There’s a meme floating around that says something like, “Don’t ever let a recipe tell you how much garlic to add. You measure that with your heart.” That’s pretty much how I cook. With that in mind, it only makes sense to grow a lot of garlic at home, saving us money at the store.
Fall is the time to plant garlic. The time is about four to eight weeks before the ground will probably freeze. This gives the garlic time to develop roots. Over the winter, it will go into dormancy.
Where to Plant Garlic
Ideally, you want a spot that gets full sun for 6-8 hours a day. Do the best you can with the space you have available. Start by digging a trench about a foot deep and several inches wide. Keep rows about a foot apart if you’re doing multiples. Add mulch or compost, then work that into the soil.
What you want to end up with is about nine inches of loose soil and compost in the trench. Adding fish meal or bonemeal to the mix is great as well. You can do all of this in a large container on your deck or patio if you don’t have a good spot in the yard.
A few days before planting, separate the cloves and let them dry out a bit.
How to Plant Garlic
A garlic bulb consists of several cloves. A few days before planting, break the bulb up into cloves and let them dry out a bit. Just set them on a plate or something and they’ll be fine. Plant them with the pointy end of the clove facing up and the flat side down.
Space them about 4-6 inches from one another. Cover them with a couple of inches of soil, so they end up about two inches from the surface. Then, cover the soil with a thick layer of mulch or straw. This provides insulation and keeps the ground from freezing for as long as possible.
Cover your garlic bed with a thick layer of straw or mulch.
Garlic in the Spring
Once the snow melts and the ground starts to thaw, rake away the straw or mulch over your bed of garlic. Keep an eye on the shoots that come up and cut off any flowers. Garlic is hungry, and adding a pellet fertilizer can help it grow. Do what you can to keep the area weeded to remove any competitors for nutrients. Water the bed once or twice a week if it seems to get dry in May or June.
Garlic can be a great option for edible landscaping projects.
Harvesting Garlic
Garlic is typically harvested from June through August. Look for yellowing leaves, as that will indicate when the garlic is ready. Dig up one bulb and check. It should be full-grown and have papery skin. It should look ready for the kitchen. If it is, you’re ready to rock and roll. Gently dig up the rest of the bulbs. Try not to damage them with your trowel or other garden tool.
Storing Garlic
Once harvested, let the bulbs cure in a dark, airy place for a couple of weeks. Tie them in bunches and just hang them up. If you cook with garlic, you’ll recognize when it’s fully dry, as the bulb will feel like it’s going to crack apart easily, and the paper skin will be dried out. This can take up to about six weeks or so.
Trim the roots off and cut the stem so it’s about an inch long. Keep the garlic bulbs in a dry, cool place, and they’ll be fine for several months. Don’t forget to keep a few set aside for planting next fall.
As the resident Florida man, I have a soft spot for KelTec. I understand KelTec isn’t making Knight’s Armament-style duty rifles or Staccato-level handguns. I appreciate creativity, and KelTec is full of creativity. One of KelTec’s most successful rifles has been the SUB 2000 series. I’ve owned multiple SUB 2000s, and I say that without shame. I resisted buying a Gen 3 because I didn’t really need another folding carbine. Then they released the Gen 3 5.7x28mm variant, and I was sold.
I’m not a big 5.7x28mm fan, but I’m 5.7 curious. The KelTec SUB 2000 Gen 3 offered an affordable 5.7x28mm carbine, and it was cheap enough for me to say “what the hell” and grab one. The 5.7x28mm round has gotten cheaper. I can find cheap plinking ammo for 20 dollars per 50 rounds, which makes it more than 9mm, but still cheaper than 10mm, .45 ACP, and other handgun cartridges.
I grabbed one, and without shame, I can say I love it.
What’s Changed With the SUB 2000 Gen 3
The SUB 2000 series of folding rifles was always neat, but the folded design prohibited the use of optics. You could mount one, but you couldn’t fold the gun. This created a niche group of optics mounts from companies like MCARBO. A few years back, KelTec released the integrally suppressed CQB variant and introduced a new rotating rail.
The Gen 3 adopted that rotating rail system, which allows you to mount your optic of choice on your rifle and maintain its folding design. To accommodate this, you do lose your iron sights. That’s not a huge deal to me because the iron sights were also mounted so low that they were difficult to use.
I like that it’s optics-ready, but they could have done it better. It rotates from the 12 o’clock position to either the 3 or 9 o’clock position. I would have preferred it to rotate completely around to the 6 o’clock position. This would have put the optic on the same plane as the pistol grip and made a less bulky folded package.
The rotating rail keeps the format of the Gen 2 and mixes both M-LOK slots and Picatinny rails. It’s all polymer, but it works fine. I wouldn’t trust it to hold a precise laser zero, but the Venn diagram of SUB 2000 enthusiasts and Nightvision enthusiasts isn’t going to be substantial.
The 5.7 variant uses FN Five-SeveN magazines and comes with a garbage ProMag variant. Do yourself a favor and grab some factory FN magazines.
Why 5.7?
The 5.7x28mm round is neat. It reminds me of a modern .30 Carbine cartridge. It’s not quite a rifle cartridge, but not quite a pistol cartridge. The SUB 2000 Gen 3 is a blowback-operated firearm that’s basically the STEN gun refined. It’s famously got a violent recoil impulse with calibers like 9mm and .40 S&W, but the 5.7 famously has ultra-light recoil from carbines and even handguns.
Additionally, it allows this variant of the SUB 2000 to solve some issues with the older variants. Namely, it’s very easy to manipulate the charging handle. The old SUB 2Ks had some mighty strong recoil springs, but with the 5.7, they could let up and make the gun easy to manipulate.
SUB 2000s were never heavy, but the 5.7 variant trimmed some weight. It weighs a mere 4.36 pounds. A 4.36-pound semi-auto rifle that folds down to 16.25 inches is pretty handy to have. Plus, it holds 20 rounds of low-recoil, medium-range ammo.
To The Range
The 5.7 round has a bit more range than a 9mm round, so I used a 3X prism optic. The eye relief is tight, but it’s workable. The magnification made it easy to make hits out to 150 yards. Hitting a ten-inch gong from an off-hand position at 150 yards wasn’t tough.
I even went as far as 200 yards and used a fence to rest the gun. I couldn’t hit the gong consistently, but could ring an IPSC-sized steel target. Within 50 yards, I could put the majority of my rounds into an IPSC A-zone. While it’s accurate enough, it’s no precision weapon. The fact that the barrel separates from the receiver isn’t going to provide a ton of rigidity.
It’s not free-floated, and when it heats up, the accuracy falls apart. Your group size will grow substantially, and that should be noted.
I do enjoy the almost zero recoil and reliability of a centerfire cartridge. It’s capable of being fired quickly with awesome control. Sub-2-second low-ready Bill drills are the norm. If you needed a low-cost, low-recoil personal defense weapon, this would be an excellent choice. Ditch the prism for a red dot, and it’s a handy home defense weapon.
Reliability was fantastic, as long as you ditched the ProMag. When using the ProMag, I got a handful of issues, but zero when using FN magazines. Blowback actions aren’t fancy, but they’re reliable.
Another SUB 2000 For the Collection
Well, I added another gun to the Florida man collection. Try as I might to resist, I can’t help myself. Show me something kind of neat, kind of interesting, and then you make it affordable on top of all that. I like my little SUB 2000 Gen 3 and think the 5.7x28mm round is perfect for the platform.
The ongoing battle for the Second Amendment rights of adults under 21 years of age is being fought in a number of states. The latest is Hawaii, where the Second Amendment Foundation-backed lawsuit Pinales v. Attorney General for the State of Hawaii is challenging the state’s complete ban on acquisition and possession of firearms and ammunition by 18-, 19- and 20-year-old citizens.
Hawaii’s Gun, Ammo Ban For Young Adults Under the Gun
In a news release on the matter, Adam Kraut, SAF executive director, said the ban completely extinguishes the Second Amendment rights of young adults, who are free to practice all of their other constitutionally protected liberties.
“Put simply, Hawaii’s laws completely prevent adults under 21 from exercising their Second Amendment rights,” Kraut said. “In passing and enforcing these laws, Hawaii lawmakers have thumbed their noses at the Constitution, the Supreme Court, and ultimately, at the very citizen residents from whom they draw their authority. Peaceable adult citizens have the full panoply of rights guaranteed them by the Constitution, whether they’re 20, 40 or 60 years of age. These laws must be struck down.”
Bolstering The Challenge
In the latest move in the lawsuit, the SAF and its partners—Aloha Strategics, JGB Arms, and two private citizens—have filed a motion for summary judgment, asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii to declare the law unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.
“The challenged Hawaii laws are both historical and modern-day outliers,” the brief explained. “… historically no state or colony completely banned the acquisition and possession of firearms to adults under 21. And in the modern era, Hawaii is the only state that completely bans the acquisition and possession of ammunition and firearms by adults under 21.”
The real issue in the lawsuit is at what age Americans become “adults,” and for most rights, that is widely accepted as 18 years of age. However, gun-ban advocates have singled out the Second Amendment as one that somehow doesn’t take effect until citizens turn 21. To SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb, that simply isn’t acceptable.
“These adults have all the same fundamental rights as those 21 and older, to include those protected by the Second Amendment,” Gottlieb said. “Imagine if lawmakers stripped the rights of free speech, or freedom from unreasonable search or seizure, or the rights of the accused from 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds. We would be outraged. So why would we accept the infringement of their right to keep and bear arms? The Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and we will continue to fight those who treat it as such.”
Around The Nation
As previously mentioned, Hawaii is just one state where the under-21 2A battle is taking place. In California, the case PWGG v. Bonta, which is being heard by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, challenges that state’s ban on gun purchase by young adults.
Another case out of Florida, NRA v. Glass, challenges the Sunshine State’s law restricting long gun sales to Floridians under 21. And in Georgia, the state Supreme Court in June ruled that the state’s law banning possession or carry of firearms by adults under 21 does not violate the state’s constitution.
The matter is hot at the national level, too, as several organizations, including SAF, have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to consider a challenge to the federal law banning handgun purchase by adults who are 18, 19, and 20.
Your tasks don’t stop when light begins to fade. Because of this, a flashlight is definitely necessary. However, not all are created equal. Cheaply constructed models that fail to even meet the minimum requirements of illumination are essentially useless. Conversely, when you turn to tactical flashlight versions, your job can get a lot easier.
These lights are built with high-grade materials that can withstand rugged outdoor conditions. Additionally, they produce powerful light beams and offer numerous functions to meet your specific needs. The illuminators below offer a great starting point to add one or more for your next outdoor adventure.
5.11 EDC PL 2AAA Flashlight
When you need a handy flashlight but not the bulk to go with it, turn to the EDC PL from 5.11. This small wonder shines 107 lumens of light on any small task in front of you. From unexpected power outages at home to your campsite at night, this pocket illuminator is always nearby. A single-mode switch, an impact-resistant body, and a pocket clip, round out this everyday aid. Two AAA batteries come included with the EDC PL flashlight.
Specifications
107 Lumen output
Machined aerospace-grade aluminum
Impact resistant to two meters
Removable pocket clip
Available in black, fire brick, or sandstone colors
MSRP: $40.00
Fenix PD36R ACE Flashlight
Want more power and more range in an easily carried flashlight? Then look no further than the PD36R ACE tactical flashlight by Fenix. This less-than-six-inch-long flashlight delivers 3000 lumens and a maximum beam length of 1,362. It offers seven (yes, seven) lighting modes, including five brightness modes, strobe, and SOS. The ACE stays powered thanks to its rechargeable Li-ion battery and USB-C input. Its anti-slip and anti-roll design includes a body clip, and an ultra-clear glass lens makes this light a must-have for any adventurer.
Specifications
3,000 Lumen output
Rechargeable Li-ion battery
Seven lighting modes, including strobe and SOS
Durable A6061-T6 aluminum body
IP68 Waterproof rating
MSRP: $109.95
5.11 Response XR1P Flashlight
Lightweight, yet highly durable, the XR1P powers through like the big boys, but can be carried easily in your pocket. It features an ultra-tough body with a polymer housing and overmold grip. It offers incredible impact and water-resistant properties. On low mode, it produces a soft 30 lumens. On high mode, it projects 610 lumens. No matter if you’re in the deep woods or a dark alley in the city, the XR1P delivers each and every time.
Specifications
High mode: 610 lumens, Low mode: 30 lumens
Polymer body with rubberized grip
IPX4 Water resistance
Runs on CR123A batteries or rechargeable 18650 batteries
Available in black or strong orange colors
MSRP: $50.00
Ledlenser P6R Core QC Flashlight
Whether you’re camping in the woods or checking breakers in your home during a blackout, the P6R Core CQ has your back. This mid-tier flashlight offers power and reliability without excessive size or breaking your budget. It features four brightness modes, easy adjustment between flood and beam options, and a boost mode for maximum brightness. Additionally, it’s waterproof, durable, and offers a simple and innovative magnetic recharging capability. Pierce the darkness with smooth mechanics and reliable long-term use.
Specifications
900 Lumen output
Beam range: 787 feet
Included 18650 Rechargeable battery
Four brightness levels
Easy adjustment from flood to beam modes
MSRP: $53.97
5.11 Response HL XR1 Headlamp
Don’t dismiss the importance of a headlamp. This illuminator can shine a path while you’re working on a needed task using both your hands. The HL XR1 Headlamp features a full 1,000 lumen output, an independently controlled spot and flood lights, and a red COB light element. It is also housed in a durable aluminum body with both impact and water-resistant properties. Its features continue with a rotation mount, a woven elastic headband, and two battery type options. Go hands-free with this hard-working headlamp.
Specifications
1,000 Lumen output
Durable aluminum body
IP54 Water resistance
180 Degree rotation
Integrated pocket clip
MSRP: $84.00
Fenix TK20R V2.0 TAC Flashlight
When you want extreme durability in a flashlight, then the TK20R V2.0 TAC Flashlight by Fenix is for you. This powerful illuminator offers an IP68 dustproof and waterproof rating, a super tough outer shell, and glove-friendly control switches for easy use outdoors. On the tech end, it soars with 3,000 maximum lumen output and a beam distance of nearly 1,600 feet. This tactical brute is powered by a rechargeable ARB-L21-5000 V2.0 Li-ion battery with an included charging cable. A staggering forty-eight-hour runtime only adds to this light’s fantastic amenities.
Specifications
3,000 Lumen output
Maximum beam distance: 1,558 feet
Ultra-clear glass lens
Includes rechargeable battery and USB-C cable
Six lightning modes for maximum versatility
MSRP: $129.95
Fenix TK21R TAC Flashlight
Taking some big steps upward from your everyday flashlight, the TK21R TAC puts tactical at the forefront of its abilities. This light delivers power, speed, and ultimate control, which is needed in fast-paced emergency scenarios. It features five lighting modes, including a burst mode and soft light, all through a few clicks of its tail switch. Additionally, when toughness matters, the TAC delivers. It offers dust and waterproof ratings, glass-breaking bezel tips, an aluminum alloy body, and a black, non-reflective finish. Don’t go tactical without this flashlight by your side.
Specifications
3,600 Lumen output
Maximum beam distance: 1,575 feet
Five lighting modes, including strobe
Soft-press, easy activation switch
Rechargeable battery with USB-C cable
MSRP: $134.95
5.11 Deploy PL-USB Flashlight
Blurring the line between urban and rural use, the Deploy PL-USB Flashlight is in the “just right” category when it comes to size and function. Throwing 300 lumens in high mode is ideal for outdoor needs, while its softer 30-lumen light handles at-home lighting needs. It features a highly durable body, a charging and battery indicator light, and a removable pocket clip. It also has high impact and water-resistant properties when any unexpected mishaps come your way. Additionally, a USB-C port recharges its 1050mAh Lithium battery. Available in black or Ranger green colors.
I’m writing this at the beginning of October. While we’re putting the gardens to bed, we’re already looking to next year. I hear a lot of people complain that they lack the space for an actual garden. One option to consider is edible landscaping.
This is landscaping with purpose, with intention, and with an eye toward producing food rather than just decoration. Essentially, the idea is to replace traditional landscape plants like hedges and shrubs with counterparts that produce vegetables or fruit. This is done with attention to appearance, as well. Practical can also be visually attractive.
Increasing the size of your flower beds for edible landscaping means less you’ll need to mow.
Hiding in Plain Sight
Edible landscaping can be a great option for those who live in HOA communities or other areas where rules may forbid traditional garden plots. You’re able to sneak food plants into your flower beds and along your property line without too much risk of getting fined.
Another reason for secrecy could be the risk of having food stolen during some sort of long-term grid-down scenario. If the grocery stores are all closed and they aren’t likely to reopen anytime soon, people could get a little squirrely.
Potatoes and other root crops are ideal for edible landscaping.
Stalks of corn are pretty recognizable to most folks. But a lot of people will completely overlook carrots, potatoes, and other root crops, even if they are looking right at them in a flower bed.
Take It Slow
If you’re an edible landscaping beginner, take it slow and easy. You don’t want to get overwhelmed right out of the gate. Maybe pick just one flower bed to convert to food production and see how it plays out. You can always expand into other areas if things are going well.
You could easily add food plants into flower beds like this with no one being the wiser.
Considerations
As you make your plan, there are a few things to keep in mind. With edible landscaping, you’ll need to be able to physically reach each plant you grow so you can harvest the produce. This means you’ll need to plan ahead for how you’ll do so, such as a small walkway. It doesn’t need to be a crushed stone path, but you’re going to want to get to each plant without crushing others in the process.
Take a good look at the amount of sun the location receives, as that will have an impact on what you’re able to grow. In addition, you need to consider the amount of shade the plants themselves will create. This leads into companion planting concepts, which is a whole subject unto itself. Suffice it to say for now that over the last several thousand years, we’ve learned that some plants thrive when growing near one another, such as corn, squash, and pole beans growing in the same space. This is called the Three Sisters.
Here are just a few suggestions on plants you might consider for your edible landscaping projects.
Garlic – as the family cook, I can tell you with certainty that you can never have enough garlic. Plant this along the edges of a flower bed as a border. Do the same with onions.
Peppers – these come in such a range of colors that it would be a shame not to use them in your flower beds.
Blackberries – these make outstanding hedges, along with raspberries.
Pole beans – these can add height to the equation. Build a small trellis for them to climb. Look into the vast array of bean varieties available. Red noodle beans are neat to see and taste great.
Beans can add height to the bed for visual appeal.
Root crops – potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, and more are all great options for edible landscaping.
Edible landscaping is a great way to increase your self-reliance while keeping it hush-hush.
Being a contrarian is cringy, but here I am, being a contrarian. I think you can be a responsible contrarian. I can admit the AR-15 is the best all-around rifle out there, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to buy a BREN. I think being a contrarian can even be useful. Turn that contrarian nature into the ability to explore things outside of the norm, and for that reason, I want to give you the red pill on 1X prisms.
Prism optics are typically embraced as fixed, low-power optics that are known to be robust, easy to use, affordable, and have a fairly small footprint for a magnified optic. 1X prisms don’t offer that magnification and are seen as red dot alternatives. They are a reflex sight, for lack of a better term.
Compared to a red dot, they have downsides. They have a tighter eye box and do have eye relief, which means you don’t have the same flexibility as a red dot. They also don’t get as bright as a red dot.
Why would anyone ever choose 1X Prisms over red dots? I have a few reasons, but I also want to discuss what a good 1X prism should offer users.
What a Good 1X Prism Should Offer
First, good 1X prisms should have a large reticle. Not just in its overall size, but also in the width of the reticle’s parts and pieces. If it’s a circular reticle, that circle should be thick. Likewise, the center point should be large.
The reason is that prism brightness doesn’t hit that eye-catching bright level of red dots in bright lights. In that case, a larger reticle is easier to see and use in bright environments. A big, thick reticle makes a lot of sense.
We also need the optic to be compact. Preferably, roughly the same size as an Aimpoint T-1/T-2. We don’t want a giant optic that’s only 1X. Additionally, a mounting footprint that’s common can be invaluable. This allows you to pick different mounts, mount optics at different heights, and potentially on different guns. The Aimpoint T-1/T-2 mounting footprint makes a lot of sense.
Finally, we want excellent eye relief. We’ll never get red dot eye relief, but the longer the eye relief, the better.
Why 1X Prisms
Alright, so let’s dig into why my cringy contrarian nature likes 1X prisms. I’m not intending to convert anyone from the red dot cult—I’m a part of that cult—but I want to at least provide my thoughts about the advantages of 1X prisms.
Astigmatism Alternative
The most cited reason to use a 1X prism is that you have astigmatism. Red dot reticles become blurry and difficult to see, often starbursting and becoming difficult to use. The etched reticle of the 1X prism doesn’t blur or starburst. This makes it a decent alternative to red dots if your eyes suck.
More Robust Reticles
Most red dots use a red dot reticle, and that’s it. Some other options include a circle and dot reticle, and some even integrate ballistic drop dots. 1X prisms can feature bigger, more robust, and even more complicated reticles. Your options are pretty much endless, but 1X prisms are typically a variation of a large circle and center reticle.
Some companies have taken advantage of this and integrated a holdover for height over bore adjustments at super close ranges. You can use this holdover to prevent the height over bore effect from making your shots appear to hit low. It’s handy for precision shooting at close range.
Batteries Not Required
The etched reticles don’t require batteries to operate. They require batteries to illuminate, but illumination isn’t required to utilize the sight. These are fairly bombproof optics, and if the electronics break, then they’ll still work perfectly fine. Insert your EMP joke here.
Doesn’t Wash Out In Bright Light
One of the things I found out recently with 1X prisms is that they don’t wash out in bright light. If you’re navigating a dark environment and activate your weapon-mounted light, you could wash out your red dot. In dark conditions, a lot of us will have our optic dim, and forget we might need a white light, and bam, it’s washed out.
Lord forbid you flash a reflective surface by mistake, your dot will disappear. That’s not the case with 1X prisms. The etched reticle doesn’t wash out, especially if it’s a big reticle. It’s just there, black and easy to see.
Going 1X
1X Prisms aren’t as user-friendly as red dots for close-range use. They have eye relief, and they have a tighter eye box in most cases. They don’t illuminate as brightly. That’s all true, but there are some situations where they excel, and every gun owner should be well educated about their optical choice
As I mentioned in my last piece on the 5.11 Packable Backpack, I’ve been traveling a lot more since I retired a few years ago. Much of that has been by plane, and it’s caused me to reevaluate my luggage and gear. I’ve had the same carry-on for years, probably decades, but on one recent trip, I had to check it because it was too big for the airline. I realized that at the time, airlines had different standards on carry-on size, and that I had just gotten lucky on previous trips with my old suitcase. When I started looking into it, I saw that all airlines were supposed to standardize on a 22 x 14 x 9-inch footprint as of the summer of 2025. This is the sweet spot for the 5.11 Tactical Load Up.
I started looking for a new carry-on that would meet that standard and quickly found a lot of misinformation on the market. Many places that sold carry-ons claimed to be correctly sized. But when you actually looked at the dimensions, many of them were off. Some by a little, some by quite a bit. When you narrowed it down to carry-ons that actually truly did meet the new carry-on specs, the list decreased significantly.
Being that 5.11 isn’t primarily in the luggage business, unlike most of the other companies that I looked at, I was surprised that their Load Up carry-on actually did meet the correct spec. Being that I’d had good luck with their bags and packs over the years, and especially the RUSH 24 that I’d been using most recently, I decided to give their carry-on a shot too.
The Load Up
Bear with me while I regurgitate some specs. There are a lot of details to this carry-on, so I’m going to paraphrase 5.11’s specs and description before getting into my thoughts. 5.11 touts the Load Up as combining rugged construction with smart organization. I’ll give you a spoiler now and say that they did a good job of actually accomplishing that.
The Load Up’s main compartment is made from an impact-resistant polycarbonate hard shell bottom tray. It has an expandable zipper that increases the depth from 9 inches to 11 inches, boosting capacity from 45L to 55L. Although that 11 inches puts you over the strict carry-on size limits if your airline is checking.
The compression-molded lid is built with 1680D ballistic water-resistant polyester and reinforced with hypalon corners. Inside the lid compartment is a padded laptop sleeve with a hook and loop strap to securely hold your computer. There’s also an admin pocket and two-way access to the center mesh compartment helps keep essentials organized.
The center compartment also includes a removable divider for flexible storage and internal compression straps to stabilize contents. Additional features include a convenient top zippered pocket, lockable zippers with sliders, a business card/ID sleeve, and a name tape loop panel for quick identification.
The bag includes a retractable handle, multiple grab handles, and replaceable wheels for easy transport. Dimensions with wheels are 22 x 14 x 9 inches, and 21 inches high without wheels. The bag weighs 6.6 pounds and is imported. It’s available in Tungsten (Gray), Volcanic (another Gray), and Ranger Green and has an MSRP of $240.00.
Size Matters
That 22 x 14 x 9 dimension is key. That’s what the new airline standard is, supposedly across the board. I don’t buy luggage often and honestly balked a little at the $240 price tag. Mainly because I’m cheap. But when I looked at other bags that actually met the airline standard, I found that to be pretty competitive. Especially once I looked at the features and the build quality. I read a lot of reviews of other carry-ons and saw a lot of durability complaints on those. And many cost as much or more than the 5.11. I ended up deciding on the Load Up in Ranger Green.
First Hand Impressions
When I got my carry-on, I gave it a once-over and was actually really impressed. My wife and daughter had also gotten new carry-ons and went with typical luggage brands. In comparison, the 5.11 felt more solid and was definitely better thought out. It has a good-looking, clean design, and the available colors are subdued but don’t scream tactical. Unlike my Multicam backpack.
The handle opens and retracts easily, and the wheels work well and aren’t obtrusive. If you ended up needing to check your carry-on for some reason, there aren’t a lot of protrusions sticking out to catch on airport baggage systems.
Space-wise, it is what it is. It’s smaller than my old carry-on, but it meets the current required spec. With that said, I’ve used it for a few weekend trips now and was able to fit a spare pair of shoes, toiletries, and a couple changes of clothes without issue. This, coupled with my RUSH 24 37L pack, gives me plenty of space for a multi-day trip.
Heck, if you pack more frugally than I do, you could probably get away with a longer trip. My buddy and his wife did a whole 7-day cruise with just a carry-on and a personal bag. I always contingency pack. What if it rains? What if it’s going to be cold? Or worse, what if I poop myself? I always have backup clothes and layers.
Organization is Key
I love the organization of the Load Up. The mesh divider lets you separate clothes and other items so that you can easily access them without having to dig through your whole suitcase to get to them. My wife and daughter’s bags are pretty much just one big empty section. They work, but my wife was a little envious of the organization on the 5.11 carry-on.
The admin pocket is really handy too. I could stuff paperwork, and even my Kindle and an iPad in that section, so that I could access them without having to open up the whole bag. I like having my pack as well, but I could honestly probably get by just fine using the Load Up as my only carry-on item.
I’m very happy with the build quality too. The bag is fairly light at 6.6 pounds, but it’s solid. It got dragged across gravel lots, up over curbs, tossed in and out of vehicles, and manhandled by porters. It’s no worse for wear after multiple trips and months of use.
The Perfect Carry On?
I asked in my previous two pieces if they were the perfect packs for their intended purpose. The RUSH was darn close, and the Packable Backpack checked all of my boxes. The Load Up also checks all of my boxes for a carry-on. It meets the size requirements of the airlines, it’s ruggedly built, and the handle and wheels work well, dragging it through the airport and across parking lots. I love the organization of it as well.
Often, I’ll find gear that I like but think it would be even better with “X” additional feature. I really can’t think of anything I’d add, or anything I dislike on the 5.11 Load Up. They did a great job on the build quality, and have made a better carry-on than any of the actual luggage brand bags I looked at.
The Legendary Buck 110 Folder arrived in 1963 and immediately changed the knife world. It gave hunters a folding blade that locked like a fixed knife and could be carried efficiently by all. Not to mention, it looked sharp with brass bolsters and ebony scales.
Soldiers tucked it into rucks, ranchers wore it on belts, and outdoorspeople trusted it for everything from skinning deer to cutting rope. Buck sold more than 15 million 110 knives, making it one of the most successful knives ever built.
The knife itself has never stood still. Early blades used 440C steel, prized for its toughness, before shifting to 425M in the 1980s. By the 1990s, Buck settled on 420HC, heat-treated for a balance of edge retention and corrosion resistance. Premium runs now feature steels like S30V and MagnaCut, giving collectors and hard users more bite.
In 1983, Buck added contoured handles for comfort, proving they listened to feedback from the field. The 110 Auto introduced push-button deployment, while the Slim series shaved weight, added pocket clips, and embraced modern carry habits. The 60th Anniversary edition fused MagnaCut steel with classic brass and ebony, a handshake between past and future.
The 3.75-inch clip-point blade, made of 420HC steel, provides precise cutting. It folds to 4.875 inches and fits neatly in a black leather sheath.
The Buck 110 endures because it never forgot its roots. It remains a knife that feels at home in a deer camp, a soldier’s kit, or a movie close-up. It is both tool and symbol—an American legend that still cuts its own path.
Hollywood Likes the Legend
Hollywood noticed. The Buck 110 has flashed across screens in films like Natural Born Killers and Kill Bill. It appeared in The Dukes of Hazzard, The Walking Dead, and even made its way into music videos. It often played the role of the quiet star of a tense moment. Alexander Supertramp (Christopher McCandless) uses the Buck 110 in the movie Into the Wild. He’s carving words into some scrap wood and skinning a moose in the story of Christopher McCandless.
Directors love its silhouette because it instantly signals toughness, danger, or frontier spirit without a single line of dialogue.
The Original Buck 110
The 110’s robust lock-back design guarantees a secure, wobble-free open.
The Buck 110 Folding Hunter doesn’t mess around. It pairs brass bolsters with rich Crelicam™ ebony scales—pure class. The 3.75-inch clip-point blade slices clean with heat-treated 420HC steel. Lock-back design snaps it open with confidence, no wiggle. Fold it down to 4.875 inches and stash it in the black leather sheath. Belt carry? Absolutely.
Built for hunters, but it tackles rope, wood, and stubborn packaging like a champ. The sheath comes from abroad, but the knife showcases all-American muscle.
The Buck 110 Folding Hunter showcases brass bolsters and stylish Crelicam™ ebony scales.
A Legend in My Hand
“This is a real knife,” is what I thought the first time I handled the legendary Buck 110 folder. It just felt robust and solid. It was a far cry from the pawn shop and swapmeet knives I acquired as a kid. The Buckmaster 184 was the coolest knife due to the Rambo knife craze at the time. So, in my mind, you couldn’t beat a Buck Knife.
The Legendary Buck 110 features a 3.75-inch clip-point blade made of heat-treated 420HC steel, which cuts smoothly.
Somehow, the knife got away from me, and I acquired several newer tactical and EDC folders. Recently, I was able to reconnect with it via handling a buddy’s 110. It felt good in the hand, as always. Although it was well-worn and told a heck of a story, it was still sharp. It met turkeys and deer, along with other daily tasks. It made me wonder where mine has been and what story it had to tell.
One thing is sure: it remains the undisputed champion of pocket folding hunting and utility knives. I doubt any other folders will come close in my lifetime!
Home defense is more than just having a gun. You need to have a plan, and you need to have the proper equipment for home defense, like a white light. Home defenders should be trained to use their weapons to a high degree of proficiency as well. Additionally, you should practice the mental and physical game of home defense. The most critical component is a prepared mind and the ability to think clearly under immense stress.
We are going to explore three dry exercises you can do in your home that involve both the physical and mental aspects of home defense. Having a gun, a plan, and the proper equipment is great, but knowing how it works inside your home is the glue that holds it together. In the military, we’d rehearse everything.
We’d rehearse reaction to fire, how to respond to an IED, our duties in a raid, and more. The rehearsal painted a mental picture of the plan we discussed. I want to bring that same mindset to home defense and home security.
Room Clearing (Not Really, But Kind Of)
Yep, I know, one-man room clearing is suicide. Two-man room clearing is suicide with friends. We got it, but there could be a home defense scenario where you have to move through your house. I’m not telling anyone to clear their house room by room solo, but I am encouraging you to move through your house with your weapon because you might just have to.
We want to focus on two things. First, how does your weapon of choice handle in your home? Do you use a Mossberg 590A1 with a 20-inch barrel? Great, grab the gun and start moving through your house with it. Is it too long? Is it difficult to maneuver? There is only one way to find out: walk through your home, with an unloaded gun, and figure it out.
As you’re moving through your home, focus on maximizing cover and concealment with your weapon at the ready. This will help you realize where cover and concealment exist and how your weapon interacts with them. You don’t want to be figuring this out when someone is trying to kick your door in. A home defense rehearsal can go a long way to maximizing your personal safety.
Do it during the day, and do it again at night. Practice using your white light inside your home and seeing how it works. Practice light discipline and tactical use of your light, but do more than a momentary press to learn about what creates light obstacles in your home and how much of your home your light can illuminate.
Do it slow; it’s not a race, and we aren’t doing this dynamically. The goal is to rehearse and observe the movements.
The Home Defense Scenario
Next, after rehearsing moving through your home, practice starting from zero. Zero is where you are most commonly in your home at different times of the day. I’m either in my office, living room, or bedroom, so I’m going to position myself in one of those rooms and plan how I’d react to a home invasion.
God forbid someone comes into my home while I’m in my office, which doubles as my gun room. I’ll take forever just making a choice! From any of these positions, I want to do a physical rehearsal of what happens next. Personally, I’m going to retrieve a firearm and call the police. Is my phone with me? How far away is a firearm from my position?
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Daniel Childs)
How fast can I retrieve and ready a firearm while managing my family from these three rooms? I have to consider where my family is likely to be at different times and the best way to manage their safety while reacting to a threat. Rehearse this, walk through your home, retrieve your weapon, and react. A rehearsal will show you things you failed to consider.
It’s a lot to consider and think about, and again, you don’t want the first time you’re considering these things to be when the door gets kicked open.
The Mental Game
You can’t rehearse every possible scenario, but you should mentally consider what could happen. Another useful training and preparation tactic we used in the Marine Corps was decision-making scenarios. Think of realistic scenarios that could happen.
For example, you have a front and back door, and someone is kicking in both. What do you do?
You have kids across the house, and a home invasion begins. What do you do?
You hear a window break. How do you react?
The author, on the left, uses a training knife to escape an entangled fight.
Think about your home, your family, and various entryways and how they’ll affect your response. Beyond how to react to a threat, think about what you say when you call the police.
Dedicate a few minutes a day to walking through your home and thinking about the potential home defense situation. Go outside your home and consider it from an outsider’s view. It doesn’t take much to identify weak points and even make some home changes to be better prepared.
I’m a huge fan of cameras equipped with motion lights, and after approaching my home at night, with the mindset of how do I get in, I got a few more.
The Home Defense Game
If there is one thing I want you to remember from this article, it’s this. Don’t wait till the bad guy starts kicking the door in to plan your reaction. Failing to plan is planning to fail, and all that jazz. You don’t need to obsess about this stuff, or scare your kids and annoy your spouse. Just plan, rehearse, and ready yourself. Home defense isn’t a game, but home defense preparation can be both a mental and physical game.
One of the most egregious restrictions President Joe Biden’s Justice Department (DOJ) foisted upon American gun owners and gun dealers was the Final Rule that redefined who is “engaged in the business” of selling firearms. The law, which was designed to drastically reduce private sales of firearms, an American tradition since the country’s founding, was confusing enough that it forced many to not sell or purchase firearms because they were afraid of committing a felony for doing something they had done for years.
Now, in a lawsuit brought by the National Rifle Association and two individual members, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama held that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) exceeded its statutory authority by issuing the 2024 Final Rule.
Change For The Better
In the case Butler v. Bondi, District Judge Corey L. Maze wrote in the ruling: “The Final Rule … embraces the concept that a single sale of a single firearm can constitute proof that someone is engaged in the business of dealing firearms: ‘there is no minimum number of firearms purchased or sold that triggers the licensing requirement.’ The Final Rule then goes further; it says that a license could be required even if no gun trades hands as long as there is an ‘offer to engage in a transaction, when combined with other evidence (e.g., where a person represents to others a willingness and ability to purchase more firearms for resale).’”
Judge Maze further explained in the ruling that the Final Rule went well beyond how Congress had defined “engaged in the business.”
“To sum up, Congress decided that a person is not engaged in the business of dealing in firearms unless he deals firearms ‘as a regular course of trade or business,’” the judge wrote. Regular means repeated or often. So, regular business requires more than one firearm transaction involving a single firearm. Because the Final Rule says single transactions involving one firearm may be prohibited in some cases, it exceeds ATF’s statutory authority…
“For these reasons, the court agrees with Plaintiffs that ATF exceeded its authority when it interpreted the GCA to possibly prohibit a single purchase or sale or a single offer to purchase or sell a firearm.”
Ultimately, the ruling is likely to ease concerns of gun owners when it comes to buying, selling, or trading firearms in a private manner. The fact that the Biden Administration overstepped its bounds was obvious from the start. It’s heartening to have a court come to the same conclusion.
Griffin Armament announced the new Sportsman Ultra Light HD .46 suppressor this week. They’re positioning it as a lightweight, budget-friendly option built specifically for hunting. It addresses durability limits seen in the original Sportsman Ultra Light line.
Unlike the earlier aluminum models, which Griffin says were limited to light sporting use and required cooling after a handful of quick shots, the new HD version uses full 17-4 H900 heat-treated stainless steel and tubeless laser-welding to deliver what the company describes as “near-titanium” weights with markedly greater durability. The “HD” in the name denotes the High Durability construction.
Griffin says the Sportsman Ultra Light HD .46 pairs that stainless construction with the firm’s patented ECO-FLOW baffle technology. They say that the system reduces user exposure to toxic gases. It also lowers system gas to improve the function on gas-operated hosts.
The .46 model uses industry-standard 1.375×24 HUB threading. That allows compatibility with Griffin HUB mount adapters as well as third-party mounting systems. It also accepts Nielson devices (booster housings) for use on Browning-style tilt-barrel pistols up to .45 caliber.
Ratings and Barrel Limits
Griffin rates the Sportsman Ultra Light HD .46 up to .45-70 rifle cartridges and .45 ACP pistol rounds. The company notes there are no minimum barrel length restrictions or constraints for magnum rifle calibers. Longer barrels do tend to promote longer service life, however.
All machining for the Sportsman Ultra Light HD family is carried out at Griffin’s Watertown, Wisconsin, facility. Griffin also cautions buyers that the suppressor does not include a muzzle device or HUB mount interface. Those mounting components must be purchased separately.
The Sportsman Ultra Light HD .46 carries an MSRP of $604.95.
I’ve had a Griffin Sportsman Ultra Light .36 suppressor for almost a year now. I bought it primarily for shooting .350 Legend, but I’ve used it on 5.56mm, .300 Blackout, and 9mm as well. It’s been a great can with its light weight and HUB mounting options. My only regret was that not long after I got it I started looking at .400 Legend rifles.
I now have two .400 Legends, and some .40 S&W, 10mm, and .45 ACP pistols and AR’s. I could really use a suppressor that will work with those. Based upon my experience with the .36 version, the new Griffin .46 is most likely what I’m going to pick up.
A few years back, a YouTube influencer popular at the time for knife content recommended a Ruike folding knife. I don’t recall the exact model, but I picked one up. It served admirably as part of my EDC rotation for a while, then I retired it to my bedroom dresser. It’s what I grab to cut off tags from new clothes, that sort of thing.
Based on that positive experience, when Ruike contacted me about reviewing its new P166 model, I said to send it over.
The first thing I noticed about the P166 is that it’s very angular in appearance. Lots of straight lines rather than sweeping curves. It gives a vaguely futuristic impression to me. Like the style of folding knife you might see in a sci-fi film.
The tanto blade profile mirrors the overall angular shape of the knife.
The blade is Sandvik 14C28N. While I’m not overly familiar with this material, it’s sort of a higher-end budget steel option. In terms of edge retention and corrosion resistance, it’s similar to AEB-L. I have a few knives in AEB-L, and they’re all solid performers.
The P166’s handle is crafted from aluminum. It has some mild texturing to help with grippiness. This is a liner lock knife. The lock slides into place effortlessly and engages fully with the blade. There’s a bit of color at the pivot points on either side, which adds a little bonus to the aesthetics. The P166 is equipped with a non-reversible, deep-carry pocket clip.
The blue at the pivot points adds a touch of color to the mix.
This is a flipper-style knife. The flipper is very small, protruding just slightly from the knife’s frame. It has a bit of jimping to help with traction. Pressing the flipper swings the blade into position.
Over the years, I’ve found that each flipper knife has its own quirks in terms of how to open the knife quickly. It just takes a few tries to find the sweet spot on the flipper that does the trick. Once the liner lock is disengaged, the blade falls closed very easily.
The liner lock on the P166 engages the blade fully.
The blade runs 3.62 inches, and the handle is 4.88 inches, giving you an overall length of 8.5 inches. It is very comparable in size to a Buck 110 Folding Hunter, though much lighter. The manufacturer specs give a weight of 4.8 ounces for the P166, but on my postal scale, it’s 4.3 ounces. In comparison, the Buck 110 comes in at a hair over 7 ounces.
Ruike P166 Performance
I’ve only had the P166 for a few weeks. In that time, I’ve used it for a range of common knife chores, such as cutting cordage, breaking down boxes, and even cutting a bit of fruit. I found it handles very well. The edge retention is on point. I really like how easily the knife swings closed after the lock is pushed aside.
Slicing up a pile of scrap leather was child’s play with this knife.
I’d consider this to be a mid-to-large folding knife, but it’s quite nimble. This is likely due to its light weight compared to its overall size.
Even after a few weeks of use, the P166 could still easily cut paper without tearing it.
I look at the P166 as a great option for those who work construction sites or other heavy-duty jobs. This is the sort of knife that you won’t feel compelled to baby or coddle. Use it like a rented mule and never think twice about it. I’ve owned knives with price tags twice the size of the P166 that performed half as well.
Savage today is well-known for its popular line of budget-worth bolt-action rifles. These affordable rifles are often feature-filled and produced in nearly every common caliber you can imagine. Savage today has dabbled in AR-15s, handguns, and even shotguns. Savage of today is a solid company, but the Savage Arms of yesteryear was one of the most innovative companies of its era.
They put a focus on making firearms for the civilian market and excelling and innovating in that world. This led to numerous innovations that are often overlooked and ignored when discussing innovative firearms. Arthur Savage was a pioneer and a brilliant, forward-thinking inventor. He started Savage Arms in 1895 and released a number of innovative firearms and calibers.
The Savage Model 1899 descended from the Savage 1895. The Model 99 quickly surpassed the 1895 and maintained its innovative design. The Savage 1899 used an innovative rotary magazine that allowed the weapon to utilize more aerodynamic Spitzer-type projectiles. Lever-action rifles of the era used tubular magazines, which prevented the safe usage of spitzer-style rounds.
The Model 99 offered a lever-action rifle designed for higher-powered smokeless powder cartridges that flew fast and hit hard. The Model 99 came in tons of different calibers during its nearly century-long run. This includes Savage’s own proprietary cartridges and modern options like .308. Heck, they even made a .410 bore model for a limited period of time.
The little rifle had a number of unique features. My favorite is the integrated round counter that allows a quick and easy way to check your magazine capacity. The Savage 1899 was primarily used by civilian hunters, but the Montreal Home Guard adopted the rifle during WWI, which had a bayonet lug and full military-style stock.
Savage Model 1907
When the Army wanted a semi-auto handgun in .45 ACP, several competitors emerged. Savage entered their own pistol, but as we know, Colt’s design won and became the M1911. Savage scaled down the .45 ACP version to .32 ACP and .380 ACP and shrunk it to be a convenient concealed carry gun.
The gun promised a locked breech, which was rare for the era, but the system was a delayed blowback at best. The Model 1907 was the O.G. of removable double-stack magazines and in .32 ACP held ten rounds. Much like the SIG P210 and the CZ-75, the Savage Model 1907 used an inverse slide rail system to lower the gun’s bore axis.
The Model 1907 was a single-action, striker-fired gun with an exposed striker cocking device. These guns were built for and advertised to civilian shooters looking for a modern (for the era) pocket pistol for personal defense. They even heavily advertised the gun to women. Savage’s little pistol saw adoption by the French during WWI and by the Portuguese military.
Savage Model 1920
By now, you’ve figured out that Savage likes to use the year as the model number. It’s tough to believe, but Savage was the first company to release a commercially available bolt-action sporting rifle. Military bolt actions were common, but sporting bolt actions didn’t exist. The Model 1920 changed that and released a purpose-built, lightweight sporting rifle.
There was no need for a full military stock or bayonet lug. You didn’t need a heavy wood stock, and Savage was able to create a slim and trim bolt-action hunting rifle. Its portability was a big selling point for the gun, and it was often advertised as a mountain gun due to its lightweight design.
The Model 1920 used a Mauser-inspired action with some important refinements. They utilized a sliding tang-mounted safety and an L-shaped slot in the receiver that acted as a shoulder for the bolt handle. Sadly, the Savage Model 1920 wasn’t all that popular, and only 12,000 were produced.
.250-3000 Savage
Now, let’s talk about the cartridges Savage developed. With the advent of smokeless powder and stronger guns, bullets got smaller and faster. Savage was the first company to produce a commercial rifle cartridge that was capable of exceeding 3,000 feet per second. A .25 caliber, 87-grain bullet could reach 3,000 feet per second.
Other loads included a heavier, and slightly slower, 100-grain projectile. The .250-3000 Savage was a fairly popular round, but was limited due to its light projectiles. The round is good for varmints up into white-tail deer species. The .250-3000 Savage isn’t popular today, but rounds like the .250 Ackley owe their existence to the .250-3000 Savage.
.300 Savage
The .300 Savage was designed as an improvement to the .250-3000. It was capable of handling larger game. The goal was to create a mini .30-06 that’s usable within 300 yards or so. The short 46.5mm case made it easy to chamber in rifles like the Model 1899. It would also become popular in semi-autos like the Remington Model 8.
The .300 Savage predates most intermediate cartridges, but isn’t all that different than the 7.62x39mm and the .300 Blackout round. It provided a practical punch in a fairly short package. To this day, it’s still produced and is an excellent all-around cartridge.
Savage Arms and Innovation
Savage Arms has a long history of producing awesome firearms and cartridges that pushed boundaries. They made some fascinating guns, and I think men like Arthur Savage and Charles Newton deserve credit for taking risks and making something new.
THAW™ designed a dual-purpose USB-C rechargeable hand warmer and power bank to keep you warm and charge your USB devices.
The outdoors world has become increasingly tech-driven. Tech in the outdoors isn’t a bad thing. It’s natural. I’ve noticed how many items I use that require charging via USB. Plasma lighters, headlamps, hand warmers, lanterns, and power banks. This is especially true if you use camera and video gear. Let’s highlight gear that needs charging yet is still lightweight, and easy on the pocketbook. More importantly, multifunctional.
Introducing the THAW™ dual-purpose USB-C rechargeable Hand Warmer and Power Bank, a groundbreaking solution designed for those who refuse to let the cold slow them down. Available in both small and large sizes, this innovative device combines functionality and comfort, ensuring that you stay warm while also powering your essential USB devices.
With its advanced double-sided heating technology, the THAW hand warmer delivers consistent warmth to your hands from all angles, making it an ideal companion in any adverse weather condition. Whether you’re navigating snowy trails, enjoying winter sports, or taking a leisurely stroll on crisp days, this device guarantees that you remain cozy and comfortable. Now, that’s tech in the outdoors!
Crafted for convenience, the THAW Hand Warmer boasts a sleek, ergonomic design that easily fits in your pocket or bag, providing on-the-go warmth whenever you need it. The USB-C rechargeable capability ensures that, not only can you keep your hands toasty, but you also have the ability to charge your USB-powered gadgets, such as smartphones or headphones, providing you with the ultimate peace of mind during outdoor adventures.
Don’t let the cold take away your enjoyment of winter activities. THAW rechargeable Hand Warmer to keep you Warm to the Core.
MSRP: $29.99
UCO Sprouting in the Outdoors
The Sprout Hangout Mini Lantern offers strong light for tents, picnic tables, hotel rooms, or campsites. Use the push-button control to adjust brightness up to 100 lumens or switch to blue Moonlight Mode. The MAGNA-LOOP magnetic lanyard allows you to hang it from tents or trees, while also sitting on tables or nightstands.
The UCO Gear Sprout Hangout Mini Lantern features a Moonlight Blue setting, enhancing the mood at your camp or porch.
This compact lantern runs on a rechargeable lithium battery or three AAA batteries (not included). Weighing 2.75 ounces and measuring 1.8 inches tall, it’s portable and convenient.
With an IPX4 rating, it resists water splashes from any direction. Expect about 4 hours of use on high and 50 hours on low. For maximum brightness, hold the button in white mode, and dim it by holding until it softens. Realistically, high lasts about 2 hours and low lasts 17.5 hours. True tech in the outdoors from UCO. This lantern suits picnic tables or as a cabin nightlight.
MSRP: $25.99
UCO Gear’s Sprout Hangout Mini Lantern includes a LI-ION rechargeable battery. It requires a Micro USB cord and holds 3 AAA batteries (not included).
SOL Fire Lite Tech Multi-tool
Start your campfire and light the way with this fuel-free lighter. The dual arc technology quickly ignites tinder at the touch of a button. Its watertight case protects against rain, wind, temperature, and altitude. You can charge the lithium battery in under 2 hours using a micro USB charger, lasting up to 45 uses.
The SOL Fire Lite features a 100-lumen LED light with low, high, and strobe settings for essential needs. Expect about 3 hours of low-level light per charge. Use the 3-foot tinder cord as a lanyard or for igniting fires by exposing its flammable core. At under 2 ounces, this tool is perfect for camping, hiking, or storage in a glove compartment.
I tested the Fire Lite’s charging time, which was quicker than the claimed 2 hours. In the woods, I ignite various types of tinder: poplar bark, river birch bark, and poplar shavings. The thin, curly feather sticks ignited easily, as did thicker shavings. The Fire Lite even ignited birch bark and poplar bark in humid conditions quickly. Definitely fire tech in the outdoors at its finest!
The dual arcs on the lighter’s top ignite flammable items instantly upon contact. Use it to light campfires, stoves, and other sources of heat.
The supplied cord can also act as a lanyard. While SOL suggests using it for tinder, I found it versatile, keeping intact. You can use the strobe setting to attract attention if needed.
During a camping trip, I used the Fire Lite as my main light, and the battery lasted. On another overnight trip, using the flashlight intermittently drained the battery before morning. A small USB charger would have resolved this issue. The next charge took only 1.5 hours—Bravo, SOL Fire Lite!
MSRP: $24.99
Tech in the Outdoors Summary
Tech outdoors isn’t going anywhere. Imagine the future, rechargeable fishing poles, skis, and even shelters. Whatever inventors come up with next, remember it’s a tech world, so embrace it!
What does it mean to possess a skill designed for lethality? If you’re someone who is serious about carrying a firearm, either professionally or privately, you’re likely in possession of a skill that’s fairly easy to access but difficult to obtain. If you train and practice with a firearm, you possess a degree of lethal skill.
That’s all there is to it, but have you stopped to ponder what that means for you and for society? What are the responsibilities and ethics of possessing and constantly improving a lethal skill? It’s something I’ve been kicking around in my crayon-eating brain and something I wanted to talk about. It all started because I started practicing martial arts.
I promise you it’s not a midlife crisis that drove me to start Judo. I’ve always been in crisis, but now I can afford it. I train at a club that’s mixed with kids and adults training at the same time, albeit separately. Part of Judo, and seemingly any martial art, is learning the ethical use of martial skills. The kids are taught not to go to school, and Seoi Nage, some kid who fouled you at basketball.
Marines with Weapons Training Battalion conduct the Annual Rifle Qualification train-the-trainer course on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Feb. 17, 2021. The ARQ is replacing the current Annual Rifle Training to increase lethality by creating a more operationally realistic training environment which will be implemented service-wide by fiscal year 2022.
As a quasi-mature 35-year-old dad of three, who is the oldest student in the class, it’s not quite as harped on with me. You are walking around with a skill that could seriously harm someone, so you have to be responsible with it.
I’ve seen it mentioned here and there in the gun world and have preached it myself, but firearms training isn’t codified like martial arts. I’ve never been in a class where the ethics of carrying a firearm come up.
Julie at the 2016 USPSA Revolver Nationals
It’s understandable why it’s not brought up. I’m paying so-and-so instructor to help me shoot faster and straighter, and we have limited time to do so. Judo has the benefit of two classes a week, firearm instructors are getting me for a day or maybe two total.
The Ethics of Lethal Skill
If you translate this to the gun world, I’m carrying a firearm everywhere I’m legally allowed to. This means almost every interaction I have has at least one firearm present. What kind of ethics do I need to uphold to be a responsibly armed person?
The paradox of power is that with it comes the responsibility to use it correctly. A proficient shooter with a firearm wields immense power. It’s a lethal skill that should not be used to dominate.
Being trained with a firearm can give you confidence and reassurance, but it should bring with it a sense of humility. The better trained I became, both in my professional time toting a firearm and as a concealed carrier, the more I realized that there is a razor-thin margin for error ethically, legally, and between life and death. Once a shot is fired, there is no way to reverse that decision.
If you work on any skill, you ride a roller coaster of proficiency. You suck when you start, but then you climb that mountain and you think, hey, I’m pretty good. Then you plunge down that hill and realize, oh hell, I don’t know anything. You go from humble to confident to back to being humble.
Humility – The Core Principle
I believe that humility is the core principle of possessing a lethal skill. It applies to your training. Don’t ever think you’re good enough. You should always continue to train and sharpen your skills. If you have to use your firearm, you have a responsibility to be as proficient with it as possible.
Not only to protect yourself and your family, but to ensure you make your shot count and avoid putting innocent people in danger.
Humility also brings us to real-world confrontations. If you are proficient and skilled in any form of fighting, then most confrontations are over before they start. If that’s the case, then why even fight? Well-trained and skilled people have nothing to prove. If you find yourself in a confrontation, you need to be able to determine if it’s actually worth violence, and very few confrontations are worth it.
If you’re humble, then you’re also not assuming you will win. Let’s say I’m a Judo black belt and I can take a guy to the ground. I beat him, but I never saw his friend come up and soccer kick me in the head while I held an armbar. You never know who else has a gun, and having a sub-two-second Bill Drill doesn’t mean you’ll win the gunfight.
De-escalation Is A Responsibility
If you have a lethal skill and the means to exercise that skill, then you have the responsibility to attempt to de-escalate the situation.
De-escalation should always be at the forefront of how you handle confrontation. Jack Clemons’ famed “My bad, here’s 20 dollars” is a brilliant example of de-escalation. Jack was a giant of a man who was also remarkably skilled with firearms, and he was not only willing to de-escalate, but he also had a plan on how to do it.
Regular training and practice with martial arts and similar disciplines will reduce your reaction time as well as hone your defensive skills.
If you can’t de-escalate, can you escape? I live in a Stand Your Ground state. I don’t have a duty to retreat legally, but ethically, I believe that if escape is a safe option, you should take it. Escaping can be as simple as walking away from an angry guy at the bar.
I’m confident enough in myself that his insults aren’t going to affect me. I gain nothing from fighting him, but I have a lot to lose.
(I support Stand Your Ground and the legal protections it provides, and Duty To Retreat creates an unjust legal dilemma in self-defense situations.)
De-escalation is the ultimate self-defense skill. You win 100% of the gunfights you avoid.
Discipline Is a Responsibility
If you have the discipline to train with a firearm, to make accurate shots, and to make them quickly, to draw in less than a second, and to score a sub-2-second Bill Drill, then you have the discipline to walk away from confrontations, to de-escalate confrontations, and to avoid confrontations altogether.
The ethics of having a lethal skill are rooted in humility, responsibility, and discipline.
