A power bank to charge your electronics is a great thing to have. But what if you have kept it in your backpack long enough without remembering to charge it that the battery charge has degraded? That was the question that bothered me with the various power banks I have available. I remembered to periodically […]
Gear Reviews
The Hogue OTF | Self-Defense Slice and Dice
Hogue’s entry to knives has been a big splash. They seem to hit the market at the perfect time with their auto openers. Automatic knives are making a comeback, and knife laws around the country are beginning to modernize. In particular today we are talking about the Hogue OTF. OTF, or out the front, knives […]
CORDURA vs. Polyurea Body Armor Plate Coverings
What is the difference between CORDURA® and polyurea and how does that difference impact the performance of rifle plates? We consistently hear buyers and dealers ask some form of this question and so we decided to clear the confusion in the video below. What is CORDURA® ballistic fabric? We at ShotStop® selected CORDURA ballistic fabrics […]
The Hatch Patrolman – Discrete Duty Gloves
Duty gloves are like any other piece of protective gear. There is no perfect size, weight, or protection level. It’s all mission dependent. The gloves a soldier needs is different than the gloves a police officer needs. Hatch Patrolman gloves aren’t the right choice for everyone, but if you need a lightweight pair of gloves […]
Danner Reckoning boots | Final Review
Boots can be an interesting thing to review: we think of them in such simple terms (protect my feet) but in day-to-day use there are a number of metrics they are measured by. Â Failure to keep up in any department means the whole package doesn’t work. Â Does the heel cup chafe your Achilles? Â Too much […]
Disaster Tool Box: Where to go for information
Many people, when they think about preparedness, think of Doomsday Preppers on National Geographic or Mad Max movies and a land without laws after a catastrophic event. Both of these ideas are ridiculous in their own way, but once someone gets an idea in their heads its difficult to change their thinking, which brings us […]
Taking the guesswork out of obtaining a razor edge: Wicked Edge GO knife sharpener
There are many sharpening systems on the market that offer serviceable performance in the $100-or-less price range. What I found is that in the more effective $100-$200 price range, while still affordable for everyday knife enthusiasts, most systems have a large margin for error in the angle and quality of your blade’s edge depending on […]
5.11’s Cascadia Windbreaker | Warm, wind defying toughness
Cascadia, a term used to reference the Cascade mountain region located in the Pacific Northwest. A place I spent a fair amount of time growing up. Having attended high school in Tacoma, Washington as well as serving in 2/75 Ranger Battalion at Fort Lewis Washington, I’m familiar with the term. And even more familiar with […]
Asset – The New Technical Field Shirt By First Spear
Being light and fast is my number 1 priority in gear – that’s why I will never have a bad thing to say about First Spear’s new Technical Field Shirt aka their take on a combat shirt. Combat shirts are one of my favorite parts of my gear. They have evolved so much in such […]
Aer Multicam collaboration – The bag for the Digital Nomad
Created in 2014 out of a crowdfunding project, Aer bags have always been of a particular interest to me. The sleek, no-frills design coupled with what appeared to be stellar craftsmanship had me interested for a while. I’m no stranger to packs and bags, having amassed quite the collection over the years. So when Aer […]