- Cotton Prices, Moving on up – but not to the west side
Lately I have been hearing some scuttlebutt within the tactical clothing industry about worldwide cotton shortages and large scale textile factory closings all over the world (as many as 1/3d of the textile factories in China have shut down due to this), this is causing production delays in cotton based tactical clothing manufacturing both in the domestic and international textile manufacturing market.
The current cotton shortages are a result of 3 straight years of poor cotton crop yields due to boll weevils (a beetle that eats cotton bulbs) and poor weather conditions in cotton growing regions (some foreign manufactures, notably in India, are also blaming import and trade restrictions). So we are now seeing cotton jumping from the low 30’s in February to well over 50$ now.
Because of the above some tactical clothing manufactures are seeing deliveries pushed back 3 to 6 months along with a substantial price increase. That means we (the consumer) will start to see a price increase and general shrinkage of supply around the 4th quarter of the year.
Tactical Clothing Industry insiders have told me we are looking at about a 25% increase in tactical clothing prices by the end of this year (40 dollar pants will end up costing around 50 bucks a pair).
And this does not just involve the tactical clothing industry, expect to see the price of everything manufactured with cotton go up. Jeans, winter jackets, socks, underwear, t-shirts, children’s clothing, patches and even magazines.
So – What does this mean to you, the consumer?
Click Here to keep Reading – TACTICAL GEAR: Expect to See a Rise in Prices and a Shortage of Tactical Clothing in the Near Future >>>
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- Wow – your dojo must be proud of you
I was having lunch at the chow hall with some of my boys the other day when one of the new guys sat down and joined us. As usual with all new guys we made fun of him for a little while then interrogated him about his background listening carefully for any BS.
Anyway the kid ended up being a good dude that took it all in stride and yapped about his background and hobbies. As with most guys in this line of work the subject of past/current Martial Arts training will eventually come up. Well this dude mentioned that he had been training in some sort of Kung Fu since he was a kid.
Well that opened the flood gates of “Kung Fu is worthless on the streets” to the inevitable “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the best Martial Art in the entire galaxy” to my response of “Who gives a shit, you guys sound like a bunch of nerds arguing about Star Wars VS Star Trek”, then Laughter…
The above (and my rant below) is why I haven’t stepped a foot in a dojo in over 10 years, all of the childish chest thumping about this Martial Art VS that Martial Art is gay. Back in the day when I first started training in Martial Arts it was about learning something that was new and challenging (and cool) that people had been teaching for centuries.
It didn’t matter if Ninjawondo was suitable for a street fight in South Central LA or would get you laid in a bar – it was about the process of learning and mastering something to the point of near perfection. It was almost (without sounding like a hippie) a spiritual experience, and exactly what I needed as an undisciplined young man.
Click Here to Keep Reading – H2H FIGHTING: What the Hell Happened to Traditional Values in Martial Arts? >>>
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- This is the only gold that you should be putting your hands on
Not a week goes by without someone sending me an email asking my opinion on buying Gold as an investment for the “impending 3rd world like economic collapse in the US” or various other financial scenarios.
I still can’t figure out why I have somehow become this bastion of financial advice on investing that all my friends go to when they are deciding on making some off-the-wall financial move.
I think it is a combination of the fact I have always had a job (a rare trait amongst my buddies), read allot of books (and even rarer trait amongst my buds) and in their minds my being an international contractor means I must be rolling in mountains of coin that I invest in exotic and shady ventures like the international Gorilla Hand Ashtray trade (in reality I blow it all on Booze, Easy Women and Bacon Cheeseburgers).
Generally the tinfoil-hat talk about the U.S. becoming a 3rd world wasteland like Somalia makes me immediately delete said message (anyone who thinks the U.S. could ever turn into a 3rd world like hell-hole has obviously never been to a 3rd world hell-hole) – but one of my buddies sent me the rare rational question about gold as an investment.
The Following is my response, unedited:
Click Here to Keep Reading – Buying Gold is Only for Mr-T and Warren Buffett >>>
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- “have a nice day infidel”
You can’t move on the ground anywhere in Iraq without encountering check points. As matter of fact, there are places along the roads where you can’t get your vehicles up to 80 kph because you run into another checkpoint immediately following the one you just cleared.
So, with all these checkpoints, is Iraq more secure?
The short answer, NO.
THE MATH: CONTRACTOR (PSD or CONVOY) + CHECKPOINT = HASSLES AND UNREALIZED DANGERS
Here’s the thing, Checkpoints are certainly effective in disrupting convoys, PSDs, and local civilian traffic, but observably accomplish little more than that on the surface. They don’t stop the rat-line of bad guys and support coming into regional centers, and they most certainly don’t provide security past a plain view inspection of most vehicles.
However, they do provide an overt symbol of authority and maybe it’s as simple an explanation as that.
But, certain things do occur at checkpoints that must be noted and dealt with on frequent occasion by contractors running the roads…
Click Here to Keep Reading – CIVILIAN CONTRACTORS: The Thing About Checkpoints in Iraq >>>
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Contrary to popular belief Tactical watches don’t have to be rubber, plastic or digital
Several weeks ago James asked me to write an article on tactical watches. I apologize for the delay but every time I sat down to write on it, I found an excuse to procrastinate: too much information, too many choices!
Part 1 of this series will cover: Rolex, Panerai, Bell & Ross, and Sinn. Part 2: 5.11, Luminox, G-Shock, and MTM. Part 3: will look into some interesting brands most of us haven’t even heard of. The jewelry market is too big to cover every brand so I will not discuss AP, Blancpain, Breitling, Citizen, JLC, Omega, Seiko, etc. I do not want to write a Wikipedia article here.
In addition it does not make sense to review the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Survivor, adding it to the list of tactical watches, as not many DVM readers might be able to afford one. It reminds me of a recent letter from a Cigar Aficionada reader complaining that reviewers only review gadgets way out of reach for the average cigar smoker. We at DVM don’t do that!
Now, be careful though: buying a cheap time-piece it may cost you over the years – you might want to invest into an “expensive” watch once in your life and keep it as long as possible… I made a lot of stupid investments with knives, thankfully less with flashlights, and basically none with my watches: don’t spend your money on too many cheap ones instead of getting a better one for the same amount!
Click Here to Keep Reading – TACTICAL GEAR: Watches for the International Operator >>>
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- situational awareness is like having eyes in the back of your head (but less creepy looking)
Whenever the topic of mindset is brought up, people always want to chime in about how awareness is everything. The comment kinda comes off sounding like a guy looking at a car and asking “what’s under the hood” or picking up a knife at a show and asking “what steel is it made out of” when the information is on the blade. Everyone wants to have something to add to the conversation, whether it is useful or not.
Awareness is even more useful when you have some things to look for. The other day, I was walking with my son, who was selling popcorn for Cub Scouts. We were in front of a house knocking on the front door when I hear a vehicle start up out back.
As we moved around to the front, a middle aged woman in an SUV drove by the sidewalk. She was digging for something on the passenger seat and drove right by us. Never saw us standing on her sidewalk, only feet from her in her front yard. All of us have been caught sleeping, right?
Click Here to keep Reading – URBAN SURVIVAL: Awareness >>>
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- Arena Flakjak Goggles and War Gear
Look. You have to use protective eyewear. In semi- and non-permissive environments, you’ll find that there’s a need to cut the risk to your vision by wearing some sort of protective lens.
At the top of my list of approved protective eyewear is Arena Flakjak Goggles. When I am in the turret scanning for IEDs and bad guys these goggles keep the dust, grit, and flying crap out of my eyes when on the move.
As well, the Arena Flakjak Goggles lens system provides ballistic protection when the rounds start flying and the debris related to combat assails your visual senses.
If you’re kicking around and need a pair of bug eyes, these should be near the top of your list. They most certainly have a nesting place on my head when meeting my objectives.
Click Here to Keep Reading – TACTICAL GEAR: Arena Flakjak Goggles – FIELD TESTED >>>
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- NOT THE IDEAL WAY TO ARRIVE AT A RV…
“Have your musket clean as a whistle, hatchet scoured, sixty rounds powder and ball and be ready to march at a minute’s warning” – Rule #2, Rogers Rangers Rules of Engagement
While the above equipment is not very suitable for search & rescue, I have always liked the thought behind this rule:Â have your gear and yourself good to go at any moment.
While lots of searchers have go bags packed and ready to be slung over their shoulders when their phones go off, one common trend I’ve noticed is that their vehicles are not as prepared as they are.
After flashlights, in my opinion your vehicle is your most important tool for search & rescue. It is your transport, office, gear locker and shelter if necessary. When you look at it like that, why wouldn’t you want to have it as prepared as your go bag?
In this article I’m going to run down a few things which I believe every searcher should keep in their vehicle so that they too can be ready to deploy at a minute’s warning, safe in the knowledge that they’ve got everything they might need.
Click Here to Keep Reading – SEARCH AND RESCUE: Rapid Deployment Prepping – Vehicles >>>
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- Civilian Contractor Bombdog and Partner at work
Most of us working in the overseas contractor biz will come into contact with a working dog team occasionally. You might work with a Narcotics Detection Dog (NDD) or an Explosives Detection Dog (EDD). You may also run across a Cadaver Dog, a.k.a Human Remains Dog (HRD).
No matter which type of team you are in contact with, there are some similarities that you might not know about. Also, here are some things that can help the dog be as successful as possible.
The Nose Knows…
1. All dogs, no matter the breed, have noses that are thousands of times better than ours. A good example of just how good is this…
If we were to walk into a pizza joint, we (humans) would likely smell pizza. Not any specific kind, just pizza.
If Canis Familiaris (that means dog) were to walk into said pizza joint, they would smell pizza, too. They would also smell every individual topping offered. They would smell the three types of cheese. They would smell the tomato sauce and garlic butter (this is making me hungry).
They would also smell the Polo aftershave that Guido put on this morning, the syrup for the pop machine and the little mints they put in the urinals (don’t eat those, by the way).
This is why drug traffickers have such a hard time masking the scent of the 20 kilos of Colombia’s finest. Attempts to cover-up the odor only succeed in adding more scents for the dog to pick from. Dog’s can take in multiple odors and distinguish them individually, not just the entire pizza like we can.
Click Here To Keep Reading – K-9: Civilian Contractor K-9 Teams >>>
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The SureFire EL2 AA Outdoorsman – It’s About Damn Time
I have been waiting for SureFire to come out with a AA mini-light for like 10 years, I have never understood why every single so-called “Tactical Flashlight” uses 123A Lithium Batteries. They are expensive and difficult enough to find that you have to actually pack them in your gear for jobs or missions.
And good luck finding batteries in a local store in some 3rd world country, the only place you will find 123A Lithium Batteries in Shitholeanistan will be at a camera shop for a billion dollars each – and that’s if you can even explain to your taxi driver or the store clerk what type of batteries they are if you forget to bring a dead one as an example.
I once spent 5 hours driving all over Phnom Penh, Cambodia looking for a pack of 123A Lithium Batteries only to end up paying 24 bucks for two – after then I stopped carrying lights that use 123A Lithium Batteries when I am in the 3rd world unless I am working on a Military Base.
And even when I am in the 1st world or I am working on or near a Military base overseas I find myself trying not to use my flashlight because I don’t want to wear down the expensive ass batteries – so it sort of even defeats the purpose of even having a light.
So when I found out that SureFire came out with a light that ran on AA Batteries I almost shit myself – I actually had to re-read the description because I thought I was seeing things. Well, it turned out to be true, so I immediately ordered one up over at LA Police Gear and had it shipped to me here in the box.
Click Here to Keep Reading or to LISTEN TO – LIGHTS: The SureFire EL2 AA Outdoorsman Review >>>
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