Happy New Year! A couple of weeks ago I shared my progress report from 2024. Considering all the training I got done in ’24, it’s going to be a hard year to top.
My Single-Shot Survival Shotgun Project
I have long been intrigued with the concept of survival guns. There’s just something about the concept, like the ultimate survival handgun I wrote about several years ago. One recurring survival gun I see pop up from time to time is the single shot survival shotgun. After being fascinated by them for a long time I decided to make one.
Physical Fitness Goal: Cooper Law Enforcement Standards
I love quantifiable goals, metrics, and standards. Shooting tests – like the Wilson 5×5 Skills Test – really appeal to me because of clear ranking system. As a cadet at a local police academy I was introduced to an interesting physical fitness test. The Cooper Law Enforcement Standards measures several aspects of physical ability, and puts you into a percentile based on your age bracket. If you need a physical fitness goal and have no idea where to start, check out the Cooper Standard for Law Enforcement Physical Assessment, explained below.
Disaster Preparedness: 72-Hour Food Supply Considerations
During the power outages of Hurricane Helene, I learned a few lessons. I wrote about most of them in this article. There are some that I want to dive into in a bit more detail, however. One of them is considerations for a 72-hour food supply and how to build one.
Helene: Natural Disaster Preparedness Lessons Learned
Today I hope to offer some lessons learned from the recent events I have lived through with Helene. Though the title of this article is “natural disaster preparedness lessons learned,” these lessons are applicable to just about any emergency. If you follow this advice and develop a decent, well-rounded system of preparedness, you will be ready for just about anything.
A Very Unusual and Dangerous Ammunition Malfunction
I recently had a very unusual and dangerous ammunition malfunction. This was one I hadn’t seen before, but the end result is very similar to a squib load, which I have seen a couple times. This malfunction could have caused serious damage to the gun or injury to me or my friend. Let’s take a closer look at this malfunction.
Some Tools to Help You Sleep More and Better
I have talked and written before about getting enough sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep is incredibly important. I will talk a bit about why getting a good night’s sleep is so important, and I will talk about some tools to help you sleep that have helped me get more and qualitatively better sleep.
NPE Carry: Kramer Leather Pocket Gun Holster Review
This review marks the next in our series of NPE carry holsters. Over the past several months I have worked with several Non-Permissive Environment carry holsters. This article is our Kramer Leather Pocket Gun Holster review, possibly the best pocket holster I have had the privilege of using. Let’s dig in.
Someone Trained in CPR Saved My Life
The title is not clickbait. On Saturday, January 6, 2024, someone who was trained in CPR saved my life. I’ve said in the past that CPR is at least as important the TCCC-style, tourniquet-based training, and I’m now even more adamant about it. Though no one performed CPR on me, someone trained in CPR saved my life.
Randall’s Field Survival vs Basic Survival at Pathfinder School
Having attended both courses this year, I am sometimes asked to compare Randall’s Field Survival vs Basic Survival at Pathfinder School. If a handful of people that I regularly interact with are asking this, a few of you must be wondering it, too, so I thought I’d share my thoughts. Both were GREAT courses and this isn’t to find a “better” one, just to compare and contrast the differences for anyone deciding between the two.