8/21/07
Delays
Just wanted to pass along a heads-up that there will be some delays in posting to TEOTWAWKI blog. Expect regular updates to return in early September.
8/13/07
YouTube Video Find: Next Gen Bear Suit
This is pretty entertaining stuff. Some of you may remember the "bear suit" from a half-dozen video bloopers/When Animals Attack shows, designed by a Canadian inventor to resist a bear attack. To demonstrate its abilities, he let himself get beaten with baseball bats, thrown down hills, hit by a truck, and so on wearing the suit.
Now he's come up with the "Trojan exoskeleton", which looks like a sci-fi convention copy of the battlesuit from Halo. Using his bear suit technology, he's aiming to provide a protective suit for soldiers in hostile environments.
The result is just as entertaining as the bear suit. Watch as the inventor runs around his wintery neighborhood and explains the suit's many features.
I do personally think that there is a place for a powered suit of heavy armor, and this could be a distant start. For now, it's pretty entertaining stuff; it would certainly make a very good Halloween costume.
For now, I suppose we will have to settle for a good bulletproof vest and helmet, but hey, in ten years, maybe we'll all be saving up for a suit of Trojan armor? Or maybe not.
A challenge to my wise readers: if you had $16,000 to devote to putting together a suit of body armor and personal equipment (firearms not included), what would you get?
Now he's come up with the "Trojan exoskeleton", which looks like a sci-fi convention copy of the battlesuit from Halo. Using his bear suit technology, he's aiming to provide a protective suit for soldiers in hostile environments.
The result is just as entertaining as the bear suit. Watch as the inventor runs around his wintery neighborhood and explains the suit's many features.
I do personally think that there is a place for a powered suit of heavy armor, and this could be a distant start. For now, it's pretty entertaining stuff; it would certainly make a very good Halloween costume.
For now, I suppose we will have to settle for a good bulletproof vest and helmet, but hey, in ten years, maybe we'll all be saving up for a suit of Trojan armor? Or maybe not.
A challenge to my wise readers: if you had $16,000 to devote to putting together a suit of body armor and personal equipment (firearms not included), what would you get?
A Minor Incursion of the Misc
Sadly, the Survivalist Blog (by M.D. Creekmore) has gone the way of the a zombie with a shotgun slug in the brains.
I've added another link to Readiness Hub in the link section--looks like they've got a good start on some interesting resources over there.
I'm also open to questions/requests for articles and reviews, so if anyone has any wants, feel free to drop me a line here.
Just as a note to my faithful readers, I plan to strive to update the blog on a daily basis, but will not post on Sundays. My schedule is a little hectic right now, so I can't guarantee when I will post, but it will usually be in the morning/early afternoon U.S. time.
I've added another link to Readiness Hub in the link section--looks like they've got a good start on some interesting resources over there.
I'm also open to questions/requests for articles and reviews, so if anyone has any wants, feel free to drop me a line here.
Just as a note to my faithful readers, I plan to strive to update the blog on a daily basis, but will not post on Sundays. My schedule is a little hectic right now, so I can't guarantee when I will post, but it will usually be in the morning/early afternoon U.S. time.
8/10/07
Attack of the Misc!
All right, quick request here: if you find a cool site through TEOTWAWKI blog, please mention/link us if you pass it on. Give credit where it's due--we're always trying to build readership here, and can use all the help we can get.
Likewise, if you frequent a message board (where you haven't seen us mentioned yet), run a blog or operate a website, please put a plug in for TEOTWAWKI Blog. If you'd like to swap links, send me an e-mail here.
If you see an interesting website in our AdSense links please click on it. Same goes if you're intensely bored. Clicking the AdSense links helps to support us here at TEOTWAWKI Blog--any profits that we make will be turned right back around into TEOTWAWKI related stuff, and thereby more stuff for you to read about!
All right, onto the misc!
Likewise, if you frequent a message board (where you haven't seen us mentioned yet), run a blog or operate a website, please put a plug in for TEOTWAWKI Blog. If you'd like to swap links, send me an e-mail here.
If you see an interesting website in our AdSense links please click on it. Same goes if you're intensely bored. Clicking the AdSense links helps to support us here at TEOTWAWKI Blog--any profits that we make will be turned right back around into TEOTWAWKI related stuff, and thereby more stuff for you to read about!
All right, onto the misc!
- I was outbid by $1 on a brand new Katadyn Ceradyn drip filter on E-Bay. The winning bid was $84, less than half of what you'd pay at most places. Nitro-Pak (the affiliate link to your right) sells them for $189. I know E-Bay has enacted even more tyrannical anti-gun policies as of late, but good deals are good deals, especially on preps.
- Issue #1 of the popular black and white zombie comic The Walking Dead is available online at Imagecomics.com. Here is a link to Image Comics online comic section. The first issue starts off pretty uncreatively (main character wakes up from coma, finds zombies everywhere), but it gets good from there. I've read through a few of the Walking Dead trade paper backs during long layovers in the Atlanta airport, but it's been too long and too fast of reads to give them much of a review. What I've read was pretty good zombie stuff, but not for the young or faint of heart. Not exactly the most uplifting, inspiring comic either...
- BackWoodsHome.com is an awesome resource for all kinds of S/P related articles. I spent about an hour reading through gun articles written by Masaad Ayoob...he's got me wanting a Colt 1911! I haven't done the exploring I need to on this site, but it looks great from what I've seen. I'll post more as I do...
- Not super prep related, but PortableApps has all kinds of great portable programs. I've been using FireFox Portable for a year now and love it. USB drives are incredibly handy for use on the go--have all your files and programs handy at all times. I have encrypted scans of important personal documents on my USB drive, just in case.
- DC is releasing a comic tie-in for I Am Legend. Interesting because Orson Scott Card is involved; I've liked a lot of Card's work in the past, so there's some good potential there. More details here.
8/9/07
Make Zine
Quick plug for MakeZine. A lot of the stuff featured on the site/magazine are electronics, but there's all kinds of stuff...one of the front page articles is on turning a silver half dollar into a ring. Could be handy for all that stockpiled silver...people will still want to get married after the TEOTWAWKI, and a silver ring would have some good barter value.
Here's a link to an article on how to make your own rain barrels. Cool...
Here's a link to an article on how to make your own rain barrels. Cool...
8/8/07
Flight of the Living Dead
Found a sweet online zombie comic Flight of the Living Dead. It's a zombie outbreak--on a plane! As if air travel wasn't bad enough...
I read through Hour 3, pretty good so far. There's bad language and gore, so little kiddies stay away! My one problem with online comics is they don't update fast enough--this updates with a new page every Monday--but it's an issue with the medium, not this comic. Flight of the Living Dead, good zombie fiction so far!
The whole situation--zombies on a plane (not snakes on a plane, zombies!)--is pretty darn thought provoking, too. No where to escape, no weapons to protect yourself with, trapped 30,000 feet up with hundreds of potential brain eating zombies??? Sounds pretty crap-tacular to me!
What would you do?
I read through Hour 3, pretty good so far. There's bad language and gore, so little kiddies stay away! My one problem with online comics is they don't update fast enough--this updates with a new page every Monday--but it's an issue with the medium, not this comic. Flight of the Living Dead, good zombie fiction so far!
The whole situation--zombies on a plane (not snakes on a plane, zombies!)--is pretty darn thought provoking, too. No where to escape, no weapons to protect yourself with, trapped 30,000 feet up with hundreds of potential brain eating zombies??? Sounds pretty crap-tacular to me!
What would you do?
Quote: Sun Tzu on deception...
"All warfare is based on deception.
Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.
Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him.
If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.
If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them.
Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.
These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand."
Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.
Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him.
If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.
If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them.
Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.
These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand."
-Sun Tzu
8/7/07
SurvivorMan Season 2 starts this Friday!
Les Stroud is back as SurvivorMan, willingly exiling himself in the middle of no where and surviving on meager tools and his survival skills. SurvivorMan is a great show, and if you're interested in S/P and/or surviving the end of the world, it's pretty much required viewing. Stroud usually gives sound advice, and is honest when he's taking a risk or makes a mistake...you won't find him scaling sheer cliffs or squeezing water from cow turds for entertainment value.
The brand-spankin' new episode premieres Friday night 9pm ET/PT, and sets SurvivorMan in the Kalahari, for one week of difficult survival. From Discovery.com:
Just when you think it can’t get any hotter, Les Stroud finds out it can. In this episode, Les dips his toes in the scorching red sands of the Kalahari Desert — one of the most extreme climates on Earth.
Leave it to Les “Survivorman” Stroud to come up with inventive ways of surviving the arid air and the oppressive heat in the Kalahari. With temperatures on the sand reaching 140 degrees Fahrenheit, Les has to tread carefully.
Zooming around the sand dunes is a fun way to get into the desert. But Les is driving a gasoline-challenged truck — one that runs out of gas by mid-afternoon. There, with his truck and 50 pounds of camera gear, he has to survive the heat of the Kalahari with just a few items.
Of course, he has his multi-tool and some items found in the truck, including a couple of empty pop cans, a nearly finished jar of peanut butter, a can of jam and a couple of buckets. He also has a single ostrich egg.
In these parts, a person needs to drink a gallon of water a day to stave off the debilitating effects of dehydration. Les will be there for a week, with only enough water for four days. In addition to the heat, he must watch out for an array of dangerous critters, like deadly scorpions and the highly venomous Cape cobra and puff-adder snakes.
Les learns early that the best way to avoid the heat of the day is to do what the Bushmen of the Kalahari do. Find some shade, and just sit still. The nights are another matter. Temperatures can drop down to as low as 44 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sounds pretty good to me! If you need to catch up on your SurvivorMan, Amazon
has the season 1 DVD for a measly $20.
The brand-spankin' new episode premieres Friday night 9pm ET/PT, and sets SurvivorMan in the Kalahari, for one week of difficult survival. From Discovery.com:
Just when you think it can’t get any hotter, Les Stroud finds out it can. In this episode, Les dips his toes in the scorching red sands of the Kalahari Desert — one of the most extreme climates on Earth.
Leave it to Les “Survivorman” Stroud to come up with inventive ways of surviving the arid air and the oppressive heat in the Kalahari. With temperatures on the sand reaching 140 degrees Fahrenheit, Les has to tread carefully.
Zooming around the sand dunes is a fun way to get into the desert. But Les is driving a gasoline-challenged truck — one that runs out of gas by mid-afternoon. There, with his truck and 50 pounds of camera gear, he has to survive the heat of the Kalahari with just a few items.
Of course, he has his multi-tool and some items found in the truck, including a couple of empty pop cans, a nearly finished jar of peanut butter, a can of jam and a couple of buckets. He also has a single ostrich egg.
In these parts, a person needs to drink a gallon of water a day to stave off the debilitating effects of dehydration. Les will be there for a week, with only enough water for four days. In addition to the heat, he must watch out for an array of dangerous critters, like deadly scorpions and the highly venomous Cape cobra and puff-adder snakes.
Les learns early that the best way to avoid the heat of the day is to do what the Bushmen of the Kalahari do. Find some shade, and just sit still. The nights are another matter. Temperatures can drop down to as low as 44 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sounds pretty good to me! If you need to catch up on your SurvivorMan, Amazon
has the season 1 DVD for a measly $20.
TEOTWAWKI Guns
Guns seem to go hand in hand with survival, like peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese, or Las Vegas and gambling. Most of the popular survival message boards are found on websites like GlockTalk, AR15.com, WarRifles.com and so on. It's a natural association, as firearms are an important part of survival/preparedness (S/P), and one of the more entertaining parts of the hobby/lifestyle of a devoted "prepper".
There seems to be long and seemingly endless debate and conversation over which weapon is the best, which weapon to use in what situation, and the long and illustrious debates between AR15 vs. AK 47, Carbine vs. Battle Rifle, 9mm vs. .45, Glock vs. (insert other handgun here)...the list goes on and on. Many search for the "best" survival gun--is it the SKS, the AR, the AK, the FAL, the M1A? Which is it? Which gun will be your magic wand, to eliminate any threat at the pull of a trigger? The AR is more accurate, but the AK is more rugged? The SKS is cheaper, and the FAL or M1A pack more of a punch?
Does it really matter? Firearms, like all weapons, are tools, not magic wands. Sorry to break the sad news. Different makes and models might have different pro's and con's, but what really matters is that you have the tool when you need it.
There are different tools for different jobs, and there are different firearms for different jobs. There's long range .50 cal rifles, tiny little holdout pistols, and everything in between. If you have a need, find a suitable tool and fill it.
What I think really matters, is not so much the specific firearm you choose, but how you can handle that gun. Use what works best for you, what's most comfortable for you, and what you shoot best with. Not what the latest consensus for ultra survival gun may be. Go with the gun that you're good with--whatever that may be.
Skill beats gear, pretty much every time.
Non-plinking caliber rifles all accomplish the same task: shooting things with a powerful rifle round. They just have different ways of accomplishing the task, whether it's a bolt-action, semi-auto, or old lever action. They have different qualities--power, accuracy, speed, etc. But at the end of the day, they're all rifles. In the same way, in the end, handguns are all handguns.
There really isn't much need to get caught up in the details, as interesting and fun as they might be. The details aren't as important as finding what works for you, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
If you like 9mm, then go with 9mm--in the same way, if you like .454 casull, then go with it. If you love your Bersa .380, great. If you're best with a Hi-Point in .45 or a single-action revolver, then that works too!
If you're an AR-15 guy, sweet. If you'd prefer an old M1 carbine or you grandpa's old lever action, great. If you're a crack shot with an Enfield or a Mauser, awesome. Maybe it's your trusty hunting rifle or shotgun. Heck if the only gun you can shoot worth a darn is a single-shot rifle or a Ruger 10/22, then go with it.
If you have no idea what you're good with or like, go to a range, rent a few guns, and burn through some ammo. Even better: go shooting with some friends, borrow their guns, and shoot their ammo. Some will be "not your cup-of-teat", some will be "ok", and some may just be "perfect". That's what you want, the "perfect", or as close to it as you can get.
Find the gun that feels like an extension of your body, like a long lost part of your soul. Don't worry if it's the survival "norm"...the norm isn't necessarily important. Your skill with the weapon definitely is.
There's so much to worry about in S/P, and the "details" of firearms often become a distraction from other, equally or more important preps. Get firearms you're comfortable with, preferably designs with a proven track record. Don't sweat the survival "norms" or the endless arguments out there--the AR15 vs. AK47s and 9mm vs. .45s of the S/P world. Spend that energy elsewhere--like at the range.
Read more about guns, survival and TEOTWAWKI >
There seems to be long and seemingly endless debate and conversation over which weapon is the best, which weapon to use in what situation, and the long and illustrious debates between AR15 vs. AK 47, Carbine vs. Battle Rifle, 9mm vs. .45, Glock vs. (insert other handgun here)...the list goes on and on. Many search for the "best" survival gun--is it the SKS, the AR, the AK, the FAL, the M1A? Which is it? Which gun will be your magic wand, to eliminate any threat at the pull of a trigger? The AR is more accurate, but the AK is more rugged? The SKS is cheaper, and the FAL or M1A pack more of a punch?
Does it really matter? Firearms, like all weapons, are tools, not magic wands. Sorry to break the sad news. Different makes and models might have different pro's and con's, but what really matters is that you have the tool when you need it.
There are different tools for different jobs, and there are different firearms for different jobs. There's long range .50 cal rifles, tiny little holdout pistols, and everything in between. If you have a need, find a suitable tool and fill it.
What I think really matters, is not so much the specific firearm you choose, but how you can handle that gun. Use what works best for you, what's most comfortable for you, and what you shoot best with. Not what the latest consensus for ultra survival gun may be. Go with the gun that you're good with--whatever that may be.
Skill beats gear, pretty much every time.
Non-plinking caliber rifles all accomplish the same task: shooting things with a powerful rifle round. They just have different ways of accomplishing the task, whether it's a bolt-action, semi-auto, or old lever action. They have different qualities--power, accuracy, speed, etc. But at the end of the day, they're all rifles. In the same way, in the end, handguns are all handguns.
There really isn't much need to get caught up in the details, as interesting and fun as they might be. The details aren't as important as finding what works for you, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
If you like 9mm, then go with 9mm--in the same way, if you like .454 casull, then go with it. If you love your Bersa .380, great. If you're best with a Hi-Point in .45 or a single-action revolver, then that works too!
If you're an AR-15 guy, sweet. If you'd prefer an old M1 carbine or you grandpa's old lever action, great. If you're a crack shot with an Enfield or a Mauser, awesome. Maybe it's your trusty hunting rifle or shotgun. Heck if the only gun you can shoot worth a darn is a single-shot rifle or a Ruger 10/22, then go with it.
If you have no idea what you're good with or like, go to a range, rent a few guns, and burn through some ammo. Even better: go shooting with some friends, borrow their guns, and shoot their ammo. Some will be "not your cup-of-teat", some will be "ok", and some may just be "perfect". That's what you want, the "perfect", or as close to it as you can get.
Find the gun that feels like an extension of your body, like a long lost part of your soul. Don't worry if it's the survival "norm"...the norm isn't necessarily important. Your skill with the weapon definitely is.
There's so much to worry about in S/P, and the "details" of firearms often become a distraction from other, equally or more important preps. Get firearms you're comfortable with, preferably designs with a proven track record. Don't sweat the survival "norms" or the endless arguments out there--the AR15 vs. AK47s and 9mm vs. .45s of the S/P world. Spend that energy elsewhere--like at the range.
Read more about guns, survival and TEOTWAWKI >
8/6/07
Attack of the Misc!
Spread the word about TEOTWAWKI Blog to your fellow preppers and apocalypse entertainment fans! If anyone has survival related websites they would like reviewed and linked, just send me an e-mail.
If you have any prep-related questions you'd like answered or movies/books/whatever reviewed, just drop me a line and I'll do my best to cover it!
We've added a Google search functionality to the blog--use the power of Google wisely, my friends.
Also, if you scroll down to the waaay bottom, you will also see a link to the SurvivalRing. I'm not super-familiar with them, so we'll see how it goes.
I watched the end of Red Dawn yet again over the weekend. Classic "survivalist" movie if there ever was one...a group of American teens battling against Commie invaders, with young Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen--what more could you want??? Not exactly an Oscar-caliber film, but a thoroughly entertaining end-of-the-world action flick! I'll write a more lengthy review at some point in the future, but suffice it to say that if you haven't seen it, you must! If you have seen it, then you'll definiately appreciate this t-shirt I stumbled on a while back.
Wolverines!
Silver was down a bit, bounced up a bit at the end of last week, and looks like it has dropped 12 cents as of today. Seems to be lots of questions out there on buying silver. If you're looking for a "where to buy", if local coin shops fail, it's sad to say that E-Bay has a good selection, but frequently inflated prices on American Silver Eagles, Canadian Silver Maples, etc. As for "when": silver is high right now, but it seems like it may be a good time to invest due to economic fears...perhaps wait for the next "dip" to make your purchase. At the same time, I'd be more concerned with laying up a good store of water, food, ammo, and even cash before sinking funds into silver. Silver is good at retaining value despite economic collapse, but if your starved, shot corpse is dead on the side of the road, it's not going to do you much good. Personally, I'm watching for a good deal on a small quantity of silver to supplement our stores of "on-hand" wealth, but it's not a top priority. Coinflation.com is my personal favorite for tracking silver values.
If you have any prep-related questions you'd like answered or movies/books/whatever reviewed, just drop me a line and I'll do my best to cover it!
We've added a Google search functionality to the blog--use the power of Google wisely, my friends.
Also, if you scroll down to the waaay bottom, you will also see a link to the SurvivalRing. I'm not super-familiar with them, so we'll see how it goes.
I watched the end of Red Dawn yet again over the weekend. Classic "survivalist" movie if there ever was one...a group of American teens battling against Commie invaders, with young Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen--what more could you want??? Not exactly an Oscar-caliber film, but a thoroughly entertaining end-of-the-world action flick! I'll write a more lengthy review at some point in the future, but suffice it to say that if you haven't seen it, you must! If you have seen it, then you'll definiately appreciate this t-shirt I stumbled on a while back.
Wolverines!
Silver was down a bit, bounced up a bit at the end of last week, and looks like it has dropped 12 cents as of today. Seems to be lots of questions out there on buying silver. If you're looking for a "where to buy", if local coin shops fail, it's sad to say that E-Bay has a good selection, but frequently inflated prices on American Silver Eagles, Canadian Silver Maples, etc. As for "when": silver is high right now, but it seems like it may be a good time to invest due to economic fears...perhaps wait for the next "dip" to make your purchase. At the same time, I'd be more concerned with laying up a good store of water, food, ammo, and even cash before sinking funds into silver. Silver is good at retaining value despite economic collapse, but if your starved, shot corpse is dead on the side of the road, it's not going to do you much good. Personally, I'm watching for a good deal on a small quantity of silver to supplement our stores of "on-hand" wealth, but it's not a top priority. Coinflation.com is my personal favorite for tracking silver values.
Where to begin?
When many people start out with disaster/TEOTWAWKI preps, they often feel overwhelmed. I know of people who look at all the potential problems and the preps they might need and surrender without even trying. Others--many of the American public--abdicate their own responsibility for their well-being and survival and place it on the government. I have written about this attitude previously.
How to avoid being overwhelmed? Start small. Decide what is the most likely threat to your safety/survival, prepare for it, and move on from there. This could simply be getting out from under debts that threaten to move you out of your home, finding a stable job, or moving to a safer neighborhood. Or it could be stockpiling guns and ammo out of fear of zombie hordes.
Make a list, if it helps, of the threats in your life, and go from there.
For many, the easiest place to start is by putting together a bug-out-bag/72 hour kit. With it, you should plan on having the tools, food, and water necessary to survive X amount of time. 3 days is the norm, but there's nothing wrong for preparing for 7 days, 2 weeks, etc. Longer is better, but weight quickly becomes a concern. You want water, food, warmth, shelter, protection, first aid kit, etc. all the basics.
By putting together a solid B.O.B., you give yourself the tools to survive in your home as well as on the road, should you become a refugee. The water filter, fire starting tools, knife, etc. will all work just as well at home as they will bugging out.
Don't fall for the lazy-man's trap of buying pre-made. This is important gear that your life may one day depend on--you don't want a cheap bag full of quasi-useless China made pieces of junk. You want stuff you can depend on, equipment you can trust your life with. Use, test, and become vary familiar with each piece of gear that goes into your kit, from flashlights to filters to first aid kit.
A well-rounded B.O.B. is a big enough task for most, and a very good place to start. You equip yourself with the supplies necessary to survive a short-term disaster, giving you a solid base to build from and supplement to move into surviving long-term disasters. From a few days, you branch out into a few weeks, a few months, and finally, years.
How to avoid being overwhelmed? Start small. Decide what is the most likely threat to your safety/survival, prepare for it, and move on from there. This could simply be getting out from under debts that threaten to move you out of your home, finding a stable job, or moving to a safer neighborhood. Or it could be stockpiling guns and ammo out of fear of zombie hordes.
Make a list, if it helps, of the threats in your life, and go from there.
For many, the easiest place to start is by putting together a bug-out-bag/72 hour kit. With it, you should plan on having the tools, food, and water necessary to survive X amount of time. 3 days is the norm, but there's nothing wrong for preparing for 7 days, 2 weeks, etc. Longer is better, but weight quickly becomes a concern. You want water, food, warmth, shelter, protection, first aid kit, etc. all the basics.
By putting together a solid B.O.B., you give yourself the tools to survive in your home as well as on the road, should you become a refugee. The water filter, fire starting tools, knife, etc. will all work just as well at home as they will bugging out.
Don't fall for the lazy-man's trap of buying pre-made. This is important gear that your life may one day depend on--you don't want a cheap bag full of quasi-useless China made pieces of junk. You want stuff you can depend on, equipment you can trust your life with. Use, test, and become vary familiar with each piece of gear that goes into your kit, from flashlights to filters to first aid kit.
A well-rounded B.O.B. is a big enough task for most, and a very good place to start. You equip yourself with the supplies necessary to survive a short-term disaster, giving you a solid base to build from and supplement to move into surviving long-term disasters. From a few days, you branch out into a few weeks, a few months, and finally, years.
8/4/07
YouTube Video Find
Survival guru Ray Mears demonstrates the bow-drill technique of starting a fire...and makes it look easy! He avoids using a knife and instead uses a sharp piece of flint to make the board. Pretty interesting and educational little video! Ray Mears on Amazon.com.
8/3/07
Interesting "Stealth" Storage
Actually came across an interesting Google Ad today, for a product called PlainSights (although if you see it over in my page's AdSense ads, click that instead). Anyways, it's basically a fake pair of jeans with a hidden pocket for concealing whatever. They're marketing towards firearms, it'll hide whatever in there.
It's an interesting idea. Not entirely brilliant, but interesting. Looks like a plastic hanger is permanently attached to the fake pants, and I assume it seals shut with a velcro/zipper.
Now, if you were halfway crafty, you could easily save yourself $30 and sew together something similar with an old pair of jeans. Or get your grandma to do it. Or, just find an old jacket and stow your weapon inside. I've heard of people doing this before.
It's not particularly secure or safe, and if someone were to sort through your clothes, I imagine the weight/bulk of a gun would be pretty obvious. Despite what some may think, kids do often like to explore closets and mess with their parents clothes…and the fake pants with hidden gun would be quite the find. Also, burglars often search through bedroom closets, looking for hiding spots and safes.
These keep the weapon hidden from sight and somewhat quickly accessible, but not secured. You can find quick access safes for affordable prices, and a small safe at bedside or in the nightstand would be just as fast, or much faster than running to your closet, shuffling through mountains of old clothes and finding the secret jeans. A safe is secure, and a small, handgun sized one should be relatively easy to conceal.
If you did not have kids to worry about, a hiding place like this could be good to stash a firearm in the laundry room…but I'm not sure how many people are worried about finding a hiding place in a laundry room…
What else could you stash in false clothes? Cash and semi-important documents could be an ok idea. They're not exactly safe, but without the weight and bulk of a gun, could go unnoticed if someone was searching through a closet. They would not be secure, but could go beyond the notice of a thief. You could go as far as planting an attractive looking dummy safe to distract his attention. But, there are lots of low-profile ways to store cash/small valuables--book safes, fake peanut butter jars and pop cans, etc.
Not exactly the most brilliant idea, the fake pair of jeans, but not completely without uses...
It's an interesting idea. Not entirely brilliant, but interesting. Looks like a plastic hanger is permanently attached to the fake pants, and I assume it seals shut with a velcro/zipper.
Now, if you were halfway crafty, you could easily save yourself $30 and sew together something similar with an old pair of jeans. Or get your grandma to do it. Or, just find an old jacket and stow your weapon inside. I've heard of people doing this before.
It's not particularly secure or safe, and if someone were to sort through your clothes, I imagine the weight/bulk of a gun would be pretty obvious. Despite what some may think, kids do often like to explore closets and mess with their parents clothes…and the fake pants with hidden gun would be quite the find. Also, burglars often search through bedroom closets, looking for hiding spots and safes.
These keep the weapon hidden from sight and somewhat quickly accessible, but not secured. You can find quick access safes for affordable prices, and a small safe at bedside or in the nightstand would be just as fast, or much faster than running to your closet, shuffling through mountains of old clothes and finding the secret jeans. A safe is secure, and a small, handgun sized one should be relatively easy to conceal.
If you did not have kids to worry about, a hiding place like this could be good to stash a firearm in the laundry room…but I'm not sure how many people are worried about finding a hiding place in a laundry room…
What else could you stash in false clothes? Cash and semi-important documents could be an ok idea. They're not exactly safe, but without the weight and bulk of a gun, could go unnoticed if someone was searching through a closet. They would not be secure, but could go beyond the notice of a thief. You could go as far as planting an attractive looking dummy safe to distract his attention. But, there are lots of low-profile ways to store cash/small valuables--book safes, fake peanut butter jars and pop cans, etc.
Not exactly the most brilliant idea, the fake pair of jeans, but not completely without uses...
8/2/07
Secrecy & Survival
Survival is not all about being the hero, driving around in an unstoppable 4x4, and packing the biggest, baddest weaponry possible. It's easy fantasize about fighting off mobs, holed up in our fortress retreat, bodies of our attackers piled high in front of our firing position. Guns, well stocked retreats, and big 4x4s are fun, comforting, and have a certain "wow" factor. It's comforting to know that you have the ability to fend off attackers, drive through hell, and last 5 years on your MRE supplies...but, that knowledge is best kept to yourself.
Sun Tzu's The Art of War explains it well. In essence, Sun Tzu teaches that where strong, it can be best to appear weak, and where weak, then it can be best to appear strong. Your enemies under estimate you where you are well prepared, and over estimate you where you are weak.
This style of survival is sometimes referred to as the "Grey Man" approach to survival. You don't want to stand out as a strong, well-armed, well prepared survivor, but another struggling, half-starved wretch. Or a non-existent ghost, a neighbor who used to live in the house down the street, but disappeared after the trouble started. Instead of making yourself a target, you fade into the back ground, ignored as just another of the crowd.
You appear weak and helpless where you are strong. At the same time, because you are a strong, well-armed, well-prepared survivor, you are prepared to handle becoming a target. You're prepared to fight, if it comes to that, but you know that it's smartest to avoid a battle, if possible.
How does this translate into planning and preparation? First off, don't become known as the "survivalist guy". Trying to pass yourself off as just another unfortunately soul is not going to work if all of your neighbors know you've got years worth of food and a truck load of ammo stored in your basement.
Keep a low profile with your preps, and keep a tight lid on it. You're not preparing for the end of the world, you're an avid camper/hiker/hunter/off-roader. Keep your preps hidden, keep them secret, keep them safe. Don't give your guests a tour of your gun room, or your food storage, or your re-loading set-up. Don't keep a giant, bug out ready Deuce and a Half/Unimog/Pinzgauer parked in your driveway. Keep quiet, and resist the temptation to show off your preps. Make sure your family is on the same page...make sure that the info is kept on a need-to-know basis.
In a disaster, it may become even more important to keep your preps low profile and unknown. You don't want to stand out amongst your neighbors, you don't want to be the guy on the block who's eating steak and watching DVDs while your neighbors starve. You want to be the same as everyone else. As far as the rest of the world knows, you're poor and starving like everyone else…barely eeking out an existence, barely surviving. You've got nothing of value anyone would want...
This approach may be especially valuable if forced to bug out. Bugging out in the middle of a disaster is always a last resort, as it makes you vulnerable and open to all kinds of troubles--even more reason to go unnoticed. I think it would pay off to look like just another refugee, poorly prepared and ill-equipped. Less threat of robbery or entanglements with authorities...just another, hungry, tired wanderer, trying to find a .gov shelter, not the unstoppable, armed to the teeth survivor heading to your well stocked bug out land. Travel by night, sleep during the day and avoid contact with anyone.
There are more than a few problems with the secretive, "Grey Man" approach. Guilt is one of them. If you're not isolated and interact with your neighbors on a regular basis, I can imagine a feeling more than a little bit of guilt as your kids eat full meals and the friendly neighbor kids waste away. As you're kept warm and the old lady across the street freezes. Many in the preparedness community are from Christian backgrounds, and needless to say, selfishly hoarding supplies while others suffer around you is not the Christian thing to do. You can help your neighbors, of course, but if you're able to donate food and supplies, the questions will come, and your secrecy may be lost. In some cases, this could be find, but in others, you could find a mob on your doorstep in no time.
You isolate yourself from the community, through your own secrecy. You have to pay for and live with the complications of more low-profile preps, whether that means a hidden bunker complex or finding a place to hide another 5 gallon bucket of rice. Keeping a low-profile means dealing with extra hassles and taking extra precautions, further complicating matters.
Also, what if you're found out? Your secret stash of preps is uncovered by a nosey neighbor, or a child who says too much. If neighbors/the community find out you've been eating, secretly, while they've been starving, you've been warm while they've been freezing, then you could face some real problems. Anger--outrage--that you've been hoarding food, clean water, and supplies while others have been suffering could bring an angry mob down on you as fast as a giant neon sign that says "Doing well while you rot in Hell!"
Secrecy is just another important tactic in the survivor's arsenal. It has its uses, and it has its weaknesses. Evaluate your plans, come up with strategies for different situations, and prepare...like always.
Sun Tzu's The Art of War explains it well. In essence, Sun Tzu teaches that where strong, it can be best to appear weak, and where weak, then it can be best to appear strong. Your enemies under estimate you where you are well prepared, and over estimate you where you are weak.
This style of survival is sometimes referred to as the "Grey Man" approach to survival. You don't want to stand out as a strong, well-armed, well prepared survivor, but another struggling, half-starved wretch. Or a non-existent ghost, a neighbor who used to live in the house down the street, but disappeared after the trouble started. Instead of making yourself a target, you fade into the back ground, ignored as just another of the crowd.
You appear weak and helpless where you are strong. At the same time, because you are a strong, well-armed, well-prepared survivor, you are prepared to handle becoming a target. You're prepared to fight, if it comes to that, but you know that it's smartest to avoid a battle, if possible.
How does this translate into planning and preparation? First off, don't become known as the "survivalist guy". Trying to pass yourself off as just another unfortunately soul is not going to work if all of your neighbors know you've got years worth of food and a truck load of ammo stored in your basement.
Keep a low profile with your preps, and keep a tight lid on it. You're not preparing for the end of the world, you're an avid camper/hiker/hunter/off-roader. Keep your preps hidden, keep them secret, keep them safe. Don't give your guests a tour of your gun room, or your food storage, or your re-loading set-up. Don't keep a giant, bug out ready Deuce and a Half/Unimog/Pinzgauer parked in your driveway. Keep quiet, and resist the temptation to show off your preps. Make sure your family is on the same page...make sure that the info is kept on a need-to-know basis.
In a disaster, it may become even more important to keep your preps low profile and unknown. You don't want to stand out amongst your neighbors, you don't want to be the guy on the block who's eating steak and watching DVDs while your neighbors starve. You want to be the same as everyone else. As far as the rest of the world knows, you're poor and starving like everyone else…barely eeking out an existence, barely surviving. You've got nothing of value anyone would want...
This approach may be especially valuable if forced to bug out. Bugging out in the middle of a disaster is always a last resort, as it makes you vulnerable and open to all kinds of troubles--even more reason to go unnoticed. I think it would pay off to look like just another refugee, poorly prepared and ill-equipped. Less threat of robbery or entanglements with authorities...just another, hungry, tired wanderer, trying to find a .gov shelter, not the unstoppable, armed to the teeth survivor heading to your well stocked bug out land. Travel by night, sleep during the day and avoid contact with anyone.
There are more than a few problems with the secretive, "Grey Man" approach. Guilt is one of them. If you're not isolated and interact with your neighbors on a regular basis, I can imagine a feeling more than a little bit of guilt as your kids eat full meals and the friendly neighbor kids waste away. As you're kept warm and the old lady across the street freezes. Many in the preparedness community are from Christian backgrounds, and needless to say, selfishly hoarding supplies while others suffer around you is not the Christian thing to do. You can help your neighbors, of course, but if you're able to donate food and supplies, the questions will come, and your secrecy may be lost. In some cases, this could be find, but in others, you could find a mob on your doorstep in no time.
You isolate yourself from the community, through your own secrecy. You have to pay for and live with the complications of more low-profile preps, whether that means a hidden bunker complex or finding a place to hide another 5 gallon bucket of rice. Keeping a low-profile means dealing with extra hassles and taking extra precautions, further complicating matters.
Also, what if you're found out? Your secret stash of preps is uncovered by a nosey neighbor, or a child who says too much. If neighbors/the community find out you've been eating, secretly, while they've been starving, you've been warm while they've been freezing, then you could face some real problems. Anger--outrage--that you've been hoarding food, clean water, and supplies while others have been suffering could bring an angry mob down on you as fast as a giant neon sign that says "Doing well while you rot in Hell!"
Secrecy is just another important tactic in the survivor's arsenal. It has its uses, and it has its weaknesses. Evaluate your plans, come up with strategies for different situations, and prepare...like always.
8/1/07
Scottevest Hat Review
Scottevest (SEV) makes all sorts of fun, high-tech clothes. They cram concealed, highly-handy pockets everywhere. They call it "Gear Management", but whatever you call it, their products are bristling with pockets for everything.
So, my every-day wear baseball hat has seen some better days. When I bought it, it was a nice shade of blue....now it's more of a well worn grey. Time to get something new. I found a good deal on one of SEV's hats, and decided to give it a try. I ordered a black, no-logo Tec Hat.
Got my hands on the hat earlier today, and I have to say that I'm pretty impressed. I've worn baseball hats all of my life, and this is up up there in terms of materials and quality of construction. It's made of a nice cotton, with an attractive weathered in finish. The hat is lined with a mesh interior lining, which adds a smooth, extra comfortable feel to hat. SEV calls it a "Coolmax" liner, and I really like the feel. I've found that some hats can make my head itchy after wearing them for a while, and I don't get that feeling from the Tec Hat. I'm also guessing that the mesh works well "wicking" sweat away. The sweat band is also thick, soft, and comfortable. So far, so good.
I can't stand hats with the cheap adjustable plastic sizing snaps on the back. The plastic irritates me, especially if wearing the hat backwards. Luckily, the Tec Hat uses an adjustable cloth and velcro band. It's comfortable backwards, and looks good as well.
Now, for the Tec Hat's concealed, quasi-tactical pockets. It has two, one on the front, right hand side of the cap, closed by a small zipper. The pocket goes up to the top of the hat, backed by the mesh interior. It is not especially concealed, as the zipper pull dangles on the side of the hat. If you were to snip off the zipper pull, it would be hard to spot; it would look simply like a line sewn in the hat. I don't think it would pass by a thorough search though. It's big enough to fit a few rolled up bills, credit cards, coins, or similar sized objects. Surprisingly, the hat is still just as comfortable wit some stuff loaded in the pocket. Printing depends on how much you've got in the pocket. A few coins, a credit card or two and there's nothing. I put five cards in, and while the hat is still comfortable to wear, you do get some printing. Still, it's difficult to notice. Pretty good.
The second pocket is a velco-sealed pocket under the hat brim. As it's under the brim, it curves, which means that you won't be able to fit anything long and inflexible inside. No credit cards, but still good for cash, coins, tickets, etc. The pocket prints more readily, but is well concealed under the hat brim, so it doesn't really matter.
The hat also has two small elastic loops by the ear for headphones. Not sure how useful they are, but they don't get in the way, and they can easily be cut off if you don't like them.
So, functional uses for the Tec Hat, besides just being a nice hat? Well, a few things come to mind:
So, my every-day wear baseball hat has seen some better days. When I bought it, it was a nice shade of blue....now it's more of a well worn grey. Time to get something new. I found a good deal on one of SEV's hats, and decided to give it a try. I ordered a black, no-logo Tec Hat.
Got my hands on the hat earlier today, and I have to say that I'm pretty impressed. I've worn baseball hats all of my life, and this is up up there in terms of materials and quality of construction. It's made of a nice cotton, with an attractive weathered in finish. The hat is lined with a mesh interior lining, which adds a smooth, extra comfortable feel to hat. SEV calls it a "Coolmax" liner, and I really like the feel. I've found that some hats can make my head itchy after wearing them for a while, and I don't get that feeling from the Tec Hat. I'm also guessing that the mesh works well "wicking" sweat away. The sweat band is also thick, soft, and comfortable. So far, so good.
I can't stand hats with the cheap adjustable plastic sizing snaps on the back. The plastic irritates me, especially if wearing the hat backwards. Luckily, the Tec Hat uses an adjustable cloth and velcro band. It's comfortable backwards, and looks good as well.
Now, for the Tec Hat's concealed, quasi-tactical pockets. It has two, one on the front, right hand side of the cap, closed by a small zipper. The pocket goes up to the top of the hat, backed by the mesh interior. It is not especially concealed, as the zipper pull dangles on the side of the hat. If you were to snip off the zipper pull, it would be hard to spot; it would look simply like a line sewn in the hat. I don't think it would pass by a thorough search though. It's big enough to fit a few rolled up bills, credit cards, coins, or similar sized objects. Surprisingly, the hat is still just as comfortable wit some stuff loaded in the pocket. Printing depends on how much you've got in the pocket. A few coins, a credit card or two and there's nothing. I put five cards in, and while the hat is still comfortable to wear, you do get some printing. Still, it's difficult to notice. Pretty good.
The second pocket is a velco-sealed pocket under the hat brim. As it's under the brim, it curves, which means that you won't be able to fit anything long and inflexible inside. No credit cards, but still good for cash, coins, tickets, etc. The pocket prints more readily, but is well concealed under the hat brim, so it doesn't really matter.
The hat also has two small elastic loops by the ear for headphones. Not sure how useful they are, but they don't get in the way, and they can easily be cut off if you don't like them.
So, functional uses for the Tec Hat, besides just being a nice hat? Well, a few things come to mind:
- Carry a few small, last-ditch survival tools inside the hat's pockets. A few micro-pur tablets, a razor blade, small spark-stick, band-aids, that kind of thing.
- Stash some "back-ups" in case you get robbed or lose your wallet. The small pockets on the Tec Hat could be a good place to stash some cash, a pre-paid phone card, extra key to the house, etc. I really doubt anyone is going to steal your hat.
- If you can't/don't want to carry a wallet or much in your pockets (or don't have pockets), the Tec Hat has enough room to carry the basics of a few cards and some spare cash.
- If you have to carry small, easily lost items--small screws, mini-SD cards, etc.-- the Tec Hat's main pocket seems to be a safer, more secure place than a loose pants pocket, where they can fall out more easily.
That's a short list, I'm sure I'll come up with more uses over time. I love handy pockets, and I love hats, and the Tec Hat puts them together quite nicely. It will become my every-day hat for the next while (probably for the next few years, 'till it's old, ragged and grey), I'll post updates/observations after I've done some "field-testing" with the hat.
If you're in the market for a baseball hat, I'd give the Tec Hat a big recommendation. For those gadget/EDC/pocket geeks out there, it's a must have.
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