I’ll be upfront: I’ve been a longtime Olight doubter. On top of that, I find it incredibly difficult to gather my thoughts on something that I actually like. For context, back in the day, when a much younger me first started writing firearm and gear reviews, a few of their early lights (specifically the S2R Baton II) left me initially amused, but eventually unimpressed with their long-term durability. Olight products, in their early days, in my experience, didn’t always hold up in real use, with durability questions and performance that sometimes pushed the envelope of what you could squeeze out…
Hiking along the rocky shoreline of the Poudre River, the uneven terrain had me teetering back and forth as I made my way toward the river’s edge. Normally, I wouldn’t take such a tenuous approach with a heavy pack on my back, but the new Baltoro 65L carried the weight so effortlessly that I almost forgot it was there. Arriving at the river’s edge, I slung the pack off my back and reached with one hand into the mesh dump pocket for my water filter while the other pulled my bottle from its sleeve. It’s no wonder the Baltoro has…
Despite the fact that its a project of anti-gun zealot Mike Bloomberg, The Trace likes to bill itself as a straightforward news operation, albeit one that focuses on “gun violence.” And all too often, mainstream media outlets are happy to play along with that fiction. The Trace has partnered with USA Today, Rolling Stone, and other platforms to advance an anti-gun agenda under a veneer of impartiality, though it’s not too difficult to see the pro-gun control bias in their reports. The Trace’s Jennifer Mascia raised some eyebrows over the weekend with a post on…
Whether you’re heading out on a summer vacation, tackling a cross-country PCS move or making that final drive into civilian life, road trips can get expensive fast. Between gas, food, lodging and keeping everyone entertained, military families can burn through cash before they even hit the halfway point. But many service members, veterans and military families forget they already have access to travel perks that can significantly cut costs on the road. From free national park access to discounted military lodging, here are some of the best military travel benefits to use during your next summer road trip or PCS.…
Belarus said Monday it launched joint drills with Russia to practice the use of nuclear weapons that Moscow has deployed on the territory of its neighbor and ally. Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has allowed Russia to deploy some of its tactical nuclear weapons to his country. In December, Russia also announced that its latest intermediate range nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system entered service in Belarus, which borders Ukraine and NATO members Poland, Latvia and Lithuania. The Belarusian Defense Ministry said that the drills will involve missile units and warplanes. “During the exercise, in cooperation with the Russian side, it is…
United States President Donald Trump has warned Iran that the clock is ticking. He added that “there won’t be anything left” of Iran if the country fails to make a deal with the US ruling class. Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Sunday to warn that “for Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” Indirect talks between the two warring sides have remained stalled since a fragile ceasefire was established in early April after a month of hostilities initiated by the US…
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Each summer, when a heatwave hits, the power grid gets overwhelmed. Power is interrupted, and many apartment and condo dwellers rush to the store to buy whatever they can get their hands on to cool off. By then, anything that might have helped is sold out. If you live in an urban environment, brick, concrete, and glass make the heat worse, as these materials all radiate stored heat back into your living space. Let’s look at various ways to keep cool during a heat wave and a power failure. TL;DR: To stay cool at home during a power outage, block…
When you’re out in the wilderness, the margin for error is small. A wrong turn or bad decision can quickly become life-threatening. And oftentimes, bad decisions come from harmful survival myths have been passed down for generations. You see them printed in books, repeated in classrooms, and even shown on television. The good news is that experienced survivalists are pushing back on these dangerous myths. Greg Ovens, for example. He’s a self-taught survivalist from Canal Flats, British Columbia. Greg has been studying bushcraft since he was a kid. He’s read every survival book he could get his hands on, and…
For Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise, supporting all aspects of the U.S. military is second nature. The acclaimed actors spoke with Military.com in the days leading up to their annual co-hosting gig at the National Memorial Day Concert, taking place this year at 8 p.m. Sunday, May 24 from the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. Airing on PBS, the 35-year-long event is always one of the network’s most-watched programs. Performers at this year’s festivities run the traditional gamut across entertainment, music and the military. They include actors Jonathan Banks, Melissa Leo, Mary McCormack and Noah…
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Watch full video on YouTube
Watch full video on YouTube
Veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses looking for work will have a chance to meet with employers nationwide during the free National Virtual Veterans Career Fair on May 19. The online event, hosted by Disabled American Veterans and RecruitMilitary, will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Central and is open to veterans, active-duty personnel, National Guard members, reservists, military spouses and dependents. Organizers say more than 60 employers are expected to participate, representing industries ranging from logistics and construction to health care and administration. A DAV and RecruitMilitary welcome sign is shown at a veterans’ job fair. Screenshot…
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Watch full video on YouTube
Marines are adding a rotational force to Alaska under the new Campaign Alaska launched May 9. The U.S. Marine Corps is pairing Marine Rotational Force-Alaska (MRF-Alaska) with a permanent Supporting Arms Liaison Team-Alaska (SALT-Alaska) at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to give Marines regular training in extreme cold and complex terrain. This builds on the service’s prior commitments to Arctic exercises, as covered in earlier Military.com reporting on joint cold-weather training in the region. Service members can expect more opportunities to practice skills that support homeland defense and power projection in the High North. MRF-Alaska Brings Persistent Training to the High North…
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The Henry .45-70 is an heirloom-grade lever action with brass-frame swagger, side-gate loading, and enough thump to make bear country feel a little more negotiable. It is cowboy nostalgia with modern teeth, and yes, wagon train is still not included. Editor’s Note: This review has recently been updated Why the Henry .45-70 Still Makes Lever Guns Feel Dangerous While I normally cover the tactical and CCW guns, I do have one other group I always snatch up if the opportunity presents itself. I guess you could call them 1866 tactical guns, and be correct. I’m talking about lever actions, of…
The Ruger Mini-14 Ranch is the old-school 5.56 NATO rifle that refused to disappear. After decades of love, hate, and accurate jokes, the newer Ranch Rifle showed up ready to rewrite some history. The Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Still Owns Its Weird, Useful Lane The Ruger Mini-14 was introduced in 1973 and quickly became one of the most popular semi-automatic centerfire rifles ever produced. Last count, some 3 million have been built. I would argue that the Ruger Mini-14 began our country’s fascination with the 5.56 NATO/.223 Remington caliber in semi-automatic rifles. In part because it is a handy, capable rifle,…
The Safariland Incog XS takes the proven Incog idea and strips it down into a faster, cleaner, easier-to-live-with IWB rig. After running it from concealment with a Glock 19 pattern setup, the big surprise was not just how comfortable it was, but how quickly it got out of the way. Safariland Incog XS First Look: Leaner, Faster, Less Belt Junk Safariland and Haley Strategic have been refining the Incog line for a few years now, and the new Incog XS is the latest result of that partnership. Billed as a more streamlined, minimalist evolution of the Incog X platform, the…
