A compass matters. A good compass is not hard to come by, but often times they can be something of a pain to deal with. This is especially true during squad movements. As a backup navigator, I’m constantly checking my buddies heading to make sure he’s good to go and that we’re on … [Read more...]
survival gear
Light My Fire Black Pearl CampKit: Give your campfire skills an edge
Give your campfire skills an edge. With the new Black Pearl CampKit, there should be no reason at all for not being able to get a fire started. Light My Fire has created one of the best all-in-one kit available for getting a sustainable fire started, no matter the weather … [Read more...]
Old school Marine Corps 782 gear and how it relates to modern day survival gear
I served in the Marine Corps back in the 1990s and was issued this exact gear for all training deployments and field exercises. We used the 782 gear loadout for desert warfare, jungle warfare and mountain warfare. We didn't have different loadouts for different environments like … [Read more...]
The SOG Ace | Rugged And Durable Without Breaking The Bank
I was packing to leave for a trip to work. I went through my usual checklist – Helmet, Night Vision, Gerber Multi-tool (I wrote a review on that as well, you can see that here), clothing, Gore-tex, MultiCam this – MultiCam that, boots, plate carrier, etc. Long story short, I … [Read more...]
Exotac titanLIGHT | Cleared HOT!
Exotac is the result of combining a Purdue educated engineer and a true love for everything outdoors. Their vision is, “based upon designing extraordinary, high-quality and unique outdoor and urban gear“. It’s a no compromise operation when it comes to product design and … [Read more...]
Combat Survival and RECCE Chest Rig Setup
I’m not a fan of having equipment on my belt line. It impedes movement, gets in the way during awkward shooting positions or when getting into observation spots. As a SERE instructor for the military I have quite a bit of minimal gear that I need to carry in order to fulfill my … [Read more...]
The Go-Bag | Living through a terror attack, natural disaster or mass shooting
Here in the United States, we have apparently been hit by the old Chinese curse. That is to say, we live in interesting times. The world is fraught with tension and violence, and within our own borders, we are collectively agitated and bewildered by our depressing lack of a … [Read more...]