“I’d rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.” I’ve been saying that for as long as I can remember. So, what if one day I needed several feet of 550lb.-test line? I live in earthquake country, so that is not exactly a farfetched potential need. I can say with confidence that I’m now ready for that eventuality thanks to my SurvivalStrap.
As the editor of a major website, I’m not a huge fan of “endorsing” products because that can turn into a very slippery slope — if you do even one such product plug you’re basically inviting a whole herd of PR turtles to flood your email and phone mail with “pitches” for their clients’ stuff. However, frequent readers will remember that I did advise any officer who runs an AR to get the C.A.T. M-4 Tool. I also agree wholeheartedly with Dick Fairburn that the BattleComp 1.0 is an excellent product — I have one and I love it.
Another marvelous little piece of gear I’ve recently purchased is a paracord bracelet from SurvivalStraps.com. With about one-and-three-quarters feet of cord for every inch of bracelet — the average male has a wrist that measures between seven and eight inches, the average female wrist size is six to seven inches — you end up with anywhere between twelve and sixteen feet of mil. spec. cord. If you get the “wide” version of the survival bracelet you get even more cord. There are literally thousands of color combinations to choose from, but if you select the Blue Line version the company donates 20 percent of the proceeds to the TASER Foundation for fallen officers. The cord is held in place by either a tough plastic side release buckle or a marine-grade stainless steel shackle — in the image shown to the right, you can see the wide version with the plastic buckle, and the standard version with the stainless shackle.
If you unravel your SurvivalStrap bracelet — or any of their other, 100-percent-made-in-the-USA products, including belts, dog collars, ID lanyards, key fobs, and rifle slings — in an emergency situation and deploy the parcord, the company will replace it for free. Here’s what they say about that offer.
“We are pretty sure that when you receive your SurvivalStrap gear, you are going to love it. We also realize that if faced with an emergency situation, you may hesitate to unravel your SurvivalStrap because you will not want to depart with its awesomeness. So here is the deal. If you do unravel your SurvivalStrap and use it in an emergency situation, we will send you a new one. Free. Yes, Free. All you will pay is the shipping cost to get a new one to you. The only thing we want in return is your detailed story of how it was used.”
At the risk of sounding like I’m gushing with enthusiasm over this company, here is one more parting thought. I am a proud supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project and SurvivalStraps is too, making them A-OK in my book.
Stay safe.
