In arctic regions like those found here in Alaska, it is important to know how to survive in the winter. There are plenty of people who have perished due to not knowing how to use the land or not knowing what it takes to survive in the frigid cold of the arctic. One of the most important things you need to know is how to build a fire with what the land provides. Fortunately, the land is filled with flammable foliage, hence the high dangers of wildfires all year. I am not going to waste time talking about rubbing sticks together or using a flint and steel since others are more into teaching that type of skill. I would rather talk about the specific bits needed to get your fire going and keep it going. I suggest learning HOW to build a fire before learning how to use caveman tech to START one.

​Your fighting loadout is very important to set up right as it is what you will rely on to get through a fight. It should allow maneuverability, weapon manipulations, and be able to facilitate your capabilities in a fight. Ergonomic gear placement, gear scrutiny, and combat conditioning with your fighting load will facilitate your ability to fight effectively.

​In this article, I want to cover the subject of shooting fast enough to matter. I am sure that most people reading this article are only going to register the first part of the title, but my goal is to anecdotally and logically assert my position on what shooting fast enough to matter actually means. There are several parts of shooting that take up time, depending on how much you work on them. I want to dissect the parts and traits of shooting and analyze the merits of concentrating on them individually during training. Shooting fast doesn’t just mean working the trigger fast, despite what the industry tells you.

Places like One Shepherd are great examples of how learning light infantry tactics is less about LARPing and more about learning to be a thinker, a leader, and a good team player. ​If you think about it, civilians have access to most of what a light infantry unit would have access to, to include the training. If it came down to it, I am sure that civilians could easily fill the role of a light infantry unit. It clearly states in the second amendment that a well-regulated militia is necessary. I don’t understand how it’s fine when we train for concealed carry and clearing our homes, but get shunned for training to fend off invasion, tyranny, or mass terrorism. The tactics we learn for concealed carry and home defense directly draw from military and LE. This just means that we take what works and apply it to our training and practice in case we need it. Having more capabilities only broadens your readiness and ability to adapt and even grow as a person. 

​Within the last 19 years, companies have expanded and improved on our ability to fight at night, particularly in the white light realm. Many high-profile companies have made advances in lumen/candela output, runtime, durability, attachment options, etc. Then there are smaller companies like Olight that are small but making huge leaps in light capabilities. The Odin is their latest model that is designed for rifle mounting, and it is a shining example of what we can do technologically. With a length of 5 ¼”, various mounting and use options, magnetic recharge, and a 2,000 Lumen output at a price of $150 ($120 on sale), this light potentially gives other companies like Surefire a run for their money.

​I can not tell you how important it is to make sure that your combat loadout is logical to your mission. In the past, I have written about my feeling towards body armor, universal loadouts, etc. In this article, I want to talk to you about mitigating the burden of your loadout in order to increase your chances of survival and mission success. I will toss in a few anecdotes and links so you can get a better idea of what I am talking about. The moral of the story is to REALLY consider your mission and be honest with yourself about each item and its necessity. 

Recently, as of a few months ago, I decided that there wasn't much of a good reason to go through the fall, winter, and spring with just a handheld light on the pistol I am most likely to carry with me. I happened upon a picture posted by Sage Dynamics that was captioned "No excuses" and it showed a Glock 43 with a TLR-6 on it. I was confused at first and found that it had been out for a while, but with the more popular and expensive model actually having a laser on it as well. After much research and debate with myself, I decided to get it. If you have a single stack pistol, you may find that Streamlight has a model for your gun as well, and you may want to invest due to some of the information and reasons I am going to share with you here.