The Sitka isn’t just for weapons carry. There is a side pocket for a water bottle or maybe a radio, and it’s great for carrying other emergency supplies (protein bars, small first aid kit, etc.), in case the balloon goes up away from home. It’s not too bulky or attention getting. I carried mine into a trendy deli here in town the other day without a look. Inside was a Beretta M9A1, among the other supplies. While Maxpedition makes larger packs, for this use I wouldn’t go larger. Larger packs, such as the BLACKHAWK! Sling Pack and some even bigger, can be kept in your vehicle stored with other emergency survival gear. Maxpedition and BLACKHAWK! gear is top of the line. Stay away from the cheap copies. Also, stay away from the Army Digital-style packs unless you’re in the army or on a S.W.A.T. team that uses that camouflage pattern, as it attracts attention.
In addition to the firearm, off-duty carry has always mandated that other equipment be available to deal with off-duty occurrences, and these items can play into your emergency survival plans. First on the list are less-lethal options, such as a baton or the same chemical spray your department issues. A good flashlight is also a must. I love tactical flashlights, especially high-end, quality, American-made ones such as those produced by Streamlight, Sure-Fire, and First Light USA. I always have some sort of small tactical flashlight in the 120- to 200-lumen range in my pocket. However, while these lights will support you very well for a while when calamity strikes, they were born of and bred for a different mission. They heat up very fast if left on long-term due to their very high intensity levels (up to 600 to 900 lumens), and their reliance on CR123 lithium batteries gets expensive.
These lights are essential for police combat or tactical use, but they’re not necessarily what you need for long-term illumination purposes. CR123 batteries, unless purchased online in bulk or at police supply stores are brutally expensive. Further, you can’t find them everywhere. What you do need to keep in your vehicle or emergency packs are a few quality lights that use more conventional batteries—rechargeables are out of the question. If your car runs out of gas and you have to move on foot, the rechargeable is only going to last for an hour or so. Then all you’re left with is an emergency impact device (read that as a club). Go with a modern, conventional battery-powered light instead of the CR123 or rechargeable styles.
One of the best examples of the breed (and which can well double as an emergency impact device) is the new Maglite 3D cell LED light. Featuring Maglite’s famous, made-in-the-USA machined aircraft aluminium construction, this tried and true performer has been upgraded from its previously standard incandescent halogen bulb (with a spare in the tail-cap), to the modern, never-needs-replacing LED. Rated at a very bright 120-plus lumens, with a run time in the 70-hour range (though, of course, not at full power for the entire time), the Maglite eliminates the need for a charger, as well as expensive replacement batteries. You’ll need one of these in either two or three cells kept in your vehicle or pack, with a few extra batteries on hand. You will have to check these batteries every once in awhile, since old school batteries will eventually leak acid if left untouched too long and ruin whatever electronics it touches. In addition to the light, don’t forget a cutting tool of some sort. If you can fit it in your pack, a BLACKHAWK! Small Pry or MAK-1 rescue knife would come in handy.
If you’re keeping extra weapons available to you in what I call “off-the-body” carry, where the gun is not physically at all times on your person, you need to be extra security conscious. There was a female chief of police in our area a few years ago who carried her gun in her purse when off-duty. One night she forgot her purse, leaving it in a public place. She realized her mistake after leaving and returned and got her purse—luckily with the gun still in it. To her credit, she gave herself three days off without pay as punishment. The situation could have been much worse had someone gotten her gun. If you are carrying a gun in a sling pack, it either needs to stay in your immediate reach or locked somewhere securely. You cannot afford to be forgetful with your hardware.
In your vehicle, your weapons need to be secured and out of sight. Some other things to consider about traveling with guns include:
1. Unless you keep your vehicle very close at hand, you should have the long gun securely locked in the trunk, with an additional locking mechanism that can actually be bolted to the body of the car or truck, such as those available from Santa Cruz Gunlocks.
2. Don’t display any firearms or police-related decals on your car. It’s like sticking a “Help yourself to my guns” sign on it.
3. How quickly can the weapon you selected safely be brought into action from a loaded or unloaded condition? Practice!
4. If the gun is kept in your vehicle long term, what are its maintenance requirements?
5. Don’t use an expensive or irreplaceable long gun as your long-term off-duty rifle. It shouldn’t break your bank or heart if stolen.
6. If you’re a police officer with duty access to a full-auto weapon, don’t make this your off-duty pick. Imagine, at the very least, the PR issues there, not to mention the time-off issues if it were to be stolen.
The need for every cop in the U.S. to carry the heaviest weapons possible while off-duty has never been more critical. It is a responsibility to yourself, the public and, most importantly, to your family. It is your responsibility to survive.
I will give those of you in law enforcement one last thing to think about. In the end, whose side will you be on? Will you, when calamity strikes, side with a government that orders the confiscation of law-abiding civilian weapons, such as happened during Katrina? And that’s if you are still at your post and not protecting your own. Which side will win, the Constitution or the collapse?
Traveling—What’s in Your Car Trunk?
Earlier on, I alluded to the concept of compact guns for travel and named a few that would work welclass="underline" the Auto Ordnance M1A1 Folding Paratrooper; the Century International Arms UC9 Carbine; the Polish-made AKMS under-folder in 7.62×39mm; the Kel-Tec SUB-2000 9mm (I think the Kel-Tec in .40, in the long run, will be too high pressure for the design, just my guess, plus the 9mm shoots flatter); shotguns like the Mossberg 590A1 with the M4 carbine stock; the Marlin 1894C .357 lever-action carbine; and the various versions of M4-style carbines. All these arms are, of course, backed up by handguns.