Making sure you have the right gear when you need it is essential. There’s a relief from being prepared and knowing that if situation were to come up, you can handle it.
The problem is, how do you know if your gear is reliable?
Some reviews on certain shopping sites beginning with A and ending with z are absolutely biased – even going to the extent of manufacturers offering $15 gift cards in exchange for leaving a positive review.
How do I know? Because I was offered it.
So what do you do? Enter ClubTac.
ClubTac specializes in tactical, survival, every day carry and off-grid subscription boxes.
The company is managed by military veterans and each item is tried and tested by them before it’s included in the monthly boxes.
Before I dig into the review and show you all the goodies, let’s take a quick tour of ClubTac.
What is ClubTac?
Backed by former U.S , marine snipers, survivalist experts and technology specialists, ClubTac’s goal is to deliver premium tactical and survival gear every month.
All of the items are hand picked by the team at ClubTac HQ.
Just for clarity, they refer to their various subscription options as crates.
How Does ClubTac Work?
ClubTac has four subscription options:
- Standard Crate $59 + s/h
- Pro Crate $89 + s/h
- Premium Crate $149+ s/h
- Legendary Crate $Call ’em
They have a military theme and refer to it throughout the subscription experience.
They extend that further by adding a military analogy as to which rank the specific subscription option would be suitable for.
So the standard crate (most affordable) would be ideal for a fresh out of boot camp Private First Class and the legendary crate (most feature rich) would be ideal for a Colonel or a higher ranked General.
It’s a fun way to describe the items and visualize what you could receive. After all, the surprise is part of the experience right?
Standard Crate
This is the most affordable box from ClubTac.
It includes practical survival and tactical gear – like a watches, multi-purpose tools and tactical technology items. Their goal with this option is focus on quality and make sure each item has a specific purpose.
The military analogy for this subscription option is Private First Class that just left basic boot camp. How does this relate to the gear included? Think core essentials.
Pro Crate
Moving up a level, the Pro Crate will supply you with gear for your first bug out bag.
What’s a bug out bag? A duffelbag or backpack that’s stocked with tactical and survival gear and always ready and available if a situation comes up.
Subscribing to this crate will help build out the essentials of your bug out bag and again is focused on quality and value.
This is the in-between option from their most affordable crate and the next level up, the Premium Crate.
For the military analogy,
You are a Sergeant that gets it done & doesn’t take crap for an answer
The Premium Crate
This crate takes all the goodness of the Standard and Pro crates and additional items that have been approved by the ClubTac veterans and specialists.
- Bullet proof armor
- Concealed carry packs
- Ballistic masks
- Backpacks
- Optical accessories like binoculars and rifle scopes
There is a ton of gear out on the market today and finding something that’s both effective and reliable can be a chore. Returning an item because it sucks is a pain in the butt. ClubTac does the testing and research for you.
Here’s the military analogy for this box!
You are a 1st Lieutenant that was just promoted to Captain. You eat .556 round for breakfast just because 7.62 rounds don’t taste right.
You have a wall of medals. You remember all your battles. You remember all your victories. Oh that’s, right…because you have no losses you raw dog son -of -a ******
ClubTac Premium Box
The Legendary Crate
The top of the line subscription option from ClubTac.
This includes everything in the Standard, Pro and Premium crates with even more goodies piled ontop.
This is a serious crate for serious tactical, survival and EDC enthusiasts!
Included in this subscription option is rare hard core gear that you wouldn’t normally be able to find out on the general market.
ClubTac goes on to say that “these crates have gear that’s designed for covert-ops missions, and have impressed former navy seals with what’s included.“
This crate is shipped a maximum of four times a year. It’s the only subscription option that’s not shipped monthly – but with the insane contents and the size it’s understandable.
Military Ranking Rewards
A unique feature to ClubTac is their rewards system. They use a military layout with Level 1 being called “Private” and level 22 – the highest – General of the Army.
The idea is the longer you stay subscribed to ClubTac, you’ll move up the ranks and score free gear.
They also use an achievement system as a further incentive to keep an active subscription.
Premium Crate Review
#1 NOCO GB10 Ultra Safe Jump Starter
The contents list showed a NOCO Ultrasafe GB50 Boost XL should be included in the box. The actual unit included was a NOCO Ultrasafe GB10.
The NOCO Ultrasafe GB50 Boost XL has an MSRP of about $150 (source).
The NOCO Ultrasafe GB10 was harder to find an MSRP for, but eBay had some for about $100 (source).
Here are the features of the NOCO Ultrasafe GB10:
- 20 Jump Starts Per Charge
- Spark proof technology
- Reverse polarity protection
- Holds it’s charge for a year
- USB power supply for your phone or tablet
- Reliable lithium battery
This little box of wonders could save your bacon one day.
It’s a super compact ultra safe car jump starter that packs enough punch to get most cars and light gas trucks back on the road.
You can get a car charger for it that uses any 12V outlet, but it wasn’t included in the kit. It would of been handy to have.
To recharge the jump starter with a household outlet, just plug it into any USB adapter – like the one you probably use for your phone.
#2 Gerber Paraframe High Carbon Knife
- Lightweight open frame perfect for everyday carry
- Easy to clean, carry, and open
- Frame lock holds blade open and safely closes
- Sturdy pocket clip
- Titanium nitrate-coated partially serrated blade
This is a perfect every day carry knife. Its lightweight, durable, stays sharp and is a brand known for their knife making quality, Gerber.
Since it has a partially serrated blade, it’s setup as an all purpose knife and will be perfectly adequate for occasional daily use when you need it.
#3 Bravo8: Tac-12x Flashlight
This is a remarkably powerful flashlight that’s easily pocketable, durable and really bright. It takes three standard AAA batteries that can be found pretty much anywhere, or you can opt for a rechargeable lithium battery (not included).
The lamp is rated at 100,000 hours and packs a dazzling 1,200 lumens into it’s relatively small frame. It is also IP65 rated – that means it’s waterproof – actually it’s extra waterproof because it stays watertight even when being directly sprayed at by a nozzle.
It’s ok to be rough on this little beauty, she’ll be back on the job the next day. The body of the flashlight is ultra tough as it’s made from aircraft-grade aluminum.
#4 Finders Keepers Vintage Tee
So I was going to iron this, but two things stopped me.
- I wanted to show you what the items look like fresh out of the box, not fancied up in any way.
- I’m not 100% sure where my iron is right now.
Shopping for clothing online is notoriously hard to get right – especially if you’re including it as a mystery gift like this.
The size, the fit, the colors (in real life), and the material are all up in the air until you actually get the item home and see it with your own eyes.
This is a fun vintage tee. It feels good quality and the colors are neutral and pleasant. The design features the Summer of 1969 when the US landed the first man on the moon. Either side of the design has the phrase “Oh yea…we did that”.
#5 Individual Tactical First Aid Kit
This is a small first aid kit that comes in a durable canvas zippered pouch. Included in the kit:
- 2″ Sterile pad
- Adhesive tape roll
- 4 Bandages
- 2″ Conforming bandage
- 2 Alcool prep pads
- 2 BZK Towelettes
- 1 Small sugar pack
- 1 Soap bar
- 1 Package of Aspirin
- First aid instructions
#6 Cipher Bandana
This is exclusive to ClubTac members demonstrates four methods to communicate:
- Morse code
- Sign language
- NATO Phonetic code words
- Semaphore – Using your arms or two flags to communicate
Morse code, sign language, NATO phonetic code words and semaphore – using your arms or two flags to communicate.
#7 COVID Ass Kicker
Simply 98% pure alcohol. There isn’t much on earth that can survive that.
This is a fun looking bottle too and it can be reused and refilled when you’ve used it all.
This is a great timely item that will definitely be useful immediately. Sanitizing alcohol has been pretty hard to find in grocery stores.
#8 Safe Key
This is a keychain tool that’ll help you avoid having to press buttons, pull door handles and more. Even if it helps you avoid touching a public surface a few times, it’s worth adding to your set of keys.
#9 Black Beard Fire Starter
Having means to stay warm is always a good thing and this fire starter from Black Beard is up to the job
This is made from fully dried material, but is hand crafted in a way that makes the fire starter waterproof and windproof.
But wait, theres more! Black Beard fire starters have no expiration date, opened or not. This is one for the bug out/survival go bag for sure.
#10 Duke Cannon Bourbon Soap
Duke Cannon makes all sorts of scents, shaving creams and this – big ass manly soap bars.
Their products get insane amounts of positive reviews. Were talking 2,000+ reviewers averaging around 4.6, 4.8 and 4.9.
They partnered up with Buffalo Trace distillery to create a bold scent with deep Kentucky bourbon whiskey notes.
#11 Duke Cannon Bloody Knuckles Hand Repair
This hand balm repair is made to provide immediate moisture to your dry and cracked hands for instant relief.
It doesn’t leave the hands greasy or sticky, so you can keep on doing you and have hand that don’t hurt.
#12 Disposable Mini iPhone and Android Instant Chargers
There was both an iPhone and an Android mini charger included in the box. Keep the one that’s compatible with your device and give the other one to someone else you know.
Each mini charger was packaged separately and the bags are waterproof. The capacity of the batteries are 1,000mAh.
It wont make your phone 100% charged – or 50% – but it will give your phone a boost so you can make a few calls and get help.
One thing to note, i’m not sure how long the charge stays good for.
#13 Common Knots Guide With Carabiner
How many knots do you know right now? This will be forever useful.
It shows 10 practical knots and has holes and a clip for you to hook it on something. You could also add it to your bug out bag, it’s lightweight and flexible.
Oh and it also glows in the dark!
#14 ClubTac Scratch + Win Cards
I thought these were a great fun addition to the box.
They bring even more mystery to the experience, a surprise and a chance at winning some serious gear.
By the way I won a $15 bunker gift card!
Final Thoughts
ClubTac has curated a selection of products for the tactical hobbyist, survivalist, or someone who has an every day carry setup and wants to expand their gear.
The subscription boxes offered span a wide range of price points and you can subscribe to the box that best suits your level.
Just starting out? Experienced survivalist? They have a box for you.
- Standard Crate $59 + s/h
- Pro Crate $89 + s/h
- Premium Crate $149+ s/h
- Legendary Crate $Call ’em
You can check out more information and subscribe to ClubTac on the CrateJoy website.
