Author: Jack Bogart

For over a century, the 1906 Antiquities Act has bestowed the president with extraordinary power over public lands. With one swift stroke of a pen, a president can create a national monument on federal land to protect historic landmarks or structures. Since the bill passed, 18 presidents have created 168 national monuments, but in the last decade, just two of them have been at the center of major political debate, and they are back in the news yet again. On Monday, President Trump signed an executive order to shrink Bears Ears and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monuments. What Are These Monuments?…

MINNEAPOLIS – July 13, 2026 – Polaris Government and Defense, a division of Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII), has secured an order for MRZR D4 vehicles from the Belgium Ministry of Defence, leveraging the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) framework contract. The contract is valued at $10.6 million and is the first call order from the NSPA framework contract, which was first awarded to Polaris in September 2025. This procurement approach fulfills competition requirements, streamlines the acquisition process and eliminates the need for additional, time-consuming and costly trials and competitions. In addition to bulk pricing benefits and expedited acquisition, NSPA…

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness was already having a bad year. In April, President Donald Trump signed H.J. Res. 140, overturning a 20-year rule that protected 225,504 acres of Superior National Forest from mineral and geothermal leasing. The decision reopened the surrounding national forest land to potential mineral development. Now, wildfires have shut down the wilderness entirely. The U.S. Forest Service closed all public access to the Boundary Waters at 12 a.m. Tuesday, July 14, as fires spread amid unusually hot, dry, and windy weather. The closure covers the entire 1-million–acre wilderness and approximately 1,900 campsites. The Forest Service…

It’s hard to find climbing pants that do it all. The Black Diamond Sequence Pants ($99) come pretty close. There are a lot of options to sort through, and narrowing choices down by discipline is only part of the challenge. Finding a pair that fits well and moves well is another thing entirely. One of the questions I hear most at the crag is, “How do you like those pants?” This means many of us are still trying to find the perfect pair. The Black Diamond Sequence Pants do a lot of things right, and one of their main draws…

By Friedrich Seiltgen Posted in #Guns In 1896, Fritz Mann opened for business in Suhlerneundorf, Thüringen, as the Fritz Mann Feinmaschinen — Waffen — und Werkzeugfabrik. This translates to Machinery — Weapons — and Tools factory. Fritz also produced small engines, ski accessories, helmets, and auto parts. In 1918, at the end of World War I and the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm, Fritz Mann ventured into the firearms trade to dominate the vest-pocket pistol market. At the time, small concealable pistols were all the rage, and the FN Model 1906 was perhaps the most popular vest-pocket pistol…

Jacksonville, Alabama – Bear OPS, the tactical division of Bear & Son Cutlery, introduces the Nekema™ II, a purpose-built everyday carry knife designed to meet the demands of concealed carry, tactical use, and hard daily wear. Made in the USA at Bear OPS’ facility in Jacksonville, Alabama, the Nekema II reflects the brand’s uncompromising approach to quality, performance, and reliability. At the core of the Nekema™ II is a 3.5-inch Sandvik® 14C28N stainless steel blade, offered with a modified drop-point profile. Known for its excellent edge retention, corrosion resistance, and ease of sharpening, 14C28N is an ideal steel for serious EDC users.…

At SOF Week I got my first look at the Mini-GL40 from Wilcox Industries. Their RAAM GSS (Rapid Acquisition Aiming Module Grenade Sighting System) is highly successful and been adopted by the US military as well as some of our allies as an effective fire control solution for 40mm Grenade Launchers. During its development and fielding the team at Wilcox Ind had a lot of interaction with grenadiers and took what they had learned to develop the Mini-GL40. First and foremost, the Mini-GL40 is intended to be used at all times with the RAAM GSS M (Modified) and the two…

Space Force Aligns for Wartime Footing with Third Tranche of PAEs ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —   In the latest milestone of the ongoing Department of War-driven Acquisition Transformation, the Space Force has designated its third tranche of mission areas that will be assigned Portfolio Acquisition Executives including: Advanced Capabilities, Electromagnetic Warfare and Cyber, and Space Combat Power. “Moving our portfolios into the PAE model completes a vital shift in our culture and operations,” said Thomas Ainsworth, performing the duties of the assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration. “By pushing accountability and authority down to the…

Rheinmetall Electronics UK is playing a key role as a member of Omnia Training, the consortium selected to deliver the Army Collective Training Service(ACTS) as part of the British Army’s Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP). Led by Raytheon UK as the prime contractor, Omnia Training brings together a range of leading industry partners to deliver a transformative collective training capability for the British Army. Raytheon is an RTX business. Rheinmetall, as the Land Collective Training Partner, supports the design and delivery of key elements of the programme. Rheinmetall’s share of the contract, worth just under €1 billion, The consortium will…

I didn’t wake up planning to swap sneakers for sandals, but after my last pair split in multiple spots, I needed something fast. Lately, my routine has been 5-mile walks every weekday, plus two to three workouts, weekend hikes, and errands in between. With no backup and no interest in skipping a single workout, I turned to the Teva Hurricane XLT3 — a sandal. They looked rugged, secure, and capable of handling my daily grind, so I figured, why not? Desperation met curiosity. As it turned out, they could handle it. The standout right away was the 5mm cushioned midsole.…