When you join the military, you’re going to learn some new life skills. How to make a bed. How to shine your shoes. And, how to effectively pack a bag.

We recently asked former and current members of the military who follow AoM for their best packing tips, and we got a ton of responses. Far and away the #1 submission was this: Learn to roll your clothes. 

An effective packing technique whether you’re a soldier headed out for deployment or a civilian headed out for vacation, the Ranger or Army Roll is a method of “folding” your clothes that keeps them both compact and tidy. It makes your clothes look like tight, well-rolled burritos, and minimizes the amount they wrinkle, as well as their footprint in your bag. Ranger-rolled clothes take up less space in your suitcase and keep it better organized. On the latter front, you can also roll up outfits — shirt, socks, underwear — together into a single, action-ready pouch.

The only downside to the Ranger Roll is that it does take longer to do than simpler folds — at least before you’ve practiced it a lot and gotten the technique down pat. You’ve really got to focus on making a nice, tight roll for each piece of clothing in order for this method to work. But the tradeoff in time is worth it, as it allows you to pack more in a single bag, saving you from schlepping around multiple pieces of luggage and paying the attendant fees for those extra bags if you’re flying. 

Below we highlight how to Ranger roll four different pieces of clothing. Follow the instructions with military-esque precision, and you’ll be packing your bag like a seasoned veteran in no time.

And if you’re curious as to what additional packing tips came up in our survey, here are some of the other most popular responses (thanks to everyone who submitted their tips!):

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

Some of you might be thinking, “Brett, why should I learn how to pick a lock if I don’t plan on breaking into people’s homes?”

Great question.

There are a few good reasons why law-abiding citizens should learn how to pick a lock:

Lock picking opens your eyes to the “illusion of security.” We all lock our doors to keep our loved ones safe at night and to secure our possessions during the day. After I picked my first lock within two minutes of learning how to do it, I realized that locks don’t really do much except provide the illusion of security. Locks make us feel safe, but if someone really wanted to get in your house, they could easily pick the lock on your front door. If they didn’t know how to do that, they could find another way in. You can’t just rely on a lock to keep you and your family safe. You need to utilize other tools and tactics and create multiple layers of security.

Realizing how little locks actually keep you and your stuff safe was both terrifying and surprisingly heartwarming. Terrifying because I saw that someone could easily enter my house and walk off with a crapload of stuff without having to break a window; heartwarming because seeing how easy it is to pick a lock and yet how rarely people get burgled, made me realize that most people don’t break into homes because, well, most people are good people.

It makes you handy. If you’ve ever been locked out of your house or car, you know how annoying it is to be standing there like a chump, waiting for someone to show up with a key or a professional locksmith to arrive. Wouldn’t you love to be able to jimmy your way in yourself? Not only can this skill save you a lot of time and money, being able to solve a problem like that on your own is pretty dang satisfying. Plus, you can help out all your friends when they get locked out too.

Knowing how to pick a lock may even help you save a life one day. ITS Tactical has highlighted a few instances in which someone picked their way into an older parent’s home because they weren’t answering the phone, only to find their parent collapsed on the floor. Could they have kicked the door down or broken a window? Sure. But picking a lock just takes a few seconds and doesn’t leave any damage. So why wouldn’t you do that if you could?

It’s a cool and fun skill! There’s simply a “cool” factor of knowing how to pick a lock. Of all the Jason Bourne-esque skills every man wishes he had, it’s one of the most attainable. The idea that I can surreptitiously enter most doors without a key makes me feel all-powerful, like some sort of super ninja-spy.

It’s also a fun little hobby and something I like to do when I’m taking breaks from work or hanging out with the kids while they do their kid thing on the carpet. If you get really into lock picking, you can actually go to events and contests to test your skills against other lock pickers.

Below we walk you through basic lock-picking techniques for tumbler locks. I made a lock picking YouTube video a few years ago that shows how to do this step-by-step.

The Legality of Lock Picking

There’s a common misconception that the only people who can legally own lock-picking tools are first responders or licensed locksmiths. The reality is that in most states, as long as you’re not trying to illegally enter someone’s home with your lock-picking set, you can legally own, carry, and use lock-picking tools.

There are, however, some states that have laws that make owning lock-picking tools prima facie evidence of criminal intent. If you’re caught with picks in these states and you want to avoid criminal charges, you have to prove that you didn’t plan on committing a crime.

Long story short: owning lock-picking tools and learning how to pick locks is perfectly legal and ethical as long as you do so without nefarious intent. Just be a decent human being. For a summary of lock-picking laws across the country, see here.

How to Pick a Pin Tumbler Lock

Pin tumbler locks are the most common locks found on the front doors of homes. So it makes for a good first lock to learn how to pick.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

In an age when every tap, text, and location ping is tracked, there are times when a little anonymity goes a long way. Whether you’re traveling through a dicey region or working on a top-secret project, a burner phone can provide a level of privacy and security that your primary device simply can’t. The ability to buy and use one under the radar is a bit of know-how worth having — even if you never need to use it.

These days, you can actually purchase a smartphone that’s meant to be a burner and has access to the internet and apps. But they’re more expensive, often require some type of account setup or sign-in, and have shorter battery life. It’s best to stick with the simplest available option like the old school flip phone or brick-style model that doesn’t do much besides calls and texts. The fewer features, the fewer ways your anonymity can be compromised.

Using a burner phone effectively takes more than just buying a cheap prepaid flip phone, though. To stay truly off the grid, you need to understand how and when to use it, what not to do, and how to properly dispose of it when you’re done. Follow these steps above to ensure your short-term phone serves its purpose: keeping you connected when needed, and untraceable when not.

Illustration by Ted Slampyak

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

There you are, captured behind enemy lines, locked in a makeshift POW camp. Your only chance of escape? The M60 Patton tank sitting unguarded just beyond the fence. If you’re able to get inside it, would you be able to start it up and pilot the tank for a getaway?

While you might never find yourself needing to commandeer a tank for a daring escape, there’s something undeniably appealing about knowing how to operate one of these steel monsters. Tony Borglum, owner of Drive a Tank in Minnesota, has taught thousands of people the basics of tank operation, and in this illustrated guide, we’ll share his instructions for piloting an M60 Patton.

Why the M60 Patton?

Because it was so dang ubiquitous in the second half of the 20th century.

Most of us grew up playing with little green army men. That tank in your collection was almost certainly modeled after the M60 Patton. Named after one of America’s greatest tank strategists, General George Patton, the M60 was the backbone of American armored forces for decades after WWII. This 52-ton beast saw action from the Cold War through Desert Storm, earning its reputation as one of the most reliable tanks ever built.

Because we’re showing you how to drive an M60 Patton, we thought it only fitting to have Old Blood and Guts himself show you the ropes. 

Illustration by Ted Slampyak

Thanks to Tony at Drive a Tank for the tips!

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

Your contact is somewhere in this sea of faces, but you can’t be seen talking to him — can’t even acknowledge his existence. One wrong move, one glance from the wrong person, and years of careful work — not to mention your life — could be over in an instant.

This is where the brush pass comes in. A technique perfected during the Cold War, it allowed spies to exchange documents, money, or other small items without ever appearing to interact. Two operatives would simply walk past each other, and in that brief, choreographed moment, critical intelligence would change hands.

You may not be running clandestine ops behind the Iron Curtain, but the brush pass remains one of the most elegant and discreet ways to transfer something unnoticed. Requiring subtle technique and magician-like sleight of hand, it’s a master art of secret-agent subterfuge. 

Illustration by Ted Slampyak

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

A few years ago, we were cat-sitting for some friends. They gave me keys to the exterior door leading into their garage. Once inside, I was able to access the unlocked door that went from the garage into the house. Easy peasy.

Well, one day, I took my kids with me to feed the cats, and one of them decided to lock the spring-loaded latch as we exited the house into the garage. As I was about to leave through the garage door, I started to hear the click-click-click of the gas stove ignitor.

Since there was no one else in the house, that was definitely weird.

“Holy crap!” I thought. “The cats must be turning on the gas stove! They’re going to blow up the house! I got to get in there to turn it off . . . but I don’t have keys to unlock this door!”

Thankfully, I had my wallet with me. I pulled out a rewards card and shimmied open the spring-latched door — just like MacGyver would.

When the door popped open, the cats were staring at me. I rushed to the stove. The gas wasn’t turned on. I called my friend to ask about the clicking noise.

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “The ignitor does that sometimes. The gas isn’t on, but the ignitor will make that clicking noise. Don’t sweat it.”

Non-crisis averted.

If you’re ever in an actual emergency where you need to open a door you don’t have keys for, it’s good to have the know-how illustrated above in your back pocket. While this method won’t work on every type of lock (like deadbolts or high-security locks), it can work on spring-latch locks, which are typically found on interior doors.

By doing nothing more than sliding a flexible plastic card (preferably one you don’t mind potentially damaging) between the door frame and the locking mechanism, you can often gain entry in under a minute without harming the door or the lock.

The next time you think a cat has figured out how to turn the knobs on a stove, you’ll be prepared.

Illustration by Ted Slampyak

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

The military shower, also known as the “Navy” or “combat” shower, is a method of showering that conserves water by employing a strategic stop-and-start approach. While it originated on naval ships where freshwater is limited, the method is also deployed by other branches of the military in water-scarce environments — like remote bases, forward operating posts, and field-training exercises.

The process of a military shower is simple: get wet, shut off the water, soap up, turn the water back on, and rinse off fast. That’s it. It’s efficient and effective: while the average shower lasts eight minutes and uses around twenty gallons of water, a military shower can be done in as little as two minutes and uses less than three gallons. And it still gets you clean.

For civilians, the military shower is useful if you want to lower your water bill and conserve resources, and it can be utilized in situations where water may be rationed or scarce — like camping or grid-down emergencies. Or it can simply be practiced as a daily exercise in self-discipline (along with the James Bond cold shower).

If you find yourself even shorter on water, use the “bird bath” technique to clean up. Skip the shower entirely and wash with a washcloth, a small basin of water, and some soap. Focus on the key zones: face, pits, groin, and feet. It won’t get you all the way clean, but it’ll freshen you up when water’s most scarce.

Illustration by Ted Slampyak

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

An important part of manhood has always been about having the competence to be effective in the world — having the breadth of skills, the savoir-faire, to handle any situation you find yourself in. With that in mind, each Sunday we’ll be republishing one of the illustrated guides from our archives, so you can hone your manly know-how week by week.

In the world of hand-to-hand combat, there are few tactics more brutally effective than throwing a powerful elbow to an assailant’s face. The elbow is one of the hardest and sharpest parts on the human body. It can deliver blunt force trauma to your target as well as cut their skin. Elbows can be thrown with devastating force even if your attacker has you close to him or if you’re on the ground. An elbow strike can also be used as a back-up to a missed punch. Thanks to the multiplicity of benefits, the elbow strike should part of every man’s self-defense arsenal. 

In this illustrated guide, we highlight three ways to throw an elbow strike: horizontal, reverse horizontal, and vertical. As with the punch, remember that the power of the elbow strike comes primarily from the rotation of the hips and torso. 

Like this illustrated guide? Then you’re going to love our book The Illustrated Art of Manliness! Pick up a copy on Amazon.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

When you think of a combat roll, your mind might jump to scenes from video games or action movies (here’s 60 seconds of unnecessary cinematic combat rolls for your viewing pleasure).

But this dynamic maneuver, also known as a shoulder roll, is more than just cinematic spectacle — it’s a practical skill with real-world applications in martial arts, parkour, and even everyday life. It’s a great way to quickly evade an attack or break a jump from heights.

In this illustrated guide, we’ll break down the mechanics of executing a proper combat roll, with the instructions used in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.

Whether you’re looking to enhance your self-defense repertoire, add flair to your athletic pursuits, or simply impress your kids, mastering this technique can be both useful and fun, because, let’s be honest, it just feels really cool to do them. And that’s reason enough to learn.

Illustration by Ted Slampyak

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

When you’re out plinking with your pistol, you’re likely going to encounter trigger pulls when the gun goes “click” instead of “bang!” 

There are three common reasons why your semiautomatic pistol could malfunction. Today, we’re going to show you how to handle them.

General Safety Guidelines

When diagnosing and correcting a pistol malfunction, continue to practice good pistol safety. 

Maintain trigger discipline. When diagnosing and correcting a malfunction, keep your trigger finger off the trigger and place it outside the trigger guard. You don’t want to accidentally squeeze the trigger while trying to figure out what’s going wrong with your pistol. 

Keep the barrel pointed downrange.  One type of misfire you might experience is a hang fire, which is delay between when the firing pin strikes the primer and when the gun fires. You don’t want the barrel pointed at yourself if that’s the case. Keep your barrel pointed downrange. 

Type 1 Malfunction

A Type 1 malfunction occurs when you pull the trigger and you hear “click.” It’s the most common malfunction you’ll encounter. A type 1 malfunction is typically caused by one of two things: 1) failure to feed, or 2) failure to fire. Failure to feed can be caused by the magazine not being fully seated; failure to fire can be caused by bad ammo. 

The remedy for a Type 1 malfunction is simple: tap, rack, bang. 

Type 2 Malfunction: Stovepipe

A Type 2 malfunction occurs when an empty casing gets stuck in the ejection port, which prevents a new round from being chambered. The spent casing kind of looks like a stovepipe sticking out of your ejection port, so this type of malfunction is often called a “stovepipe” malfunction. The telltale symptoms of a stovepipe malfunction are a mushy trigger and the lack of the gun going “bang.”

Stovepipe malfunctions typically occur because your grip isn’t firm enough on the pistol, which doesn’t give the slide enough resistance while moving back and forth. If stovepipes happen to you a lot, you may need to work on your pistol grip.

The remedy to a Type 2 Malfunction is the same as a Type 1: tap, rack, bang. 

Type 3 Malfunction: Double Feed

A Type 3 malfunction, also known as a double feed, is less common but still important to understand. It occurs when a round attempts to enter the chamber while another round is already there. A sign of a double feed is a mushy trigger when you squeeze it.

If you experience multiple Type 3 malfunctions in a single shooting session, it might be time to have your pistol inspected. A damaged extractor could be the culprit. However, if the issue only happens with one specific magazine, you’ve likely identified the problem: time for a new mag.

The remedy for a Type 3 malfunction is more involved than tap, rack, bang. The extra steps are necessary because there’s pressure built up from the round trying to enter an already occupied chamber, which can cause the magazine to stick.

Practicing How to Handle Pistol Malfunctions

You can practice how to handle the three types of pistol misfires using dummy rounds. Just use the dummy round to set up the different types of malfunctions and practice the clearing methods we discussed above. 

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.