Product Reviews

Blauer public safety apparel has very generously offered to throw in a gift certificate for a pair of Blauer Clash LT lightweight tactical boots for each of our top three fundraisers. Thanks, Blauer!

The good folks at Lucky Gunner sent me some ammo to review a while back, some PMC Bronze .45 ACP 185 grain JHP. But what with the buying a new house and the moving in and the moving my girlfriend to Louisiana and the redecorating and the landscaping projects and the EMT class and work commitments and the depression.. … ...

A few months back, when I was looking for items for the Kilted to Kick Cancer Fundraising Challenge prize packages, fellow paramedic and gun nut Cody Richardson contacted me with a very generous offer: he’d donate 10% of the September profits of his company, Richardson Reloading, to Kilted to Kick Cancer, as well as 10% of the profits of his ...

A couple months back, the folks at Blauer sent me a pair of their new Clash LT 6″ lightweight tactical boots to review. Now that I’ve had a couple of months beating around in them, I can give you my thoughts. The Clash LT lightweight tactical boot is designed for warm weather, and weighs in at just 18 oz. Made ...

A few months back, I got a book to review by paramedic and fledgling EMS novelist Jerrid Edgington. The book, Racing the Reaper, chronicles the life and times of fictional EMT Jacob Myers. From the Amazon synopsis of the book: After a life altering accident that nearly leaves Jacob Myers paralyzed, he feels his life is meant for something greater ...

Evaluating a new pair of Blauer Clash LT 6″ tactical boots. Lightweight and designed for warm weather, they feel pretty good so far. Should have you a product review up in a couple of weeks.

Wander the exhibit hall floor at the NRA Annual Meeting (or SHOT, or any gun show, or any law enforcement convention…) and it because obvious that everyone and their brother-in-law is making some version of a) an AR15, or b) a 1911 pistol. And honestly, I just usually walk on by and mutter, “Meh, seen it.” I’ve got an AR15 ...

In the past, I’ve posted some tips on how you can balance your security needs with assuring the good guys can reach you in a crisis. Well, it recently just happened again. We had an LOL Squared*, crying out for help on the other side of the door. We finally had to kick her door in, which of course resulted ...

A few months back, the nice folks at Blauer sent me a pair of tactical pants to review. Well, what with the holidays and EMS conferences and the move to a new home and the need to get the trousers hemmed to be able to wear them, and the friggin’ cold weather we’ve had, it took me a while to ...

For the past ten years or so, some of the most fertile ground for EMS supply manufacturers has been in the realm of airway management. With the publication of studies that demonstrate EMS providers’ lack of proficiency at endotracheal intubation, along with other studies that question the efficacy of ETI in cardiac arrest, other avenues of providing advanced airway management ...

Besides networking and hanging out with my EMS tribe, some of the other highlights of my trips to national EMS conferences are the new products and innovations showcased in the exhibit halls. Some are a nifty, some are of questionable utility, and some seem to be a solution in search of a problem. although the manufacturers know their target market ...

I’ve used a lot of different gun lubes over the years. When I was a kid, Dad taught me to use plain old 3-in-1 oil or WD40. They worked for him, because he never used his guns hard. They got wiped down every time they were handled, got field stripped and cleaned every time they were shot, and he had ...

For the past three weeks, I’ve been glowing in the dark. The folks at Blauer asked me to review their Colorblock Softshell Fleece Jacket. I’ve been wearing it as my traffic vest during my night shifts at work, and wore it all week at the Texas EMS Conference. It is, to put it mildly, a very… loud… jacket. And that’s ...

Anyone who has ever sighted in a rifle at long range or spent a day at the range testing and tuning handloads knows how tedious it can be: Shoot… squint through the spotting scope… shoot… squint through the spotting scope… curse, re-acquire target through the spotting scope… struggle to remember which was the last bullet impact… sigh, wait for someone ...

For all but my first two years in EMS, I’ve worn Magnum boots. In my early days as a broke EMT, I wore whatever was black and cheap, and my feet, ankles, knees and hips paid the price. Once I sprung for a good pair of tactical boots, I never went back. Until last month, my working pair of boots ...