All posts tagged Elite Survival Systems

Elite Survival Systems gun cases, travelling and profile

Elite Survival Gun CaseMany years ago there was a gun show in Pennsylvania where a whole bunch of firearms were stolen from a vendor that left the show, and stopped to get something to eat at a restaurant or diner and while he ate, all of his firearms were stolen from his vehicle.    In this situation it was a large number of firearms including Class III.   What a total nightmare, but anyone that parks a vehicle that has anything resembling a firearm where only a window is stopping them from grabbing it is asking for trouble.   Most people transport firearms in gun cases and a few times I’ve seen people transport them in a blanket because they didn’t have a gun case, but the best thing to do is get an appropriate gun case, gun sock, and for everyone sake, keep it out of visibility.  If you are a gun owner, whenever you look to buy a new car, make sure you get your windows tinted because that can make a big difference.

What are some options for carrying a low profile gun case? Sure tennis rackets and baseball gear gets stolen, computers lap tops, cell phone chargers ect, but if someone doesn’t know what you are transporting to and from your car, it’s just a bag.    Elite Survival Gun Cases are highly recommended by our staff and purchased by gun owners, both Law Enforcement and Private Citizens for similar reasons.    We had a customer walk  into our store about a year ago because his neighbors teenagers got caught selling drugs and he didn’t want anyone knowing what he was doing when he was going out on a Saturday afternoon to his gun club.   The same goes for pistol cases like the 4 Gun pistol pack that looks nothing more than a black back, but has room for 4 handguns, magazines and whatever else that floats your boat.

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First Aid, Medical Gear and Rescue gear, how close are you to it?

Rescue GearIt seems that in this industry, every time you buy something,  you have to buy something else to perfect it.  Just buying a first aid kit doesn’t cut it with me because even now, most of the first aid kits you see at Rite Aid or a neighborhood Drug Store isn’t going to have anything that relates to trauma, it’s mostly for people with boo boos, not lacerations, stabbings or gun show wounds.   If you don’t have any of the QuikClot, go out and atleast get the QuickClot Sport, if you are a gun owner, get the Combat Gauze and keep it in your car or in your range bag.   There are so many things to consider when putting together a medical bag,  but if you can afford it, there is every reason to keep some type of Go Bag with you at all times.    I have put together medical gear that stays in the family car, a medical box at home, one in my car and I also have a belt trama kit that goes in my tactical vest.

Sure you don’t need to have all of that stuff in 4 different locations, but in this day and age, it’s real easy to be the person that “can handle it” if you are faced with some type of emergency response.   Kids get hit by cars, dogs bite people,  lawn mower accidents occur and the most common thing are car accidents.   You should always have some type of glass break device in your vehicle and a knife that you know can cut a seat belt.   I’m more prone to want partially serrated knives since cutting through rope or seat belts often needs sawing.   If you don’t have a tourniquet, atleast always know that something like a belt can also work to some degree.   Also consider having rescue gear that applies to both Summer Hot weather or Winter wear.   Emergency Blankets are so inexpensive that keeping a few in the back of your car, especially if you have kids, is something  you may need if your car broke down in temperatures like we had in the Winter of 2014.   Consider some type of portable water filtration unit like some of the Camelback products so even if you don’t have water, if you can find it, you can drink it safely without having to haul large quantities around.

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Elite Survival Tactical Messenger Bag

Elite Survival bagsRecently I decided it was time to get a lap top for my work because using a  phone still isn’t going to be the same as working off a lap top.   I still have to do trade shows and setup various conventions for customers and even though you can run credit cards off of your phone, it still is a pain in the butt to type and the number of typos I have seen makes taking customer orders a pain in the neck.   Recently we’ve been running various tactical training videos from Panteo Productions and using the DVD player hooked up to a computer monitor or TV very useful.  My biggest problem was how do I carry a lap top around with me without worrying about getting it wet.   One of my friends reminded me that the Special Forces Operators are carrying lap tops around with them in Afghanistan and there are bags out there that are waterproof.

It reminded me to check back to the Elite Survival Systems product line and I forgot about the Elite Tactical Messenger bags.   We have sold many of these to deployed soldiers and the Elite Survival bags we were selling do have an option for this.   The Elite Tactical Messenger bag was slightly more than $100 and the waterproof compartment will keep your electronics dry.   I also have molle locations to store magazine pouches or pockets to hold chargers.  I will be working on picking up several types of Solar chargers to test out and they should all fit into this large bag.   Apparently there is a a Blackhawk bag that is similar to this one but I will post reviews the more I get to use it.

 

 

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Range bags and something else for carrying handguns

I have several range bags that I’ve used over the years and they seem to keep getting bigger and bigger.  I have lots of experience taking guns to the range and realizing I forgot a certain caliber handgun or forgot to bring a sight in tool and pretty much spoiled my range day by doing that.   Nothing sucks worse than bringing a rifle to the range and knowing it’s not sighted in and not having the ability to correct it.   My Elite Survival Medium range bag was a step up from my Uncle Mikes range bag because it had a few better thought out features.

One thing I have learned to do is pack the bare minimum of firearm accessories, hearing protection and eye wear.  If I am taking a training course I usually use my Elite Survival bags like the 4 gun pistol pack.   I have modified that firearm bag to just use my combat or primary weapons.  It is outfitted with the  molle attachments that pertain to that caliber magazine, radio or other tools.   This Elite Survival bag can easily handle 4 large frame handguns and magazines.   My Beretta 92FS, Sig 229, Springfield XD and my Ruger GP100 all fit very well in this gun bag.

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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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Feedback on Recon Sleeping bags from customers

I’ve learned that after 7yrs of being  in this business that when a new product comes out, the last thing you do is rave about it until you’ve sold enough of them to know there isn’t an issue with them. There have been many products over the years that looked great but then  you find out there is a recall notice in your mail box for them.  We’ve seen it with  gun holsters, firearms magazine springs, extractor springs and even footwear.  Stuff happens and one little ingredient in production can come forward as an issue 6 months later.  In the last  year we’ve stocked more products than we ever have before.

We have never sold sleeping bags before and from all of the camping i’ve done in my life, I don’t think i’ve ever used more than 3 bags.  We sold several of the Recon sleeping bags that Elite Survival Systems has been selling and we’re waiting for several places to get back to us about product reviews.  From my first hand experience I will have to say that just the size of these things and what they can be used for is impressive.  To have such a light sleeping bag that you can survive in means less weight on a hiking and camping trip and less stress on your feet.

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Gun bags and gun cases, a hard sell online?

We’ve had so many people tell us they are glad to see a place like ours in our area because so much of what we carry are things people want to hold in their hands before they buy.  We have chosen the Elite Survival Systems product line as our premier tactical nylon product line and with the majority of the products being made in the USA, it’s been an easy sell to anyone that has never heard of them.  When people tell us they are looking for range bag, they usually have a preference in the size of compartments they need and considering the wide range of firearms out there, some times they are very, very specifici.

When it comes to gun cases, we have heard the same thing over and over again, a guy gets an AR15, and the gun case fits the gun.   The same person puts accessories on his firearm and then it doesn’t fit and then they stop in and pick up the Elite Survival gun cases and gun bags like the Covert Operations Discreet case.   The Elite Tactical Messenger bag has also been a hit with the EMS community.  We have sold many of the Ultimate Sniper Drag Bags to military and civilians and they are some of the best thought out gun cases we have ever sold.

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Timberline Tactical Knives and Molle Gear

We had the pleasure of attending the NRA Convention last year and we worked the Gatco Sharpener booth,  Gatco has probable the best and easiest sharpening tools and it was very educational for us.  At first glance all of the knives looked the same to our novice eyes but after about a day of listening to customers and learning about the uses of each, they were all very different.  The one thing that amazed us the most about the day was the number of people walking around the show with dull knives.  Why would you care which knife you carried if it was dull?

Getting  a knife to be sharp is not all that hard, but there are quicker ways of getting it done.  Some old fashion measures might work for you but the day we had to sharpen several of our Timberline knives meant it was time to do it right, but get it done quickly. The Timberline ECS knives were the real show stoppers because not only were they eye catching, nobody had a clue as to how they worked.  Many picked them up and attempted to fold them over because they looked like they might, but this unique locking system is actually a Molle vest knife.

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You learned how to make your bed, now pack your bags right!

If you have not fried your brain on drugs, you should remember when your parents taught you how to make your bed and put the laundry away.   There are always stories about guns and gear being mismatched or people bringing the wrong thing to the range.   I for one have been a strong advocate for being range bags that are for individual firearms.  I like to leave sight in tools for an AR15 and leave unloaded magpul pmags in the outside of the bag just so I know I have brought the right ones.   It can royally suck when you bring a gun to the range and find out you have the wrong magazines or the wrong sight in tool.

When it comes to bringing handguns or other equipment a good range bag is the key to avoiding these types of things.  The range bags we seem to be moving the most right now are the Elite Survival bags which come in 3 different sizes.   I think most people are probable better off with the medium sized range bags because it’s better to start off with something a little bigger than what you think you might need.  Larger bags are for people that really know what they want but be careful you stow your gear consistently and don’t loose your stuff in the bag, it does happen.

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