Kershaw Blur: Initial Impressions

Awhile back Grasshoppa was kind enough to send me a Kershaw Blur. I've been carrying it around for about a month now. Certainly enough time to get a sense of what it is and isn't.

I really don't have enough good things to say about the Kershaw Blur. The spring assist basically makes it a blade activated switch blade without any of the legal constrains (as far as I know anyway) which is pretty cool. The metal handle with grip inserts is pretty awesome especially at this knife's competitive price point.

The blade is very sharp and well designed. I find the curved swooping back of the blade a bit awkward aesthetically but it puts the point in the right place (centered) which is what really matters. It cuts the heck out of everything I've given a go at which is all you can ask for a knife. The edge seems to be holding nicely.

The clip is very secure and well designed. I appreciate that it securely holds the knife in it's place using a simplistic design with two screws. Too many folks skip the design portion of a clip and try to make it secure with more screws which makes for a bulkier clip. The only issue I have is that (at least on my particular model) there are only holes for the clip on the right side which would be awkward for lefties. It can be tip up or down which is better than some models.

Right now the role my Blur has found is as a "get off me blade". Given that small daggers and push knives can be legally problematic and even a small fixed blade is fairly long for EDC in my lifestyle a folder is the available option. I appreciate the easy opening feature even more with my weak hand. It's riding OWB clipped to my belt at about 9 o'clock. Seems pretty secure plus at their excellent price point if it gets lost I'll order another then put it into a sheath in the same place.

Depending on where you shop a Kershaw Blur can be had between $40 and 50. I find it equal to or superior to any comparably priced offerings by other major brands like Cold Steel or Spyderco. You can certainly spend more money on a knife. That money will get you a bit more fit/ finish then at some point maybe a bit of quality and warranty support. However at their price point you can have a blur in both family vehicles and several kits/ caches. I seriously doubt an Emerson or high end Benchmade will outlast 6-8 Kershaw Blur's.

Lifestraw Initial Impressions

 
Camping Survival was nice enough to send me a lifestraw to check out. It is a pretty neat little product. Very simple and priced around $20 so you can have one in the car, another in a kit, a third in your EDC type bag or whatever. Also they weigh like 2 ounces which makes carrying one an easy decision. They are a bit long but they are thin enough to easily fit just about anywhere. 

The Lifestraw was designed for disasters and such in the third world so they are simple and easy to use. There is really nothing to break unless you crush the thing or light it on fire. They are said to be good to filter a thousand gallons of water.

My concept of use for this item is for outdoor trips, short term emergencies or as a backup to another system. I will fiddle with it some more and do a full review in due time. As of right now it's place is in my HPG Kit Bag.

If you are looking for a light and affordable filter the Lifestraw seems like a solid option.

A Great Book and a Terrible Light

I have been reading Max Velocity's new book Patriot Dawn: The Resistance Rises. I am very impressed, the book is downright awesome. Will do a full review but to save you some time just buy it. Onto a less pleasant subject.

The LED Lenser P3 AFS flashlight I have been carrying around. I didn't link to it because somebody might not read this carefully and end up buying this piece of junk. I got the small 1 AAA version which in fairness may be part of the problem.

The only nice things I have to say about this product are that it is small and looks like it's well made. However looks can be deceiving.  This light has a lot of show and very little go. Maybe if they put a bit more energy into making the light actually work instead of making it look like a quality product this review would be different.

The run time could be measured in seconds. Also the darn thing will just run out of batteries spontaneously without even being used. Can't count how many times I have grabbed it to use and found it dead. There are more problems.

The pocket clip has fallen off leaving it floating in my pocket. The darn adjustable front piece somehow worked its way off once. Basically pieces fall off the darn thing randomly.

I would use it as a backup but since it (even turned off) goes through batteries like Charley Sheen through coke and hookers it wouldn't even work to live in the glove box of a car or something.

My expectations would be very different if it was a $15 light but it isn't. This piece of junk cost me about $40 (can't remember exactly) which puts it in range of a lot of many Streamlight and a couple Surefire offerings. Offerings I should have purchased instead. At this price point for a stupid flashlight it should frickin work.

Can't say everything made by these folks sucks thought I will be avoiding it all. In any case I can say the LED Lenser P3 AFS definitely sucks a lot. This is a firm do not buy.

Does anybody have a smallish flashlight with a pocket clip they have been using for awhile that actually works? In a perfect world if would be reasonably affordable.

Product Review: Solo Pot 900

I talked about the Solo Pot 900 awhile back. After some more use I feel familiar enough with the Solo Pot 900 to do a review. While the Solo Pot 900 is made to nest with and generally fit the Solo Stove it is an outstanding product in it's own right. So without further rambling we will get to the usual format.

The Good: It nests with the Solo Stove really making a great combination. The fit and finish are excellent. Also attention to detail is evident in small features like the pouring spout and the pot lid that is easy to grab with a stick, spoon or multi tool. The measurements on the side are a really nice touch.The Solo Pot 900 is just the right size for most 1-2 person simple outdoor type meals which is really useful.

The Bad: The handle on the stove absorbs/ retains heat. I like this fold out style better than the long fold out ones as it is much more stable and easier to pour from but it gets hot. To grab it after cooking you need to use a leather glove or a wadded up rag or something. Not a deal maker for me but sort of annoying.

If I could make a change for the hypothetical Solo Pot 900 V2 it would be a small bale that could be grabbed with a notched stick or multi tool.

The Ugly: Nothing, it's a great product.

Overall Assessment: I consider this product a solid buy. The Solo Pot 900 equals or beats out the common competition. It has a place in my BOB with a solo stove nested inside of it even though there are a variety of other options in the inventory. You will not be disappointed with a Solo Stove and Pot.

Pathfinder Trade Knife Review

The way I test knives is to use them for all sorts of everyday tasks. Cooking and eating, opening boxes cutting cord/ rope, cutting on whatever wood I find an excuse for and who knows what else. Some of these tasks inevitably fall into the knifes concept of use/ niche and others do not. This kind of lets me see what it is suited for and less suited for even if that stuff falls outside of what I would think the knifes role is.

Anyway I have testing the Pathfinder Trade Knife for about 3 weeks. I still want to fiddle with it some more but certainly have enough of an impression to do a review. It is a nice looking knife. The handle is nice looking and functional which I appreciate. The finish had a couple little rough spots but nothing too bad. I would say in terms of design and materials it does a good job of having that old traditional look which is part of Dave Canterberry's thing. The sheath is simple but well made and seemingly quite durable.

The blade is 5 inches long. That is about the right width for a good all purpose hard but reasonable use kind of knife. This trend to make 'knives' that are stupidly thick basically pry bars with a sharpened edge. I like that the curve of the bottom of the blade lets you "choke up" on it for delicate work and also functions as a decent stop for the hand to prevent slipping onto the blade.  The blade is 1/8th of an inch thick which is a good width. [Too many knives these days are basically sharpened pry bars. These knives seem to forget the whole point of a knife is to cut stuff not to pry things.]

The knife cuts quite well. It is handy at a variety of tasks around the house and kitchen. It sliced tomatoes well which is not a given with a thicker knife. The blade is rather curved such that the primary cutting surface is about 3/4's of the way up the blade, sort of like on a Tanto. Something about the blades curve tends to draw it deeper into material which isn't a bad thing parse.

Also of course it is full tang, really a blade with some G-10 slabs stuck onto it which is how knifes should be made.  The G-10 is held on by brass rivets which are a nice traditional touch. It has two holes running through the handle and blade with brass inserts. Good for making the thing into a spear I guess or using the back one to stick a wrist thong through.

This does bring us to the one ugly point of this knife. In my testing to date the point of this knife sucks. The way the curve of the spine comes to the point seems to be the culprit. There is a lot of material at various angles coming together at the point. The good news is that I suspect this makes the point very strong. The bad news is that it means the point does not cut particularly well. As I often use the point for small tasks this is problematic. I am going to make sure the tip of the blade is plenty sharp and fiddle with it some more. Worst case it is an issue I can live with.

The concept of use I see for this knife is as an all around belt knife. Preparing food, cutting cord, small wood processing tasks and such. This knife paired with a hawk/ hatchet/ kukuri depending on your inclination and environment would make for a real nice setup for field craft and sustainment. [In a more martial context I would probably have a smaller knife like the RAT 3 on my kit and this in my ruck. Yeah one could argue that is a bit redundant but when you balance weight vs utility I feel good about the trade off.]

As to the inevitable question of if this knife is a good purchase. I paid $99 on special and the normal price is $110. It is a good tool at and will definitely have a key place in one of my kits. The market for medium (say 3.6-5.5in blade) knives in the $110ish price range has some good stuff. If you play a bit fast and loose with the budget and knock it to more like $130 there are really a lot of good options. Some folks might choose differently and that is just fine. In any case I am pretty happy with this knife.

Product Review: Tourni-Kwik AKA TK4

These Tourniquets have been discussed around the blogosphere. To be honest I ordered a few as a lark when getting stuff to make a few more IFAK's awhile back. The idea of an affordable compact TQ appealed to me and at a bit over 5 bucks a piece why not.

The Tourni-Kwik TQ is basically a 40" bungee cord made of 2" (or maybe 1 3/4 in any case the same size as the rigger belt on m waist) elastic. The hooks are big S type hooks like well a bungee cord. They are securely attached with 3 metal clamp things. The product's fit and finish is roughly aligned with the price point but they seem to be solidly serviceable and within their fairly disposable nature plenty rugged.

The way the Tourni-Kwik is employed happens to be pretty simple. Slap it on, loop the hook around the elastic, crank it the other way, wrap it tightly then slip the loose end under the top layer of it. 

The Good:
Very affordable at $5.55 from Chinook Medical and comparable prices elsewhere. The benefit of the low price point to me is that you can have them all over the place, give them to like minded friends as a stocking stuffer, spot 3 to a broke buddy without a thought or whatever.

They are also smaller than other TQ's. About the size of a can of a squared off can of chew. Since they are mostly elastic without a long windlass they are more pliable and able to fit where you want them to go then other models.

The Bad:
While technically able to be employed one handed it requires IMO a couple of relatively fine motor skills (hooking the S hook to the elastic so it stays on and wrapping the end hook under the elastic to hold it in place) that can be difficult to really execute under stress. Of course training is the answer but I still have my doubts.

The Ugly:
The main criticism I have heard is that the Tourni-Kwik lacks a windlass device to really tighten it up. This is accurate. That being said 40" of strong elastic wrapped tightly will really constrict. Still it is like something held by a bungee cord vs a cranked down ratchet strap.

Do they work? I think a Tourni-Kwik would work a whole lot better than a host of improvisational methods. Note how I framed that answer. It is worth noting that none of these methods are absolutely 100% and getting seriously injured is by definition quite dangerous.

Yeah yeah yeah "What is your life worth?" I would counter that some people simply cannot afford to spend $33 on a CAT which means $60-70 on an IFAK. Getting a Tourni-Kwik instead of a CAT or whatever takes the cost down to more like $25 which is much easier on the budget. listing all the possible places you might like to have a TQ and multiplying that by $30 would get out of control really fast. For the price of a CAT a family of three could each have two TK models or a family of 6 could each have one. That family would be a whole lot better off than if mom or dad had a single more expensive tourniquet. 

While comparison is natural weighing this product against a $27ish SOF T or a $33ish Combat Applications Tourniquet is sort of lop sided and arguably missing the point. Expecting a $150 Charles Daily to do what a Benelli M1 can or a Hyundai Accent to do what a Lexus can is asking for disappointment.  I do not expect the TK models to perform exactly like a CAT because they cost 1/6th as much.

Our primary tourniquets are CAT models and that is not going to change. I have trained with them and like the way they work. However as noted before once you start thinking of all the places it might be nice to have a TQ the cost gets crazy in a hurry. I am quite comfortable with these as a backup or the 3rd TQ in a kit.

If you are in the market for a TQ but seriously short on cash, or are looking to put a dozen extras away then it is worth looking at the Tourni-Kwik.

Anyway those are my thoughts on that. 

Product Review: Galco Miami Classic

Today we will be talking about a pretty classic holster. So classic in fact that it has the word classic in it's name.

Before talking specifically about this holster we should spend a moment on shoulder holsters in general. Shoulder holsters are a rather niche system. They are great for people who spend a lot of time driving or seated, always wear a jacket or for whatever reason can't/ won't wear pants with a pretty solid belt. Driving and not wearing gun friendly (pants w/ a legit belt) are the two times I like shoulder holsters.

They are as discussed a sort of niche system but in said place they are the right piece of leather for the job. Sort of like an earthquake survival guide is just the right way to get ready for an earthquake a shoulder holster is the right way to get ready to carry on the body for long drives. Anyway onto specifically talking about the Galco Miami Classic.

I have owned a couple shoulder holsters in the past. One was a knock off of this system (seriously I think it was called a Falco) and the other was a cheap Uncle Mikes nylon setup. Neither were particularly impressive. That being said as discussed previously shoulder holsters have a place.

I was in the market for a shoulder holster for two reasons. The first was a long drive across the western US.  Secondly I wanted an option to carry, mainly at home, in comfortable clothing. Having tried cheap holsters I wanted to get a good one. The option was pretty simple for me and seeing one at a decent price ($139) simplified matters.

The Good: This thing is comfortable. After a few minutes of fiddling with the adjustments it fit wonderfully. On multiple occasions I forgot that I was actually wearing it. The material and quality of construction are top notch. The fit of the pistol and magazines is tight but right. I can't see retention being an issue with this setup.

The Bad: These things are expensive. MSRP is $189.95. They seem to be all over the net for about $150. Mine was purchased at a big box sports store for $139. A steep price tag for sure.

That being said it is worth considering this is not just a holster but a system. If you look at the price of a quality leather holster, gun belt and mag pouch from a top end American (I think) manufacturer this holster might seem a bit more sanely priced.

The Ugly: Did I mention that the Galco Miami Classic is spendy?

Overall Assessment: If you are looking for a shoulder holster this is a great option assuming you have the money to spend. They are not cheap but are really nice.

Product Review: Bianchi 100 Professional

Today I want to talk about my concealment/ EDC holster the Bianchi 100 professional. It is an inside the waist band (IWB) leather concealment holster that attaches to a belt with a metal clip. Onto the usual format.

The Good: It would be an exaggeration to say everything but just a small one. The holster is high quality with good stiff leather but it is flexible enough to have the bit of give that makes leather more comfortable than alternatives. Draws are fast and smooth. Retention, relative to open top concealment holsters, is good. The handgun will stay in the holster if it is turned upside down and shaked. Also pleasingly the leather is stiff enough that you can reholster with the holster on your body which is not possible with nylon or thinner leather holsters.

It conceals well and (in conjunction with a decent belt) is comfortable to carry all day long. I am pleased to say that I can wear it under a shirt against skin and it is comfortable. I have not experienced this in other IWB holsters and attribute it to thoughtful ergonomics and a lack of sharp edges. Fit and finish are great. The cost is a bit over $40 which considering the quality of materials and workmanship is a heck of a deal.

The Bad: Sometimes the  metal clip will not stay securely on a belt. It will not fall out due to belt tension but if the clip comes loose it can migrate up a bit. Additionally  the holster can migrate a little bit. Not a big deal but this requires a minor adjustment which breaks the cardinal concealed carry 'don't touch the darn gun' rule of not getting made.

I think for a concealed carry rig the clip has enough benefits to outweigh the minor downside. I really like being able to put it on or take it off fast and easily. The holsters that have loops with snaps work but are less convenient. To me this benefit is worth slight movement.

The Ugly: Nada.

Overall Assessment: I think it is a heck of a holster, especially for the price. You might be able to do better but could definitely do worse.

Initial Review- LED Lenser P3 Flashlight

I ordered and recently received in the main one of these flashlights. I do not know the exact dimensions and am not willing to measure it but they are small. It run's on a single AAA battery. The info on it says it puts out 75 lumens of light. If that means as much to you as it does to me it might as well be in Chinese. My informal assessment is that they are brighter than a 2 AA mag light but not as bright as a surefire.

The Good: Very small. Disappears into my weak side front pocket. Affordable so if it gets lost or broken replacement is not a big deal. For a small light with a single AAA battery it is surprisingly bright. The flashlight came with hardware to put it on a key chain, a wrist loop, a clip and a belt pouch. This gives a wide variety of options for carry.

The Bad: The beam adjusts with the front piece which is very loose and moves on it's own accord. This means you really have to take it out, turn it on and adjust it to get the beam you want. I would prefer to be able to set it and have it stay (as with a stiffer adjustment like a mag light or a surefire) though this setup does have the benefit that you can easily adjust it with one hand.

Also it runs on a AAA battery. Better than a CR-123 though I would prefer a AA just for commonality. They may make a model that fits this requirement and I missed it.

Nothing ugly so far.

The purpose I had in mind for this light is to beef up my EDC setup. I have one of those little LED lights on the key chain but it is a backup for a reason. Most gunfights happen in low light conditions so being ready for that just makes sense. Small enough that I would actually carry it was a requirement and this light fits the bill for sure. If you are looking for a small fairly powerful light to carry or keep stashed in a kit at an affordable price I think the LED Lenser P3 would be a good candidate.

Initial Impressions on the Blackhawk Enhanced Commando Recon Harness

My recent gear order showed up which was pretty fast for over here. Today I am going to talk about the Blackhawk STRIKE Commando Recon Harness. Since I just got the thing a full up review would be a bit premature but I do have some thoughts.

Quality of material and manufacture seem very good. I am pleased that the webbing and MOLLE straps are also multicam instead of green or tan like some I have seen. No complaints at all there which isn't suprising. The company has a good reputation and I know folks who wore this (or a very similar) setup over multiple deployments.

As to the design and layout. This setup holds 8 mags in pouches built into the rig itself. I like this type of setup because it lets you carry a good amount of mags but is still relatively compact and balanced. The downside is that getting some mags into play (the ones towards your strong side) would be slower than if they are all on the weak side. However A) the ratio of carrying to shooting is aweful high and this is a comfortable setup and B) If I burn through half the mags this thing carries at some point I will be under cover and can move mags towards the weak side. Reasonable folks can go either way I suppose.

The mags are secured in place (though they sit deep enough it shouldn't be a real issue) by elastic straps with big reinforced tabs on top to let you get them out. The elastic is adjustable via the inside pouch of the rig with nice little fasteners. I know this setup is designed for AR mags but it can probably fit a reasonable variety of fairly similar mags.

Built into the main part of the rig is a nice pouch running the whole length of the inside. I especially like that the back the this inner pouch has MOLLE webbing. In my TAP Pannel (a fairly similar setup) the stuff in the pouch floated around willy nilly. You could easily stick pens, knives, lights or anything with clips to the webbing and it would presumably stay in place. The webbing would make dummy cording super easy if you arre so inclined. Also you could put a small pouch in there to hold stuff like ear plugs or whatever. This is a really nice touch I have to give them credit for.

The shoulder straps are wide and padded but not excessively bulky. They come in an X (the strap that goes over your left shoulder connects under your right and visa versa) configuration but can easily be put in an H (both straps to strait over the shoulder and connect under it) with the aid of a velco doohickey that connects the straps together across the back. The straps have a single row of webbing across the back half and a couple small D rings on the front for wolf hooks or whatever. The front and back of the shoulder straps have fastex buckles which lets you switch configurations easy. This would also be nice if you want to ditch the straps and attach the rig strait to body armor.

That brings us to an interesting part of this chest rig. It is capable of holding a front rifle plate. There is an optional attachment to put on a back plate and turn this thing into a full on plate carrier. I didn't buy it for this purpose and in fact picked up a plate carrier on the same order but that doesn't really relate to this discussion. You could choose to put a plate in it, or just keep the panel in place to mound some stuff on. That is the area where people typically mount holsters if so inclined.

The price is around a hundred bucks. Not cheap but not crazy expensive either considering it is a quality chest rig made by a well known brand. One nice thing about this sort of setup is that you do not need to buy a bunch of mag pouches to have it work. (It holds 8 mags, another in the gun and maybe a couple on a war belt and you are good for about anything but Roukes Drift). Also the little stuff fits just fine into the big pouch in the rig. Just add an IFAK and you are good to go. Though if you want to carry a NOD or like to have a ton of various stuff an admin pouch or two may be needed.

Anyway while it is too soon to know for sure I am pretty happy with this purchase.

Lazer Brite Tactical Light System

Check out their website https://www.lazerbrite.com/. I got one of these rather randomly. Basically it is a battery powered glow stick. At first I was unimpressed but over the last year I have used it like crazy. It is almost the only flashlight/ light source I use.

 

I really appreciate how it lights up an area instead of a single beam. Also it's green or red settings don't totally screw up your night vision so there isn't the blind after turning off the flashlight effect.

 

They are great for walking around in the dark or finding what you need from a bag or closet. I own a lot of flashlights but just keep using this. Don't know what the cost but it is probably reasonable. They last forever on a set of batteries.

 

I don't have any real quantifiable argument why these are great but I seem to regularly forgo other options and use it.

 

I think those who choose to purchase one will not be disapointed.

 

Product Review: Vickers Padded Sling

Today I am going to be talking about the Vickers Padded Sling I recently ordered. Today I had the opportunity to put it on a rifle and use it for awhile. Also the day started real early and ended real late so a kinda short post is in order.

The Good: I was initially impressed about how heavy, thick and stuff the webbing on this sling was. It makes my Tactical Tailor slings seem thin and flimsy. Today I put it on and found that it was quick and easy. I got this sling because it is padded and that helps (or at least spreads out the weight) when carrying a weapon for hours. Also I thought the quick adjustment idea was pretty cool. The sling has both more permenant (well not permenant but you would have to take off the rifle, sit down and mess with them) adjustments on both sides of the padded part as well as the quick adjust. I theoretically liked the quick adjust idea, especially going from wearing body armor to not wearing it and changing into heavy winter clothes, etc. My observation is that with a fairly fixed sling I was regularly wishing it was a couple inches longer or shorter, for whatever of the above reasons.

I put the sling on today and used it for awhile. I was quite impressed with it. Also the great forethought of the adjustments helped immensely. Most padded slings have the pad way too far toward the center to be useful when carrying in the low ready. I took a minute and choked up the back adjustment and let a bit out of the front one and it rested right across my shoulder, neck and upper back where it is needed.

The tab adjustment for the quick adjust is something I was really skeptical about. I was very pleasantly suprised. You just grab the tab and pull it the way you want it to go and the sling stays there till you pull the tab again. Can't say why it works but it does. I set it up so that my normal sling length is right in the middle of the quick adjust. This gives me some play in both directions.

I really enjoy this sling.

The Bad: They are expensive. Costing a nickel under $60 before shipping this isn't a sling that most people would buy lightly. To be honest the only reason I got one is because I have tried all sorts of ghetto rigged two point slings and just haven't been really happy with them. Also I carry a rifle a lot so getting a tough, well thought out quality piece of kit is worth it for me. [Sort of like how it is worth it for a professional carpenter to spend quite a few bucks on a hammer or a tool belt where it isn't for an average guy. Someone who frames 25 homes a year has very different needs in terms of comfort, ergonomics and ruggedness than a guy whose big effort is helping on a deck or an addition each summer.]

I definitely don't plan to order a bunch of these. They are cost prohibitive to say the least. I got one for work because if spending a few bucks makes my life easier and more comfortable I will do it. At some point I will order one for my go rifle too.

No Ugly.

Guest Post Book/ Movie Review of The Road

A Review of  The Road By Cormac McCarthy or as I Like to Call it: How Not to Survive After A Disaster.


I read the novel The Road, by Cormac McCarthy and then after a few days of letting the story marinate, I watched the movie. Frankly, the book is better (it always is) but the director did a fabulous job with the movie. Obviously, large parts of the book were left out of the movie in the interests of time and flow, but the movie didn’t suffer for the editing. I am not going to lie, I cried like a little girl in some places. In other parts I wanted to jump right into the book and shake some sense into the main character, the man. In a survivalist situation, when you are doing everything you can to avoid being eaten by roving gangs of cannibals, who in their right mind makes nightly fires? Why not just stuff a moldy apple in the kid’s mouth, set him up on a platter and ring the dinner bell?

The book and movie should certainly not be taken as a manual on how to survive in the aftermath of a global cataclysmic event. As a piece of literature that explores issues of humanity, father and son relationships and questions our morals and ethics in the face of tragedy, it is a good read and may even get you thinking. It will certainly put you off light colored meat for awhile and have you hoarding all the fruit salad and ammo that you can.

From a preparedness point of view, this novel is incredibly disappointing. Through flashbacks, the reader is given multiple glances into the lead up to the disaster, as well as the time immediately following it. The man is knowledgeable enough to know that he needs to fill the tub with drinkable water before it is shut off, but doesn’t seem to do much disaster planning. The boy is born just after the disaster and the story begins when he is about nine or ten. One of the flashbacks shows the family still at their home and the child is about seven years old. We aren’t told what they have been doing in the interim, except that they have used all but two of the bullets in their one gun. They have a home with food and clothing and creature comforts that they leave for an unknown reason, yet they haven’t banded together with any of their neighbors or friends?

They even stumble upon an emergency shelter loaded with clean food, water and shelter and leave it to continue on his quest for the coast. In the presence of such a hoard of food, I find it incredibly difficult to imagine that a starving man and child would be able to walk away from it. As a literary device it works well to show how humanity can snap back in place when essentials aren’t in scarce supply, however, common sense dictates that he would make camp in the area and continue to forage food and supplies to ensure that he and the boy built up their immune systems and energy reserves. The shelter is stocked with bullets that do not work with his gun, so he leaves them there, rather than cart them along as items to barter and trade or use in an improvised fashion for self defense. 

Rather than continue to rag on the book for what it didn’t do, I would rather focus on three things it did do that put me into quasi panic mode and made me reevaluate my plans.

1.    Made me conscious of how little I have prepared myself for life without verifiable maps and the ability to navigate without a GPS. The Man and the boy follow the highways and open road on their quest to find the coast. This is incredibly dangerous as it leaves them open to attack from all of the threats present in the book. They do not seem to have a choice as their shopping cart could not make it through the brush of the forests. I had to question how I would have handled it differently. Would a simple plank frame sledge dragged through the forest be any better? It would leave tracks and be easy to follow and difficult to handle. Would a compass still be a viable guide?

2.    Kill or be killed? Is holding on to their morals really the most appropriate way to survive? When they meet up with other people on the road, they often give the strangers the benefit of the doubt, leaving themselves open to attack. Why didn’t they form an alliance with at least one other adult for protection? That way they wouldn’t be sleeping unguarded at night, the boy wouldn’t have had to remain alone unguarded while the man foraged for wood and food and they would have had far more options for self defense.

3.    In an apocalyptic situation, is survival really the only consideration? What about rebuilding a civilization? The book mentions communes and cannibalistic tribes as well as nomadic gangs of men and permanent homesteaders farming people. But are there no groups of like-minded people with knowledge and skills available to create a safer community of refugees? By merely surviving are they in fact ensuring their extinction? In living a day to day hard scrabble existence, they cannot plan for the future. How is the man such a dead shot when he has been carrying around two shots in his gun for over three years without shooting it? Practice is essential for any type of specialized skill. Gardening and animal husbandry are impossible thanks to the bleak conditions and the need to continually move along. How has this scenario changed my preparations for potential disasters and emergencies? Hugely; I am rethinking most of my plans and reassessing my viable skills.

All in all, both the movie and the book got me thinking long and hard about the steps I have taken so far to prepare and the things I still need to do. The biggest item I am lacking is knowledge. Educating myself more about homesteading practices, basic outdoorsman-ship and personal health care and protection would be far more useful than a majority of the gadgets that I have stockpiled. I may end up somewhere far from my stash, but I will always have the training in how to create a natural water filter or know which potential vegetation is edible and which is akin to hazardous waste. The book and the movie are certainly not for the faint of heart and will not help you sleep better at night, but they will get your brain working and inspire you to do a better job of prepping for the potential future.


Lucas Gregson is a Personal Security Plan specialist with a keen interest in prepping and home security. He advocates for sensible self defense training and the enjoyment of a good book but not at the same time.

ACOG Product Review

The Trijicon ACOG is a a pretty darn nice optic. Onto the usual format.

The Good: These things are rugged and reliable. They have a day/ night illuminated reticule that doesn't require batteries. They are really easy to mount on a flat top rail. If you remember where you mounted them they hold a zero well enough for functional use. Between the generous eye relief, wide field of view and Bindon Aiming Concept they are easy to shoot well from very close to a few hundred meters. Their bullet drop compensator is very quick and useful after a little bit (like a single trip to the range) of practice. With a properly zeroed ACOG most people shoot better than before. I know I do.

It is my opinion that the ACOG is the best all around combat optic I have used or seen to date.  I could go on and on but it is easier to say they are really good scopes.

The Bad: They are expensive. These are a lot nicer than Chevy grade optics costing less than half as much, as they should be. An ACOG can easily costs as much, if not more than many AR style rifles you could mount it on. Depending on the exact model you want they start a bit above a grand and go up from there.

The Ugly: The only real ugly is just a continuation of the bad. They're just too expensive for many to willing to pay for or able to afford. I can certainly understand that perspective and don't think you should go out on a financial limb to get one. Also I get just being a cheapskate. The high price point and the resulting sticker shock of the ACOG is such that they  aren't even considered as an option by lots of folks.

Bottom Line: If you can deal with the sticker shock and hit to your wallet I strongly suggest the ACOG. You will really like it.

Berkley Filter Product Review

I have had my Royal Berkey for awhile now. The biggest surprise about these is that to "prime" the elements you really want to have clean water that comes out of a faucet. Kinda like how you need a knife to open a knife in one of those crazy plastic packages the Gerbers come in. I guess you could do it with some sort of a squeeze bottle or something. Also the unit is really big. I read the dimensions but maybe didn't fully grasp how big the thing is. It takes up a lot of room in the kitchen.

Also you need to periodically clean these things out. I noticed when I was pouring water into the top part that it was kinda gross. I took the filter elements out and washed then rinsed out the whole thing. In hindsight I recall reading somewhere that you're supposed to clean them monthly.

We use the Berkley regularly because the tap water we get is pretty nasty. Also it will be useful for brewing. For someone who wants to regularly filter water in a stationary position these things are great. Just pour the water into the top and wait a little while.

I am glad I purchased the Berkley. It looks nice and sits in our kitchen. I use it to fill up a couple containers of water we keep in the fridge to drink from. A great preparedness item that also has a valuable everyday life role is a hard thing to find.

Got Berkley?

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.

Laundry Fun and Wonder Washer Product Review

To be honest up till just recently laundry hasn't worried me much. Mostly I think the Army has really broken any beliefs I might have that unless you put on clean clothes every day the world will end. Think my record for wearing a single pair of clothes (may have swapped socks) is 6 weeks. However we have a kid on the way. Aside from screaming little babies major pastime is spitting up or pooping on themselves. Needless to say 6 weeks in a pair of clothes would not be realistic.

Somehow or another Wifey and I got to talking about laundry in the context of preparedness about a month ago. I vaguely recalled a guest post on laundry by our pal Sam in the trailer park which has successfully evaded a tornado so I searched till I found it. I got to fiddling around on the Emergency Essentials website and came across the Wonder Washer. Wifey did some research and this seemed like a quality product which fit our needs.

This brings us to a very valuable micro (or small or even big I guess) business lesson. If there is some sort of deal you would like to make always ask. I am not going to even guess what percentage of the time you will get an unexpected "yes" but I can say if you don't ask the "no" rate is 100 percent. Anyway I wrote the folks at Emergency Essentials and they have an ad on our site and I have a Wonder Washer. It came in the mail earlier this week and I just got to really fiddling with it today.

"Assembly" is quite simple. Take the handle and put it onto the square post that sticks out of the side. The directions are pretty simple and take up just part of a standard piece of paper. I decided to test it out by washing a few random pieces of clothing; a pair of shorts and two shirts to be exact. Onto the review.

The Good:
1. It works
2. It is readily affordable
3. Quite easy to use. Just put the clothes, deturgent and water in, screw the lid on and then turn the handle which rotates the unit around in the frame washing your clothes.
4. Pretty compact, about the size of a normal BBQ propane tank

The Bad:
1. The lid seems sort of touchy. You have to get the grooves in the lid to match up with the grooves in the unit and then rotate it till the thing locks into place. Then you have to tighten the lid down with the hand screw on top.
2. If you do not get the lid all the way tight it will spill water while you "wash". Not a big deal, just screw it down until it pretty much won't screw on any more (no visible threads).
3. I followed the directions but the amount of detergent needed seemed a bit too high.  I had to really rinse the clothes to get them non soapy. Not a big deal if you are rinsing with warm water in the sink but if water conservation was important it might be. Next time I will use more like 2/3rds of what is advised.

The Ugly:
The part I found most disappointing was that the unit seemed to bounce around as you turn it. The frame is small and narrow while the washer thingie is relatively big and heavy. In order to wash I basically had it on the floor with one knee on the near side of the frame and my spare hand on the other side. If I were to be doing a lot of laundry with the Wonder Washer I would look to clamp it to a table or something so it would be a one handed operation.

All in all I found this unit to be simple, affordable and useful. Sure beats the heck out of dragging our laundry to the river to bang it on some rocks. If we planned to do laundry for a family of 6 on a normal basis then some sort of bigger and more complex washer would be worth procuring. However to just wash an outfit at a time or for emergency use this fits the bill perfectly. We could do some sort of home rigged thing but with the Wonder Washer at the very reasonable price of $49.99 I see no reason to bother. We do need to pick up a mop wringer to help with getting the water out of our clothes after washing but that is an easy fix.

Also included was an Emergency Essentials catalog. They have some really cool stuff so please go check it out.

Product Review and Give Away

Our friends at World Info CD wanted to send me their Disaster Survival & Preparadness DVD to check out. Seeing as they pay me money and I was sort of curious I said or course. I got an envelope in the mail surprisingly fast.

When I opened the envelope and  case I was initially impressed that it the DVD has a very nice professional label. This is a real nice product and is characteristic of the attention to detail put into their work.

I put the DVD in and the menu immediately popped up. I started clicking through it and I was quite impressed. First of all it is very intuitive and easy to navigate. The main menu has a list of subjects ranging from general survival to food storage to terrorism. Each of those links takes you to a huge list of resources. There is all sorts of neat stuff under each subject. A truly massive amount of information including pictures and videos. Best of all a lot of this stuff was brand new to me! Survival and preparedness are obviously a topic that interests me and I am a pretty prolific reader so this pleasantly surprised me. I don't know where they got it all it but they did.

There are real short basic articles that would give you a basic introduction to a topic as well as very in detail books and manuals. The volume and variety of information ensures that anybody will see some things that are new to them. Some stuff is public domain type and there is stuff those folks did themselves. Some of it is very strait forward and factual and other stuff has some opinions to it. I really appreciated that they were quite clear about which was which.

I would like to go more into detail about what I learned from the DVD but to be honest I am overwhelmed with the sheer amount of data on so many subjects. Saw a couple things I will definitely go back and read later.

The last thing I looked at was the cost. I was pleasantly surprised that the DVD costs just a nickel under 9 bucks delivered to your front door. Can you find some of the information contained on this DVD around the net for free, yes. However I don't have a clue where you would find a good chunk of it. Also like a lot of things there is a question of convenience vs expense. I don't know about you but I do not have a huge amount of free time and thus I consider my time worth something. If you consider your time worth say .25 cents (let alone more!) an hour I don't think you could find much of this stuff online before it would make more sense to buy the DVD.

Now comes the give away part. Our friends at World Info CD are going to give a reader the DVD I just reviewed. Just leave a comment saying you would like to win this cool product. In two days I will pick a winner randomly and they will just need to send me an email with the address to ship it to.

First off, I would like to thank Berkey, TOR, and the TSLRF blog for
the Go Berkey Kit.  Thanks a million!  :)

Appealing aspects of the Go Berkey Water Purifier Kit:

1.) very portable - won't take up much room
2.) the carrying case/bag is great because it has separate
compartments that are padded
3.) fairly light - easy to grab and go
4.) easy to conceal when in its carrying case - if clean drinking
water is a hot commodity you could easily get thru a crowd of people
with this device and it would remain undetected
5.) attractive stainless steel  - this thing will probably last
forever so make plans to put it in your will
6.) only a few components - not complicated or cumbersome
7.) removes just about everything under the sun in order to make water
drinkable - microscopic pathogens, toxic chemicals, heavy metals,
tastes, odors, cloudiness, etc.
8.) simple design
9.) replacement parts can be reordered - they are pricey but worth it
10.) comes with a limited warranty
11.) water is tasty and refreshing after being purified
12.) comes with a Sport Berkey Portable Water Purifier
13.) proven - has been used by several well known worldwide disaster
relief organizations
14.) relatively easy to clean

Areas of concern:

1.) priming the filter requires a faucet - in a TEOTWAWKI situation I
don't know if  water will come out of faucets - Berkey suggests using
a Sport Berkey or clean bottled water to overcome this obstacle - I
don't know, it sounds kind of complicated and it requires a second
person to assist you
2.) it takes questionable water a while to get through the filter
system - if you are pressed for time this could be an issue
3.) wet purification elements should not be allowed to freeze - we
live in New England and if the power goes out and TSHTF this could
pose a problem to us
4.) water purification elements must be allowed to air dry - if we are
forced to be on the move this could be an issue especially in foul
weather conditions
5.) the price - yes, it is pricey but clean water saves lives - I
would consider it "an investment"

Overall, I give the Berkey water "gravity filtration process" a 9 out
of 10.  The most appealing aspect of the Berkey is the fact that it
filters out an impressive amount of nasty stuff.  If you are hard up
for money start saving up a few dollars a week in order to buy a
Berkey (they come in many sizes).  Like I said, it's a life saving
investment.

Thanks again to Berkey, TOR, and the TSLRF blog!

Samantha In The Trailer Park

Why Buy Office?

When I got my laptop, I had to make a choice; I could buy Microsoft Office for some ungodly price, or use the free Microsoft software which comes with Windows, which is horrible. Being cheap, not to mention poor, I went with the free crap. I quickly came to regret this decision. First off, the free software is crap (go figure). It has some serious formatting issues with .doc files, and doesn't have any features. I thought I was left with 3 choices: bite the bullet, and pay out the ass for Office, illegally download Office, or deal with the fact that I got a shitty program for free and deal with it. Being poor, #1 was out. Being a law student, #2 was out. However, #3 was just unexceptionable. I was talking to a buddy, a IP nerd, who gave me another option: Open Office.

Basically, it is an open-code program to run Office files. I have only used it for a week or so, but, thus far, its a free program which does everything I want. Some things I like: Its open-code. I really like open code programs because they seem to work better. They are more receptive to changes, which allows them to quickly respond to problems. When an issue comes up, it gets fixed. They also are trying to steal market share which forces them to make better products. Microsoft doesn't need to make awesome stuff, because they already rule the market. I also like the interface. It has a good outlining interface, allowing quick edits, and reformatting.

Its worth checking out. Its a decent free program. If you don't already have Office, or even if you do, check it out.