8 Father’s Day Gift Ideas

If you still need gift ideas or if you’re looking for an excuse to buy yourself a gift, here are eight Father’s Day gift ideas that no dad (or family) should be without.  

1. A Water Filter- It might be a pipe bursting, or something worse, but you never know when you’ll need to filter water in order to make it drinkable. I personally own multiple water filters and two of my favorites are the MSR MiniWorks and the Sawyer PointOne All-in-One Filter. If you’re only going to get one I would go with the Sawyer. I recently had a chance to test out the Sawyer when I went hiking in Zion National Park and it worked great. The bottom line is, don’t let anymore time pass without having at least one water filter in your home.

2. The Ruger 10/22- I own a lot of guns, but if for some (terrible) reason I could only have one it would be my Ruger 10/22. The 10/22 is such a versatile gun and can be used for many things from hunting small game to self-defense. I realize a .22 isn’t the optimal choice for personal protection but it will get the job done, plus it’s easy to teach new shooters on this gun and everyone in your family can handle it.

3. Swedish FireSteel- In both the 72-hour kits in your home and in the 72-hour kits in your car you should have multiple ways of starting a fire. One of these ways should definitely be Swedish FireSteel, which was originally developed for the Swedish military. Make sure you also have some dryer lint packed with this and make sure you’re buying the name brand product and not a cheap Chinese knock-off that won’t work.

4. A Fixed Blade Knife- Everyone ought to own a quality fixed blade knife for survival purposes and you should have it with you anytime you go exploring in the outdoors, such as hiking or camping. The Gerber LMF-II is an excellent knife and TOPS Knives also make a solid choice for a survival knife.

5. Ammunition- Most people have a lot of training ammunition, but few have enough self-defense ammo. I carry Hornady Critical Defense in my Ruger LCP and in my Glock 19 I carry Speer Gold Dot. Whatever self-defense ammo your loved one prefers, get them a few extra boxes this Father’s Day.

6. A Credit Card Lock Pick Set- When I first learned how to pick locks, I had no idea how useful this skill would become. That’s why I always carry my credit card lock pick set with me no matter where I’m going since lock pick sets are TSA approved and can be carried on an airplane.

7. Electronic Hearing Protection- If you go shooting often and you’re not using electronic hearing protection you have no idea what you’re missing. The electronic ears that I use and like are Pro Ears Gold.

8. A Tactical Flashlight- Just like with guns, you can never have too many flashlights. SureFire, Fenix, and O-Light are a few of the brands that I own and have worked well for me.

Hopefully, this short list of ideas has given you some inspiration for what you can get dad this year.

Top 7 Rules of Pocket Carry

Over the past decade, the popularity of “pocket guns” has exploded and it’s safe to say that more people are carrying guns in their pocket (instead of on their hip) than ever before. I count myself among this group of people, as you’ll frequently find me with a Ruger LCP in my front, right pocket.

Like every carry method, there are certain rules you should follow if you decide to pocket carry. Violating these rules can obviously cause injury to yourself or someone else. For instance, here’s an incident reported by a Florida newspaper… 

“According to a police affidavit, Thompson told them he was at dinner with his wife Saturday night when he reached into his pocket for money and a car valet ticket. His Glock 9mm handgun was also in his pocket, and it went off accidentally. The affidavit says the bullet hit the base of a table and burst into fragments, injuring several people nearby but none seriously.”

And, that brings us to rule #1…

1. If you are going to pocket carry, never, ever have anything else in that pocket with the gun. Your car keys, money, and everything else needs to be in another pocket. This is a gun pocket ONLY.

2. Your pocket gun should always be in a pocket holster and the holster needs to cover the trigger guard. In the incident mentioned above, if the gentleman would’ve had his gun in a holster there is no reason he would have “accidentally” pulled the trigger. (I use a simple kydex holster for my Ruger LCP.)

3. Don’t put your hand in your gun pocket unless you are in fear for your life or serious bodily injury. In other words, don’t be “that guy” who makes it so obvious he is carrying concealed because he’s always reaching in his pocket to make sure the gun is okay and wanting to touch it.

4. Practice your pocket draw. Obviously, drawing from your hip and drawing from your pocket are completely different. Spend some time doing dry fire practice to ensure you develop a smooth draw from your pocket so you’re prepared if you ever have to do it when it counts.

5. If you’re going to pocket carry, carry the “best” option you can. What I mean is, I wouldn’t stick a two-shot derringer in your pocket or a .22. I’d give yourself the best pocket option, such as a .380 or .38 Special or 9mm depending on how big of pockets you have.

6.  Make sure you are wearing the right type of pants. If your pants are so tight they produce a perfect outline of the gun in your pocket then you need to buy different pants. Never forgot the key word in concealed carry is “concealed”.

7. Have “muzzle awareness” when pocket carrying. When you go to a restaurant with your family and you sit down at the booth do you really want to point your loaded gun at them? Well, that’s what you’ll be doing if you don’t sit in the proper seat and pay attention to your muzzle when you sit down pocket carrying.

Keep these rules in mind so you never have an incident when carrying concealed with your gun in your pocket.

The truth about the CA killing spree

Last Friday, 22-year-old Elliot Rodger went on a killing spree in California that took the lives of six people. It’s another sad tragedy that happens far too often in this country and a reminder for us to always be vigilant and prepared for the unexpected.

The thing is, if you haven’t done much reading about this story you would assume that it’s another mentally ill kid with a gun that went on a shooting spree.

After all, here’s what CNN reported one of the victim’s father’s saying, “Why did Chris die? Chris died because of craven, irresponsible politicians and the (National Rifle Association). They talk about gun rights -- what about Chris' right to live?"

And the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence followed up on the father’s comments stating, "It is time for the American public to know the truth about why people are dying every day and, thanks to Americans like Mr. Martinez, that truth is starting to be heard.”

Well, here’s the real truth:

First, I certainly don’t blame the victim’s father for what he said. I can’t imagine anything worse in life than losing a child and you would obviously be angry and blame whatever and whomever you could for your loss.

But what very few media reports included is that the killer not only used a gun, but his shooting spree actually started out as a knife spree. The first three victims were stabbed to death in the killer’s apartment. From what I’ve seen, one news outlet that got it right is a newspaper out of Australia that reported the killings as a “violent knife and gun rampage.”

Now, it’s no real surprise that the liberal media in this country would only want to focus on the gun aspect and ignore the knife killings because those don’t push forward their agenda.

But you and I are smart enough to know that a gun or a knife is just a tool that can be used for good or evil. However, if someone is coming after you with a gun or a knife you want to be armed to stop the threat and use your gun for the lifesaving and defensive purposes for which it was created.

The last thing you want to be is an unprepared victim who thinks “it will never happen to me” and who didn’t have some type of weapon to defend themselves. So, while the media wants to use this as another excuse to ban guns, you and I should look at it as another reason to be armed because you’ll certainly want your Glock 19 (or whatever gun you prefer) with you when a madman is coming at you with a gun or a knife.  

Why you need to practice the “Bill Drill” more often

The “Bill Drill” created by Bill Wilson is one of the most well known handgun drills. Even so, far too many people have never done this drill before or don’t spend enough time practicing it.

This is probably because it’s such a simple drill. You aren’t shooting and moving, you aren’t shooting steel, and you’re not doing anything “super tactical.” With that being said, the Bill Drill is one of the most practical drills you can ever do that may save your life one day in a self-defense situation.

The target that you use for the drill is a standard International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) target. Only hits in the “A” zone count for this drill. The “A” zone on an IPSC target measures 6 x 11 inches. What this means is that instead of going out and buying an IPSC target you can make an “A” zone target yourself. What I do is take a regular white sheet of paper and measure 6 x 11 and then cut the target out and staple it to my cardboard backer.

You shoot the drill from the 7-yard line and the goal is to fire six shots as quickly as possible while getting all six shots in the “A” zone.

Don’t let the simplicity of this drill fool you. This drill teaches you to develop a smooth trigger pull because if you jerk your trigger you’re not going to get all 6 shots on the target. It teaches you how to manage recoil and also how to track your sights.

The reason to practice this drill often is because in a real life situation, where deadly force is justified, you’ll likely end up doing this drill. What I mean is, you’ll likely end up drawing your gun lightning fast and firing multiple shots as quickly as you can. Thankfully, I’ve never had to fire my gun in a self-defense situation, but I can tell you from very intense training scenarios that this is what you’ll do.

And, of course, in practice if you’re not able to fire off quick and accurate shots, then there’s little chance you’ll be able to do it when it really counts.

If you’ve never practiced the Bill Drill before or haven’t done it in a while, you need to start off slowly. The first time you do the drill take as much time as you need to ensure all six rounds end up in the “A” zone. If it takes you 10 seconds to do this then so be it because now you have a starting point.

After practicing more, your goal should be to get it down to 9 seconds, then 8 seconds, then 7 seconds and so on.

Once you’ve mastered this drill to a time that you’re comfortable with it’s still a good idea to practice this drill at least once a month, if not more. Because again, if your life is on the line you’ll be doing exactly what this drill teaches.

What Your Wife Must Know About Stopping a Home Invasion

My wife is a lawyer, but she no longer practices law. Instead, she’s chosen to stay at home with our two kids. That’s why the question below is near and dear to me, and why I want to write about it today.  

“Hi Jason,

My greatest fear, and one I think about often, is a home invasion. I'm a stay at home mom of two and constantly wonder what I would do IF. And it seems no one I know can give me an answer. No one has a plan for this. We don't own a gun; I am not opposed but my husband is. Do you offer a training for self-defense or home invasion preparedness or anything that will give me peace of mind? Or even training on using some type of gun that I could maybe get?” ~Michelle B.

Most people don’t realize how many home invasions occur during the day. After all, burglars think people are at work during the day so they break into the house hoping to have plenty of time to steal electronics, cash, and jewelry.

But, if someone is home during the day and an intruder breaks in it can quickly turn into a violent confrontation. For instance, in Alabama, an elderly man was at home when someone kicked in his front door. Thankfully, the elderly man had enough time to grab his gun and shoot the intruder before he could attack him.

The thing is, none of us ever wants to have to shoot someone if we can avoid it. That’s why the first thing anyone should do when it comes to preventing a home invasion is to make your home less attractive to criminals so that they’ll target any home on your street except yours.

How do you do this?

-Put alarm sign stickers around your front door and also around your back door. If you already have an alarm, use the ones the company gives you. But you can also buy these stickers online. Also, get one of the alarm signs that comes on a stake and put it in your front yard.

-Buy a large dog bowl and put it outside at your back door. I know this sounds corny, but consider this: If a burglar is casing the neighborhood and he sees your large dog bowl and other neighbors show no signs of a dog, do you think he’s really going to take the chance on your home instead of the no-dog home next door?

-Do the obvious things such as keeping the grass cut, the bushes around home entrances trimmed, and the newspapers from piling up on the driveway. An unkempt yard is an invitation to burglars.

-Get exterior cameras for your front and back entrance. If for some reason you don’t want to get real cameras, at least buy the fake ones.

After you’ve “hardened” the exterior of your house, the next important thing you want to do is get an alarm system. Basic monitoring for alarm systems isn’t expensive these days and will only cost you $15-$20 a month.

Here’s how the alarm system comes into play for stay at home moms: When nobody is at home you set the alarm system in “away” mode so if anyone breaks into the house or trips the motion sensors the alarm goes off.

However, when you are at home, you will set the alarm in “home” mode so that the motion sensor is turned off but if anyone tries to break in through a door or window the alarm gets tripped and the loud siren goes off.

In other words, you can be at home with the kids all day, with the alarm on, and if someone tries to enter the house the noise of the alarm will hopefully scare them off.

However, since there are no guarantees, I do recommend having a gun for home defense as the last line of defense if nothing else scares the burglar off. I can tell you that I use either a Glock 19 or Smith & Wesson M&P for home defense and that my wife uses a Glock 19.

But there is no perfect gun for everyone, which is why I recommend going to your local shooting range and renting several guns to try out until you find one you’re comfortable with. (Don’t let your husband or the gun store guy talk you into a gun you don’t like because you’ll be the one using it, not them.)

If you get a gun you need take a training course and also have a simple plan for what you’re going to do with the gun. For instance, if someone’s breaking into your home you will grab your gun and you and your kids will lock yourselves in the master bedroom while you call police. And, if the intruder tries to enter the master bedroom before police arrive you will have to shoot and stop them.

If your husband refuses to have a gun in the house, even if it’s locked in a rapid access safe, then I would go with a knife. It’s certainly not ideal but can still do a lot of damage to a criminal. The bottom line is, try and make your house as “uninviting” as possible so you’re hopefully never forced to use a gun or knife in the first place.

My Home Defense Nightstand

I’ve trained a lot of people who come to me after they’ve experienced a home invasion. One such fellow is a billionaire from Texas who got in a shootout in his home with the intruder, and another is a woman from Virginia who was raped twice before she realized she ought to have a gun for home defense.

And, just this weekend, I was teaching my Spy course in Las Vegas when one of the women who attended mentioned she had survived a home invasion.

Obviously, there are few things worse than being violated in your own home, which is why I want to share with you the items and tools I currently have on my nightstand to help me stop a home invasion should some criminal try and break into my home.

1) First, the nightstand itself. I have the nightstand right next to my bed. The size of the top of the nightstand is about 24 inches by 18 inches. I believe I got this nightstand from a thrift store awhile back so there’s nothing fancy about it.

2. I have a humidifier on the nightstand. The only reason I tell you this is because I’ve been sick lately and in bed a lot, as I am right now. I am literally typing this from my bed and looking at my nightstand and I plan to share everything that is on it.

3. There is a Gunvault gun safe. The exact model I have is the Gunvault MV500-STD Microvault.

4. Inside the gun safe is a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm. Attached to this gun is a Viridian laser/light combination, model C5L. Also in the safe is a spare magazine. (The two guns I use most often are the Smith & Wesson mentioned above and also a Glock 19. Both of these rotate in and out of the safe.)

5. Also on the nightstand is a dedicated cell phone. It’s a pre-paid phone I picked up from Walmart. That phone is always there so I at least have one cell phone for an emergency call and if I add my regular cell phone to the top of the nightstand then I have a backup.

6. At this moment on my nightstand there are three flashlights. You should obviously have one light available at all times, but I like flashlights and they tend to congregate on top of my nightstand. The three flashlights I have on the stand are a Surefire 6PX Pro, a NexTorch TA1, and an Olight T10. All three of these flashlights have worked well for me and I don’t have any complaints about any of them.

7. I have a set of scriptures on my nightstand for religious reading before I go to bed each night.

As you can see, there’s not a lot of clutter and nothing fancy. It’s a simple set up that gives me what I need in case my home alarm goes off in the middle of the night and I have to quickly access my gun to protect my family.

If you’re not fully prepared to defend your family from a home invasion make sure and work on your own “nightstand setup” this week.

How to Store Guns and Cash

A reader mentioned to me how he’s having his first child soon (congrats) and wants to not only keep his guns away from his child, but also have a safe that protects other documents.

First, it should hopefully go without saying that if there are children in the house all of the guns should be locked up. Even the “heirlooms” that you never shoot should at the very least have a trigger lock on them to make them inoperable.

As far as the home defense guns they need to be in a rapid-access safe. Lots of companies make these types of safes and every one of my home defense handguns is locked up in one. Check out the Gunvault company and Stack-On company for some of the better rapid-access safes. Also, Hornady recently released a quick-open safe. (I would stay away from the biometric versions of these safes as I am still hearing horror stories about people having to swipe their finger numerous times before the safes open.)

The thing is, in addition to having a handgun safe, I also believe you need a safe to store money and other valuables and I don’t think you should mix them. The fact is, my rapid-access safes are small and can fit only one or two full size handguns.

I don’t want to also store money in them because when I reach in the safe for my gun in a life or death situation, I only want to grab my gun and not something else. This is the same reason you never carry anything in your pants pocket when you are carrying a gun in your pocket. The hand only goes in the pocket (or your safe) when your life depends on it or when you’re actively training for that situation.

The safe that can be used to store money and important documents needs to be fireproof and can be one of the inexpensive Sentry brand of safes. I would have a least $1,000 cash stored in this safe and I would add more if you have the means.

Several years back a family member of mine was arrested in Washington, DC. Apparently, he and his business partner were in DC for a meeting and when they came back to his business partner’s car there was a boot on the car from unpaid parking tickets.

The only way this relative could get out of jail that Friday night (and not have to wait until Monday) was if someone showed up with $1,400 cash. Thankfully, we had some rich Italian friends who kept money in their home and they loaned us the $1,400 and the relative was able to get out of jail that night.

This story shows that life is unpredictable, which is why you need to always be prepared to protect yourself, and also have some extra cash on hand.

Should gun owners study martial arts?

Years ago, I was spending time with well-known firearms instructor Massad Ayoob. Since he’s been in the shooting business more than 40 years, I asked him, “What’s one thing you wish you’d known or done when you first started out?”

To my surprise, he said he wished he’d started studying the martial arts and hand-to-hand self-defense a lot sooner than he did.

And, actually, I can say the same thing. When I was with the Agency we spent a heck of a lot more time doing firearms training than training with a knife or empty hand defense. And when I left the Agency I continued the firearms training but didn’t spend the amount of time I should of studying the martial arts.

After all, I try and carry my gun with me every time I leave my house, but there are places I go that I can’t bring it, such as the post office. And, in two weeks I’ll be teaching a course in Los Angeles where I won’t be able to carry my gun at all.

The fact is, as much as I love guns, when it comes to personal protection I believe in being as well-rounded as possible in case I find myself in a life or death situation and I don’t have my gun.

Plus, even if I do have my gun with me, martial arts training teaches you how to move properly (to help you get off the X quicker) and it also teaches you how to fight in close quarters situations so you can properly defend yourself against an attacker while you draw your gun.

This is why I currently study the Filipino martial arts, but there are plenty of other choices to study too, including Krav Maga. If you do a simple Internet search I’m sure you’ll find lots of places around your home where you could get training (you’ll be amazed what you’ll be able to do with an edged weapon or even empty handed after having some of this training.)  

Another important thing to consider is that you don’t have to be a ninja or in the best shape of your life to train in the martial arts. I’ve talked to a lot of people who seem intimidated by going out to this type of training, but you’ll find people from all walks of life in most places you visit. And of course, if you try a place and it’s a little too “Rambo-ish” or the people are jerks then just try somewhere else.

When bad things happen you want to have as many options as you can to protect yourself. So even though I’ve got my gun on me anytime I legally can, I still want to know as many methods as possible to protect myself and my family.

So if you’ve ever thought about training in a martial art, look up a place near you today, and make it a goal to attend a class next week.

11 Items in My Range Bag

The other day, I realized it’s been quite a while since I’ve written about the items in my shooting range bag (that are always changing). And because I’ve gotten a lot of questions about this recently from new shooters, I thought I’d share the list with you today.

Keep in mind, because I have my own shooting range my list may be slightly different than someone who goes to an indoor range. So, pick and choose from the items below that work for you and your situation.

1. Range Bag- The bag I use for the range is a bag for police officers called the Galls Original StreetPro Gear bag. I purchased this bag many years ago when I first became a police officer and I’ve been using it ever since because it’s got plenty of room for all of my gear.  

2. Baseball Cap- The purpose of the cap is not to keep the sun out of my eyes (although it helps) but to keep hot brass from hitting me in the face and falling down my shirt.

3. Medical Kit- I carry the Adventure Medical Kits Field Trauma kit. I also carry extra packages of QuikClot with me in case there is ever an accident.

4. Hearing Protection- I have a set of Pro Ears electronic earmuffs. (If you’ve never tried electronic hearing protection, I highly recommend it.) I also have several soft earplugs in my bag in case people come shooting with me who forget their hearing protection.

5. Timer- I use a Pocket Pro II competition timer on the range to improve my skills and run various drills.

6. Stapler and Staples- I have a heavy duty Bostitch stapler. Since I have my own range I have to put up my own cardboard and targets.

7. Safety Glasses- I typically wear my Oakley sunglasses when shooting but I also have Remington shooting glasses too for when it’s not sunny enough for sunglasses.  

8. Targets- I have a variety of paper targets that I bring, ranging from the “Dot Drill” target to the “5-Square” target.

9. Ammunition- Obviously, the ammunition in my range bag depends on what I’m shooting that day. But, right now I have some 9mm Remington UMC and the .22 Remington Golden-Bullet Pack.

10. Guns- Just like ammunition, it depends what I’m shooting that particular day. But this week when I go to the range I think I’m taking my Glock 19 and Ruger LCP with me.

11. Gun Oil- A small bottle of Remington gun oil also stays in the bag.

You’ll notice one thing that’s missing is a cleaning kit. Personally, I clean my guns when I get home and not while at the range. But I know everyone has their own routines so you might want to include this if you prefer cleaning your guns at the range.  

186,873 Reasons to Carry a Gun

Picture this scenario…

You’re a police officer in Florida who pulls someone over for speeding. You run the driver’s information and it comes back that he’s wanted in Pennsylvania for sexually assaulting a 14-year old girl. You call the Philadelphia police department who issued the warrant and tell them you’ve got their fugitive under arrest and they can come and get him.

But guess what? The Philadelphia PD tells you they don’t want to come to Florida to pick up the guy because they don’t have the resources. So, you have to release the fugitive because he hasn’t committed any crimes in your state. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But anyone who’s been in law enforcement has been in this situation.

The scary thing is, most Americans have no idea how often this happens and how many felons are out on the loose. However, USA Today recently ran a feature series about this felon problem, shedding light on just how bad it is.

According to USA Today, there are 186,873 outstanding warrants for felons and “Police in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Little Rock — all among the nation's highest-crime cities — told the FBI they wouldn't pursue 90% or more of their felony suspects into other states.”

The USA Today article continues saying, “Among the fugitives police said they would not pursue: a man accused in Collier County, Fla., of hacking his roommate's neck with a machete during a fight over two cans of beer; a man charged with drawing a gun on a Newport News, Va., store manager during a robbery…”

The fact is, if you wanted to get away with a serious crime all you have to do is murder someone in Florida and hop on a plane to Nevada and there’s a good chance nobody will pursue you.

And unfortunately, I think it’s safe to say that the system isn’t going to change in the future. I don’t think states are suddenly going to be flush with cash so they can afford to send officers all over the country to retrieve felons. Plus, the state attorney’s who prosecute these cases will likely never find a day when they’re not overburdened and understaffed to the point that they have to pick and choose which cases to prosecute.   

For the rest of our lives, this means the guy standing behind you in line at the supermarket or pumping gas next to you could be a wanted felon in another state. This is why situational awareness is so critical and why you can’t take anything for granted. This is why I remember there’s no such thing as a “routine” trip to Walmart, or to get my haircut, or go to the grocery store. And of course, this is why I personally carry a gun everyday and why I do 25 “dry fire” trigger pulls everyday to ensure I am practicing and constantly working on my firearms skills.

Like everyone, I pray I never have to use my gun (or any weapon) to defend myself, but if the day comes that I do I want to be as prepared as possible to draw my Glock 19 from my hip (loaded with my Speer Gold Dot) to stop the threat as quickly as possible.

6 Self-Defense Tools To Save Your Life

Since I travel around the country doing training, I often find myself having to rely on different tools for my own safety.

For instance, today, I’m in New York City appearing on the Rachael Ray show. New York City has extremely strict gun laws (among other things) and NYC’s slogan might as well be: “we want our residents to be able to protect themselves as little as possible.”

So whether you live in NYC or in Texas, let me share with you the different tools you can use to keep yourself safe.

1. Firearm – Of course, I had to start with my favorite way to keep myself safe, which is a handgun. These days there are three guns that I switch between for concealed carry most often. First, my Ruger LCP, which fits nicely in my front pocket inside a small kydex holster. Right now, my LCP is loaded with Hornady Critical Defense ammunition. The next gun is my Glock 19. I carry it at the four o’clock position in an inside the waistband holster. I have several holsters for this gun and use the Clipper-DL, a CrossBreed holster, and a Kydex holster that a friend made for me. The last gun I carry is a full size Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm. Both my Glock and the Smith & Wesson are loaded with 124-grain Speer Gold Dot ammo. Unless it’s illegal to do so, one of these three guns is on me at all times.

2. Air Horn - I know a lot of folks have guns for home defense purposes only and don’t carry concealed. If this is the case for you, let me recommend an air horn. You can purchase an air horn at any boating supply store and the noise will scare the living daylights out of almost anyone. Let’s say you had an air horn in your purse and were being followed through the Walmart parking lot. You could quickly pull the air horn from your purse and use it to scare someone away. (If you haven’t tested an air horn lately make sure your ears are covered when you do… trust me on this one. Also, an air horn is great for college students and teenagers.)

3. Tactical Pen – The tactical pen is one of my favorite self-defense tools and what I’m using now since I’m in New York City. The tactical pens goes everywhere with me whether I’m on a plane, in a courthouse or in a city or state that has strict gun laws.

4. Knife – You never want to be in a knife fight, but if a knife were the only tool you had you would obviously use it. I keep my knife clipped to my pants pocket and the knife I typically carry is a Benchmade. However, the particular model I own is illegal in New York so it’s at home sitting on my desk right now.

5. Crow Bar – In the back of my vehicle is a crow bar. The beauty of the crow bar is that it has multiple uses, one being self-defense. It’s certainly not my number one choice for personal protection but it’s definitely better than nothing. If you don’t already have a crow bar in your vehicle pick one up this week from Walmart or Home Depot.

6. Monkey Fist Keychain – The Monkey Fist is a parcacord keychain wrapped around a ball bearing. It may not sound like much but getting struck by one definitely hurts. You can also use the paracord for escape & evasion purposes and another bonus is that you’ll probably never lose your keys since the Monkey Fist makes them easy to keep track of.

Updated Road Trip Checklist

Today, I head to Las Vegas to teach a survival course. Las Vegas is only 2.5 hours away so I’m driving instead of flying. Before I make any road trip, whether it’s a short one like this, or a seven-hour drive to Los Angeles, I always go through a quick checklist to make sure I’m prepared and have the gear I need.

Since the gear I use is always changing and I’m always searching for new gear, I want to share with you the current checklist of the items I have in my vehicle.

Before I get to that list, let me share with you one of the most important things I do before going on any road trip. It’s not the sexiest and most exciting thing in the world, but I make sure and check my tire pressure. Most people don’t realize that underinflated tires cause the majority of car crashes.

The reason for this is because a lot of folks have no idea what the correct tire pressure is for their car. You see, if you open your driver’s side door and look on the inside panel you’ll see a listing for your tire pressure. It might be something like 32 PSI (pounds per square inch.)

However, if you look on the tire itself it might say something like 44 PSI.

So if one says 32 and the other says 44, how much air should you put in your tires? Well, I have many friends who are experts when it comes to tire pressure and vehicle safety. And their recommendation is to put 10% less air in than what it says on the tire. In other words, if your tire says 44 PSI, you would put 40 PSI in your tire, which is exactly what I do.

So before you head off on your next road trip or even to work, check your tire pressure. You’ll save money on gas by properly inflating the tires, plus it may save your life if you ever have to make evasive maneuvers in your car.

Once I check my tire pressure and put gas in the vehicle, I quickly make sure I have the items below in the back of my vehicle. Since I live in Southern Utah and go through some pretty remote places, I want to ensure I’m prepared if my car ever breaks down.

-Two 72-hour kits that contain three days of food and water (Why two kits? Because they don’t take up much space and because as I just mentioned, I often travel in the middle of nowhere.)

-One quart of motor oil (Always have extra oil in your car, it’s a small investment that’s well worth it.)

-Full toolbox (I’ve got screwdrivers, hammers, wrenches, and a variety of tools if I have to do repairs.)

-Tow Rope (In case someone has to tow you to a gas station or you need the rope to tie down cargo. This rope goes inside my toolbox.)

-Guns (For this particular trip to Las Vegas I will have my Ruger LCP and my Glock 19.)

-Collapsible shovel (You can buy one of these folding shovels at any Army surplus store.)

-Ammunition (I have 100 rounds for every caliber of gun in the vehicle. So I’ll have 100 rounds of 9mm and 100 rounds of .380.)

-Knives (In the toolbox I have a Gerber LMF II. In my 72-hour kits I put a Swedish survival knife.)

-Flashlights (I have four flashlights in my car. Each of the 72-hour kits contains one of the LED flashlights that doesn’t require batteries. You simply squeeze it to generate light. I also have a light in my glove compartment and another in my door compartment.)

-Crow bar (These only cost about $15 from Walmart and have a variety of uses, from self-defense to opening doors to knocking debris out of the way.)

-Bolt cutters (For extreme emergency situations.)

-Toilet paper (Can be used for making fires and for that other important reason.)

-Dryer lint (Excellent for starting fires, just save the lint from your dryer for a few weeks and you’ll have a Ziploc bag full.)

-Zip ties (They can be used for making shelter by tying sticks together and securing other items.)

-Paracord (I often have a 1,000 foot spool in my trunk, but at the very least have 20 feet.)

-Map (A paper map in case GPS fails me, which happens far too often.)

-First aid kit (Both of the 72-hour kits have a small first aid kit but I add another kit to my car. Right now, I’m carrying the Voodoo Tactical Trauma Kit.)

I realize some people may think the above list of items I have in my vehicle is overkill. That’s why I recommend you pick and choose from the above list and put together a vehicle survival kit that works for you.

Even if you live in the city, snowstorms and earthquakes can happen at anytime and you never know what item in the vehicle will be crucial to your survival.

My armed and dangerous wife?

I realize not everybody loves guns as much as I do, but you’ve got to have a way to defend yourself against a home invasion. Some people choose baseball bats, others choose knives, and my wife and I choose guns.

Of course, the gun is a tool of last resort, which is why we also have an alarm system that will hopefully deter criminals in the first place, and keep me from ever having to use my firearm to protect my family.

An important thing to remember with that alarm system is to actually use it (you may laugh, but I come across so many home invasion stories where people forgot to turn their alarms on) and remember to even use it when you’re at home by placing the alarm in “home mode.”

“Home mode” typically means the motion sensors are turned off so you can walk freely around the house, but all of the entry sensors are still active so if someone tries to enter the home through a door or window the alarm will go off.

In fact, a friend of mine named Dennis who lives in Texas had a home invasion while he was at home watching a movie. He forgot to put the alarm in “home mode” and he ended up getting in a shootout with the intruders because he realized way too late that somebody was in his home. Thankfully, neither he nor his wife was injured and the intruders were eventually caught.

The bottom line is, get an alarm and use it, and then have a plan for what you’re going to do when that alarm goes off.

For example, the other day I thought I was going to be gone from the house for a long time because of several meetings I had. I ended up getting home early and when I walked into my house the alarm immediately sounded because my wife had set it in home mode.

It took me only a few seconds to shut off the alarm, but by the time I did, my wife was already at the top of the stairs with her Glock 19 ready to stop an intruder. (I jokingly asked her if this is how she planned to get rid of me by making it look like an accident. Like most of my jokes, she was not amused.)

My point is, my wife and I have a very simple plan of getting our guns from our rapid access safes and going to the top of the stairs. We’ll make sure the intruder knows we have a gun and that we want him to leave our house. But if the intruder is so strung out on drugs or alcohol and ends up running up our stairs to attack us, we will obviously defend ourselves.

I’m happy to know that because my wife and I have a plan she didn’t have to freak out and wonder what she should do the other day when I set the alarm off. She knew exactly what to do and was in place in just a few seconds.

Even if you’ve got your home defense plan down cold, does your spouse also know exactly what to do? Maybe over dinner tonight you could have a short discussion of what everyone should do if your alarm ever goes off.

Why you should get 5,000 rounds of this ammo

I’ve gotten a lot of questions lately about ammunition, even though the ammo shortage has been going on for months. More specifically, these questions have been about how much to store, what kind to store, and where to store it.

I realize that ammo is still hard to find in most parts of the country and that 10 minutes after it’s delivered to Walmart it’s already disappeared from the shelves. That’s why, if there was only one type of ammo I could get and one type of ammo that I believe everyone should be focused on, it’s .22.

First, you and I know that .22 is less expensive than 9mm, .40, .45, and other types of ammo, so we can afford to train more with it and enhance our skills. But price isn’t the only reason to stock up on .22.

It’s also a lot lighter and easier to carry. If you had to head out somewhere on foot or even quickly haul ammo to a vehicle, it’s a lot easier to carry 1,000 rounds of .22 than 1,000 rounds of .45.

What’s more, .22 has less recoil and is easier to shoot and train on. If things got really bad in your town and you had to arm family members who weren’t extremely well trained they could handle a good .22 rifle or .22 handgun better than an AR-15 or Glock 30.

In fact, when my daughter is old enough to learn how to shoot I plan to teach her using my Ruger 10/22  and also my Ruger Mark III. (In my opinion, two of the best .22s on the market.)

But what about the ability to stop an attacker with a .22?

Well, I think most people can agree that while it’s not the perfect self-defense round, it can still do the job. For my own self-defense round I use 9mm Speer Gold Dot. But if things got so bad that I’d gone through all of my 9mm rounds and I had to use .22 for safety and survival I would have no problem at all. The truth is, it would just take more rounds to stop the attacker than it would with 9mm, .40, or .45, but it would still get the job done.

And as I’ve mentioned in the past, for all of the people that claim the .22 is so weak that they’d never use it in a million years for self-defense, I’ve never had a single one of these people ever volunteer to be shot with one.

So how much .22. ammo should you stock up on?

Since it’s cheaper and easier to carry I’d get at least 5,000 rounds as soon as you’re able to. .22 comes in “bricks” of 525 so it only takes 10 bricks to get that amount of ammo. If you can afford more I would certainly do it, but 5,000 rounds of ammo is a decent amount to have for safety and survival purposes.

One thing I will mention is that I wouldn’t store all of your ammo in one place. You can split it up in different areas of the house, perhaps having a few thousand rounds in the basement and the rest in the attic. Even better would be to split up your ammo and keep some at your home and the rest at an office, storage unit or other cache location.

Wherever you end up keeping it, the most important thing to remember is to store the ammo in a cool, dry place. In other words, your home should be fine, but if you get a storage unit it will need to be a climate controlled unit as you don’t want the ammo sitting in the summer heat when it’s 110 degrees.

If you decide to bury ammo in the ground make sure and put it inside a Mylar bag with an oxygen absorber. Also, don’t forget to seal the Mylar bag closed (I do this with a hot iron.)

Of course, one last thing I should mention is the bartering ability of having .22. I pray that things never get so bad in this country that we’re forced to barter with .22, but if the situation ever occurs .22 could be a lot more valuable than the paper money in our wallets.

The bottom line is, get some more .22 when you can find it (I like Remington’s Golden Bullet Value Pack) and get out there and do more training, both by yourself and with your family members.

A Home Invasion Drill

One of the many gun magazines I subscribe to is Combat Handguns. Each month they have a section titled “It Happened to Me” where a person tells the story of how having a firearm saved their life.

This month’s story is about a woman who was home alone at night with her children because her husband worked a late shift. She heard a noise coming from downstairs and she grabbed her Glock and went to the top of the stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs was a man with a knife who proceeded to charge up the stairs toward her. She fired six rounds at the intruder and ended up killing him. She later found out the man had a prior criminal history of burglary and rape.

Needless to say, this proves once again why it’s so important to have a firearm for self-defense. Just imagine what horrible things could have happened to this woman and her children if she hadn’t been prepared for a home invasion.

But it’s also a good reminder that we should practice a simple home invasion drill so that we know we are able to accurately fire towards the bottom of the stairs. What I mean is, for my own home defense plan I am going to go to the top of the stairs with my Glock 19 that has a Viridian C5L laser/light combination on it.

Obviously, if an intruder charges up my stairs threatening to kill me I need to be able to fire down the stairs and stop them. In my house, this is rather simple to do because I have a straight staircase. But I still dry fire down the stairs to practice doing this. (I only do this dry fire practice when nobody else is in the home.) I also practice using one of the walls at the top of the stairs as concealment and leaning out and firing down the stairs, ensuring I expose as little of my body as possible.

To make dry firing down the stairs a little more exciting, I also use the LaserLyte Plinking Cans. This is a new product from LaserLyte and it comes with three cans that are about half the size of a soda can. When you fire the laser training gun at the cans (and hit the target on the can) the cans tip over.

What I do with these cans is to set them on a chair at the bottom of my stairs. I then practice leaning out from the top of the stairs and seeing how quickly I can tip over each can.

Like I mentioned a minute ago, this makes dry fire more interesting and I get immediate feedback on whether I’ve hit the target or not.

If you haven’t practiced dry firing from the top of your stairs to the bottom or practiced the same thing while using cover I encourage you to do it this week.

Obviously, you don’t want the first time you’ve ever tried this to be when some maniac is charging you with a knife. Also, don’t forget to try this both during the day and at night while using your flashlight, whether it’s a hand held light or a weapon mounted light.