What Price?

I've got a bunch of friends on one self defense forum in the UK that denigrate what they call the tactical underwear brigade.

The allege that these guys (who supposedly wear camouflage all the time) are over the top when it comes to self protection because they tote kit with them consisting of flashlights, first aid gear, Leatherman multi-purpose tools etc.

Now, are there Walter Mitty's running round waiting for an the world to come to an end, jumping at shadows and imagining all sorts of bad things are going to happen any minute? Sure there are...but they're not unique to the self protection world. A lot of them gravitate there because by nature they fear things that can go wrong and learning self protection is one step in making sure bad things don't happen.

However, I think my mates protest too much. Carrying some gear with you, as in the case of the Bug In Bag I posted about last year, is just plain smart in my humble opinion.

Here's the question to ask...and it's the one I wish the guys on the forum would ask themselves...

What does it cost you if you're right and nothing ever happens (and to most people it doesn't)?
Nothing at all.

What does it cost our prepared friend? Let's be generous and call it $100 for a mini-mag, a Swiss Army knife, a small Adventure first aid kit, a bandana, some water, etc

Now...here's where it gets interesting...

What does it cost if something DOES happen and you don't have that kit? What does it cost then? I recently watched a clip of a vehicle on fire here in the States and a bunch of people standing around waiting for the emergency services to arrive to extract the driver and baby trapped in the vehicle.

Finally some off duty para-medics get stuck in (without their gear) and they got 3rd degree burns on their arms while struggling with the seat belts etc. If one of my tactical underwear mates had been on hand he'd have whipped out his blade and sliced the seat belts and everyone would have been saved, sans burns and no time wasted.

What did it cost people trapped in the buildings on 9/11 (the anniversary is coming up by the way) and what about the poor sods trapped underground in England during their recent terrorist attack? No lights, no water, people bleeding (in some cases to death) smoke inhalation, and in pain. I wonder what price they'd have been willing to pay for some of the kit my mates carry on a regular basis?

Laugh all you want...but when the proverbial brown stuff hits the ventilating system the guy with the kit is the one doing all the laughing.

Harsh Reality & Police Shootings

Ok, it seems I've got a few moments for once to write something down so here goes...and once again, sorry for the long lag between posts.

About ten days ago a kid was shot by a cop here in Charlotte while, according to police, pointing a gun at the cop chasing him while running from the aforementioned officer.

The police account is being disputed by approximately five witnesses who said the kid didn't pull a gun at all.

For some readers my view on this incident might seem harsh but I make no apologies...I never had much sympathy for criminals anyway so here goes.

Isn't it interesting that in the neighborhood in question there have been other shootings yet when the police arrive and ask for witnesses there never are any...that's right folks "nobody saw nuthin." Now a police officer shoots someone and all of a sudden there are five witnesses. As the French say "quelle coincidence."

The bottom line is this, and this is what people in the neighborhood, and critics of the cops handling of the situation, seem to miss...

If the kid who'd been shot hadn't chosen a life of crime he'd be alive today...

If he'd stopped when the officer told him to, he'd be alive today...

If he hadn't been carrying a gun illegally he'd be alive today...(oh yes, I left that bit out...they did find a silver pistol inches from his body immediately after the shooting...that would be the silver pistol the witnesses didn't seem to see)

Carry a gun, commit crimes, run from the cops and get shot...why does anyone have a problem with this? It's all avoidable by the victim and that's the bit the critics seem to conveniently forget.

If you haven't seen the Chris Rock piece on how to avoid falling afoul of the law you need to do yourself a favor and Google it (be warned: the language is a tad salty) ...basically he says "Obey the Law" Stop when you're told to, don't run your mouth, don't carry a gun, don't do drugs, don't hang with people who run their mouths, carry guns illegally and do drugs and you'll be fine. What a novel concept...maybe some of the bad guys should try it.

Apologies

Several readers have asked me what's happened to the blog.

In short, nothing and I'll be back writing again soon but I've been flat out moving, teaching seminars, getting a lesson plan and handbook together for a course I'll be doing nationwide and working on the rewrite of my book on self protection that will be (hopefully) out soon. As if all that isn't enough I'm also running two businesses and working on launching another.

Hang in there and I'll write again as soon as humanly possible.

We interupt this program...

A long time ago I mentioned how a lot of self defense products...some that people put great store in...don't work in the real world all the time.

Here's a great link to a news story discussing Court TV (for my non US readers it's a tv channel here that focuses on true crime and criminal justice system shows). Watch the first clip of the "poor misunderstood" prisoner attacking the prison guard the second they leave the court room.

Pay great attention to the guard who obviously never bothered learning how to fight despite working amongst the most vicious members of society on a day to day basis who uses his mace to try and subdue the prisoner. Notice the mace covering him as much as the bad guy - one huge problem with it - and two, notice how absolutely ineffective it is on someone amped up, intent on doing you harm. Also, notice how long it takes him to access the gas canister (a huge problem with weapons as your only solution) and imagine if the bad guy had a knife instead of a clenched fist.

There's a slew of lessons in this one clip...if a picture is worth a thousand words, what's a video clip like this worth?


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22773900#22773900

More Bugs

I have been chided by several readers to get on with it regarding the BIB and its contents. Apparently they're putting theirs together and need to know what's next...because I've been slack (read busy) I'll include two items.

Here goes...

I have a small AM/FM radio in mine and batteries for it. Cell phones were as much use as an emergency brake in a kayak during 9/11. In a real disaster, imagine for example a nuclear power plant going bust, information is your friend. The government should be broadcasting alerts and evacuation routes and so on. You can pick one of these up from Radio shack or Target for under fifteen bucks.

In the same light you might consider a cheap pair of walkie talkies. Years ago they were the size of a large house brick, weighed as much and cost a fortune. You can buy sets for families now to use in the mall and while hiking etc. They are the size of a deck of cards, weigh next to nothing and are incredibly cheap.

Now, if you're bugging in yourself you may never use them. What if there's a group of you however? What if one of you is wounded and the other is going to go a few floors up to try and get help? What if you decide to explore different ways out of somewhere and need to remain in contact. The uses are endless so if you've got room - and that will depend on how big you want to make this - definitely consider a set.

PS: I've had one reader ask about a bare bones kit because he needs something to stick in his lap top bag. I'll tackle this one as soon as I've got through all the other items but keep in mind food and shelter as primaries. You'd be amazed at what you can cram in a small space by the way. One of my body guard instructors, the great Lofty Weismann of 22SAS fame and the author of the "Survival Book" keeps a survival kit on him at all times that fits in a tobacco tin. I'll take some pics of the one he gave me sometime and post them on here.

Next Item

There's been some great comments coming in about contents for the Bug In Bag first aid kit...look for some more soon.

The next piece of kit you'll need is light. I keep four sources in my bag. The first is a headlamp that's hand free. You've probably seen them, they come with a band that fits over your head like the old miner's lamps and the beauty of them is they free up both hands to work with.

The second one I carry is a small Mag lite about six inches long. A great trick with this one taught to me by the legendary Marcus Wynne is to use some duct tape and secure some spare batteries to it. This keeps the spares right where they're needed and provides you with a length of the very useful tape. These tend to be much brighter and more intensely focused than the head lamps are and, if you're concerned about shooting at night, they're much better than the head lamp for obvious reasons. LOL The company that makes them has now come out with a kit so that you can replace the twist on/off end with a push button which is much better for combat hand gunning.

Next, I keep some Cyalume lights sticks handy. They're the ones you snap in half to activate the chemicals inside and they're cheap and light so there's no problem carrying a few of them. They can be used for roadside emergency flares, lighting where you can't run the risk of a spark, underwater, to illuminate a pathway or light up a fire escape or as a signalling device to name but a few possible applications. (Keep in mind these are a lot safer during a power outage or blackout than candles tend to be)

Finally I keep a small candle. You'll find the right type in a camping store again and they tend to be slow burning and unscented. Unlike the other light sources they provide a surprising amount of heat. During commando training with the Legion we did the survival snow cave trick and got to experience first hand how much heat they can give off in a confined space.

As usual, if I've forgotten something feel free to send a reply and I'll see it gets posted.

Bug In Bag cont.

The next item to stick in your bug in bag is a small first aid kit. When I body guarded for the band "Warrant" back in the early nineties I used my belt first aid kit more than any other single piece of kit during that tour. You have no way to know how many times band members and road crew would cut, scrape and injure themselves while moving about the stage as it was being set up and torn down.

I've seen fancy versions of these things...typically close personal protection specialists will have ones including things like "Quick-Clot" and big wound dressings for gun shot and bomb injuries simply because that's the nature of their particular beast.

If you're not living in or near a war zone however you can pick up some great ones at your local camping goods store that include the basics. You can make your own as well by using a zip lock baggie and buying the contents individually at your local drug store.

You'll need some pain pills. I prefer Asprin or Aleve personally. Asprin can be used during the event of a heart attack and Aleve doesn't eat away at your stomach like some of its counterparts do. You'll also need a variety of band-aids. I buy them from the butterfly strips all the way up to some six by six inch ones. Next should be some antiseptic wipes and some "after bite" insect sting and itch relieving gel.

Next in my kit I include some gauze pads of various sizes both sterile and non-sterile along with first aid tape. You'll need some triple anti-biotic cream, an elasticized bandage and some clips to fasten it. Some other useful items include tweezers and a small pair of scissors. You should also have some safety pins of various sizes and at least one pair of latex gloves.

Finally I include some indigestion tablets such as Tums and some anti-diahoerea pills.

Again, just as it is with the Bug In Bag itself you should personalize that list of equipment to reflect both the area in which you live and your ability and depth of knowledge with regards to first aid. I have, over the years, both in the military and in my capacity as executive protection agent, met some truly impressive team medics who are worth their weight in gold. If you have never done a first aid course by they way now is the time to sign up for one.

If I've left anything out of the first aid kit list, again, just as I asked re the bandana, shoot me an email and I'll amend the list accordingly. I know of at least one switched on medic who reads the blog avidly and I'm sure he'll have some suggestions.