Every Day Preparedness for Regular Folks: The Dorcy LED Mini Lantern...

Sometimes inexpensive is cheap... and sometimes inexpensive is good enough. Good enough is right where the Dorcy LED Mini Lantern falls in providing a good, portable, and affordable light source for regular folks during a power outage, while camping, or just for temporary small-area lighting.

The Dorcy LED Mini Lantern operates on four AA batteries and the manufacturer claims they will run for 70 hours on a set of alkaline AA batteries. The gals and I tested one of our lanterns with a brand new set of Amazon Basics AA alkaline batteries and while the lantern's LEDs did dim down a bit at the end... they lasted just over 76 hours!

They don't even list the lumens for the four little 5mm LED bulbs that light this lantern, but these lanterns are not meant to light up a 400-yard perimeter at the bug-out compound. What they do well is lighting up areas of your home during a power outage or a tent while camping. A hook is built into the carry handle and folds out to hang the lantern in your tent, or from many things as the lanterns don't weigh much at all.

In the photo above taken with the iPhone... you can see that it throws a nice, even white light for 360 degrees around the lantern. We've even knocked one of ours off the kitchen table... it hit the hard floor and bounced a couple of times, but never broke.

There are better, brighter, and more rugged products out there like the Streamlight Siege X, but when you can pick up one of these for under six-bucks... or a three-pack with batteries for under seventeen-bucks at Amazon... they're easy on the budget. We've had a couple of these lanterns for over two years now... and recently picked up a couple more. They were worth every penny this winter during a two-day power outage.

So... our recommendation for Every Day Preparedness for Regular Folks: The Dorcy LED Mini Lantern...

Tactical First Aid and System Collapse Medicine instructed by Greg Ellifritz

Over the years, my wife, daughter and I have completed various training opportunities to learn first aid, CPR, and AED usage. I had some basic "tactical" first aid as a police officer years ago and my daughter will be a senior this coming fall as she completes her bachelor degree in nursing... so you'd think we'd have the first aid aspects covered around here. The thing I know with complete certainty is that the more we learn, the more we realize how little we know... and therefore we always seek to learn more.

Our training side, G4 Personal Safety, recently hosted Greg Ellifritz of Active Response Training at our home facility for his Tactical First Aid & System Collapse Medicine Course. As a firearms instructor, prepper, 4H Shooting Sports instructor and advisor, and just as a regular folks who have decided to take responsibility for our own safety... I can assure you that this course is a "must have" for those of you seeking training to protect yourselves, your loved ones, your colleagues, or just firearm instructors better equipping themselves to serve their students. This IS NOT just another Red Cross First Aid course.

Greg has served almost two decades as a police officer in a central Ohio city, much of that time as his department's full-time training officer. Additionally, he has traveled the world extensively and brings a wealth of knowledge, information, and experience with him into the classroom. You can look at Greg's extensive list of qualifications, but experiencing his excellent instruction and enthusiasm can only be done in person.

It is not my intention to do a play-by-play recount of the course and it's contents here, as that is what Greg gets paid for... but I want to highlight some key aspects and explain why this course should be on your priority list, not your bucket list. Students in this particular class ranged from average folks, to paramedics, to police academy candidates, to former military and law enforcement.

While there are a lot of people interested in treating gun shot wounds and suturing severed limbs back into place... the content that Greg presents is applicable and adaptable to just about everyone from those concerned with preparedness, to those gearing up for tactical encounters, and to those just wanting to further their knowledge and training to deal with severe injuries and bleeding... like the kind that comes from gunshot wounds. Truthfully, in the rural area where we live... a severe injury or laceration is not that uncommon and on a good day we're at least twenty minutes or more for a volunteer or paid first responder to show up on scene.... therefore, always reminding us that we are our own first responders.

Additionally, Greg and his terrific assistant instructor Lauren, demonstrated many common methods of assessing and treating injuries based on the most recent Tactical Combat Casualty Care protocols and provided opportunities for everyone in the class to practice the appropriate application of bandages, pressure dressings, clotting agents, tourniquets, and even suturing and stapling of lacerations... with willing patients from the poultry section of the grocery store.

Greg also spent time imparting knowledge and wisdom about what is acceptable to do and what is not, like when you're crossing the line into practicing medicine, which is illegal.  He also offered extensive information and examples about various types of tourniquets, first aid supplies, medications, and resources to build your preparations in these areas.  The old adage, "like drinking from a fire hose" aptly applies here, and fortunately Greg provides a CD-ROM to each student packed with thousands of pages of information and resources that I've been diving into this past week and I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of all the knowledge available.

Beyond being an excellent instructor who is engaging and interactive, Greg backs up all of his content with statistics, references, comparisons, examples, and demonstrations of actual items so that each student can come to their own conclusions... but usually, Greg's conclusions are already right on track. He also provides some graphic, but real images and situations that he uses to teach and also assess his students in their progress of understanding and applying the protocols, techniques, and supplies he's discussed and demonstrated in class.

This was an eight-hour course and we've already talked with Greg and Lauren of Active Response Training about scheduling this course again for next year and one of his other courses. You should check the schedule at Active Response Training and if they're in your area... we'd highly recommend... Tactical First Aid and System Collapse Medicine instructed by Greg Ellifritz.

Note: If you're not already subscribed to Greg's posts over at Active Response Training... you should do so right now.  The content and weekly Knowledge Dump every Friday will save you a lot of time sorting through the web-aloney that's out there and give you solid information and links to view.

KA-BAR TDI Law Enforcement Knife and Edge/Equipped Sheath

A good knife has always been an essential for me. Back in my day, carrying my Buck 110 Finger-groove Folding Hunter on my belt in a leather sheath to high school was no big deal. Later on, that same knife was on my duty belt as a police officer in the late 1980s when Spyderco knives were just starting to make their way into folding blade fashion.

Typically... I carry two knives every day... a Leatherman Style on my keychain and a larger knife like my folding Buck Bones knife, but more recently my KA-BAR TDI Law Enforcement Knife in an Edge/Equipped sheath. Now I know that most knife-laden tactical ninjas will laugh at my Buck Bones knife... but I like it... and I still have a couple of Spyderco knives and a Benchmade Griptilian tucked away.

A defensive knife guru I am not, but I have had a couple of KA-BAR TDI knives for a number of years and I've come to appreciate the speed with which a person can employ one of these compact, fixed blade knives for defensive purposes. This past January, my wife and I attended the Sudden Threat Active Blade training presented by the ZNN Tactical Training Team. This is the second defensive knife course I've taken in my life and it was very well done with basic, straight-forward techniques that can be practiced, retained, and employed by every-day, average people.

Having noticed years ago how quickly the KA-BAR TDI knife can be deployed with minimal training and effort... especially since it doesn't have to be unfolded and locked in place... this most recent training and instruction made that even clearer. While the knife comes with a quality, plastic belt-sheath that can be configured in several manners, I picked up a sheath (yes, I bought it for the same price as you would) designed by my friend Matt over at Edge/Equipped in conjunction with LAG Tactical and I've been carrying the KA-BAR TDI knife almost daily in the E/E sheath for nearly four months now.

While the original sheath KA-BAR included with the knife is well-constructed and the belt-clip is able to be reversed for right or left hand access and positioning, I find the metal clip can be rough on clothing (yeah, I'm fat around the middle so it does rub when I sit in my vehicle or belly-up against things). Also, the metal belt clip doesn't fit well with some of the larger, thicker belts I wear that support my IWB and AIWB holsters I use to carry my EDC gun.

The soft and flexible, yet sturdy and non-stretching synthetic belt loops included with the E/E sheath work well with my belts and allow for various mounting configurations for the IWB Kydex sheath to suit the wearer's preferred carry position. The Kydex sheath is more compact and rounded than the KA-BAR sheath which I find more comfortable for every day wear. The snaps are sturdy and the "one-direction to snap on/off" type. They are a bit stiff to work and I often find myself just sliding the sheath onto my belt... but that is better than a couple of other holsters I have where the snaps are constantly coming unsnapped.

The edges of the E/E sheath are carefully finished during construction by LAG Tactical and the molded sheath fits and retains the KA-BAR TDI knife with just the right amount of tension, which is important for easy access, but also so the knife doesn't slip out as it is very sharp and after having these knives for several years, they hold their edge really well for me. You will also find the true genius of the KA-BAR TDI knife is the ergonomic grip angle and easily indexed finger groove that allows almost anyone to grip, draw, slice, stab, and gouge with the knife without extensive training and while not having to worry about holding onto the knife... even when it's wet with sweat, rain, or your attacker's blood.

I prefer to carry my knives on my left side... usually towards my center-line, as I carry my gun on my right side. That allows me to use the knife for weapon retention purposes. I'm amazed at how few regular people even notice the knife handle or grip when I carry it there. The placement of the rivets in the Kydex sheath allow a lot of flexibility in how and where you use the included Chicago screws to configure the sheath to your preferred carry position.

My main gal, the wife, liked this sheath a lot... so I ordered her a knife and sheath for her birthday this past March. Now don't bug E/E about the color as this purchase was a "one-off" item.  She has tried it out and really likes it so far. I find gals tend to need even more options than men to fit their various body shapes and clothing styles... so the almost infinitely configurable nature of the E/E sheath is an advantage there too.

If you've never tried one of KA-BAR's TDI fixed-blade knives, you really should. You will find the grip is just natural and your speed over your daily carry folding knife will probably be worth it.  The included sheath is good for many people, but you'll also find the E/E TDI Sheath worth the investment for the comfort, adjustability, and durability it offers.

Again... if you follow my blog... you know I don't just put a few shots through a gun and review it or try something out a couple of times and slap down my opinion. I have carried used this knife almost daily int eh E/E sheath for nearly four months and I've carried one of our KA-BAR TDI knifes on and off for several years with the included sheath... and I like it, especially for quick access and use for defensive purposes by an average, every-day kind of guy... So you may just want to consider picking up a... KA-BAR TDI Law Enforcement Knife and Edge/Equipped Sheath

Two are one and one is none...

I have often joked that the secret to a good marriage is to marry a woman who loves guns and motorcycles as much as you do.  My gal is a fiery, sassy redhead with a mind of her own... and the Good Lord knows we've seen a lot of guns and motorcycles come and go... and accumulate over the more than a quarter of a century we've been together.

We've had some ups and downs as any marriage or friendship does, but we've worked hard and stuck through it all... sharpened each other's iron... raised a daughter... shot and rode together... made a home out in the country together... even built a shooting range  and a couple of barns together...

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
~Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

It's great to know we have each other's back... literally.  Facing off with a home invader is not something I look forward to, but it's also not too much of a worry for me... because I know that if you're coming after me... good... my gal is going to put a round in your ear.

Now it may seem a bit strange to be posting this the day AFTER Valentine's Day... but that is exactly why I am posting it today. We all remember the important days, and the important things... but it's the little things that slowly tear us down. Most of the time, there are very few things that change in a day, but our lives gradually slide away from us over time.  We don't get fat and out of shape over night... and we don't lose our shooting and self-defense skills overnight... and we don't lose our marriages and relationships overnight.

Just like shooting, self-defense, physical fitness, and other perishable skills, our marriages and relationships slowly fade away if we don't remain dedicated to regularly work at them, strengthen them, and vary our routines from time to time. Also, if your marriage or relationship is headed south... maybe your Situational Awareness isn't what you thought it was.

So again, it's not a special day today... it's just another day... and I'm reminding myself... and maybe you... that... Two are one and one is none...

A "grey man" in tactical pants?

Two statements I want to make as I begin are A) I wear either black or coyote brown 5.11 or Propper tactical pants most days and B) almost nobody notices or pays attention to them... I've actually checked with people... friends, family, acquaintances, students that know me... most can only recall that I seem to wear black pants most of the time. Now, I often wear a button-down shirt with a sweater vest or professional looking pull-over and on casual days out, a nice looking three-button polo... but few seem to really notice the tactical pants, or as I call them, "practical" pants.

First, let me provide some personal background in clothing selection. I grew up a country boy around farms and I often wore overalls or cargo pants purely for their practical utility.  You could keep tools, knives, and/or flashlights on you that you needed as you went about your day.  In my even younger years, you'd often find my brother and I in either Sears Toughskins jeans or hiking pants and shorts. Those hiking pants, or "camper" pants as we called them, had open-pockets and snapped-pockets and zippered-pockets and loops, and even snaps to hold a key ring.

A lot of people don't realize that tactical pants started out as utilitarian pants for mountain climbers originally designed and sold by Royal Robbins. In fact, the 5.11 pants get their name from the the rating system for the difficulty of climbs by mountaineers... the most difficult of which was rated at 5.11 at the time. The idea of being prepared for daily tasks lent itself to clothing being selected more for practical needs as opposed to fashion.

In my professional life, while I did work as a police officer for a number of years a couple of decades ago, I have been a photographer and designer for many years. The utility and practical aspect of "cargo" style pants for a commercial and advertising photographer doing studio and location work can never be underestimated. I've misplaced enough lens caps over the years to affirm this.

Long before people even knew what a "shoot-me-first" vest was, I was wearing a photographer's vest on a regular basis. I personally find that carry items in pants pockets tends to be less cumbersome and intrusive than vest pockets, so you rarely find me wearing the vest the last few years. The pants are still very handy in my current day job as I teach full-time and move about a university campus between computer labs and photography studios, but many others find practicality in "tactical" pants. I've seen university maintenance personnel and an electrician in 5.11s and one copier technician who wears "paramedic/EMT" pants to hold their tools.

But... but... if you wear tactical pants everyone will know you have a gun and you'll never be a "grey man". In my experience, not really. First of all, there are so many people wearing tactical pants whether the carry concealed or not, I don't think they really don't stand out any more... especially to those outside the "gun culture". Second, I've found that the large majority of the general population don't even know what "tactical" pants are and don't even pay attention to them.

A lot of people don't seem to look side to side, let alone below eye or chest level as they go through life. The few aware, concealed carry "sheep-dog-types" out there may notice, but I'm not usually concerned with them being a threat. While a criminal might think "Mr. Tactical Pants has a gun I could steal."... I'd imagine a lot criminals sizing me up are deterred overall by my dress and manor... and will look for an easier target. Most criminals are not stupid... they, like most predatory animals, look for the weakest, easiest target in the herd.

Two years ago, I tried a little visual experiment to gauge the visual observance of my students who are in a visual design field. I taught for an hour while wearing black 5.11s, a black sweater vest, and a maroon button-down shirt and my black, dress walking shoes. I placed a paper face down by each student and asked them not to turn it over until I left the room, then I left the room. They turned the paper over and I asked simple visual questions like "What was the background color on the Powerpoint presentation I went through?", "What color pants was I wearing?". "What color shirt was I wearing", "Was there anything special about the pants I was wearing?"

After going to my office and changing into plain black slacks, the black sweater vest and a blue button-down shirt, I returned about five minutes later. One student exclaimed to another student, "See, I told you his shirt was blue!" Only one student had noted something special about the pants... being that I always carried a Point-n-Shoot Canon camera in the one leg pocket, but he couldn't recall if I wore those pants that day since I was standing there in slacks. Only four of seventeen could accurately and confidently recall the background color of the Powerpoint presentation that I used for over an hour of lecture and Adobe Creative Suite demonstrations. Now this is not a truly definitive scientific study, but it shows that being a "grey man" is not that difficult in our tuned out society.

As far as being the "grey man", my wife, daughter, and I try to live a very visually bland life.  We have plain vehicles without bumper stickers that declare, "Kill them all and let God sort them out" or "Driver only carries $20 worth of ammo". Anytime someone looks at your vehicle and jokingly thinks or says, "he's compensating for something", you're not blending in. Additionally, our daily clothing choices are not flamboyant or attention-getting. I think you can dress nice and professional without looking like a complete tactical ninja or wearing look-at-me styles and clothing choices.

I think going "grey" as much as possible is a good thing for most people's safety. Our home, barns, and property are extraordinarily average in appearance. We have a shooting range behind our larger barn and most people who don't live near by and know us have no idea it is even there as they drive by. The most noticeable thing on our property are the "Miller Security System" signs on the home and barns signalling we have an alarm system in place and the two large dogs and canine-accessories like water dishes and chew toys that say, "Don't mess with our home."

My wife and daughter dress nicely, but they don't dress or carry purses that scream "look at me" or move them to the top of the "target" choices for criminals looking to score the most in a purse grab or sexual assault. (No gals, I'm not blaming any victims for their assaults, but if you don't think the way you dress and act matters... you're not living in reality.)

We don't flash cash around when we discreetly get our wallets out to pay for something. We don't carry smart phones with brightly colored or decorated cases. We definitely don't text or plug our ears with earbuds while walking around... if you're going to put yourself in Condition White with technological visual and auditory impairment, then do it at home in a physically secure environment, not in a high visibility area... and especially not if you're advertising what you have might be worth taking.

So being a grey man can be done in different ways and at different levels, but I ask you for your thoughts... is it possible to be... A "grey man" in tactical pants?

Do you need a Grab-n-Go Two-Way Radio Bag?

In a day and age of smart phones, there isn't a lot of consideration for other modes of two-way communication by many people. While a lot of those in the prepping community are investing in HAM and MURS radio systems, I would suggest that there is still an important role for FRS/GMRS and CB two-way radios in day-to-day life.

We live out in the country and there are areas in our county where cellular service is spotty at best and depending on your carrier... non-existent in places. We've done firearms training at TDI about an hour from us in southwest Ohio and there is almost no cellular signal in the valley between the hills were they are located. Additionally, sometimes communicating with a group via cell phones is not as convenient either

Two-way FRS/GMRS and CB transceivers have come a long way since Smokey and the Bandit were saying, "Breaker... 1... 9..." and my friends and I were talking back and forth while hiking in the woods on a pair of Radio Shack walkie-talkies on the 27MHz frequency spectrum of the FCC's "citizen-bands". There are a lot of great sources of information about the various types of radios available for public use including this recent post by ITS Tactical.

I'm not here to argue the merits of various radio systems or be concerned with tactical operations and operational security (OPSEC). I just want to suggest that having some commonly available two-way communication radios that are easy to use and readily available to other people at a reasonable cost might also likely help in a lot of every day tasks, situations, and emergencies.

Did you ever have to run around and look for something you know you have, but you aren't sure where you last left it? I've been there and done that. That is why I'm a big believer in having or building "kits" and "systems" that have everything we need in a convenient location, case, or bag ready to go... just like our Bug Out Bags (BOBs). That is why we put together Grab-n-Go Two-Way Radio Bags.

Neighbor's child or dog is missing... grab the Two-Way Radio Bag. Friend lost a buck at the end of a blood trail in the woods up the road and need a few helpers to track it down... grab the Two-Way Radio Bag. Crawling through the attic to help a friend run coaxial cable down through walls all the way to the basement... grab the Two-Way Radio Bag. Going camping and want to keep in touch with the family throughout the campground... grab the Two-Way Radio Bag. You get the picture.

We have two identical Grab-n-Go Two-Way Radio Bags. Two is one and one is none. We picked up the Realtree Tool Bags at Walmart a couple of years back. Each bag contains two FRS/GMRS/NOAA hand-held two-way radios, chargers, and accessories; two CB hand-held two-way radios, chargers, 12-volt automotive adapters and accessories; one base-station FRS/GMRS/NOAA/FM radio and accessories; and one AA battery-powered USB charger with adapters to charge cell phones if needed.

We like our Midland GXT radios. There are a lot of good choices out there, but these come ready with both rechargeable battery packs and they take AA batteries too. Plus, a quick drop in the creek or a heavy downpour won't hurt these radios because they're JIS4 Water Proof. Don't try that with your cell phone. The voice operated transmission (VOX) with the included headsets makes hands-free operation a no-brainer.

The best thing about FRS/GMRS radios is that if any of your friends have bought walkie-talkies in the last few years, that is likely what they have, or at least FRS two-way radios... and you can communicate with them even if the radios are different brands. Most of these radios have "privacy codes" you can use if you want, especially if there is too much radio traffic on a given channel which works in most situations short of being at Disney World where you won't find an unused combination to transmit on.

The "base station" in each of our bags is a Midland XT511 Emergency Crank Base Camp model that has both AA batteries and separate rechargeable batteries that can be charged with a built-in hand crank generator. It's good to leave in a stationary location, or carry it if you want with the shoulder strap... it's light weight, but not as convenient for carrying as the other radios. The FM and NOAA weather channels, plus the clock radio and built-in USB charging port, come in handy too... especially while camping.

We also keep a couple of Midland 75-822 Handheld CB Radios in each bag. These operate from AA battery packs, rechargeable battery packs, and the 12-volt automotive adapter... all included with the radio. We still have a lot of farmers, truckers, and other people out here in the country and even on the interstates that use CB radios. Did you ever find yourself stuck in a five mile long traffic jam on the interstate and want to find out what's going on? Your smart phone probably won't help, but a handheld CB on channel 19 will get you all the info you need.

Don't think that having a cell phone still isn't a viable means of communication... at least until the batteries are dead and you're miles from a charger or outlet to use. We keep these handy Rayovac USB Chargers and extra USB cell phone cables in our Two-Way Radio Bags. We also keep them in our Bug Out Bags, Get Home Bags, at home, and my daughter has one in her college dorm room.

Of course, you've probably noticed a common theme here in our Two-Way Radio Bags... AA batteries. Everything in the bag can operate off AA batteries, so each bag has both extra lithium and alkaline batteries ready to go.

These bags are not set up for long-distance communication, tactical, or TEOTWAWKI situations. They are for quick, every day use in common, and uncommon, situations that require easy-to-use communication between two or more people where cell phones may not offer the best or convenient solution.

You might have other needs and expectations for creating your own Two-Way Radio Bags... but I think you'll find that if you create a "kit" that's kept ready to go... you'll wonder how you ever got a long without it and you won't be looking under the kids' beds for the other half of your walkie-talkie set.  So the question is... Do you need a Grab-n-Go Two-Way Radio Bag?

Keeping your doors closed...

Most folks enter homes and buildings through doors... it's how we're trained since we could walk. Bad guys enter the same way most of the time. I'd like to suggest a few easy and inexpensive ways to slow down the bad guys when they try to get into your home or property through your doors.

Now, this advice will not prevent a determined and capable person or persons from breaching your door with enough time, effort, and tools. This advice will help reinforce what you have and slow down bad guys. Of course... you could always build a concrete home with ICFs and commercial steel doors with bracing embedded in concrete... but that is not the reality most of us live in... so here is are some basic tips to protect you at home and delay bad guys entering your home... maybe just enough of a delay to get your gun and take an implement a defensive strategy.

1. LOCK YOUR DOORS!

You would be amazed at how many times bad guys have accessed homes simply by turning the door knob and opening the door. Most of us lock our doors when we leave our homes... but do you lock your doors while you are at home? The gals and I lock our doors while we're at home. We lock our doors while we're out mowing the lawn. If you're out in the back yard mowing grass.... and your garage door is open... and your door from your garage to your home is unlocked... and your kids are home... who is protecting them... what is protecting them... a bad guy can just walk right in.

2. Install good dead-bolt locks and quality lock-sets.

The regular door knob/lock-sets are easily defeated and a good deadbolt lock will slow down the bad guys with a stronger locking point for the door. Yeah, I know a lot of lock sets from local hardware stores and big-box home improvement centers are easily picked, but most average bad guys are not lock-pickers, they're door kickers. Oh, and if you just moved into a new home or apartment... make sure you CHANGE THE LOCKS or have your landlord do it as part of your lease.  Who knows who has keys to your old locks.

3. Reinforce the doors you have.

Most residential doors, even "steel" entry doors, are very weak compared to commercial steel doors in many commercial buildings. The key areas of weakness are primarily found in the hinge attachment points and the locking points on each side of the door. Most residential doors, even "steel" doors are just a thin steel or laminate covering over a wood particle or even foam and wood core. Here you can see a typical locking plate for a deadbolt lock for a "steel" entry door as it comes in the door frame from a lock big box home improvement center:

There is barely a three-quarter of an inch thick pine or poplar wood door frame/jamb holding the locking plate for the "steel" entry door.

This area typically breaks right out and splinters when the door is "kicked" in.

The easiest and cheapest door reinforcement you can do is replace the standard three-quarter-inch or one-inch screws holding the hinges and locking plates in place with two to three-inch long screws that go through the door frame/jamb and into the two-by-four or two-by-six wall studs that frame the doorway.

An additional step would be adding a heavy-duty lock plate with longer screws.  The heavier gauge steel lock plate with four long screws securing it to the studs behind the jamb will hold far better than the thin door jamb by itself.

The most thorough reinforcement of existing doors would probably the installation of a kit such as a Door Devil or EZ Armor by Armor Concepts.  If you have a door that has already been kicked in, if most of the damage is just the door jamb being broken out, many of these types of kits can be used to repair and reinforce your existing door.

Again, these tips will not prevent a door from being kicked in or being breached, but it will help buy you time and slow down many bad guys. If you are in the process of new construction, there are many other steps and purchasing choices you can make to have stronger, more fortified doors. but for now, the gals and I hope this helps you with... Keeping your doors closed...

Buck Knives X-Tract

The second knife I ever had as a kid growing up was a Sabre scout knife... or camping knife as we called it back them. That was a time when a child having a knife didn't result in a school lock-down and SWAT showing up. There are updated versions of that ol' scout knife available today... and there are some variations that have evolved since then.

Last year for my daughter's graduation, I had given her several items to mark the occasion, including a couple of knives. The one knife was for every-day-carry in a collegiate environment where knives are weapons and weapons are not allowed or limited to knives with a blade less than three-inches in length. The one knife I gave her was a blue Buck Knives X-Tract... as blue is her favorite color.

The Buck X-Tract is an inexpensive knife-slash-multi-tool that functions fairly well as a locking, thumb-opening knife and has some decent quality tools built in too. For Christmas, I received a twenty-five dollar gift card to Bass Pro Shops... and since I didn't need anything in particular... and they had red Buck X-Tracts on sale for about that amount, I picked one up for myself. Red may not be as tacti-cool as black, but it sure is easy to see when you drop it in the gravel or dirt out by the barn or in the woods.

While most Buck Knives are made right here in the good ol' United States of America... this one is made in China to Buck's specifications. It appears to be well built, as does the one my daughter has, and the knife blade has kept it's edge so far with regular use over the last couple of months. The thumb stud lets it flip open easily without any play in the pivot and locks in place tightly.

The pliers slide out and lock in place. The spring loaded pliers makes using them really easy and the wire cutters are very effective in my experience so far. There is a quality, slotted screw-driver blade and also a Phillips head that slides out the opposite direction. The bottle/can opener also locks in place and has been handy to open a can of tuna or soup at work. There's a place to attach a lanyard too.

This knife/multi-tool is a bit thick to be carried in the average pocket and it doesn't have a clip... so Buck includes a black, molded nylon sheath that has a snap closure and has loops for both a belt and MOLLE attachment. I know clip-knives are all the rage these days, but this ol' country boy carried a Buck 110 Folding Hunter for a couple of decades in a leather belt sheath, so I still appreciate a well-made belt sheath.

Now I must admit my bias... I've owned and used Buck knives for over thirty-five years now and they've always been a quality product, but more importantly, they're made by quality folks. The Buck family are Christians who operate their business with integrity and beliefs that ultimately led them to leave California for greener grass in Idaho. Every knife comes with a statement of their beliefs and has the Gospel of Christ for anyone who needs Him. As a Christian, that is something I can support and they admit they are not beyond mistakes, but they will make it right for you if they do mess up.

So if you're looking for a knife with some tools or an updated replacement for that old scout or camper knife...and you don't need a cork screw... for about thirty-five bucks or less on sale... you can pick up a... Buck Knives X-Tract

Hothands Hand Warmers by HeatMax

We've had one of the colder winters this year that I can remember in recent years. After about two hours on the outdoor shooting range this past Saturday with some good folks taking my NRA Basic Pistol/Ohio CCW course with a high temperature in the twenties... everyone was ready to thaw out back in the classroom.

Gloves for those who don't have the right kind for shooting or aren't used to shooting with gloves on... can be a hassle... or even a safety hazard... so many just shot without gloves. To help my students out with the cold hands on cold steel and polymer guns, I provided some Hothands Hand Warmers.

You can pick these products up in various shapes and sizes for hands and feet, but the gals and I usually keep a pretty good stock of the Hand Warmer variant. You just tear open the foil packet exposing the inner packet to air... shake it around a bit to expose the packet's ingredients to the the oxygen in the air... and it heats up and keeps generating heat for up to ten hours.

We've used them for years and while I've had them keep generating heat for several hours... I timed it one time in the hunting blind waiting on a big buck that never came by and it ran out of heat after about six and a half hours. They do generate heat, so if you drop a pair in your boots, do it on the outside of your socks or you'll find your feet getting too hot... almost burning hot.

I've used battery-powered warmers in boots and gloves over the years, but the ease of use, low cost, and safe-to-use nature of these warmers make them convenient and reliable. If you need to keep your extremities warmed on a bitter-cold day or if you gal just needs to keep her hands warm... you might consider keeping some of these handy... Hothands Hand Warmers by HeatMax

Ruger LC9 with Crimson Trace Laserguard

Shooters in the world of concealed carry are much like Goldilocks... looking for that perfect handgun that isn't too hot or too cold... too big or too small. It's a hard combination to find... and the right solution for you doesn't necessarily fit everyone else.

The gals and I have had some significant time and over a thousand rounds now with our Ruger LC9 pistol with Crimson Trace Laserguard, so I figured it was about time share our experiences. First, it has been completely reliable with every 9mm ammunition brand and configuration we could run through it.

Unlike our Ruger LCP, this little gun has usable sights. The rear sight did come loose while my buddy Matt, from Jerking the Trigger, and I were putting some rounds through it last year... but a little Loctite on the set-screw and the problem was solved. The dove-tailed sights allow for easy replacement with aftermarket sights.

I'm a fan of shooting dots... and it's pretty easy with the Ruger LC9. The three shots you see were one-shot per dot at twenty-five feet, off-hand... so this gun is more than accurate enough for a typical, everyday carry self-defense gun.  It will work as your primary carry gun or your Back-Up Gun (BUG).

The Crimson Trace Laserguard is everything I've come to expect from Crimson Trace. It's ergonomic, intuitive operation make it easy to use and completely reliable in a stressful situation. It mounts seamlessly on the gun and our LC9 came straight from Ruger with the laser.

My daily carry gun is usually one of our Ruger SR9 or SR9c pistols, so it's natural to compare the LC9 to them... size-wise. Like the Ruger SR9 series, the LC9 has a "dehorned" feel to it right out of the box and is significantly slimmer. You can also add the included finger-extension base-plate for the magazine for larger hands... and Ruger also offers an extended 9-round magazine that gives you two more rounds than the standard 7-round magazine and works great for a reload too.

Our Glock 26 has a similar side-profile, but it's a lot "blockier" and is definitely wider and heavier... but it also gives you 10-rounds like the Ruger SR9c.

My gal loves the size, slenderness, and feel of the Ruger LC9. For me, it's a bit small for my larger hands which makes the finger-extension base-plate on the magazine a terrific accessory. Recoil is very manageable for both her and I compared with our Ruger LCP pistols, which can be a bit "snappy".

While a terrific and reliable little gun, the LC9 does have an Achilles heal.  The trigger pull weight is about right for a concealed carry gun, but WOW... it is a long, long trigger pull to get to the clean break and distinct reset. It feels like a longer trigger-pull than some double-action revolvers we have. There are some companies out there, like Galloway Precision, already offering fixes, but I haven't tried one yet.

This is a great little gun, reliably eatin' any ammo we could feed it. Accurate and controllable, all works well except the long, long trigger-pull. Well wait a minute, you shot very accurately with it at twenty-five feet... yes, but it still throws me off once in a while when running against the clock. For everyday carry though, or a BUG, this works better size-wise for me than the Ruger LCP, is a real 9mm, and has usable sights... plus a Crimson Trace Laserguard.

We have a Smith and Wesson Shield on order, so it will be interesting to compare the two guns down the road... and the new Glock 42... well, if I'm carrying a .380ACP... the Ruger LCP is the choice for me.  For now, our Goldilocks gun is a little small for me, but just right for my gal... who really likes the... Ruger LC9 with Crimson Trace Laserguard...

My gals hate pink...

When I first met my wife back in the 80s... the days of shoulder pads... and not just for football players... stirrup pants, leg warmers, and big hair... like Barbara Mandrell... my gal was country when country wasn't cool. She's always worn a little make-up, but not much... and she's always had a natural beauty to her and a mind of her own... so she never really worried much about styles and trends.

She's as comfortable in jeans and camo as she is dressing up for a nice dinner out and about. She does enjoy the outdoors, shooting, and riding motorcycles, but still likes to kick back, throw on a movie... and paint her nails. A fiery redhead with sass, one thing I learned early on... pink is not this gal's color... it's purple.

Then came my lil' gal who's now off to college... and like her momma... she's her own woman too... in blue. Truthfully, I think either one would hate their favorite color if it was the norm... just because they don't like to be pegged in societal norms.  They both like to go their own way... intelligent, beautiful, independent gals with their own minds and their own ideas.

Anytime we're in a gun store or at one of the local dealers and one of the gun gurus on the other side of the counter is pushing a pink gun on some gal... or worse, some guy buying it for his gal... my wife is always about half ready to slap someone upside the head. Gals, I guess it's OK if you like pink, but my gals will have none of it.

Yeah guys, I know... a blue gun or a purple knife really doesn't blend in well while huntin'... but my gals remind me that animals are color-blind and that ninety-nine percent of the time we're not trying to evade the zombie apocalypse... but, honey... someday we might need to evade zombies and that purple... SMACK! She tells me that we'll camo it with Krylon when we have to... that's my gal!

Truthfully... black, camo, and molle gear doesn't really blend in with most environments that the majority of us encounter every day anyway. So... gun companies and others... a bright blue AR or a purple Ka-Bar TDI knife... not lavender or violet... but a real purple one (my wife's wish list)... would go well 'round here.

What can I say... My gals hate pink...

Touching-up minor blemishes on firearms...

Over the years, I've often repeated the simple wisdom that, "Scars are just visible memories." I've managed to collect my fair share of scars over the years... top of my head from a brick... both knees from surgeries for old ACL injuries and meniscus tears... left elbow from the horn of an angry black angus... right hand from a steel band on a pallet... below my right eye from a hockey puck... abdominal scars from hernia repairs... right foot from dropping some farm equipment on it with tractor... and many more.

It seems our firearms collect a lot of scars and blemishes over time through use and age too. Some folks prefer the look of a beaten-up, well-worn gun while others keep their mechanical friends as pristine as the day they left the factory. While I have undertaken several extensive firearm restoration projects over the years... sometimes we just want to touch-up a small blemish, scratch or mark.

There are a lot of great products and home-grown techniques to help keep our guns looking good, so I thought this might be a good conversation starter. Sometimes we get a small scratch or wear-spot on our blued firearm barrels, receivers, and frames and one quick way to touch-up a small area is with the Birchwood-Casey Presto Gun Blue Touch-Up Pen.

This Gun Blue Touch-Up Pen is not a black Sharpie... but a true, penetrating, chemical bluing in a pen. I've had good success with cold-bluing small areas with this product. From my experience, the touched-up area seems to hold it's bluing well... even with repeated cleanings and oiling.

The Birchwood-Casey Super Black Touch-Up Pens come in both glossy and flat black.  They work great for touching up items that are painted like scopes. On a side note, the Birchwood-Casey Super Bright Touch-Up Pens are great for adding a bright color to your front sights if you're tired of using Testors model paint or fingernail polish.

For those of us with good ol' wood stocks and furniture on our guns, sometimes those scratches and dings are memories that were unavoidable through regular use and we just want to give the guy a little bit of respect with a quick touch-up. The gals and I have had good luck with the Guardsman Furniture Markers.

You can choose a color that matches the wood finish, but I've found it best to start with a slightly lighter color and work my way through progressively darker colors until it matches. A little gun stock wax or stock-finishing oil and you're looking like new again.

While there are some very specific products available for those black aluminum and polymer items that need a quick fix... sometimes it's hard to beat the ubiquitous black Sharpie marker. Sharpies have endless uses and you'll almost never find me without one... they're in vehicles, range bags, BOBs, GHBs, the gun room and the kitchen drawers.

So, what are your tips for... Touching-up minor blemishes on firearms...

It's in my blood... American Exceptionalism.

I may be one of the few that's left... a shrinking minority... a man who still believes that the United States of America is exceptional. My friend, Matt, over at Jerking the Trigger recently posted a link to a video of Greg Medford speaking at a gathering of employees and friends at Medford Knife and Tool. It reminded me of why America is still exceptional... because we are more than just a geographically defined land mass... we are a group of diverse people who live in a nation founded by a Declaration of Independence and on a Constitution that spells out and protects the rights of man given by God, our creator. Sadly, I believe many folks have forgotten where we came from, how we got here, and where we should be heading.

Pappy, my brother, and... me.

My great grandfather had five boys who grew up on the farm. They made their own way, worked through the tough times of the Great Depression farming, selling milk, building homes, doing various jobs as necessary and as they could. They took care of their family, their friends, their community, and their country. Some served in World War II while folks like my grandfather farmed and worked in the steel mills along the Ohio River to help produce the raw material that continued to build our country.

I have great memories of my grandfather, "Pappy" as everyone called him.  Maybe those memories are inflated, almost legendary in my recollection, but he was a good man, a strong man, a manly man. He worked hard... in fact I'm not sure he knew how to not work hard. Ask anyone who's had dairy cows about getting up every morning, working every day in a labor intensive job, then working each night to keep the farm going. He could make, fix, or build just about anything... and he and my grandmother gardened, butchered beef, and provided for most of their own needs.

He still found time to have fun and do things with his family, friends, and grand-kids. I think I tend to live a lot like he did... I saw it in my mother too... a hard working lady who could cook, sew, and change a disposal under the sink or build just about anything she set her mind to. She put herself through college, married, and had two boys of her own, still working daily tutoring math as a volunteer in our local schools at almost eighty years of age. She can't stop past our house without doing some kind of work around here. Heck, we almost have to have some odd job lined up for her or she won't stay to visit very long.

The gals and I are pretty self-sufficient and can do just about anything we set our minds to and if we can't figure it our or have the right equipment... we have good friends and neighbors who probably have what we don't... so we help each other out like friends and neighbors should.  That is something that's not lost out here in the country.  I know my neighbors that live a half-mile away better than a lot of city and suburban folks know their neighbors that live forty-feet away from them.

Folks, we're headed for some rough times ahead... there's know doubt about it. We can't borrow our way out of it forever and at some point it's going to come down to fending for yourselves, your families, your friends, your community, and your country. I don't think endless growth is sustainable and while we may not have a total collapse... I believe we're at least heading for a "constriction" of our country's economy and general life-style. It's time to skip a few soccer games, occasionally turn off the TV and Facebook, and spend some quality time with the ones you love... building skills, knowledge, capabilities, supplies, and relationships that are real, practical, and meaningful.

We may not be as exceptional as we once were, but we have the foundation to be more exceptional than any place else on earth... if folks are willing to step up, take personal responsibility for themselves and their families, acknowledge reality, and move forward... looking towards a future.  THAT is why places like Medford Knife and Tool are prospering in tough times... that is why Pappy's legacy lives on generations later... and that is why my gals and I will do fairly well no matter what our circumstances are. We're not invested in and our worth is not found in things, but in folks.

What can I say... It's in my blood... American Exceptionalism.