Hill People Gear is known for its extensive selection of high-quality chest packs. These things are immensely popular among members of my SAR team and for a long time I haven’t really seen the need for one. After completing the SAR training I attended a few weeks back I realized their utility and ordered a Hill People Gear SAR Kit Bag, Medium.
Know a Knot: The Yosemite Finish
I recently learned a pretty cool knot. Actually it isn’t a knot. Rather, it is a way to “finish” a bowline and tying it requires that you first know how to tie a bowline. This one is called the Yosemite Finish or Yosemite Bowline. For simplicity’s sake we’ll go with Yosemite Finish.
More Than Just a Gun: Building a Concealed Carry System
When it comes to building a concealed carry system here is a lot of emphasis on the firearm itself. That’s not totally misplaced; the gun is the most expensive and arguably most important component in the concealed carry setup. There’s a whole lot more to successful concealed carry than just the gun, however.
Survival Cooking: The Tuna Can Stove
The tuna can stove is a simple, inexpensive little stove that can be made from (mostly) common items around your home. I recently made a few of these. The tuna can stove isn’t going to replace my Jetboil but… Well, let’s get into it and I’ll explain why this isn’t my preferred survival cooking option.
Even More Instructorship Lessons
I recently mentioned attending some outdoor Search & Rescue training. The class wasn’t bad but there was definitely some poor instructor behavior. I’ll be honest, I thought I had seen it all until began attending public safety training. Here are a few instructorship lessons that may help make your classes better.
WML Review: Surefire DSF-870 Forend
Some savvy readers may have noticed that I am in the process of uprading some of my weapon-mounted lights. I recently put a Modlite on my AR. After attending Tim Chandler and Ashton Ray’s Shotgun Skills I decided it was time to bite the bullet and invest in THE pump shotgun light: the Surefire DSF-870 Forend.
SAR Training/Campout Lessons Learned
I recently attended a 60-hour, Search and Rescue (SAR) qualifying course. The class is required by both the SAR team I volunteer on, and as a member of the special operations team at my EMS day job. The class spent a couple days (and one night) in the woods. I though I would share a few training observations and campout lessons learned.
Recce Patrolling Part VII: Patrol Base Ops
At some point your recce patrol will have to halt for an extended period of time. This is when you will establish a patrol base. Understanding patrol base ops is critical for a recce team. This may differ quite a bit from how patrol base operations are conducted by larger infantry units due to the peculiar nature of recce patrols.
Hiking 101: How to Start Hiking
I absolutely love hiking. We live within the boundaries of a National Forest, and a short drive from two federally-designated wilderness areas. Our house is only an hour’s drive to another National Park. We see a lot of people in the woods, many of whom are grossly unprepared, and we’ve taken our fair share of newbies for their first “real” hike. Here is the advice I would give a beginner on how to start hiking.
Recce Patrolling VI: Individual Recce Skills
I my last post I talked about the basics of patrolling for a recce team. In this post I’m going to cover some individual recce skills and attributes that everyone in the team should possess.