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Letter Re: The Importance of Proper Hearing Protection
JWR,
I was having a discussion tonight with a friend of mine who has his
own plans. One of the things that came up is those other things we
may be missing from our "duty equipment". It's great to
have rifles, pistols, magazines, bullet proof vests, gas masks and
all the other kit. But the one thing we were both missing was hearing
protection. While some people may argue that the damage done to the
ears during a gunfight is "minimal". If you are firing
your
MBR in
indoor conditions, you will be in some very serious pain in a very
short time.
This can damage you for life, as well as severely compromise your combat
effectiveness.
The other argument against is that hearing protection may compromise
your ability to detect a hidden enemy. This is true, but it depends
entirely on the technology you are using.
The answer we both agreed on is the use of electronic hearing protectors.
Personally, I've been using the Peltor tactical 6S (sound trap) for
almost a year now, and am deeply in love with them. These muffs (or
ones like them) give a moderate degree of protection against impulse
damage (gunfire or explosions) typically on the order of 21dB. However,
the advantage, is that these have electronics inside the earphones
which will also amplify
non-damaging sounds. In addition, the sound trap model has an optional
cable that allows you to connect your headphones to your personal radio.
(For example CB, MURS, FRS,GMRS, or Ham) which could make a lot of
difference.
The best price I've found is here.
There is also a
cheaper model which doesn't have the headset plug.
While the battery power for these is somewhat of a concern, they
are well worth what you might spend keeping a few extra sets of AAA
rechargeables
(2 for each ear) around. Even without the batteries, they are still
good at protecting your hearing. I don't know what your opinion is
on these. But I've been very happy with mine, and wonder why I didn't
make plans to keep these things
around sooner. (I think I may even order an extra set) - Drew
