All posts in Survival Gear

Assault bags vs. EMS bags what are the variables?

5.11 backpacks for saleThere are a great many things that can make or break a bag for a job.   Many of our customers come in here and open up backpacks or bags to see what is sewn on the inside.   Some bags have open pouches while others have ID holders, Molle pouches or various zippered or strapped compartments.   I’m not big on attaching too much Molle gear to my bags, probable the only thing I attach to my bags are the higher visibility medical pouches.   I have some smaller plaster First Aid pouches but the nylon quick detach medical pouches are a better and more professional option.  We sell an EMT bag that is just a bright orange color with the medical logo but they are just that, a bag with no medical supplies.  A good folder for scissors or bandages is probable the best thing for this setup.

The Rush messenger bags are very unique and not like my Elite Survival Systems bags or my Blackhawk bags.   The Rush 72 are a very popular 5.11 backpacks for sale in our showroom and online.    These have a unique fold out webbed attachment and many molle and compartments.   Emergency blankets and quick clot packages can go in these and even though they kind of look like military backpacks, they are extremely popular with the EMT’s that get hired in our area.   These bags are kind of bulky and if you want a smaller bag, something that just goes over your shoulder, check out some of the smaller Rush 24 bags.

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Backpacks, range bags, and sleeping bags

Elite survival systems bagsYou really need to know what you need or what you are looking for before you start shopping for a range bag.   Too many people rush into buying backpacks and range bags and find out they needed something bigger or that they should have spent more money on something instead of buying small.  Pistol bags and range bags are often out grown as well as gun cases.   We should have hit the record button in the store this week and just posted the transcripts of some of the things our customers said about what they should have gotten from us in the last year.   Too many people start out with price restrictions and end up buying twice instead of once for rifle cases and range bags.   Scopes on pistols or added accessories like pistol magazines are nice to keep together, all  in once place.

Having a bugout bag means different things to different people and not everyone is going to put the same things in there.  Some tactical teams and swat teams are going to put things in something like  Elite Survival Systems bags that have food and medical supplies in them.  I think having medical supplies in a bugout bag are a good idea but small quantities of food or ammo is something you can easily stow away and just forget it’s there.   The Elite Survival Systems smokescreen concealment backpack, especially the navy blue one is very low profile and almost looks like it should say NIKE   on it since it’s very sporty or athletic looking.

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Emergency Food supplies and paranoia

wise food storageThere is a balance that needs to be achieved in the firearms and gun owner industry and we all have seen extreme personalities in it.  I know people that only own a few firearms but are very responsible citizens and others that got their first handgun and they scare the hell out of me.   You never know what people keep in their home and the notion that you have many firearms doesn’t mean you are waiting for the end of the world to come.  To this day I never understood people that think they need to stockpile food and weapons awaiting the return of Jesus, I thought It meant something else, but enough with that, there is a better reason to always be prepared.

Here in the Northeastern United States, we learned that Hurricanes can and do hit us and  this is not a Louisiana problem.   Having enough food like long term storage items like the Wise food storage is something that any family should consider keeping around.  Just for nutrition and the the “what ifs’ that usually do occur a few times in someones life time.   Some of the paramilitary organizations like the Boy Scouts of American have the motto of always be prepared, well, why wouldn’t you want to do that?

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Emergency responses and packing your car for the “what if” situation

recon sleeping bagsSeveral years ago there was a national tragedy here in Pennsylvania where a simple snow storm caught too many people on a major highway that emergency responders were not able to get to all of them.  There were so many cars and so much snow on the ground that plowing was impossible.  People sat in their cars waiting for help as the snow piled deeper and deeper.  Something like this caught everyone off guard and there were politcal fallout from it, but, the real problem was nobody had any backup plan for this and they should have.

I’m a big fan of keeping emergency survival blankets in my car because people don’t realize that sitting in a car and idling is only going to give  you about 8-12hrs of heat and energy and then you will have lost your heat source.  Something  like the recon sleeping bags  like the recon 2 are all you need for a basic SHTF car break down where you might be better off using that an waiting for help rather than depend on your car heater keeping you warm.   The Recon 2 is so small that it hardly takes up any room  in  your trunk and is a great investment.

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The Wilderness belts hold up, end of story

I’m not going to go off and bash 5.11 products but they are a monster of a company and have so many products out there, that I can’t really say that they are the best, or that they are the worst, at what they do.    They sell watches, flashlights, and many EMS and military style shirts, pants and footwear that I think they are doing entirely too much and losing focus.  It’s a multi-million dollar company but there flashlights and watches don’t have a great reputation and I wouldn’t spend my money on those, the same goes for many of their belts.

The only product that we probable will never replace in our inventory are The Wilderness instructor belts.   They have been the best selling guns belt and The Wilderness belts that are a 5 stitch 1.5 inch are very common on firing lines.   We’ve tried several belts already that were similar but the paint chipped or they frayed sooner than they should.  You do have to be very careful about how you measure yourself for these belts, many people are spoiled with elastic waistband pants and don’t really know what there true sizing is.  You do need to measure  yourself and we have that on the product image display.

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Getting ready for Winter Camping? Try something the soldiers use

The Recon sleeping bags are one of the main attractions in our showroom here in Broomall, PA.   There are a lot of people that have asked if the could open one up so what we did was open the smallest Recon sleeping bag we have in stock and display it on one of our walls.  The Recon 2 sleeping bag is just a little bit bigger than a football and it is probable the best emergency bag to keep in your car if it broke down.  The Recon 5 is probable the best one to bring with you winter camping.  It is something to be cautious about when using too heavy of a sleeping bag but I have never had problems being too warm in one of these.

Having a product that is designed for military or serious camping means paying for it with your wallet but these recon sleeping bags are something that can stay in your camping supply room for decades.  I’ve had the same sleeping bag for close to 2yrs and only recently upgraded to the Recon Sleeping bags for my primary camping bags.  We have all of the Recon 2, Recon 3, Recon 4 and Recon 5 sleeping bags on display in our showroom so stop in and hold them in your hands before you buy them.  They range in cost from the low $100 range to close to $200.

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More survival items in stock

We have a good inventory of the Elite Survival Systems new product line which includes the Recon Sleeping bags.   This type of product is new to us but they started selling right off the bat when we brought them in store.   These sleeping bags are very small and compact especially for what they are designed to be used for.   There are design features like having a area in the bottom of the bag for you to have space around your feet.  In a survival situation one of the worst things you can do is get entangled in your own sleeping bag not be able to move your feet.   Keeping your boots on inside the sleeping bag gives you faster response time and less worry about uncomfortable positions.

We were at a local event where we sold several of these to hikers that just wanted a compact sleeping bag and  that was that.  All of the recon sleeping bags that we sell have a different rating for survivability and in all realty the differences between the Recon 2 and the Recon 5 are considerable so if you are in areas where the temperatures change, you may want to consider buying different rated sleeping bags.  The Recon sleeping bags are available in an olive drab color and have a easily attachable strap for molle or other backpack attachment.

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More feedback about the Recon sleeping bags

It’s nice to see so many people walk into our tactical store and bring in their kids.   We always have a certain element of the doomsday people that are stockpiling guns and ammo for an impending disaster and although we make money off of them, it’s not a very good way of using survival tools and tactical gear.   The Boy Scout moto of “being prepared” is something that more people in our society should be thinking about.  The more our society becomes technologically dependent the harder it will be for people to survival mentally and physically if they live in urban environments.   Rechargeable flashlights, long term storage food and things like emergency blankets are things that smart people keep around.

The older I get the more I think about the “what ifs” because I have a family that would be dependent on me if something happened.   Keeping an emergency blanket or the recon sleeping bags in a vehicle for long term car breakdowns or bug out situations is something I have done on long car trips.   In a nightmare situation where an emergency evacuation of  a city while being on vacation or business is something that has occurred.   I have a few friends that were traveling to Japan and were luckily prepared to be stuck in an airport and ride out the delays in getting a plane out of the Country.

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Every day or go to bag for the car, any suggestions? Yep!

We’ve had a lot of bags go through our store and 5.11 tactical seems to have a really good product and there Rush messenger bags and the Rush 72 bags are a big hit with the EMS and Paramedic community.   We did a  lot of thinking over the last couple years about what products we were going to be bringing in and one thing that we find more and more common in the Law Enforcement Community is buying products made in the USA.  Many customers are willing to pay more for an American Flag logo than for something made in China.  It makes sense if your job is to protect this national and uphold the Law of the Land and wear the gear and equipment that is made here.

That seems to be a bit harder these days although I have seen many tactical products showing up that are made in this Country.  The M4 Roller is the largest of the Elite Survival Bags that we stock and it was very well received by the SWAT and Paramedic departments.  This is a hard thing for people to know if they wants to buy if they aren’t holding it in their hands and going through all of the compartments.   This a really big bag and something you’ll want to pick up on location rather than buy it online.  If you are looking for a very comfortable grab and go or 24hr bag to leave in the car the Smokescreen concealment pack has a holster compartment for a firearm but also has a very low profile.  The navy version of the bag is pretty cool because it looks more like something that should say Nike on it.

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Coming this Fall at Rogue Elite

Not only have we finished setting up our new tactical shop here in Broomall, we are getting setup for the Fall outwear promo with TruSpec.  This year Gunny will be releasing his own tactical pant from TruSpec and we were happy to hear that this tactical pants has a gussetted crotch.  This has probable the only consistent complaint we got about the TruSpec pants.  They really are comfortable to wear and the pockets are very unique.  The material designs make it an easy transition from 5.11 tactical pants to the TruSpec design because they are both a polyester cotton blend.  Its hard to find places to try stuff like this on but now we have a location here in Southeaster Pennsylvania.

Tru Spec has a big 2 month long outerwear promotion going on from October 1st to November 30th and it will be a good time to stop in early October to get the best deals and selections.   There aren’t too many places to tryout things like this and Philadelphia Police and Security Supplies doesn’t usually mean that you are selling tactical pants.  Many stores that market that mostly deal with uniforms and the like but we are a full stocking dealer for Tru spec pants, jackets, vests, shorts and jackets.  We are located in the Broomall Industrial Park just right off of 476 South.  We are open Tuesday- Friday 12am-6pm and Saturday’s  10am-5pm.

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