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Letter Re: The Importance of Pistol Holster Selection

James:
Thanks for the response! I didn't expect my letter to hit the web page. I agree about the belt and my wonderful wife just got me a new black dress belt from Mitch Rosen gun leather (a bit over a hundred bucks but well worth it) as my original one was looking worn and (her word) 'ugly'.

I always carried a Surefire [flashlight]- I've still got my original [Surefire Model] 6P from when they first came out. I'm [working] in an office (where guns are banned) now but always have the 6P on my belt next to my cell phone. In a pinch it can work as an improvised impact tool [employed much like a Kubotan,] too. (Been there, done that.)

A reload is vital to any basic carry set-up too and I've got a magazine carrier with a space for my [Surefire] 6P in it as well as a Mitch Rosen carrier just for the 6P when I'm not carrying my sidearm. If I had to pick two mags and no flashlight or the flashlight and a single reload - I'm going with the flashlight every time.

I'm lucky in that I'm friends with the local range owner so on a slow day he will shut the lights off on one side of the double range and let some of us do low light (flashlight) shooting. That's something that also is never emphasized enough - most shooting incidents are at night in lousy lighting. If you are planning and thinking ahead you've turned out all the lights in your home/business and (without a gun) done search drills - use the flashlight, learn the 'dark' spots around your place and where you know ahead you will need extra light.

More than once in the middle of the day, someplace inside is still dark and a flashlight can be a life saver. Enough for now, thanks again and keep up the excellent work.
Paul

JWR Replies: It is notable that in many localities and situations where it is illegal to carry a firearm, a knife, or an impact weapon, it is perfectly legal to carry a walking stick, an umbrella, a flashlight, a stiff pocket comb, or a roll of coins. (Some of these can even be carried in the most restrictive environments, like commercial air travel.) All of these mundane objects can be easily explained to authorities. (OBTW, for some details on using an innocuous-looking pocket comb for self defense, see the Split Second Survival DVD, produced by Larry Wick.)

In essence, unarmed individuals are at the mercy or their environments, whereas armed individuals at least have the option of defending themselves. I hereby challenge all SurvivalBlog readers to make a solemn commitment to themselves: Never travel anywhere unarmed. Empty-hand martial arts are fine for someone that has years of training. But for the rest of us, the quickest and surest way to stop an assailant is with an effective weapon kept close at hand, following the requisite training. But even just taking rudimentary training and getting into the habit of constantly being armed will put you miles ahead of 90% of the sheeple.

To be fully and properly prepared, I strongly recommend that you get the very best firearms and street survival training available, from one of the major training organizations like Front Sight, Gunsite, or Thunder Ranch. Another key factor is situational awareness. Learn the Color Codes of Mental Awareness and consistently apply them to your everyday life.

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