Tag Archives: Tactical

We all talk a good game on social media. We all talk about how prepared we are every minute of every day – but how accurate is that? Those “EDC Pocket Dump” photos are all so carefully laid out and posed. They remind me of the field gear displays we’d have to lay out onContinue reading “Is EDC truly EVERY DAY?”

I’m finally home from our big annual East Coast Training Week. This one was longer than normal, because NC Scout and I started with a weekend at Mountain Readiness. While there, I taught a Land Navigation Basics course and Scout taught Driving Under Night Vision, using his truck that has IR headlights. Mountain Readiness isContinue reading “Recap: 9 Days of Training”

…then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head.  Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they wouldContinue reading “Situational Awareness”

It’s time for a real-life status check. We just saw mass protests around the country that got fairly violent. The US has bombed Iran and just prior to the bombing, the Ayatollah sent a note to President Trump warning that if we attacked, he would activate terrorist sleeper cells within the US. This morning, aContinue reading “Status Check Time”

Saturday, I was on the road home and stopped into Denver to visit an old friend from High School. I also decided to peek into the No Kings protest to see what it was all about. My biggest learning is that despite highly vocal people on both sides (left and right), the vast majority ofContinue reading “Overcoming Apathy”

When it comes to preparedness, the phrase “acta non verba” is pretty relevant. Lots of folks talk a good game online, but when the rubber hits the road, they’re not as prepared as they claim. Me, included, sometimes. Against that backdrop, we’re going to start with a little Tactical Wisdom, talk about it, and thenContinue reading “Acta, Non Verba”

We live in chaotic and tense times. They aren’t getting any better. We are seeing an increase in terror attacks, active shooters, and mass casualty events. It’s one thing to prepare for things at home, but what about when you are caught at the scene of a major event? Common sense would tell most ofContinue reading “Active Response Kit”

As Americans, or members of Western Society as whole, we’ve gotten way too used to comfort.  We like to come home, sit on the couch and watch TV, eat copious amounts of over-processed but readily available food, and be comfortable.  We live in climate-controlled homes, drive in our climate-controlled cars to our climate-controlled offices/workplaces, thenContinue reading “Comfort”

This weekend, anti-Trump protests have sprung up all over the country. I felt like it was time to throw out a few reminders. The prudent see danger and take refuge,    but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. Proverbs 27:12 First, it’s absolutely foolish to underestimate the resolve or training of these protestors. As MikeContinue reading “Getting Ready for Protest Season”

Despite having written on this topic dozens of times, the number one question I still get is, “yeah, but where can I find like minded people?”. While I’m going to answer the question (yet again), we need a little tough love first. Ready? Here goes…let’s start with some Tactical Wisdom: You should mind your ownContinue reading “Where are My People?”

It’s Independence Day evening, and I’m sitting here drinking a Yeungling and watching the dazzling lights of the fire truck on the next block over (is it really a fireworks show if the FD doesn’t show up) while reflecting on independence. It’s a really a big idea that goes nicely with preparedness. It’s even inContinue reading “Independence”

When I start asking people what’s in their immediate-action Go Bag, it’s always the cool stuff: A little food, some first aid, a knife, extra ammo for a handgun, ponchos for shelter, gloves, all that good stuff we absolutely need. However, there are several less cool things that we need to develop solid action plansContinue reading “The Other Things to Prep”

The Francis Scott Key Bridge was struck by the MV Dali (Singapore-Flagged) at 0130 Eastern on 3/26/2024. Casualty numbers are not in yet, and it is certainly a tragedy. We can take away a few lessons from it right now. Immediately after, almost everyone on the internet became an expert on ship handling, port operations,Continue reading “Preparedness Lessons from Baltimore”

This past weekend, I spent some time with a group of like-minded folks working on secure vehicle movement. Having been there and done that on a few occasions, I can report that the guy who led the class really knew his stuff. We capped the day with a practical exercise by actually doing a secureContinue reading “Road Movement Planning”

“How do I find like-minded people to build a community with?” is probably one of the biggest questions I get, but I’m going to have preface this with some tough love. I’m going to tell you how, but you all need to “man-up” (or woman-up or Zhe-up) in this area. What I mean is, when I tellContinue reading “Finding Community”

Probably the second biggest pushback I get is: Look, I’m not into radio, so why do I need a comms plan? Well, imagine you didn’t have an advanced microcomputer that you carried with you everywhere for instant communications and information? What if you walked down to the river for water, leaving your family at home, and theyContinue reading “Why Do I Need A Comms Plan?”

It’s no secret that I recommend having a good tent or a tarp along with outdoor sleeping gear. These aren’t meant to be where you live out your days in a without rule of law situation. In fact, in all of my books, I mention that quality of life matters, even in a disastrous situation. While it’sContinue reading “You Don’t Have To Live Like a Refugee”

A man was killed in a knife attack in Paris yesterday and two others wounded. Assaults and attacks related to the Gaza conflicts are happening all over the world and the victims rarely have anything to do with either side. Extremists on both sides are using it as an excuse to commit violence. Meanwhile, crimeContinue reading “EDC Means “Every Day””

I can’t think of a better topic on Thanksgiving week than building your tribe. Think of the example of the first Thanksgiving – a group of people who fled the dystopian urban centers of Europe to evade over-reaching federal governments intent upon stamping out their religious freedom. Sound familiar? These people made the ultimate homesteadingContinue reading “Building a Tribe”

Optus Telecom, the second largest telecommunications company in Australia that serves 40% of the population, suffered a complete phone and internet outage for most of the day today. Looking at the above outage map, you might think, “that doesn’t look so bad”, but those red dots represent where most Australians live. The outage had massiveContinue reading “Telecom Crash In Australia”