The civilian battle belt is a belt containing all the stuff you might need to defend your home. It is a pre-assembled, ready-to-go kit, allowing you to simply stand up, don, and go. It provides a lot more capability than a pistol, rifle, or shotgun alone. I’m not suggesting that having a good pistol or long gun is insufficient, but this is a step above and beyond. This article will primarily focus on battle belt setup, with mine as a point of reference.
Medical: HSGI Reflex IFAK System Review
Medical gear is a critical component of any battle belt, bump-in-the-night kit, or whatever you want to call it. If you go to guns, there is a chance that guns will go to you or your loved ones. You need to be prepared to deal with it. It’s also a really good idea to have a “blowout kit” with you at the range. I spent quite a bit of time picking out a suitable individual first aid kit (IFAK), and finally settled on the HSGI ReFlex IFAK System about a year ago. I’ve been using it since then, and this is what I think of it.
XShears – The Best Trauma Scissors
I wasn’t really looking for better trauma shears when I stumbled upon XShears trauma scissors. I was mostly OK with the cheap, disposable trauma scissors I get for free at work. A friend gave me a pair or XShears as a gift and I realized XShears are the absolute best trauma scissors. This article is mostly for my EMT/Paramedic crowd, but if you need a pair of bomb-proof scissors, read on!
CRKT Stiff KISS – The Coolest Knife You Can’t Buy
In early 2000 I was a fresh, young, non-rate Devil Dog. Stationed in the isolated, pre-war, high-desert town of Twentynine Palms, CA, That place and time was a bad-decision factory, and I made my share of them†. I also made one really good one, though: I purchased a CRKT Stiff KISS. I wish I could make this decision again and again because this is undoubtedly one of the coolest inexpensive knives ever.
Chest Rigs: Hill People Gear SAR Kit Bag
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.
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.
Backpack Review: Mystery Ranch Scree 32
I recently transitioned into a new daypack/SAR pack: the Mystery Ranch Scree 32. The Scree 32 is a mid-sized, Goldilocks-size pack. It’s on the large size for a day pack and the small size for all but the skimpiest of overnight trips, but it’s just right for my uses. Let’s take a look!
WML Review: Streamlight TLR-7 Sub (Sig)
One slight “con” to many modern, subcompact pistols has been a dearth of available weapon-mounted lights (WML). The new(ish) Streamlight TLR-7 Sub is game-changer. It provides a lightweight, durable, and extremely capable capable light for subcompacts like the Sig P365/365 XL and Glock 43X/48, and is the subject of this review.
WML Review: InForce WML Gen2
The Inforce family of lights is nothing new – these lights have been around for quite some time. I actually own two InForce WML Gen2 lights, but on cleaning out the safe the other day I realized I’ve never reviewed them. Let’s take a look.
Winter Hiking Marvel: Kahtoola Micro-Spikes
Winter is my favorite time of year to hike. It comes with some hazards, not the least of which is ice on the trail. We’ve discovered Kahtoola MICROspikes and I’ll never winter-hike without them again.