Building Your Bug-Out-Bag (Part 3-Shelter)

Bug Out Bag-Shelter SWB (size, weight, bulk) ounces count! Watch your ounces! POU: emergency Sleeping bags 3 key factors for buying a bag Temperature rating: Choose a bag rated for the coldest temperature you expect to encounter. The rating is often part of the product name, such as the Men's REI Lumen +25 bag (rated to a minimum temperature of +25°F). Weight vs. roominess: When backpacking, you want to keep weight low without jeopardizing comfort or safety. For some, low weight overrides all other concerns (comfort, durability, convenience, price). For others, weight is less important than having a roomy bag for a good night's sleep. Most bags try to strike a balance between these extremes. Type of insulation: Your main purchasing decision is between the types of fill: down, synthetic and the new DriDown™. Goose-down fills are very light, compressible, durable and breathable. While initially more expensive, they offer great long-term value. Synthetic fills excel in damp, cold conditions and have less sticker shock up front. They are slightly heavier and less compressible than down. DriDown is goose down treated to resist moisture, the Achilles heel of regular down. What else affects warmth? Sleeping pad: This insulates the space beneath your bag as well as adding cushioning. On some bags, the pad replaces the need for insulation on the bottom side of the bag. If sleeping on snow or frozen ground, we recommend using 2 pads. Tent: Using a tent or bivy sack traps a layer of dead air around you, warming it by up to 10°F. Metabolism: You might be a "cold sleeper" who prefers extra insulation when sleeping. Or maybe you are a "warm sleeper" who kicks off the covers at home. Gender: Women generally prefer slightly warmer bags than men. Clothing: What you wear inside the bag makes a difference. Long underwear and clean socks (it’s a good idea to change clothes to sleep in) helps insulate you while also keeping body oils off of your bag. A cap and neck gaiter help retain body heat. For colder-than-expected nights, a fleece jacket and pants can help. Hood: Sleeping bags with hoods can be cinched up on cold nights to retain warmth. Hydration: Staying hydrated increases your likelihood of sleeping warm. A warm drink before bed is a popular tip. Bag Type Temperature Rating (°F) Summer Season +35° and higher 3-Season Bag +10° to +35° Cold Weather -10° to +10° Winter/Extreme -10° and lower Bag Length Men's Women's Short: For people up to 5'6" Regular: For women up to 5'6" Regular: For people 5'7" to 6'0" Long: For women 5'7" to 6'0" Long: For people 6'1" to 6'6" Note: The North Face offers a few X-Long bags for campers up to 6'8". Sleeping Bag Liners A sleeping bag liner is primarily used to help keep your mummy bag clean and thus make it last longer. (Note: Rectangular sleeping bag liners are commonly called "travel sheets.") A bag liner also adds anywhere from 5° to 15°F of extra warmth to your sleeping bag, depending on the liner material. In hot climates, you can use a bag liner or travel sheet by itself and forgo the sleeping bag. You typically have a variety of bag-liner material choices: • Silk: Very lightweight (about 5 oz.). Silk helps insulate in cold weather but is absorbent and breathable in warm weather. Price: moderate to expensive. • Cotton: Strong, durable and absorbent, but not the lightest or most compact. Price: economical. • Fleece and microfleece: Warmer (adds up to 12°F) and a bit heavier choices. Fleece is soft, moisture-wicking and quick-drying, but the mid- and heavyweight varieties tend to be bulky. Price: moderate. • Synthetics (CoolMax and MTS): Moisture-wicking and breathable, which makes these great for humid conditions. Has a bit of stretch, too. Price: moderate. • Insulated (Thermolite Reactor Extreme): This adds up to a claimed 25°F of warmth thanks to its hollow-core fiber insulation. It also dries 50% faster than cotton. Price: moderate to expensive. Tents Double wall – Tent with rain fly. These are the most common, most are 2 or 3 season Single wall – No fly Most are 3 or 4 season Minimal: Poncho, Tarp, Tube tent, Bivy Tent Types - Tent Classifications Tents come in every imaginable size, shape, and color making it hard to clearly define categories. However, there are some widely agreed upon Tent Characteristics that can be used to classify tents. Knowing these characteristics will help you in finding what you are looking for. Tent Structures In general, Tents consist of poles which form a skeleton and over this skeleton, the tent fabric or skin is laid out to create an inner pocket. These are the basic Tent Structures: Avian Tents One or two straight poles with the Tent cover spread out create a covered ground area. They are mostly used for quick shelter and generally light weather conditions. Pyramid Tents One central pole and the Tent cover pulled tight and spread out around the center pole form a pyramid shaped pocket. Pyramid Tents are rare in Hiking as the center pole effectively divides the Tent in multiple smaller compartments. Traditional A-Frame Tents Two-legged frames at the outer ends of the Tent with the Tent cover form a triangular pocket. Old backpacking tents were often A-frame Tents. The increased roominess of hoop tents and domes has replaced most A-frame tents. Modified A-Frame Tents Add a ridgepole and a center hoop to the traditional A-Frame to create a larger volume version of the traditional A-frame pocket. Modified A-Frame tents are also becoming rare in Hiking. Hoop Tents Use one to three hoops with the Tent cover to form a tubular pocket. The curved walls give a bigger volume with the same ground surface. Hoop Tents are surprisingly strong as they divide pressure over the full length of the hoops. Wedge Tents Two intersecting hoops with the Tent cover form a square to round pocket. These tents are very popular in Hiking as they combine great strength in combination with the least use of material and weight. Dome Tents Three or more intersecting hoops with the Tent cover form a multi-faceted ground floor with a dome. The added hoops give this tent increased strength in comparison to Wedge Tents. However, they are mostly pretty difficult to erect. Most 4-Season tents are domes with four intersecting hoops. Besides these Basic Tent Structures, there are a lot of Hybrid Tents which combine any of the above structural features to come up with other tent structures. The combinations often try to mix the strengths of each of the structures used and thus come up with a stronger construction. The structures that the poles build derive their strength from the way the pressure is placed on the poles. In the case of the A-Frame structure, most of the pressure is directed to the length of the poles where it is strongest. In dome structures where the poles are curved, the pressure is equally directed to all sides of the curve. Freestanding vs. Fixed Tents The strength of a tent is based on the combination of the compression members (the tent poles) and the tension members (the tent fabric and the possible guy lines). Guy lines are lines used to stretch the tent fabric by staking them to the surface. Tents that do not need guy lines are freestanding. Freestanding Tents offer a couple of advantages: • You can move them to another location without having to take down and rebuild the tent. • You can easily drain and dry a freestanding tent by picking it up and hanging it upside down. However, all tents including the freestanding type derive a lot of their strength from being anchored down by stakes and guy lines. Protection Level: Number of Supported Seasons There are a couple of ways of categorizing tents by their functions. One of the most defining ones is the number of seasons that the tent supports: • 4-Season Tents are meant for year round use and they are capable of withstanding the heaviest snowstorms. • 3-Season Tents will protect you from the worst summer, spring, and autumn can throw at you. However, they will not be able to protect you in heavy winter conditions. Some 3-Season Tents are convertible into 4-Season Tents by adding extra sections or tent parts to the tent. • 2-Season Tents will serve you perfectly well from late spring to early fall but they are not designed for rougher conditions. Capacity: Number of Persons Nowadays, many Tent manufacturers give an estimated or exact number of people that the tent can accommodate (for instance: 1-person, 2-person, 4-person, etc.). Other often used expressions are solo, duo, trio, etc. Make sure not to just take the manufacturer's word for it. Often their definition of capacity means x smaller persons packed close together. In reality, you will often find a 2-person tent having room for just one person. In bad weather, you may want to take your backpack inside your tent or do your cooking inside. Some manufacturers have taken this into account and call their tents 2-person plus or 3-person plus, signifying that there is some extra space. In general, when finding a tent, simply go for a tent meant for more people than the group size you are actually going to accommodate. At least go by this rule: Whatever size the manufacturer size minus 1. If they say it is a 1 person tent be careful! Hiking Tents are an essential component of Camping. Make sure that you have a Tent which is appropriate to what you need. Knowing the various Tent Types or Tent Classifications can greatly help you in narrowing down your selection. Determine your requirements and get familiar with the essentials of Hiking Tents before purchasing one. Buying tents out of season, fall and winter, are often the best deals Color: Choose low impact colors for security. Blending with the outdoors is usually what you would want in a Bug-out situation. The clips-versus-sleeves debate is an interesting one. Clip-only tents have better ventilation between the tent fly and body, and will generally set up more tautly because the clips establish tension lines between each attachment point. They also set up very quickly, although some clip-based tents do present you with a confusing muddle of clips and no clear idea of where to start (note: two minutes spent setting up a tent in a warm, dry garage as practice will eliminate any difficulties when setting it up in the dark, rainy woods). Pole sleeves seem to make for a sturdier tent as they put a continuous line of stitching across a pole line, reducing the stress at any single point. But, sleeves add some weight, and can be a little trickier to set up (although the sleeves also suggest where the pole goes). These days, a lot of tents use both. Most brand name tents have seams that will not leak. Some do not. That is something you should check before investing in a tent. There are usually two types of sealed seams: Sealed, or glued, and taped. The glue will eventually start to peal and so will the tape. Neither react well to heat and age. That sounds like neither is any good. Well neither will last, but if maintained, can last for decades. Resealing and/or re-taping will be needed at some point. I have only seen a sewn and taped tent seam that was made from canvas that may hold up better than most. It was a military tent and even areas where the tape came off did the tent not leak. These are walled tents. They are very expensive and heavy, not for bugging out. I would recommend a rest with a fly that covers the whole tent and has tie-outs that will keep rain out, but air vents or windows open to circulate air in and out of the tent. Poles (aluminum or fiberglass) I like the strength of aluminum and the weight of fiberglass. Stakes. I’ve never had a stake that came with a tent that I cared for. Except an expensive, heavy, walled tent. The smaller tent makers seem to think heavy gage wire, not much more than a wire clothes hanger, bent over are good tent stakes. I usually replace them with longer, heavier duty, plastic stakes. Field shelters I have camped for several decades. As a Dad and a Boy Scout leader I camped with each of my Eagle Scout sons. I also have done my fair share of hunting. Most of my camping experiences were in forests or mountains. But I’ve camped in snow and grew up in the Arizona desert. So I’ve learned to improvise shelters in most environments. I did not get to go to Jungle School in the military but have some experience in jungles. I think I could improvise shelter in any type of terrain and weather. Getting some experience in field shelters, especially in the area you live, is a good idea. From snow caves, to tarp based shelter, to lean-to’s there are a large variety of field shelters. A Debris Hut is only one of many that you should learn and practice. Even if it’s just an evening in your back yard with your kids, this experience is priceless. I only choose a Debris Hut as an example. The Debris Hut The Debris Hut shelter is a very basic shelter to make if you have access to a lot of branches and leaves. The frame is basically just a pole leaned against a tree (or stump, rock, etc). Branches or deadwood are leaned against the pole to form a sloped roof. The shelter is then thatched with leaves, grass, sod, pine boughs, or anything else you can come up with. Whatever you are using, remember to pile it on thicker than you think you need to waterproof it. Remember... if you are using either dead branches, leaves, or any other flammable material to build the shelter, you will have to be VERY careful where and how you build your fire. Fire is connected to shelter under certain (cold) conditions. That will be covered in a future post. Semp Paratus Check 6 Burn

Building Your Bug-Out-Bag (Part 2-Air)

72 Hour Kit-Bug Out Bag Air Bandana/Shemagh to cover mouth and nose The Shemagh The keffieh, or keffiyeh, is a traditional, elegant, comfortable, square-shaped, cotton or wool Arab headdress worn mostly by men, especially in the Levant--Northern Egypt, Palestine-Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and parts of Iraq-- and North Africa to protect against the sun or against dust. Although the keffiyeh is woven in many styles and colors, one type in particular--checkered red and white or black and white--became ufairly and stereotypically identified in the 1970s with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) whose fedaiyeen militants and terrorists commonly wore it (as did their leader, Yasser Arafat). Some people wore the keffiyeh in solidarity with the PLO. By the 1990s and later, the keffiyeh was as much fashion statement in the West as it was useful clothing in the Mideast. The keffieh, in brief, is as old as the sands of Sudan and Saudi Arabia. The keffiyeh was so ubiquitous in the 19th century in lands colonized or coveted by the French or the British that colonists took to wearing it for its comforts and distinctive look, just as students in coldish France and England, who couldn’t care less about its political threads, these days wear it for its warmth and fashion. For British soldiers in the Middle East, who refer to the keffiyeh as shemaghs, the headdress became standard issue during World War II, and remains so for British soldiers who served in Iraq or for soldiers serving in Afghanistan. American soldiers in both places have taken to wearing the shemagh as well. Shemagh Uses • Dust Protection. Cover your face on motorcycles, trucks, and chicken buses. • Sun Protection. Great for when you’re stranded in mid-day heat without shade. • Towel. Small, lightweight, fast drying, but thick enough to get the job done. • Ground Cloth. Keep your butt clean & dry when sitting on the ground. • Warmth. Wrap it around your neck as a scarf to keep warm. • Bag. Put stuff in middle, tie corners together. Instant hobo sack. • Sarong. Wrap around your waist for modesty. Shorter than a normal one. • Sweat Rag. Great for hiking, running, or other sweat-inducing activities. • Arm Sling. Sprain a wrist or break an arm? Temporary immobilization. • Emergency Bandage. Help stop bleeding & protect the wound. • Pillow. Thick & soft enough to ball up & use for bus rides/camping trips. • Weapon. Twist big rock up in the middle. Swing away. Instant self-defense tool! • Concealment. Often used to hide my camera in questionable neighborhoods. • Rope. Long enough to be rolled up to tie things together. • Water Filter. Fold multiple times & filter debris out of water before boiling. • Pot Holder. Take that boiling water you just filtered off the fire. • Keeping Cool. Soak in cold water and wrap around your neck. • Signal Flag. Large enough to wave and get someone’s attention. • Blanket. Decent for covering your upper or lower body. • Eye Mask. Sleep during the day or in a hostel when lights are on. These are only a few of the Shemagh’s many applications. This simple piece of cloth is so practical that Australian, British, Irish, Thai, and even US Special Forces all issue the Shemagh to their troops! Generally these colors apply to different areas of the world. Red= Iraqi Green= Lebanese Black= Afghanese/Egyptian Brown= Saudi White= Jordanian OD and CB= American I’ve liked the shemagh for years. But I also live in the hot southwest. The shemagh is very useful in hot climates. I like the versatility of the scarf. There are those that connect terrorism to them and bring disdain on the historical and traditional significance. I hope we can look at the usefulness and versatility of the shemagh and see it for the great piece of survival gear that it is and has been for centuries. This is something that would assist in masking in smoke or bad air. M-79 Masks Since COVID-19 masks are more numerous than they have ever been. They are light and many of them fold away nicely. Having some good masks available is affordable and practical. Gas Masks These are more expensive and involve training to use correctly and effectively. Using a gas mask incorrectly can kill you if you believe you are using it right. These masks can be used for more than just biological contamination. They can be used for NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) protection. Being trained for use in different environments is necessary to be confident of personal safety. Surviving in water is a different set of equipment. Learning to SCUBA (self-contained underwater apparatus) dive and being certified is a skill that everyone should have experience in. You don’t have to invest in the equipment if you won’t be participating in SCUBA as a sport, but being certified and have the experience and skill is like any other skill. It is priceless. And it can be fun. Learning to swim is something I feel everyone should know. It could save your life one day. Having some training in NBC and how to protect against these in weapons and other forms is time well spent. There are others things you can do in the way of filters for buildings or rooms that in certain situations would be an advantage. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

Building Your Bug-Out-Bag (Part 1-Intro)

I teach preparedness classes, with the foundation of the rule of 3's, the basics of survival. Survival is just a foundation, a starting point. We can survive 3 minutes without air 3 hours in inclement weather without shelter 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food. These are averages of course, your mileage may vary. So with the rule of 3 basis, I=ve developed an acronym for what I consider the basics of survival. ASWiFFS Air, Shelter, Water, Food, Fire, and Security A = Air We obviously need air. Air is all around us and pretty easy to provide. There are times when air is contaminated or taken away such as smoke, chemicals, or drowning. S = Shelter Shelter is very important because it can give you a base which to operate from. W = Water Water is something we all know is critical. Water, like air, is pure until it is contaminated. Water may evaporate but to not be potable, things must be added to it either naturally, like salt water, or man-made, like pollution. F = Food Each of us probably ate today. The U.S. has it=s problems but generally speaking, we all eat. F = Fire Fire is what we live with every day. We cook with it, heat with it, heat water with it and in survival more it gives us light, comfort, and disinfects water. S = Security All of us have security in our lives. We have the best law enforcement in the world. We lock our cars and homes. We practice safety and security all the time. Your BOB should cover all these basics and have some redundancy. In survival there is a saying that 2 is 1 and 1 is none. I want several ways to purify water. I want several ways to make fire. I want redundancy in my security. POU is philosophy of use. (From Youtuber Nutnfancy) The reason behind and many uses of the skill or gear. You should have a strong POU to include items in your BOB. 72 Hour Kit-Bug Out Bag-Air Bandana/Shemagh to cover mouth and nose N79 masks for some chemical and biological emergencies Gas masks. If you have the money, training, and feel the need these take care of all problems. They can be expensive, bulky, and heavy. I have the training and the masks, but I do not carry them in my BOB. 72 Hour Kit-Bug Out Bag-Shelter SWB (size, weight, bulk) ounces count! POU depending on emergencies that may be prevalent in your area. For instance I would not worry about volcanoes in Kansas. But I would be concerned about tornados. I carry a tube tent and SOS bags. That’s a very minimal shelter. Sleeping bags These come in a variety of sizes, weights, and styles. Styles: Mummy, Barrel, Rectangle Ratings: -40 F TO +4 F, +5 F TO +29 F, +30 F TO +55 (most common this area) Liners: Fleece, etc Tents Double wall B Tent with rain fly Most common, most 2 or 3 season Single wall B No fly Most 3 or 4 season Minimal: Poncho, Tarp, Tube tent, Bivy Styles: These come in a variety of styles too. Do your research and testing. Buy tents out of season (fall, winter) for best deals Low impact colors (security, blend with outdoors) Clips vs sleeves for dome tents. Sealed seams: How well the tent you are considering is made. Fly that covers most of tent (tie outs) replace string with rope/para cord Floor plan for larger tents. Poles (aluminum over fiberglass) Stakes (usually replace with your own) Size (minus 1) Whatever the manufacturer suggests for occupancy, subtract one for closer to reality. Ground cloth: Barrier,Tent protection Pad: Air mattress (manually inflated), Air Pad (self inflated), Thin/thick foam (closed cell) Field shelters (learn building skills) This skill is not difficult but it does take some practice and experience. Heat Sources: Commercial heaters and starters, Home-made heater Fire Elements (safety), fire building, learning to build, and the uses of, different fires Fire starting kit, Home-made starters Primitive starting (Plough, flint and steel, bow and drill) All these methods require special items, some can be made in the wild. All require lots of practice and experimentation. They can be very time consuming. Be patient. This is part 1 of a series to assist in building your bug-out-bag. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

Saving Money at the Range

We live in difficult times. The economy of this country has created problems in many family’s budgets. My wife is very frugal and has found many ways to save money. This has taught me to stretch a dollar and has me thinking about the many ways I save money at the shooting range. The gun industry is flourishing in the United States. But because of that, products abound. There are many different targets out there to fill the market. Targets to please everyone from paper to ¾ inch AR500 Steel. In my training program I’ve found paper works very well and is economical. To save money, I use paper plates. I shoot at a popular outdoor range that has many members. Because of this I have seen many “Splatter” type targets used. The Splatterburst brand targets are very popular. I notice that many people that shoot these targets don’t use the black and red dots that are provided to cover the holes to continued using the target. So I’ve pulled the targets from the trash and cut off the dots. That way, I have something to put on my paper plates to use as a bulls eye or point of focus. I’ve amassed a big zip loc full of these dots. I also cut off the unused 4 inch targets that are often unused on the Splatterburst target. Also in the area of backing for targets I just keep an eye out for large cardboard boxes and cut them up. I also make my own silhouettes with cardboard or paper. You can also make your own target stands if the place you shoot does not have stands available. This can be done economically too. The internet is full of ideas from expensive to very economical. I also don’t buy range bags. In just a cursory search of the internet you can find range bags from $65 to over $300! I bought a Protégé duffel style bag from Wal-Mart for $15. Now it is just a bag. It doesn’t have special slots for hand guns and magazines. But my bag serves my purpose and has lasted me several years. If worse comes to worse, I’ll buy a new bag every 5 years and still save money. When you look for a bag make sure it will carry heavy loads because 100’s of rounds, several magazines, and a couple handguns are heavy! What I’ve noticed is many people only shoot 3 or 4 times a year. I have no problem with that. That is called recreational shooting. But for those that train, or would like to train, ammo and its cost and availability can be an issue. I have been buying ammunition since the 80’s so I have come up with a storage program for ammo just as my family has a preparedness and food storage program. Like canned food, ammo is first in, last out. That requires dating ammo so you know when it went into storage. I also keep track of it all on my computer. What I suggest is if you train to limit your shooting to a certain number of rounds. I have limited myself to 50 rounds a workout. That is altered once in a while but generally its kept to 50. Depending on your training program, you should limit yourself. The reason for the limit is I could go through 300 rounds easy. I love to shoot and it is therapeutic for me. But I go to the range 2 or sometimes 3 times a week. That would add up fast and be quite expensive. Now if you are training for competition that is a different story. You would have a budget and possibly a sponsor. That would not limit your ammo use. But most people train once or twice a month. You shouldn’t skimp on your gun. But many people can’t afford a Glock or a Kimber. These are great, reliable, guns. But Ruger, Smith and Wesson, Kel-Tec, and other makers have more budget conscious guns available. I know some of you purists out there are stuck on a particular brand but not everyone can afford a H&K. Buy a gun you are comfortable with and that you can afford. Like Golf, you can invest quite a lot of time and money into shooting. Invest what is necessary and what you can afford. I am a gun nut. It is my hobby, my defense, and my passion. At one time I competed. That didn’t last because of my obsession with defense but it was fun. Shooting can be expensive but the cost can be mitigated in many ways. Ammo can be reloaded but that requires equipment, components, and room to do it. I’ve reloaded for years but started when I was competing. I acquired the equipment over many years. I even have cast my own bullets, which requires another set of equipment. I probably could save money reloading now because I have the equipment. If you shoot large caliber rifles then reloading might be a money saving option. These are just some ways I have used to save money at the range. Shooting can be a very rewarding venture and if you own guns for defense it is critical. There are many accessories for shooting but also many ideas for fulfilling your needs without breaking the bank! Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

Building Your Bug Out Bag: Intro

Go Bags AKA: GOOD get-out-of-Dodge bag, battle box, BOB bug-out-bag, PERK personal-emergency- relocation-kit, 72 hour kit, QRB quick-run-bag, Grab bag, Bail out bag, "A" bag, which refers to a military series of bags that a member is deployed with, A, B, and C. The "A"0 bag is individual equipment and clothing bag. I just had a few hours to kill so I went to the first 50 sites (5 pages worth) of a Google search of “72 Hour Kits”. There were “About 89,700,000 results (0.31 seconds)!” WOW! I have been working on our personal preparedness for almost 30 years and I thought I could still learn something. I learned that if I was a complete novice at this I would be in trouble! Not only have we worked on a bug out bag for our family for many years, but I feel my experience in the military was a great plus to this preparedness. After looking at these sites I just want to throw in the towel! Sometimes going to the internet for information is like going into the jungle, I never know what’s going to happen and I’m real scared. There are too much and too many differing opinions out there and everyone, (including me!) wants to post their ideas or sell their product. The first 10 or 15 sites were devoted to selling me “the most comprehensive 72 kit you could ever own.” That was actually a statement made about a kit I thought was pretty weak. Amazon has 771 pages under 72 hour kits. Now I understand the retail world. It’s about selling a product. I must admit, most of the kits I looked at were pretty good, not perfect for me, but pretty good. Most were very similar so if you’re looking to buy a readymade kit, find the ideal ingredients that the retail world can offer, and then find the price that fits that list. I would not be caught with a store bought kit. That would not work for me. They are way too generic and I don’t think I’ve seen one that addresses security. I understand the reason; I don’t think I’d want that kind of liability in my product either. But, I’ve yet to see a company back up their product and show the results of using that product. I did see some products that I felt had some quality items, not anything flimsy or cheap. That was refreshing. None of the over 100 kits I looked at approached the first aid kit with much more than a cursory effort. I believe there are very few commercial first aid kits that are worth very much. I know that the commercial world is not going to put in certain items because that would tell the customer that “You too can put in an IV at home!” The liability is horrible and I can imagine the lawsuits over an item as simple as a suture. But it would happen. So, I can understand the challenge of putting together a first aid kit or a 72 hour kit that will work, and also “not get us sued!” But how much of a disservice is it to give someone a kit that is called a “survival” type kit which actually won’t do much for you or others with a real injury? Four aspirin and 25 band-aids and a roll of gauze are hardly a first aid kit for anyone with even a limited training. The same goes for 72 hour kits that only assume you’re not only an idiot, but an untrained, uneducated idiot! I wish some company would put out a kit that would be better based in reality and would also advise where to seek training and give some real world advice on how to use their kit, and how to improve it. I don’t think that will happen business being what it is. Some companies have blogs and articles connected to their products that I see as an attempt to train and educate. But I know you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. Many Americans are spoiled and want to be prepared, but don’t want to pay the price for that preparedness. What might that price be? The price of both money and especially time. “OK Burn, now that you’ve whined to us about the problems of the internet in buying a 72 hour kit or gaining information, what is your solution?” Well, dear reader, I’m glad you asked. Actually I go to the internet for information all the time. In fact, this blog is actually an attempt at some kind of sanity in the area of preparedness, though it too will probably fall short. But hopefully our ideas will spark some ideas of your own. In 1984 I was on a mobility team in the military. This was a team of 15 or so members that could be deployed at a moment’s notice to anywhere in the world to perform our particular operation. This meant always being prepared and practicing what to do if the deployment was “real world”. I had several bags that were inspected constantly and by regulation had to have certain items in them. If I was missing a specific item, I was advised that I may not deploy and could be reprimanded. The military liked to use fear to get you to act appropriately. After those specific items I could include almost anything I wanted short of some unauthorized items. I had being ready down to a science. Now, as a civilian I don’t have to worry about my “A” bag being inspected, I am my own inspector. That can be good and bad. Without a consequence, most humans tend to relax their standards. Unless discipline is employed, disaster can result. Once you get your go bag together, do not take anything out unless you have an emergency of course. Camping is not an emergency by the way. Whatever you may use from your kit while testing it must be replaced unless it is going to be removed permanently. You must be strict with yourself because your life may depend on it. As you start this go bag journey, do your homework. Look at several places you feel you can trust. Ask someone who is “5 by 5 and mission ready*”(someone who knows) and they can help you. Please don’t trust only one source. As I’ve emphasized before, find a list you can live with and customize it. Add to, or take away from it. Then practice with those items and test them. I’ve done this for years with camping equipment too. Sometimes you’re surprised at an item you thought was junk, but turned out to be great in the field. Camping is a good way to test your kit. If you don’t want to camp (some people don’t), then test it in your back yard. Your neighbors will love it! Most of what I saw of lists was on government or school sites. These lack, in my opinion, a reality check. But some may be a good place to start. I think it’s amazing that the best lists I saw were on “zombie” sites. Zombie sites refer to a pop culture idea that somehow after a pandemic or other disaster zombies come out in droves to chase and attack non-zombies. I always wondered why they don’t feed on each other? Anyway, these zombies have created a culture of preppers that are quite grounded in “reality”, believe it or not. Aside from the fictional reason to be prepared (zombies), the preparedness that these sites and groups advocate is pretty reality based. Even a government agency (the Center for Disease Control) have adopted a “zombie” attitude. They use the zombie culture to try and get people better prepared. Please use common sense in this preparation. I’ve mentioned SWB (size, weight, bulk) in other blogs. To me it is very important. I can’t tell you the times as a Scoutmaster that I took my Troop on a backpacking trip and watched boys empty their backpacks on the trail to “pick it up on the way down.” They thought they could handle a 50 pound pack for 5 miles each day for 3 days. That was also the reason we had shorter hikes before the big one and encouraged the boys to pack the same thing they would take on the longer hike. This way you get some operational intell on what will work and what will not. Do not try a long hike with your go bag. Start small and work your way up. You will find yourself talking in terms of ounces when preparing your kit. Every ounce counts and will add up quickly. Don’t be fooled by what you “think” you can handle. If you haven’t started a kit I challenge you to do it. Do it now! Get up from the computer and find a couple of items you think would be handy. Put them in a box or even a Wal-mart bag and put it in a place that you think you will eventually put a go bag. A closet near a door would be good. Do it now, we’ll wait. I hope you actually did it and that you continue to do it on a monthly, weekly, or daily schedule until you think it’s ready for a test. Making a goal is important. A small budget is part of that plan. Training is part of that plan. This is a journey but you must take that first step to see any progress. You know I don’t like to gamble. But I sure would like to win the lottery. Think I could win without playing? Probably not. By the same token, you can’t become prepared without action. Set attainable goals and then put a plan on paper. A goal not written is only a wish. Always remember that skills trump gear every time. Get training. After a goal and a commitment the only thing left is to work the plan. Being prepared is a lifelong pursuit. Being able to leave quickly is an important part of that preparedness. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn *Five by five and mission ready refers to an old military term. In voice procedure (the techniques used to facilitate spoken communication over two-way radios) a station may request a report on the quality and strength of signal they are broadcasting. In the military of the NATO countries, and other organizations, the signal quality is reported on two scales; the first is for signal strength, and the second for signal clarity. Both these scales range from one to five, where one is the worst and five is the best. The listening station reports these numbers separated with the word "by". Five by five therefore means a signal that has excellent strength and perfect clarity — the most understandable signal possible. Five by five by extension has come to mean "I understand you perfectly" in situations other than radio communication, the way Loud and Clear entered slang, post- WW2. “5 by 5” is the opposite of “broken and stupid”

Cleaning and Maintaining Your EDC

Even the most dependable gear wears down over time. Luckily, there's something you can do about it. By following a regular maintenance routine, you’ll keep your EDC in working order and get the most out of your gear. To put it simply: take care of your EDC, and it’ll take care of you. In this guide, we’ve made maintenance easy. Read on to learn how to keep your gear in tip-top shape for the rest of this new year, and to ensure they're in it for the long run. Keys 1. Remove keychain items that aren’t keys, including car remotes or decorative items that shouldn’t get wet Plastic keychains may be able to withstand a run through the dishwasher, but if there’s any question that it may melt, wash it by hand. If you have plush key chain items, follow instructions for washing stuffed animals. You can shake them in a bag with baking soda and then shake off and spot clean. Or you can hand wash and hang to dry. 2. Fill a bowl with a solution of warm water and a few drops of dish soap. Swish and swirl your keys around inside the solution. 3. Use a brush to scrub any dirt or debris that’s lodged in the grooves and crevices of your keys. You can use a special detail cleaning brush, but an old toothbrush works just as well. 4. Swish around again in a bowl of clean water to remove the loosened grime. Replace the water from before so you’re rinsing with a clean, soap-free bath. 5. Dry your keys thoroughly with a towel. To make sure no moisture is left behind (you don’t want to risk rust), wipe down your keys with cotton ball moistened with isopropyl alcohol. Pen Maintenance Make Your Metal Like New Again: Carrying some brass or copper gear that's loaded with patina? If the aged gear look isn't for you, bring those tools back to a brilliant shine with some Maas metal polish. A clean cloth, a dab of polish, and little bit of elbow grease can have your metal gear looking as good as new. BUY: Maas Metal Polish on Amazon Time for a Refill: Lots of EDC pens accept the ever-popular Parker-style refill, though sometimes the stock ink cartridge writes less-than-great. Blobby, skipping lines, and scratchy writing ruin the experience of putting a pen to paper. If your writing mostly takes place indoors, consider picking up some Parker Gel refills. They're smooth, leave a crisp line on the page, and come in several vibrant colors. Need something more suited to hard use? Grab a pack of Fisher Space Pen refills. They'll get you writing in the rain, underwater, and even in outer space (should you find yourself up there). BUY: Parker Gel Ink Refills on Amazon Flashlight Maintenance Don't Get Caught in the Dark: Just because the sun is out later and later doesn’t mean you should neglect your flashlight. If you pull yours out from the drawer after all this time and it doesn’t turn on, check the battery. Regular alkaline batteries can leak and corrode in your light over time. Consider making the switch from alkaline to rechargeable lithium ion batteries. They’re safer to store in your lights should they go unused for longer periods of time and can be recharged when they’re dead. They’re reliable and last longer than their one-and-done counterparts. After a small initial investment in the batteries and charger, you’ll find it’s hard to go back to the standard. To keep your light in working order, also check the o-rings for dry rot and hit the threads with some silicone grease for smooth operation and some added protection. BUY: Eneloop AA/AAA Rechargeable Batteries on Amazon / Sanyo High-Discharge 18650 Batteries on Illumn Watch Maintenance Wrist Check: Watches have a tendency to get pretty dirty. They’re on your wrist constantly being exposed to almost everything that you touch. Give your watch a good, thorough cleaning, and maybe even replace the strap if it’s beginning to wear out. This spring bar tool from Bergeron makes it especially easy to remove the spring bar (the piece that holds on a strap or bracelet) for greater access to the case. Clean it up, change the battery, and pop on a new strap all with a little bit of help from this must-have tool for watch maintenance. Take things a step further by making sure to keep track of when your last professional service was. It's always a good idea to know when the rubber gaskets, o-rings, and movement have been tuned up to ensure that your watch will keep ticking. BUY: Spring-bar Tool on Amazon Wallet Maintenance Remember to Moisturize: You should take extra care when working with natural materials, and leather is no exception. Not unlike wood, this organic material is prone to drying out, cracking, and wearing. Obenauf’s leather care oil is one of the most popular options for keeping leather goods smooth, moisturized, and protected. Use a clean cloth to apply a bit of oil to your wallet, knife sheath, boots, or any other leather you carry to protect it from the wear and tear of daily use. This odorless oil leaves leather looking like new and ready for carry. BUY: Leather Care Oil on Amazon Bag and Jacket Maintenance Stay Dry: Spring weather is usually unpredictable and more often than not, wet. Carrying a small packable rain jacket is a great way to stay dry. Over time, these jackets tend to lose their ability to shed water like when they were new. Hit your garment with a DWR (durable water repellent) restoring spray like these from Nixwax to keep the elements out. Cover your bases whether you're touching up your hard or softshell apparel and equipment like tents and sleeping bags. BUY: Nikwax Hardshell Duo-Pack on Amazon / Nikwax Softshell Duo-Pack on Amazon Knife Maintenance Sharpening the Easy Way: Perhaps you’ve opened up one too many bags of ice melt, dulling your blade while exposing it to corrosive salts. Your blade could definitely use a touch up. The Spyderco Sharpmaker system brings a knife edge back from dangerously dull to razor sharp with just a few steps. The kit includes two sets of sharpening stones and an ergonomically designed base to get your blades sharp in a few minutes. Each set also includes a set of detailed illustrated instructions and a DVD if you still don’t feel confident with the process. BUY: Spyderco Sharpmaker on Amazon Spruce Up Those Wooden Handles: Wood-handled knives look great, but that natural beauty can fade without proper care. Wood is prone to drying out, cracking, and wearing faster than the metal and plastic alternatives. Hit the handles with a light coat of mineral oil from time to time so they stay moisturized and crack-free. Just a few minutes of care can greatly extend the life of your favorite knife. BUY: Mineral Oil on Amazon A Well-Oiled Machine: Folding knives are no doubt the most convenient type of knife to carry. Whether you carry a flipper or a lockback, all knives can benefit from a bit of CLP solution on the pivot. A good cleaning followed by a few drops of oil will keep your knife opening and closing smoothly and safely. If your blade is made of carbon steel, you can also add a light coating of oil to prevent the blade from rusting when not in use. BUY: CLP solution on Amazon Cleaning codura case Use two teaspoons of Dawn hand dish soap (NOT antibacterial) and mix with one quart of water in a spray bottle. Directly spray the soapy water mixture on the bag’s inserts and hard bottom and wipe clean with a dry cloth. The shell of the pistol bag can be washed by hand or by a washing machine. To ensure your bag lasts as long as possible, we recommend hand washing only. However, if you do machine wash your pistol bag, double-check to ensure it is empty. Remove the inserts and the hard bottom before washing the bag. Wash with dye-free/scent-free detergent in cold water on a gentle cycle. Oil or grease should first be treated with a dry cleaning solvent followed by a spray cleaner or detergent and water. Avoid chlorine or bleach-based cleansers. Harsh chemical cleaners and detergents are more likely to damage product fabric. Leather To clean a leather wallet, you can follow these steps: • Remove any loose dirt or dust from the wallet with a soft cloth or a straw. • Apply a small amount of leather conditioner or a mixture of white vinegar and neat’s-foot oil to a soft cloth and gently rub it into the leather, inside and outside. • Allow the conditioner or the oil to soak in for a few minutes, then wipe off any excess with a clean cloth. • Pat down the wallet with a fresh towel. Keeping your EDC clean, dry, and serviceable will give you peace of mind when called upon to use anything you carry. You’ll feel better knowing your EDC items are rady for service. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn