Guns: Hearing protection

Once I started getting into shooting, I learned repeatedly that hearing is a finite resource. If a noise is loud enough to hurt your ears or make them ring (e.g. basically all gunshots), your hearing is permanently damaged. Thankfully, I've never been a fan of ultra-loud rock concerts or clubs, so that avenue of damage has been avoided, but an avid shooter must know the risks.

I use EARsoft yellow neon earplugs. I bought a big box of them (200 pairs) and I always keep some extras in my range ammo can or my skeet vest, either to give to friends or to replace pairs that I've used in a range session. They have a 33 db noise reduction rating, but that translates to about the high twenties in the real world, I think. They are soft and fairly comfy - I've actually slept with these on when a party was going on downstairs (I really don't recommend doing that, though, unless absolutely necessary).

I also use Leightning L3 muffs - very comfy and well made, especially compared to the cheap Wal-Mart kind. The earpads and bands are fairly durable and soft, making them well worth the extra money. I've considered some of the fancy electronic muffs that allow you to hear normal-level sounds, but I've always been suspicious of batteries and circuit boards (comes from the undergrad experience, I guess).

Keep in mind that your ears aren't invulnerable, even while wearing plugs and muffs together. Extended sessions on the range with multiple high-powered firearms (read: magnums and rifle calibers) should be avoided. Indoor range visits are twice as bad as outdoor range visits, since the sound has literally nowhere to go.