Sending rounds down range is a must for anyone looking to improve their accuracy. However, this can turn into a chore, especially at longer distances. Paper targets aren't great for holding up to the elements like rain or strong winds, while other options may have limitations affecting their lifespan. This is where Thor Targets—recognized for delivering top-notch training products—comes in. Their targets are ideal for anyone serious about improving their shooting accuracy, whether for competition or preparedness. We were able to validate the durability of Thor Targets with the myriad of samples they provided during CANCON Arizona, 2024.
Above: The Paper Puncher Stand is a low-profile and convenient way to set up a paper target (wooden uprights and paper target not included with the base).
Company Background
Thor Targets was established with a clear mission: to provide durable and reliable targets that enhance shooting skills. Over the years, the company has become a trusted name in the industry, known for its innovative approach and dedication to quality. Their vision is to support shooters by offering products that stand the test of time and deliver consistent performance.
The founders of Thor Targets understood the importance of high-quality training equipment in developing and maintaining shooting skills. With a background in competitive shooting and a passion for excellence, they set out to create targets that meet the rigorous demands of both professionals and enthusiasts. Today, Thor Targets continues to build on this foundation, pushing the boundaries of innovation and quality in the industry.
Above: Gongs come in 6″, 8″, 10″ and 12″ sizes.
Product Range
Thor Targets offers a wide array of products tailored to meet different training needs:
Steel Targets: Crafted from AR500 steel, these targets are designed for longevity and provide immediate feedback upon impact. Their robust construction makes them suitable for high-volume shooting. The steel targets come in various shapes and sizes, including gongs, silhouettes, and poppers, allowing shooters to customize their training sessions. The steel is proprietary, is tougher than AR-500, and can withstand a shot from a .50 BMG at 25 yards. Steel this strong ensures that these targets can withstand thousands of rounds, making them a cost-effective solution for serious shooters.
Target Stands: Ideal for rapid set up, and the use of customized paper targets, they are perfect for zeroing in your firearm and refining your aim. Stands range from simple gong hangers, to low profile stands used to set up traditional paper targets. They are made to eliminate some of the hassle that arises when setting up your own range, or if going to a range that may be under equipped.
Reactive Targets: These targets add a dynamic element to training sessions. By moving or reacting to hits, they simulate real-life scenarios, making practice sessions more engaging and effective. Reactive targets include gongs, dueling trees, and hostage targets, each designed to challenge shooters and improve their reflexes and accuracy. The movement and feedback from these targets create a more realistic training environment, helping shooters develop the skills needed for various situations.
Above: The Dueling Tree target offers reactivity, and provides valuable feedback to the shooter.
Quality and Durability
Thor Targets prides itself on using high-quality materials in its products. The steel targets, for example, are made from a proprietary formula that is tougher than AR500 steel, increasing its hardness and ability to withstand repeated shots. Each target is made to withstand all calibers traveling up to 3000 feet per second. This commitment to quality ensures that shooters receive products they can rely on for extensive use. We witnessed this toughness first hand while their steel targets withstood a sustained barrage from several thousand shooters during our CANCON event!
Above: The Hostage Target provides scenario variability to a day at the range.
Conclusion
Thor Targets offers a range of high-quality, durable training products that cater to the needs of both professionals and enthusiasts. Their commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction makes them a standout choice in the market. Whether you're looking to improve your shooting skills or ensure readiness for any situation, Thor Targets provides reliable and effective solutions.
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In an era dominated by advanced technology, the notion of living undetected in the woods for an extended period seems implausible. However, the story of Christopher Knight, who lived alone in the forests of Maine for twenty-seven years, challenges this belief. His remarkable tale offers valuable lessons in self-reliance, resourcefulness, endurance, and perseverance.
About “The Ghost of North Pond”
In 1986, Christopher Knight, a 20-year-old home security system installer, vanished into the wilderness of Maine. Raised in a deeply religious and reserved family, Knight's disappearance was not widely publicized, as his family believed it was a voluntary act. Knight's desire for solitude drove him to leave civilization behind, armed with basic camping supplies and a determination to find peace in the woods.
Knight's upbringing played a significant role in his decision to disappear. His family, known for their reclusiveness, did not spread the word about his disappearance. They believed he needed time alone, a trait he had exhibited since childhood. Knight's early life was marked by a preference for solitude, and this inclination eventually led him to one of the most extreme forms of isolation.
Knight's journey into isolation was driven by a strong will and a longing to live as a true loner. Despite lacking survival skills, Knight's intelligence and resourcefulness allowed him to thrive. He meticulously selected a secluded spot protected by large boulders, ensuring his camp remained hidden from prying eyes.
Knight's dream was to live a life free from societal constraints, a life where he could be alone with his thoughts and the natural world. He wanted to emulate the legendary figures of pure hermits—those who lived without modern conveniences and societal ties. His determination to achieve this dream was unwavering, even as he faced numerous challenges.
Above: Photo of Christopher Knight's camp (Photo Credit: Jennifer Smith Mayo)
Scoutcraft and Anti-tracking Techniques
Knight's ability to remain undetected for nearly three decades was a testament to his mastery of scoutcraft and anti-tracking techniques. He carefully monitored his surroundings, minimizing footprints and moving stealthily on pine needles and leaves to avoid making noise. This not only minimized noise but also reduced the chances of leaving a visible trail. His efforts to camouflage his camp with dark tarps and paint ensured it blended seamlessly with the environment.
Knight also paid close attention to the patterns of his movements. He avoided creating a regular path that could be easily detected and followed. By varying his routes and timing, he ensured that any potential trackers would find it challenging to predict his movements. His meticulous approach to anti-tracking was a critical factor in his long-term success at remaining hidden.
Above: Knight employed movement tactics, such as only walking on hard surfaces, to avoid other detecting his footprints.
Life in the Woods
Knight's daily life revolved around maintaining his camp and ensuring his survival. He never started a fire to avoid detection, relying instead on stolen gas cylinders for cooking and heating. Knight meticulously cleaned and stored his supplies, boiling water for drinking and gathering rainwater to sustain himself.
His camp, hidden between two large boulders, was set up with dark brown tarps to blend with the environment. Knight used paracords to secure his tent and added layers of tarps to keep water out. He insulated the ground with plastic bags and additional tarps to maintain a dry living space. Every aspect of his camp was designed to be as inconspicuous and practical as possible.
This daily routine involved checking for tracks around his camp to ensure no one had discovered his hiding place. He moved stealthily, taking care to leave no trace of his presence. His dedication to maintaining an undetected existence was evident in every action he took.
Survival and Resourcefulness
Survival in the harsh winters of Maine required Knight to steal essential supplies from nearby homes. His knowledge of security systems allowed him to break in without leaving a trace, taking food, clothing, and tools to make his life more comfortable. Despite his actions, Knight remained focused on his goal of living a pure, solitary life.
Knight's ability to survive harsh Maine winters without starting a fire is particularly noteworthy. Fires would have drawn attention, risking his discovery. Instead, he relied on the gas cylinders he stole from homes to cook and heat his shelter. This method required regular trips to nearby properties, where he would discreetly collect supplies without damaging locks or doors.
He also scavenged for food, primarily targeting items with long shelf lives. Canned goods, dried foods, and other non-perishable items became his staples. Knight was meticulous about cleaning up after himself, ensuring that his activities left no trace. He disposed of packaging and used supplies carefully, often burying them to prevent detection.
In addition to food and heating supplies, Knight stole clothing and tools. Extra fleeces, trousers, jackets, and sturdy boots were essential for surviving the cold Maine winters. He even managed to procure books, magazines, a TV, and a radio, providing him with mental stimulation and a connection to the outside world, albeit a limited one.
Above: Knight's life in the wilderness relied heavily on foraging and scavenging for resources.
The Arrest of Christopher Knight
At the age of forty-seven, Knight was finally arrested and charged with over a thousand minor break-ins. His story, documented by journalist Michael Finkel in “The Stranger in the Woods,” revealed a man driven by a desire for authenticity and a disdain for societal norms. Knight's journey highlighted the lengths one can go to achieve a life of solitude and self-reliance.
Knight's arrest marked the end of an extraordinary chapter in his life. The authorities had long been aware of a mysterious figure responsible for numerous burglaries in the North Pond area, but they had been unable to catch him. Knight's knowledge of security systems and his careful planning had allowed him to evade capture for years.
When Knight was finally apprehended, he was in poor health and had been living in increasingly harsh conditions. Despite the challenges, he had maintained his solitary existence, driven by a deep-seated need to be alone. His arrest brought his story to public attention, sparking widespread interest and fascination.
Michael Finkel's book provided an in-depth look at Knight's life and motivations. Through interviews and extensive research, Finkel painted a picture of a man who had chosen to reject societal norms in favor of a life of solitude and self-sufficiency. Knight's story resonated with many, offering a glimpse into the complexities of human nature and the lengths to which some will go to achieve personal authenticity.
Above: Knight’s 1984 yearbook photo from Lawrence High School.
Analysis and Lessons
Knight's story offers valuable insights into the human desire for solitude and the ability to survive in extreme conditions. His experience underscores the importance of self-reliance and resourcefulness. While his actions, particularly the thefts, were illegal, they were driven by a profound need to live a life free from societal constraints. Knight's journey challenges us to consider what it means to live authentically and the lengths we might go to achieve that.
Knight's story raises questions about the nature of solitude and the human need for connection. While many people seek companionship and community, others, like Knight, find solace in isolation. His ability to thrive in the wilderness for so long is a testament to the human spirit's adaptability and resilience.
The lessons from Knight's experience are particularly relevant in today's world, where technology and constant connectivity often dominate our lives. Knight's journey reminds us of the importance of self-reliance and the value of being able to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of modern life. His story encourages us to explore the balance between solitude and connection and to appreciate the skills and mindset required to live independently.
Conclusion
Christopher Knight's story is a powerful reminder of the resilience and adaptability of the human spirit. His ability to live undetected in the woods for twenty-seven years, despite lacking advanced skills or technology, highlights the importance of determination and ingenuity. Knight's tale is a unique tale as far as survival stories go, offering lessons in self-reliance, resourcefulness, and the pursuit of personal authenticity.
Knight's journey into the wilderness was driven by a profound desire to escape the constraints of society and live a life of solitude. His story challenges our perceptions of what it means to be self-reliant and resourceful, demonstrating that with determination and ingenuity, one can overcome even the most daunting challenges. While Knight's actions, particularly his thefts, were illegal, they were motivated by a deep-seated need to survive and maintain his solitary existence. His story is a testament to the lengths some individuals will go to achieve their goals and live a life true to their values.
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For most Americans, the security of the southern border is a subject to debate from afar. While the ripple effects of drug smuggling and human trafficking reach throughout our nation, reading news articles and studying statistics doesn’t yield the same perspective as witnessing the problem first hand. Since his election in 2017, Sheriff Mark Lamb has been serving at the forefront of this complex situation. His jurisdiction — Pinal County, Arizona, which covers a large area between Tucson and Phoenix — is smack dab in the middle of one of America’s most active trafficking corridors, and the problem is only getting worse.
In February of 2023, Lamb testified at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing that human trafficking incidents in Pinal County had quadrupled during the previous two years, and that seizures of fentanyl pills had grown six-fold in the same time frame.
He said to the committee, “Our biggest frustration stems from being told by this administration and the media that there is not a crisis at our southern border, and the lie that our southern border is secure. Clearly, our statistics tell a different story.” A few months later, Lamb announced he’s taking the fight to Washington by running for U.S. Senate.
In addition to his strong stance on border security, Lamb has been an outspoken advocate of Second Amendment rights and the sworn duty of a sheriff to preserve the constitutional freedoms of fellow countrymen, leading to the nickname “The American Sheriff.”
As an extension of that viewpoint, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he openly defied a stay-at-home order issued by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, refusing to arrest or cite owners of businesses that remained open.
With a total area of 5,300 square miles, much of which is agricultural land and open expanses of desert, catching traffickers as they pass through Pinal County is a constant battle.
We met Sheriff Lamb one morning outside a U.S. Border Patrol field office near Interstate 10 and hopped into his truck for a brief ride-along. After cruising around the county for a few hours, we returned to his office and sat down to discuss his background, views, and senatorial ambitions to “yank the chain back on the federal government.”
Interview with Sheriff Mark Lamb
RECOIL: Tell us a little bit about your upbringing.
I was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii — the Big Island. We lived there until I was 11 years old, then we moved to the Philippines and lived there for another year. Everybody asks, was my dad military? No, he was a graduate of Thunderbird, which is an international business school here in Arizona. He loved international business. So, we lived abroad and then had to regroup, and came back to Chandler, Arizona, which is where my dad was from. I went to junior high and high school in Chandler.
While I was in high school, my family moved to Panama, Central America. So, I spent a lot of time every summer there, and spent Christmases there. I was in Panama when the United States invaded during Operation Just Cause in 1989, rolling into ’90. I stood on guard with a gun out front of my building for multiple days. Then, I served a mission for my church in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
I spent a lot of time outside of the United States, so much so that the first chapter in my first book I wrote was “Welcome to America.” As kids, it really gave us a good understanding of what it’s like to live abroad and what poverty really looks like. You gain a real appreciation, a deep love for America and the freedoms that we have.
What led you to pursue a career in law enforcement?
It was happenstance. I never thought about being a police officer, didn’t grow up thinking I wanted to be one. Nobody in my family or my wife’s family is a police officer.
I was 33 years old and had my own business. I knew I was missing something in my life. Both my wife and I knew that I could be doing more, needed more purpose. So, my neighbor asked me if I wanted to do a ride-along one night. I never would have guessed that I would find my purpose on that ride-along, but I went anyway.
It was at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, on the Indian Reservation near Mesa, Tempe, and Scottsdale. It was a graveyard shift, and I remember that on one of the calls — I tell this story all the time — we went to the house of a guy who found a 20-year-old with his 14-year-old daughter. They got into a little physical altercation, the kid runs out the back, and we show up. He lets me out of the car, and I'm armed with a flashlight and courage out there, just looking for this guy.
On the reservation, you might have a house and then nothing behind it. At this particular house, there was an old, abandoned travel trailer out in the desert behind the house. I walk up to it with the flashlight, look in the window, and I see what I think is a quarter-sized area of skin amongst all the trash and clothes and debris in this trailer. I tell those guys, hey, I think he's in here. Sure enough, they go in, tase him, dig him out, and put him in cuffs.
The next morning, I woke up my wife and said, “I'm going to be a cop.” Six months later, I was in the academy, and I found what I love. I love the rule of law. I think it is the most important thing to our republic, which the founding fathers established in the preamble to the Constitution. The very first charge is to have justice.
I'm unapologetic about how much I think the rule of law means to this country. So, I take it very seriously and I've enjoyed every bit of my career since then. That ride along really changed the trajectory of my life.
As you worked your way up through the ranks, what was your ultimate goal?
I started with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and became a gang and drug detective within a couple of years. I really loved it. But unfortunately, I felt the president and the administration at the time were really undermining the rule of law. President Obama, his administration, I just thought they were doing things that were tearing away at the fabric of trust that society has in law enforcement. And things were changing. Social media was coming about. I thought, you know, somebody's got to do something about this.
The other thing that I noticed is in law enforcement, unfortunately, you don't always have the best leaders. You have supervisors. You don't always have leaders. And I saw things I thought I could do better. Instead of being that guy that was just going to sit and complain about it and run my mouth, I decided to do something about it. So, one day I told all the guys that I worked with, “I'm going to run for sheriff.” They thought I was crazy. [laughs]
I lived in Pinal County already, traveled into work every day. And I said, “No, I'm serious. I'm going to run for sheriff!” And they said, “Nah, you're crazy.” Well, six months later, I took a job here at Pinal County with the purpose of running for sheriff. I was here for a couple years working as a deputy, then as a reserve, and then I left so that I could run for sheriff.
I also started another business, made some money that would put me in a position to be able to do that. And then I ran for sheriff at the end of 2015 all through 2016, and was fortunate enough to win the primary 63 to 37 percent. And then go on to win the general election 60 to 40 percent.
So, that's how I got to this point. It was really just saying, I don't like what it is, and I want to be part of the solution. And so I went through some very uncomfortable times, made some hard, hard decisions. Really took some hits financially as a family to get to this point. But we knew what the target was, what the end goal was, and so we stayed focused on that. And with hard work, determination, and faith in God and the process, we were fortunate enough to be in this position.
You’ve been very outspoken about your support of the Second Amendment, but many legislators are working to dismantle it with unconstitutional laws. How can you and others in your line of work preserve 2A rights?
You know, that's a great question because I get labeled as a constitutional sheriff all the time. I think they mean it to be an insult. I don't take it as an insult.
First of all, as a sheriff, when I swore an oath — when I put my hand on that Bible and was elected, I swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. And I always say to these reporters, you're referring to me as a constitutional sheriff. I swore the same oath as every other elected official. What you should be asking them is, why are they not upholding their oath?
Now, one of the challenges that a sheriff runs into that's different than a normal elected official is I am part of the executive branch. I don't make the laws. I don't judge on the laws.
I basically am an executive piece of it. So, what happens is you will have, like in many states, where they push to undo the Second Amendment, to subvert it, to infringe upon it. That’s what they’re really doing. Then, it puts a sheriff in a very tough spot. The sheriff has to make a decision.
Do you follow the state law that the men passed, which we have seen time and time again that the Supreme Court has upheld that they were wrong, or do you follow the Constitution?
I believe in the Constitution being the supreme law of the land, and I believe that it ultimately will always supersede. So, that's a long way of telling you that as long as I'm in a position of authority in government, I will always fight vehemently to defend the Second Amendment.
That's great to hear.
And let me take one more step further, because let me explain. Take the guns out of it. Let's just talk Second Amendment. It's an amendment to the Constitution. I wouldn't let you change the First Amendment or the Third or the Fourth or the Fifth or the Sixth or the Seventh and so on and so on.
I would not let you change those. What they've done is they've made it about a gun as opposed to making it about an amendment to the Constitution, because if you allow them to change the Second Amendment because you don't like guns, I promise you what is next is they will tell you that you can only speak freely on Wednesdays and you can only go to church once a month, or maybe the press can only write a paper on Sunday.
Or maybe — and you may think I'm being over-the-top — I would think that over the last few years this government and people in power have proven time and time again that wherever they can, they will take from you, and they won't give it back.
Above and beyond wanting to protect guns because I think they are imperative for our freedom, above and beyond that, taking the guns out of it, it is an amendment to the Constitution, and I will not let you change any of those amendments to the Constitution. If you want to pass another amendment, good luck. I won't be up for that either unless it's something that reduces the size of government and government's power.
When Arizona Governor Doug Ducey passed a statewide “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order in response to COVID, you refused to enforce that order, citing the Constitution as the supreme law of the land. What responsibility do LEOs have to make choices like these in the face of possible legal and career-ending consequences?
I think we have a solemn responsibility. They have entrusted the sheriffs to not only protect you from the bad guys, but to protect you from government overreach. It is my job to make sure that you are not trying to pass off a mandate or an order as a law, and unjustly pass things. The executive branch doesn't make laws.
The judicial branch shouldn't make laws, but they continue to rule. And by judgments, they’ve been making laws. But the sheriff has a solemn responsibility to defend the people's constitutional rights and their freedoms. And I viewed the lockdowns as a serious and egregious violation of people's rights. Nowhere in the Constitution does it say, “on behalf of a health emergency” or “because it's what's safe for people,” we can subvert or put the Constitution aside or put it on the bench for a little while. It's not the way it works. The Constitution is there. It is the supreme law of the land.
What they were doing, in my opinion — and I think ultimately it was proven, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out — they were violating people's constitutional rights. So, we told the governor, no, we weren't going to do that here in Pinal County.
I think the majority of the citizens appreciated the bold stance. I had some that didn't. But when I explained my stance to them, at least I took the time to say, I'm going to listen to you, and then I want you to listen to me as to where my stance is. And I have no doubt we stood on the correct side as we watched as the majority of places across this country violate people's constitutional rights.
We had a saying in SWAT: you will not rise to the occasion, you will only rise to the highest level of your training. Whatever it is that you do in life — whether it's photography, shooting guns, being a police officer — if you are not honing your craft, you will only be as good as whatever training you've taken or whatever time you've put into your craft.
So, I would say to anybody, especially somebody who is in law enforcement and carries a gun, make sure you are spending ample time training because I think it's important to the people that you're serving. I think it's important to yourself, so that you can come home safe to your family. For anybody else out there that carries a gun, an average citizen, I thoroughly support that. I pull people over and ask them if they have guns in the car. And if they say no, I say, “Well, why not? You should. It's dangerous out there.”
I fully support people's right to exercise their Second Amendment rights. I also tell them, please go out and get training so that you don't hurt yourself or somebody else, and so that you know when you can and cannot use deadly force. So, please educate yourself, get trained, carry a gun — do all of those things.
Defunding the police has become a topic of debate in many metropolitan areas throughout the U.S. What short-term and long-term effects will this have?
We've seen the short-term effects. The short-term effects have been catastrophic. I mean, we've seen cities literally being burnt to the ground. We're seeing crime on the rise in major cities. We're seeing police agencies that basically either abandoned sections of their jurisdiction or — because they don't want to be sued or they don't want to get in trouble — they've made the determination that they're going to be more of a cleanup crew than a proactive stopping crime crew. Part of me can't hardly blame them, but the other part of me says, no, look, you’ve still got to fight. You can't raise the white flag.
Those are the short-term effects. The long-term effects are what I said in the beginning. They’ve eroded the trust in law enforcement, and now anytime you allow something to be pervasive, it is much harder to get it out and fix it than if you would have just kept it out in the first place. When they do want a course correct, society is not going to like the outcome of how hard it's going to be to take the law and order back in this country. Plus, you have the long-term effect of hiring, finding people who want to do this job.
America's strength — everything that we have, all of it — was what the founding fathers said in the preamble to the Constitution. We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice. And number two was ensure domestic tranquility. They knew how important the rule of law was to America. And if we lose that — defunding the police is a way to do that — we ultimately will pay the price as citizens, and we may lose our republic because of it.
With that in mind, what do law enforcement agencies in the United States need most right now?
Strong leadership. Right now, you need strong leadership. In times of trouble and in times of stormy waters, you need a captain that will grab hold of the helm, that will stay on the course, that will protect the crew, and make sure that the crew's needs are met.
What we're seeing is weak leadership, abandoning their troops, firing people because of the social pressure that might come along with a decision that a police officer makes in a split second. I tell people very frankly, we are not in the business of good optics. If we show up, the optics of what we have to do to restore balance and order to chaos is not always good.
But my job is not to worry about the optics of it, my job is to worry about the outcome of it. And my job is to restore balance and order to chaos. And we do the best we can to prevent crime in every situation, but we will also hold you accountable if you break those laws. Should you choose to be violent with us, we are more than prepared to be violent with you as well.
This is the reality of the business we're in, and I stand with my people when they do what's right. When they know that you’ll have their back if they do what's right, they make better decisions. The police officers who make bad decisions are hesitating for a split second because they're not sure if they're going to get in trouble. And those split seconds, not only do they create bad decisions, they also are getting cops hurt across this country. And families are losing loved ones because they made that split-second pause to determine whether or not they were going to get in trouble.
We need leadership to stand against these social pushes that we're seeing in this country of defunding the police, of saying that only one race or one skin color matters, and those types of things. Those are all social constructs, and they are not true to what this country is. Nobody cares more for people than we do, because that's why we go out and put on a gun and a badge and we're willing to protect people every day.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering beginning a new career in law enforcement?
Do it. You know, we need warriors now more than ever. I'm not going to sit here and tell you it's not a challenging job. It is a challenging job; it is a stressful job at times. It will bring the best out of you, though. It makes you a better person.
If you take this job, go out and enjoy it, work hard at it, and don't let the things that you see consume you. The average police officer, they say, will experience between 400 and 700 traumatic incidents in their career.
The average citizen only experiences two to four in their entire lifetime. The impact that this will have on us personally, and on our families is substantial. So, if you're going to do the job, do it, but make sure you have an anchor in your life. Whether it's religion, your family, or something else that anchors you so that your ship doesn't set off to sea with no rudder.
It's a great career. I think it is the most important and honorable career for this country, for maintaining our republic. Now is the time where you need warriors more than ever.
You’ve called the situation at the southern border “the greatest threat to national security right now.”
How has your experience here in Arizona led you to that conclusion?
We've been saying this for a while. This is not something that is new to us. October 7, 2023, really exposed just how vulnerable we are. I think a lot of Americans woke up to the fact that we are exposed.
We saw Hamas go into a very protected and very secure Israel and do what they did. Atrocities. Terrorism. And we see those same types of people coming into our borders all the time — 160 to 180 terrorists being caught a year, 16,000 criminals last year that were convicted of crimes in this country or wanted by law enforcement in this country trying to get back into America.
We're getting gang members from other countries. We're getting people that are coming from places like Mauritania that has become one of the leading breeding grounds for Al-Qaeda. We have Senegal, Chad, China. We have Chinese nationals coming across to the tune of over 30,000 in a year. And then we have the FBI telling us they found 10 makeshift Chinese police headquarters across this country.
This is the point that we're at. We're allowing these people to just walk across our border and give them carte blanche in our country. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when that rears its ugly head. So that's one piece of it. The second piece — probably even more important because it's affecting American lives every day — is the fentanyl piece. China is bringing fentanyl precursors, giving it to the cartels. The cartels are then making it into pills and powder. And they are bringing that fentanyl across our border. And it has become the leading cause of death amongst Americans between the ages of 18 to 45. We have lost over 100,000 Americans per year to fentanyl poisonings.
Let me put that into perspective. If you would drop a bomb on Phoenix and kill 100,000 people, what would we do as a country? We went to war for 20 years over 9-11. We're losing 100,000 civilians and our government is doing nothing. As a matter of fact, not only are they doing nothing, they’re pulling back even more so that the border is more unsecure than it has ever been.
We are seeing unprecedented amounts of people and drugs coming across while we are losing 100,000-plus American civilians, that could have been stopped, by the hands of people that are really enemies to this country. China and the cartels who have zero regard for human life. So, when we talk about the greatest threats to America, I'm the simple guy. I look at it and say, what's killing the most amount of Americans? Fentanyl.
So, I don't see how everybody else doesn't see that this is the greatest national security threat. This is what's claiming more American lives every day, and we are putting more Americans at risk every day with the amount of people that we are letting in here, many of them who hate America.
That’s why I say it is the greatest national security threat. There's nothing that's happening in the Middle East and there's nothing that's happening in Taiwan that affects me and my family more than what is happening at the southern border.
During the ride-along, we stopped in a field near an unassuming farm road where the landscape was scattered with dozens of empty water jugs, food cans, and carpet shoes left behind by illegal immigrants.
What would you say is the biggest misconception about the state of the southern border right now?
Well, I don't know that it’s a misconception — I think it's intentionally misleading. I think you have a government that is intentionally downplaying, and in most cases lying to the American people. They're standing at a podium telling you that the border is secure. They're telling you that people aren't just walking across the border. They are lying. They are. And they're doing nothing about it.
And the media — that’s why I say this is purposeful misleading — the media is covering for them. If you bring it up, then they want to quickly try to debunk what you say. Case in point, I just released a video recently where I said that a lot of these people crossing the border were getting cell phones, they were getting plane tickets to wherever they wanted to go in the country, getting Visa cards with $5,000.
The media could not work harder and faster to try to debunk me. Not to say, hey, we should look into this. They wanted to debunk me. And where did they go for their source? They went to the federal government, the same people that are actually giving our tax dollars to them. They do it through non-governmental organizations. And those non-governmental organizations or NGOs are the ones giving them the money. So, you have a complicit media that is covering for them.
The founding fathers would be turning over in their grave to know that the media betrayed the people. That is why the freedom of the press is in the First Amendment with the freedom of speech and religion and the right to assemble, because they knew how important the press would be in holding the government accountable. Not necessarily siding with the people but telling the people the truth. We don't have that anymore. And so that's one of the great threats to the American people. It's not even a miscommunication. It's flat-out misleading and lying to them.
Why did you make the choice to run for Senate?
I didn't want to. This was not on my list of things to do. I love being sheriff. I had a plan, not just as a sheriff but beyond that. But I just started seeing the way the country was going, and people were saying, hey, sheriff, you should run for Senate. So, I actually went to my wife and said, we've got to come up with a list of reasons why not to do this. And in that process, we started feeling very compelled to do it.
Then, we had a tragic thing that happened to us. I got a knock at the door at 8:30 at night on December 16, 2022. And it was a sheriff from Maricopa County, two of my chiefs, and two guys from Gilbert PD. My wife and I had been wrapping presents, and I had been out at a dinner and shopping and came home. I'd been home for maybe 20, 30 minutes and got the knock on the door.
I opened the door and immediately knew something wasn't right. One of my chiefs, who's known my kids for a long time — my middle son, Cooper, had a fiancée and an 11-month-old daughter. And the only thing my chief could say was, “Cooper and the baby are dead.” And so immediately, in the snap of a finger, I lost my son, I lost my 11-month-old granddaughter, and I lost my daughter-in-law.
I didn't want to do anything at that point. Didn't want to run for Senate, didn't want to run for sheriff, didn't want to even get out of bed. But a few weeks later, somebody said something to me that just sparked something. Going through this with my son reminded me: there is no guarantee for tomorrow, and the only thing we take with us in this life is what we do. And I could not stand on the corner and watch the building burn to the ground, especially when I knew I had the capability and the ability to do it.
There's an old Danish saying that I love: “Whoever has the ability has the responsibility.” Well, I have the ability on the border stuff and on crime. And I run a large agency with a budget of over $60 million with over 600 employees. And I have been working on trying to protect national security within my county for a long time. I have the ability, and I felt like I had the responsibility.
I always tell people, look, this country's in chaos. We can't get along. Politics is in chaos. The world's in chaos, frankly. And if your house was on fire or there were thieves in your house or there was a domestic situation where mom and dad can't get along, are you going to call a politician? No. You're going to call your sheriff. Why? Because we are trained and experienced in restoring balance and order to chaos. It is what we do every day.
You call us in the worst moments of your life. And in minutes, we are expected to start to restore balance and order to chaos. And this government, this country, this world needs men and women that are experienced and trained in restoring balance and order to chaos. So, I'm determined to be free, I'm determined to preserve America, and I'm going to Washington, D.C. for that.
When you ask me why I wanted to do it, I can't say that I wanted to do it. But I felt compelled to do it. And you better believe I'm going to go 100 percent and do what I have to do, because ultimately our country's on the line.
What will be some of your top priorities as a senator?
Securing the border. I mean, that's something we've got to do day one. Securing the border.
We've got to start restoring our energy independence. That's one of the ways we're going to dig our way out of the economic crisis we're in as well. We can't do that without energy independence because it takes energy to make a product, to ship a product, and to sell a product. It takes energy. And when you increase the cost of energy to the American people and to those industries, those costs will ultimately be absorbed by us. Whether it's in increased prices or through inflation, we will end up absorbing those costs.
Americans are going deeper in debt. Forty percent increase in credit card debt over the last year, from $765 billion to $1.1 trillion. We're at an all-time high on vehicle delinquencies. We're at a 20-year high on mortgage rates. I mean, our economy is in rough shape. We've got a lot of issues that this administration has bungled. But let's start by securing our border and fixing what is the greatest threat to our national security. Let's start there.
Let's stop the flow of fentanyl. Let's start to work on our economy immediately. And as it relates to crime, as a senator, my job is not to go out and tell local law enforcement and states what to do. I believe in the 10th Amendment. My job as a U.S. senator will be to yank the chain back on the federal government. We need to do some serious, serious oversight on federal law enforcement and really evaluate whether these agencies
even need to exist at this point. I hope to be digging into that really quick as well, because I think the American people would expect that of me as well.
Many Americans have become disillusioned by politicians who make promises but don't follow through, seemingly putting their own careers above their responsibility to their constituents.
How will you navigate the political swamp without getting bogged down in it?
Well, I think the key is not getting involved in the political swamp. That's the key. I'm not a politician. You know, I've taken stands when I was the only one standing for these things. Nobody else was there standing with me, and it was not easy.
But I will tell you, for me, it actually was easy, because the line is so distinct between what is right and wrong and what is constitutional and not constitutional. I hope to be that person that stands up for the American people. The way I avoid the political swamp is not be political.
I think what people will expect is for me to be the genuine person I've been for the last seven years as sheriff, and take that same no attitude to Washington, D.C., and start to fix some of this nonsense.
And I'm not sitting here saying it's going to be easy, but I think that the clearest path is to just stay on course — follow God, family, freedom, the Constitution. Those are my things. And I think that's what's going to keep me grounded, that's what's going to keep me weathering the pressures and the political storms in Washington to stand up for the people.
Where can readers learn more about you and your campaign?
Please go tosherifflambforsenate.com. If you live in Arizona, sign the petition. If you don't live in Arizona, you can still donate to my campaign.
You can share my messages online. You can go to Instagram,@americansheriff on Instagram. On Twitter, it's@sherifflamb1. On Facebook,it's Sheriff Lamb. And on TruthSocial, it's American Sheriff as well. But yes, please go support. Share the messages. Tell your friends. Donate some money if you've got a few bucks.
And sign the petition if you can. That's what it takes. Politics is not an easy thing.
Here's what I'm asking. My wife and I, my family, we have slid all of our chips into the center of this table on this hand. And we're asking that you throw a couple chips on the table with us. I'll do the rest of it. I'm just asking for a couple chips to help us as we bet all of it on this.
Mark Lamb's Everyday Carry
Glock 34 — “It’s my concealed carry gun. I like the long slide. If you’re going to get into a gunfight, you might as well have this.”
Extra magazine
Handcuffs
A few challenge coins
Ford F-150 Tremor keys
Wallet
Badge
Phone and Bluetooth earbuds
Cowboy hat
“I wear two different hats, but they look pretty much the same. The one I usually wear every day is a Justin Bent Rail Kermit in the natural color. The other one is a full beaver hat made by Watson’s Hat Shop in Cave Creek, Arizona. It’s $1,500, and they make it to your head, but believe it or not I get more compliments on my $200 hat.”
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Overlanding seems to be garnering a larger following every year. This demand has led to an increasing amount of product specifically tailored for vehicle-based recreation making its way onto the market. Ranging from trailer hitch stoves and inside-the-cab refrigerators to adjustable suspension and rooftop living quarters, there is something for everyone in the overlanding space. There's also an undeniable convenience to overlanding that traditional overnight camping just can’t match. Rather than parking, unpacking, tediously dragging all your gear to a campsite, and assembling your tent, the vehicle itself becomes a mobile living quarters and supply depot.
If this sounds appealing to you, you’re not alone. Not only can you explore greater distances, but many of the modern amenities we have all become used to — such as a refrigerator, stove, and running water — can be replicated and mobilized. This opens the world of outdoor adventuring to a wider range of people, including the young, elderly, and physically challenged. Without needing to carry everything on your back, you’re free to take in those panoramic views sans laborious breathing and muscle fatigue. This makes exploring the outdoors behind the wheel of a vehicle exciting and safe if done properly.
Above: Both of these vehicles are built for overlanding. However, one definitely stands out more than the other.
There is also a preparedness component to overlanding. Sure, living out of your vehicle is a fun and convenient way to camp, but what about situations that force you to leave the comforts of your own home? Every year, natural disasters like fires, hurricanes, and earthquakes force people to flee from their homes in search of safety. Civil unrest and war displace thousands on a regular basis. Having a mode of transportation that can also provide temporary living conditions would be beneficial in these situations.
Unfortunately, for anyone who doesn’t have a garage or land to work on or store a vehicle, overlanding may seem out of reach. Nobody wants to pour money and time into a project like overlanding, only to have thieves or criminals break in and steal all that hard earned equipment.
Sadly, in many places across the US, simply having an item as innocuous as a blanket lying in the back seat is an invitation to smash a window. But that doesn’t mean overlanding has to be an impossibility. In fact, building a minimalistic overlanding rig that doesn’t attract attention is a great way to get started, and saves a few bucks while doing so. As a fellow urbanite, this is exactly what I set out to do.
Best Vehicle for Stealth Overlanding
Choosing an overlanding vehicle can seem overwhelming, since there is a ton of debate as to which is the best choice. Certainly some are better equipped for the job than others. Starting out with a popular platform like a Ford Ranger or Toyota 4Runner will put you ahead in capabilities compared to a sedan. However, it is often said that the best tool is the one you have.
Rather than buy an entirely new vehicle for the project, I decided to save that money by keeping what I already owned: a 2014 Chevy Silverado. This is a vehicle I picked up at a discount due to high mileage years ago. Historically, previous owners used it as a work truck, and I used it for work as well. It has more than a few dings, scratches, and rust spots. It may not win any awards for good looks, but the price was right, and it has a ton of overlanding capability built in.
Many people tend to go to extremes when building an overlanding rig, especially if they intend to climb boulders or tackle challenging trails. But for someone who just wants to go camping occasionally or be able to get out of Dodge (no pun intended) in an emergency, most trucks and SUVs come stock with a lot of useful features.
Having an AWD or 4X4 vehicle is a great starting point, since having this capability will get you out of common dicey situations, especially if you plan on sticking to roads or more permanent trails. The Silverado comes equipped with 4-wheel drive and a towing package, which is more than enough to handle most tasks. It can cope with wet roads, moderate snow, sand, and mud, even without specialized modifications.
While the stock features will get you out of a jam during normal driving conditions, it is nice to augment those capabilities when you purposefully deviate from paved roadways. If minimalistic is the name of the game, it becomes easier to make upgrade decisions. Everything boils down to selecting parts that help give performance a boost, but do not stand out visually.
Minimalistic Vehicle Upgrades
Unless your vehicle came off the lot with an off-road package, you’re probably driving on tires made to eliminate road noise, and riding on a suspension with okay (but not great) ground clearance, as was the case with my Silverado. Additionally, my truck’s suspension came adjusted so the front looked slightly lower than the back. This is so it levels out when you load the back with extra weight, but the lower front end doesn’t make it ideal for traversing rocky trails or navigating over obstacles.
To give my ground clearance a little extra boost, and make climbing over terrain easier, the first upgrades made to the Silverado was a leveling kit and new tires. The one I used from Rough Country raised the front 2.5” which allowed me to add new tires that were slightly larger (about another 2”) than my original road tires. Nitto Ridge Grappler’s were my tire of choice, both for their quietness on the road, and their more aggressive tread.
The combination of tires and leveling kit gave the Silverado about another 4” of ground clearance, raising it to ~12” overall. This is more than enough clearance to climb over most obstacles and debris found on backcountry roads and prevent getting bogged down in mud. Nitto’s Ridge Grappler tire tread strikes a good balance between quiet comfort and improved traction in sand, snow, or wet conditions. Most of all, these upgrades do not stand out when it is parked next to a curb outside.
Above: Installing a simple leveling kit and only slightly larger tires gives the truck a few more inches of clearance, without the “monster-truck” appearance of some hardcore overlanding rigs.
Seeing well at night is crucial when navigating challenging terrain, but some light upgrades will tell everyone that you’ve invested money into your vehicle. Rather than advertise my gear to potential thieves by installing a myriad of light bars and spotlights all over the place, I decided to go a more subtle yet effective route. By replacing the factory halogen bulbs with high-power LED headlights, I can achieve similar results as an externally mounted light source can.
One downside to not mounting a light externally, is that you cannot illuminate much to the sides of the vehicle, making narrow roads a night more precarious to traverse. This is why so many overlanders install ditch lights or wide-angle fog lights. But the illuminated, forward-facing direction of travel is greatly improved with the upgrade. In addition to the headlights, I also installed truck bed LED lighting, since this is where I’ll be storing gear and sleeping.
Gear Inside the Cab
Externally, the stealth overlanding build is looking nondescript, which is the easy part. Getting all the essential overlanding gear stored without becoming the target of theft is much trickier. To accomplish this, I made use of the Silverado’s already existing storage options, as well as a few addons. For starters, both glove box compartments, and a compartment built into the front bench seat are lockable. These are perfect for handheld devices and other smaller valuable items.
Above: When looking into the front seat, there is no indication that this truck contains anything that could be used for overlanding purposes. The absence of things to steal is a break-in deterrent.
Storage
Headrest Safe was my choice to store a handgun for self-defense purposes. These come in a multitude of upholstery options to blend into the vehicle's existing color scheme. They can also be paired, so each seat has the same headrest design to avoid one from looking completely different from the other. Quick adaptors included with the kit make installation a breeze once the original headrests are removed. The safe itself can be programmed with a 4-digit pin, or fingerprint for quick access, and is large enough to accommodate a full-size handgun.
Above: In high threat environments, the use of a Cupolster is a convenient way to have a handgun at the ready.
For recovery gear, first aid equipment, or even a rifle or shotgun, I installed a Tuffy Lockbox under the bench seats in the back of the crew cab. Typically, I would just toss items under the seat and call it a day, but anyone intent on breaking in may catch a glimpse of something and feel the temptation to steal. With the Lockbox, I have over 3500 cubic inches of lockable storage space that fits perfectly under the seats.
Above: The locking storage space under the front bench seat is a handy place to store radios, dash cams, and other items that need to be easily accessible by the driver.
Communication
Installing a dedicated CB or GMRS radio on the dash is out of the question, since its presence would be too obvious that the truck might have more than meets the eye. However, having a means of communication beyond a cell phone is a must for several reasons. First, a lot of overlanding is done in remote regions where cellular coverage may be spotty or nonexistent. Another important reason for reliable two-way comms is if you have to work with a spotter outside the truck to navigate over difficult terrain.
To ensure that I have a backup means of communication, I turned to Midland, which is renowned for their emergency radios. Their X-Talker line of radios not only provides long-range walkie-talkie capabilities, it is also programmable, can incorporate privacy codes, and has a built in weather alert to keep the user abreast of important announcements.
Above: Headrest Safe provides secure storage for many handgun styles like this full size 5″ Walther PDP. They also offer upholstery matching, and an identical headrest so one doesn't look different than the other.
Navigation
Being able to get from point-A to point-B accurately and safely is probably the single most important task during an overlanding trip. This makes maps and navigation tools an essential item. These days, everyone has a pretty decent GPS built into their smartphones, but nothing is more annoying than not being able to view the mapping app comfortably when it's needed.
The Silverado is notoriously difficult to find an appropriate phone or GPS mount. Because of the steering wheel and column shift control locations, using vent clips or dashboard mounts almost never works out the way you want it to. This means finding a window mount that will hold up to getting jostled while driving on rougher ground. After much trial and error, I came across Nite Ize, which has a window mount and uses a powerful magnet to keep the phone holder in place.
In addition to the phone's GPS and whatever mapping app I decide to rely on, I also have a backup GPS in the form of a handheld Garmin. The great thing about the Garmin is its inReach capability for emergency situations.
Just in case the worst occurs and I’m left without power, I throw a printed National Geographic Road Atlas into the Tuffy Lockbox. This has all the features a normal road atlas, with a special focus on parks and recreation.
Above: When everything is stowed in the back, nothing stands out that would make a passerby think it contains overlanding gear.
Recovery
The ability to self-recover is a must when spending any time in the backcountry. It’s one of those scenarios no one wants to encounter, but when you do, the right contingencies can turn expensive recovery operations into a minor inconvenience. To start, I make sure that I have a full-size spare that matches my existing tires. Not using a full-size spare can make for an awkward drive if you have to use it. It’s important to make sure that the spare is full of air before heading out.
I’ve also included a tire repair kit to fix punctures, and a portable air compressor to refill wherever I happen to be. Just in case I need to be extracted — or help someone else get out of a jam — I have a tow strap rated for 15,000lbs, and a Bolt Receiver Lock to keep any trailer hitches from wandering off if I’m hooked up to something overnight. For traversing those late-season mountain passes, I’ve included a set of snow chains for the front tires.
Lastly, recovery in the dark is tricky and dangerous without appropriate lighting, so I’ve added a Streamlight headlamp and NexTorch spotlight. These lights also double as a way to illuminate a campsite or signal for help.
Above: The Tuffy Bench Locker is a secure way to stow recovery gear and other essential items.
Defense and Sustenance
One aspect of the stealth overlander's ability to ward off trouble is the inclusion of a Garmin Dash Cam. When the Silverado is parked somewhere, the dash cam sends notifications via mobile app to alert the user when it detects sound, movement, or motion near the vehicle. This allows you to keep close tabs on your rig if you’re traveling through an area that might be prone to vehicular crimes. It can also be a great source of evidence in the unfortunate event of a crash or hit and run.
Heading out into the wild regions of the world poses dangers beyond crime and rough terrain. Predatory animals and untrustworthy strangers abound. In the headrest safe, I keep my Walther PDP, and I also have a Cupolster from Vets Tactical in one of my glove boxes, in case I want to keep my handgun off-body but nearby and ready to go. Beyond defense, getting some grub is another task that could come in handy in a pinch. In the back seat Lockbox I keep a GoReel for some impromptu fishing, and a Black Bunker air rifle for varmints if I think I’ll be off the grid for an extended period of time.
Above: The bench locker is a great place to store other provisions, like food, maps, or a an air rifle like the Black Bunker BM8.
First Aid and Hygiene
Items used for treating injuries and staying clean are another often overlooked necessity. Having a well-stocked IFAK ensures that I’ll have a tourniquets for traumatic injuries and enough supplies for minor cuts and scrapes. In the bed of the truck, I keep a 5-gallon bucket with a toilet lid for when nature calls, along with some TP, wet wipes and hand sanitizer. I also bring at least 5-gallons of potable water, not only for staying hydrated, but for staying clean in the field.
Where I (and many others) in the US live, there is a very real risk of wildfires during the dry summer months. Having driven through the smoke of a large burn before, I know all too well how important it is to be able to breathe clean air. To help mitigate the dangers of smoke inhalation, I’ve include two full-face respirators with filters rated for smoke particles.
What Goes In The Back
Beyond the necessities, overlanding is an individual and personalized experience. Some folks like to rough it with minimal gear, others like a more extravagant “glamping” experience. But for the sake of staying stealthy, I keep almost everything I’ll need in a tote that I can easily grab from storage and throw in bed of the truck. This includes things sleeping bags, mess kits, freeze dried food, a hand-pumped shower, and an inflatable air mattress specifically designed to fit the Silverado’s bed.
Above: With a Costco tote and a 20L water can, bugging out is as quick and easy as tossing a few items in the bed of the truck.
Whatever is placed in the back, it's meant to be loaded relatively quickly and compact enough that it remains concealed beneath the Silverado’s tonneau cover. Depending on my expected overlanding duration I might tweak the contents to one of the following configurations:
The Weekender Loadout
In most cases, I’ll probably just want to go enjoy the wilderness for a day or two on the weekend, which means I won’t need much beyond what I already have. For this, I’ll use the Napier Sportz Truck Tent, which is fast to set up, lightweight, and great for a hot summer trip. The goal of this load out is to be a grab-and-go setup, something you wouldn’t have to overthink, or plan too far in advance. As such, the weekender loadout is ideal for getting out of Dodge in an emergency situation.
Above: Napier's nylon tent is light-weight and easy to set up quickly.
The Expedition Loadout
For overlanding trips longer in duration, or for trips in colder weather, I’ll tweak the contents of the loadout to be more robust. This includes swapping the nylon tent out with a Kodiak Canvas Truck Tent, bringing a small propane grill, a Stihl chainsaw, some axes, a buck saw, and some more serious cast-iron cookware. For fun, I can also include a Kokopelli inflatable watercraft. Since the items of this loadout are more suited to long-term camping, it makes a great setup for hunting trips.
Above: Canvas is great for longer durations, doesn't trap moisture like nylon, and is strong enough to withstand the weight of snow.
When it is all pulled together and fully loaded, my stealth overlanding rig looks just like an empty truck parked on the side of the road. But in a moment’s notice, I can hop in, head out, and know that it can handle most challenges. Without accounting for the addition of firearms, the entire set up is close to $8000, including the $1000 I spent to have a garage install the leveling kit and tires.
It’s not uncommon to spend tens of thousands, even on a “low budget” build, so keeping it under $10k is a pretty big deal. Since completion of the stealth overlander, the Silverado has been parked in one of the most densely populated urban centers in the U.S. without a single break-in, proving the concept is effective.
One of the most important lessons I learned while putting this build together is that by focusing on the essentials, overlanding is relatively accessible. Everything beyond the essentials is highly individualistic and situationally dependent, which means you can focus on what really matters to you. Sure, it doesn’t have adjustable suspension, a built in mini-fridge, or an overly posh sleeping arrangement, but it will get me on some rugged trails and enjoying the great outdoors whenever I feel inclined to do so. All without breaking the bank, or tempting a low-life to pillage my gear.
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Imagine being able to create a ghillie suit with nothing more than a knife in the wilderness. This might sound like a scene from a survival movie, but it's a skill you can learn in Greenside Training’s Camostalk 360 course. Led by renowned expert Freddy Osuna, Greenside Training is Native American owned and operated, and the skills taught are constantly being updated to keep up with the changing times. Camostalk 360 is one of Greenside’s newest courses, inspired by the need to integrate moving undetected with the latest in observation theory.
Above: Camostalk 360 students are shown a movement demonstration before embarking on their final Stalk Lane.
The most recent class was held near Pine Flat Lake, California, in the rolling foothills of the Sierra National Forest, and offered an immersive experience into the art of camouflage and tracking. Respected sniper trainer, Gerald Hooee, joined our class as an assistant instructor. Over the course of two days, we had the privileged opportunity to learn fieldcraft from two of the most trusted subject matter experts of modern times.
A Glimpse into Greenside Training
The Marine Corps categorizes environments into three “sides”, Greenside for non-urban areas, Greyside for urban areas, and Blackside for high-risk or classified operations. Freddy Osuna specializes in Greenside operations. With a heritage that includes being part of the only unconquered tribe, the Yaqui, Freddy brings a unique perspective to tracking and survival.
His journey began at a young age, marked by an intense experience of being kidnapped by cartels at five years old. This ordeal, which included being zip-tied and forced to fight peers and animals, ended with a violent rescue. Through these experiences, Freddy learned the value of life and compassion, traits he believes are essential for a true warrior. His military career as a Marine Corps Scout Sniper further honed his skills.
Above: Assistant instructor Gerald Hooee (pronounced who-ee), scans the valley below for signs of movement from students attempting to identify his position without being seen.
Gerald Hooee, the co-instructor, is a top Marine Corps sniper trainer who fought in the battles of Fallujah and Ramadi during the Global War on Terror. His expertise includes rooftop and urban sniper instruction, as well as tracking and anti-tracking techniques. Both Freddy and Hooee bring an abundance of expertise to each class, and instruction is filled with the wisdom of their experiences.
Foundations of Camouflage and Movement
The course kicked off with an orientation and safety brief. Participants were reminded of the potential dangers in the wilderness, from stinging insects to poisonous snakes and plants. We were also oriented to the formidable terrain around us. The foothills of the Sierra’s may look like gentle, grassy oak savannah, but they are often impossibly steep and riddled with rocky outcroppings.
Knowing that we would be spending the weekend traversing over this type of terrain meant the potential for serious injury if we were not careful. Compounding the potential risks was the fact that our remote training location meant little to non-existent cell service. As a class, we were truly relying on one another to stay out of trouble.
Above: A student peers through the branches of a fallen tree to keep eyes on a fixed target without being seen.
Following the safety brief, we introduced ourselves. It was clear that students were drawn to the course for many reasons. Most heard of Greenside Training by word of mouth. Several others had taken some of Freddy’s courses before and came to this one out of appreciation for Greenside’s approach to training. But no matter what the reason for coming was, everyone had a desire to master the art of undetected movement.
Camouflage Techniques
On Day 1, the first lessons focused on the fundamentals of camouflage. Freddy and Gerald explained the three primary reasons we see things: movement, shape, and contrast. Movement, especially of the head and hands, is the most significant giveaway. Shape and contrast, which include the outline and hue of objects, also play crucial roles.
Participants learned about the importance of coloring in camouflage. Incorporating colors that art too dark should be avoided as they are harder to lighten. Brown or tan are recommended as base colors. High spots on the face should be darkened, while low spots should be lightened using camo paint. This technique helps blend the face into the environment.
Above: Building a ghillie veil or suit with what can be found off the land is a vital skill in Greenside operations.
The Purkinje effect, where rods in our eyes (responsible for black and white vision) take over from cones (responsible for color vision) as it gets dark, was also discussed. As the light of day fades, oranges and reds become less detectable, while greens and blues become more vibrant. Understanding this concept helps in choosing the right colors for different times of the day.
Movement and Observation
Humans are considered the ultimate apex predators due to our intelligence and ability to thermoregulate. This allows us to keep moving when other animals need to rest, improving our chances of successfully hunting game animals. It also means that we must exercise more caution when tracking a potentially dangerous human being. Our instructors emphasized the importance of avoiding detection by using movement techniques that do not counter natural movements. Staying low, getting into shadows, and avoiding direct sunlight are key strategies.
Above: Each student leveraged their own unique view of how natural materials could be integrated into their personal camouflage.
Freddy introduced various search methods, such as the overlapping strip search for scanning the horizon and the micro point method for detailed inspection. We utilized optics to practice this task, which enhanced our vision and allowed us to peer deeper into the surrounding vegetation than we normally could with the naked eye. The goal is to detect fragments of human presence or their equipment, which can be as small as less than an inch at 100 yards.
Concealment Strategies
The session on concealment covered micro and static hides, blinds, and using vegetation for cover. Avoiding “target indicators”—actions or inactions that reveal your presence— is crucial. For example, garbage or gear left behind are obvious target indicators, whereas leaving tracks, or other signs of your presence in the surrounding vegetation are more subtle. We are advised to take a little extra time to conceal or erase anything that would tell a tracker or trained observer that you were there.
Above: Students were taught to find breaks in the vegetation to “burn through” with their optics, further enhancing their concealment from observers attempting to locate where they were hiding.
Another concealment strategy that can be incorporated into personal camouflage is to wear dark colors on top and light colors on the bottom. Doing this can mimic the browse lines common to vegetation eaten by ungulates, and help you blend into the wilderness. Reducing noise from clothing and equipment is another important aspect of concealment. Freddy and Hooee stressed that working with minimal materials is possible. The key is to use what's available in the environment effectively. Because depth perception can be tricky through magnified optics, understanding how to blend into different backgrounds is vital when trying to defeat someone looking for you.
Seeing Through The Veil
After tweaking our camo and learning as much as we could about stealth vs. observation, Freddy brought us to a spot along a nearby river. Here we discussed how we, through no fault of our own, must fabricate illusions on our lives to blend in with our environment. For some, this could mean wearing the proverbial mask of a corporate business man, or concealing empathy behind the bulwark of authoritativeness.
But for most, it’s the little things we do to fit into our society, communities and culture. However, these are just illusions keeping us from being our true selves. To become one with our surroundings, we need to cast these illusions aside and approach our environment with humility and vulnerability.
Above: A mountain river provided both a physical and symbolic rite of passage for the Camostalk 360 class.
Pointing to the swiftly moving water of the river, Freddy instructs us to crawl from the bank we are standing on to the other and back again. We are to be mindful of the power of the nature that surrounds us, and as the water washes over us, let it sweep away the ego and illusions we shield ourselves with. It is a baptism of river and stone.
An intimate connection to our true surroundings. As we emerge from the waters back to dry land, we feel a deeper connection to the vast wilderness we must contend with and find ourselves more honest about our own capabilities than we were previously willing to admit. This new mindset, Freddy emphasizes, is what will determine success or failure during the final exercise of the class.
Practical Application
In the afternoon, we split into teams and took turns honing the skills we learned about earlier in the day. One team spent 10 minutes getting into a concealed position where they could observe a target, hopefully undedicated. The other team stood near the target and scanned for the concealed team with optics, carefully peering through the vegetation for fragments of their presence.
Above: Students were able to implement the observation skills they learned in an attempt to locate someone trying to remain concealed in the woodline.
After a set amount of time, Freddy and Hooee would point out where each person was concealed. This exercise helped train the eye on what to look for when searching, but it also revealed better ways to remain undetected. Later that night, we were given night optics demonstration, where participants learned about special concealment considerations and thermal signature management.
360 Stalk Lane
The second day began with a briefing on the stalk lane exercise that would be taking place. This involved moving to a start point, executing a stalk, and then consolidating and returning to the rear. Hooee used materials from the nearby riverbed to create a terrain board, with sand and rocks positioned to represent where the stalk would take place, and to help identify key features and suggested tactics. The rules were straightforward: a two-hour time limit, freezing and melting to the ground if observed, and wearing gloves.
Above: Beneath this fallen tree, a student begins to conceal their position.
Above: After repositioning, and some clever use of vegetation, the student is nearly impossible to detect with the naked eye.
Successful completion required identifying and reading what was going to be written on a dry erase panel correctly. Observers would be trying to locate the stalkers, adding a competitive edge to the exercise.
Freddy reminded everyone that adopting a positive mental attitude, decisiveness, and self-control were essential traits for successful stalking. Students would be working in teams of two, planning their movements using map reconnaissance, and would have to synergize in order to accomplish the mission.
Above: Using materials found near a river, Hooee constructs an impromptu terrain board and orients students to the land they'll be moving across during the 360 Stalk Lane.
The California sun was out in full force, and crawling into position undetected in the steep terrain was no easy task. By the end of the 360 Stalk Lane exercise, everyone had gone through the water they had brought with, and we were all experiencing the effects of the hot weather. Out of the four teams maneuvering on the objective, two were able to positively identify the target, one partially, and one was unsuccessful.
Above: Perched at the top of a mountainous draw, Hooee watches closely for any subtle signs of movement as students attempt to read the sign without getting caught.
The team able to ID the target before anyone else included a prior student of Freddy’s who continuously impressed our instructors with her skill. Upon conclusion of the course, she even went on to earn her third “Black Wolf” patch, an award reserved for Greenside students who demonstrate exceptional competence.
Final Thoughts
Attending the Camostalk 360 course was a transformative experience, blending rigorous training with profound personal insights. Freddy Osuna and Gerald Hooee are not your average instructors, they are also mentors who impart wisdom beyond the technical skills of camouflage and tracking.
The exercises, from camouflage techniques to the 360 Stalk Lane, challenged us physically and mentally, pushing us to refine our skills and expand our comfort zones. The experience in the river was particularly impactful, stripping away the superficial layers we wear in everyday life and fostering a genuine connection with our environment.
Above: The graduates of the debut class of Camostalk 360.
Completing the course felt like more than just earning another patch, it was an affirmation of our capabilities and a reminder of the profound connection between nature and self. The lessons learned extend beyond the wilderness, applicable to various aspects of life, emphasizing the importance of observation, patience, and strategic thinking.
The camaraderie among participants and the shared experiences under the tutelage of two of the greatest modern-day experts created lasting memories and forged a deeper appreciation for the art of stealth and survival. Camostalk 360 quickly evolved from a training course to a journey into the heart of nature and a deeper understanding of oneself.
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CANCON Arizona 2024, which took place just outside of Phoenix, was a landmark event in the firearms community, bringing together enthusiasts, manufacturers, and professionals for a weekend filled with innovative suppressor demonstrations, competitive shooting events, and interactive vendor experiences. With Gun Broker leading the charge as a primary sponsor, this one-of-a-kind experience drew in a large crowd from every corner of the globe, and continuously proved that it is a must attend event for anyone passionate about firearms.
Above: For many, CANCON was the first opportunity to learn the benefits of firing a suppressed firearm.
Event Highlights
Everything took place at the Ben Avery Shooting Center, known for its expansive and well-maintained facilities, which provided the perfect venue for CANCON Arizona. Capitalizing on the sunny Arizona weather, the location at Ben Avery created a vibrant and engaging atmosphere for attendees. No one was worried about getting rained out or needing to dress for a potential dip in temperature. The center's numerous shooting lanes and vendor booths were buzzing with activity, reflecting the high energy and enthusiasm of the participants.
Above: CANCON participants were selected at random to participate in the Pros vs Joes competition in the hopes of winning a custom handgun.
From live silencer demonstrations and nighttime shotgun shooting, to suppressed belt-fed machine guns and competitive shooting events, the choice of venue allowed for a wide range of activities. The spacious layout facilitated easy movement between different areas, ensuring attendees could experience everything the event had to offer without feeling overcrowded. But what really set this event apart was the fact that participants could fill out the paperwork to make purchases immediately after taking a product for a test drive at the range.
New Product Releases
CANCON Arizona 2024 was a significant platform for new product unveilings. One of the standout products was Aero Precision's Solus competition rifle, which comes with a chassis and the Lahar-30 suppressor. This rifle is designed to offer precision and ease of use at a competitive price point, making it an attractive option for both seasoned shooters and newcomers.
Above: Some companies like Tion, brought their entire range of suppressors to the range for participants to try before buying.
Dead Air showcased several new suppressors, including the Nomad Ti XC, Nomax 33, and the Mojave 9 in new colors, as well as the 6mm Lazarus 6. These products highlighted Dead Air's commitment to innovation and quality, offering a range of options to suit different shooting needs and preferences.
Unique Silencer Demonstrations
The silencer demonstrations at CANCON were the meat and potatoes of the whole event. B&T presented their breaching shotgun suppressors, which drew significant attention for their unique design and effectiveness. These suppressors are particularly useful for law enforcement and military applications, demonstrating how cutting-edge technology can enhance operational capabilities.
Above: B&T's Nate Gerhart discusses the nuances of their suppressed firearms with a CANCON participant.
Another head-turner was the integrated suppressors built into the design of lever-action rifles. The look was unconventional, but there was no denying the effectiveness. Some of the silenced lever actions seemed to be as quiet as a suppressed 9mm. Of course, this is just scratching the surface, as not a single firearm was fired unsuppressed. Everything from handguns to military machine guns had a can on the end of the barrel, and participants were able to take each one for a spin!
Pros vs. Joes
One of the most exciting aspects of CANCON AZ was the Pros vs. Joes competition. This series pitted randomly selected attendees against industry professionals in a series of blind challenges. Participants faced off using a variety of firearms and suppressors, with the opportunity to win prizes such as the new CANiK TTI Combat, a striker-fired polymer handgun developed in collaboration with Taran Butler.
Above: Recoil's own Pro Ian Harrison gets ready to fire.
Trigger Interactive provided the target system used during the Pros vs. Joes event. Their system utilizes smart target technology, allowing for the creation of dynamic and engaging training scenarios tailored to individual needs. First it sends up an orange flag, indicating which target to shoot, then by sensing the motion of a round hitting the target, it can relay the exact time an impact was made, providing the most accurate data for shooting competitions. Through their app, it can report speeds and set numerous training scenarios, which proved an invaluable resource for the judges assessing shooter performance.
Above: The staff and vendors provided expert guidance and gave participants advice and encouragement.
The competition was designed to be both challenging and fun, with the rules and stages kept secret until participants stepped up to the line. This added an element of surprise and excitement, making the event more engaging for both participants and spectators. Pro’s included Recoil’s very own Tom Marshall and Ian Harrison. We even learned that some of our Canadian neighbors, one of which was a “Joe” selected from the crowd, perform pretty well behind the trigger!
Run-N-Gun TV Series
Another new addition to CANCON was the Run-N-Gun TV series. This industry-only competition involved sponsor companies fielding their best shooters in a time-based challenge. The event was filmed for later broadcast, adding a professional production element and providing valuable exposure for participating brands.
Above: Eye catching displays were everywhere, keeping vendors engaged with CANCON participants.
The Run-N-Gun competition was a no-holds-barred, bare-knuckle shooting match where the only goal was to hit all targets in the shortest time possible. This intense competition tested the skills and speed of the participants, making for exciting viewing both at the event and later on television. Be on the lookout for more Run-N-Gun content on the RecoilTV streaming service, or the RECOILtv YouTube channel.
Vendor Participation
Vendor participation at CANCON Arizona 2024 was exceptional, with dozens of manufacturers and retailers setting up booths to showcase their products. Notable participants included FN, ZRODelta, and The HUB, who brought an impressive array of silenced firearms for attendees to test. However, there were too many to mention here, but every vendor present helped to make CANCON the amazing event that it was. At each booth, event goers were met with friendly company reps, passionate about what they do and excited to talk about their products.
Participating vendors provided attendees with the opportunity to engage directly with industry leaders, try out new products, and take advantage of exclusive deals and discounts. The interactive nature of the vendor booths enhanced the overall experience, making CANCON a valuable event for both attendees and exhibitors.
Above: CANCON Arizona was the perfect opportunity for the public to take a myriad of silenced firearms for a test drive.
Not to be outdone by firearm companies, the food scene at CANCON was well received. Food trucks provided all manner of comfort foods, BBQ, fresh sandwiches and even coffee for that midday pick-me-up. There was plenty of seating in the shade for those who wanted to cool down, grab a snack, or chow down on a hearty meal.
VIP Experience
Of particular noteworthiness at CANCON AZ, was the VIP experience. VIP ticket holders received early access to the event, allowing them to explore the venue and test firearms an entire day before the general public arrived. Each VIP received a special VIP bag loaded with over $2000 worth of gear and vouchers, including the opportunity to choose a suppressor from Anechoic’s lineup, and a threaded barrel from Silencer Co. VIP’s were also encouraged to stay after dark to experience firing suppressed under night vision optics. Steel Industries, a well known purveyor of night vision optics, brought a truck load of goodies for after dark. Everything from Team Wendy helmets, to single, dual and quad-tube NVGs were available to wear, try and buy. Plus their staff were on hand to answer questions and help those new to night vision get the settings dialed in so they could hit targets hiding in the dark.
Above: The nighttime range was a great way for VIP's to experience shooting with NVG's, for many it was their first time (Photo taken with Sionyx digital night vision).
For those lucky enough to snag a VIP ticket in time (VIP tickets sold out in less than three minutes), this premium offering enhanced the overall attendee experience. The VIP experience underscored CANCON’s commitment to providing a top-tier experience for all guests, as well as providing an opportunity for vendors to showcase their products to their most passionate customers.
Educational Opportunities
CANCON Arizona 2024 emphasized education and skill development through a variety of interactive experiences. The Proving Grounds competition stage simulated real-world scenarios, such as mock kidnappings, providing participants with practical shooting challenges that tested their skills under pressure. Not only did participants have to escape the kidnapping situation, they then had to carry a simulated artillery round while engaging a variety of targets. Whoever could perform all of these tasks in the shortest amount of time was in the running for a free firearm.
Above: A Proving Grounds competition participant gives the thumbs up before starting the challenge.
Members of the University of Arizona's shooting team, the Wild Gats, and other local groups participated in the event, fostering a sense of community and encouraging knowledge sharing among attendees. These educational opportunities were a key component of CANCON, helping to build a more informed and skilled firearms community.
Above: CANCON provided a great opportunity for UofA Wild Gat members to bump elbows with people from every corner of the firearms industry.
Local organizations, such as Boy Scout Troop 531, played a crucial role in supporting CANCON Arizona. The troop sold cold water to keep attendees hydrated in the Arizona heat, adding to the community spirit that CANCON aims to promote. Their involvement added a layer of community engagement to the event, highlighting the importance of local support and participation.
Above: All attendees from all walks of life learned about how to safely handle firearms from experts in the field.
Final Thoughts
CANCON Arizona 2024 was a resounding success, bringing together a diverse group of firearm enthusiasts, industry professionals, and community members for a weekend of innovation, competition, and education. Not only did the event showcase the latest in silencer technology, but it also provided a platform for meaningful interactions and skill development. The overarching theme of try-before-you-buy gave participants confidence in the gear they were interested in, and really helped the vendors and sponsors continue to build already well established credibility. As CANCON continues to grow, it promises to remain a must-attend event for anyone passionate about the world of suppressed firearms.
For more details and updates on future events, visit the official CANCON website and explore the comprehensive recaps and previews on RECOILweb.
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Developing night-time shooting capability is expensive. First, there’s the cost of the required equipment: night vision devices, infrared lasers and illuminators, helmets, counterweights, IR strobes, helmet lights, and NV-specific optics mounts. Once you manage to get all of that, there’s the additional, and real cost, of ammo associated with the increased amount of training you’ll have to do in order to develop new skills. We can’t lower the cost of night vision equipment itself but, just like with daytime training, if you can substitute rimfire training to save ammo … why not? That’s what led us to dig an old Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 out of the back of the safe and outfit it as a budget-conscious, affordable .22 AR night-fighting trainer.
Finding a low-cost IR laser is one of the trickiest things we can think of. When you do find them, they typically chop the price down by chopping capability — whether that’s laser output power, onboard switching (no remote option), or eliminating the visible laser and/or illuminator. Regardless, if you need to pinch pennies on an aiming laser, you’re going to give up something — maybe even a lot. But, in the case of a rimfire plinker and trainer, we were willing to accept some significant trade-offs. In the end, we wound up with the Viridian HS-1 IR laser.
Let’s get the cons out of the way: this is an infrared laser only. No slaved daytime laser for zeroing. No IR illuminator. No white light. A single projected dot that’s only visible under night vision is all you get. That dot can only be activated by an on-body push button at the front of the integrated forward grip. Speaking of the grip, this could be a pro or con depending on your accessory preferences. The laser is built into a sort of finger-stop foregrip. You split your index and middle fingers around the grip, using your left index finger to turn the laser on like a support-hand trigger at the front of the gun. If you place your hand as intended, the activation is pretty intuitive.
We also really like that the foregrip is a direct-to-M-LOK accessory. No need to bolt a section of Pic rail onto your forend just to use this. The HS-1 is lightweight and streamlined with a bottom-load CR1/3N battery that doesn’t require the grip to be removed for swaps. There are also windage and elevation adjustments, so you can actually zero this for effective practice. With an MSRP of sub-$250, the HS-1 is very affordable in comparison to other infrared lasers and gives you an active-aiming solution for night vision shooting.
What it doesn’t give you is area illumination. If there’s enough ambient light in the environment (whether from the moon or man-made sources), illumination may not be necessary. But if illumination is necessary, you’ll need a weapon light that’s either a full-time IR light or one that can switch from white to IR. We chose the latter, in the form of Inforce’s WMLx, which pairs a 700 lumen white light with a 400mW infrared counterpart. As opposed to the rotating head we’ve seen elsewhere, the WML switches from white to IR by a literal light switch on the side of the body that’s flipped back-and-forth 180 degrees to select output modes.
We like the definitive, tactile, and audible switching, which pairs well with their signature angled thumb-button activation (whether or not you like the scoop-shaped thumb button is another story, but the side-mounted flip-switch is ergonomically convenient to that setup). We mounted our WMLx to the very front of our handguard, which only features a small section of 12 o’clock Pic rail at the muzzle end. This juxtaposed the WMLx directly over the HS-1 laser, meaning a C-clamp-style support grip puts both sets of controls at your fingertips. For $180, the WMLx IR does just the job we need it to.
On that note, one of the things we never liked about the M&P 15-22 was its short, cheap-feeling handguard. So, we turned to a niche company called Tacticool22 which, as the name implies, specializes in aftermarket accessories for .22 rifles like our M&P. We picked up two accessories from them — a 12.5-inch T6 aluminum handguard and their AM-1 muzzle brake. The handguard is a free-float, lightweight type with five-sided M-LOK slots running from 3 to 9 o’clock. The 11 and 1 o’clock axes sport lightening holes that spell out “T22” in puffy bubble letters. We’d rather have had the M-LOK slots, but a little tongue-in-cheek branding is wholly forgivable in the rimfire realm.
The 12 o’clock line has a small chunk of rail at each end, with a line of plain circular lightening holes down the rest of the length. While the Tacticool handguard is incredibly light by “full-size” AR standards, it’s certainly heavier than the OEM plastic tube it replaced. Having said that, we really like the slightly front-heavy feel and increased length offered by the replacement. It makes driving the gun much closer in feel to our 5.56mm counterpart rifles. At $166 with no special adapters needed for the handguard, we feel like we got beaucoup value out of this swap. Admittedly, the value-add of a brake on a .22LR rifle is far less than the handguard. But, again, a rimfire build is a good place to have some fun.
Moving further back, we wanted to make sure we had a taller red-dot mount to practice passive aiming. The Battle Arms Development micro dot mount stands at a 1.93-inch offset, plenty tall to see through NVGs. We topped the mount with a basic Holosun 403C. The BAD mount is $110, with the HS403C being available on Amazon for sub-$170 at time of writing. The combo keeps you under $300 all-in for a NV-compatible optics setup. The 403C even has two NV-specific brightness settings. We used one other component from Battle Arms: a version of their BAD-ASS short throw ambi-safety selector made specifically for the M&P 15-22.
This was a small but very appreciated improvement, providing a fast, positive snick every time you flick one of the levers. The right-side lever is long enough to use with your left thumb, but short enough to stay out of your way if you’re a righty. Likewise, we added an ambidextrous charging handle from some no-name manufacturer for a whopping $30. The dual extended latches make malfunction-clearance a cinch, which is a little more common with buckets of dirty .22 ammo than it is on our .223/5.56mm AR’s. Finally, we topped the whole build off with a set of Magpul MOE furniture — inexpensive and durable enough to survive anything we plan to do with a rimfire build.
The result of our efforts is a lightweight, handy, very fun to shoot AR clone that can not only help us learn how to work under night vision but, once we’re comfortable doing so, will offer hours of cheap gun fun after dark.
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Whether you say “time is a flat circle” or “what’s old is new again,” what we jokingly refer to as tactical fashion trends are indeed a real thing. Just like the Global War On Terror pulled everyone’s attention toward micro chest rigs and CQB, its sunset has redirected the focus of many prepared citizens back toward traditional infantry capabilities. This includes basic patrolling, reconnaissance, and the ability to carry more equipment. On one hand, it’s arguable that the market is simply bored by the endless permutations of tiny chest harnesses and desires other options. But it holds legitimate merit for folks to broaden their horizons beyond the laser-focus on door entry and room clearing. Especially since the overwhelming majority of problems that could be faced by American civilians will not be solvable by kicking in a door and sweeping through a building with a fire team, and kit, they may or may not have.
By contrast, moving overland on foot with enough equipment to be self-sustainable for hours or days doesn’t require a four-man stack, night vision, or short-barreled firearms. In fact, basic patrolling skills don’t require a gun or shooting to be involved at all. You may be trekking to a pre-planned bugout location, making your way back to get help for an injured loved one, or just trying to get a better look at a bad situation in some location that your vehicle can’t get to.
We’re big proponents of the philosophy that application drives equipment selection, and any foot movement over a sizable distance requires different gear than storming a building full of armed bad guys. This is where more traditional load-bearing equipment (LBE) comes in. These kinds of harnesses are also referred to as belt kit (not to be confused with battle belts) or jungle rigs — because they generally emulate the belt-and-suspenders setups used by grunts during the Vietnam War. The original military-issued stuff consisted of a canvas or nylon belt with an attached set of padded suspenders. Later iterations from the ’80s and ’90s included a nylon mesh vest that attached to the belt in place of simple Y-suspenders to increase carriage capacity.
Modern versions have reverted back to the streamlined suspenders and make use of MOLLE/PALS-style webbing to offer better modularity. There aren’t nearly as many gear makers producing these types of rigs, but one — Velocity Systems — produced their jungle rig based on a request from special operations units for a modern LBE setup better suited to long-range patrols than plate carriers or chest rigs. Velocity sent us one of their complete Jungle Rigs to help us examine not only the evolution of these kinds of LBE setups, but also the concept itself and its use for the prepared citizen.
The great thing about the Jungle Rig is just how much it can carry — and how easily. The combination of belt and suspenders lets you carry a lot of gear and distribute the burden between hips and shoulders better than a backpack, rucksack, stand-alone battle belt, or a chest rig. The Velocity Systems Jungle Rig comes as a set, with multiple pouch configurations available. It can be had with four rifle pouches that hold three 30-round magazines each, two canteen pouches, and either two general-purpose pouches or a single large butt pack.
Both of these options are also available with 7.62mm rifle pouches that hold two 20-round magazines each. The load-carriage belt has two rows of MOLLE/PALS webbing on a lightweight nylon mesh base with lots of ventilation to keep heat, moisture, and weight to a minimum. The suspenders are lightweight performance fabric in an H-configuration that attaches to the belt at six different points around your waist for maximum support. The MOLLE belt also includes slits located throughout so that you can weave your base belt over the webbing to accommodate holsters or other non-MOLLE accessories.
That’s a total of twelve 30-round magazines, two canteens, and a lot of cargo space left over for whatever else you want to carry — rations, medical equipment, fire-starers, chem lights, a hammock, sleeping mat … your needs and imagination are the limit. Don’t think you need to carry 360 rounds of 5.56mm for your AR? Swap a couple of the mag pouches for whatever other MOLLE pouches you have lying around to make room for more food, water, or survival gear. As a side note, setups like the Jungle Rig might be a great choice for the women in your life, if their build makes chest-mounted load carriage difficult or smaller shoulders make heavy rucks uncomfortable. Regardless of who’s wearing it, this rig is a great solution for when your preparedness problem is bigger than one building or requires more than one or two rooms’ worth of ammo.
What a setup like the Jungle Rig doesn’t account for is armor. You can certainly wear a plate carrier or soft armor, then don the Jungle Rig over the top of it. But even commandos and other light raid forces with a “direct action” mission don’t always wear armor for long-range overland patrols. We’ve heard of units packing plate carriers in their ruck, patrolling “slick” and then armoring up at an objective rally point before initiating an assault on their target. Likewise, if you’re wearing a pack on top of the Jungle Rig, that would be a good way to have armor as an option without wearing it for a multi-mile trek over rough terrain. Of course, depending on what the situation is, you might not need armor at all. In which case, the Jungle Rig is a vastly superior load carriage solution to trying to use a plate carrier with no plates as LBE. (That idea might make you chuckle, but we’ve seen it!)
Too Much of a Good Thing
Gear behaves like a liquid — it’ll take the shape of its container. The bigger your backpack, the more stuff you put it in. No matter how many times we tell ourselves to pack the essentials or travel light, half-filled pouches and packs demand to be stuffed with that last little bit of “just in case” gear, one more survival meal, or a few more extra batteries for the flashlight. In this way, the Jungle Rig enables you to carry a significant amount of gear compared to most chest rigs. This leads us to perhaps the only real “con” we can find with the Velocity Jungle Rig. The included pouches all include polymer loops on the back so that the shoulder harness straps can be looped through them. This is great … if you use them.
But if you wish to take advantage of the modularity of the MOLLE/PALS load-bearing belt by using other pouches, you’ll have to figure out a way to rig the straps in place, as there are no hardpoints to mount the shoulder harness directly to the belt itself. We used a double rifle mag pouch from Wilde Custom Gear on the front left quarter of the belt. This let us have our first two rifle reloads available for fast access, while having three more mags in the included Velocity flap pouch on the opposite side.
This worked well for us from an ammo management standpoint but required us to adjust the pouch so that the top row of MOLLE slots on the back of the pouch rode above the belt, to provide an attachment point for the harness. While it’s not a deal breaker, it’s worth noting that this rig is definitely designed to be used as packaged, and adaptation will require more adaptation to mold it to your needs, if the OEM configuration winds up not being ideal.
All in all, the Velocity Systems Jungle Rig is a thoroughly modernized take on legacy military patrolling harnesses. The streamlined build, use of modern materials, and increased modularity of MOLLE webbing catapults this Vietnam-era load bearing concept into the 21st century, for whatever your needs may be.
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Anyone who has ever studied for a difficult test understands that memory devices such as sayings, rhymes, and abbreviations can be extremely helpful for remembering key information. Similar memory devices can help us be more prepared to recall important survival skills. S.T.O.P. (Stay Put, Think, Observe, and Plan) and the O.O.D.A. (Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act) loop are two very popular ways of framing your mindset in an emergency situation. The rule of 3s (3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food) is a popular way of recalling survival priorities. Other catchy number and letter memory devices have been introduced over the years to organize processes and groups of ideas with different levels of success. With fire starting, we know there’s a way to remember what’s needed with the ever-present “fire triangle” of heat, air, and fuel found in so many survival manuals.
Close your eyes and you can probably picture the illustration or recall an instructor saying it’s like a tripod trying to stand on two legs if one is taken away. We started thinking about creating a similar memory device related to the regular task of building a fire. We wanted to throw our hat in the ring and present the process of fire-starting with just a knife and ferro rod using a list of 10 S's you should always keep in mind as you work.
Source – Finding It From the Land
Sourcing materials is one of the most critical components to making a fire. The better the firewood, the stronger the fire and the easier it is to get started. When you look out on a landscape, you’ll likely see a collection of trees, both living and dead. You’ll see downed trees or piles of dead material. If your observation skills are strong, you’ll pick up on the micro features of the terrain and notice there are some dead leaves still on branches. Some trees may have bark peeling from them. Think of that bark like your own skin. When your skin is dry, it may crack. If you see cracked bark surrounding branches, there is a very good chance dry wood is underneath it. Another key element of sourcing wood from the land is learning to identify drier areas of the environment. You might find dry wood high up on riverbanks as the river dries out throughout the summer. You may find dry wood on rocky features instead of underneath wet leaves. The fire process starts with sourcing the materials you’ll need.
Above: Firewood is best sourced from dead and downed trees. An entire tree can be used for various fuel sizes in building a fire.
Select – What You Can Utilize
Just because you have wood to burn, doesn’t mean you have the right wood to burn. You may locate an entire dead standing tree that’s prime burning wood, but you need to work with the right amount of fuel for each stage in the fire-building process. Consider this one option. This means collecting plenty of small twigs for kindling, and perhaps light inner bark fibers for tinder. This also means being selective of what you use and making quality decisions if certain wood is punky, rotten, or partially green. As you select the wood you’ll use to make your fire, set it aside in piles that give you a visual reference to the quantity used to build a strong bed of coals. Select wood that’s pencil-lead thickness for one pile, pencil-to-finger thickness for another, wrist thickness for the next, and arm or leg thickness for the main fuel.
Above: Take the time to select the materials you need to build your fire and create visual piles that leave no doubt you’ll have enough.
Testing Wood for Fire-Making
All wood will burn if there’s enough heat. Even living wood will dry out from the heat of a fire, although this isn’t ideal. The best wood you can burn is dead standing wood that’s up off of the ground where moisture collects. It sounds simplistic, but the process of testing wood is important, and it can be done prior to smoking out your buddies around the campfire.
There’s an old expression, “If it doesn’t snap, throw it back.” That is, when you pick up a branch, bend it. If there isn’t a distinct snap or crack, it’s probably still too green. Dead wood has little flexibility and lets you know it. This process is quick and easy to do, even for little kids.
Another method of testing a wood source is to feel it for moisture. A piece of wood can be cut and held to the back of the hand or to your cheek (as long as you aren’t trying to test a poisonous plant). Some moisture is OK, but too much will make your fire smoke as it burns off.
You can also take a test sample of the wood you’re using and try burning it before you burn a larger log. Don’t waste all your time roasting a large wet round of wood if a smaller chunk won’t burn.
Split – Processing the Main Fuel
You may be stuck with mostly larger rounds of wood that contain dry fibers inside. This is common in winter or rainy conditions. Finding all that you need, like a downed tree with small twigs to large branches, in a single firewood source is ideal but not always the reality. You may have to resort to another option, which involves processing large wood down into smaller pieces. You may locate dead and downed trees with natural cracks you can exploit with some elbow grease. Or maybe you’ll locate wood that can be split with the tip of your knife and a thumb-capped grip. If you have an extra branch with some heft, you can use it to baton through the wood as another method to reach the inner fibers. Splitting wood not only exposes dry burning material but it also increases the surface-to-mass ratio of the wood you’re burning. The more surface, the faster the wood will burn. Not all wood needs to be split, and in fact, you may want to keep some in round form to burn through the night.
Above: Using the tip of your knife, cracks can be exploited to split your smaller wood fuel supply.
Splinter – Processing the Small Fuel
Very similar to splitting wood is the process of splintering it. A round split in two is halved. A half split creates two quarters. Breaking it down even further creates thinner splinters of wood that burn readily. The splinters you create follow the grain of the wood and may contain rough edges or smaller splinters that catch flame easily with improved surface-to-mass ratio. Another benefit of splintering wood is the texture it creates and the way that texture clings to itself. This is an added bonus when building freestanding fire lays mentioned later in this article. Splintering usually doesn’t require a baton, and simple downward pressure will be all that’s necessary to cut through smaller pieces of wood.
Above: Split pieces of wood can be further splintered to increase the surface to mass ratio and improve the burning quality.
Shave – Processing the Tinder and Kindling
You can use your knife to split wood, or you can use it to shave it. Shaving will create curls of wood used for kindling or very fine feathers used for tinder. Traditionally, bushcrafters would create three to four feather or fuzz sticks to get a fire going. These sticks are often just as much a test of your knife’s edge or the skill of the user as they are tinder for fire starting. Don’t get too hung up on keeping all of the shavings you create attached to the stick you’re shaving them from. If you have a hat or bandana, you can shave them off into a pile and they’ll burn just as well attached or not. Shaving is different from splintering in the size and shape of the final product. Splinters tend to be long, straight, and semi-inflexible, while shavings are shorter, curly, and flexible. Shavings are also more easily fed into tighter nooks and crannies, unlike splinters.
Above: Feather sticks, also known as fuzz sticks, can be shaved to create tinder that will take a spark.
Scrape – Another Tinder Process
While processing wood for your fire, you may find the wood you use is suitable for tinder scraping. Cedar bark is easily scraped, as is resinous pine wood (also known as fatwood). Scraping creates powder that will take a spark, and it’s best accomplished with the 90-degree spine of your knife or a rock with a sharp edge. Scraping requires pressure and a repeated motion that’s usually done with some speed. You must exercise caution in all aspects of knife use and just because you’re using the unsharpened spine doesn’t give you an excuse to throw caution to the wind.
Above: Using the spine of your knife or a sharp rock, you can often find tinder by scraping the fibers of some inner barks of trees.
Setup – The Firelay
With all of your firewood properly staged and squared away, you should determine which type of firelay will work best for your fire needs. The 90-degree platform and brace is popular for general fire-starting; the tipi is used for a fast-burning tall fire; use a log cabin for controlled cooking fires; build a long-fire the length of your body for warming comfort while sleeping. Keep in mind while you’re setting up your fire that fire tends to burn upward. There are specialty “top burn” fires that burn down, but you’ll find the most basic setups previously mentioned will be lit at the base and the materials will slowly catch from the bottom up. As you create your fire setup, think about the direction of the wind and how that’ll help fan the flames. Avoid crowding your fire and don’t add large fuel too soon. You may find a combination of firelays works best for certain fire applications. Think of building a tipi fire inside the frame of a log-cabin fire for smoke generators, for instance.
Above: How you setup your fire depends on what you need it to do. Tipi fires burn high and hot.
Spark – With a Ferro Rod
If done correctly, a single shower of sparks should catch on the feather sticks. If you have the time and energy, build your fire in a manner that can be ignited with a spark. If you only have a lighter or flame-based firestarter, it’ll work on the properly prepared materials. The opposite is not true. If you build a fire that is meant to be lit with a flame, but you only have a ferro rod, it will not ignite unless you have proper tinder. Also, you don’t have to start your fire inside your fire lay. You can start a small fire outside of it and use a couple sticks to transfer the flame inside. This will prevent toppling a well-made fire lay and make the process easier.
Above: With just a knife and a ferro rod, you should be able to throw sufficient sparks to get a tinder bundle lit.
How you scrape your ferro rod will depend on the flammability of your tinder. If you happen to have man-made tinder like petroleum-soaked cotton balls, the smallest spark will get it going. If you’re using natural tinder, you’ll find pushing harder on your ferro rod to create more substantial sparks will result in those that burn longer in contact with the tinder you’re using.
Above: Close-up detail of ferro rod sparking into a tinder bundle.
Sustain – Keep It Going
Don’t just get your fire going, make sure you can keep it going. It’s a mistake to overlook this aspect of sustainment. You may be a pro at getting a fire started and seeing a flame from your efforts but unless you can keep that flame going, fire starting is just a parlor trick. Sustaining a fire means not building a fire too large for its intended purpose. It means not wasting fuel for no good reason. It also means making sure you have enough fire-making materials to get your fire going again if it burns out.
You may also need to build up the level of flame in a hurry if the situation calls for it. You’ll find a good habit for fire sustainment is setting the next pieces of wood used to fuel your fire adjacent to it to dry out. If you underestimated your fuel needs or if your fire requires more fuel, you’ll need to step away from it to gather more, which requires either banking your wood (covering it with ash to slow the burn) or adding enough fuel to keep it going while you’re away. It is a terrible feeling to come back to your firepit and find it burnt out. Sustaining your fire also means using wood that’s meant to burn longer, like full rounds of wood instead of split wood.
Above: Log cabins burn consistently and steadily. Fire rings aren’t a bad idea to keep coals in place.
Stop – Extinguish Responsibly
Never start a fire you can’t put out. One of the S's of fire is stopping it. The process is fairly simple if you think about reversing what you did to build it. Space out the fuel in your fire pit to slow the burn. Snuff it out by adding more moisture to the wood, drowning it in plenty of water. Don’t leave it unless you see no visible smoke coming up from it. Irresponsible campers start forest fires that cause untold destruction each year — don’t let that be you.
Above: Don’t stop processing wood when your fire is going. Build up the fuel sources needed to sustain it or coax it back to life.
Above: Don’t stop processing wood when your fire is going. Build up the fuel sources needed to sustain it or coax it back to life.
Closing Thoughts
Could this “S” fire methodology catch on? Perhaps. We know we may have a couple more S's than our short-term memory could retain, but then again, we also know you can remember lengthy chains of items in long-term term memory if you repeat them. We want you to practice fire starting, and even if this system of S's doesn’t work for you, find one that does and make it Systematic (that’s the 11th S). You’ll find out the process of assigning letters to a particular task for memory isn’t as complicated or difficult as owning the skills that could save your life.
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Rifle competitions are a great way for shooters of all experience levels to test their mettle in different scenarios and stages. Many think of the Precision Rifle Series — or three-gun — when it comes to competition, but another option is quickly gaining in popularity: precision rimfire. This build is a compilation of parts to make the ultimate competition piece for these rimfire matches. You may say to yourself, Whoa, that’s a lot of money for a precision chassis 22LR! That may be true, but as we’ve often come to find out, particularly in the firearms world, you generally get what you pay for.
The start of this rifle is a 20-inch Proof Research pre-fit carbon-fiber barrel, specifically made to fit into the RimX action we chose. Proof Research is the leader in lightweight-yet-rigid barrels incorporating carbon fiber. They offer a huge weight savings over steel barrels, improved heat dissipation, and extreme durability. Proof’s barrels are also very well known for their accuracy, making them an excellent choice for a competition rifle.
The rifle’s action is from Zermatt Arms, a true-to-scale Remington 700 footprint. It’s made of stainless steel with a nitride-coated finish and a DLC-coated bolt head. We chose the tactical-style bolt knob and an integrated 20 MOA base for the increased drop of rimfire ammunition at extended ranges, which may present itself during a competition. Zermatt also includes one purpose-built rimfire magazine that’s compatible with most rimfire ammunition.
At the touch of our finger is a TriggerTech Remington 700 Special Two-Stage Pro Curved Trigger. TriggerTech developed it with safety in mind, incorporating four points of safety. This is also an adjustable model; the first stage can be set from 8 to 24 ounces and the second stage at 8 to 32 ounces. It has an aluminum housing with steel components and a PVD coating for increased durability.
The chassis of the rifle is from Modular Driven Technologies (MDT), well known among precision shooters for producing high-quality chassis systems for several types of actions. We opted for the Adjustable Core Competition Premier chassis. This is a modular chassis that can have weights added to the forend, allowing the user to customize the balance and overall weight of the rifle for better controllability. The underside of the forend has 17 inches of ARCA rail, creating room for several attachments like bipods, bags, and tripod mounts.
MDT offers several stock options; we were determined to make this one a folder for easy transport, so the Skeleton Rifle Stock with folding adapter fit the bill. It has a ton of adjustment points to really fine-tune it to the shooter. All parts were Cerakoted in FDE from MDT. Lastly, the MDT Vertical Grip Elite provides a vertical platform for our hand to mate with the rifle. It can be adjusted for distance and angle to ensure consistent hand placement every time.
Extras
Crowning the barrel is the old tried-and-true Gemtech Outback IID. This suppressor has been in our armory for nearly a decade and can still hold its own against modern rimfire cans when it comes to weight (2.5 ounces) and sound reduction. The downside is it doesn’t come apart as easily for cleaning.
Keeping the build stable is an Atlas bipod with an American Defense Manufacturing quick detach lever. Not all stages are equal, and sometimes it’s better to just remove the bipod and use a support bag, so being able to choose on the fly is a great option. The Atlas allows quick adjustments for height from 5.2 to 9.6 inches and at different angles.
Topping off the rifle is a Nightforce Optics ATACR 7-35×56 F1 riflescope with a Horus Tremor3 reticle. While this much magnification may not be totally necessary for shooting targets at 200 yards, it does provide 100 minutes of angle in elevation travel and the parallax adjusts down to 11 yards, providing some clarity to closer targets. The Tremor3 has a grid pattern that helps compensate for wind and bullet drop with precise aiming points in MILs. Cradling the scope is a set of Nightforce Optics medium-height ultralite rings.
Closing Thoughts
These competitions don’t always require the absolute best in equipment, but it sure can help to have a quality gun when scores are on the line. We try to feed this only Lapua Center-X 22LR ammunition for its consistency and heavier 40-grain bullet. We tried to find the absolute finest options for this build and spared no expense. The end result is a tack-driving .22LR that tips the scales at 14.3 pounds for a plenty stable platform. Equipped with this rifle, we’re ready to get out and compete in some rimfire matches or have a fun day of ground squirrel hunting at distance.
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