Thank you for coming by The Everyday Marksman. This site and its community are a labor of love. I hope you stick around for a while, and maybe even join us.
-Matt
Developing a Flexible Team Communications Setup
I spent a good part of 2021 trying to figure out a way to better integrate communications into my equipment without breaking the bank. While I’m all for spending money on quality gear, I’m not above considering the return on investment, and I’ve not felt like $1000 communications headsets were worth it for me. Then, one random day, I realized that I had almost everything I needed already, minus one important affordable part.
Baseline Medical for You and Your Group
In this episode, we build on the concept of the minimum capable citizen caught in Scenario X by talking about medical. Both what you need to know, and what you should always expect to carry. I also discuss some of my favorite first aid kit pouches for good measure.
Are You a Tactical Minimalist?
The longer you’re in this community, the more you realize that there’s almost an overwhelming number of skills to learn. One of the biggest traps people fall into is trying to become a master of everything. Often that looks like learning infinite variations of each skill. I think this ultimately becomes a distraction, and prevents us from thinking about the bigger picture.
Marksman Live! Are You a Minimum-Capable Citizen?
In session 006 of Marksman Live, I’m talking with Dr. Christopher Larsen of the One Shepherd Leadership Institute. We tackle the history of civilian warrior training as well as try to establish a baseline level of capability for all citizens to strive for.
The Enemy Gets a Vote: Fighting Rifles in the Real World
In this episode I’m talking to Jeff Gurwitch again. He recently put up a video on his YouTube channel that caught my attention. Why? Well, because on the surface it contradicts my own advice of, “Let the mission dictate the configuration.”
Hindsight 5×5, Lessons from my First Six Months of Amateur Radio
This is a guest post from community member Augray who, aside from being our resident GoRuck expert, has recently been diving deep into the world of amateur radio. In this article, he lays out some of the advice and lessons learned in his first six months since getting certified and on the air.
Preparedness Skillset: The Area Study
I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of “red teaming.” If you aren’t familiar, this is where you think deeply about how you would plan to defeat yourself if you were the bad guy. While thinking about my own gaps, I realized one of the biggest was a lack of information about my surrounding area. I mean, I know a lot about where I live, but I’d never approached it like a military intelligence analyst. What does that look like?
Ammo Shortage? No Problem. Here’s a Solution
If you’re anything like me, then the great ammo shortage of 2020 has been putting a significant damper on your range time. I have a healthy stash set aside, for sure, but the general turmoil I’m seeing out there makes me reluctant to start using it until there’s a ready replacement. So what do we do?
Keep Your Gear Dry: Waterproofing Your Pack
I’d like to throw a shout out to a fellow blogger, and community member, who did a great writeup on waterproofing a pack. I’ve got a bit of experience here, but given his background I think it’s best to just hear it from his mouth.
Mike Green of Green Ops Tactical Talks About Adult Skills
Mike Green is a 15 year veteran of Special Operations who began a training company in Northern Virginia as a bit of a side gig. His school has since grown into quite the training operation spanning multiple states and categories of students. One of the things that stood out to me about Green Ops is their motto, “Why Should Your Training Be Less Special?”
The Marksman’s Trinity: Balance for New and Old Gun Owners
The theme of the month is all about balance, so here’s another one to think about. I thought about the elements that should go into decision making regarding everything we do, and I categorized everything into these three: safety, capability, and security.
As gun owners and firearms enthusiasts, we should always be mindful of keeping these things in balance.
A Marksman’s Balance: Making Time for Things that Matter
Today’s episode has to do with the theme of the month within our community over at The Marksman’s Quarter: finding balance. I thought this was an appropriate topic because I just came off of a month-long break from writing or recording, and wanted to talk a little bit about what led to that hiatus and the things that have been on my mind.