Lifesaving Tips to Prevent a Carjacking and Not Become a Victim

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Eric S.

Colorado Carjacking

I was browsing Facebook the other day and someone posted a link to the recent Colorado carjacking video. I clicked the link and was impressed with the video quality as I settled in to watch the events unfold. Before seeing the video, I’d seen bits and pieces on the nightly news and it looked like your typical criminal who really didn’t want to go back to jail. I knew one of the vehicles had a child in it which is always a terrible situation.

For the particular moments mentioned in this article, skip to 23:15, 48:20, 49:07 and 49:22.

As I watched the entire 54 minute video I began to internally critique the actions of the police and citizens involved. There were things done correctly but some things left me scratching my head. The big question I had was “why was it so easy for this criminal to carjack these vehicles?” For a descriptive timeline of events during this nearly hour long Colorado carjacking, read this article on 7NEWS / TheDenverChannel.com.

In this article, I’ll be talking about things you can do to prevent you or a loved one from being a victim in this type of situation. I’ll be drawing from my background conducting PSD missions and by “reverse engineering” the vehicle take downs I’ve done in law enforcement. We’ll also discuss ways to protect yourself from an armed carjacker, as there’s absolutely no reason you should ever be a victim of this type of unarmed carjacking.

Static vs. Rolling

The definition of static, in regards to vehicles, is being parked in a parking lot like a market, convenience store, or your driveway. Rolling refers to being “in transit on the roadway,” which includes stopping in traffic due to traffic control devices and traffic jams.

While the tips I’ll share will help for static situations, your vigilance will be the key to not being ambushed while getting in and out of your vehicle. Bryan wrote an excellent article on The Gift of Fear which I would highly recommend everyone read and practice.

Watch this video for a great example of what not to do when static:

  • Where was the victims attention?
  • Why didn’t he lock his doors (look up “gas station sliders“)
  • Why in the world were his keys in the ignition?
  • Never jump into the window and fight over the steering wheel. Your vehicle is not worth your life by being dragged.
  • If you have a child or family in the vehicle then you should be armed in the first place and deal with the threat accordingly.

Carjacking vs. Ambush

I’d also like to differentiate between a criminal “carjacking of opportunity” and a deliberate planned attack, or ambush. The tactics of protecting yourself from an ambush are way beyond a criminal trying to run from the police with your car. For more on this, take a look at a previous article I wrote covering the Art of the Ambush.

While the video below is outside the scope of this article, it shows how quickly things can go to hell when you don’t have the mindset to use your vehicle to survive and the when the bad guy(s) have a plan. You can see the driver at the end of the video still in shock that the attack took place. He didn’t have the proper mindset at all.

Mindset

I’m going to break this up into “tactical” and “strategic” mindsets. There’s a big difference and hopefully my descriptions will make these clear to you.

Strategic Mindset

Having a strategic mindset when it comes to driving is all about forming habits. These are simple habits that will help you stay vigilant on the road and not become a victim of a criminal carjacking.

Next time you’re at a stoplight, take a good look at those around you. I’ll bet you a steak dinner that more than 3/4 of those people have their head down staring at their phone. Take a look at their posture, their vehicle and their passengers. Who could you carjack right then and there? Why? What did you see that would make you think jacking their vehicle would be easy? Now, think of you. How would you carjack you?

It’s important to develop a driving mindset that includes paying attention to things around you. Have habits like locking your doors if your vehicle doesn’t do it for you automatically. Get your head up and on a swivel (this also avoids crashes, go figure.) Being vigilant while driving will help you become much safer overall on the road. Lets face it, you’re more likely to be involved in a vehicle crash than to get carjacked.

The reality is that our phones are a huge distraction, but have become a necessary evil. I look at the Colorado video and wonder if the victims were distracted by their phones prior to being carjacked. I wonder how many people on the roadway that day were totally clueless as to what was going on around them. For those that watched the entire video above, you did see what was posted on the Amber Alert signs, right?

Tactical Mindset

Mindset is one of those buzz words most of our readers are familiar with. Things like “warrior mindset,” color coded posture labels, OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide and Act) Loops, and swiveling heads at the range come to mind. You can hardly read or watch anything related to training in the firearms industry without the instructor talking about mindset.

If you’re new to the firearms community, these things will still be sexy and hopefully a lightbulb is flickering to life. I feel mindset is the number one thing you should be concerned about. Having that gun on your hip will do you no good if you don’t have the mindset to use it.

This translates directly to driving and vehicles as well. I’m telling you right now to have the mindset that your vehicle can be used as a weapon and that you have to mentally rehearse running someone over, as scary as that may sound. Mentally rehearsing running a criminal down is no different than shooting at a realistic target at the range. Running someone over might be totally outside our normal thought process and will take up more decision time if you ever need to do it. This is why you need to have it ingrained into your thinking, otherwise you may freeze up. Here’s one example of police using vehicles during a deadly force situation:

If you’re at a deadly force level, you need to understand that your vehicle is a weapon, no different than a firearm. Conversely, you need to know this and not put yourself in a situation where your vehicle is being used against you in that manner. Think twice about jumping into the drivers window or an open drivers door!

Tactics: Good Guys vs. Bad Guys

Some of the tactics used by criminals are the same used by Law Enforcement. Lets face it, there are only so many ways to stop a vehicle while keeping it in one piece. However, a criminal mindset will be different than a non-criminal. Things like liability and personal safety aren’t necessarily in the mind of a criminal so they have more leeway when it comes the tactics they employ. Everything done in Law Enforcement takes safety and liability into consideration.

Since we’re talking about a carjacking and not an ambush (which is what Law Enforcement uses,) I won’t go into ambush tactics. As you saw in the Colorado video, the suspect did everything on the fly with the circumstances he was dealt. He didn’t set anyone up with pre-planning.

The Good Guys

Distance and Speed

One of the huge advantages you have as a driver is the ability to quickly gain distance from someone on foot. One disadvantage you have as a “good guy” is having to navigate obstacles like other vehicles and people. This is where mindset comes back into play and mentally rehearsing accelerating away from someone.

To gain your distance and then speed, you need to make sure you give yourself an “out” when slowed or stopped in traffic. I’m talking specifically about vehicle spacing. There are two things to consider when it comes to the distance you allow yourself when slowing and stopping. Specifically, do you close the distance to the vehicle in front of you or do you leave a gap?

  1. Closing distance to the vehicle in front of you is used in PSD style driving where you are in a convoy type situation. You don’t want to leave any space for another vehicle to pull between you and the vehicle in front of you. This works in a convoy, but I wouldn’t recommend it for single vehicle driving or even while traveling with another vehicle (like family or friends.)
  2. Leaving a gap is going to be the best bet in most cases. This is done by leaving enough distance from the rear bumper of the vehicle in front of you to be able to turn your wheels and drive around them. Typically, this is being able to see the rear tires of the vehicle in front of you. Pay attention to the other vehicles slowing or stopping around you as well. Look around and have an out.

Now that you’ve left enough space to drive out of a possible carjacking attempt, you need to be ready to rub some bumpers and fenders, or jump curbs and sidewalks. I don’t see a valid reason for anyone to run up to your vehicle and try to open your doors. In this day and age, a move like that should put a reasonable fear into anyone that some type of criminal activity is taking place. That being said, you may need to hit the cars around you to get out of that situation.

A quick tip on jumping curbs and sidewalks. You’ll want to make sure your vehicle has enough ground clearance so you don’t high-center it. I size up median dividers and curbs all the time. No matter what type of vehicle you drive you should always drive over curbs, dividers, parking blocks and sidewalks at an angle. This will allow you “slide” over them while keeping at least one drive wheel in contact with the ground at all times. It will also relieve the shock to the tires by not hitting the curb head on. You want to keep the momentum going and never stop on top as this is a torque maneuver, not a speed maneuver. Yes you can jump curbs and sidewalks at speed (at an angle,) but in the case of a carjacker on foot, torque is the key.

I’ve “jumped” so many curbs and medians at work that I have a good feel for what size/shape barriers I can get over. I don’t think your significant other will appreciate you practicing this with the family car, so a good way to see how this feels is to lay a 2×4 on the ground and drive over it. Try it head on and then at an angle, you will feel the difference.

Take a look at the video below and think about what you would do. The driver has no idea what this guy’s intent is and that he’s armed with something that can break the windows. What do you think the mindset of this driver is? Warning: Language

The Push Trough

There’s a technique commonly used in PSD driving called the “push through.” This is basically putting your front bumper on the back bumper of the vehicle in front of you and pushing it out of the way. This technique is successful when used by PSD drivers, as everyone has been trained in the technique and knows what and what not to do. The “pushing” driver knows not to totally slam into the front vehicle and the front vehicle driver knows to keep his foot off the brake. The torque of the pushing vehicle (not speed) makes this work.

Using this technique in a carjacking situation should be done with caution. You have no control over the vehicle in front of you and they might not release the brake for various reasons (like being pushed into traffic.) If you panic and slam into that vehicle, you may deploy your airbags, making your day even worse. Your best bet is to leave that distance to turn past the vehicle in front of you.

Good Guys Being Armed

Our unit just arrested a guy who tried to enter one of our U/C vehicles while attempting to get away on a warrant. He ran on foot from a patrol traffic stop and we were able to cut him off with our unmarked vehicles. Seeing that he was trapped, he attempted to open the front passenger door of one of our cars while a Detective was still in it. The Detective had the doors locked and instinctively drew a gun. Had the suspect entered the vehicle who knows what his intent would have been and how far he would have gone to escape. He would have had a bad day, that’s for sure.

Try to work vehicle scenarios into your concealed carry practice. It’s just as important to mentally rehearse what would happen at the mall with your family during an active shooter incident. Is it quicker to hit the gas or pull your gun? Do you have your family in the car with you and if so, how will that change your tactics? These are all things to consider before thinking that your gun is always the answer.

I don’t have any personal experience with ShivWorks (also known as SouthNarc,) but I’ve heard great things about their VCAST (Vehicle Combatives and Shooting Tactics) course. This type of training might be something to look into if you have the ability to attend.

The Bad Guys

What tactics will the criminals use against you? Your guess is as good as mine, but lets look at the Colorado carjacking and see why that guy was successful.

The first vehicle taken (with a boy inside) was from a gas station. It sounds like the mother left the doors unlocked and the keys in the ignition. How people do this is beyond me and I feel she should be held accountable, but I digress. In this case, it was more of a theft than a confrontational carjacking. Keeping your doors locked and not leaving the keys in the vehicle are the obvious answers here. For heaven’s sake, don’t leave your children unattended in the car!

Colorado CarjackingThe second vehicle (van) is taken after the suspect cuts it off and forces it to a stop. I have to give credit where credit is due and say he did a great job of stopping the van. The issue arises when the driver of the van doesn’t have the doors locked. Had the doors been locked, the driver could have rubbed the bumper up front or put it in reverse and backed away. This driver was taken by complete surprise. No one wants to smash up their vehicle, but remember it’s just a tool.

Since I have no first hand knowledge of the case, it’s hard to say whether or not the driver gave up the van out of fear. The suspect may have also implied he had a weapon. I would argue that having the doors locked and not seeing a firearm may have made a difference in this case. Remember you will have to weigh your options and a valid tactic may be to just give up your car if you’re caught totally off guard.

Avoiding being stopped in this manner means paying attention to what’s going on around you. You can see in the video that this stop happened quickly, so your OODA loop is going to be in overdrive. Mentally rehearsing these types of scenarios will help you in this type of situation. Do you drive around, push through, or reverse out?

After driving for some time it appears one of the suspect’s tires goes flat. He crashes into a white BMW waiting at a red light. You can see him jump out and look toward the BMW, but for whatever reason he decides to jump back in the van. Perhaps the BMW’s driver had a overt posture which the suspect did not want to deal with?

The suspect’s next attempt is a black 4-door which he rear ends. You can see his drivers door open ready for him to jump out. This would be a clue something is up when viewing this through your rearview mirror. Smartly the black car keeps rolling and doesn’t stop right away.

This was a smart move and a valid tactic if you’re ever involved in a crash. Nothing says you have to stay planted right where the “accident” occurred. If your spidey senses are tingling, go ahead and get some distance from the other vehicle to assess the situation. Keep your doors locked and windows up while dialing 911 to report the crash. I would suggest staying within a reasonable distance to the other driver so it doesn’t look like you’re trying to flee the scene. You don’t want to start a cat and mouse game over a legitimate accident.

Colorado CarjackingThe suspect then continues down the road and side swipes a silver 4-door pretty hard. They continue a short distance and both vehicles stop. The suspect gets out and points to the damage to the van. He appears to stay fairly calm while approaching the silver car. The ruse works and he’s able to quickly open the unlocked driver door and eject the female driver.

Again, if you’re involved in a crash, assess the situation. Don’t be so quick to pull over and jump out to assess the damage. There’s no doubt people become highly agitated over being involved in a crash, but there’s no reason to sacrifice your safety to appease someones sensibilities. If you’re with your family and you need to exit the vehicle, have your partner get into the drivers seat and be prepared to leave quickly. Have a phone ready to dial or re-dial 911 if the situation escalates.

Dealing With Armed Carjackers

As we saw while analyzing the Colorado video, there were simple measures the victims could have taken to prevent what happened. When it comes to armed criminals, there are no easy answers. Most likely it’s going to boil down to action vs. reaction. If someone gets the drop on you, you’re at a serious disadvantage. Sitting in a vehicle only compounds the problem. Do you hit the gas or draw your pistol? It all depends.

There are so many possible scenarios I can think of that it’s impossible to answer each one. What do you do alone, with your family, boxed in traffic, first in line at a red light, if the vehicle running or parked, are you armed, do you know where to aim when shooting through glass, do you have prior training? The list goes on and on.

This is where hands-on training will come into play. Mindset will get the gears spinning in the right direction, but you still need to physically practice things like drawing your pistol while seated with a seat-belt on. Both in the drivers and passenger seat.

Remember, avoidance is your best tactic when it comes to having to deal with an armed criminal.

Training

There are several companies out there teaching PSD style driving. If you have the resources to take such a class, definitely do it, but make sure to do some research and pick a legitimate company. Tony Scotti’s Vehicle Dynamics Institute (VDI) is one such company as is BSR. For the majority of us, those courses are probably not in the budget and in a case like the Colorado carjacking, it really isn’t necessary.

I would however strongly recommend participating in your local autocross to further your driving skills. The Sports Car Club of America and the National Auto Sport Association both put on local events all over the country. This is safe way to gain experience driving to the best of your abilities without breaking the bank.

The majority of the autocross courses are setup in large parking lots and designated with cones. The speeds are normally low for novice drivers and most courses are simple, yet technically challenging. This will build on your medium to low-speed vehicle handling which equals a better understanding of your vehicle during emergencies.

At the very least, find a remote location where you can practice gunning the gas from a low speed or a dead stop. I’ll go out on a limb and say most guys will have no problem with this, but what about your wife? Has she ever mashed the go pedal from a dead stop? Buy some small traffic cones from Lowe’s or Home Depot (they’re in the cleaning supply section) and set up a “vehicle” in front of you. You can drop in wooden dowels painted red to make them easier to see. Now practice gunning it around the cones in both directions from a dead stop. Set up a slalom course and run it forward and in reverse.

Everyone wants to learn the sexy stuff like J-Turns and Bootleg Turns. Sure they’re fun, but the reality is unless you practice these techniques, you’re more than likely going to crash or put yourself in a worse situation. These tactics are taught to defeat ambushes and not an unarmed carjacker like the Colorado suspect. If you can swing a class that teaches these maneuvers have fun, it’s a total blast and certainly has other real-world applications.

I would suggest training your family on commands you will use when there’s an imminent threat nearby. The first time your family hears “everyone get out!” shouldn’t be the first time things go south. You should come up with simple codes or phrases that everyone knows. If you have young children, never play around with this. Everyone needs to know you mean business. Treat this like a fire drill at home or when you’re out at the mall. Practice the steps you want everyone to take so they’ll react accordingly. I’ll be honest and admit our family needs to work on this. Sometimes it takes articles like this to dust off the training.

Vehicle Setup

There are a few things that you can do to help ensure you don’t fall victim to this type of carjacking. We spend a lot of time in our vehicles and we should think of them as tools. You should set up your vehicle no differently than setting up your Every Day Carry. While supplying your vehicle with things like medical or emergency gear can be expensive, these tips are pretty low to no-cost options.

Door Locks

The first and most obvious is locking your doors. While working with up-armored Suburbans in Bosnia we had specially modified door handles that would prevent someone from opening the doors from the outside, even if the doors were unlocked. Great if you can afford such a luxury, but that’s not reality for most of us.

As you see in the Colorado video, the suspect was able to simply open the doors and eject the drivers. If you have a vehicle that doesn’t lock the doors automatically when you put it in drive, you’ll need to develop the habit of doing it manually. Many aftermarket alarms will let you program the doors to automatically lock as well.

You may also be able to re-program your vehicle to do this by searching online for the factory programing sequence. This is usually done by performing a series of steps like turning the key to ACC, clipping the seatbelt in and out twice, waiting five seconds and turning the vehicle on. Look up your vehicle online and see what types of settings you can adjust yourself or see if the dealership can do it for you during your next service appointment.

Setting Your Mirrors

Secondly, you need to setup your mirrors properly. I would say the majority of drivers do not know how to adjust their mirrors correctly to avoid blind spots. This article from Car and Driver will help to explain the process of properly adjusting your mirrors. I would also suggest buying convex blind spot mirrors. They use double sided tape to secure to your outside mirrors and can be adjusted to see people approaching from the rear and sides. I rely heavily on these mirrors when conducting vehicle surveillance to detect people walking near my car.

Windows

Looking at the Colorado video, it’s hard to tell how much targeting the suspect did, if any. It’s my opinion that he simply used a target of opportunity, although all the victims appeared to all be female. Tinting your windows should be something to consider, as it makes it difficult to see how many occupants are inside. Heavily tinted windows are a headache in Law Enforcement and will also be a factor if your vehicle is being targeted by a criminal of opportunity.

Take a look at the vehicles around you the next time you’re sitting in traffic. Can you see through the tint? Do you know for sure how many people are inside? Is it a bunch of bearded meat eaters on the way to the range or a family oblivious to things around them?

Also be conscious when you have your windows rolled down. It’s great to get fresh air but you may want to consider rolling them up when you start slowing in traffic. In the Colorado video the suspect doesn’t have to worry about breaking windows because the doors were unlocked. Breaking a vehicle window is much harder than you may think, unless you have the proper (or big) tools seen in the crackhead video.

In Closing

Hopefully this article will get you thinking about carjacking prevention. It should also help you become a more observant driver which in turn will make you a safer driver. Have the mindset, have a plan, get the training and carry your gun!

Editor-in-Chief’s Note: This article contains tactics and techniques used by trained personnel. ITS Tactical assumes no responsibility for damages resulting from actions taken which were described in this article. Eric has a heavy background conducting PSD missions in the Army and now works as a Detective in a Tactical Surveillance Unit. This article is based on real world experience doing vehicle take downs utilizing unmarked vehicles. 

Title photo © KUSA-TV

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The History of ITS and a Thank You for 5 Great Years!

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Bryan Black

ITS 5th Anniversary

This past Saturday, we celebrated five years at ITS with good friends, amazing beer and incredible live music. We rented out Rahr Brewery in downtown Fort Worth, TX for an evening to reflect on how far we’ve come and to show our appreciate for everyone that contributed to our success.

Despite a massive Texas storm that came through, we had a fantastic turnout for our party and had a great time hanging out with everyone. Some made the drive from as far away as Colorado Springs and flew in from Virginia and Illinois.

fifth-anniv-party-14

The rockabilly band High School Caesar kicked things off and played into the night while everyone mingled and enjoyed fresh Rahr beer from the tap. There were a ton of great giveaways raffled off and plenty of ITS 5th Anniversary swag to pass out.

fifth-anniv-party-3

If you weren’t able to make it, we’ll have some exclusive 5th Anniversary items available for purchase in the ITS Shop soon. There’s even a few Rahr/ITS pint glasses left over that we’ll be releasing for sale.

A Short History of ITS

We’ve come a long way five years into ITS and what started out as a simple website idea in my home office, has grown into something much bigger than myself and more than I ever imagined. I’m often asked how ITS got started and how it all happened, so this seemed like an appropriate time to share a short recap of how it all went down.

Success is what we make it, I’m a firm believer in that as well as everything happening for a reason. It’s both of those that contributed to where we are today. That and foremost, the unending support from hundreds of thousands of readers, thousands of members and you.

There was a lot of soul searching going on for me back in early 2009. I’d been out of the Navy for a few years and had just graduated college that past December after finishing the remaining two years I had left from getting my Associate’s Degree before I enlisted.

My degree was in Communications Technology, which was just the University of Texas’ fancy way of saying Website Design. I had a few job prospects, but was already running my own design company called Bryan Black Design, focusing primarily on the Web.

I was also simultaneously reenlisting in the Navy to go back to BUD/s and become a SEAL after washing out from a Draeger Dive Injury at the tail end of 2nd Phase my last go around. It was tough to come home from that and get medically retired only a few years into what I hoped would be a substantial career in the Navy.

Luckily I had a “good” reenlistment code on my DD-214, which is the service document you receive after separating from the service. Despite my extensive training the last year of college leading up to my reenlistment, I hit a stopping block. I went all the way through MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) only to have the final doctor tell me that he couldn’t sign and that my records would need to go through BUMED (Bureau of Medicine) for the final approval.

BUMED came back with a no, which caused me to fight like hell for six months after that trying everything I could to reverse their decision. I enlisted the help of everyone I knew in the service to help me out and even had an Admiral write a letter. BUMED didn’t budge on their decision and ruled that my AGE (Arterial Gas Embolism) I’d sustained somehow predisposed me to have it occur again, but I digress.

A few months into my fight, with things not getting any better, I decided to start a Website for myself after doing them for other companies for so long. Armed with a passion for the interests I’d had both in and out of the Navy, I typed my first article on April 1st, 2009.

My goal with ITS was to bring something to the table that no one else in the industry was, skill-sets. There were a few great Websites at the time, Military Morons and Mil-Spec Monkey doing reviews and Soldier Systems, providing industry news and releases, but nothing addressing the actual skills behind that cool new gear. By skills, I mean talking about the under-appreciated aspects of mindset, fitness and preparedness.

Do you know how to save your own life? Can you get yourself over that wall? Can you tie the right knot when you need it? Those were all questions I wanted to answer and share things that I’d learned both in preparing for the Navy and while in the Navy. I saw the merit in sharing this information with those who might not have been exposed to it before and presenting it in an easy to digest way with great photos and videos to accompany the written content.

I’d worked for a commercial photography studio for 6 years before enlisting in the Navy and had picked up quite a bit of knowledge in that area. That combined with Web Design, my minor in Journalism and a true passion was the recipe for success. If you would have told me five years ago I’d be doing something that combined all of those things for a career, I’d have called you nuts. Another few things that primarily helped me put this all together was the unending support of my wife, Kelly, who would eventually come to work for me full-time at ITS and the mental fortitude I learned in the Navy.

BUD/s is 90% mental and that’s no lie. While the physical objectives of the training there aren’t easy, what they provide are confidence and a don’t quit attitude. Knowing what your body can achieve is the foundation of being able to use your mind to push it even further. Hell Week was this for me and a testament that the mind truly does control the body.

I used this mental power of being able to accomplish anything I put my mind to developing ITS. I attacked it and put it all out there. The first few months were hard, not knowing if my chance to go back into the Navy would happen and not knowing what the future held. I’d kept my face out of photos on ITS in the beginning and didn’t use my name because of this. Those that have been with us from the beginning might remember the headless videos.

Eventually the time passed and I decided that if the Navy didn’t want me, I’d move on. The adversity I faced in the Navy getting separated due to my injury and not being able to start again was tough, but again, everything happens for a reason. I didn’t see it for some time, but in hindsight, it’s crystal clear to me now. I lost a few friends overseas that went on to graduate and become SEALs. I often think that it could have been me and feel extremely lucky that it wasn’t. Even if I’d been able to continue with a career in the Navy, I wouldn’t have built what ITS has become.

Our progress has been calculated and deliberate on ITS and we’ve always invested back into the company. I literally bootstrapped ITS with nothing more than an initial investment of a domain name purchase and web hosting. I’m proud to say five years later we’ve never taken out a loan. Our growth has been funded from the inside and the support of our members, customers and advertisers.

It hasn’t been easy and like any business, there’s been tough choices along the way, but we’re in charge of our own destiny and that’s what matters. We listen to our customers and put them first above all else, while my plate has continued to grow, I still read or hear about every email that comes in. Our integrity, attention to detail and focus on our customers is extremely important to us.

We’re no longer the shipping department operating out of my dining room at home, but despite the store order volume coming from our warehouse, I’ve ensured each order is as carefully packed and cared for as it was when you had to leave an order note with what ITS logo patch color you wanted.

The community that ITS has become and the friends I’ve made along the way is what continues to push me forward. The feedback of how much ITS had helped people throughout these years has meant everything to me, not to mention the lives we’ve played a part in saving. I’ve used “we” since day one one because I never wanted it to be about me, it’s always been about building a community of like-minded individuals to share their knowledge and empower indispensable skill-sets to explore the word and prevail against all threats.

Thanks for an incredible journey and here’s to more great years to come!

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day from ITS!

Posted on March 17, 2014 by The ITS Crew

St. Patricks Day

It’s that time of the year again! For many, St. Patrick’s Day is full of celebration, green beer and overindulgence. Hopefully you wore something green to save yourself from loads of pinching today! Where did that tradition of pinching on St. Patrick’s Day come from anyway?

A Brief History of St. Patrick’s Day

Just as people think Valentines Day was started by the greeting card industry, you may think St. Patrick’s Day was started by the beer industry. Saint Patrick was actually a real person who lived in Ireland around the 5th century and today marks his death which is considered a religious holiday in various countries around the world. Also, many don’t know that he wasn’t from Irish descent but was actually British.

There are many legends that surround St. Patrick and one of them was his use of shamrocks. It’s said that a shamrock of three leaves was used to illustrate the Holy Trinity. Throughout his life, he worked as a missionary and that he’s converted thousands in Northern Ireland to Christianity before his death.

While not an official holiday in America, March 17th is set as a day to remember St. Patrick and his work in Ireland. It’s also a day of feast and celebration of heritage & culture of the Irish.

The color green has been associated with Ireland for hundreds of years and wearing it on this day grew as a tradition mostly during the 19th and 20th century. As for pinching those not wearing green, there seems to be some confusion about where it actually came from. SFist.com uncovered this:

Forgot to wear green on St. Paddy’s Day? Don’t be surprised if you get pinched. No surprise, it’s an entirely American tradition that probably started in the early 1700s. St. Patrick’s revelers thought wearing green made one invisible to leprechauns, fairy creatures who would pinch anyone they could see (anyone not wearing green). People began pinching those who didn’t wear green as a reminder that leprechauns would sneak up and pinch green-abstainers.

An ITS St. “Patchrick’s” Day

In honor of today’s holiday, we wanted to show off a few photos of ITS gear (namely patches) in action that you all have sent in. As often as we can, we try to add photos shared on social media to our Pinterest board that have been tagged with #ITStactical. We love seeing our gear in your hands!

If you’re looking for some St. Patrick themed ITS Products, checkout the ITS Shamrock PVC Morale Patch and our St. Patricks Day Prevale T-Shirt in the ITS Shop!

Have a great St. Paddy’s Day!

@_mulls_

St. Patrick's Day

@extremecam

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Thanks to everyone who sent in pics! Looking for more photos? Check out the gallery below!

All of these were selected from our Pinterest ITS In Action board. Do you have some ITS gear that you’d like to show off? Be sure to use the hashtag #ITStactical on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter!

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Customize and Build the Rifle You’ve Always Wanted Using GUNSTRUCTION

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Mike Petrucci

GUNSTRUCTION

What is GUNSTRUCTION?

GUNSTRUCTION is the first online, 3D, fully customizable weapon builder. Through their web app, you’re able to build a gun from scratch and customize everything from pin sets to optics and camo patterns. They feature real parts from top manufacturers and even keep track on the cost of the parts you use if you’re looking to keep things on a budget. This is certainly a useful tool if you’re wanting to build your own rifle.

We got to meet the GUNSTRUCTION crew at SHOT Show this year and eagerly went back home to test things out and “build” a few rifles. They’re working continuously to make things run smoothly as well as add new parts and products as often as possible.

Even if you’re not currently looking to build a new rifle, playing around with the available options is a great way to see how a build will turn out. There’s even a reddit user that built a gun online and then ordered the parts to build it in person.

Using GUNSTRUCTION

Things are fairly straight forward. Simply sign into ar15.com and just start adding parts. They do have a few video walkthroughs if you find things confusing at first but you’ll quickly get the hang of it. One thing to know is that you can only have save up to 3 builds per account. I’d like to see the ability to save more in the future as I don’t want to abandon one build to start another.

Below are a few examples of rifles I built using GUNSTRUCTION.

GUNSTRUCTION

GUNSTRUCTION

As you can see, they allow you change the background and scenery when you go into the “photo” mode of the app. If you want to get really creative in photo mode, you can also adjust lighting, add filters, animate moveable parts and change camera angles to set up your shot.

Now that you’ve just built the rifle you’ve always wanted, how awesome would it be to win that exact one? Well, for the past couple months, they’ve been doing just that and giving away a few fully customized rifles. Just stick to the rules, create your rifle and submit your build. Check out the GUNSTRUCTION Contest page for full info.

GUNSTRUCTION Navigation

What’s Next

Very soon, you won’t be limited to just using GUNSTRUCTION on a desktop computer. Mobile apps are on the way with iOS coming first and Android shortly after.

Update: The iOS version is now available in the iTunes Store.

Have you tried out GUNSTRUCTION yet? Share a pic or two of your builds in the comments!

Posted in Firearms | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Win a Sold Out Mil-Spec Monkey KA-BAR Collaboration Knife! *Update*

Posted on March 13, 2014 by The ITS Crew

KA-BAR MSM KNIFE 001

Update: Thanks to everyone who entered! The contest is now closed and the winner has been contacted. Keep checking back for more contests in the future!

Mil-Spec Monkey recently released a collaboration knife with KA-BAR and was nice enough to send us one to give away! Made from SK5 steel with a paracord wrapped handle, the MSM-KB-001 Knife has an overall length of 8.5″ and blade length of approximately 3.5″. This knife can be worn on a belt or mounted on PALS webbing with the included Malice clips.

This is a large and solid tanto style blade that is built to take a lot of abuse. MSM mentions that a classic cord wrap is used to increase grip on the handle but that you can easily cut it off and custom wrap it yourself. You may remember from a previous Knot of the Week article that we show how to exactly do just that.

KA-BAR MSM KNIFE 001

“All kinds of grips are possible with the thumb ramp particularly forming great to one’s hand in a reverse blade forward grip. The upper / top end of the blade comes unsharpened since knife laws between states get complicated there, however can easily be sharpened if desired. Being made overseas we understand not everyone will be happy about that, but there are several reasons why: The main one being we looked into USA options, but it was going to take a lot longer and cost a lot more for no real change in quality. In the end we wanted this blade to be available to common joe and actually be used like a tool instead of paying a load for and then ending up trapped in a safe.”

What’s Up for Grabs?

  • KA-BAR MSM KNIFE 001
  • Polymer Sheath
  • Short Malice Clips
  • Hardware and Torx Tool
  • Webbing Loop

KA-BAR MSM KNIFE 001

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click here if contest widget doesn’t load.

Good luck!

Contest Fine Print:

  • One winner will be selected at random and will receive one KA-BAR MSM KNIFE 001 prize pack with the above listed contents.
  • Winner will be notified by email. Once contacted, they have 24 hours to claim their prize. If we do not receive a response from within 24 hours, we will select a new winner.
  • Contest ends at 11:59 PM CST on 3/19/14
Posted in ITS Information | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Navigating the Dark: How to Preserve Your Night Vision

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Bryan Black

low-light

Biological Night Vision, or Scotopic Vision (your vision under low-light conditions,) is a topic that has a wide array of information out there. What I’d like to do in this article is not only attempt to clear up some misconceptions of what aids in better biological night vision, but offer some methods of preserving your night vision.

Parts of an Eye

Without turning this into an anatomy lesson, your eye has rods and cones, which are examples of photoreceptors (neurons) found in the retina that convert light into electrical signals. These electrical signals travel to the brain through the optic nerve and are used by your visual system to form a representation of the world. In other words, this is your sight.

eye

Cones are active in higher light-levels (photopic vision), are non-functional in low-light and create our color vision. They also provide our highly developed spacial acuity. Rods are responsible for your vision in low-light conditions (scotopic vision.) While higher in number than Cones 120 million vs. 6 million,) they’re more sensitive, but not to color.

Within your rods lies Rhodopsin, the chemical that actually allows night vision. When exposed to light, Rhodopsin bleaches and takes around 30 minutes to regenerate. Despite taking so long to regenerate, most night vision returns within about 5-10 minutes once the bleaching (or being exposed to bright light) occurs.

SHOOT by Julie Golob 02

If you’re wondering what gives animals their increased night vision, look no further than the Tapetum Lucidum, which we humans unfortunately do not have. It’s a tissue layer found at the back of animal’s eyes which reflects light back through the retina, increasing the available light available to capture. This is why animals have “eye shine” when you light them up at night with a flashlight. The Tapetum Lucidum is found in many nocturnal animals and even some deep-sea animals. It’s claimed that animals night vision is equivalent to a 1st or 2nd Generation Night Vision Intensifier Tube.

What Helps Retain Night Vision?

The first thing I’d like to mention is different spectrums of light to prevent that immediate bleaching of Rhodopsin and the loss of your night vision.

Light Color

The Rhodopsin contained within the rods in your eyes are less sensitive to the color red within longer wavelengths of light. You may have seen the Military using red light to read maps and preserve their night vision. Although, there has been a shift recently to using green light or a blue-green light instead of red.

em_spectrum

Green allows for more visual acuity and better differentiation between colors, but this is of course at low-light levels. Both red and green light at high output will kill your night vision, no matter what color, so keep that in mind. Whatever color you feel helps you more, try to use the least amount possible. If you’d like more information on the green vs. red debate, here’s a great article written by Astronomer Doug Kniffen.

I’ll also add that uses of low-light in the red, green or blue-green spectrums aren’t limited to the Military. If you’re doing anything outdoors at night, high-output white light will kill your night vision faster than anything and you’ll benefit from a different spectrum, provided it’s low-light. There’s a lot to learn about lighting when it comes to using it at night, or in combination with Night Vision Image Intensifiers, but I’ll save that for a future discussion.

A Quick Shut Down

Something that you can use as a field expedient method to quickly adjust your eyes to a dark environment, when moving from a light one, is to close your eyes and count to ten. This may sound trivial, but it does work. It won’t dramatically bring you to the level that increased time will, but it’s better than quickly getting hit with a dark environment.

Detective's_Handbook

I can’t take credit for this method at all and it’s actually something that stuck with me from my childhood. I read every book about Detectives I could get my hands on growing up and an illustrated Detective’s Handbook from the 80’s (that I still happen to have) is where I learned about the method I’ve described.

I’d have written it off if it didn’t work, but it does. Give it a try sometime.

Eye Patches

Now we come to the most historically debated method of retaining your night vision, eye patches. I say “most debated” because of the lore surrounding Pirates using Eye Patches to aid them in adjusting to darkness when moving below the deck of a ship. There was typically no light below deck other than ambient light and these sailors would need to quickly adjust during battle, etc.

one-eyed-willie

The TV Show Mythbusters actually tested this and deemed it “Plausible,” here’s the description of their testing:

“This myth works under the assumption that the eye covered with the eyepatch is already accustomed to low light conditions, while the other eye must take time to accustom. The Mythbusters were sent into a dark room with light-accustomed eyes and were told to complete certain objectives. Their movements were hampered by the darkness and it took them five minutes to finish. When they went into a rearranged but equally dark room with an eye that was covered for thirty minutes, the Mythbusters were able to complete the test in a fraction of the time. As a control test, the Mythbusters then went back into the same exact room with light-accustomed eyes and ran into the same difficulty as the first test. The myth was deemed plausible because there is no recorded historical precedent for this myth.”

I wasn’t able to track down much information around pirates and their reasons for eye patches other than the obvious one of an injury and that One-Eyed Willie had one in the movie Goonies. Something interesting I did find was that the FAA recommends that pilots close one eye to preserve night vision. “Since any degree of dark adaptation is lost within a few seconds of viewing a bright light, a pilot should close one eye when using a light to preserve some degree of night vision.”

Hopefully you’re now better armed with some knowledge of what your eyes do in the dark and a few ways to preserve your night vision.

Are there other methods you’ve head about? Share them below in the comments.

Posted in Night Vision, Tradecraft | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Rediscover America’s Wild Splendor through the National Park Service

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Mike Petrucci

Grand Canyon by Jeff More

National Park Service History

The Yellowstone Act passed the House and Senate quickly before moving on to receive the signature of President Grant on March 1, 1872. This was the first time in history that the Government had acted to conserve land in this manner. Previously, “conservation” applied only to raw materials such as coal and iron. Through this Act however, mountains, lakes, canyons, forests and other natural features were on track to being protected.

Many presidents worked to clear the path to create what is our National Park System today. President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act in 1906 as a way “to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest” in America. In 1916, 44 years after the creation of Yellowstone National Park, President Woodrow Wilson created the National Park Service. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt consolidated national monuments and military sites to the National Park Service by signing Executive Order 6166.

Yellowstone National Park was the very first national park in America and today covers an area just over 3,000 square miles. Yellowstone is home to hundreds of species of wildlife including the endangered Gray Wolf and the oldest and largest public bison herd in the United States. These are just a couple examples at how conservation made it possible to view these amazing creatures in their natural habitat.

While I’ve been to foreign countries a number of times and always enjoy learning about their cultures and landmarks, the thing that gets to me is that there are so many places I’ve yet to explore in our own great country. My parents felt the same way, which is why they saved all year long to take us kids on summer road trips across America. I remember being young and getting to experience the vastness of the Grand Canyon and quiet giants of the Redwoods, among other natural landmarks. Something my dad said a long time ago has always stuck with me:

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

– Mark Twain

It’s important to travel and as I look back on our family trips, I truly appreciated the effort my parents took to show us something other than our small view of the world from our hometown. To give you an idea on the size of all national parks combined, the area covers 84,000,000 acres. That’s just under the total area of Germany. Imagine all that you’re missing out on! And for some, it may just be a few hours drive away from their front door.

Yellowstone National Park

Passport to Your National Parks

There are around 400 national park units and at least one in almost every state, but how do you find them? Something to keep in mind is that not every national park is a location as rugged and wild as Yellowstone. The list of national parks in the U.S. includes monuments, historical sites, recreation areas and other areas of interest. The best way to find a park near you is by using the Find A Park page on NPS.gov. Once you found a park to visit, I recommend picking up a National Parks Passport before you head out.

Passport To Your National Parks

Passport To Your National Parks

Passport To Your National Parks

This Passport is similar to an international one but instead of recording country information, it’s a way for you to collect cancellations from parks you visit by way of a rubber stamp at park offices or ranger stations. The spiral bound 6 x 3 travelogue is printed in the USA and includes a free map. They also donate their profits to National Parks.

I’ve had one for a couple of years now but it remained lost until a recent move. I’ve since made sure to keep it handy in case I ever get the chance to visit a park I haven’t been to yet; I’m kicking myself for not bringing it to Yosemite Valley last year. While I wish I’d started earlier with my stamp “collection,” at least it’s something I can continue to work towards.

Passport To Your National Parks

Digital Passport Alternative

While I prefer the rubber stamp and paper method, there are also National Park passport apps available for iOS and Android devices.

  • iOS – “Passport to Your National Parks”
  • Android – “Passport: Your National Parks”

One last thing to note is that while only 133 parks charge an entrance fee, the National Park Service offers “Fee Free Days” throughout the year. There’s really no excuse not to get out there!

Oh, be sure to send us a postcard from wherever you wind up:

ITS Tactical
6100 W. Pioneer Pkwy. Suite 100
Arlington, TX 76013

Grand Canyon Title Photo © Contributor Jeff More

Posted in Mindset | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Memorial Day 2014: Join the ITS Carry The Load Team and Help Us Remember America’s Heroes

Posted on March 10, 2014 by The ITS Crew

Carry The Load

“The muffled drum’s sad roll has beat
The soldier’s last tattoo;
No more on Life’s parade shall meet
That brave and fallen few.
On fame’s eternal camping ground
Their silent tents to spread,
And glory guards, with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead.”

Bivouac Of The Dead, by Theodore O’Hara

Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. What are your plans for Memorial Day this year? Barbecuing with the family? Taking advantage of “limited time” sales? Don’t lose sight of the true meaning behind this special day.

Carry The Load

Back for a third year, ITS is assembling a team and we’re asking for your help. Carry The Load extends remembrance of our fallen from America’s Military, Law Enforcement, Firefighters and Rescue Personnel. The purpose is to not only remember but honor and celebrate our nation’s heroes.

Our goal is to cover as much mileage as possible in 20 hours and 14 minutes but you’re welcome to walk or run as little or as much as you want. The event is free and everyone is invited, regardless of fitness level or ability. We’d love to have you out there walking with us, even if it’s just for an hour. Head to this link to join our team! It’s also not required that you have a weighted ruck or backpack yet everyone is encouraged to carry something physical to make the emotional connection.

If you can’t make it out and still want help us reach our goal of raising $5,000.00 for the charities that Carry The Load is sponsoring, we’d sincerely appreciate you donating here. Please note that the page we’ve linked to is the personal Carry The Load donation page for Bryan, as there’s no way to donate directly to our team. Rest assured that all of the money will go straight to Carry The Load and still counts towards the ITS Team donations. Another way to donate is to register for a free account on CarryTheLoad.com, join the ITS Tactical Join Task Force Team and donate yourself.

Carry The Load Morale Patch

We’ll be handing out ITS Carry The Load patches to all those that can make it out to the event and will do our best to make them available on the site to raise even more money for Carry The Load. Update: Click here to purchase the Carry The Load Morale Patch

Join the ITS Team

Head over to the ITS Tactical Join Task Force Team page and join up!

  • Sunday, May 25th – Monday, 26th
  • Reverchon Park, Dallas

It’s important to mention that registration for the event is free, but those that raise $200 will earn a free t-shirt and a wristband for a certain number of free meals.

Opening ceremonies for Carry The Load begin at 3:30 pm on Sunday, May 25th and the walk begins at 4 pm. We’d like for everyone to meet just outside the entrance into the event at Reverchon Park at 3 pm. We’ll only be there to meet everyone until about 3:20 pm and will then enter to attend the opening ceremonies. We’ll certainly have some ITS swag for everyone too!

Everything will wrap up at 12:14 pm on Monday, May 26th and be followed by closing ceremonies and awards at 12:30 pm.

We look forward to seeing you at Carry The Load 2014! Even if you’re just coming out for a bit, please register here for free, so we know to look for you before the event.

Update: If you’re in the Tampa, FL area, click here to join the team Eric set up.

Get Prepared

Here are some articles do help get you prepped for this event.

Carry The Load

Posted in Memorial | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

New ITS Embossed Field Notes, Water Purification Tablets and Dummy Cord Launching Today

Posted on March 7, 2014 by The ITS Crew

New ITS Products

Today we’re excited to bring a few new products to the ITS Shop that are in stock and ready to ship. The newest Pitch Black Edition of our  ITS Embossed Field Notes are awesome pocket memo books, the ultra-lightweight and portable Auqamira Water Purifier Tablets are ready for your next backcountry adventure and our ITS Dummy Cord is back in Black (Coyote Brown too), ready to ensure your sensitive items don’t fall and take a dirt nap.

ITS Embossed Field Notes – Pitch Black Edition

Field Notes Pitch Black

Field Notes Pitch Black

From the same great company as our original ITS Stamped Field Notes Memo Books, we bring you the Pitch Black Edition Field Notes!

This set of three 3 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ memo books each have an ITS embossed logo shield on the French 100-lb “Blacktop” cover with “Stealth Gray” text. The interior features 48 pages of a light-gray dot grid on Opaque Smooth text paper.

We’ve also included an ITS golf pencil with each three-pack so you’ll always have something to jot your notes down with.

Click here to order your Field Notes Pitch Black Edition 3-Pack today!

 

Aquamira Water Purifier Tablets

Aquamira Water Purification Tablets

Aquamira Water Purification Tablets

Aquamira Water Purifier Tablets are an extremely lightweight option for making clean and safe drinking water during emergency situations. If you’re looking for the simplest method of water purification, this is it. Just drop one tablet into a one liter container of water and wait the recommended time before drinking.

There are three types of pathogens you’ll encounter in the great outdoors; protozoa, bacteria and viruses. A few examples of what these pathogens include are Giardia and Cryptosporidium in the Protozoa group, Bacteria includes E. Coli and Dysentary, with Hepatitis A and Rotovirus rounding out the Virus group. The last group isn’t as much of a threat as the others in US water sources, but still important to consider. These Chlorine Dioxide Aquamira Water Purifier Tablets will wipe out all three types of pathogens.

Not only the perfect addition for your survival kit, like our Multi-Purpose Container, the resealable foil tablet pouch can easily fit into your pack for your next hike, camping or hunting trip. Don’t risk getting caught without clean water.

Click here to order your 12 pack of Aquamira Water Purifier Tablets!

 

ITS Dummy Cord

ITS Dummy Cord

ITS Dummy Cord

Dummy Cord is used to secure sensitive items in order to prevent a temporary lapse in motor control (i.e. dropping stuff.) As illustrated in this Knot of the Week, it also makes a perfect micro paracord bracelet.

There are numerous applications for our Dummy Cord due to its small diameter of 1/16″ and its excellent tensile strength of 100 lbs. Secure compasses, GPS’s, radios, sporks and anything else you can think of that you don’t want to lose.

Our Dummy Cord comes in 50 ft. lengths and is available in Coyote and Black. Lash in your gear and don’t be a dummy.

Click here to pick up a pack of ITS Dummy Cord!

Posted in ITS Information | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Enter to Win a Machined Schon DSGN Pen Made Entirely in the USA *UPDATE*

Posted on March 6, 2014 by The ITS Crew

Schon DSGN Pen

Update: The contest is now over. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Schon DSGN is based in Boston MA out of a small prototyping space where founder Ian Schon, designs, engineers and produces machined metal products. Some of you may have first seen Schon DSGN through their Kickstarter project awhile back and at the launch of that project, there was only one pen available. Currently, Schon DSGN produces two more variants of the original design in aluminum and titanium.

“After several years of engineering school, I started to develop a passion for product design. I challenged myself to design an everyday object that I would be able to fabricate myself, embarking on a mission to design a pen to be carried with me every day.

Recently, the project took a different form when I decided to do a manufacturing run of these pens. The project went from design and fabrication to a mission to keep this project local in Massachusetts, keep the footprint low and to take it to market. Over the past year I have worked hard to make this happen.”

We featured Schon DSGN in our Christmas Gift Guide and he wanted to show his thanks by giving away three of his pens to ITS readers. Manufactured right outside of Boston, these Schon DSGN pens are a 100% USA made product. Post machining, the pens are either finished to a bright silver shine or anodized black in small batches by a local vendor using a unique multi-step process. The included Fisher Space Pen cartridge is held by a brass slotted set screw, cut by one of the oldest screw manufacturers in Massachusetts.

Schon DSGN Pen

Tech Specs

  • 1/2″ Diameter, 4″ closed, 5-3/4″ open
  • Set Screw and Pen manufactured in Massachusetts
  • Pressurized space pen ink cartridge from Fisher (model PR4) made in Boulder City Nevada
  • 1 oz.

What’s Up for Grabs?

  • (1) Schon DSGN #0001 – Pen
  • (1) Schon DSGN #0001 – Pen
  • (1) Schon DSGN #0001B – The Black Pen

3 lucky individuals will each win one Schon DSGN pen. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to pick which exact pen you’ll receive as winners will be selected using random.org.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click here if contest widget doesn’t load.

Good luck!

Attention, ITS Members: There’s a special week-long promotion going on that will get you 20% off an aluminum Schon DSGN pen (silver or black). Check out the Members News page for more information!

Contest Fine Print:

  • Three winners will be selected at random and each will receive one pen.
  • Winners will be notified by email. Once contacted, they have 24 hours to claim their prize. If we do not receive a response from within 24 hours, we will select a new winner.
  • Contest ends at 11:59 PM CST on 3/13/14
Posted in ITS Information | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments