Load Out's Part 2: Shelter

I started talking about load out's awhile back. For whatever reason I sort of forgot about it. In any case TEOTWAWKI Blog's discussion of shelter options for a "bug out bag" got me back to it. Maybe instead of going through a whole kit I will just talk about sub systems. In any case here we go. Shelter is important first so you can avoid dying from exposure and second so you can get quality rest.  Getting quality rest is important so you can be at your best to deal with whatever is going on.

What I carry for shelter in the field is 2x poncho's and a standard issue EWCS Sleep System. I've talked about the sleep system before. They are not the cheapest thing out there for a sleeping bag but the combination of ruggedness, utility across a wide range of temperatures and value they are a really good option. Standard prices seem to run about $200 though they occasionally show up gently used in the $50-75 range. 

Typically when I bed down at night here is how it goes. 1 poncho gets wrapped around my ruck and gear to keep it dry in case of rain or morning dew. The other poncho is to wrap around myself over the bivy. Maybe a bit belt and suspendersish but this setup has kept me dry and comfortable in really nasty weather.

If I have more time or am going to be someplace for awhile 1 poncho is tied to a tree or something to make a little shelter. To support this 1 poncho has some short pieces of 550 cord on the corner grommets. Some folks include a tent pole or two so they can make a shelter even if trees or significant brush are absent. Personally I do not bother though if I lived someplace where trees and such are absent that could change.

The system described works pretty well to around 15 deg For so sustained lows. Colder than that and it starts to get sad. You really want some sort of shelter, ideally with insulation, that you can heat up when it gets cold like that. It could be a tent, a debris shelter, a snow cave or a building. Depending on where you live this might be a significant consideration.

The two reasons I can see myself going to something heavier like a tent are if I am going to be staying someplace for awhile or if it's really cold out.

I would stick with this general theme regardless of budget. If money was tight you can delay the bivy. A poncho (also useful for it's intended function) or tarp of some sort will work to cover up your sleeping bag. On the higher end I've wanted a Swack Shack for awhile.

What is your shelter plan?

All Sorts of Awesomeness: Free Clothes, Camping Gear and a Great Meal

Today was pretty darn good in general and from a free stuff angle.

We stumbled into a big box of little girl clothes from a friend of a friend who has a girl Walkers age. She was just waiting for somebody who could use them and we lucked out. Wifey took a look and most of them were tiny baby stuff. This means right away we do not need to buy any clothes for when she comes which is great. This means we can shift focus on getting the next size or two filled out.

We are getting a whole bunch of free camping gear. The in laws are downsizing and thus getting rid of a lot of stuff. FIL and the boys were really involved in scouting for years and acquired enough stuff for a squad minus to go camping either from a car or via backpack. Seriously too much good stuff to list, that will probably be another post. It was like a crazy survivalist Christmas for me.

Today dinner was particularly awesome. We had stuffed pork chops, basically a big 2 inch thick chop,slit down the middle and filled with stuffing. The result was wonderful. We had them with mashed potatoes and veggies. They went well with a bottle of Moose Drool.

I started reading the new Jim Rawles new book Founders today and am about halfway into it. A review will follow in due course but so far it has been a nice part of a pretty nice day. Huge thanks to Jim Rawles and Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy to review.

On yeah and I have run 4 more miles so far this week which puts me at 28.5. Not ideal and far from 50 but considering I am on leave; where my track record of doing any PT is terrible I am happy with it.

Anyway that is what has been going on here today. It has been a real nice day here and I hope things are going equally well for you.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Solo Stove, Rat 3 Knife and Why the M16/M4/AR Platform is Awesome

When it rains it pours and today it definitely poured.

I am pleased to announce our newest advertiser Solo Stove. I haven't gotten a chance to handle one yet but if their videos are any indicator it is a really cool piece of kit. Might just take most of the benefits of a camp stove AND most of the benefits of cooking over a fire and combine them in a compact package. Can't wait to get my hands on one.

An Ontario Rat-3 showed up in our mailbox today. The Rat 3 cuts and handles well in addition to being pretty darn light.  The sheath is very nice and well thought out. Between it's light weight and quality sheath you can easily forget it is on your belt. A brief initial impressions review will follow shortly but suffice to say I am quite impressed. The Rat-3 may well be the best small belt knife/ camp and field knife I have handled to date.

John Mosby has been cranking out awesome posts:
Tricks of the Trade and Tricks of the Trade II are worth reading and absorbing. While not a super duper cool SOF guy I have been around the block a couple times and still definitely got some stuff out of it. I suspect you will also.

His post: The M16/AR15/M4: Why it's the choice of professionals everywhere is worth reading and I will briefly discuss it. In no particular order:

-So much of the argument about .223 lethality (though JM makes a very compelling case that argument is junk) is really about full metal jacketed ammunition. Soldiers are required to use FMJ ammunition but civilians are not. If you like the platform but aren't thrilled with the bullets then get better ones. Modern soft point and hollow point .223 ammunition are a whole different ball game.

-As to reliability I think that any case of the AR platform being "maintenance intensive" or unreliable if not in pristine condition is seriously overstated. It is my belief that an AR could be kept going almost indefinitely by simply wiping out the inside of the upper receiver/ chamber and (assembled) bolt carrier group with a rag,  running a bore snake through the barrel and re oiling the gun. I have not empirically tested this theory but if anybody wants to donate a whole bunch of .223 ammo for me to test this theory I will provide the rifle, rag, bore snake and oil.

-To me the modularity of the platform is another significant bonus. You can have a unregulated legal short barreled rifle pistol, a defensive carbine and a solid varmit/ precision rifle that have total commonality in parts, ammunition and magazines. That kind of modularity and potential for a simple logistical footprint  is aweful handy.

The good folks at TEOTWAWKI Blog did a nice post on Blanket Rolls. This is a good technique to have in your brain housing group in case you find yourself (or a friend) needing to travel with less than the ideal gear setup.

I also ran 2 miles today leaving me with 44 more to go. Darn that is a long way. 

Thank goodness it is Friday. I got off work early which meant I could hit the gym and still get home at a very reasonable time. We went for a long walk and took kiddo to play with a ball in a big field. He really liked that and generally gets great joy out of being outside. We have been going out for a walk or to play every day after dinner which has been quite enjoyable. Hopefully we can have a yard at our next place.

I hope you all have a wonderful Friday.

Skill Sunday: Packing a Backpack/ Ruck

I planned to write this post today but remembered that I did it years ago. Anyway this throwback post on how to pack a ruck is worth checking out if you are not solid on the topic.

Working on the Get Home/ Car Kits

Today we packed up a bag for Wifey. Also we added a fleece and a change of clothes for me. Nothing big really. Just looking at our stuff and filling some little holes while trying to prevent the good idea fairy from filling the whole vehicle with stuff.

The thing about having kits/ systems is that a lot of the benefit comes from the process of making the thing. In reality we do not have much in the car that we didn't before this. However I thought through what we really needed, made some lists and filled a few small but significant gaps. Also kits are a forcing mechanism to have the stuff that you might need where you might actually need it. There isn't much point in having stuff (not talking about stores, redundant items and such) at home in the basement. A jacket, knife, compass, poncho and pair of boots at home are far less useful than having that stuff in a backpack out in the woods or in the trunk.

My long term (probably 6-12 month range) way forward with kits is probably as follows. The kit I recently put together will get lightened down and be Wifey's BOB. One in a larger bag will get put together for me. On the bright side I already have most of the big ticket items lying around so the total cost will not be too bad.

Sportsmens Guide has used Alice Packs for $45. For some reason I have really been feeling a real urge to buy one. I don't really like them but if I had to go all Mad Max/ The Postman that is the bag I would want to carry. A pack that I will have for the long term would be worth modifying to make as comfortable as possible.

I am not sure exactly what I would use it for. Maybe a BOB but then again in some scenarios having a pack that does not look militaryish would be very nice. A scruffy guy carrying an (earth tone) commercial backpack looks like some hippie slacker not a crazy right wing evil wacist militia nutjob. If you want to go a little bit further, toss a peace symbol pin on this or that and make a cardboard sign that says 'damn the man, spare some change' or whatever. Depending on the situation switching contents between bags would be easy. Also at a bit under 50 bucks I would be more comfortable leaving an Alice in a vehicle than a more expensive bag that says "steal me, there is good stuff inside'.

Anyway that is what is going on with that.

What Did You Do To Prepare This Week?

It was a good week for preparedness here. We got some flips snap diapers and inserts at a great deal in preparation for having a second kid (at some point in the future). Also I picked up a pair of backpacks at a great price and a 3 piece ECWS sleep system. I tried to purchase one of these sleep systems awhile back but there was some issue with the order and it was never processed. Also we got a 5 piece 18 volt Ryobi power tool set gently used for $80. It has a drill, a circular saw, and a sawzall as well as a flashlight and a little vacuum. Also I stumbled through our house finding half empty packs of batteries organized the batteries. An inventory found a couple deficiencies which got filled.

Wifey mentioned that it would be good if I didn't buy anything for awhile. As we don't want our balance sheets to look like Southern Europe I agreed.

Along other fronts I kicked the running program into gear going three times and also hit the gym. Wifey started making bread again which kiddo and I have appreciated. Anyway that is what we have been up to.

What did you do to prepare this week?

FLASH!! REI Sale on Backpacks and Other Stuff at 70% off

We got a pair of Millet Lukla 55 + 10 packs for $109.  Check out the sale.

Molle Rucksack Durability

I have read some discussion about the durability of Molle Rucksacks recently. The earlier ones had some issues with the plastic frame breaking. However in subsequent models that seems to have been corrected. I have dropped one weighing aprox 80 pounds from 8 feet onto concrete, had it land on a single point of the frame and had no problems.

I see two big downsides to the MOLLE system. First is the obviously militant appearance.  Depending on your concerns it could be an issue and if so a quality civilian model such as REI, Kelty, North Face, etc all in brown, tan or grey might be more discrete. Scruffy hair, slightly dirty non descript clothes and a gently used nice backpack just screams stupid hippie kid which could be a real advantage. A rifle fits easily in a ful sized pack and a pistol can be concealed under loose hippyish clothing. The downside is that these are typically a lot more expensive, like at least a couple hundred bucks. The second downside is that if the plastic frame is somehow damaged quality repair would be about impossible. You could weld or jb weld a more traditional metal frame and there isn't much of anything to break on the newer internal frame type packs. 

I should probably write about rucksacks some time but I haven't put anything organized together. Sooner or later I will.

Take care of each other

Field Hygiene

Somebody asked about this in the comments section of a recent post. Let me start by saying that I am not a doctor or a gynecologist or a medic. Do not take what I say as legitimate medical advice and is just my observations and experiences of what has and has not worked well. As always consult your personal panel consisting of the family doctor, your lawyer, accountant, life coach, therapist and any applicable specialists (in this case a doc with a background in wilderness medicine seems appropriate) before doing anything.  If you think that the cost of such a panel would be ruinous than act like an adult, do your own research and take some personal responsibility before acting.

Let me define the scope of this post. I am going to talk about keeping healthy, clean and functional with limited access to modern facilities or hygiene supplies for periods of time between 24 hours and a month. Again don’t take this as the gospel; remember it is just one guys opinion.

To start I must say Americans have a fairly OCD approach to personal hygiene based heavily around almost limitless supplies of hot water and clean clothes. Also half the need for a shower is to wash off all the junk we cover ourselves with. Believe it or not people survived just fine for centuries without a hot shower (or 2) and clean clothes every day. In many parts of the world they still manage to survive without these luxuries which show that people have not biologically changed in recent years so it is in fact possible.
Let us go from head to toe and short periods to long periods.

Hair-For relatively short periods the easiest solution is to do nothing. Don’t put gel, hairspray or any other junk in it. Worst case it gets a bit greasy or something. Over longer periods (say beyond a week) I recommend men cut their hair very short and women cut it relatively short. Washing weekly is sufficient if you are short on water. Get it wet, shampoo, rinse.

Teeth-This one is the easiest as there is no change. Brush and floss your teeth regularly. If you are going to be out for a long time bring an extra roll of floss.

Shaving- I recommend not doing it unless you have good amounts of hot water. Men embrace your inner mountain man. Ladies, why you would try to shave anything in primitive conditions is completely beyond me.
The Army does this stupid thing where it expects soldiers to be clean shaven in the middle of nowhere in a dry camp. If I am ever in charge I will (at a minimum) institute a rule that if hot water is not made available to soldiers daily then shaving is not required. In any case if hot water is available shave as normal, a small mirror helps. Of hot water is not available I recommend electric razors (not rechargeable, the kind that take AAA or AA batteries) as the option is scraping half your face off dry shaving or using a little bit of cold water. I have a 20 dollar electric that has kept me in compliance to our stupid rule for years of field time.

Skin- If possible I like to clean my body daily even when a shower is not practical. As an added bonus doing this daily before bed helps keep your sleeping bag clean. This is especially important if you are in a hot/ humid environment or doing strenuous tasks. I am a big fan of baby wipes. You don’t need to use many of them and unless I am particularly funky 2 wipes works for my whole body. Order of precedence is face, upper torso, legs, armpits, crotch, butt. I should not have to explain to you why this is important. Baby wipes are super easy and cheap so you should get a lot of them.

If you are going to be out for awhile and or have access to at least some warm water then a washcloth and soap can be used to get the same effect.  Use the same order of precedence and don’t let the washcloth get funky. I recommend letting it hang to dry and washing it often. This is pretty much how people bathed for a long time so it works fine to keep you clean over the long run.

That brings us to the subject of soap. The fellow who asked about this topic in a comment mentioned unscented soap. There is a theory/ historic anecdote that goes like this, GI’s in ‘Nam would use unscented soap so the Vietcong couldn’t smell them in the jungle. The same idea pops up every now and again in our Army culture. However in the contemporary operating environment in Iraq and Afghanistan it is completely irrelevant for almost everybody. The reason is that everybody pretty much knows who we are. We are the Americans in the crazy uniforms with all the armor and the huge tan trucks. In Iraq the centers of gravity are the cities and you just can’t hide during a patrol. They don’t have to smell you as they can see you 6 blocks away because an MRAP is about 12 feet tall. In Afghanistan we do some more patrolling but there is almost always a mounted component due to long distances involved and sparsely distributed soldiers. Also the terrain is so open that you can see people from hundreds of meters off. So I would say to use whatever kind of soap you like.

The crotch-  I am going to talk about this area specifically because the crotch and inner thighs are where people tend to chafe, if they chafe. Typically chafing is an issue most often when you do a lot of walking in a hot and humid environment. You can get wicked friction burns and it is no fun at all, especially when you have to keep moving with them. Stay dry if at all possible. Some of the worst chafing I can remember was during a long road march in the spring at Benning when there was a thunderstorm. I would have been fine except my pants were completely soaked. At that point not a lot can be done.

Underwear is a factor as they cause friction. Tighty whities are probably the worst as they are right in that crotch/ inner thigh area where chafing is rife. Boxer briefs (like the spandex kind not the whitey tightey’s with legs kind) are better. The best option IMO is wearing no underwear. It decreases chafing due to less material in the area and letting things breathe better.  From the time I have spent in the field with women I have never heard one gripe about chaffing. I think that smaller legs, wider hips and different anatomy make it a non issue. (As for women and underwear in the field I am about clueless. I would guess that stringy little underwear is not the way to go but other than that can’t help you. Also as to specific to female field hygiene issues I know they exist but I just don’t know anything about that)

To prevent or manage chafing you can use some gold bond powder (a darn good thing to have) to keep things dry down there. Also I’ve heard of runners using Vaseline at friction points like thighs and nipples (that wasn’t meant to sound dirty but does). 

Feet- If you ignore everything else take care of your feet. Keep them in good shape or you are useless. Some folks like foot powder but I am not one of them. I find that it cakes onto your socks and decreases their ability to breathe while simultaneously shortening the amount of time you can wear them for. Keep toe nails reasonably short. Wearing good socks that are (as much as possible) dry is the best thing you can do for your feet. Also take off your socks and let your feet air out at night. 

Carry plenty of spare socks, they are about the only piece of clothing you really need to change semi regularly (every couple days or so, depending). Also (though of course you should do this with everything) be sure to put your socks into plastic bags to keep them dry.

Boots- This is not a place to pinch pennies. Buy quality boots that suit your purpose from  a good reputable manufacturer. Break them in by wearing them as you do everyday tasks and then for progressively longer walks and then hikes. Hardening your feet is done in the same manner. Start with short marches and then get progressively longer with heavier loads. This will also harden your legs and heart. Foot care and footwear could be a whole different post as it covers so much and is so important.

Clothes- Keep as clean as is practical. Keep some clean (a relative word) dry clothes to wear in the evening for down time and sleep. This will also let your day’s clothes air out overnight (if possible) and dry. Do the same thing with your socks.  If possible wash them when you can.

Sleep wear- If your operational situation allows letting your body breathe at night is good. I typically will sleep in shorts unless it is real cold.

Sleeping bags- Get a liner as it is far more practical to was it than the whole bag in the field.

In conclusion with a little bit of planning you can stay quite healthy in the field for a prolonged period of time. Using the techniques outlines above I have been just fine for upwards of a month in the woods on multiple occasions. Mostly it just requires getting used to not having modern conveniences.

Packing a Ruck

Dear TOR:

 

I picked up a military surplus MOLLE II backpack (rucksack?) that has three good sized compartments on it. I think the lower one is designed for bedrolls or whatever. Obviously, one can put anything anywhere, but I was wondering if there is a specific layout that the military uses for these backpacks, because, presumably, that would be the most efficient and effective, accessible, etc.

 

If you have time, would you please tell me what you carry in those backpacks and where it goes? I probably won't need all of what you guys use, but it would be helpful to have a "blueprint" for when I'm packing my stuff. It would also help to make sure that I dont overlook anything important.

 

Thanks.

 

Saddle Tramp

 

 TOR here:

First to get onto the same page. The term rucksack (which I shorten to ruck) is synonymous with backpack, at least in its larger hiking/ backpacking variety. Unit's often have standard operating procedures for all kinds of things including how to properly pack your ruck. [This brings us to two questions. First why do units have SOP's. We have them because we have some really stupid people and we are obsessive compulsive. Also we have them so we can at least in theory find essential pieces of equipment in another individuals stuff. Stuff like first aid kits, radios, etc needs to be able to be found by anyone. Secondly should your group/ family have SOP's. I would say that you should probably have some. It doesn't matter if everyone keeps their spare underoos or hygiene kits in a standard location. However essential stuff like first aid kits, maybe spare ammo for your common weapons (you do carry the same stuff, right?), the group emergency radio, etc is probably good for anyone of you to be able to find in another's stuff.] You don't necessarily carry the same kit or have the same needs as X battalion X regiment Infantry so I'm not going to tell you how they pack their rucks. However I will try to give some ideas to help you out. 

I think about two main things when it comes to packing a ruck. First I look at any excessively heavy items I may have. A big radio, a huge cast iron frying pan you are carrying up to the cabin, a spare case of ammo, etc would all apply. This stuff has to go as close to your body and as high as possible. You want it basically centered over the upper part of your back so it carries as well as it possibly can. If it is to one side or the left it is really unpleasant to carry. Having this stuff toward the bottom or outside pulls the bag back and down which is hard. 

Next I pack based upon what I will likely need access to. You don't want to have to dig all the way to the bottom of your bag for your water bottle or granola bars. For example your rain gear should be very accessible. The little pouches on the sides of your bag are a great place for rain gear as well as your flashlight, first aid kit, snacks and food you will eat through the day, etc. Your cooking stuff and dinner chow might go toward the top of the main pouch because after you get to camp the first thing you will do is making dinner. After that is your sleeping bag with bivy so you can get that set up. In the bottom might be your spare clothes because you don't plan to change anything except maybe new socks in the morning.

My packing usually goes like this:

Side pouches are filled with my rain coat and poncho as well as a bunch of snack foods and a small first aid kit. Weather depending I might have a bit of cold weather stuff like a silk weight top and a fleece cap in there also. In the main compartment the bottom is my extra clothes in a waterproof bag. Next I toss in the food I am carrying but do not plan to eat throughout the day. On top is my sleeping bag because in the Army I usually open the main compartment when it is time for me to go to bed so I want it on top. Depending on the conditions I might have my fleece jacket up top also. My foam sleeping pad is strapped on top. I stick my camelback under the flap for the main pouch to keep it off my back. If I was carrying ammo that wasn't in my chest rig/ LBE/ whatever you want to call it I would have it in the upper part of the main pouch because it is heavy. If I didn't have a chest rig/ LBE/ whatever you want to call it I would keep extra ammo in a side pouch so I could get to it fast. Considering I carry 7+ mags whatever bandoleers or extra loaded mags I had would be more for follow on missions in a situation where we planned multiple operations without resupply. 

I hope this helps.

New Army Sleep System

I got an email asking about the new sleeping bag with the bivy we are using in the Army now. Since I get to use this stuff at no cost to me in realistic conditions for long periods of time I am in a good position to evaluate it for you folks who would spend their hard earned dollars on it.

Anyway a bit of background. For a long time the Army used these big sucky green sleeping bags. They are equivalent to that big fluffy Coleman brand square sleeping bag we all used as a kid. They work pretty good if you don't have to carry them (they are heavy and very bulky) and they don't get wet (think sponge). Good for a sleep over in your uncles cabin but not for real world use in primitive conditions.

Enter the EWCS modular sleep system. This was a huge update in technology and unlike the MOLLE rucksack they didn't go just part of the way. These things really are a home run. Basically they consist of a light "patrol bag" a heavier bag, a Goretex bivy and a stuff sack. A wooby fits easily into the stuff sack and anybody with an iota of common sense adds one to their personal sleep system. You can mix and match based upon the needs of your upcoming mission/ trip and go with just the light bag, the light bag and the bivy, just the heavy bag or whatever combination suits your fancy. I am very happy that we use these systems at work. I have found them to be rugged, reliable and a great piece of kit. In particular the zippers are quite rugged. I have gotten them hopelessly stuck and through brute force unstuck them without them breaking. Seeing as zippers are a real weak point in sleeping bags this just goes to show the quality and durability of the system.

These things are fairly light, pack up compactly and work really well. The bivy is good for keeping dry unless you are sleeping in standing water or there is a truly torrential downpour. Have a poncho to toss over your backpack/ boots and for traveling light a tent is not needed. With the thin bag and a woobie it is very compact and for me comfortable to 30ish. With the heavy bag I've slept soundly, without waking up freezing in the middle of the night, down into the single digits (F).

[The ratings for sleeping bags seems to have little to do with a comfortable nights sleep and are more about not freezing to death. Kind of like how a 3 foot wide tent is rated to sleep two people (if they REALLY like each other in a grown up sort of way). Knowing if a bag rated to 20 degrees is good to 20 or 30 or even 40 degrees for YOU is something that must be found out for yourself. I don't think this system is good to -10F.]

As for the more nebulous question of if they are worth purchasing for you guys and gals. That depends a lot on the cost. I have seen these systems for sale brand new for a few hundred dollars. At that price it would be a hard sell for me. The camouflage bivy is probably the most important single component. Getting one of them and putting it over a quality mummy bag of any color which you already own that is suited to your area would work fine. If you live in ridiculously cold Alaska or Minnesota then getting a heavier sleeping bag would be a must anyway. However if you look around finding one, just be sure it is in good condition and truly Mil Spec not a far inferior knock off, for under $200 doesn't seem difficult. I found 3 for $150 in under 2 minutes. If you are in the market for a sleeping bag you would be a fool not to buy one of these. To put my money where my mouth is getting a complete one of these systems for each member of our family is in my long plans.

Avoiding Blisters and Foot Problems

I used to hike when I was younger. Ya know nice little 3-6 mile walks on an enjoyable trail to a nice place with enough gear to be reasonably comfortable for a couple nights of camping. I don't do that anymore. Maybe someday when Walker Texas Ranger gets old enough I will again but that would be about him, not me.

I stopped hiking about when I got into the Army. Like most things, except shooting guns, jumping out of planes and maybe drinking good whiskey and fooling around with beautiful women (the last two are a guess as I've never been paid for them) it stops being fun when you do them for work. Another reason is that the loads got heavier, the pace got faster and the distances got a lot longer.

Here are some random thoughts on avoiding blisters and foot problems. Lets work from the outside in.

Boots. Get good quality comfortable boots that really fit you well. There are a lot of places to cut corners and pinch pennies but your feet aren't one of them. I would rather have a cheap sleeping bag or other piece of gear than boots and socks.

For a good all around boot I like the Altama Exospeed. They are very light and comfortable but pretty darn tough. My current pair are about worn out but after a year of non stop use and abuse that is pretty typical. They are great if you have to run 5 miles or walk 15 with an 80+ pound ruck. What more can you ask from a pair of boots?

Of course I have some Gore Tex and Thinsulate boots for when it is real cold outside and if you are smart you will get some too. They are generally too big, heavy and clunky to be that good for serious moving. Great for standing around or short moves and normal type days in the cold though. 

Also it should go without saying but break those darn things in. Getting a pair of boots soaking wet in hot water (submersing in a bathtub works well) then wearing them till they dry has been said to help fit a pair of boots to your feet. This is a good thing to do on an off day when you are going to do some errands or just hang around the house. Also just wear them for awhile before you try a long hike or something. A week or two of wearing them on short walks or during a non intensive work day is a good move.

Some folks do the whole two sock thing with a thin pair of nylons or boot liners then a heavier pair of socks. When it works it works well. However the odds of getting that rolled up type uncomfortable spot increases significantly with the second pair of socks.

Unless it is real cold I use one good pair of medium weight type socks. The new Xstatic socks the Army issues are nothing short of AMAZING! They are super comfortable and wick and last almost forever. I wore them at first because they were free and keep wearing them because they are awesome. I genuinely do not have enough good things to say about them. Lots of folks I know wear Fox River or those socks the under armor people make.

The above are my choices but there are a lot of good boots and socks out there. Many people choose different boots and socks based upon their needs and individual tendencies. The important thing is to find a combination that works well for you.

So we have talked about boots and socks. That leaves the foot itself. In this area some people are lucky and others are not. I tend to have fairly tough feet and just don't get blisters very often. Some other folks have feet that turn to hamburger when they ruck. After the EIB 12 miler my feet were just fine but a buddy had to have the head medic perform what was essentially minor surgery on his feet. If it is any indicator he literally bled through his boots and was messed up for a month. We both had good broken in boots and equal conditioning and such. I don't know why this is but it is.

In any case it is my observation that the foot itself should be conditioned to walking long distances and absolutely must be conditioned to walking long distances carrying a heavy load. Take an average person off the street and have them walk 10 miles with a 50 pound pack and even assuming broken in boots and such their feet will be jacked. The good news is that while you build the rest of your body (another topic all together) for long foot movements while carrying a load you are also conditioning your feet. Both must be done in a slow and incremental manner. Slowly increase the length and weight of movements over time in an incremental manner. If you want to walk 10 miles with 50 pounds on your back then walking 2 (maybe cut this out if you are in shape) , 4, 6 and 8 miles with gradually increasing weight first is the way to get there. If you try to toss a big heavy ruck on your back and walk a really long way in a hurry the odds of getting broken off are high and the odds of success are very small.

So basically get good boots and break them in. Wear good socks under them. Condition your feet to moving long distances carrying a load in a slow incremental manner.

I do owe you guys a post on dealing with what happens when your feet get messed up. I will write it tomorrow if nothing better pops into my head.

Molle Rucksacks

Our friend Commander Zero asked my opinion on the relatively new Molle Rucksacks. Well here it is. As a bit of background I have spent a good amount of time carrying an old typical framed pack, various commercial internal frame packs, the ALICE Pack and most recently the MOLLE. That gives me a decent frame of reference for this.

First I will talk about my ruck/ backpack preferences then I will get to the MOLLE. The best packs I have ever carried were commercial production modern internal frame style packs. I have an internal frame REI bag and it is pretty darn nice. Other such bags are equitable. For the worst bags I have carried it is an even split between the old very traditional external frame models and the ALICE. The MOLLE lies somewhere in the middle.

The biggest benefit of the MOLLE is that it is super modular. More so than any other pack I have used it is super adaptable. Commercial internal frame ones can be adjusted for height but there is little that can be done about adding different pouches and such to the outside. The MOLLE is basically covered with the rows of straps which let you mount anything (within said system) onto it.

There are some complaints about the MOLLE floating around both the Army and the various forums and such. There is a real traditionalist streak in the Army. Whatever people came up on is the best and all the new stuff sucks. I would wager that back in the day there were some soldiers standing around waiting to do some mundane task complaining about the switch to rifles which shoot those new fangled cased cartridges. Someone could invent a new ruck that is just as reliable and rugged as the last one but magically levitates and thus effectively weighs nothing on your back and soldiers would complain about it. I have heard people talk about how MOLLE rucks just break but personally I have used and abused them without issue. I have tossed rucks weighing 80-100 pounds out of the back of a large truck and had them land on cement at an awkward angle without issue. I know early on some field testing went pretty bad with them. I also know a particular fellow who was part of a group that was doing such testing, they (in typical soldier fashion) did not like these new things, so they intentionally broke them in order to sabotage the tests.

The MOLLE is hands down better than the ALICE for numerous reasons. It is big enough to carry all the stuff we need (unlike a newbie on a 1 mile overnight hike guys who carry rucks a lot don't just fill up bags willy nilly) without junk tied all over it. The modularity is a big plus but also the side "sustainment pouches" are actually big enough to be useful, unlike the midgety ones on the ALICE. Also I am not sure why the people who made ALICE packs thought the human back has a roughly 4 inch tall and 4 inch deep slit in their lower back (the not at all padded 'waist belt' sticks out and grinds on your back) but the MOLLE folks are smarter than that. The MOLLE is bigger and more comfortable to carry (at all or with a heavy load) than the ALICE hands down. I am not trying to give the ALICE a bad rap or anything. They are a rugged, common and very affordable earth tone rucksack.

As a service member I am required to use what they issue me and thus am glad they went to the MOLLE. However as a survivalist they do nothing for me. I know for some folks it is a big deal to have the newest and coolest military issue gear. I guess that is cool, its your money so do whatever makes you happy. MOLLE packs are solidly decent but not for their price. Personally if I was on a tight budget and wanted a pack I would get an ALICE pack due to sheer value. (Edited later to include: With MOLLE available for $50 there is no reason to go with the inferior ALICE) If money wasn't really a big concern I would get an internal frame pack from a decent brand  (REI, Kelty, etc). You really do want an earth tone but worst case if a good deal presents itself and you don't care about appearance a rattle can will fix that. If price was no object at all the folks at Kirafu seem to make a real nice bag.

The Mountains in Winter

It has been snowy here for a few days. The temp hasn't gotten much above freezing and the lows have been around 20. That doesn't matter except that instead of going on a long run for PT like planned I went to the gym. After hitting the weight pile I got on one of those exercise machine things and plugged the headphones in to listen to the news. I sort of like being able to do that. Anyway on the news they talking about some climbers missing on Mount Hood. At least one member of the party is dead and the other two are missing. Either they are hunkered down and waiting it out or they are dead. It seems this happens at least once a year on either Hood or Rainier.

Interestingly enough I tried climbing Mt Hood once. We woke up really early, ate some oatmeal and started walking uphill in the dark. About when it got light we got socked in with dense cloud cover and we kept walking uphill. For a couple of brief minutes the  clouds parted and we were able to see that we were just about 200 meters below the bottom of the ski lift. It is in the top 3 or 4 worst recreational outdoor activities of my life. I don't get mountain climbing at all. I like skiing down mountains and around them. I don't mind walking over a hill or whatever. Seriously an activity where the entire point is to walk uphill for hours. I am not knocking people who do it but to me it seems like the worst recreational outdoor activity ever. Anyway back to the point.

I think people underestimate both of these mountains, particularly Hood. I can see why folks might as it is easy enough to wake up (albeit early) in Portland, climb Hood and be home for a quick shower and dinner at Jake's. All and all a real nice day if you like that sort of thing. Unless something goes wrong at which point you die.

I am not saying these folks did anything wrong. That will be figured out later and it might or might not even make a difference.

My point is just that the wilderness is not a particularly forgiving place. The mountains in winter are an unforgiving place and when you get above the tree line it is sort of like hanging out with a crackhead that has a handgun. He might be a nice enough guy and you might (though I don't know why) know him fairly well but if something gets into his head one night you are dead.

I am not going to go into get into what you need to have for winter gear. Just like any other time you need water food, clothing and shelter to survive. In the winter I would say that clothing/ shelter is more important though. Anyway I am going to eat a bowl of cereal then go back to work.

quote of the day

"come the collapse, a hundred million idiots are trying to camp out in the pathetically small mountain chains of New York and the South. I give it a month and they are all eating each other."
-James Dakin

Re: Heating Canned Goods in their Original Package

I asked Bush Brother's, the popular purveyor of baked beans, if they
recommended heating their product directly in the can over a campfire
and got this mostly corporate, but somewhat insightful response:

Dear Mr. Xxxx:

Thank you for contacting us.

We do not recommend heating our product in the can over a campfire.
We were able to find in literature several articles that stated that
the temperatures in a campfire are in the range of 500 - 650 degrees C
(932 F - 1202 F). We do not use can liner materials or end sealing
compounds that can stand-up to these temperatures. In fact, I am not
aware of any commercial lining materials and end sealant compounds
that can stand-up to these temperatures. Although our current liner
and end sealant materials are approved for their intended use in a can
that is cooked at high temperatures they are not approved nor have
they even been studied at the typical temperatures that can exist in a
campfire. The concern with the materials is what happens to them at
these elevated temperatures and what the by-products of combustion
might be at these elevated temperatures.


Again, we thank you for taking the time to contact us. We appreciate
your interest in our products.


Sincerely,
Yyyy Yyyy
Consumer Relations Coordinator

It seems that she is implying that their linings will hold up to
canning temperatures of 100 C (212 F) and that this would be an
acceptable way to heat up canned food. So I asked her that question
directly and got this very corporate response:

Dear Mr. Xxxx:

We suggest following the heating instructions on the can.

We appreciate your interest in our products.


Sincerely,
Yyyy Yyyy
Consumer Relations Coordinator

I've eaten plenty of canned beans cooked over a campfire, but now I
will be more conscious of the temperature at which I cook them. The
safest way would obviously be to remove the beans from the can and use
a pot or pan, but the second best way is probably to try to indirectly
heat canned goods through boiling water or steam.
-Michael P

TOR here: Michael, thanks for sending this my way. It is certainly interesting. I think we have all heated some sort of canned stuff up in its original container at some point. Think setting chili on the stove was my way. Odds are it will not kill you if you do it once (though I am not an expert so who knows, consider yourself disclaimed) in a blue moon but it is probably not good to have some sort of can liner break down into food you eat on a regular basis. I don't think I will do this again, it is just too easy to have a small pot or a metal canteen cup.

Batman in the Boondocks, Again

Recently I linked to a very informative article on Survivalblog. Among other interesting points it heavily rebuked the whole "batman in the boondocks" plan. My post got an interesting comment which I want to reply to in a larger venue.

Burrow Owl said...

Anonymoose:
"it is virtually impossible to walk into the wilderness with a .22 and a back pack and expect to live off of the land. This (true) movie completely proves his point."

Just a heads up:
Krakauer's book (and the subsequent movie) proves nothing.
The subject in Krakauer's story (sorry... don't recall his name) was a clueless yuppie fuctard with grossly unrealistic expectations about what it actually takes to survive in the boonies.
I know from personal experience that it can be done. It ain't easy, but it is doable- at least for now.

Be that as it may...
Given a TEOTWAWKI situation where the population of the whole freakin' continent is foraging to survive and all bets are off.
(Do a little research into what happened to the stocks of wild game during the last depression.)
Just something to think about.....
-- An Alaskan in (temporary) exile.

Here are my thoughts on this comment and the whole batman in the boondocks thing in general. As for John Krackauers book I would not say it proves much except the great lengths some people (who are probably mentally ill) will go to select themselves for removal from the gene pool. Batman in the boondocks could work for the right person with at least fair luck in the right conditions for awhile. For a person with the right skill set and decent appropriate gear surviving for a few months or even a year would be reasonably likely if they were in a place with a somewhat mild climate, ample game and enough isolation (beware the lower 48 is a lot more occupied and accessible than you would think) to not get eaten by cannibals or whatever.

The reason pretty much everyone thinks this is an unrealistic long term plan is because if anything goes wrong you are screwed. A tool getting lost or broken would be a life threatening incident as having redundancy in a backpack full of stuff is not realistic. Even if you are lucky enough to never break or loose a tool the lack of any stored food would leave you increadibly vulnerable to bad luck or circumstances.

I personally think that unless you are sure staying in your current residence will lead to imminent death is to stay home. Sitting in a dark house cooking your food with a camp stove and spending your time playing cards with a shotgun on your knees is not sexy or cool but it is prudent and practical. Now if you city is on fire or a large armed crowd is kicking in doors and executing people of your color then by all means grab that ruck and your rifle and head for the boondocks. Otherwise I would stay the fuck home with a bunch of food, water and fuel stored.

The Twelve and a Half Essentials

I was reading through a book and saw something about the Boy Scout 10 essentials. I was in scouts for a very long time and hadn't thought of these for years though I do pack them when going into the wild. I have seen multiple lists online which slightly differ in insignificant ways. In case you are not familiar with these we will review.

1. Knife
2. First- Aid Kit
3. Extra Clothing
4. Flashlight with extra batteries
5. Rain Gear
6. Water
7. Map and Compass
8. Matches and fire starter
9. Sun protection (sun screen, hat, sunglasses)
10. Extra Food

One thing we did (and I suggest you do also) was to take all of these items except #3 (clothing) and #6 (water) and put them in a one gallon plastic bag. [the water bottle was excluded mainly because of bulk and clothing needs vary so widely from season to season and trip to trip] This was tossed into the bottom of our backpack and aside from occasionally rotating the granola bars left alone. There was another knife in our pocket or on our belt and we had another flash light or two to use. This stuff was put in there strictly for emergencies and left alone so we would know it was there and ready to go.

Of course no gear or equipment can guarantee you will be safe and healthy in the woods, danger can certainly happen to anyone no matter how well prepared. I can however note that people who have the above mentioned items and know how to use them properly are far less likely to end up in real trouble.

Your kit will certainly vary widely from trip to trip and season to season but keep the 10 essentials with you. The whole point of the 10 essentials is that they are universal. Carrying that couple pounds in a one gallon zip lock bag is a great way to stave off disaster.

So you are asking what the other two and a half essentials are. I will list them and then discuss my position on their importance. I did not discuss the original 10 essentials because well if you can not see their use it would be of no help for me to try and explain it.

#11. Wallet with cash and debit/ credit card. You will often find where a trail or campsite ends up near some sort of a little store or something. Maybe you need to get a ride and it is out of the guys way but a couple $20's will probably convince him. The debit card is because you just never know. Maybe you get hurt and need to get cash for a cab or things go completely to shit and you need to get a bus ticket or a motel for the night or something. Money gives you all sorts of options.

#12. A gun. I am not going to get into what sort of gun because there are so many variables. Suffice to say that it is smart to have a gun (with ammo and necessary accessories) to protect against predators both two legged or four.

#12 1/2. A cell phone with a charged battery. I put this as a half because in some places they do not work at all and in others they are entirely unreliable. To me the point of the essentials is that they are universal and while the cell phone does not pass that test if it works it can be utterly priceless. Include it unless you are positive it will not work where you are going.

Camping and its Value

Awhile back I talked about hunting. It really chapped a lot of peoples asses. [To quickly recap (maybe in a more eloquent way) I think the usefulness of hunting for our purposes in preparedness can vary significantly. It can be an invaluable tool to secure needed food outside of JIT supply lines. This is the super rural guy who shoots an animal or two every single year using a box of ammo 3/4s of which goes to confirming the zero on that 30/30 or 30.06 and then hunts within walking distance of his home, processes the animal himself and stores it in a way that does not require grid power. On the other hand a guy who drives 100 miles from his suburban home to spend a week drinking with his buddies and maybe shoots a deer which gets processed at a butchers shop and stored in his freezer. Aside from having a rifle and some camo pants this second guy is not really in a better situation then someone who buys a half a cow yearly. Of course there are some folks in the middle of those two exteremes but I think by and large the assumption that hunting automatically means you can eat when the world ends is seriously flawed.] Now that I have stirred that pot lets get to my original topic, camping.

I sort of think people look at camping (I am including hiking, backpacking, and really anything else where you sleep out of doors) entirely the wrong way. The emphasis is on living out of a backpack with just what you can carry on your person, possibly for long distances and 'car campers' are mocked and made fun of for not being 'tough' or having skills or whatever. Lets think about this for a minute.

I can see three situations where genuine living out of a rucksack type stuff would come in handy. The first is if you need to get home from somewhere more than a days walk on foot with your GHB. This is probably the most realistic reason to practice this style of camping. The second is if somehow your plans go completely to hell and you are forced to walk to your retreat/ alternate location/ uncles farm. The third is batman in the boonbdocks bullshit which is at best a bit adoloscent and at worst completely short sighted and idiotic.

I think there are at least as many realistic situations where you would be in effect car camping as there are living out of a ruck scenarios. The first and most obvious is getting the heck out of somewhere. Your city/ town/ region had a major disaster coming so you got the heck out of there like anybody sane would do. The hotels are all booked and you don't know anyone in the town you find yourselfes in for the night so take out the tent and crash in a campground or a park if the town allows that. The other which is equally likely is that you end up staying for a prolonged period at a place where inside space is at a premium. If the whole region goes to heck but Uncle Bob's cabin is still fine there will probably be a busy place. Since you all made good preparations there is plenty of food to go around but beds are at a premium. It isn't the dead of winter so sleeping outside is doable. Ultralight tents and little foam pads are better than a wool blanket and a tarp but having a tent big enough to stand up in and some truly comfortable stuff to sleep on sure would be nice. Also those good old reliable coleman lanterns and stoves would be very useful. Come to think of it if you know Uncle Bob's place is where you are going and it only has the one bedroom it might not be a bad idea to get a wall tent, some cots, and one of those little stoves which go in tents and stash them in the back of his shed.

I think too much emphasis is placed on the living out of a rucksack scenario and not enough is placed on being able to live in a fiarly comfortable with a bit more stuff.

Thoughts?

Things Get Sketchy Out In The Sticks

I don't go out in the woods/ desert/ whatever without a gun, period. Haven't done so for a long time. I have had a few sketchy experiences which have shaped my beliefs on this matter.

Simply put when you get more than a few miles out of town into the wilderness there are 3 basic types of people:

1. Those who make a living out there. Loggers, foresters or whatever.
2. Recreational sorts. Campers, backpackers, fishermen, hunters, etc.
3. Scumbags. In the region I am from it is usually Meth Maggots.

In my younger days (pre teen to the end of high school) I did a lot of camping, skiing and backpacking. Between an active boy scout troop, a venture group of a few years and family stuff I probably averaged 2 weekends a month in the sticks over a few years. Most of these experiences happened with more or less the same cast of characters.

My very close friends father is an interesting guy. For two people with completely opposite beliefs of many things we have a lot in common. We both love the outdoors, 60's and 70's rock and bourbon whiskey. This man is a doctor and a very avid outdoors men who skis, hikes and backpacks all the time. Aside from being completely useless in a fight as he is a Quaker he is an awesome guy to have around. Unfortunately he is way too trusting. We will call him Jim. Jim's son will be called Tommy. Also a great guy but I would rather have Wifey on my side in a fight any day.

Once when I was 14 or so a group of us went out towards the coast to camp for a couple days and do this ropes course. Jim stopped and picked up this skeezy assed dude whose car was broken down or something. The aforementioned skeezy assed dude was sort of weird in the back of the van and definitely had his hand on a knife. I discretely got my 4" folding knife open (behind my back) and discretely unbelted my lap belt. We had a fairly awkward conversation waiting for the other person to do something fucked up before we tried to kill each other. He got dropped off somewhere and aside from the woman in the van yelling at Jim for picking up a weirdo the whole thing ended fairly OK.

Another time with Jim we were headed on a family skiing trip of sorts. This time we were up in the mountains to do some XC skiing. Three meth maggots (two male and one female) were out where they obviously had no business being on the side of the road with their thumbs up. Tommy and I were in the back of the van with these characters who were giving us vague directions to their car which is "around the next corner". I was more than a little worried about being with these fuckups in the back of the van. Pa and I are both fairly healthy and reasonably touch characters so in a standup fight this would be easy. Eventually several miles later we saw some fucked up late model sedan stuck in a huge puddle that would probably be considered a pond in other regions. Though awkward both of these incidents ended without real trouble.

I had one pretty sketchy experience that totally reinforced my desire to have a loaded firearm out in the sticks. This time it was just Tommy and I.

We had nothing to do one summer evening and decided to go out to the woods to have a fire, a couple beers and some hot dogs or whatever we raided out of our parents fridges. The food was eaten and the beers were drank then it was time to go to bed. Tommy racked out on the bench seat of his truck and I was in a sleeping bag on the ground. A couple hours later a shitty old late 80's toyota or honda car pulled up. [Tommy woke up also but wisely left me to deal with the situation] All sorts of smoke and steam were coming from the engine and it was pretty obvious their car was very close to FUBAR.

Five skeezy assed kids around my age piled out of this thing like it was a clown car. They were asking for a tow or some sort of help. While vague about exactly what they wanted they were also quite insistent about me needing to provide it for them. The more we talked the more insistent and generally unpleasant they became. They didn't directly threaten me but there being 4 guys looming over sleeping me demanding stuff it was heavily implied. I was trying to deal with this without taking the trouble to get out of my sleeping bag as I was tired and a bit groggy. Said something to the effect of me having no way to help them which only made them more upset. The situation was definitely escalating.

I got up to talk to them and while doing so took the revolver which was resting by my right thigh and slipped it into the back pocket of my jeans. I did not threaten them or point the revolver at them, nothing like that. [Up to this point I figured it was 50/50 if I was going to have to kill someone that night. It was going to be one kick to me then that guy would get a 210gr 41magnum JHP to the torso and things would probably get really crazy.] Suddenly these 4 scumbags realized that it would really not be a good idea to push this issue any further and sputtered off into the night.The glint of headlights off the polished finish of a stainless steel revolver sure seems to be a good attitude adjuster. I am absolutely convinced that if I had not been armed my friend and I would have been beaten and robbed that night.

Matter of factly I don't go out into the woods without a loaded gun and think it would be wise if you followed suit. Without getting into the weeds of firearm selection I like having a rifle or shotgun in my vehicle and a pistol on my person. If backpacking a rifle is probably out unless hunting and a good flat shooting pistol with some spare ammo is how I would go.