1. Seeing … Blue? Red-dot optics are all the rage, but green has also been relatively popular. Now, thanks to Lucid Optics, we have blue. The company claims blue is the fastest color transmitted to the eye and might help you stay calm. But, for me, the clincher is that so many people, particularly men, are red/green colorblind. This includes my husband, and he does indeed find the blue dot far easier to acquire. Lucid’s E7 micro enclosed reflex sight sports a 4-MOA blue dot inside a three-quarter inverted 32-MOA circle with sighting wedges that lead like a road to that center dot. It has a parallax-free, 60-foot field of view at 100 yards, goes to sleep after two hours if you forget to turn it off and shakes awake. It comes with plates to fit carbines and handguns. (lucidoptics.com; $299.99)
2. Just What You Need This Trail Blazer folding knife from V Nives was designed by John Nores, a game warden who pioneered a tactical unit to fight the exponential damage to wildlands and wildlife caused by drug cartels—the “thin green line,” if you will. The knife’s 3.75-inch drop-point D2 steel blade is partially serrated and its flip-out mechanism makes for an excellent tang to ensure your grip stays right where it should, while the liner lock ensures the knife does the same. A glass breaker and belt cutter make this blade an extra functional everyday carry item. It is also available in “thin blue line,” “thin red line” and OD green. (vnives.com; $139.95)
