It really shouldn’t be any surprise to you that I’m a big fan of guns, pointy objects and nylon tactical gear. My Instagram feed is constantly updated (between the images of lunch plates and dog faces) with gear pics. I used to keep a pretty regular blog, now defunct, on the particular subject of gear reviews and preparedness philosophies. Back in the day, it was called ‘civilian sheepdog‘. Broken links and all, you’re welcome to explore the link above for old reviews and entirely subjective takes on world events.

I came up with the idea for Tango November while playing CS:GO. If the idea of a guy who takes shooting sports, preparedness and investing in good gear seriously in the same sentence as gaming culture puts you off, here’s your opportunity to quit reading. I’m less likely to pander for pageviews in this blog – as an older writer, I’m more interested in writing for the sake of inspiration, not web traffic. I play competitive CS:GO avidly, or, as avidly as a business-owning-dad can take anything. For a while before I got into the more competitive side of Counterstrike, I would play casual games, dressed in whatever tan webbing I could scrounge up, and talk about gear and guns while I play. It was good fun, but as life gets busier, sometimes I don’t want to engage strangers with everything I do. TangoNovember was put into reserve, after a while. I new the name would stick to something, and as I started this blog up, I thought it would be a good chance to write totally subjective reviews on gear again.

Great gear, good writing.

The premise is simple, really. Over the years, tactical-styled gear has infiltrated well into mainstream use. At the store we run, many kids are coming in with little recon packs filled to the brim with MtG cards. While that’s not specifically what I’m talking about here, there’s no doubting that pocket knives and tactical gear in general has moved past the prepper and into the homes of many. I’m a gear-nerd the same way I’m a gaming nerd. I’m invested in learning about the industry, the products and the outcomes of both. I want to engage you fine folk of the internet through type to talk about these parts of my interest and plan to do so under the category of Tango November. Not only a cool name, I can see it getting a spot-lit place on this blog once the inevitable redesign takes place to put content in more easily accessible places.

I want to review new stuff that I get. I’d love to be afforded the opportunity to review new stuff from companies willing to participate, too. Traditionally, I would review a piece of kit and give it away to one of my readers in the CSD days of blogging – maybe we can affect the same idea here. I’m a couple weeks away from having my RPAL brought home (just paperwork, government stuff to do) and with it, an M&P9 and an NEA15. Lots to talk about, I’m sure.

It would be my best guess to assume that a bunch of people might identify with a cool name like Tango November and further, the idea of a regular dad, non-operator, gamer type guy reviewing kit for purposes outside collecting might put a unique slant on the idea. This is an avenue for content generation that really works, too, because it’s slower speed than video, which demands more updates and a much larger investment of time.

If you’re into this idea, feel free to leave a comment below or sign up for the email blast, off to the right of this post. Without a schedule to keep at this point, I’ve got a few ideas for upcoming discussions on kit and mindset, so check back and I’ll see you at the range!