Whenever I attend Outdoor Retailer, I usually have an agenda. Searching for innovative new products but never overlooking bombproof existing items. Mainly to improve something I’m working on for the Loadout Room. As I delve into the Overland space, I’ve found a few personal items of mine that require improvement. A rugged pair of trousers […]
loadout room
The tactical pen phenomenon and why I prefer the Crate Club Tactical Pen
I have carried a pen every day (EDC) for many years. It was a small Space Pen for a good long time but the clip slides off and I lost at least 2 of them. Then just a simple hard plastic Bic pen that I put a strip of ACU duct tape around (just for […]
Champion Pivot Traverse Bipod
When we have a piece of gear that serves us well during a critical moment, many of us tend to stick with it for a long time.  During my military service as well as a few hunting trips, my issued bipod was reliable.  So reliable in fact, I haven’t kept up on the latest in the bipod market. […]
Combat hunter tracks prey: 3rd Recon Marines learn techniques of a predator
The Marine Corps Jungle Warfare Training Center in Okinawa Japan had to be one of my favorite deployments. Learning how to operate and survive in a jungle environment is vastly different than a desert or woodland environment. There are also threats native to the jungle that you must be aware of. I remember attending a […]
Nemisis Arms Valkyrie: The ambidextrous sniper rifle
A couple of years ago, I fostered my interest in long-range shooting by attending classes at Marksmanship Training Center. I purchased a Ruger Precision Rifle and started getting busy throwing rounds out to 1000 Yards. It’s quite addictive and I ended up modifying my rifle with a bunch of bolt-on parts and a new Proof Carbon Barrel. Looking at […]
Enlightened Equipment on backpacking quilts vs. sleeping bags
If you’re an avid hiker or backpacker, you probably know a thing or two about the ultralight community. The ultralight concept is simple; the basic idea is to keep everything lightweight, use multifunctional gear, and limit what you don’t need. In other words, you keep your gear as absolutely minimal as possible without endangering yourself. […]
Rite in the Rain notepads & targets: Defying mother nature
Anyone who has tried to make notes on a notepad standing outside during bad weather knows the agony of soggy paper. I can say that in my 20+ years of professional work experience from being a deployed USAF Civil Engineer to my current career as an Emergency Manager more than once I’ve tried to decipher […]
A foreign military volunteer’s perspective of escape & evasion
Any everyday carry SERE (survival, evasion, resistance, escape) kit is a valuable piece of equipment. They can be applied to any potentially dangerous situation. A well put together kit should try to cover a wide array of scenarios but also be as minimalist as possible; if it’s cumbersome to carry in casual situations, you probably […]
Grey Ghost Precision Glock Slide: Beyond Perfection
Grey Ghost Precision is a Lakewood, Washington based manufacturer that is most well known for making a nice selection of AR-15 rifles to fit the needs of Law Enforcement, Military Personnel and responsible armed citizens. The company makes rifles and uppers in the most common rifle cartridges used on the AR-15 platform, ranging from 6.5 […]
Hard Head Veterans Generation 2 Ballistic Helmet ATE (Above The Ear)
High cut helmets have been the trend for some time now. The functionality when running communications equipment is a given, and the weight reduction due to the lower profile is a huge plus. The problem with many of the more infamous manufacturers of high cut-style helmets is that they are very expensive. This may or […]