The first day of SHOT 2023 has been recorded on the soles of my feet and on my pedometer – 7.4 miles in one day and the week is just getting started!
Allow me to share a few tidbits of what I saw on my first pass of 2023. Although I haven’t caught sight of a ton of way cool new stuff so far, there are some product drops/presentations happening later in the week.
The first two companies I visited are in keeping with my preparedness and food theme of years past.
ReadyWise is a familiar name in the long-term food storage game. But this is their first appearance at SHOT. Their tasty-looking freeze dried meals are available in a variety of formats from individual “Adventure Meals” to buckets containing hundreds of servings of shelf stable food. They even offer an “Emergency Survival Backpack” which in addition to food also contains water pouches, a small stove, a cup, a flashlight, matches, and a first aid kit. If you don’t have the time or energy to build your own emergency bag, this may be a viable option for you or a family member. ReadyWise is also licensed to carry the American Red Cross logo, so their quality is well-recognized.
Drip Drop is a brand of ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) which I found in the LE/Military section at SHOT. Unlike a lot of sports drink solutions out there, this one reports that it meets World Health Organization standards for ORS. That means that it meets the specific ratios of water, glucose and electrolytes required by the body to properly absorb water from the gut in cases of mild to moderate dehydration. Because of that, I would trust this brand over some of the other water additive products that I’ve seen lurking around and making wild claims about their ingredients. The Drip Drop rep gave me some samples, so I’m going to give it a try. I’m not enough of a drinker that I would need it for hangover relief this week, but I know some people who might – LOL!
In addition to those items in the consumables department, I also looked (briefly) at a company I won’t name which was marketing scary-looking shelf stable meat sandwich looking things which looked vaguely like hot pockets. I wasn’t brave enough to go there, so I’ll spare you that one. But you find all kinds of things at SHOT. One guy tried to hard-sell me a handheld personal massager – no, not THAT kind! LOL.
While on the show floor I also checked out Gun Tote’n Mamas, which produces high quality carry purses and bags. I personally haven’t carried a purse for over 20 years, but I was looking at their carry fanny pack bags which looked promising. These reportedly are constructed of luggage quality leather and are RFID protected. I am normally not a huge fan of off-body carry, but I recognize that for some women this is the only way that carry is going to happen. I am looking into this further and will hopefully have a better, longer report at a future date.
On my list for tomorrow is looking at the new releases from Buck Knives and Minus33 which is a merino wool company. Later in the week I’m planning to hit up VooDoo Tactical and TUFF Products , plus whatever my might strike my fancy along the way. So stay tuned!
