SHOT Show Day 2: Bulletproof Backpacks to Amphibious People Movers

Day 2 of SHOT Show wasn’t even a blip less exciting than day one was.

Day 2 brought me to rooms that I didn’t know existed yesterday. To put it in brief perspective, yesterday, I truly believed that I hit every room—though definitely not every booth—during my time perusing the venue. Today, though, I literally found probably a million square feet of additional booth space in rooms and areas of the center I’d never stepped foot into. When I say a million additional square feet, I’m being serious. It was absolutely bananas.

In those newfound areas, I found what I think has been some of the coolest gear I’ve seen yet at the show. In one booth, I found a product named “Dark Energy,” which is a waterproof, drop-proof, and crush-proof portable electronics charger. It is about the size of an iPhone and is much smaller and lighter than the portable charger I currently have. They market the charger towards special forces and law enforcement personnel. Still, Dark Energy is something that I believe everyone could benefit from having with them (now that I read that last sentence out loud, it does sound a bit weird that I’m promoting  “dark energy,” but you all know what I mean). Check back in over the next few weeks for a gear review of Dark Energy. I believe it was one of the more everyday useful items I found at SHOT on day 2.

Another awesome piece of gear I found was the Hydratek amphibious vehicle. According to its website, Hydratek vehicles “have been used to move people and supplies during the Mississippi River Floods of 2010 & 2011, the Missouri River Flood of 2011, Tropical Storm Lee, Hurricane Joaquin, the Great Baton Rouge Flood, and Hurricane Harvey.” This vehicle is definitely for you, whether you are in the pipeline industry, part of a law enforcement agency, or just an eccentric millionaire.

Another company that I thought might be useful to the masses was Guard Dog Security’s bulletproof backpack. As its name implies, there are ballistic panels hidden inside these bags that provide up to IIIA bulletproof protection. Beyond that, though, these backpacks are well-built and even stylish, making them much more marketable for the masses. The backpacks include a built-in charging bank and RFID protection. The backpacks are also TSA-approved. I think the usability of these bags goes beyond the obvious thought of students wearing bulletproof backpacks in schools; I think this backpack is a good piece of kit to have along as you travel…I know I’ve had a couple times when I would have welcomed a little extra bulletproof peace of mind.

The last new piece of gear I’ll highlight from Day 2 is the BAKCOU electric bicycle. While no one would argue that these electric bikes are cheap at $3,000-$8,000 a pop, they are most definitely rugged and well-built. They’re pretty cool too. BAKCOU’s website describes that their mission while creating their company was, “To design and build the most durable and efficient, yet affordable, electric bikes on the market.” It seems they hit the mark with both the durability and the “cool” factor.

Here are a few more gear pics I grabbed on Day 2:

Check back in tomorrow for another update on what gear I found hidden on day 3 at SHOT Show 2022!