Gearing Up for the 2nd Annual ITS Tactical Muster: Skills You Need to Know

Just two months from now, we’ll be kicking off the second annual ITS Tactical Muster and we couldn’t be more excited. During this nearly week-long skill building excursion, we’ll be focusing on many of the core topics that we advocate here on ITS.

The Muster enables us to interact hands-on with our community and bring valuable skill-set applications to likeminded individuals. Those attending will be pushed both mentally and physically through the activities planned, no matter your ability. While the Muster is sold out for this year, this is an annual event that continues to grow.

The ITS Crew is busy with planning on our end but you’ll find some articles below you can use to prepare if you’re one of the lucky attendees. It’s the perfect time to brush up on your knots or maybe some lock picking. These aren’t just useful skills to know in general, but will help give you the leg up if you find yourself in a friendly competition. Remember, it pays to be a winner!

Here are some of the other skills we’ll be going over during the Muster. Even if you aren’t attending, these links will give you some important skill-set information to learn and practice.

Self-Defense

Do you have the skills and mindset to protect yourself? These articles help illustrate what you should be focusing on.

• 3 Effective Techniques to Train Your Situational Awareness and Recognize Change
  
• Combatives: Being Multidimensional and Employing the High Ready
• Dealing With Violent Confrontations
• Dealing with Armed Opponents

Ascending, Rope Rescue and Traversing

Former Air Force PJ Nate Morrison of Morrison Industries will be back with us this year to help out with our day on the rocks. If you’ve never been out of the climbing gym, this will be a great experience.

• Rigging to Rappel: A Basic Guide
• Types of Carabiners and What kN Ratings Mean
• Making Your Own Military Mountaineering Kit
• How to Coil and Carry a Rope for Climbing or Rappelling

Lashings and Knot Tying

Knowing your basic knots is important, but the point of this skill-building element at the Muster is to ensure you truly understand them and their applications. Looking to get ahead of the game? Start with 5 Knots You Need to Know How to Tie at All Times and also brush up on your lashings.

• Using Lashings for Weight Bearing Structures
  
• Lash on an Angle with Diagonal Lashings
• Take a Step Back in Time with the Japanese Square Lashing
• Easily Create your own Rope Ladder with a Ladder Lashing

Physical Security & Escape from Illegal Restraint

Matt Fiddler of SerePick will be heading up Physical Security and Bryan will walk though some various methods of escaping illegal restraint.

• How to Escape from Zip Ties
• How to Pick Your Way Out of Handcuffs
• Lock Picking 101
• An Important Announcement from ITS Tactical
  

Trauma Management, Drags and Carries

Caleb from Lone Star Medics will be leading the medical portion, where you’ll be learning important life saving techniques that are applicable anywhere.

• Tourniquet Use in the Civilian Pre-Hospital Setting
• Why Israeli Bandages are like Pepperidge Farm Bread
• Tactical Medical Training with Lone Star Medics Medicine X Course
• Stop the Bleeding!
  

Cover & Concealment and Tracking & Patrolling

Former Green Beret John Hurth of TYR Group will be leading this class. John managed and oversaw the conduct and resourcing of the Army’s Combat Tracker Course, instructing many U.S. and Foreign military students in Combat Tracker Techniques.

• Sign Cutting and Tracking Methods Employed by the US Border Patrol
• Target Detection and Identification
• Camouflage Comparison I Results
• Camouflage Comparison II Results
  

Throughout the Muster, we’ll be providing food and drinks for everyone. This won’t be pre-made store bought food or even fast food but instead we’re working on a menu of  home cooked meals prepared by Matt Gambrell in the ITS Galley each day.

We know you’re going to work up an appetite and with selections like smoked brisket, you’ll be sure to get plenty to eat! We did include geedunk in the packing list though, just in case.

When you complete this years Muster, you’ll get a Muster II T-Shirt, Muster II Morale Patch and even individual Merit Badge Morale Patches for each block of instruction you complete. There’s still a lot more planned for you to take home, but you’ll just have to be there to find out what it is.

We’re counting down the days and looking forward to seeing you out there! Remember to go over the packing list and pop over to the Facebook Event Page to ask any questions you might have. We have quite a few people returning from last year that can provide some good advice.