A little while ago I received a mail call containing a sample of the Accent Series from Delta2Alpha Design. To read my review of the previous generation of tools, go here.
Happiness in a parcel!
The Accent Series is their newest offering of upgraded versions of The MARK, The LOLLY and The MiK.
The MARK, in colours…
The new tools are delivered in three colours (crimson, blaze orange or day-glow green), clad in a robust carbon fibre skin.
Durable polymer clad in carbon fibre.
They are all incredibly versatile and even more durable than their previous versions. I found the carbon fibre skin to be more resistant to scratches and abrasions than the earlier version of polymer tools.
The Lolly – polymer last-ditch tool. Earlier version.Accent version of the Lolly.I have used the Lolly for opening paint cans when I find myself without a screwdriver. It’s handy to carry in my 5th jeans pocket.
On a recent visit to Ottawa, I found myself in a Tim Hortons for a morning coffee. The floor was covered in melt and slushy runoff from the recent snow. Thankfully, I had my Accent Series MARK in my bag (perfect for non-permissive environments like government buildings) and ensured my bag and its contents were well out of he muck.
No dirty, wet Tim Hortons floor for me and my stuff!
The MiK can be used as the MARK can, but with smaller applications. I do like how it can hold up your phone, hang your bag (or purse) or coat – perfect for bathrooms. It can also easily fit into the fifth pocket of your jeans for concealment and easy access.
TheMARK: Offers a convenient way to keep your jacket or bag off of the floor bathrooms when traveling (or everyday life) when there isn’t a hook. It can also be used as a tablet stand.TheMiK: Fits conveniently on your keys, and is used a hands free way to prop up your phone. This comes in handy whether you are trying to do a video chat, or just kill sometime watching cat videos (No Judgement).TheLolly: Can go right next to TheMiK on your keychain. TheLolly is a light duty pocket scraper, and prybar. It has be referred to as a “Fingernail Saver”. It also offers a ¼” bit driver and the key ring slot can be used to drive the Leatherman multi-tool brand bits.*Each package includes one (1) of TheMARK, TheMiK, and TheLolly; They are sold as matched sets*
All things considered, I feel that Delta 2 Alpha scored a big win with improving an already-sturdy and reliable design with their Accent Series of polymer tools. I’m very happy with them and equip myself with at least one on a daily basis as they are lightweight, practical and come in handy in a variety of ways.
As the holiday season approaches, we will invariably be heading out more often to places rife with people. Be it for shopping, get-togethers, enjoying a crisp winter walk or seeing a festive event, the holiday season brings more and more people out for all these reasons and more.
Large groups of people gathered together tend to cause problems relating to safety and security. They increase the risk of conflict between people in those large groups, they make inviting targets for those who would wish to cause harm (i.e. bad guys) and the larger the group of people in a building, the more difficult and time-consuming it is to get those people out safely, especially under panic.
Violent crowds. Dangerous times.
Examples of these would be as follows: anytime there is one last toy of a particular kind and a fight breaks out; fights over parking spots at malls, etc. These types of events may or may not be directly involving you, but have the potential to rope you in if you’re not paying attention. Another is an active shooter (such as the Jane Creba shooting in Toronto) where something like gang violence occurs and innocent bystanders are caught in the middle. And then there are times when a machete-wielding lunatic attacks random shoppers, or some fanatic decides to plough down people walking down the street with a truck. And then there’s fire. Nothing nefarious, but deadly nonetheless. They happen. Use all your senses to stay aware. None of these are predictable in a useful sense for someone heading out for a day of shopping at the mall. They just happen.
For the interactions that escalate, I would recommend to let it go. Is some hot-head nut case really worth that parking spot? Likely not. However, this doesn’t mean I advocate not protecting yourself if someone attacks you.
George knows. It’s not worth it.
For the rest, they are “black swan events” which you have to deal with as they unfold.
Here are my thoughts on how to increase your chances of survival in crowded locations in times of danger.
Keep an eye open for viable exits: as you enter malls, concert halls or crowded public spaces, keep an eye on ways out. Be it a fire or an attack, having a pre-planned escape route can save valuable seconds getting out and saving yourself and likely others. Better yet, if you’re there a while, hang out near the exits. You’ll be better positioned to get out should something happen. Also, if in a mall, take the stairs instead of the escalators. If you have to move in a hurry you have a better position to move from as those on the escalator are trapped in the chute.
Exits, exits everywhere! Keep an eye open.
Keep moving: Staying still doesn’t help you much in a time of crisis. If you’re still, you’re an easy target, you’re not moving away from danger and you’re not able to affect change to your circumstance, thus handing all the control to others (i.e. bad guys). Move towards an exit, move to cover, move to a fire extinguisher…just MOVE! Be a difficult target. Movement is Life. In large crowds, most people will attempt to exit the way they came in. This can cause a stampede-like effect where people get trampled and crushed. A wave of humanity which is large and panicked cannot be forced. Instead, take the better approach and aim for one of your pre-scouted exits instead.
In the case of an active shooter – TAKE COVER: That’s right. as you move, move from one place of cover to another until you exit and create time and distance between you and the threat. Cover is something that offers ballistic protection (i.e. protection from bullets). This is cement and concrete. Furniture, vehicles and the like don’t provide adequate protection from bullets. Stone, rock, thick steel and cement do. Look for pillars, walls and the like to save you.
Hide behind concrete.
Be aware of your surroundings: Use all of your senses. If a fire breaks out, you’ll likely have an indication before you see it because of smell. Move to an exit. When in a crowd, get a sense of the general “feel” of the environment. Stay at the edges of crowds. Look for people who don’t look or “feel” like they belong in the same group. Situational Awareness is your early warning system for something bad happening. It’s not meant to cultivate paranoia, it’s meant to cultivate awareness for whats going on around you so you have a chance to ACT before being acted upon.
Keep your head on a swivel.
Keep Essentials on you: Your personal Every-Day-Carry should be on you at all times. A small knife, multi-tool, lock picks, lighter, cash, cell phone (charged), mini flashlight, some cordage, etc. can help you get out of a tough situation should you need it.
To sum up remember these key points:
Be Aware (of your environment)
Be prepared (with a viable EDC setup)
Identify Exits (note escape routes)
Keep Moving (movement is life)
Take Cover (behind concrete or stone)
Better yet, order online and stay home.
In closing, before you head out, switch on. Enjoy yourself and have fun, but always remember that by being aware you are fore-warned and fore-armed. Always have an escape plan.
In the beginning…at the Southern Terminus of the Trail. Let’s do this!
Every foray outside one’s home brings with it the possibility of adventure and danger. This excursion was no different.
Our journey took us from the Southern end of the Bruce Trail (in Queenston Heights Park) to just north of Hamilton, Ontario.
*Note, due to personal circumstances beyond our control, we were forced to delay the completion of our trip and return home. We are, however, going to complete the rest in shorter blocks to ensure that our responsibilities at home are maintained in our absences.*
During our time on the trail, I managed to field test several items of kit (to be reviewed in separate posts) and streamline my hiking kit for better efficacy and efficiency. I found that several things I had planned out, thought I might need, or were “essentials”, were not.
Depending on the context and profile of your outdoor adventure, your needs will change.
Here is a list of things that added weight, added bulk or were otherwise not needed given the profile of where we were going:
Teva sandals
shorts
second belt
short-bladed machete
small forest axe
expanded first-aid kit
water purification filter
extra sweater
fleece gloves
second dry bag
This stuff, though individually very useful in the right circumstance, became a hinderance. It added unnecessary weight and made it difficult to move swiftly along the trail. It also had the added unpleasantness of adding soreness to feet, shoulders and knees without any added benefit. The other tools and clothing that I had more than covered for the loss of the above-listed items. After ditching this stuff (at our accommodations at the end of day one) things got much better and our progress improved greatly.
Taking a much-needed break on the trail. This version of my pack was MUCH improved after I ditched some heavy redundant gear.
The trail itself was well marked and maintained (for the most part) and allowed for unimpeded movement. The weather was warm and clear. The terrain a never-ending series of up-and-down, so the quads and hams got a good workout every day. Hydration was maintained through the 3-litre bladder I filled-up every morning and I found that I never even got through the entire thing despite drinking almost-continuously through the day. It especially helped to have lunch and “hydrate” at a local winery along the way, just off the trail.
Henry of Pelham Winery. “Hydration” at its finest!
The topography of the Niagara Escarpment and the Niagara Region in general is beautiful and rugged. The views from the tops of the cliffs were open for miles – all the way to lake miles below. As strange as it was to be completely enveloped in the woods and still hearing cars sometime, the peace and calm from such immersion was restorative and calming. Even my evenings were great. Staying at various accommodations along the way made for a recovery treat!
The view from the cottage was just wonderful and the cottage itself was so well appointed it made all the difference at the end of the day. I have already made plans to go back.
So, with all the positives that came along during this trek, there were also some negatives as well. As mentioned previously, the overage in clothing and equipment made for a more difficult first day. Also, the topography of the area and higher elevations reduced our daily distance from 30km per day average to 20-25km per day. Despite the reduced trail coverage, we still made good progress. The weather held, the bugs were barely there, and we made good use of water and breaks to not fatigue ourselves too much.
We saw a whole host of animals, interesting natural and man-made things and got a feel for some of the history and landscape in a rich area so close to home which we’d hardly get to explore had we not gone and done this. I’m very happy I had.
Like a nomadic hobo.
While walking along, I would think about how our context will change as we make our way farther north and farther away from civilization. Those sandals still won’t have a place, but the axe and possibly more first-aid components due to a greater removal from access to emergency medical care. As we continue this journey piecemeal, I’ll be constantly re-evaluating my set-up. With that in mind, to anyone thinking about traversing the Bruce Trail I would humbly suggest that you invest in the Bruce Trail Guidebook. It’s very well laid-out, full of detailed topographical maps and chock-full of useful information. Well worth the $40. Also, ensure you have your compass and separate topographical map of the area. There were a few times where I had to shoot a bearing off a distant tree across an open field with no markings to ensure I crossed to the next trail marker and not on a side trail (or worse, off the path all together).
One step at a time…till you’ve made many, many steps.
As we left the trail to get back home, one of the last things I saw on the trail gave me inspiration for not only continuing, but also for life in general. “Keep Going” it said. I guess that’s really it in the end. Don’t give up. Hustle and persevere and go for it.
Keep Going. No shit, a good mantra to have. A good form of resilience.
On the weekend of 28-29-30 July, 2017, True North Tradecraft hosted the first-ever offering of The CORE Group’s Covert Entry Concepts course in Toronto. We had 9 students, an excellent venue, great food and of course, fantastic training. (To read my review of the course I attended in Maryland, click here.)
Training materials before.Training materials, after.
Friday evening saw the group meet up, make introductions and immerse themselves in Street Thief, a mockumentary based on a thief. Though not “real”, it did accurately illustrate how an actual thief does what they do, ideas for protecting against such things and using the same methodologies in conducting security assessments and Red Team-type attacks. That, coupled with some yummy pizza (no Hawaiian, you’re welcome Rob) made for a good evening.
Mmmm..pizza.
Starting bright and early on Saturday morning, we hit the ground running getting into the principles of physical security, locking mechanisms and the basics of attacking them. This was framed within the construct of proper evaluation and approach vectors for attack and assessment.
The tools.
Thanks to The Lucky Penny for providing scrumptious snacks and endless coffee to get us started and keep us going.
Freshly baked and delivered food and coffee made a huge positive impact on all of us.
The entire day was fast and furious. We hit on a vast breadth of topics and brought it all to practice very quickly. The students were introduced to various locks and their corresponding pick and bypass tools.
Checking out a tubular lock pick.
Wafer locks, pin & tumbler, dead bolts, combination locks, padlocks, warded locks, etc. The pace was fast but students picked-up the skills quickly and began to progress through to more difficult locks. After everyone felt they were getting the hang of it, we moved right into impressioning and key casting.
Key impressioning. Money for nothing and your checks for free.Key casting. Delicate but really interesting if done correctly.
Saturday had some tasty lunch too…
Rob enjoying a fine Canadian poutine. Now he has a standard to measure all others by.
The rest of the day was spent discussing elevators and their uses in Red Team operations and physical security, safes and other miscellaneous related content.
We finished off the evening as a group at a fantastic nearby Mexican restaurant where the food was excellent and the tequila and mojitos flowed.
Mmmm…guac and tequila.So much food. So good. Cheers all!
Sunday, though rough for some more than others, continued the same high tempo. We dove right into more elevator stuff and more impressioning challenges.
One challenge was who could impression a key properly before anyone else.
The second was the T-Rex Challenge. Picking a lock while a electronic muscle stimulator is hooked-up to one’s forearms. It’s a laugh for all.
Those arms are shaking. Doesn’t matter how tough you are, it was crazy.
That winners of each challenge got some stuff from our friends at Delta 2 Alpha Design (The Lolly and The Mark, and stickers, each.)
After we all stopped laughing and got feeling back in our arms, we carried on to lock bypassing, familiarization with various tools and techniques associated with it and giving them a trial run.
One of the students using an Under Door Tool to rescue someone (Rob and another student) from the bathroom.
We then transitioned to removing/replacing tamper-evident seals. A very delicate operation to say the least, this portion of the day was slow-going and painstakingly irritating when impatience wrecked it all. That said, it was very interesting in its method and application. We also discussed security posturing, use, strength and limitations of seals and tamper-evident devices along with best practices.
Making tamper-evident not-so-evident. Steady hands.
To round out the weekend, we finished on a high note with restraint escapes. Dealing in escaping unlawful custody while restrained by handcuffs, nylon zip ties, duct tape and cord. The more you know, the better prepared you will be.
Aftermath of zip tie escape.Tools of the trade.
One of the most important parts of the learning was the manner in which it was delivered. Rob’s easy-going and humorous nature, coupled with his expansive knowledge and professionalism made for a relaxed yet powerful learning environment. He is an exemplary instructor and trainer and is so giving of himself and his knowledge. That and he couldn’t get over how no one carried guns. Yay Canada. It all makes a huge positive difference.
As with all experiences of this kind, there was so much more we covered and were exposed to that it simply wouldn’t do it justice to speak to here. There is only so much you can read about or learn from on YouTube before you hit a wall. Well-delivered, quality, in-person training has no substitute. I recommend this training to anyone interested in these skills. In the end, an excellent group made an excellent class. Congratulations to all.
Certificate. It was all worth it.
We are excited about how everything went that we are already planning our next offering. Keep tuned to the Blog (and Instagram and Facebook) for more details.
Thank you to Rob and to all others who helped make this happen and make it great (See below) and thank you to all who attended.
(*all images courtesy of Kennedy Tactical Concepts – I had my hands full) (*for more information on KTC and training, click here).
This is part 2 in a series documenting my involvement in the Kennedy Tactical Concepts Masterclass. Part 1 is available here.
Session 2 with TJ was on Wednesday July 26th at the Night Owl on College St., Toronto. (The usual spot).
Again, the environment was pleasantly realistic as we headed to the basement level of the Night Owl. We even had a band setting up while going through the techniques.
This week’s topics of practice were as follows:
Combative Control Positions/positioning;
Combative Control Transitions and;
Takedowns (in combination with #1 & 2).
As with the previous format, TJ began with introductions, an overview of what we would be covering for the night, a warm-up, and then we got right into it.
The realistic environment makes for a better appreciation of the realities you would be facing. A bar, stools, a stage, musical instruments, concrete walls and of course, a dirty cement floor. Though the Combative Control Positions and Transitions were not striking per se, they were very dependent on speed, agility and technique. After an hour of practicing and building upon each technique, we moved on to takedowns.
Starting slowly at first, we quickly moved to full-speed with follow-throughs. The result was fluid takedowns with a high degree of comfort in executing the movements. We also worked on improvising all the techniques of the night against larger and smaller opponents as we were all of differing heights.
Of course, I was sporting my awesome shirt from www.tacticalbeaver.co Yes, you should Fear The Beaver.
Solid training. The next day I was sore as hell, but at least I wasn’t bleeding on a bar floor. I’ll be at the next one. Stay tuned and Stay Crafty.
How often have you thought “hey, I wish I could learn that…but the training is only available in the US. So much for that.”? I have. Many times. So, in my quest to build my own skills, I saved up some money and travelled to the United States to attend training I had my eye for months.
In November 2016, I had the privilege of attending the Covert Entry Concepts (CEC) training course in Maryland. It was put on by The CORE Group in their Maryland facilities and wow, what a good time it was.
The CORE Group
(*I lucked-out by taking two courses back-to-back at The CORE Groups’ Maryland facilities, the Covert Entry Concepts and Physical Security Analyst. This is a review for Covert Entry Concepts. I will post a review of the Physical Security Analyst soon.)
The purpose of the course, in broad strokes, is to be given an education in physical security, how to identify and exploit any weaknesses with the ultimate goal to test those weaknesses and close any found loopholes for a client to protect them from attack. As a security professional myself, I feel that expanding my skill sets is a responsibility to make me more effective in my job.
“The CORE Group was initially formed by a trio of security auditors and researchers who had collaborated on numerous projects and conference events over the years. At present, their combined experience in the physical security sector represents decades of hard knowledge and applied work. The CORE Group finds innovative ways to augment typical security auditing and assessment. Most companies incorporate digital penetration testing and web application testing into their standard procedure of self-assessment. The CORE Group offers a variety of packages that can greatly assist in a company’s understanding of their security posture at a fraction of the cost of larger, more “conventional” testing.”
The CORE Group conducts training all over, training Law Enforcement & Military, Government Agencies, Physical Security specialists, Red Team and PenTesters, IT Security and Locksport enthusiasts. They attend many of the “cons” (such as Black Hat, DEF CON, SANS, etc.) throughout the US, many times running the “Lockpick Village” and providing intensive training to professionals all over.
The course was a 2-day, Monday/Tuesday set-up. A mixed bag of Law Enforcement, Military, physical security professionals and “other, government” types. A good group of people to get to know and learn with. Our Instructor, Rob, Chief of the Law Enforcement training division of The CORE Group, was welcoming and professional from the word “go”. After some quick ice-breakers, we moved right into an introduction to lockpicking.
Learning lock picking concepts.
Discussions, anecdotes, slides and practical demonstrations were all used to great effect in training to underline the principles and applications for what were were learning about in that moment. Everything was helped by Rob’s sense of humour, positive attitude, patience and obvious expertise in the subject matter. We worked on a vast array of topics. Lock-picking; bumping; bypasses; construction; safes; tamper-evident seals; elevators; impressioning; the Mace Face Challenge; casting keys; attack vectors; padlocks; restraint escapes and so much more. So much information was covered that, even weeks later, I found myself re-reading the detailed notes I had made in an effort to absorb it all. Not only was it an incredible amount of practical and useful information, but much of it was eye-opening and fascinating as well. Not all aspects are covered in every session that Rob delivers due to geography or other issues, but my experience was just great.
Here is a look at some of the stuff we got to play with:
Learning to cut keys.Classroom all set-up.The challenges ahead…The tools. The cookie is of the utmost importance.Practicing skills.
After enjoying amazing chicken, fantastic bbq, getting to know the other participants and doing an awesome escape exercise preceded by burpees (I hate burpees) it ended up being a really great time.
I felt as if it was a skill-building game-changer. The depth and breadth of knowledge shared and learned was exceptional. Though these are all perishable skills requiring regular practice, the base is unmistakably solid. It certainly opened the door to a world of opportunities. The people I met and the confidence in my abilities were well worth the cost and effort to travel south of the border. I highly recommend taking this training if you have the means and opportunity. It’s a staple of tradecraft and is useful in a myriad of situations (all ethically bounded, of course). Use your powers for good. And if you work hard, you can earn one of these…
The prize. Earned. BOOM.
NOW…
If you’re interested in taking this course IN CANADA, True North Tradecraft, in partnership with Tactical Beaver, will be sponsoring a unique run of this course in downtown Toronto on the weekend of July 28-29-30, 2017, to be taught by Rob of The CORE Group. This training is not available anywhere else in Canada (to my knowledge – and I’ve searched) and is well worth it’s weight in gold. It will include top-tier instruction, a kit of equipment for you to practice on and keep when you’re done and breakfast daily with dinner on the Friday night. For more detailed information, e-mail us at [email protected] . Spaces are limited and booking up already. Tactical Beaver will also have a table with great apparel available to purchase at a discount.
Check it out. It’s a really great opportunity to learn from an expert in the field and do so IN CANADA!
