Rogue Elite

There seems to be a new craze in competition shooting in recent years.   I’ve seen more high school boys coming home from class with Zombie survival guides, the recent 28 Days later type movies and the doomsday virus outbreaks.    I guess IDPA has lost some traction to the present generation, but I’ve attended a few Zombie survival competitions and they were very good training events.   The best thing about it was the amount of tactical gear that I watched fail, and the number of really novice mistakes people made.   Out of the 5 stages I attended, there was 1 stage that we saw about 18 firearms go down.   About half of those were AK variants and they were mostly magazine related.  Some guys never knew how hard it was to do a tactical reload on an AK if there was a round in the chamber and a fully loaded 30rd magazine.  People found out what happens after firing off the 1st round and the magazine falls out.

Do search for gun clubs and shooting ranges in your State to find out if anyone is holding a Zombie shoot.   They usually occur in the September to October months.   Having some good tactical clothing that will securely hold your gear.   The Eotac Style 201 pants are my favorite because they hold 6- 30rd PMAGS and they are easy to run in.   Tactical vests like the Style 101 are not heavy and don’t make you feel like you are wearing a flak jacket.   There is a time and a place for different types of tactical vests, but mobility is important.  You may want to try getting your magazines loaded up with all of your gear and then try running 100yds with it and see what it feels like and if stuff starts to fly out of your pockets.   Mobility is extremely important.

I have a few knives that have been passed down through a few generations.   Most of them look like they were used in Boy Scouts.  Some were Bowie knives that must have been fun to use, but were really an over kill.   Not that there is anything wrong with it, but carrying those around all the time made a  kid feel cool, but mostly likely got in the way.   Recently I got out to do some nature conservation and decided to spend the weekend at a State Park.    We weren’t allowed to bring in our own firewood which I normally do, just because I like to know that I’ll have good dry wood for cooking in need be even if the weather isn’t good.
At the gate of the park, we picked up a few bundles of wood, we took it back to camp and I brought out my Columbia River folding knife and slashed open a bundle that was shrink wrapped and tied with a rope.   I’m still not sure what tactical knives are, but this one works for me.  A co-worker of mine was tugging and pulling on his stack and had trouble getting it undone.    Everyone likes to bring knives for cooking, but even just a simple folding knife in your pocket can be very useful.   Whenever your camping, there is room for you to pack a knife.

A knife is a tool, tools can be used for many things.   How many times have good people used knives for good and how many have been used for evil.    Just about anything you find in your tool box can be used for self defense purposes and some may be quite good.   Many years ago the Swiss Army knife was issued and it is a great thing to use if your in the Army or in Scounting, but they really aren’t the best thing to use for self defense.

Some self defense instructos may tell you that folding knives are not the best fighting weapons, and they probable aren’t, but it doesn’t mean you can’t use it for slashing a BG or just showing it to a potential robber to ward him off.   Sog Knifes are a great place to look for a diverse tactical knives product line for knives that can be used for camping, cutting, and fighting and you feel real insecure, try the SOG Battle ax.

I think that sums up about 75% of what the tactical knives market and the remaining 25% have a different reason they own a knife.   I think a lot of America has lost the idea of how useful a knife is these days, probable because people have access to so many fancy tools that the idea of having to sit there an sharpen something that knife owners know is a tool, is something they don’t understand.  Nowadays, most highway emergency reponse and law enforcment are carrying knives that can slice a seat belt in half a second.

Utility knifes can be tactical, but my idea of a tactical knife is something with a good sharp edge that can be used defensively, can pry things open and also be used to cut a seat belt without sawing it.   Folding knifes are in their own category and I know some people frown on them, but you gotta use what you have and know in your mind what it is capable of withstanding and what it can be used for.

Anyone that works for a fire company will tell you the stories about having to cut people out of cars.   This is literally what occurs when really bad car accidents occur.   Not only do you have to pull people out of twisted metal, but you may have to cut them out of their seat belt of they were fortunate enough to be wearing one.   Storing fix a flat in your car is very practical and useful for you and if you know someone who is in a bad situation that can use it.    There are times when I have done more good samaratin deed and handed someone a can of fix a flat and told them to just get on their way, but what about if you get in a car wreck, can you get yourself free of your own seat belt?  They make quick and easy to detach slings for rifles for such incidences, but seat belts can restrain  you in situations where you need to get out.

Any knife should be able to cut through a seatbelt if used properly, but some of the rescue tactical knives work much better.   Something you should consider for your car, not only for you, but what if you come across a car that was in an accident and the driver or passengers are trapped inside and something is burning?   What if you’re in the car and you can’t even find the belt release because the car is twisted up?   I’ve seen people walk away from some pretty bad wrecks unharmed, but I also know of people dying in fires because bystanders didn’t have anything to break the glass or get them out of the seat belt.   We have a few rescue knifes in stock for these types of purposes at Rogue Elite.net

Many of us think we know what tactical knives are for, but not everyone may think they need it for anything other than putting butter on bread or cutting something open.   The reality is knives have been used in the military for everything from combat, cooking, opening ammo cans, hunting, bayonets ect. that trying to explain what a knife actually does, is pointless.   For most practical purposes most people probable don’t need a knive longer than 2-3″ but the older I get,  the more I realize that carring a knife at all times can be usefel and can even save lives.  While folding knives such as the  Columbia river crk1090 is a practical knife that can be folded to fit into a pocket easier than a non folding knife.  We have to think about which size knife we can comfortable carry just like we think about guns.
Some knives like the Kershaw zipper is a great thing to have around if you are travelling in a car or on the road alot.   A knife like this can easily be used to cut a seatbelt off.    Try cutting a seatbelt off and you’ll understand why they design knives like this.  It may even be something  you want to keep in  your glove compartment just incase you’re the one trapped in your own car.  Crazy things can happen in this world and being prepared is one way to live longer and save lives.  Mil-Tac, Spyderco, Kbar, Cold Steel, Command Arms, SOG Knives, Leathermen, Kershaw, Blackhawk and Emerson all made quality knives.   You can always pickup a trusty swiss army knive if you wan’t versatility, but that’s not always the best when it comes to day to day carry.

In this day and age, it can be difficult to determine the legality of owning certain weapons. A complex web of state and federal laws dictates what is and is not acceptable in terms of possession. As far as knives go, it’s important to note the difference between a folding knife and a switchblade. Tactical knives that fold manually are widely used on hiking trips, while hunting in the woods, and even on job sites across the country.

Switchblades operate very differently in that their blades pop out manually. Fairly or not, they are often associated with acts of violent crime. For that reason, switchblades are banned in many areas while tactical knives are not. A manually folding knife comes in handy in a number of legitimate situations, so the owner shouldn’t worry about weapons restrictions.