DNA Tactical Blog

That might sound like an oxymoron to many as who has time to put in a set of ear plugs before engaging in a life or death struggle. It just so happens that that the author writing this to you now is a United States Marine veteran of Iraq who can personally testify that, no, you do indeed not have time to put in earplugs before a firefight. For that matter, you wouldn’t want to anyway. 

To the novice, a gun holster is a leather gun shaped pouch one wears on the side of their hip. The the informed, they know that a gun holster can be nearly anything you can imagine. A gun is but a tool and for every job there exist its proper tool. The same can be said for most gun accessories. Different jobs require a different holster. Is speed required for this particular job as you fancy a quick draw scenario? Or perhaps concealment is what is called for to accomplish this particular mission. Maybe firepower is needed and for that, your standard ankle holster simply wouldn’t do. The options are many, but make no mistake about it. A holster by any other name is still a holster.

A firearm is only as effective as the skill of the shooter.  Gear is only as good as you know how to use it.  But the same is true for your fists, elbows, knees and feet.  When it comes to self-defense, the options for protecting oneself are nearly limitless.  Still, every scenario must be judged circumstantially when it comes to the setting, the situation, the individual, and the items at hand.  The saying, "you can't bring a gun to a knife fight," is an analogy for a variety of potential self-defense situations.  Ultimately, it's more often than not that a person is unprepared or surprised when confronted with a situation that would require some degree of protection or self -defense.  When that happens, the best self-defense tools and tactics are the ones you have on hand when the moment strikes.

Though it may look "cool" when you see the detective character do it in the movies, it's never been a practical approach to keep a handgun concealed by tucking it into one's waistband.  Hence why since the dawn of the invention of the first handguns ever produced, there have been holsters designed specifically to both carry them conveniently and conceal them from plain sight.

Before you get to excited in thinking that are going to settle the great holster debate once and for all time, we should probably tell that we here at DNA Tactical do not believe in telling you what’s best for you. Rather, we believe in educating the American shooter and letting the informed lover of 2A liberty decide for themselves. After all, it will be your life and the lives of those you love on the line when you need it most. The truth of the matter is that the best gear is the gear you know and trust. It is the gear designed for the job at hand and not the opinions of some “expert” on an internet forum. So let’s jump right into waistband v. shoulder v. ankle, the great holster debate.

For many preppers, gear is the name of the game when it comes to disaster survival.  That's part of why at DNA Tactical, we aim to stock the supply a wide variety of gear of the highest quality for any emergency situation.  You’re probably already familiar with the term "bug out bag" and you may already have one (or more) of your own.  Everyone has his or her own idea of what a bug out bag should look like, but there is no such thing as the perfect set up. 

There exists a school of thought in the gun community that you should always train like you intend to fight. While this is certainly solid advice from a tactical standpoint when it comes to muscle memory and accurate shooting, there is always some yahoo on the range who takes that mantra a little too far. 

Interchangeable combat and tactical gear has made huge strides over the past 17 years. Perhaps it’s due to the nation being at war for the past 17 years and what better test to evaluate combat gear’s effectiveness than, well, combat. Lessons from the battlefield taught infantry types the need to customize their gear for max effectiveness rather than embrace the standard operating procedures handed down by some butter bar 2nd Lieutenant. In the end, if you are going to win the fight of your life you need to know your gear as if it were a part of your own body. You should train with your gear like you intend to fight so that when the snap and crack of a bullet flying overhead rings out you are not struggling to find your extra magazines or ammo. Want to win the fight of and for your life when it happens? Customize your gear for the fight ahead.

Whether you're an everyday man, a handyman, a policeman, or a military man – or woman – a high-quality light (or torch) should be a go-to part of your gear lineup.  Given the fact that darkness consumes between one-third and one-half of the entire day, having quick access to light can be crucial, even lifesaving.  Just think about how often you may use a flashlight at home for everyday tasks: power outages, scouring the attic, working in the garage, you name it.  These situations may not be life and death, but when it comes to tactical use a proper flashlight is more than just a tool for light.  Today, flashlights are more than a tool, but an extension to one's self-defense kit.  Hand-held lights have the capability to blind, break glass, pierce skin, maim, and otherwise deter a combatant.

There are times and situations where a flashlight just doesn't cut it.  Every time you're using a flashlight, you're multitasking.  That means you're using your free hand to do something else and you'd rather have both hands freed up to focus on the task at hand.  It could be the difference between life and death, on whether or not you can protect yourself, on finding your way or staying stuck, or just a matter of convenience.  There are situations where you just need both hands to deal with a perp, set up your gear, or manage the everyday tasks made more difficult under the cover of darkness, even if it's just fixing a flat.

Somewhere in this freedom loving land of America is a passionate supporter of the 2nd Amendment who always wanted a gun around their ankle. For them it seemed functional, comfortable and the thought of dropping to your ankle and taking out the bad guy movie style was a dream come true. The only thing stopping this patriot from purchasing that ankle holster was some yahoo on an internet gun forum claiming to be an expert. Screaming about all their credentials and how that was the worst idea in the world deterred this would be happy owner of an ankle holster. After all, if someone on the internet says they are an expert it must be true. Here’s the truth my friends. When it comes to everyday carry you are your own expert. What’s the right holster for you? You likely already know.

Whenever you head out into the wilderness you should carry basic medical equipment, even on a daily basis I always have a case of band-aids in my pocket for minor cuts, and a more robust first aid kit in my bag which includes a large wound dressing, CAT tourniquet and extra band-aids and dressings for minor wounds. These items might save your life in the event of an accident.

Long before celebrated Canadian bushcraft and survival expert Mors Kochanski dedicated a chapter of his famous book Northern Bushcraft to the topic of 'bindcraft' and before Dave Canterbury’s concept of five C’s of survivability became popular Stone Age hunter gatherers were creating cordage from the bark of willow and basswoods, grasses and animal skins.

This is what we need to look for in a primary knife; something that will perform basic wood craft tasks such as creating feather sticks, whittling, preparing food and game and at a push batoning or splitting SMALL wood. The small needs to be emphasised because you must not risk your primary knife by splitting large logs or treating it like and axe or froe.

As long as we have oxygen shelter and protection from the elements is our biggest priority in a survival situation. In extreme conditions; perhaps a fall into freezing water or being outside without proper winter clothing in very cold conditions, you have literally only minutes before you are incapacitated to the point of being unable to care for yourself. In these situations there is a very real possibility that you will die!