Gear Tasting Radio

Body armor may sound simple in theory, but there are wide range of types and ratings available. This week on Gear Tasting Radio, we discuss some of the basics of body armor, including the National Institute of Justice rating system. In addition, we discuss body armor materials and some good options for manufacturers for both armor and armor carrying solutions. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

Emergency rappelling involves safely egressing from a building during an emergency, like a fire or other dangerous event. This week on Gear Tasting Radio, we discuss a product from Petzl that’s specifically designed to assist with quickly and safely rappelling from a building. In addition to emergencies, we also discuss rappelling in normal situations, including things to look out for and the best place for beginners to start learning. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

Routines help keep your life in order and this week on Gear Tasting Radio, we discuss some of our routines and the gear behind them. Covering everything from alarm clocks to dialing in the morning coffee routine, we examine how keep a set schedule on certain tasks can boost productivity. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

Many times in discussions, the terms Survival Kit and Escape & Evasion Kit are interchanged. This week on Gear Tasting Radio, we highlight some of the differences using two kits that we produce. While we do offer both a Survival and E&E Kit, we try to stress that anyone can assemble these kits and we simply use the contents of ours to highlight the similarities and differences. In the end, the kits share quite a bit in common so the interchangeability of the term is definitely not without reason. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

Recovering a stuck vehicle can be a tricky process and having the right gear for the job makes all the difference. This week on Gear Tasting Radio, we discuss some important gear and resources you should consider before attempting an off-road recovery. Keep in mind that vehicle recovery is an inherently dangerous process, so you’ll need to take your time and understand the mechanics behind the process and tools to stay safe. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

Whether you call it an assault pack, three day pack, or just a backpack, this week on Gear Tasting Radio we discuss some important items to consider for your bag of choice. Continuing the discussion on various “lines” of gear, we examine why items kept in a pack shouldn’t necessarily be critical gear. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

This Gear Tasting Radio gets a little knotty as we discuss the benefits of knots and why you should sharpen your knot tying skills frequently. We also discuss five of the best knots you can have at your disposal. Resources and instructions for these five knots are listed in our Episode Intel, as well as instruction for the DIY Knot Tying Board Bryan mentions in the episode. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

Load bearing equipment comes in many forms, one of the most popular being the chest rig. Today on Gear Tasting Radio, we review the equipment that we choose to carry in our chest rigs and offer some helpful tips and tricks for organizing and wearing them. Do you have additional equipment you keep in your chest rig? Let us know in the comments what you load yours with! For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

Are you able to physically save yourself? This week on Gear Tasting Radio, we discuss the importance of sleep, diet and fitness in order to remain healthy and able to be capable in any situation. While it’s important to focus on all three activities, we also highlight the importance of not trying to make sweeping changes across the board all at once. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

It can be difficult to know where to start with SCUBA Diving and this week on Gear Tasting Radio, Rob asks Bryan some basic questions about how to jump into diving. Bryan offers his thoughts on PADI and NAUI certifications, as well the importance of finding a good local dive shop. As it wouldn’t be Gear Tasting Radio without a discussion on gear, Bryan also recommends some beginner equipment. However, he also stresses the benefits of finding a shop with gear rentals. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

The benefits of trekking poles while hiking, far outweigh the cool points you’ll lose by using them. This week on Gear Tasting Radio, Bryan highlights some things to look for when selecting your own set of poles, including handle material and features of the feet. In the last moments of this week’s episode, we cover some rapid-fire tips for hikes, including equipment to take and selecting proper footwear. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

Learning new skill-sets is something we heavily advocate on ITS and this week’s Gear Tasting Radio recommends a “Jack of All Trades” philosophy when it comes to this type of learning. In addition, we discuss staying current on your skills and bringing the learning process full circle by helping impart your knowledge onto others. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

Whether you’re just camping or preparing for a survival situation, there are a large number of factors to consider when sleeping outside. This week on Gear Tasting Radio, we discuss selecting gear like tents, hammocks and sleeping bags that ensure you’ll stay warm and comfortable. We also covered several types of ground pads, which can be an invaluable insulating asset and help cushion you from nature’s floor. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

Bryan is joined this week by John Lovell of Warrior Poet Society for a special episode of Gear Tasting Radio. The attempted live stream we did at the time of the recording didn’t turn out well so unfortunately, there’s no video to accompany this week’s episode. However, Bryan and John did cover some great topics, including John’s choices for our 5 Item 48 Hour Challenge and his recommendations on getting in shape for Special Operations. In addition, both Bryan and John highlighted their favorite knives and why they usually don’t prefer battle belts. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

While we always try to keep the tone of Gear Tasting Radio somewhat light, this week we wanted to have an honest conversation about the mass shootings that continue to dominate the news cycles in the United States. This is a charged issue for many people, but we attempted to discuss the root causes of these events and how we believe they can be deterred in the future. These events aren’t black and white issues that can be solved with a single action, but multi-faceted problems that will require open and honest dialogue between all of us. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

With 52 episodes now under our belt, this week on Gear Tasting Radio we’re celebrating one year of bringing you an in-depth look into the usage and philosophy behind the equipment in our lives. Not only did we recap some past episodes and give some updates, but we also announced a “real life” 5 Item 48 Hour Challenge that we’ll be doing to put our skills and gear to the test.

With online ordering at an all-time high, package theft is becoming more and more of a problem. This week on Gear Tasting Radio, we answer a Question Over Coffee and discuss a few steps you can take to thwart package thieves. While your first instinct might be to start renting out a Post Office Box, we offer a few solutions as an alternative, including one device that we feel every home should have. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com  

SHOT Show 2018 saw tons of new gear introduced, including some gear from ITS! This week on Gear Tasting Radio, Bryan discusses the new products we unveiled at SHOT, as well as some of his favorite items from other vendors at the show. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

If you could only take 5 items to survive in the woods for 48 hours, what would they be? This week on Gear Tasting Radio,we discuss the 5 bare-bones items we’d take with us, knowing that we only needed to survive for 48 hours. If you’re imagining a bunch of high speed gear in our hands, you might be surprised! In addition, we’ve put the call out to the listeners to tag us on social media using the poundtag #GearTasting with the five items they'd choose for this endeavor! For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com

When discussing philosophy, no conversation is complete without covering Stoicism. This week on Gear Tasting Radio, we give our interpretations on the 12 Tenets of Stoicism. In addition, we highlight some examples of integrating Stoicism in our lives, including routines, practices and resources. For Episode Intel, visit GearTastingRadio.com