This week our neighborhood hosted a gathering. This was a great opportunity to meet families who’ve recently moved into the area, and to catch-up with neighbors we’ve known for years. Part of the event included three local law enforcement officers who spoke about...
A Level 4 Comms Option
In the Panoplia.org online Soft Skills and Tactics (SST) Course we mention that every Loadout Level should include four essential gear categories. As shown in the image below, these are: A Means of Communication, Medical/Trauma Supplies, Self Defense Options, and...
Nutristore Product Review
Two days ago I watched a video produced by the China Insights YouTube channel. The video shows what life is like in Shanghai as of May 5, 2022. After enduring weeks of forced lockdowns due to rising COVID cases, residents have been permitted to leave their homes once...
Klarus Flashlight Review
A well-made, dependable, tactical flashlight is one of the most important pieces of gear that you can carry. On a basic level, it provides light in the darkness. This may seem boring, yet if you’ve ever been in a sketchy area when the electricity goes out at night,...
Perimeter Alarm “Attack”
On 22 April 2020, almost two years ago now, we published an article titled Covert Hardening. In this we shared an account of a situation that took place while I was in Yemen. This drove home to me the necessity of including a somewhat covert, outside-the-home early...
Portable Water Filters
For decades we’ve depended on some amazing gear. We’ve been able to test numerous products while residing long-term in, or traveling short-term to, some of the world’s most challenging areas. Some of this gear has served is well for years, while other products have...
Brunton 7×18 Monocular
Civil wars and other conflicts are raging at this very moment in a number of international locations. I’ve been receiving several updates a day from individuals on the ground, close by, or monitoring these situations from many miles away. Battles, drone strikes,...
Digital Road Flares
I shared in our last Saturday article the fact that my son-in-law was recently involved in a serious automobile accident. On a dark, very wet and rainy night in late October he was stopped at a red light. Without warning, a sports car slammed into the rear of the car...
Beartooth Off-Grid Comms Test
As Global Security Advisor for teams serving in over 100 countries, I’ve learned first-hand how important it is to have communication redundancy. We’ve mentioned in numerous posts that having a three-tier Comms system should be considered the minimum. A three-tier...