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Hello and welcome to Swift | Silent | Deadly, a personal blog by me, Justin Fields. As a former Marine Corps Special Operations member, government contractor, and professional trainer, I’m on a mission to help others become more capable and competent human beings. Read more about me.
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The Latest
Comprehensive: How to Build a Fire
There are few skills that are as universal as building a fire. From remote Afghani villagers who have never seen a cell phone to the most Gucci’d-out backpackers, the fundamentals of building a fire don’t change much. It comes as a surprise to me when I encounter individuals who can’t build a fire…even though I encounter them with some regularity. This post is going to take a very deep dive (13,000 words and 70 photos, or about 6-8 times longer than the average article here) into how to build a fire.
Dry Practice Tools: The Mantis Blackbeard
With ammunition at record-high cost and record-low availability, hitting the range might not be an option for many of you. Articles abound about how to continue firearms practice during the shortage, most involving some sort of dry practice. It seems like everyone is on the bandwagon and dry practice is no longer just for weirdos like these guys. Some exciting new tools are available to make dry practice more productive and engaging; one of the most interesting is the Mantis Blackbeard.
Military Guys Can’t Teach CCW
I recently saw a post on a gun blog† that said military and former military personnel are unqualified to teach civilian firearms classes. There is a kernel of truth to this statement, but while the words have traveled widely, their meaning has been left in the dust. Let’s look at the argument that military guys can’t teach CCW, then let’s clear this up, shall we?
EDC Flashlight Review: Olight I5T
The new(ish) Olight I5T is a lightweight, compact, AA-powered flashlight, and big brother to the Olight I3T I recently reviewed. In fact, the appearance of the newer, AA-model prompted me to review the AAA-powered I3T. Let’s take a look at the new light.
On Being a Beginner (Again)
Though this post might look like an article about archery, it’s actually about being a rank beginner at a physical skill. Though my goal in taking up the bow was to learn archery, I’ve already learned something much more important: what it’s like to be a beginner. It sucks to suck, but there are some valuable lessons here for instructors.
2021 Goal Progress: January
In January of 2021 I committed to some New Year’s resolutions: spend 15 minutes per day learning Spanish, workout 3 times per week, shoot my bow 3 times per week, read 73 books, and stay off tobacco. This is my progress so far in the year.
Know a Knot! The Water/Tape Knot
Welcome back to Know-a-Knot! It has been a while since we’ve looked at a new knot but I’ve received emails from a couple of you asking for the series to continue. Today we’re going to talk about an interesting joining knot: the water or tape knot.