JWR,
I was having a discussion tonight with a friend of mine who has his own plans. One of the things that came up is those other things we may be missing from our “duty equipment”. It’s great to have rifles, pistols, magazines, bullet proof vests, gas masks and all the other kit. But the one thing we were both missing was hearing protection. While some people may argue that the damage done to the ears during a gunfight is “minimal”. If you are firing your MBR in indoor conditions, you will be in some very serious pain in a very short time. This can damage you for life, as well as severely compromise your combat effectiveness.
The other argument against is that hearing protection may compromise your ability to detect a hidden enemy. This is true, but it depends entirely on the technology you are using.
The answer we both agreed on is the use of electronic hearing protectors.
Personally, I’ve been using the Peltor tactical 6S (sound trap) for almost a year now, and am deeply in love with them. These muffs (or ones like them) give a moderate degree of protection against impulse damage (gunfire or explosions) typically on the order of 21dB. However, the advantage, is that these have electronics inside the earphones which will also amplify non-damaging sounds. In addition, the sound trap model has an optional cable that allows you to connect your headphones to your personal radio. (For example CB, MURS, FRS,GMRS, or Ham) which could make a lot of difference.
The best price I’ve found is here.
There is also a cheaper model which doesn’t have the headset plug.
While the battery power for these is somewhat of a concern, they are well worth what you might spend keeping a few extra sets of AAA rechargeables (2 for each ear) around. Even without the batteries, they are still good at protecting your hearing. I don’t know what your opinion is on these. But I’ve been very happy with mine, and wonder why I didn’t make plans to keep these things around sooner. (I think I may even order an extra set) – Drew
Letter Re: The Importance of Proper Hearing Protection
