The AR-15 is about as common a rifle as you’ll find in this country. If you don’t own an AR-15 you might want to think about it. Few other firearms give you the same defensive capability. The AR platform is extremely easy to operate, infinitely customizable, reliable, and easy for most people to use. Whether you plan to purchase one in the future or already own one, you may want to know about defensive AR-15 setup.
Defensive 1911: 1911 Reliability
Some of you have expressed interest in the defensive 1911. Some others have written in with more general questions about 1911s. These days there aren’t a whole lot of people – at least people of my generation – taking 1911s very seriously. Today I’m going to talk about some reliability factors of the defensive 1911, maybe a few things to think about before taking up the 1911.
My Favorite Books: Drugs Edition
I have been reading like crazy this year…at least compared to the last five or so years. Recently I have been reading about a lot of illicit substances. There are some fascinating books out there about these compounds and today I’m going to recommend a few of them. This is another updated post, but I have added a LOT to it. I continue to read about drugs and drug prohibition, and continue to be surprised. I strongly encourage you to read a few of these books.
Dry Practice Function Stacking: Varying The Draw
I began this series during full-on COVID lockdowns. Now you can go to the range but you might have a problem finding ammo…or being able to afford it. Today I’m going to talk about some very simple, low-cost things you can to do increase the value of your dry practice time.
Preparedness Part III: Be Financially Prepared
In my last two posts on preparedness I have discussed preparing your body and preparing your mind. Today I am going to talk about yet another unpopular preparedness topic: financial preparedness. This is a very simple, two-step process: reduce expenses and increase reserves but don’t worry – I’ll go into a bit more detail.
Know a Knot: Bowline on a Bight
This weekend I was considering what knot to run this week. I dug back through the previous knots and was a little surprised I hadn’t mentioned the Bowline-on-a-Bight. It’s an interesting knot, and a really easy one to tie.
Humaning 101: Basic Hand Tools, Part II
In Part I of this article I talked about some basic hand tools every household should have. The were basic PPE, screwdrivers, pliers, hex keys, hammer, measuring and marking tools, and saws. Those tools should get just about everyone started. Today I’m going to talk about a few more that I think are more or less essential and are still well within the realm of “basic” hand tools (and I wax philosophical here and there). Enjoy.
Housekeeping: SAR, Technical Rescue, Paramedic
Today I want to provide a personal update and let you know why I have been less active on the blog. As some of you may have noticed I have recently slowed down a bit on the blog posts. There are some reasons for that. I attempt to run this blog with some transparency so I’ll let you know exactly what those reasons are.
Know a Knot! The Scaffold Knot
Welcome back to Know a Knot! I know it has been a few weeks since I’ve posted a knot article and for that I apologize. This week I’m back with a reader request: could you demonstrate a knot that slips? Yes (based on some other text in his email I believe he mean “slip”as the ability to loosen or tighten the loop) I can! There are a lot of knots that slip but I really like this one because it is a very strong knot and you already know how to tie it. It’s called the scaffold knot.
Humaning 101: Basic Hand Tools, Part I
I recently got a reader request for an article on tool maintenance. I’m not necessarily the expert on tool maintenance but I’m willing to take a stab at it. Before I do that I think we should talk about one of those things every halfway competent human should possess: a set of basic hand tools.