I recently had lunch with fellow gun blogger (videographer?) and all-around good guy, Chris Baker. Chris and I were catching up after not having seen each other in quite a long time. I mentioned my EMT/Paramedic training track and at some point he asked, “are EMT and paramedic different things?” This is a really common question I get from people outside emergency services, so I thought I’d quickly run down some quantifiable differences for you.
Hiking Emergency & Recovery Protocols
Last weekend we did a very difficult hike. Actually, to be honest we didn’t complete it. Despite hiking every week, and rucking on our road at least a couple days a week, we were turned back after four miles, 4,000 feet of elevation gain, and some extremely rugged terrain. On our walk back we began talking about what we would do if one of us was injured. We also talked about some emergency protocols we had already put into place.
Respect for the American Flag
Today I’m going to talk, just a bit, about my brand of patriotism and my view of the American Flag. Then I’m going to talk about a few versions of the American flag I’ve seen lately. This has been eating at me for a while; on Labor Day weekend I saw the flag in the featured image, which prompted me to write this.
Beyond the IFAK: Home Medical Gear
The IFAK (individual first aid kit) has become extremely popular. A number of companies sell purpose-built, military-style IFAKs for civilian use. Many more sell IFAK components. Numerous methods of carry, including wallet kits and ankle rigs have proliferated. I think that’s fantastic. Unfortunately I think the twin Gospels of the Tourniquet and the IFAK aren’t the end of the story as far as first aid for the well-prepared is concerned.
Waterproofing a Backpack
After a recent SAR call-out I decided that I needed to waterproof my All Purpose EDC pack. We were deployed two hours away from home. We stepped into the woods at 2200 and walked three miles into the woods in pitch darkness. After a Blackhawk helicopter had hoisted the patient and the rescue was over, we walked back out. After about 12 hours total I got home around 0730. It wasn’t the rain that made me realize the need for waterpoofing, it was the river crossing.
BSR Accident Avoidance Training AAR
This article is a guest post from Frank. Frank contacted me a few weeks ago and told me he had attended a defensive driving class at Bill Scott Racing (BSR). Having attended some training at BSR myself I was interested to hear his take. I was also extremely gratified that my writing nudged someone to get vehicle training! Frank was gracious enough to write this after-action review of his experience. Hopefully it encourages a few more of you to seek driving training. Enjoy!
Defensive 1911: Dropping the Slide
The 1911 design is, as most of its more emotional followers are quick to point out, over 100 years old. Mostly I don’t care about that at all. It’s interesting but it’s not better because it’s ancient any more than your Glock is better for being filthy or Austrian or grey in color. However, I do care about that in as much as the old design requires some special considerations in use and handling. Today I’m going to talk about one of those: dropping the slide on the 1911.
Defensive AR Setup 3: The Rifle Itself
Many of you are probably wondering why I chose to write about accessories (Part I, Part II) for the rifle before writing about the AR-15 rifle itself. I have been operating under the assumption that most of you reading this already own your rifle. I realize that is not the case for everyone, so today I am going to talk about a few considerations in regards to the selection of your carbine.
Streamlight TLR RM-2 Long Gun Light
As I wrote recently, I am a big fan of the Streamlight TLR-1 weapon-mounted light. Many of Streamlight’s successive WLMs have held little appeal for me, trending generally smaller and intended for EDC handguns. That’s not universally true, but there hasn’t been much in Streamlight’s line that has really excited me until recently. Earlier this year Streamlight introduced a crop of new lights including the Streamlight TLR RM-2.