As I type this I’m steadily snuffling, sneezing and hacking up the yuck I brought back from SHOT Show. The “SHOT Show Crud” is a commonly known side-effect of attending the show—or any other convention with so many people for that matter. Usually it’s just a bad cold but it can be the flu, or in one case I remember, a gentlemen who ignored it for too long and ended up with pneumonia. Interestingly, this time around, as I flew back from Las Vegas, news about the coronavirus was going around. I arrived home early on Saturday morning and on Sunday there was news about a confirmed coronavirus case on the same airline, from and to the same airport, on the same day. Thankfully, it was a different time of day and not my flight. Still, such illnesses, ranging from the common cold to the more exotic diseases like the coronavirus, are always a potential when you travel to large conventions. Protect yourself. LOTS of Vitamin C helps along with using hand sanitizer and protecting yourself from the coughs / sneezes of others.
Another big challenge of such shows is hydration. There’s a reason why a 16oz bottle of water costs $4 from the show floor vendors and why so many exhibitors have custom labeled FREE bottles of water they are constantly offering. Hydration matters. Dehydration can hurt you beyond the physical. It can impact cognitive capabilities, short term memory and more. Staying hydrated during the event is a big deal, and staying properly hydrated if you’re recovering from the SHOT Show crud is a good thing too.
With an average of 8+ miles walked per day (this year), eating properly is a challenge. Healthy is hard to find in Las Vegas at times. Taking healthy snacks, ordering salads instead of pasta, etc. helps. Still, I lost three pounds attending this year’s SHOT Show. I knew it was coming and welcomed it.
Then you’re home. And you have all the information you collected during the show to sort through. Everything from a plethora of digital photos to the assorted press kits on jump drives and the inevitable stack of business cards has to be sorted, prioritized, organized, etc. I think I’ll be done by December.
All joking aside, it’s a lot of material. Printed out I’m guessing it would easily be a file box full or roughly 40 to 50 pounds of paper. I will continue to diligently sort it and fill you all in as quickly as I can on anything of great value. SHOT Show was surely full of new weapons, new armor designs, some new apparel items, new footwear, new knives, multi-tools and more. From the 5.11 Tactical Trainers to the Ruger 5.7mm pistol to the Glock Model 44 in .22lr, we’ll be covering everything we found new at the show throughout the year. Look for our reviews and commentary.
As always, stay safe. This time of year begins the budgeting process for many agencies and chiefs / command staff members have to start justifying every penny they’re asking for. Think not only about technology but also about the basic survival needs of your officers. Body armor can be updated, holsters replaced, duty ammunition upgraded. Talk to your staff and have them reach “down stream” to the officers to see what the perceived needs are; take care of the troops.
