It doesn’t matter if you are a cop, military, or an average shooter, you end up with a ton of gear that needs a place to be stored. Not everyone has an extra room to fill with gear and guns, so storage solutions can make a big difference.
With that, I wandered around the vast amount of isles of SHOT Show 2024 to bring you guys some interesting items to improve your gear storage.
A TRAILER for your Gear
Overlanding setups have taken off in the past 10 years with a ton of unique methods and designs to let you have some amenities away from civilization. This new trailer caught my eye.
Sno Trailer/Remington R-20
Remington (the gun manufacturer, not the razor brand) partnered with Sno Trailers to release the R-20. The trailer doesn’t come with all the fixings. You will need to provide rifle cases and electric coolers, but it is rigged for electricity and comes with a 100ah battery and all the gubbins to charge it with a solar setup.
The awning, when deployed, covers a side and the back providing a bit of cover from the elements while you are prepping food.
The model, as pictured, can be towed with a side-by-side up or a vehicle like a truck. I think something like this would have been perfect to pull behind a G Wagon when I was in the field often. It could have allowed me to easily disconnect from the trailer to head out and do things and have an all-in-one setup when I got back. That certainly would have been better than trying to sleep in the seats or a bivvy bag next to the vehicle.
All of this does come at a hefty base price tag of $28k but if you look at other compact trailers that aren’t as ruggedly built for hitting the trails you will find that it is fairly comparable. They build these to order and can accessorize them as needed.
Gun Safes
A gun safe does more than organize your guns and gear. It prevents access to unauthorized users, and some safes protect your gear from being damaged by flood, fire, or other disasters. Check out these models on display on the show floor.
Cannon Courage Safe
Cannon makes some capable safes and their new Courage line is no slouch. The inside is an upgraded experience with diamond-quilted walls and super soft shelves.
The interior of the safe is the perfect place to store all your firearms, gold, jewelry, and valuables. It’ moves’s an upgrade from the utilitarian interior that we are used to in safes with carpet everywhere. This model and a blacked-out version were on display, and I was happy to see they went with a firearm storage system that utilizes the entire cavity to the left.
Most safes just have the holders along the edges, leaving a void in the center with nothing in it. While I am not quite fancy enough to need a safe this nice on the inside I know some people who will be all over this.
Unfortunately, we can’t link to the product just yet but it will be listed on the Cannon Product Lines page when it releases. For now, you can watch this quick video.
Hornady Mobilis Modular Safe
Being in the military, my house is never a permanent location for life. I am required to move all over the country at a moment’s notice, so it means a gun-safe installation is not a one-and-done situation. The mobility of the Hornady Mobilis Safe System looks like it would check a lot of boxes.
Instead of having to try and lug a hulking behemoth of a safe into your house, the Mobilis Safe has sections that attach to form the entirety of the safe. Unless you live in the world’s smallest apartment you should be able — with the help of a friend or two — to get all the sections into your house and install the safe.
The interior is covered in their Square-Lok system to mount firearms, tools, and accessories, allowing you to utilize more of the internal space. It also includes interior 120v power and USB connections for charging gear, lighting, and dehumidifier.
Due to my vagabond lifestyle, I will be seriously looking at the Double Door Max safe to replace my current ones.
VULCAN HEADREST SAFE
Sometimes when you are out and about you can’t take a knife, gun, wallet, or some other precious item with you and need a place to stash them. That’s where the Vulcan Headrest Safe comes in.
The Vulcan Headrest Safe provides a secure storage location for your items via fingerprint reader, key, or 4-8 digit code.
Sadly in this current day and age vehicular smash and grabs are becoming an everyday reality for people in big cities. Out of sight is no longer the rule as contents of trunks, back seats, and glove boxes are often prime targets for the looters.
I am sure the Lockpicking Lawyer could potentially open the Vulcan with a tennis ball, chewing gum, and a business card but for the average thief that’s a bit above and beyond their means.
Remember, locks keep lazy people out. Anything can eventually be destructively entered. However, with cars, it seems the looters like to do it as quickly as possible. The headrest safe allows the driver to lock up their stuff while still being in the seat and with the side door closed, it ends up looking like a normal headrest.
Bags and Cases
Plenty of portable storage options were on display at SHOT Show 2024. Here are a few that stood out.
Watershed Weapons Bag, Long Gun
I have used Watershed products in the past while out on the water and they certainly work well. The buoyancy control valve allows you to inflate the bag to use as floatation to get things across a river or lake. And, depending on the weight, it also prevents your gear from sinking if your mode of transport ends up capsized or in a body of water.
The Weapons Bag, Long Gun was designed as a sniper drag bag for wet environments and can accommodate a scoped rifle up to 53″ long.
The material has been embossed to reduce IR signature and comes in Black, Alpha Green, and Multicam. The exterior of the bag has two mesh-covered pockets and a set of backpack straps. This is not a product that everyone needs, but those who do will see the value.
SKB Series 4909-5 Case
SKB case has been a staple molded/sealed case manufacturer that is fairly common within the military. While wandering the Caesars Forum Extension I came upon this masterpiece.
The Garand cut insert boasts all the freedom you could want. The foam is not publically listed on their website but is hopefully something they offer in the future. Hell, I am not even American and I think it’s pretty badass.
The interior is designed to hold a scoped rifle that is up to 49 inches long and comes standard with egg carton foam. The case has four reinforced lock holes and a carry handle to help lug around your precious blaster.
The case itself is the iSeries 4909-5 Single Rifle Case. You can get this case in Black, Olive Drab (as pictured), and Desert Tan.
Nanuk molle lid organizer
Nanuk makes a staggering array of hard cases and accessories and at the show this year they had their new MOLLE lid organizer.
I will go on a tangent for a second and explain how MOLLE is a bit of a misnomer here, much like how people spell muzzle break instead of brake. The lid organizer is actually a PALS grid that allows MOLLE-compatible gear (the straps on the back of pouches) to attach to the lid. MOLLE is a commonly used term, kind of like how the term Q-Tip is commonly used to refer to a cotton swab.
The 962 Case itself is very well made, but it was the PALS Grid that got my interest. With it, I can attach tools, magazines, and other small items to the lid and leave the main body of the case to securely store a firearm or use it as a gear container. The lid organizer is supposed to be released this year and I will certainly be picking up a new case along with the organizer.
THYRM DARKVAULT v2
Thyrm makes all sorts of interesting gear from sacrificial lens protectors to battery cases and even lighter covers. I got the DarkVault V1 a few years back and it is a great secure case with signal-blocking properties if you need that sort of thing.
The new version has both a signal-blocking version and the version pictured with a window on the case for your cellphone camera to record through.
The other new addition to the case is the phone clip system which previously didn’t exist and required you to use the loop velcro in the DarkVault and some hook velcro on your phone.
The case itself has two clips on the back that interface with the PALS webbing on your gear. Or, if you want, you can just use it as a case in your pack. The lid has a gasket on it to keep out water and other debris.
Look out for this to be released later this year.
Firearm Locks
GOSAFE MOBILE MAG AND MOBILE SAFE
GoSafe had their Mobile Safe and Mobile Mag at their booth and they offer an interesting option to secure your Glock.
The Mobile Safe is a magazine body that stops the trigger from operating. You turn the key in the base plate and it rotates the arm you see in the picture. This also locks the magazine in the pistol.
The Mobile Mag combines the Mobile Safe with a 10-round magazine. You can still rack the slide and eject the cartridges but you can’t pull the trigger.
GoSafe will have other magazines available at a later date but for now, they cover a wide swath of Glocks. The GoSafe Mobile Mag is a unique way to make your loaded nightstand pistol safe if you aren’t around. Much like running a pistol with an empty chamber, I wouldn’t use this on a carry gun, but it certainly has its place.
DRYING AND DEODoRIZING
GEAR HALO SPORTS DEODORIZER
Gear Halo, a Canadian company, was hiding in what SHOT Show attendees call the dungeon. The company makes a line of products called the Sports Deodorizer to help keep the smell of sweat and grime out of your gear.
Everyone who has worn plate carriers or combat boots for any length of time knows things can get a bit ripe, especially if it’s hot and humid. Gear Halo uses a product called SilverActiv to help kill the stink. The kit comes with two pods so you can do two boots, gloves, or toss in a few spots in a gear bag.
Along with the odor-killing properties, the Gear Halo Sports Deodorizer helps dry out your gear to keep bacteria from growing. The Deodorizer even has essential oils in it to add a nice fresh scent to your pile of nylon: citrus, eucalyptus, sandalwood, lilac, cedar, peach, geranium, lemon pepper, and mint. This might save your favorite boots from a funeral pyre.
Silent Dry Pioneer Dehumidifier
Let’s be honest, moisture management isn’t sexy or cool and often is just an afterthought. There are tons of products people currently use in their safes, and gun cases that range from electric heaters to passive desiccants.
Silent Dry offers a few passive products that actually look kind of cool. This is an Asian company, so some of the translations on the website are a bit odd but the product looks well built from my short time at the booth.
The Pioneer consists of a stone-like material that absorbs the moisture, and a TPV (rubber-like material) case with a moisture indicator. A blue indicator shows that it is saturated blue, compared to a white white indicator when it is dry. To dry it out, just take off the cover and microwave the stone for nine minutes.
This product looks like it would be perfect to toss into a hard gun case to keep the trapped moisture in the air from going to work on the metal of your firearm.
