Trips to the shooting range are an integral part of the firearms experience. It is the only place where we can go to test equipment, refine our skills, and train in a controlled environment. Trips to the range can also serve other purposes; for me a trip to the range often helps to relax my mind as much as it does help to improve my shooting. Range time isn’t always all sunshine and rainbows, however. Everyone has had something happen that cut their trigger time short, whether it be some sort of equipment malfunction or just running out of ammunition. I was recently getting my equipment together for a quick trip to zero some optics (check out the previous post about them!) and I realized it would be fun and informative to take a look into my range bag, and everything that I take with me on a typical trip to the range.
My range bag itself is just an old backpack that I’ve had forever. I find that it’s easier for me to be able to carry everything in a backpack because it keeps both hands free to carry other stuff. This backpack used to carry my computer to class with me in college, and after sitting in a closet for a few years it’s seeing a resurgence as my permanent range bag. It’s a “tactical-style” pack from SOG with one main compartment, two smaller external compartments, and a side pocket for a water bottle. It’s not the biggest thing in the world, but I find that it has enough storage for my typical range trip.
On the outside pockets I keep most of what I consider to be essential support equipment. This includes ear protection, eye protection, and first aid equipment.
In the larger of the two pockets I keep ear and eye protection. I like to keep two pairs of both in the bag, even if I’m going by myself. The ear protection in this bag are both pairs of Impact Sport earmuffs by Howard Leight. They’re lightweight while still providing a good amount of sound suppression. Being electronic, they can amplify ambient sounds under a certain sound level while automatically cutting out and suppressing louder sounds. In simple terms, they make speech louder while making gunshots quiet, so you can speak and be heard in a normal voice without having to take them off.
Eye protection is handled by Vise glasses from Heatwave Visual. These are sunglasses normally, but I use Z87 rated clear or tinted lenses. Again I like to keep two sets in the bag at all times.
I want to make a special call out to the first aid kit, because I think that the first aid kit is a critical part of the range kit that many overlook. When working with firearms, an injury you encounter might very likely be severe so it makes sense to keep a trauma kit handy. The kit I have is a North American Rescue M-FAK, which contains tourniquets, chest seal, gauze, bandage, and nitrile gloves. It’s kept in a marked pouch that’s a completely different color than the backpack so it’s easy to recognize, and in its own compartment so I won’t have to go digging if I need it.
The main compartment is where I keep most of what I consider the “everyday” range accessories. These include gun cleaning and maintenance supplies as well as basic tools. This is also where I keep the ammo I’m going to use for the day, as well as my "special tactical brass collection device". (It’s actually an empty M&M’s container from Costco!)
I keep all of my maintenance and lubrication supplies in a small zipper pouch. This lets me be ready in case a gun needs to be broken down and cleaned and/or lubricated, and in case an optic needs to be zeroed or have its zero adjusted. I have a few bottles of cleaning and lubricating agents in small squeezable needle bottles, a pack of small cleaning cloths, and a rag to work on. There are also a few small screwdrivers as well as a laser boresighter. For cleaning I use Break Free CLP, and for lubrication I use ALG Go-Juice VTG. The screwdrivers are just a cheap pack of micro drivers from Harbor Freight; I keep both philips and flat head.
Finally, I keep the ammo that I’m going to use for the day in the plastic bins that reloading components come in. This is handy for two reasons; first the bins are a perfect size to house 150-250 rounds, and second because the bins are already labeled with caliber and projectile weight. (the projectiles themselves are from Berry’s…I’ll go over my reloading endeavors in a future post!)
All in all I think that this is a solid range-day setup. What's in your range day bag? Did you find anything that you're thinking about adding after seeing my setup? Let me know! As always, you can click on the pictures to shop for anything that I've talked about today from Brownells or Amazon. That's it for now. Stay safe!