November is upon us already, and ammo prices are still higher than a giraffe’s ass. It seemed like, just as things were in danger of returning to normal, more gun control horse shit spurred the neckbeards into ammo-stacking overdrive, so here we are again.
Looking on the bright side, and there is ALWAYS a bright side, magazines and accessories are still available in abundance, and I think it’s a good idea to stock up while you can. As we learned during 2009-2010, mags and ammo can always be sold, but they cannot always be bought. Despite the problems with our ammo supply, there are some great deals out there on magazines that are hard to pass up, and it’s always a good idea to have spares on hand, even if it’s for nothing more than trade fodder for stuff you might need down the road a bit.
Stocking up on parts and accessories is another good way to work around the ammo debacle, and an opportunity to get some work done on improving, modifying and getting to know your weapons.
Once you get where you want to be as far as your stash goes, time to think about how you’re going to train, maintain and improve the skills that make everything in your arsenal effective when it’s needed.
Snap-caps, laser trainers and dummy ammo are all good investments for those who do not care for random holes in their various household items and surfaces, just keep all that strictly separated from your live stuff, and rock on.
While you’re at it, consider dumping that bulky 2006-era plate carrier and super-heavy plates in favor of the newer, more comfortable lightweight PCs like the Ferro Slickster and Spiritus LV-119. There are other variations on the lightweight PC theme, of course, but these two are what I have direct experience with, and I can safely say that wearing my Slickster for two years straight in Afghanistan, it is my “go-to” carrier for every purpose for which I have any need to consider.
Which brings me to the subject of plates. I like lightweight “special threat” plates because I am willing to sacrifice the blanket-like protection of the Army’s IOTV family of carriers for increased mobility, WAY less weight and correspondingly less fatigue and long-term debilitating injuries. For those with deep pockets, there are even better plates that will stop more threats at the same or less weight, but for me, the Tencate 2000SA and similar plates are as good as I need and as much as I am willing to spend. Do what your finances will allow, with an eye toward keeping things simple.
Keeping things simple means not hanging a whole yard sale full of trash all over your carrier (or your weapon, for that matter), and that means taking a good, hard, objective look at what your requirements might be, and keeping your gear selections within those parameters. The airsoft boys look mighty cool with all that junk strung all over their rigs, but that stuff is mostly reproduction gear that doesn’t weigh anywhere near as much as the real deal.
Trust me, having to hump around an extra ten to twenty pounds of stuff you will likely never use is a bad thing out there in Real Life Land, and will lead you to dump the non-essentials faster than you can say, “muh back hurts.”
Fortunately, we are living in a marvelous age of technical and tactical wonders, wherein the most discerning tastes and requirements can meet with gear, guns and accessories that fit the bill, so get out there and explore!
Good Hunting!
The Harmony of the Pen and the Sword 