Max Pranger

Thoughts from a Navy SEAL Instructor

As a student reporting to and going through BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL), your heart pounds with excitement at the idea of having the opportunity to be one member of a small and tight-knit family that has an even tighter bond than that of your family blood. The mind races and adrenaline pumps, wondering what sort of sadistic and kick ass training you will be put through. Will my body hold up to the punishment that it will inevitably go through for the next 6+ months? In the unlikely event” that you do graduate, how long can my body handle this lifestyle? There is no set answer. Anything can happen at any time to anyone. Some SEALs have long fulfilling careers, while others don’t even make it through training.

I entered BUD/S in 1990 and successfully graduated in 1991 after one set back. I was not the best runner and paid for it from day-1 week-1 until the last soft sand run after returning from San Clemente Island. I was considered the “Captain” of the Goon Squad (the group that does extra leg and lung exercises) after each timed run or conditioning run. Needless to say, I am not a big fan of running to this day.

After Several overseas deployments, I decided to go to BUD/S and accept the role as one of the 1st phase instructors. Being part of the selection process of one of the most elite special operations units was a great privilege and one I will never forget.

I had one small problem at the very beginning of my tour as an instructor. I was used to “old school” style of how instructors dealt with students. They could drop you down for whatever they wanted to and that is how I began. Needless to say, I was pulled off to the side by my LPO. He explained to me that what I was doing, although completely understandable, was no longer how things are done now. If I hadn’t changed my way of instructing and my interaction with the students, I would be heading back to a platoon. Well, that was fine and dandy with me. The only problem with that is that would have meant that I had failed a task, course, or mission and that was unacceptable.

I changed my ways, literally overnight and showed up the next day to lead a PT (physical training). The students were required to be there 15 minutes early to set up tow rubber boats, filled with water and standing by to begin the PT session. Most of the time I would lead the PT. The students were required to do everything that I did and at my pace. I considered myself a very fair, but highly demanding instructor. My expectations of the students’ performance were no less than 110%. I did not tolerate drama or each exercise performed 100% properly. If the class began to look as if they were “sandbagging” (not caring or not putting 110% into the exercise), I would stop whatever I was doing, shake my head and say to them “why are you embarrassing me, my instructor staff and yourselves with your slack-ass attitude”? There was no response. I didn’t even yell, I just with a whisper to one student “go get wet and sandy…you have three minutes to hit the surf, get sand, and return to your spots in the last exercise position….do it”. Realizing how irritated I was, the student reacted like he was shot out of a cannon. He yelled “2**, hit the surf….wet and sandy back to your spots in the push-up position…..NOWWWWWW!”

When the 1st student returned, I dropped down to the push-up position with him and waited….Realizing how serious I was, he began yelling instructions with a sense of urgency as the other trainees returned from the ocean and sand to their individual spots. I said in a calm voice “can everyone hear me?”. I received a loud and thunderous HOOYAH! I told them, not to ever present that sort of attitude every again, while in training or as a SEAL. Needless to say, the rest of that PT rocked the entire compound and the other side of the base could hear it as well. During the process of the next two weeks leading up to HELL WEEK, it became very clear from an instructors perspective (mine specifically), who was determined to be a HAIRY-CHESTED FROGMAN and who was still on the fence about the whole idea of the type of lifestyle and commitment that would present itself upon successful pinning of the Trident and completion of their first platoon deployment and every one after that.

Being an instructor was a challenging job. It was like that of being a parent and cop at the same time. There were times when I knew a solid student was having a bad day. I would explain to them that everything comes to an end and all they had to do was put forth 110%, remember that they were already part of the team (their boat crew) and to suck it up and get their head in the game. Others, I would try to get them to quit, by putting them in a mental or physical vice and squeeze them to see what they would do. If they sucked it up and rose to the occasion, I would let them move on. If they looked as if they were wavering, I would keep on them as far as I could take it to see if he would quit. Sometimes they would have that little bug in their head “should I quit?” and then it would be over. Other times they would be smart enough and know that the discomfort that they were feeling wouldn’t last forever and the would overcome yet another hurdle in the great world of BUD/S training.

We would be involved with or in charge of any one particular evolution during the day or week. it was the responsibility of the evolutions lead instructor to ensure the instructors were briefed on the evolution. The great thing about working with my fellow SEAL brothers, you didn’t have to do much directing. We all the new the policies and guidelines when it came to the BUD/S training curriculum. If there was a question about how any particular evolution was to be run then it would be brought forth to our Chief or OIC (Officer In Charge), whether it was Log PT, IBS Surf Passage, The Obstacle Course, Ocean Swim, etc. (just to name a few).

I remember one such occasion when we were doing IBS (the rubber boats) surface. I know that many of you probably already know, but I will explain it anyway. Surf passage is conducted in the ocean, for obvious reasons. From day 1 of 1st phase, the students are instructed to take their boats out past the 10-foot tall sand berm that protects the BUD/S Compound from the ocean and any extreme weather that Mother Nature decides to unleash. Once the boats are lined up from South to North and facing the ocean, one swim pair will climb up the berm just high enough to see all of the compounds from one end to the other, watching for any instructors that will be coming out to put them through the surf passage evolution. While they are doing this, the rest of their BUD/S class is prepping the boats and checking each other to make sure that all equipment and the men are squared and ready to enjoy 2 or 3 fun-filled hours of playing in the surf, sand and anything else that comes to our minds. Having gone through this training in 1990, I can almost picture myself as if I am in their very position. Training was a little different of course then it is today. As any previous instructor and self-respecting FROGMAN will tell you “My class was the hardest class that went through BUD/S”. Of course, that is a complete crock of shit, but a good story to tell over a coffee or beer anytime the mood strikes us. Now, where was I, ah yes “IBS surf passage”. The students are anxious, excited and maybe a little curious as to what the instructors had planned and waited for the stampede of instructors and vehicles out onto the beach as the “HOOYAH” of each instructor begins in ranking order. The instructors were always called out according to their rank according to each phase. During HELL WEEK all bets were off and they were not HOO YAH’d unless being spoken directly from or to the instructors. This order was according to the Navy Ranking system and usually started with Lieutenant (O-3) and ended with Instructor ***** (E-5). The Chief, Senior Chief and Master Chief were called out accordingly. If you got the order wrong the entire class paid. We as instructors were constantly testing them both mentally and physically to make sure their heads were on a swivel.

It pays to be a winner meant that finishing in 1st place was rewarded by sitting a race out or a particular exercise in a non-timed evolution. On the flip side, if you came in last place then you were going to “pay the man”. 2nd place in any race had a pretty glamorous name as well…. the “1st” losers. The boat crew would sit out a race with one of the instructors and be given a variety of different exercises “with” their IBS. There were specified exercises with different amounts of repetitions or times to meet that were approved within the curriculum. Remembering that the instructors have already been in the students’ shoes and have VERY devious minds when team building exercises are dealt with.

On this particular with IBS surf passage, I happened to be a ratio instructor. This meant that while the lead instructor was supervising and in charge of the boat races or movements, we would be wandering up and down the line checking for discrepancies or putting the last place boat crew through extra team building exercises. I happened to be free to deal with them. I decided to do one particular exercise and asked for the lead instructor for clearance in adjusting it. Upon approval, they began. I had them doing sets of 10 repetitions, for numerous amounts of sets. When I could finally see the toughest guy in their boat crew begin to waver, I had them change each repetition into a 4-count repetition. When I could see all of them losing the ability to work as a team, because they had nothing left, I had them stop, hit the surf and get absolutely wet and sandy. By this time the boat crews had already started the race and still struggling to make it through the surf zone. my boat crew returned to the berm and got completely sandy from head to toe. I inspected them with their boat crew leader and found half of them, not 100%. So, as any self-respecting instructor would do, I told them to do it again. The idea that I was trying to instill in their heads, was “always strive for perfection in anything you do. Put in 110% and do it right the first time”. They returned and this time there were still two that didn’t list to the instructions. This time I had the other half of the boat crew perform a particular approved exercise that was no fun at all while the other two improved their efficiency in getting wet and sandy. Now the rest of the boat crew was sufficiently frustrated with them and yelling at them to do it right and inspect other. They finally got it right, but instead of letting the other four out of the exercise, I had the last two join them. The last boat crew finally returned to the beach and began preparation process for the next race. At this time I sent the boat crew leader of my special boat crew off to get instructions on the next race. This is how most of the non-timed evolutions go. Other times when there is hardly any surf to be had, we have to get more creative to make sure that the intensity level in the team building, competition, reward, and reprimand stays as high as we can keep it. The boat crew didn’t finish 1st, but they never finished last again from that time until the end of HELL WEEK.

Having already gone through BUD/S training and trying to get as much shit past the instructors as we could without getting caught, it is amazing what you catch the students doing, all the while the other students around them pick up their load. This is because the tougher ones or the “team players” are not concerned with their own pain and pissed about the fact that the slackers are not being seen by the instructors, but ensuring that they are helping out the boat crew. This is why our community is called Navy SEAL “Teams”. Any task that is given to us is taken on as a pair or larger.

(video courtesy of Daniel Gombik)

Now HELL WEEK is a whole other animal in itself. The students prep their boats and gear that weekend and “Breakout” usually occurs after it is completely dark. The students are all in one room watching movies, eating pizza and drinking Gatorade as if it is their last meal. The room is plenty warm. Some of the students are actually sleeping thinking that this is going to help. When “IT” finally starts, the students are dazed and confused as to what is going on, between all of the noise and different instructors shouting commands at them all the while trying to get swim buddies separated and disoriented. This is done to see how their boat crew leader reacts in an effort to consolidate his boat crew and continue on with the heightened state of chaos that has begun to overwhelm their senses and for some it chew up and spit out their soul. This is when the self-doubt begins to set in for some of them. As an instructor, it never seizes to amaze me the ones that actually quit. Some of them, you think “yep, I figured as much”. Others you actually talk to them and say “what the f**** happened”, never thinking in a million years that him quitting would go down. But let me tell you something about HELL WEEK….. this is a week that is full of surprises and we always try to expect the unexpected, but it never works out that way. In the three years that I had the privilege of being an instructor, I can honestly say that there was not one HELL WEEK out of the 16 classes that I was there for that I was not surprised at one point or another. The funny part, it wasn’t always the students that played the surprising role, there were other things that happened as well that I cannot expound on. Without giving more details about HELL WEEK…. it is tough, demanding and a lot of students quit. There is a shitload of videos that are out their on BUD/S, so I should not have to give details. If you look up BUD/S 234, it is the only video that I know of that goes from day1-week1 through to graduation. It covers the highlights of BUD/S but does not cover everything.

As instructors, we are held to a very high standard, both professionally and physically for good reasons. We are the representatives of the Navy SEAL Teams and have a direct impact on these young men. What we put them through and the training that we provide to them is always being updated and thus we are able to better forge them as the SEAL Warriors that they so desperately want to become.

There is a lot more that I could talk about as an instructor, but that would go for days. If there are guys or kids out there reading this then I have a few suggestions for you.

Get good grades in high school and GRADUATE!
Go to college first and get a degree in something that you would want to do once you finish being a SEAL.
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you cant be a SEAL. The only one that can make that decision is you.
Swim, run and workout. You want to go through training thinking that the physical evolutions are not going to stress you out when they are timed.
If you are able to get scuba diving qualified, it will make Dive Phase a little bit easier.
If you shoot then you are one step ahead of the game. If you are not around guns then try to find a legal establishment that you can shoot with and become more familiar with guns.
Suck it up. Expect to be cold, wet, tired and miserable. Its a way of life.
Welcome the “SUCK” with a big hug and a smile on your face.

That is all.

(featured image courtesy of quora.com)

A Navy SEALs Folding Knife: Benchmade D2 Griptilian

A lot of people say that there is no such thing as “the best knife”. Well, I disagree. Everybody has their own opinion on what they think is the best blade. Now let’s talk about folding blades (the choices are endless). During my time in the military, I was lucky enough to try many different folding knives (knives that were made available to me in the 90’s). Any SEAL out there knows how hard we are on knives, guns, gear, etc. It’s no secret that we are afforded the latest, most advanced and toughest crap that can be manufactured for us to successfully do our job and come home safely. Knives are no different and while I was in the SEAL’s, I went through quite a few folding knives. I actually was questioned at one point, what the hell I was doing with them. My response was “I am using them to do my job“. Well, that went over like a fart in church. After a long talk with my Chief and he talking with our equipment representative, there was no longer any more questions. We were issued a new one, end of story. It didn’t matter if we broke one knife or 10 knives, if the knife couldn’t hold up to the task at hand then we would look for a tougher knife.

Anyway, after a lot of trial and error, I finally stuck with Benchmade knives. It holds an edge like no other folding knife that I have used and easy to maintain an edge with proper sharpening and maintenance.

A Navy SEALs folding knife: Benchmade D2 Griptilian — Benchmade pocket clip

The pocket clip on the side of the knife, which can be put on either side of the handle is incredibly rigid and holds very securely to your pocket, most places on your operator gear or any damn place you choose to put it.

The custom hole that is at the non-blade end of the handle, can be used for a lanyard as a secondary point of securing. If you plan to be active in your movement or know you will be in tight areas that will cause you to rub against things or even get caught on stuff, there is a hole at the back-end of the handle. This has been purposely placed there to allow it to have a secondary point of securing it to whatever and wherever you decide to secure it to. It has happened more than a few times to me, especially when I was in the military. Whether navigating through the woods, crawling across the ground or working my way through urban areas, it would never fail that I would catch it on something. I would realize it because I could feel it slapping against my leg or side from the lanyard that it was hanging from. I would quickly grab it while moving put it back in its place on my gear and keep moving.

handle grip

Holding my current Benchmade D2 Griptilian with the diamond grip pattern on the handle feels very secure and natural in my hand. there are 6 different ways that I know of that you can hold this beauty in your hand. It feels solid in my hand even if it is wet, sandy or dirty. If it gets greasy or oily, you may have some problems gripping it, but let’s be realistic for christ sake! It feels like an extension of my hand’s capabilities for such things as cutting rope, shoelaces, whittling marshmallow sticks for campfire smores, or any other McGyver’ish thing in daily life. You are probably wondering, what the hell campfire smores has to do with being a SEAL? Well, if you are narrow-minded and not paying attention to what I have written so far then it doesn’t make any sense at all. Stop the press! I am a veteran. I use it to whittle marshmallow sticks for the kids and me (hell yes, I eat smores!).<iframe style=”width:120px;height:240px;” marginwidth=”0″ marginheight=”0″ scrolling=”no” frameborder=”0″ src=”//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=s07119-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B018T3WLXI&asins=B018T3WLXI&linkId=d5bec498111e68bea7078352919965cd&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true”></iframe>

When it is open, the safety lock keeps the blade securely open. I have definitely tested how well it keeps the blade locked in the open position, to the extent that it gives me chills, not knowing if I will be the lucky recipient to the nickname “lefty”.

knives of all brands, types, and quality are made of many different types of steel/mineral combinations. Thanks to chemists out there in the world, the blades just keep getting more and more superior to what we knew back in the 20th century (Vietnam, Korea, etc). Companies are now using different fusion processes and multiple steps for the different types of blades they sell. I am not even going to try to bullshit you about the different types of steel in the blades and how it is graded because that would be stupid, as I am almost certain there are some serious knife-steel geeks out there that know more about that stuff then I can even fathom. What I will do is provide you with a link from “Best Pocket Knife Today” that may even surprise the most knowledgeable of steelheads out there. The reason I picked this site is it has a few different Benchmade folding knife models among the different grades of steel quality. Ironically, my Benchmade D2 Griptilian is in the mix!

http://bestpocketknifetoday.com/discovering-the-best-knife-steel/

So, with all of this information in your hand and your mind going in spin-mode about which FRIGGEN folding knife you should get, I would definitely recommend the Benchmade Brand over many others. Just remember that you get what you pay for. If you only want to spend $25-$30, go to the local hardware store. If you are ready to drop $120 and up, then the local hunting stores, gun dealers and internet is the way to go. If you go to the internet, I would recommend going directly to the website that carries your knife of interest. Whether it is Benchmade or any other brand, that is the safest approach. Remember the Warranty and return policy too… GOOD LUCK!

The Lansky Sharpening System story from a Navy SEAL

The Lansky Sharpening System: A story from a Navy SEAL

It’s a sunny 75-degrees at our training facility. I can hear the sound of the breaking waves in the background, clearly reminding me of the punishment and further initiation into the brotherhood that we can expect to welcome with open arms and big smile on our faces as the instructors assist Mother Nature and King Neptune with lessons of commitment and sacrifice to our brothers and the mission at hand. Although not a single one of us is anxiously awaiting and excited about the idea of being cold, wet and sandy all day and into the night, we have “voluntarily” chosen this path of life in which to venture down. This is not a job, but a lifestyle that takes 110% commitment and comes first above all else in life. That includes family and self. We are here for our brothers in arms, and country, regardless of what we are tasked with doing at any particular minute, hour or day during this extremely dangerous, adrenaline-filled rush of a journey.

When each man finally makes it to his TEAM, he will be, not only tested and assessed on a daily basis but also sent to multiple advance schools of learning for his tradecraft. Each and every one of these schools or training evolutions involves gear that needs to be inspected, repaired, tested and evaluated constantly. Be it Land Warfare gear, dive gear or personal choice gear.

One of those personal choice gear items that are very opinionated and biased from one man to another would be the knife. Every man has their own personal preference of knife style and blade design, but it ultimately comes down to the metal the blade is made of and how easy or difficult it is to keep sharp and have at the ready. Keeping the blade sharp can be an extreme pain in the ass, especially if you have never been taught the proper way or spent endless hours in honing your knife sharpening abilities.

There are many different stones and kits out there to choose from. Some are light and great for field touch-ups. Others are bulky and require a video and instructions on how to use them. The Lansky knife sharpening kit is right in the middle.

I had a Lansky kit going through my military training. If it had not been for this knife, I probably would have gotten wet sandy while doing multiple different exercises that were left to the instructor’s imagination. That is a catch-22 though because sometimes you can sharpen your knife too good (if there is such a level of sharpness) and it still puts you in the dreaded punishment category.

Every Monday, we have an inspection. The things that are inspected include your room, uniform, and gear. Everything has to be ready for action at all times. This is something that the instructors constantly push because you never know when you will get that call. One of the items that were at the top of the list was our knife. It is used for timed ocean swims, dives, land warfare training, etc. I would spend countless hours trying to use just a stone which I had no previous experience with and completely clueless about blade angle and consistency. I finally went out to one of the local knife shops and explained my situation to the man behind the counter.

He suggested the Lansky Knife Sharpening 5-stone kit.

He said it has easy to follow instructions and several different stones and an angle and stone guide for which stone to use and what angle that you should use based on what you need it for. What the hell did I have to lose? My knife couldn’t be any duller than it already was. With so many different sharpening stones, there is no way that I could go wrong at this point! The stones range from super coarse to super fine (perfect for the unsuspecting instructor).

I brought it back to the barracks and went to work on this poor bastard of a knife. After an hour of patiently following the instructions and knowing that I would get it right, I was able to shave the hair off of my arm. SUCCESS! I am glad that I didn’t actually cut myself, which is not the same that I can say for someone else.

Monday came around and I was on top of the world with confidence from a job well done. Everything was spot on. Room floor was so shiny; it looked like you would fall in and have to swim out. Our racks (beds) met their marks and passed with flying colors. Lockers, drawers, bathroom, and window would receive eyebrow-raising approval.

The dreaded moment came as one of my roommates sounded off “Attention on Deck!” We snapped to while he represented our room to the instructors. They would walk through looking for everything and anything. If they found “any” sand, dust, dirt or something that they just didn’t much approve of, you were toast. It only took 3 hits and it was off to say good morning to King Neptune.

The instructor, after several anxious filled minutes, picked my knife up for inspection. I watched closely as he flipped it and turned it, looking for anything that didn’t belong on the knife. I was hoping that he would try shaving his arm, but he went for the thumb test instead.

“DROP!” Seaman Smith, who sharpened your knife?!

“I did instructor Corona!”

“Don’t lie to me, Smith! Did you bring it on town?”

“Negative Instructor Corona, I used my Lansky kit to sharpen it.”

“That’s a sharp knife, Smith! Good job and hit the surf for cutting me!”

“HOOYAH Instructor Corona!”

This was one of only a few times in training that I was excited about going and getting wet and sandy. I had sharpened my knife so well that the inattentive instructor, thinking it would barely pass, pressed down too hard and wound up getting more than he bargained for. He cut himself and was absolutely stunned.

The Lansky kit is a very effective knife sharpening kit for knives ranging from kitchen and household knives to combat-ready knives. It comes with everything that you would need for sharpening your knife, including their knife blade clamp. This clamp has holes at specific degree positions.

17-degree angle is for filet knives and razor blades.
20-degree angle is for kitchen cutlery and slicing knives.
25-degree angle is for hunting and outdoor knives that require a durable but sharp edge.
30-degree angle is for heavy-duty use, like cardboard, carpets, etc.

It comes with very detailed instructions that are very specific on how to set the knife in the clamp and use the stones to sharpen the knife. You can buy other accessories for the Lansky aside from your kit, such as a mount or a leather honing device for straightening the blade. I myself have never used one, so I can’t tell you how well it does or does not work.

A couple of other things you need to know about this kit. I would consider this specific Lansky Kit more of an admin “out of the field” knife sharpening kit. I say this because it is somewhat bulky and takes a minute or two of set up preparation before you can start with the knife sharpening process. When first using this kit, I would recommend starting slowly and get the sharpening technique smooth and consistent. You will most likely play around with how you hold the knife or clamp to sharpen the knife.

When I use this Lansky kit, I held the knife by its handle to sharpen it (as seen below).

The other option is to hold it by the clamp. I tried this as well but found that the knife itself would move and loosen when I sharpened it.

I do enjoy the Lansky Controlled Angle Sharpening System. It takes most of the guess-work and blade angle consistency out of the equation. I would say if you use this kit as instructed, you have a probability of 95% in getting your blade super sharp.

You can also use the stones by themselves if you are a savvy knife sharpener (Just a thought). This is an awesome system and I would recommend it to anyone that loves their knives sharp but does not know how to use a stone or sharpening stick.

-Mad Max

Pro-Tech TR3 Tactical Response Auto Knife

People have asked me from time to time, what type of pocket knife I prefer to carry. That is a loaded question, because I don’t think that there is “one” knife that I would choose as the only one. If you have the option of carrying more than one knife for whatever you are doing, you should.

I use a utility knife for cutting and minor problems that come up when I am at work.. When I say utility knife, I am not talking about a stinking razor knife or box cutter knife. What I am referring to is a regular blade folding pocket knife that has a thick high quality metal blade with a utility edge.

If I am out in the yard, or doing something outside with my family or just my wife, I would probably carry a combination regular/serrated folding pocket knife. There are several reasons behind this thinking. The regular blade is great for protection from people or animals, skinning animals, fish, small diameter cord, etc. The serrated edge is great cutting heavier materials such as seatbelts, fabric or rope. Serrated is also good for using in the woods if your need to cut a branch or very small tree as well as skinning the bark off of it.

The Pro-Tech TR-3 x2 is one of those multi-purpose knives. The TR-3 X2 Fish Scale Automatic Knife is my pick of the year. I love how light it is, the incredibly quick action of the automatic opening system and how secure it feels in my hand from the fish scale grip. The one thing that you have to remember is an automatic opening knife is under constant tension. When you close this knife, you have to make sure it clicks and locks closed. If you do not and release the blade, it could redeploy to the open position. Always be familiar with the operation of your equipment…Period.

The retention clip provides a secure means of clipping to a pocket, backpack strap or internal pack pocket.

The button the activates automatic deployment and extension of the blade is easy to use and responsive. A must have a knife for your kit.

Pro-Tech only warranties their knife to the original owner for defects in material and craftsmanship. Replacement parts and labor are the only things that are covered under this warranty. If the knife is not used under normal conditions and is miss used, the warranty is void.

The cost of this knife is a direct reflection to the quality and what Pro-Tech stands for as an American made knife. David Wattenberg is the President of Pro-Tech. He first started building these knives out of his kitchen in the late 90’s. Is requests for his knives increased he put together a shop and team of highly experienced and meticulous knife smiths. Each knife is assembled in his shop in the United States and receives the highest level of scrutiny possible. Below is a video with more explanation.

video courtesy of http://www.protechknives.com/knives/company.asp

Check these out, it will be worth the time and money. Available for purchase at Blade HQ for $154.95.

Granite Gear BRULE | First Impressions

Getting around a college campus in the most efficient and comfortable way is definitely important to many people. Some students can leave most of their books in their car or a centralized locker and just go back and forth to switch out classroom materials before their next class. Others have to drive or take public transportation to school. Where they park or get dropped off may not be in key locations, requiring them to walk some distance. Another big hurdle to deal with most classes, you can’t just show up with your laptop, pen/pencil and a notebook to scribble down information. Others are not so lucky, in that they live close to campus, but not close enough. This brings in question “How do I get all of this around campus with as much comfort and efficiency as possible without looking like a yard sale. Granite Gear’s Brule College pack has what I believe to be an excellent solution to the problem.

This pack has many features that make lugging things quite a bit easier. The way it has been designed will provide you with a very organized means to navigating your classes and any other campus or full day activity that you may partake in. It has two main compartments for books, tablet and laptop.

The laptop compartment is very well padded at the bottom, front and back. This particular compartment is closest to your back.

The next pocket is the largest of them all and also has a tablet pouch at the top of the compartment.

This compartment is ideal for books, clothes, rain gear, camping supplies and whatever else you may use it for. The drawstring top for this compartment helps to decrease the chance for foul weather getting into your pack.

The reason I say “decrease”, the top flap does not have sides that come down which would increase the ability to keep the inside safe from foul weather.

The top flap is made of water proof material and zipper to allow for water tight compartment.

The inside of the top-flap compartment has a barrier zipper with a tricot liner which I believe is equivalent to the Gortex material that many of today’s hiking boots use for waterproof liners.

The next and smaller compartment is designed to hold writing stuff, calculator, cell phone, etc. A college size note pad would fit in nicely in there as well.

The final front pocket is neither weather tight or protected from the elements. This could be used for pretty much anything that fits in it.

A couple of things that I did notice are as follows.

The shoulder straps have a clear material that have been advertised as enhance breathability. This material is one of the weak points of this college pack that I might replace with the repelaweave fabric for increased durability.

There is mention of a “load bearing hide-away hip belt that can help to take the pressure off your shoulders”, which is verbatim from there website. Unfortunately, I am not finding this beautiful feature to the Brule. This would most definitely be an excellent feature to have though. My finger is pointing to the shoulder pad synching strap.

Through the years and my experiences in the great outdoors, I have grown increasingly picky and biased to what I like and don’t like about gear and equipment. I am very quick to immediately look for the shortfalls and weaknesses, but always try to provide an idea or solution to what may help to improve said piece of gear/equipment. I consider it a privilege when a company like Granite Gear asks the Loadout Room to review one or more of their products.

Stay tuned for a more detailed review after some real world use and abuse.

Law Enforcement Use Of Deadly Force Explained

Ok folks, so I know there a lot of people who believe LEO’s (Law Enforcement Officer’s) are too quick to draw their handgun to incapacitate or kill and uncooperative or unruly individual. I am not saying that every shooting scenario or incident that plays out in the United States, ending up with a person shot or killed is always warranted, but there are cases that many LEO’s “gut instinct” is dead on (no pun intended) and they have enough probable cause to subdue an individual through violence of action.

I also know by watching this video that the reaction that could very well be needed to save or protect their life, their partners life and the lives of innocent bystanders is quite literally the amount of time it takes the average person to blink an eye. There are many people out there that will inevitably debate this topic until the end of time. I will not get into a heated discussion about the reasons that individual LEO’s react the way they do, because not all officers of the law are correct in the actions that they deem justifiable. It is also my opinion that you cannot judge an entire Law Enforcement community on a national scale by the actions of a few.

There will always be some bad apples or corrupt officers out there and that will never change. The percentage is quite small though and I will be the majority of officers 110% on the decisions that they make when they are on/off shift protecting their communities, family and friends from the evilness that is so very often hiding in the shadows. With that being said, I invite you to watch his video to give you a more realistic idea of what it is like to be in their position.

(featured image courtesy of talkingpointsmemo.com)