“The gear isn’t the goal”

A response I wrote elsewhere to some good-natured ribbing from a fan of the show about my new competition belt and magazine pouches and the skills > tools mantra:

Heh, yeah. The idea is that gear just needs to be “good enough”.

I switched to a double belt as means to an end: dry firing better. I found threading mag pouches and holsters on to my belt around my existing belt loops meant everything was in a slightly different position each day when I went to dry fire. (As an aside, I’ve been dry firing intermittently for years. It was only when I started regularly, deliberately practicing that I started noticing flaws like this. I reckon there’s a separate lesson there.)

Consistency is key to effective practice.

That was this summer getting ready to shoot Production at Nationals. Contemplating going back to Single Stack, I was facing going back to my inconsistent mish-mash of 1911 pouches I really didn’t like. Rather than struggle against them, I figured why waste my time when I could waste a little money instead.

I like the new belt and pouches fine, but like most pieces of good gear, the best I can say is that I don’t think about or worry about them. They’re just there.

The gear isn’t the goal. It’s the tires that let you race.

Edit: I’m also still running the $25 Blackhawk Sportster Standard holster, now by far the cheapest part of my rig, because it just keeps working. If ain’t broke…