Ok I would like to add my own review of the CP Gear FMP #5 (Slim FMP)
My first impression of the cover was that it is quite useful. For what I use it for (Cadet field training) it is a wonderful piece of kit.
First impression of the FMP #5 Pad Refill. It is too long! ???
It is about 1 to 1.5 cm too long to fit in the cover. This was a major dissapointment, but after a minute or two of through, I pulled out a pair of scissors and simply trimmed each page short enough to fit in the cover, and it now fits in very nicely.
As for the pen pockets. After some initial grunting and struggling, I managed to fit 1x BIC blue ballpoint pen, 1x BIC mechanical pencil, and 1x black Sharpie in it. The reason it took some time to fit these, was that the sleeves were too tight. In the begining, if I tried to pull out the pen, all i would get is the pen lid, as the sleeve held on to the rest of it. After some use though, the sleeves have stretched enough for my pens to still be securely held, but not so tight that it is impossible to get out.
Now, the basic concept of this FMP, is that it will fit into the breast pocket of your combats. Yes it does. It fits rather nicely. I have 2 sets of OD combats. The pockets on one of the jackets fits the FMP very nicely, and on the other jacket, I have to pull a bit harder on the pocket cover, in order to button it up. I have also puchased a set of gen 1 CADPAT combats for the purpose of paintball/airsoft, and the FMP fits into the breast pocket very nicely. (no stretching of the pocket flap needed)
The downside. The size of the paper is just a bit too small for regular use. I also own a FMP #2 and I use that much more often. But if you need to jot down some quick notes about anything, or write up a quick nominal role, then the slim FMP is a good choice.
Overall, I am quite impressed with the degree of quality with this product. I have owned it for about 9 months, using it on all of my training weekends (about 2 per month) as well as regular training nights (2 nights a week), and have found no problems with the stitching or the zipper at all. Also, the extra large zipper pull string is of good quality and is quite useful when your fingers are numb.
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