Triumph and Tragedy: The USS Indianapolis

No one on board the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) knew anything about the cargo they were carrying. What they did know was that the veteran cruiser (launched in 1931) made the trip from San Francisco to the island of Tinian in the Marianas in just ten days. The crew was proud of the “Indy”, and fo...

By Tom Laemlein

Garmin inReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator

There is a certain clarity that comes with getting deep into the backcountry. Cell service fades, outside noise disappears, and your focus narrows to terrain, weather, time, and decision-making. That is a big part of why many of us seek it out in the first place. That clarity also comes with resp...

By Scott Conditt

Off-Grid Comms: Going Stealth with the Starlink Mini

Reliable communication used to be the first thing you lost the moment you stepped away from the grid. Once your cell signal faded, you were effectively on your own. Starlink, and now the Starlink Mini, have changed that reality in a way that is nothing short of game-changing. In a compact, packab...

By Scott Conditt

Hidden Messages – Using Code Words with Family Members

One tool in the family security toolbox to explore is the use of code words and phrases. I know it sounds kind of silly, like you’re trying to act like James Bond or something. Turning everyone into secret squirrels isn’t the goal with this exercise. There are two primary reasons why people u...

By Jim Cobb

The State Of The Canadian Gun Ban/Buyback

What’s going on in the Canadian gun world these days? Same as always—more legal wrangling back-and-forth between shooters and the government. But there have been some relatively major recent developments with the federal government’s so-called buyback. The feds are steaming full...

By Zac K

Clone Rifles – How to Get Started Building a Clone Rifle

We recently sat down with Chris from clonerifles.com to learn more about the state of building clone ARs in 2022, his take on the cloning community and its reputation, as well as a bit about the website's background, what parts are getting hard to find, and some details on his upcoming clone shoo...

By James Burton