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Most of the work we do when prepping stays at home. But you may not be home when disaster strikes. What then? I carry every day, but there are times that a 9mm in a IWB holster simply isn’t enough. I wanted a rock-solid way to insure that I had everything I need. And here it is, my take on the get-home-gun, and everything that goes with it.

Shot timers aren’t the sexiest addition to your shooting gear. Most are bulky, a bit boxy even. If you’re not a serious competitor, using a timer might even seem a bit pretentious, like you think there is something that needs to be timed. Yet a timer is one piece of gear that marks you as a serious shooter. A good timer implies that you’re serious about competition and serious about improving your speed. And now, thanks to the Shotmaxx from Double-Alpha Academy (DAA), the shot timer has gotten more functional, more stylish and a whole lot smaller.

A few weeks back, I walked into my gunsmith’s shop to have him do some work on a rifle. I knew he was partial to his Springfield XDS, and I’ve never seen him without a gun on him, ever, but I didn’t expect to see the pistol just stuck in his waistband. In all fairness, his shop is in his basement, and he was practicing home carry, which we highly endorse, but the pistol tucked into his waistband—without a holster—that just seemed so…relaxed.

I’m a holster snob. I’ve got my favorite makers, favorite styles, preferred materials. I’ll try anything out, but when it comes down to concealed carry, I’m not going to do experiments on behalf of any product review. So know that I take this seriously. When I first saw a Sticky Holster, I wasn’t terribly enthusiastic. It seemed too relaxed for my taste. I’m not one to tuck a pistol in my waistband, even at home, and that’s what the Sticky Holster is—a holster you tuck into your waistband.

Don’t worry, this is not a speculative piece that the shooting in Isla Vista California is some kind of false flag or hoax. Though it is odd that the author of The Hunger Games lives in Sandy Hook, CT., and this shooting was allegedly done by the assistant director for one of the shooting locations on the first movie. It is also kind of strange that Janet Napolitano, the former head of Homeland Security, is the president of the school that this campus town is connected to. It is also really weird, as Jon Rappaport at NoMoreFakeNews.com points out, that in 2001, in the same town, Isla Vista, another director’s son (this guy directed Ally McBeal), ran down and killed someone as well, because of a girl…on the 23rd of the month. But enough of that. Lets get on to what’s really upside down about this story.

How do you respond to an active shooter? I mean really? If the shooter is active and shooting, how should you respond? Well look no further. Personal Security Expert Robert Siciliano and The Huffington Post have finally provided us with the advice we’ve all been searching for.

I have to hand it to Huffpo. I’m glad they’ve tackled this delicate topic. I’ve been looking for an authoritative opinion. I don’t like to think too much, so having a bonafide expert tell me what to do is a genuine boon. And it is nice to know that the Huffington Post cares enough about my safety that it would take the time to pen this little DIY how-to. So what’s their best advice?

A few months ago, I broke my fifth finger metacarpal while defending a bus full of cute puppies from an aggressive hoard of ninjas. The doctor put my arm in a half cast sort of thing that completely took my arm out of action for over a month. Fortunately I am right handed and it was my left arm that was damaged by the ninja blocking my quick jab with his face. All kidding aside, I did break my hand and had to wear the cast for over a month. Before the injury, I had, for many years, trained one-handed techniques, but I never dedicated full range sessions to it. While I was not as skilled using one hand as I am using two to run a handgun, I already had the basics in one of my brain’s filing cabinets and had spent hours on the most common of one-hand problem solving techniques, such as clearing clothing, drawing, reloading and stoppage clearance. For the next few days, I spent an hour so each day working on increasing my proficiency with only one hand available, and here’s what I learned.

If you’ve ever done any traveling with guns, even if it is just to the local range, I’m sure you’ve had to deal with storing them. It isn’t always graceful. The deeper I get in the firearms world, the more I travel long distances with guns. And I’m way past the days of wrapping them in old t-shirts and stuffing them in a backpack. A good gun case will make all the difference, but many come with lousy interiors that do a mediocre job of protecting guns. Some cases come with sliced and diced foam that you can pick into an approximate shape, but they get ugly, fast. So where do you go for good, 100% customized foam? MyCaseBuilder.com.

Once you have decided on a handgun, the next real consideration has to be a holster. Many gun stores will carry some standards in leather, nylon and Kydex, but it can be hard to determine what will work for you, exactly the way you want. Most of the store bought models I’ve ever used were good enough, but not perfect. After a lot of trial and error, I’ve formed my opinions. I know exactly what I want, and exactly who makes it. Multi Holsters, my go to for daily carry holsters, offers a wide variety of options and the attention to detail that I expect from something this important.

In the USA, CR Speed may be best known for their championship-winning IPSC competition race holsters. CR Speed’s parent company, Rescomp Handgun Technologies of South Africa, also manufactures the Secure2 series of duty holsters and EDC belts that are suitable for Duty, concealed carry, and IDPA competition. As an occasional IDPA competitor, I was very interested in comparing the CR Speed rig with the gear I currently use for IDPA matches. Can a retention holster really be as fast as a standard holster without retention? I couldn’t wait to find out.