Manly Skills

Ruck like the best of them: Former Green Beret breaks down the basics of hiking your gear

In our Selection preparation, we always stress the importance of Rucking and the value that all of the services put on it in the Special Operations community. The services will all stress the 45-pound minimum in training and one of the frequent questions we get is why train with 45-pounds when in reality the amount […]

Learn to Live Like a Navy SEAL

Across the ages, every great society has celebrated and revered a great warrior tradition and passed on the stories of these heroes in folklore. We can look back to the Spartans, Roman legions, Vikings, knights, Samurai, or Aztecs, and each time we will find that a strong warrior class coincided with a strong nation. The […]

Learn how to prepare for a bad situation from retired Navy SEAL Clint Emerson

Longtime readers at the Loadout Room will recognize Clint Emerson as the author of the 100 Deadly Skills series of books, which are an invaluable tool for anyone that prizes self reliance and being prepared. For those who may not have run across Emerson’s work in the past, he is one of a few professional […]

Nobody goes into a room like Delta Force: A CQB attitude primer

Editor’s Note: This piece was written by Delta legend and all around American Hero George E. Hand IV for NEWSREP. (Cover photo: my good bud Robert Horrigan, KIA in Iraq) Close Quarters Battle (CQB), or Close Quarters Combat (CQC) is to the effect about 75% (maybe higher) testicles, and then 25% technique. I don’t like […]

A simple mental exercise that increases your chances of surviving a gunfight

For a defensive minded person, potential threats to the well-being of you and your family are always near the forefront of your mind. Whether you’re walking down a dimly lit New York City alleyway or trudging up the steep and well-worn mountain path behind your wooded home, there are dangers to consider and mitigate if […]

Winning the fight: The biggest, strongest guy in the bar usually isn’t the one you need to worry about

For the security conscious, walking into a crowded bar usually isn’t your idea of a good time. Crowds are exceptionally good at concealing threats, and those who have built careers (either legitimate or otherwise) by being a threat know that. These days, I’m a pretty big fella. At six feet tall and around 245 pounds, […]

Stop ‘glamping’ and get back to basics with these minimalist camping tips from a wilderness survival expert

I grew up camping. Some of my happiest childhood memories are of being curled up in a sleeping bag and a pup tent, reading comics by flashlight. I always assumed everyone grew up that way, loving and appreciating the outdoors by visiting it every now and again. So, you can imagine my shock and utter […]

When point shooting in CQB is good to go

For every shooter there is a certain range that they reach their limit of proficiency at, of course this is not a constant but changes with time and practice; as skill improves, so does the distance. This point of proficiency is the furthest distance the shooter can effectively engage point targets with an almost constant […]

Precision rifle zeroing | Basics done right by Ranger sniper team leader

I’ve seen some pretty talented shooters making the same basic mistakes at the range. Over and over again, I see (and have fallen victim to) brain farts that should elude all but the most basic shooter. Screws that weren’t properly torqued coming loose in scope rings, spending far too long (and too many rounds) trying […]

There’s a serious problem with most of your ‘survival vehicle’ plans…

Although I spent the better portion of my twenties running around the world with a fresh fade and my boots bloused, the line of work I was in both before and after serving in the Marine Corps was in the racing industry. Most folks might be surprised to know that there are some real parallels […]