Over the last few years, LARPing has become something where certain people online and in the comment sections will continuously make fun of and say there’s no value in running around with all of your tactical gear. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a ton of fun to make fun of certain people who dress up head to toe in tactical gear. Despite how entertaining some people can be, is there any real benefits to wearing your gear around the house and becoming accustomed to your loadout? Let’s dive into whether or not LARPing (Live Action Role Playing) has real value or if it’s just for basement dwellers.

Understanding Your Gear Before You Need It

Understanding life-saving gear before you need it is fairly important. Whether it’s a fire extinguisher or your Glock 19 that sits next to your bedside, it’s not a great idea to check it out for the first time when you need it. Whether it’s dry firing with a range belt or figuring out where you need magazine pouches on a chest rig or plate carrier, it’s important to know how your gear is set up. Now, there are some people who aren’t interested in dry firing and practicing at home who don’t see the value in testing out gear while dry firing and its totally understandable.

Oftentimes, I will do a few dry fire sessions with whatever new piece of gear I get. I only wear that and do 15-20 minutes of dry fire practice to see what needs to be adjusted or moved after moving around either in the house or at the range. In the past, there have been items I have returned immediately because it didn’t work in a dry fire session with my other gear and saved me some time rather than wasting time at the range trying to figure out something a 10-minute dry fire session would tell me.

Practice Makes Perfect

Having a large chunk of time or full day to hit the range isn’t always the easiest thing to do when people are busy with work and life. Having the ability to work through different scenarios with laser dry firing practice kits can be an alternative for a few hours at the range. Various companies now have options for both rifles and pistols which makes it easier for people to practice transition drills while being able to see your hits after each drill from the laser tracking devices.

Now I will admit, I am not the type of person who has to be fully kitted out when hitting the range. I prefer to keep it simple with as little as possible but will occasionally bring my plate carrier out to work on practicing with it. This will oftentimes be in the wintertime honestly because the vest with plates in it helps hold your body heat in much better. In the summertime, I will usually only have a range belt on and work from the belt rather than a vest, but having the knowledge to use both can only help you out if you’re ever forced to use it in a stressful situation.

Overall Thoughts

Trust me, I am one of the first people to point and laugh at people who are desperately trying to be that “tacticool” guy. It’s typically pretty painful to watch but I can’t deny there is some validity to LARPing around your house in full kit like an idiot. Practicing and becoming acquainted with your gear is probably the easiest way to figure out what issues are present. The next step is fixing them before having to use it in a class or emergency situation.

Let me know what you guys think about using your gear before hitting the range and doing dry fire at home with gear on. I know this will turn into an absolute dumpster fire in the comments section but let me know your thoughts below. If you have questions feel free to contact me on my Instagram page @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there!