I am in agreement with WB; a little of all mixed together.
I have been absent for a time because we took a business trip/vacation west for a month in July. We made observations, talked to people, visited and relaxed in between business stops, and came back and started acting on what we learned.
1. The general mood in the Yosemite area of CA is strongly anti-Newsome. State of Jefferson signs are as prevalent as ever, and pro-Trump signs and flags outnumber anything liberal by a factor of 15:1 or greater.
2. Openly expressed opinions of coming sorrows are common: The Recall, woe to America for its failure to address the Chinese infiltration, the increasingly obvious dementia of the sitting president (I refuse to capitalize that in this case), the continuing stockpiling of arms and ammo, more. I really think the national polls we are assailed with are fixed before they are ever run. They do not reflect the national mood, and especially not upper California's.
3. Gun shops have been quitting CA for over a year and often just moving across state lines to reopen. A few have just closed. Those that remain do far more self/home defense business than sporting. In two visits to one shop alone we witnessed 2 separate self-defense purchases (sidearms). Ammo sales are restricted to permitted buyers.
4. Even some people we know to be staunchly liberal are having 2nd thoughts. They are still liberal but you can begin to have a conversation with them rather than just having to put them on ignore.
5. New Mexico is the least Trump-friendly state. One (1) Trump sign/flag from Gallup over and up to Raton. Colorado is better, Kansas is strongly pro-Trump and Nebraska is running a very close 2nd. Wyoming and Utah we did not see a lot in but then we didn't pass through towns/cities per se, just drove through. Nevada had its strongholds for sure.
6. Once the free money (is there such a thing?) ran out gun sales slackened greatly, especially among NA's. We ran into an AR-pattern manufacturer who was still trying to fill the display wall even though sales were well down from earlier this year.
7. A few gun stores also offer preps. Non-firearm preps such as food and medical. We got our best receptions at same.
8. Widespread recognition that things are heading south, but few people are doing anything but watching and whining. At least within the extended family out there.
9. Pandemic panic still holds sway in CA, with it not being the least uncommon to see people driving around alone while wearing a mask inside the car. Entire families in stores full of unmasked people clinging to their masks; from their attire, etc. I assumed them to be Democrats. There is a difference out there even amongst our family.
10. People in CA were out and about like just being released, which in a way they were. We drove down to Santa Cruz to see real redwoods for a bucket list thing. Took a stroll on the boardwalk, saw the actual Pacific and not just a harbor, and saw hundreds of folks on the beach on an otherwise chilly day and taking advantage of what attractions were open, because about half were not. In summer, tourist season.
11. NAs in New Mexico are staying masked up to a fault. Likewise at Philmont Scout Ranch. Indoors? Wear a mask - period. Outdoors? If in proximity they were being worn. I didn't ask if they had to be worn on the trail.
12. Highest fuel prices were around Bishop, CA somewhere (not Bishop itself) at $5.59/gal. $4.09 was typical where we were, $3.89 was pull in and top off no matter how much you had. No where else going or coming did it top $4/gal.
As far as applying what we learned, we have redoubled our efforts at sales of medical supplies and gear. If you asked me this year's top Christmas gift is going to be tactical first aid bags and kits. We received one request while out west for a dozen kits, which we will be meeting the client for this coming week-end to iron things out as to contents and price, etc. Other orders are for 4 and 6 kits each, gone out. A pair of field surgery rolls is a small order of late.
We just started doing gun shows again after taking off July. Our best customers are law enforcement, and former military with family. The latter are often repeat customers. They often start with tactical purchases and then progress to family-related things like long-term and non-combat wound care.
QuickClot Gauze in all its forms is being bought up like there is no tomorrow and some suppliers of still in-date are empty rather suddenly. Think in timing terms of very recent event suddenly. Simple things like wound packing gauze are out of stock and remain that way. People want tourniquets.
A military surplus dealer we are familiar with was turned away at the base, no sales allowed after years of doing business there. He was told both that medical items may need to be re-issued even if out-dated (
!!!), and also that it was because of theft - items turning up in pawn shops, indicating the troops are doing it themselves. What the real reasoning is who knows.
Hope all are well out there. We did wave when we came through northern NV on I-80, just in case you were wondering who the kooks with the lumpy car top carrier bag were.
RR
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