Virginia Terror Threat is High - Preparations

[MarcSpaz]

Hey folks, just a quick heads up. We are under a high terror threat warning in Virginia for the next week. If you are in or around NOVA, Richmond or Tidewater/Norfolk/Va Beach, I strongly recommend you keep a defensive kit with you.

Some of my recommendations are...

Keep in mind, this kit is to help you blend in and get out of the trouble area.

Each person you are traveling with should have there own kit. No one should really travel without something and you don't want one or two people carrying a lot, because you will become a target.

The kit should be as light and self-contained as possible. Nondescript backpacks are best. Stay away from tactical clothing and hunting relate items. Tacticool stuff may lead people to think you are worth robbing for a weapon.

I would keep a med kit, protein bars, water and a small area atlas or a couple of area maps. Paper maps are good if you need to travel by foot and you don't have GPS Nav available due to a dead phone or no vehicle. Make sure your phone is always charged so it can be used to call for help, being 911, a ride once you're out of the hot zone, etc. A baseball cap or other rimmed hat, pullover sweater and thin black gloves could also be of use.

From the defensive side, a belt, preferably a friction belt like a trainer or tac belt. A knife with a 3.5" fixed blade or longer and a sheath. I would also recommend the largest firearm you can fit in the kit bag. Suppressed SBR,s would be ideal, then carbine pistols, then traditional pistols. I would recommend having several mags pre-loaded to save time. Carry as much pre-loaded ammo as practical, keeping in mind that while the likelihood that anything will be needed is extremely low, if you do have a defensive situation, statistically you will likely be dealing with multiple attackers.

Above all else, keep Virgian's concealed weapons laws in mind. Only handguns are covered with a permit, if you have one. You don't want to be arrested for illegally concealing a weapon. Knives and loaded rifles can't be concealed legally. Whatever you are transporting in your kit, ensure you abide by Federal and State firearms and weapons transportation laws. Weapon is securely wrapped or in a secured case (not to be confused with locked) with the ammo stored separately from the weapons, etc..

Don't forget a holster or shoulder strap for your weapon. If you must deploy your weapon, these things make life easier.

There are a ton more tips I can provide, but many of you have the same experience and training as I do, or more. However, if anyone has any questions about this subject, just let me know.

[jdonovan]

so are we at bert or ernie now?

[Snakester]

I think we have been in Bert for a while now but , Tuesday we could jump right to Elmo and beyond !

[MarcSpaz]

Yea.... We don't use that system anymore. But if we did, we would be at Bert for the next 6 days, except Monday and Tuesday... Those days, would be Ernie. We would not do Elmo unless missles were inbound. LOL

[Snakester]

These days you have to be a "PREPPER" 24/7/365.

[MarcSpaz]

I didn't mention, but you should have a good waterproof flashlight too. I didn't put it in the original post because I was trying to keep it light and general, but the more I thought about it, the more important it seemed to me to mention it.

I really like the Streamlight PolyTac. It's LED, polymer, and has a built in metal belt clip. It has a programmable use function with the LED being on Hi, Lo or Strobe, and the functions are almost immediately accessible with a simple button press.

You want to use low power light in many cases to keep light pollution to a minimum. This will help you keep a low profile. However, you may need to use the brighter setting for seeing something off in the distance. On hi, the PolyTac is 275 lumens (9,500 candela) and has a 600+ ft beam distance. Still somewhat low profile, but giving you the ability to see a potential danger up to 200 yards away.

Also, there is a lot of options when dealing with a potential attacker that don't involve shooting them. This could be where the bright strobe comes into play. Things like pepper spray have little affect on some people and it could actually cause you problems with splash. However, everyone's pupil will dilate when a light is flashed in their eyes. Its hard for someone to hurt you when they can't see to find you.

These days you have to be a "PREPPER" 24/7/365.

While I agree, most of the time, you can't tell people that. There is a stigma associated with the word "Prepper" because TV producers went out and looked for the craziest Doomsday Preppers they could find and put them on a TV show for years. Most people don't realize that something as simple as doing your weekly or bi-weekly grocery shopping is a form of "prepping". The question is simply, "what do you want to prepare for?"

Me personally... I want to make it home, secure my house and family for a few weeks while we decide what to do next. In my humble opinion, anything beyond that, either things go back to normal or you require a lifestyle change.

[GregVa]

speaking of being prepared Dicks in Woodbridge has .22LR all over the place last night. I think it was 35 for 500.

[Jon]

I heard about this yesterday but still thanks for the heads up. Good advice as well.


Question though on the concealed "weapons" that were mentioned, does that mean that the pocket knives I've been carrying since, FOREVER are illegal? I don't think I know any males at least, that don't have a blade in their pocket as part of an EDC. How else is one supposed to carry a "pocket" knife?

Is the only way to legally carry a knife in VA a fixed blade in a sheath OWB with a tucked in shirt?

[MarcSpaz]

So, it does not have to be a fixed blade in a sheath. The code of Virginia specifically says that a weapon is considered concealed when it is hidden in such a way as to disguise its true nature. Also in order for a knife to be considered a concealed weapon the knife must be considered a weapon. Not all knives are weapons. Some knives are tools or have other purposes besides for being used as a weapon. Therefore if you have a pocket knife that is a tool or utility blade then it is not necessarily considered concealed weapon if it's in your pocket.

If you do have a knife that is exclusively considered a weapon by its design then it must be visible. That doesn't mean that it needs to be visible in its entirety or to what degree. Only that its true nature is not disguised. In most cases that means having it mostly in your pocket in a little bit of the handle of the knife and the belt clip are sticking out. If you have a folder that is. At that point anybody can clearly look at your pocket and see that you have a knife. Therefore the knife is not concealed.

The only reason why I mention 3 1/2 inch fixed blade is because they are sturdy and you don't have to worry about the blade collapsing on you while you're using it as a tool or weapon. Having the sheath is only for convenience and ease of access.

[wittmeba]

Just confirms the op.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sources-us- ... us-monday/