23July05

More excellent comments, this time from a friend in the Philippines, where it is hot and sweaty most of the time!

"While your last post was geared towards officers in uniform, the sa me advice should be heeded by those who regularly carry concealed. Given all th e stuff with which we routinely burden ourselves, keeping everything on the be lt is not easy. Both the inventory and layout need to be thought out thoroughly.

Like you, I've seen people attempt to stuff mobile phones, flashlights, folding knives, OC cans, and Leathermans into pistol magazine wells during tactical exercises. For this reason, many of us here use this system:

Spare magazines are on the belt and vertically oriented . Leathermans are on the belt, but oriented horizontally. Blades are clipped to pockets or inside the waistband. Phones, keys, OC, and pagers are inside pockets. Flashlights are on the belt too, but horizontal like Leathermans. The only items that are on the belt and vertically oriented are spare magazine(s) and, of course, the pistol. Second pistols are off the belt and away from the wais tband.

Down here, we have little usable body real estate, so competent planning on

what to carry and where is a real issue. I constantly have to remind students that their equipment inventory must be limited! You're not going to be able to regularly carry everything you can possibly imagine you'll e ver need.

Ditto the advice about not carrying hard objects over the spine. You don't

have to get knocked on your fanny to appreciate this. A long ride in a car with supportive seats will be an eye-opener!"

Comment: Too many choices can be as paralyzing as too few! Responsiveness and austerity have a direct relationship. Don't use equipment, or absence of it, as a convenient excuse to lose.

First Rule of Tactics: Do the best you can with what you have. Don=80 t dither!

/John