Well, there's plenty of ammo in there, of course...
Every weekend I hit the range, with my enormous range bag in tow.
Admittedly, there are times when it's overflowing with somewhat unnecessary items (is it a baseball cap day or a beanie day or a western hat day? Hard to say, I better take them all....), but there are a bunch of essentials that I always make sure I have on hand. These are things that can make the difference between a great day at the range, and an average day.
Here's my list of the 7 most useful items in my range bag (besides my ammo of course!):
Knife or scissors
I will admit to being a sucker for a pretty knife (see my favourite damascus blade above). But seriously, if I had a dollar for every time I needed a cutting tool to do something at the range, I'd be rich, RICH!
Lens cloth
Most ranges require that all shooters wear eye protection whilst on the firing line, to protect yourself from shrapnel, hot brass and the like. But there's certainly nothing worse than a mark on your glasses distracting you from your target! It's worth getting a high quality lens cloth, and remember to wash it regularly - when the cloth gets dirty, it doesn't clean the lens so much as just push the dirt around.
Lip balm
Sometimes the smallest thing can put us off our game, and lead to lack of concentration and missed targets. Wind and sun can dry out your lips pretty quickly - don't forget to pack the lip balm, to ensure there is one less thing to focus on when you walk up to firing line. I always choose one that contains sunscreen, to protect my lips from the sun.
Bandaids
Maybe it's just because I'm a total klutz, but it's not uncommon for me to nick myself on something when I'm at the range! They are always great to have on hand.
Eye drops
These can be a godsend especially for long distance matches and sunny or windy days that tire out your eyes. Many chemists now stock packs of single use bottles. Just remember to use your waterproof mascara that morning!
Hair ties/clips
For keeping the hair out of your face when the wind picks up! Even when I had a short pixie haircut, I would still bring hair clips to stop strands of hair tickling my face when I was trying to take a shot.
Work gloves
This is a must if you're shooting steel - particularly when you're resetting and packing up targets, as a lot of lead can rub off on your hands, but they also protect your hands when handling other types of targets.
What's in your range bag?Labels: range bag, target shooting, women in shooting
