.

Great review render.

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