Looking for a Few Good Poncho's

Hey All, I am in the market for a couple of genuine USGI poncho's in the old woodland camo pattern. Looking for new or used in legitimately good condition at a sane price. If you know a dealer that has these in stock please let me know. Thanks,

Ryan

Busy Day: Used Stuff Hunting, New Mag Pouch and Project AR Update

Today we hit up some sales at the used stuff places in town. Unfortunately it was a bust on our main goal of getting a washer/ dryer combo. I did however find an old green GI style wool blanket so that was something.

I haven't been entirely pleased with the el cheapo mag pouch I picked up a couple weeks ago. It carries like an el cheapo nylon pouch that makes the bottom end Uncle Mikes stuff look good. Also the part where the strap that holds it on the belt meets the pouch is pretty rough and scratches my side.

Went to the nicer gun shop in town and looked around. Picked up a Blackhawk single mag pouch. It is plastic/ kydex/ whatever and attaches to the belt with a solid clip. The top is open which I like. Retention seems decent as it passed the hold it upside down and shake it around test. A review will come in due time.

Unfortunately in all this activity the unpacking/ organizing I had planned didn't happen. However nothing is on the list for tomorrow so a dent should get put in that. It is good to have goals anyway.

I appreciated all the input on Project AR Upgrade AKA Zombie Rifle. Think I will stick with a government profile barrel. There are smarter places to cut weight than the barrel and it is a pretty light gun anyway. Kinda leaning towards a cheaper comp. Bravo Company makes one that is much more price friendly than a Battle Comp but I still have to run some numbers.

Also I stumbled into some interesting stuff online:
12 year old girl shoots burglar
 Helicopter shot down in Syrian Civil War. Score 1 for the rebels. As an American I cannot help but root for people trying to become free and am a bit of a sucker for an underdog. That being said I am realistic enough to know that I may be fighting them in a few years.
40% of Americans have less than $500 in readily accessible savings. This is shocking but not necessarily surprising. An anecdotal consideration of people we know says it might not be too far off base. That being said it's worth noting this was more of a survey than a serious academic/ professional study.

Anyway that is what's going on today.

Deals at Sportsmens Guide

Get US Military "sleeep shirts" for $9.67. This is a heck of a deal.

So You Wanna Be a G?

The topic of armed paramilitary groups has always been a subset (or maybe they are separate with some overlap but let's not overthink it) of the survivalist movement. In the 70's and 80's folks talked about fighting off Soviet invaders Red Dawn style. After the fall of the Soviet Union the concern shifted to some sort of UN invasion. The latest concern seems to be more domestic in nature. Since I do what I do for a living there are a lot of things I do not talk about. To paraphrase Glen Beck "I believe everything that I say, but I don't say everything that I believe." This topic partly falls into that arena. It directly leads to some areas I choose not to talk about. Also it doesn't especially interest me. Maybe somewhat because of what I do for a living the kinds of skills and attributes needed to conduct small unit unconventional operations are largely already present.

For no particular reason I can think of this topic interests me today. Maybe it is the fact that a capable survivalist and a potential guerilla are both grounded in the same basic skills, I don't know. In any case I got to thinking about the sort of skills and capabilities and logistics one needs to develop in order to be a reasonably viable potential guerilla.

#1 Physical Fitness. I should not have to explain why this is really important. There is no way you are going to be able to fight anybody unless you are in some resemblance of decent physical shape. One of the funniest moments I can recall on this part of the web was when a man who could only be described as morbidly obese talked about how he plans to overwhelm (whoever it was) with "hit and run tactics". His fat ass couldn't hit and run the 2 blocks from his usual super sized ultra McFatty lunch at McDonalds to Baskin and Robbins for a post lunch milkshake; let alone outrun a bunch of 18-25 year old's who run multiple times a week, if not daily. Physical fitness or a lack theirof goes a long way towards establishing legitimacy as a potential or actual guerilla/ partisan or lack theirof. There is a sort of running joke that a militia is a bunch of fat guys sitting around calling each other Colonel. If I was a slightly different person with a very different life looking to join some sort of group and I got there to see they made group buys of extra extra fat multicam uniforms/ body armor/ chest rigs I would do a quick 180 and move on.

Aside from being a foundation for everything a tactical athlete such as soldier or guerilla does the reason I put physical fitness as number #1 is that it takes a long time to develop. There are no shortcuts. Physical fitness is truly a slow cooker concept requiring consistent, if not perfect, effort over months and even years. If you spend a week and a half or so at a premier tactical school you can become pretty good with a pistol and a rifle and probably learn some basic tactics. In a day you could buy a good pistol and rifle, as well as a .22, a shotgun, a "precision rifle", body armor, night vision, a chest rig, a ruck and camping gear, cases of ammo and boxes of mags as well as a years worth of food for your family. It would be a heck of a bill that very few people can afford but it could strictly speaking be done. Physical fitness does not work that way. There is no rush turkey fried/ pressure cooker way to significantly speed it up. When you realize that you need physical fitness there is unfortunately no way you can develop it in a manner timely enough to be useful.

That means you have to start yesterday. If you are too heavy then stop eating junk and have some discipline with portions. Start walking until you can work in some short jogs. Jog a telephone pole/ 100 steps/ a block then walk one. After a bit jog 2 and walk 1. Eventually cut out the walking from all but the longest runs. Take that backpack you bought and fill it with stuff then walk around. Do body weight exercises and lift stuff. In a slow and progressive manner add reps and sets to the body weight stuff and a few pounds at a time to the lifts.

#2 Build basic skills. Learn to shoot. Learn first aid and CPR. Learn some basic camping skills like starting fires, cooking over fires or backpacking stoves, building a shelter, land navigation etc all.

#3 Acquire basic weapons and equipment. We could talk about this one for a dozen blog posts but let's not get bogged down. Buy a fighting rifle and pistol. Get a setup to carry mags and ancillary stuff. At least one .22 is very useful and if you can afford it a shotgun and some sort of scoped precision type rifle are nice to have. Obviously you need plenty of ammo, mags and some prone to fail spare parts. Get sufficient wet and cold weather clothing, gloves, boots and headgear to operate in your region during the worst it has to offer. Get basic camping gear like a backpack/ rucksack, a sleeping bag, some sort of shelter like a bivy or tent, a water filter and all the little stuff in between.

#4 Acquire food, fuel, batteries and other logistical necessities. It is highly unlikely that you will be able to play Guerilla all day long then run out for a pepperoni pizza and a 6 pack of tall boys. If you are worried about running to the hills to play Red Dawn then it would be prudent to have a bunch of food, medical supplies, batteries and some fuel set aside to meet those needs. Also the kind of times when fairly normal folks are shooting at some sort of organized group are chaotic enough that even if you are not a G normal commerce will likely be disrupted.


Once you have this stuff it is prudent to put some consideration into where and how it will be stored. Unlike somebody with a more survivalist outlook your plan is probably not to stay at home (or your alternate location). If things are bad enough that you are playing G a basement full of food, while a great thing to have, may not cut it. Particularly if you have to leave in a hurry be it in a car or on foot having all your stuff in one place is problematic. Having some stuff at your home, more at some sort of bug out location/ basecamp and the rest in a couple caches around the area you plan to operate in is a much better answer.

#5 Build better skills. This was almost part of #2. The reason it is not is that while it is absolutely true that people are more important than stuff without some basic stuff it is pretty hard to do much of anything. I am pretty confident about the outcome of a gunfight between my boringly average self and just about anybody if I have a gun and they do not. If a guerilla war went on long enough there would be some extra stuff floating around but for awhile (and much more so without a convenient outside benefactor) things would be aweful tight. I would not say that a man without a rifle (and all the support stuff he needs) is exactly useless but he is a lot less useful than another shooter. In Afghanistan early on the Muj had to turn away volunteers who did not have weapons because they couldn't arm them. Now is the time to look at filling holes in your skillset's. Anyway.....

Getting some sort of professional firearms training from a fighting oriented school is an aweful good idea if you can possibly afford it. Medical skills are pretty darn important too. The new TC3 training and it's associated spinoffs are very worthwhile quality training.

#6 Find some friends. The whole lone wolf/ Rambo/ Chuck Norris/ Arnold one man army of death and destruction thing makes for a great action movie but that doesn't translate to real life. You need friends who are like minded and can work with you toward some sort of common goals. A sniper needs or at least can really use a spotter and local security. It is pretty hard to ambush a group by yourself, at most you can probably harrass them. Everybody needs somebody to pull security while they sleep and watch their 6 o'clock or help them should they get injured.


#7 Train with your new friends. People without an understanding of basic individual and team movement tactics as well as squad and platoon sized operations likely greatly outnumber those with an understanding of these things in most groups. If you somehow happen to have folks with meaningful experiences in these areas you all need to get onto the same page. Some of the most tragic accidents in military history come from ad hoc groups of otherwise trained individuals working together. If Bob zigs when Jim think he is going to zag or Tom is halfway down the wall when Rob thinks he should be at the corner people get shot. Training together will get everybody onto the same page, work out the kinks and build group cohesion.


#8 Develop plans. Based on your area, the local players and whatever sort of worst case scenario you guys see happening you can start to plan. Like any fight eventually it takes on a life of it's own but right away having a plan is priceless. Also the process of developing a plan leads you to see all sorts of interesting stuff like specific training or equipment or other preparations that should be made. Obviously doing things like making explosives or breaking federal firearms laws would be pretty foolish. However you can do all sorts of other stuff. Walk the terrain in your area to confirm or deny what map recon tells you. If you wonder how long it takes to move from Anderson butte to the ridgeline above Highway 25 then pack a lunch and go find out. If you wonder whether Deer Creek can be crossed on foot during the spring runoff go find out.

#9 Take advantage of your group's purchasing power. Make group buys to save money. I suspect if you call a school and ask them what kind of discount you get for filling the whole class they will work with you. Depending on your group dynamics consider the purchase of expensive or specialized equipment that is not practical for an individual but make sense for a group. Take advantage of the economics of scale which can be achieved. Renting a piece of specialized equipment you will only need for a short time is much more affordable if several folks can use it during the minimum time.

#10 Develop those around you. Some discretion is essential here but the more prepared that your extended family, friends and buddies are the better. Also a few may go whole hog into it and become assets. Also this is a great place to find and develop useful folks who could fill a more auxillary type role.

Note: One and two should be done successively as in one after another. You need to get started in physical fitness today (though you can pursue other things while developing your fitness) and work on basic skills until that requirement has been satisfied. They are really the basis for everything else. Three and four should probably be worked together. Six could really be done whenever but obviously has to be done before seven. The rest are somewhat more flexible, just use common sense.

Winter Gear

It seems Afghanistan has a very hot summer (110+ is common) and a cold winter (averages below freezing) with about 4-6 weeks of nice pleasant weather in between where fall and spring should be.

Today winter seems to have come to my current little piece of this miserable country. That means it was time to pull out cold weather gear from my pile of junk and get them ready to conveniently grab. I am going to tell you what I dug out and briefly discuss a few items. The list is as follows:

-Fleece (This is the piece of outer clothing that gets the most use in the cold, dry or snowy winters I have been in recently. I keep a pair of light gloves and a fleece cap in the pockets so I always have them.)

-Fleece watchcap (Get two, one of mine is always in the laundry or MIA. They are cheap anyway.)
-Insulated puffy jacket (I didn’t use this at all last winter but just pulled it out because I was digging and saw it. These are however a good thing to have if it gets real cold, or if you will be outside and sedentary.)

-Lightweight shell jacket (This doesn’t get a lot of use in the cold dry or snowy winters I’ve been in recently. However in a drizzly and 50 PNW sort of winter these are great.)

-Heavy gloves (my light gloves were already out)

-Silk weight long underwear (These are just so great. I wear them almost every day in the winter. Light enough that you will not roast inside but warm enough to be comfortable outside. Also great for when you will be moderately active in chilly weather or active in cold weather. Since these get worn a lot and are right on your skin getting at least 2 pair so you can have one in the laundry and another to wear or a change if you get wet is prudent.)

-Heavy long underwear. (I use the top semi regularly and rarely use the bottoms unless it is real cold and I will be sedentary. They are WARM.)

-Goretex boots (If you are going to use boots often then getting a boot drier or a second pair is important so you can have dry boots in the morning. Boots are expensive but a second set is probably not a bad thing anyway.)
Note- I did not look for or mention but regularly use a neck gator. They are great for keeping your face and neck warm and can be pulled over your head also if need be. These are good because if you warm up you can just pull it down to your neck and let it hang out.

All of this stuff is issued to us however I listed it as brand/ model nonspecific intentionally. My goal was to let you know the types of gear I use regularly in cold weather instead of getting bogged down in specifics. With a combination of the above clothing I can mix and match to stay as comfortable as possible during a variety of winter weather and activity levels.

As a civilian at home I always keep a full change of real clothes, including boots, a heavy coat, gloves and a hat as well as a sleeping bag in my vehicle during the winter. I do this because occasionally I hop into the car in slippers and pajama pants to run to the store for something Wifey needs for a recipe or whatnot.

The hard part about decent winter clothing is that it is not cheap; particularly good boots which can get pricey in a hurry. If you are regularly outside in the winter, particularly far from shelter and clean, dry clothes for long periods (vs say a construction worker who can go change clothes at lunch and dry everything out after work daily) or overnight it is pretty darn important that you have the right gear. Winter is an unforgiving beast. I do not recommend that you go into debt or put yourself in a state of financial hardship to get winter gear. If you plan in advance and shop around some relatively good deals can be had in the off season. If you ‘can’t afford’ serviceable winter clothes and footwear even at those discounts I would take a holistic look at your spending patterns. Maybe you can shave some fat, at least temporarily, from another place in your budget. For those who are disabled, in school or just barely scraping by and genuinely can’t afford to properly outfit their selves I recommend not intentionally getting into any situation your current gear can’t handle. If you go messing around in the snow in summer boots, cotton and low quality junk gloves you might lose some appendages or worse.

Equipment Soldiers Use

I was asked about this and figured it would be a slam dunk easy post. Everybody likes gear and writing about what I know is just too easy. Wrong, the thing is that when you are so used to something it is just what it is, as opposed to significant or noteworthy. If asked a very specific question about gear I can talk for a long time but looking at our whole organization is difficult because it is what I am used to. In any case I will do my best.
Slings- Almost everyone uses some form of a two point sling. Those who do not go with the generic issue two point typically purchase an adjustable two point sling. There are so many makers and models to choose from that you rarely see the same one twice. No clearly defined trends except two point adjustable. Once in a blue moon (less than 10%) are one points with a few of the two to one type floating around. Some folks who carry M16’s still use the three point but that is mostly because they are issued.

Holsters- The Blackhawk Serpa series is heavily represented and has a distinct majority, I would estimate almost 2/3rds. The rest is split between Fobbit’s with shoulder holsters, various other kydex type holsters, assorted leather and nylon jobs. Some quality products from name brand companies and some generic poorly made junk.

Knives- Almost everyone carries some form of a one hand opening type folder of some make or model on their person. Most are midsized 3-4 inch blades and made by major manufacturers such as Gerber, Spyderco, SOG, Benchmade, etc all. Whatever happens to be selling in the PX/ Clothing and Sales had a slight lead but in terms of knives we are totally all over the place. Of the remainder a few carry piece of junk one hand opening folders, a few carry big (5in+) sheath knives and there is a totally random tiny minority like me and my medium/small belt knife. You see a few more sheath knives attached to body armor or kit but not too many. However I would wager almost every soldier has a decent sized knife (often a KaBar) in a duffel bag or a tuff box.

Multi Tools- Everybody has one (if just because they are issued) and they are usually Gerber’s because that is what sells at the PX and is issued. Some live on belts, others on kit and most in rooms or rucksacks.

Boots- Not as many Danners as a few years back. Maybe it is that we are spending more time in hot climates or maybe that the Army is finally issuing some decent kit to us so folks don’t need to go out and buy that. Lots of light boots with soft soles are worn by Infantry and SOF guys. I wear Altima ExoSpeeds though I have heard the new Nike’s are nice and some folks like Rockies or Oackley boots.

Socks- Some folks wear various commercial hiking type socks but more just use the issue ones.

Bags- The Army really got it right with the new small framed molle ruck. It is an awesome 72 hour type bag. This saves young soldiers a $150+ purchase that was almost a requirement to function and I am happy for that. You still see the odd Blackhawk or Camelback or Tactical Tailor type 72 hour bag carried by someone who has been around more than a couple years though.

Belts- People either wear the standard issue tan belt or go out and purchase a riggers belt from somebody or another. All the ones that are not Chinese junk are functionally equivalent as far as I can tell. For those carrying a holster a stiff riggers belt is very helpful.

Cold Weather Gear- Thankfully again this is an area where the Army has gotten their act together. Soldiers do not need to go out and spend hundreds of dollars any more for the cold weather stuff they need. We are issued lots of fleece, gore tex and thermal clothing to stay as comfortable as possible.

Water carrying- Most folks have a camelback, generally issued but you see an aftermarket pouch (typically the better more molle compatible one) occasionally.

As a disclaimer I should note that products sold in our clothing and sales/ PX get a huge boost in purchases and thus use. Young soldiers often do their shopping within walking distance and because of our busy work hours (and laziness) many folks just get what is convenient. This accounts at least in part for the trend towards Serpa holsters and a Gerber multi tools.

To be honest I can’t really think of anything else but if you have a specific question I can probably go into a lot more detail.

Winter Carry

FerFal wrote about winter carry recently. I have some thoughts and since work today could turn out to be completely rediculous I am writing this in advance.

I have spent a lot of time living in places with pretty cold winters. Not like -700 Minnesota kind of winters but lots of time between 5 and 20F not including wind chill with snow that stayed around for long periods. I also habitually carry a gun. Naturally for 3-4 months of the year the two sort of collide.

I find winter carry easier than summer carry. Concealing anything less than a pistol grip pump shotgun or a folding stock AK-47 is easy. For access it should go without saying that a pistol under a zipped and buttoned coat is about useless. Not as useless as say, a pistol in your nightstand but it's still not going to be a factor in a fight. I find that under most circumstances just keeping your jacket open works really well. It usually necessitates at least a mid weight type shirt or sweater under your coat if the temp is below about 30 degrees. Nothing crazy just something more than a t shirt.

The real decision point to me is if you are going to keep your coat on or take it off. If you are going to keep it on then an outside the waistband holster combined with an open coat is a super fast draw. A shoulder holster would work also. YMMV but I have found this good for when you will spend the majority of your time outside or are just going to one place and not staying that long. Great for a walk or a trip to the grocery store. The other situation is that you are going to be taking your coat off and then the 1911 on your hip might be an issue. In this case it is another layer which slows things.

Carrying in a coat pocket is a hotly debated issue. Revolvers are best with hammerless being most ideal. You really want to have a holster so you don't go to draw and come out with the barrel in your hand. Without a holster I have found one technique that seems to work. Just keep your hand on the grip. Assuming you have a pocket with a good opening (not one of those weird ones where the pocket is bigger than the opening and the edges are awkward) and your hand is already on the gun that is as FerFal says a very fast draw. Nobody notices a guy with his hand casually in a coat pocket. This is also convenient because you just stick a wheelgun in your pocket and go grab a quart of milk. However the downside is that while you could take your coat off you can't really leave it, or at least I wouldn't want to in almost every setting. So you might as well IMO just keep it on and carry under the coat.

I am interested in your thoughts and experiences on winter carry.

What Did You Do To Prepare This Week?

I am just not sure when it comes to precious metals these days. I see definite shades of 1980 in the charts and buying at the top of the market is bad. On the other hand it may be different because of our insane monetary policy and other factors. Prices could continue to climb and stay high for many years so I may start getting priced out of the market entirely. Right now I see the up side for silver being better than gold. I am still buying but am not going to increase my contributions any. This week silver dipped some and I was able to pick up a roll of 90% quarters and another of dimes. It was money from last year so I guess I was a bit closer to last years PM goal then I thought. Or we could say this year is getting off to a great start.

We also picked up a snow shovel to keep in our vehicle. Wifey got a lightly used Helly Hansen waterproof shell type coat at the used stuff store for like 18 bucks. She needed a waterproof coat with a hood and even if she had 3 that was too good of a deal to pass up.

I also got started using my Kindle. Downloaded a bunch of public domain books. Got the Gibbons I plan to read as well as some Shirlock Holmes and The Count of Monte Cristo. Next I am going to get military manuals and survival type PDF's. A solar charger would greatly aid in its prep utility and is worth at least looking into.

It has been a pretty crazy week here with getting back home from the holidays and me jumping back into work. We are probably still feeling the after effects of jet lag and all that. I cooked dinner yesterday and incorporated a bunch of cans of stuff we have had lying around. There were some substitutions but it turned out well.

Next week I am going to try and get through more of The Bear Went Over The Mountain. It is very interesting if dry at times. Also I am going to get some more stuff to put on the Kindle.

Got emergency seeds? If you don't you probably should.

RE: BUILDING UP YOUR CONFIDENCE AND SKILLS IN THE SEWING DEPARTMENT

Dear TOR:


Welcome back home. Looks like we will be having a white Christmas....

Re the article.

During WW2, while most things in the UK were going down the tube, second hand stores were doing a booming, and unrationed, business. I think the same thing will happen in the US when TSHTF. There are so many people with excess clothing, both cheap and well-made types, that I don't really foresee needing to do a lot of sewing "from scratch."

Patching, general repairs and alterations, otoh, will be very important. These are entirely different skills, and in many ways, much easier to do. I recently found some excellent beginner sewing books for sale at our library book sale. Paid 50 cents each and bought all they had. For fancy hand-sewing (decorative knots and stitching, get books on needle-point, embroidery, petit-point, cross-stitch, etc. There are many magazines and blogs available, too.)

For those folks who are sewing shy, just learning how to hem, put in a fold at a waistband, or put on buttons and snaps, are very good places to start. Actually, just learning how to thread a needle is a good first step. In fact, realizing that you need to stockpile sewing supplies (called notions) and putting together a sewing kit might be an "adjustment reaction" that a lot of people need to go thru.

Suggested items for a hand-sewing kit:

Needles in a variety of sizes, including self-threading ones if you can find them.

Cotton or cotton/polyester thread in different colors, but esp. black, white, brown(s), blue(s), red and green. Pure cotton thread sometimes shrinks in hot water when you wash clothing, so I try to go with a combination-type.

Very fine fishing line (use for hemming or repairing heavy duty clothing)

Waxed dental floss (excellent for sewing on buttons)

Straight fabric shears and pinking shears (these are the ones that have the sawtoothed edge and are used for cutting cloth so that it doesn't unravel)

Thimble(s)

Pin cushion (I use a bar of soap which helps to keep the pins and needles slick)

Straight pins (the larger the head the better) and safety pins, several sizes, including diaper pins

Ruler (12 and 36 inches)

Measuring tape (not metal ones like those used for carpentry. Sewing tapes are made out of soft cloth or other bendable material so you can measure around waists, etc.)

Wooden darning egg (I was taught to darn using an old lightbulb. Cheaper, but a bit more difficult to handle)

Darning needles

Marking chalk or transfer paper (to transfer pattern lines onto cloth. We used to use true carbon paper, but there are probably other products available now)

Marking roller (a pizza cutter with a light hand will do in a pinch. You have to be careful not to cut through the pattern OR the material.)

Sewing hoop (used primarily for fine hand work like cross-stitch, appliques, needle point, etc., but also very useful for small repairs where it helps to stretch out or stabilize the material)

You can also add various standard patterns, extra zippers, extra buttons. I keep a button jar and cut all the buttons off any shirts that I am recycling into rags or other projects.

If you will be using a sewing machine:

You will need much more thread and BOBBINS, which are parts of the machine that enable simultaneous stitching on both sides of the fabric. Usually, you fill the bobbin with the same thread you use for the top stitch, but you don't have to. Some projects intentionally use two colors for contrast.

If you are really concerned about having to live off-grid, you might want to start looking for a "treadle" sewing machine, which uses foot-power, not electricity. They are still available, and though might require some repairs, are often comparatively inexpensive.

Best Yuletide Greetings to you and yours,

SaddleTramp

BUILDING UP YOUR CONFIDENCE AND SKILLS IN THE SEWING DEPARTMENT

When the SHTF it's unlikely that the big box store from which you buy your pants and shirts is going to be open for business.  I strongly feel that in order to be a well-rounded prepper you need to learn the the basics of sewing.  This is the story about how I got on the road to learning the absolute basics. 

I started off buy making patch work quilts by hand.  Patch work quilts are easy because they only involve straight lines.  You can use just about anything to make a patch work quilt - old work shirts, old bed sheets, clothes the kids have outgrown, etc.  Start small so you don't get overwhelmed or frustrated.  Make a patch work quilt that would fit a twin size bed.  If that sounds like too much work think about making a lap quilt.  Curtains are also a great project for beginners because they usually need only simple stitches and straight lines.  Curtains can be made in an afternoon.

The next thing I did was buy an old Singer sewing machine and I made patch work quilts on the machine.  I bought a sewing machine that only had the easy and basic stitches.  There are a lot of sewing machines on the market ranging from a $125 (for a used one) up to several thousand dollars.  I suggest putting off a purchase of an expensive sewing machine until you feel comfortable on a basic model.

My next step was to buy sewing "projects" that came in boxes.  For example, I made two teddy bears from a sewing kit that I bought at the fabric store.  The kit was inexpensive and the instructions told me exactly what to do.  The kit allowed me to understand the importance of patterns.  It also helped me to understand how sewn objects are put together.  As silly as it sounds that teddy bear kit was a real confidence booster for me. 

Another great way to understand how clothes (or other sewn items) are put together is to take them apart piece by piece.  Learn how they are constructed by deconstructing them. 

A few days ago I bought another sewing kit with instructions and material for an apron inside.  My confidence waxed and waned as I worked through the project.  The lady at the fabric store told me that it only took her an hour to complete the project.  It has taken me a day and I'm still not done, but I must admit that the apron looks pretty good.  By using this kit I was able to learn even more about patterns and sewing techniques such as how to sew on a ruffle.  My confidence is slowly rising even further.

My next (and last) step will probably be to buy a simple pattern to make a shirt or maybe a skirt.  I'm excited because it's taken me a while to get to this skill level.

I began sewing about 3 years ago.  Sewing is part art, part science, part skill, and part luck.  It is not something you can learn overnight!!!  Start small, stay within your skill range, don't give up, go slow, and only work on projects that look fun so you will stay interested.

If TSHTF and the big box store and the local seamstress is AWOL it's important that you be able to know how to make basic clothing.  Food and firearms are important but clothing to brave the elements is essential also.

by Sam In The Trailer Park


TOR HERE: I just want to thank Sam for the post. On another note I am pleased to announce that her trailer park still hasn't been wiped out by a tornado.

I'm Baaack!

It was cold, snowy and just plain nasty. Average temperature was around 20f or so. It snowed a lot and there was a biting wind. The foot or so of unpacked snow played hell with walking, let alone running and other more vigerous activities. However it wasn't too bad. We do have pretty good gear which makes a huge difference. Also I had a warm dry place to go in my off hours and generally got decent sleep which helps a lot.

I did write every day (just no net to post) so next time this happens there will be posts which is good. Been thinking and fiddling with slings a lot lately. Decided I need to just throw down the cash for a purpose built two point adjustable sling. Will announce the winner of our awesome contest as soon as I can.

Got home pretty late tonight. Wifey made a nice dinner and I got to spend some time with Walker which was cool.  He smiles and sort of tries to play now which is cool. Makes him a bit more interesting to hang out with. I am looking forward to a calm weekend at home. Anyway I have nothing else huge to say so I will talk to you tomorrow.

Ryan

Winter Does Not Forgive

People talk about harsh environments and I think a cold snowy winter beats pretty much anything out. It at least ties with the desert. One could think long and hard about the pro's and cons of each but I don't feel like doing that. In any case simply put a cold snowy winter leaves little to no margin for error or bad luck.

Last night during land navigation a young man almost died.

We were supposed to be back by 8 o'clock. The young man in question has not back by 9:00 so a search party went out. At 10:00 higher ups started getting alerted. At 11:00 everybody lined up so we could walk the entire course at double arm intervals with white lights. Exactly like you see in the movies and on TV. Some folks found this guy at about 11:30.

What happened was that he got a bit wet. Somehow or another he got into some water that was moving and thus not frozen. At this point he started going into shock. I believe he failed to realize the severity of the situation he was in and went to get his last point before heading back. Personally I would have ran back to the start point. The course is roughly 4000m X 4000M and bordered on all sides by two lane hardball roads. You could not cross one by accident.

He was found about a mile out of the course. They found him face down in a snowy field. He was conscious but not verbally responsive. They got him to a hospital and there will be no effects which last more than a few days.

He was wearing the right gear. People knew he was out and when he should return. We had a pretty good idea of where he should be. He knew how to land nav. Heck a guy who could run decently wasn't 15 minutes from a gas station or a fast food joint.

If nobody knew when he was supposed to be back or in what area he was he would be dead. If there hadn't been a whole bunch of people right there to look for him he would be dead. Tonight it is a lot colder than last night. Had it been low 20's instead of 28-32 he would likely be dead.

The winter does not forgive.

This was a

A Couple Pieces Of Cold Weather Kit I Believe In

I have been spending a lot of time outside recently. There is several inches of snow on the ground and temps have clung in the 20's and occasionally gotten to 30-33ish Fahrenheit. Sometimes we are physically active but others (in typical military fashion) we stand around waiting. These temps are not 'that cold' and for someone going from the house to the car to the office a simple coat will suffice. Being outside for hours that does not work.

Gore Tex and Thinsulate boots have pretty much worked their way through the outdoor/ hunting community and are ever present in the military. These are about the best as you can get without serious Sorel style felt pack type winter boots.

In terms of long underwear I could not possibly give as glowing of a review as Polartec Power Dry (silkweight) deserves. I have used all sorts of long underwear from the generic cotton to miscellaneous synthetic stuff to polypro (both commerical and military) and have a hard time imagining why I would buy anything except this stuff. The only reason I could possibly think of is if I had a manual labor (construction type) job where stuff regularly got ripped up and I knew I would be home in a few hours and if need be I could go to my vehicle and get into spare dry cothes. Then maybe some cheap cotton type stuff would be OK.

However for military, outdoors and dare I say preparedness this stuff is the bees knees. It rolls up so a top or bottom is about the size of a rolled up pair of socks. Also it is darn warm and breathes/ wicks amazingly. Also it doesn't hold a smell like poly pro does. The only downside is that it is not cheap. The commercial stuff seems to be about $30 for a piece or $60 a set. One of the perks of my work is that I have a shelf full of the stuff. Probably enough to last me a lifetime, certainly a decade. Anyway I know that price is not cheap but in my opinion the stuff is totally worth it. I can attest to its durability. The first set of this stuff I got is 6 years old and while it has needed a seem sown here or there it is still going strong. I wear this stuff almost daily during the winter and can not say enough good things about it.

Winter Weather

Lots of folks have been writing about the cold weather. It is freezing in the South and Europe, in particular Central Europe have been a mess for awhile now. Rio calls it the Al Gore winter which I find amusing. Suppose this is my obligatory cold weather post.

Folks have already talked about putting extra clothes, food, water and sleeping gear in the car. Other folks have talked about winter driving. I see no need to rehash that stuff. I do however have a few other observations.

Cold weather is hard on skin and lips in particular. Keeping a decent stash of whatever your preferred lip chap stuff is prudent. Yeah chapped lips won't kill you but if a tiny bit of planning and a few bucks will let you be comfortable it is foolish not to go that route.

My other thought is that in the winter you need to be more flexible about travel, running errands and the like. More than once we have had a plan to go here or there and adjusted it based on looking outside at the roads or the weather report. Even when we are talking about relatively short 30-45 minute trips it is just smart to use common sense. For example, earlier this week we had planned to go do a bit of window shopping and have dinner at a restaurant we have been wanting to check out. The weather turned nasty yesterday (and my wife is a bit sick) so we are pushing that plan to the right. We will either cook something here, order in or go someplace down town. This might seem overly cautious but I would rather err on that side than get in an avoidable wreck or get stuck somewhere.

On that note I think it is prudent to be willing to change your plans if the conditions merit, even if you are out. This might mean sleeping on the couch or floor at somebodies house or even staying in a hotel/ motel for the night. Having a sleeping bag per person in your vehicle is good but if a clean, safe room at the Holiday Inn is available to me it is an easy decision. For a hundred bucks or so to get a room for the night and some dinner you could avoid a serious wreck or even worse. My deductible is $500 so doing that 4 times to potentially avoid a wreck makes economic sense even if you do not factor in the huge hassle of an accident or getting stuck.

I recall once when winter weather socked a whole bunch of travelers in the sleepy NW town I was living in. Some of those folks got stuck for 3-4 days. This is where that savings account portion of the emergency fund comes into play. Last Christmas we got stuck in Philadelphia for a few days. Traveling long distances on a shoestring budget is never particularly advisable but in winter it is a downright bad idea. It is fine to plan to travel cheaply but having the resources to sustain yourself if something happens is the smart thing to do.  

In short be prepared to be inconvenienced in terms of time, travel plans and a bit of money.

Aside from that I find the winter weather best experienced by looking out the window from my warm living room with a glass of something warm to drink.

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.

Gloves: Glove to Task and Some of my Favorites

It is definitely fall here in Central Europe, downright chilly it is. This has got me going back to the warm clothes. On the bright side work has came a really long way in terms of issueing us real quality modern cold weather gear. At CIF I probably got a few hundred bucks in PolarTech fleece and super spiffy long johns, a whole lot better than field jackets and those crapy long johns they issued when I got it. Anyway back to the point.

Gloves. The bad news is that most people need to have several types of gloves (of course redundancy in said types is good). The good news is that unless you are going to climb Everest or are a total mall ninja you generally don't need to spend a bunch of money on any given pair of gloves.

Lets look at some distinct purposes for gloves:

1. Just plain keeping your hands warm. You are not going to be doing much with your hands but are going to be outside when it is cold. For this type it is hard to beat wool or fleece. The generic knit wool gloves/ mittens are great and fleece ones work well also. The other day I bought some new fleece gloves for PT (as it is cold as balls in the morning) at the high cost of $3.95. They are not fancy or whatever, just warm.

2. Doing rough work. Maybe you are handling some barbed wire or bucking hay bales or handling rough wood or whatever. For this task it is hard to beat leather gloves. Don't buy crap but it is realistic to get a decent comfortable pair of leather work gloves for less than it costs for two people to eat lunch at donalds. it is wise to buy gloves big enough that you can fit the wool knit gloves from #1 under them in the case you need to do some work in the cold.

3. Doing dexterous tasks. Mechanics and shooting guns come to mind. Depending on your task keeping your hands from getting scraped up or flash fire (in CQB every damn thing tends to be on fire) are the primary concerns. There are a lot of gloves in this range as it is cool in some circles to wear what the military does. I ama  huge fan of generic flight gloves. Got a pair of the hatch ones which I love. I can load unload and handle any firearm I have came across while wearing them. These seem to take milage pretty well, mine have been used pretty regularly over 5 years and 3 continents.

4. Serious Winter Wear. This is for serious cold or longer periods in said cold. For this I am a big fan of mittens because they are warmer than gloves. Especially for tasks like skiing or snoe shoeing where your need to have fingers not freeze off is high but your need to do anything dexterous is really low mittens are great. I am a fan of getting a good pair of outer mits (OR makes some good stuff) and a nice warm inner mitten. The good thing about this sort of setup is that you can easily have (they are cheap) 1 or 2 spare pair of fleece inner mittens which are all you really need to swap out to have dry hands.

Admittedly there is some overlap between these groups (leather gloves with inserts are good for real cold, etc) but fundamentally they are each good to at least look at. If you live in a place that gets cold it is worth putting the money into a few pair of good gloves (and or mittens) to suit your various needs. For the price of dinner and drinks for two at a nice restaurant you could probably get all the gloves you could need.


I may or may not write tomorrow. A good family friend (one of Wifeys 'Vice Parents') is coming to visit tomorrow. He travels a lot for work and happens to have a weekend with some time to kill in Germany. It will be cool to see him as he is a fun fellow and who knows when we will be in the same place at the same time again. Depending on how the morning goes I might have time to write and I might not. Consider this tomorrows post.

I'm Back.....About 12 Hours Later

This morning I was a bit short and to the point because time was short. It looked like I was going to be spending a few days in the field on very short notice. Nothing personal but when I've got an hour at home to shower, eat and pack for a few days in the woods you guys are going to get about a one line explanation. It turns out that I (at least for now) that this week is going to go more like I thought it would.

It was a very odd day with lots of stuff going on. I've got a wicked headache to boot, guess I didn't drink enough water earlier on today. A couple Tylenol and several very large glasses of water will probably do the trick. A beer might have to be consumed because if nothing else it will raise my morale a bit.

I've decided to pretty much keep my ruck more or less packed for the foreseeable future. That will just let me throw in uniforms and be ready to go giving more time for future sudden field time. It also has the bonus of me being one step closer to walking home if need be. I don't think I would take all that stuff being being able to grab a bag with plenty of stuff to deal with the wet, cold and such isn't a bad thing. I do not have a set ready to go bag in my car because right now I am using most of the stuff that would be in it in on a regular basis. I do have a full sized ruck, lots of assorted snivel gear, a sleeping bag, a few days worth of food, a gallon and a half of water and assorted other goodies in the back. When I lived far from work and didn't use my gear very much it was easy and necessary to keep a GHB. Now that I live much closer to work and use that stuff often I am content to keep all the necessary gear in my trunk. To be honest my get home plan is pretty simple and easy these days thus I worry a lot less about it. It is a bit more then a dozen miles of country roads most of which are on post and thus pretty darn safe. The rest are lightly traveled so no big worries there.

My mind is quite busy and my thoughts scattered today.

My stash of winter clothes in the bunker comes to the rescue

We did our big family Christmas thing today, tommarow folks spread to the winds to do various things so today we were together. It was the best gathering of family that we have had in a very long time. Ham, scalloped potatoes and many drinks left our stomachs full and out hearts light.

My awesome Gypsyish Uncle was present. I don't think I've seen him in two or three years and it was great. He was down here to work with my other Uncle on a construction project at Dads work. They got snowed/ frozen out and my Gypsyish Uncle decided to just hang out at Moms house for a week or two until the project is still on. As you may have noted the Pacific Northwest has turned into a venerable winter wonderland. My Uncle found himself wearing tennis shoes and completely unprepared for the foot of snow he found himself in. Mom went into the Bunker towards my winter clothes stash to square him away. She found a fleece hat, some fingerless wool gloves and a pair of good leather boots that fit him (though that was somewhat lucky).

I found out about this at the Christmas party. Noticed a fleece hat and some gloves that looked awful familiar sitting on the steps of Dads place and thought little of it. Mom mentioned it later and I thought it was outstanding. I've got a duffel bag full of boots and another full of assorted snow gear (aside from all the stuff I've got with me down south) so it is nothing to give a little bit. I will give my Uncle that stuff because quite frankly he needs it far more then I do.

I guess the moral of this story is to have enough clothes to help someone (or a few people) out. There are plenty of reasons you could end up needing to equip a friend or ally and it is prudent to be prepared to do so. If you shop smart warm clothes are pretty cheap. Boots are a little bit trickier but if you haunt good will and watch for deals lots can be done. In terms of warm boots (unless long distance walking is going to be done) having three or four pair of rubber boots in various sizes and lots of warm socks is a good answer to that problem. I haven't bothered to purchase for sizes except my own but for a guy who falls withing the average range your clothes will fit most people.

Travel Update

We had a few minutes before getting on the shuttle to go BACK to the Philadelphia airport, AGAIN. On the bright side we actually have confirmed seats on this flight and there are no delays along our route home. Please cross your fingers for us, seriously. On the up side my wonderful wool pea coat has kept my body pleasantly warm throughout our frozen journey. On the down side I forgot to bring a watch cap so my head and ears have not been comfortable. Guess that shows me for getting all cocky and skipping PCC's.

We should be back in the wonderful (winter land of the) Pacific Northwest by late this afternoon.

Warm Clothes

It is getting colder and I have been spending more time outside. This has gotten me thinking about cold weather clothes. I was thinking about the best stuff to stay warm which will roughly fit into a one gallon zip lock bag. Admittedly there is a pretty direct relationship between warmth to bulk and cost. Smaller warm stuff is usually far more expensive then bulkier stuff of equal warmth. I got almost all of this stuff from work at one point or another but I would gladly purchase it all again. Better to be warm with a used Smith and Wesson Model 10 on your hip would be better then freezing with a Glock.

I will rank the items in this imaginary bag:

First and foremost is a pair of gloves. Gloves deserve a post of their own but for this discussion I suggest Hatch Flight Gloves or something comparable. In the glove compromise between hand/ finger dexterity and warmth these lean toward dexterity but for the common area between comfortable and freezing (32deg) these are great.

Next comes a Fleece Watch Cap. These are just the bees knees IMHO.

The two of these are what I would choose for warmth if I was restricted to a quart sized bag. These are also small enough to readily fit into your cargo pockets.

Now comes the Big Mama of warmth, long underwear. These are not your Daddy's waffle print cotton long underwear. The two pair I own were made by Polar Tech but these are pretty comparable at a better price. Come to think of it I could use a pair of them.

Last comes the neck gaiter. I love these things for many reasons. They are modular as can be. If it is colder they can be worn all the way over the face and head Battle of the Bulge style. When it cools down a but they can be pulled down to just cover your neck. I like these with a baseball hat for crisp sunny mornings. Substitute the fleece cap for the baseball hat in downright cold weather. For serious cold there is the Balaclava but IMHO the gaiter and fleece watch cap wins out by being modular.

Of course this stuff is not a substitute for a coat but I think the combination of this stuff is better then just a coat. This list of stuff leaves you with endless options. I am going to be pretty busy right up to Thanksgiving so it will be an auto post sort of week.