Editor-in-Chief’s Note: This post was written by Brett and Kate McKay and originally ran on The Art of Manliness.
In a previous edition of the Man Knowledge series on Art of Manliness, we discussed the fascinating history of invisible ink. In doing the research for that post, we came across an equally interesting tool in the spy’s bag of tricks: the concealment device.
Invisible ink was handy for sending secret messages, but sometimes spies and soldiers needed to hide other kinds of objects, or simply wanted a double-layer of protection for their coded missives.
Concealment devices or CD’s looked like normal, everyday objects but actually contained a secret compartment or cavity, inside which could be placed film, notes, eavesdropping equipment, and various other types of contraband. They were used to smuggle escape aids to prisoners of war, exchange information with friendlies, monitor the enemy, store secrets for safe keeping, and transport items without arousing suspicion. [Read More…]
Editor-in-Chief’s note: This post was written by Schaefer and originally ran on The Art of Manliness.
“The essential thing “in heaven and earth” is…that there should be a long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living.” – Friedrich Nietzche, Beyond Good and Evil
In 1989, Wyoming-native Mark Jenkins set out with three Americans and four Russians to become the first to bicycle all the way across Siberia, starting at the Pacific port town of Vladivostok and ending 7,500 miles later in Leningrad. Battling mud, wind, injuries, and sub-zero temperatures, the 5-month journey took them through hundreds of villages, an 800-mile swamp, the Ural mountains, and a culture permanently hardened by the savage taskmaster of communism.
The trip planted the team in the Guinness Book of World Records, but what made it remarkable was not that it was long, but that it was hard – brutally, numbingly, painfully… hard. [Read More…]
Time Magazine recently named “The Protester” as the 2011 Person of the Year because of their impact on society. Unfortunately, that impact is not always positive. Protests often result in:
- Blocked traffic - Protesters lock arms and purposefully block an entire street, forcing all vehicles to follow them at walking speed.
- Closed off roads - The local police will often barricade a section of roads in an attempt to limit the conflict in an area of protest.
- Property damage - This past week, I witnessed a motorcycle being thrown onto a pile of burning tires because he ignored the protesters barricades.
- Bodily harm - When protesters get riled up, there’s no telling where they will draw the line. They don’t think about what a rock through the windshield or a stick in the spokes means to the people in or on the vehicle.
- Infrastructure Disruption – Broken power lines, blocked delivery vehicles and ambulances are a common occurrence. [Read More…]
We’ve wanted to put together a reference for many of the acronyms that get tossed around here on ITS, along with some you may have casually heard out there and possibly don’t know the meaning of.
Thanks to a good friend who helped compile the majority of this list, we give you Military Acronyms, Terminology and Slang Reference.
Feel free to add any into the comments below that we may have neglected to put in. If this is well received we’d like to add it as a link on the site for quick reference. [Read More…]
Not only is Panteao Productions putting out some incredible instructional DVDs, but they’re producing them at an unbelievable rate! It almost seems like there’s a new one coming out each week with a different well known industry instructor.
What’s also unique about what Panteao brings to the table with their instructional DVDs, is that you can sign up for a monthly membership at $17.95 or a full year for $150 and stream anything and everything online without having to commit to purchasing each DVD.
Despite us having a few of Panteao’s DVDs here at the shop, I’m seriously considering signing up for the annual online subscription. When you take into account all the training you’re getting for $150, it sure makes it worth it compared to traveling to a class. Watching a DVD or online instruction is never going to replace hands-on training, but I know I’ve learned quite a few things from the DVDs I’ve watched. [Read More…]
I would argue yes, the order does matter. Something that’s been ingrained in me since my days in BUD/s is the order in which I dress.
As I was getting dressed this morning, putting my pants on first, I thought I’d write about why we were taught back in the day to dress in a certain order. [Read More…]
The history of “safes” goes back to the days of the caveman, when they attempted to keep their belongings safe from fire. Of course they didn’t have secure containers or locking devices to keep out unscrupulous cave folks. Those weren’t developed until the first “lock” that’s credited to the Egyptians. The Romans and Chinese created warded locks and the rest is history.
We wont go too in depth on the history of safes, but if you’re interested in early and mid 19th century American safes I found this website which has great information and some cool photos. For a entertaining read check out this blog post that talks about the “15 most impenetrable bank vaults”.
[Read More…]
Here is a very simple, stealthing project for your Casio G-Shock watches. I am planning to do a lot more to my little DW-5600 like reverse the display, stealth the faceplate (if possible), but for now I wanted to stealth the bezel (aka: remove the white paint).
The first step is to gather all the necessary equipment. For this project you’ll need some Goof Off (not Goo Gone or any similar sounding products), a small ceramic bowl/dish (plastic ones may melt with the Goof Off inside it) this is one I made myself, a small pair of tweezers, and an old toothbrush or scrubbing brush. [Read More…]
Since first hearing of the Black Powder Red Earth Graphic Novel, I’d been wanting to read it. I’m actually a huge comic book / graphic novel fan and was stoked to meet BPRE mastermind Jon Chang recently and get a copy to check out!
Jon also put me in touch with co-storywriter and Special Operations Contractor Kane Smith, who I had the chance to interview. His Q&A below really gives some great insight into the plot development. No spoilers, I promise! [Read More…]
One of the hardest things about the GORUCK Ascent for us has been figuring out how exactly to describe it. It was so much more than simply getting the opportunity to climb multiple 14,000 foot peaks and even more than a field test for the GORUCK GR2 pack.
Hand the GORUCK GR2 to an avid backpacker or mountaineer and they’ll most likely begin pointing out what makes their pack better. It’s lighter, it has a waist belt, it’s colorful… you get the idea. But we assure you, the GR2 was in no way a simple bag. It’s not only capable of summiting 14′ers, but getting you to and from every campsite and trail head in between.
Throughout this article you’ll be reading both of our (Bryan’s and Mike’s) experiences during the Ascent and our journey along the way.
The GORUCK Ascent wasn’t just an event that forged friendships, took us out of comfort zone and forced us to overcome adversity daily, but introduced us to parts of ourselves that we never knew existed. While the Ascent wasn’t billed as a GORUCK Challenge, what we came away with is truly what a “challenge” is all about. Personal growth. [Read More…]
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