A long time ago I was an 0311 Rifleman in the United States Marine Corps. I am very proud of my time in the Marine Corps, and that’s why I have used the Marine Corps emblem that was adopted in 1798 as part of my logo. (That emblem was the predecessor to the modern Eagle, Globe, and Anchor. The USMC emblem of 1798 is still used by the Marine Corps today: it is on each button of a Marine’s dress uniforms.) I use the knowledge and experience I got as a grunt in making my gear. You may not spend weeks in the field; but your gear is made to hold up under those conditions.

Those experiences also color how I make my gear. I won’t make gear that has ninety pockets or has hardware or straps hanging off in every conceivable direction. My gear is streamlined to prevent noise and/or light, and to keep it from getting hung up on branches or fences or doorknobs; and it’s designed to be simple, because that makes it stronger and easier to use, especially in high-stress situations.

It is said that if you put a Marine Corps grunt alone in a padded room with a 150 pound solid steel ball and come back in fifteen minutes, the ball will be broken in half--half of the ball will be missing and the other half will have been impregnated.