1. Itty Bitty Mighty Light
I was going to wait and put this Powertac E3R Nova- 820 Lumen Rechargeable Flashlight into our Holiday Gift Guide, as I think it could be everyone’s favorite stocking stuffer, but these may very well sell out if you wait for everyone else to remember their elf duties. This little flashlight is a perfect everyday-carry choice, with its impressive 86-meter beam distance and low, high and strobe settings. It’s also weather-resistant, difficult to activate accidentally, rechargeable and only 3.24 inches long. (powertac.com; $39.95)
2. Fantastic Fixed Blade
I’ve been searching for the perfect fixed-blade knife for a while, and this 6.25-inch one from Bear & Son Cutlery stopped me in my tracks. Besides being gorgeous, it’s made of high-definition Damascus steel with a drop-point blade, so it should cut through anything you need it to. It’s also lightweight, thanks in part to the skeletonized handle, and comes with a Kydex sheath. (bearandsoncutlery.com; $173.99)
3. Smarter Dry Practice
Every decent instructor I know recommends dry practice as the best way to maintain your skills, but it has its downsides, the most significant of which is that you must reset the trigger, leading you to practice racking the slide after every trigger pull. The DryFireMag company has long had a solution for that, offering practice magazines that don’t require you to rack the slide, and they have since added a Smart version, which allows you to use a SureStrike laser cartridge to ensure your aim isn’t going astray. Smart DryFireMags are currently available for some Glock, SIG Sauer and Palmetto State Armory models. (dryfiremag.com; $299)
