Blow Out Kit

The simple Blow Out Kit, small lightweight, and designed for only one thing, to stop all that red stuff from gushing out of you, or your buddies body when bad things happen.

I finally decided that it was time for me to put one of these together, I have other first aid kits (FAK), but I wanted something that I could throw in my range bag and forget about.
The list of contents is short, and contains only the basics to stop major trauma.
1.Olaes Modular Bandage. This thing is awesome! It is a pressure bandage, tourniquet, gauze wound pack, and occlusive dressing all in one. I personally think it is well worth the $8. It is also Latex free. Video here.

2.SWAT-T tourniquet. Relatively new on the first aid market, it is simply a wide rubber band. It functions a s a tourniquet, pressure dressing, and elastic bandage all in one. It is lightweight and more affordable than alot of your traditional TQ's. A real bargain at $10. Also latex free.

3.Nasopharyngeal airway. Keeps you breathing when the muscles in your mouth swell up. Probably not latex free. Instructions for use are here.

4.3" ACE Bandage. We all know what these are used for, splinting, sprains and breaks.

5.Triangular Bandage. Used for splinting.

6.Durapore tape. Always have med tape with you, almost as many uses as duct tape. I prefer the 1" size myself, if you want the 2", just pack duct tape.

Many who know me are surprised that I never put a Blow Out Kit together. I didn't have one the last time I got shot (long story), but I would like to have one around just in case there is a next time.

"Handgun Shotgun Rifle" (for bugout) meme....

In continuation of the firearm list MeMe's. I have one I would like to propose to the rest of the Internets. If you had to leave your house RIGHT NOW because of some disaster, lets go with zombies. You do not know if you are ever going to return, and you only have room to take one rifle, one shot gun, and one handgun. What are they?

My three choices for BugOut, from what I CURRENTLY own would be-

Handgun: Sig P226 in 40 S&W, with light rail and night sights

Shotgun: Remington 870, 20 inch barrel, rifle sights.

Rife: Sako FinnBear in 30/06 with 3-9 scope and sling

I know that the first two on the list were the same as yesterday for my self defense list. But I dropped the AR in favor of my favorite hunting rifle. Why? Simply because I can hit anything I can see. Also, I am not carrying around one of those scary black rifles. Granted, if things are so bad that we are carrying around rifles, it shouldn't matter very much. Also, my handgun and shotgun more than effectively cover my short range self defense needs. This allows me to take a rifle with a bit more range and punch.

"Handgun Shotgun Rifle" (for defense) meme....

So, via Tam, this old meme is going around.

One Handgun, One Rifle, One Shotgun. You are able to choose just one of each for self defense with NO modifications.

Handgun: Sig Sauer P226, in 40 S & W, with a light rail and night sights.

Shotgun: Remington 870, 12 gauge, 20 inch barrel, rifle sights.

Rifle: 16" AR, with A2 buttstock, you know, so I can hit people with it.

There you go, nothing fancy, just three firearms. Also please note that my Bug Out Guns are a little different than this list. Hmmm, I may resurrect that tired old list tomorrow.

Bug Out Firearms

Somebody save us, the gun blogs are fired up with the tired classic; what guns to you take when the zombies come and force you to flee your home.
First the obligatory link roll. Here are people that have already done this post:
JayG, TheFirearmBlog, and the original source is The Survivalist Blog.

So the question is, what firearms go with your Bug Out Bag? Luckily I have wasted time devoted alot of thought to this very problem. First, let me clarify my Bugout plan. I have no real desire to evacuate unless absolutely necessary. I have food, water and shelter at my home. I can think of few things short of zombies and/or total destruction that would cause me to flee. Should that day come, I plan on hooking up my hippy hating pickup to my camper and packing as much stuff into that as possible. This way I am taking my shelter with me and stand a lower risk of becoming a refugee. With this plan in place, there is a long list of firearms that will be traveling with me. They include about four pistols, two high power rifles, two shotguns, two 22 rifles, both AR's and about 400 pounds of ammo (thats about 181kg for those on the communist system). The food water and other consumables are beyond the scope of this post, we can cover those later.

The next stage of the plan involves no camper and just the pickup. This lack of room shortens the list to the following:
1) Sig Sauer P226 in 40s&w
2) Sako FinnBear in 30/06
3) Remingotn 870 12 gauge with 20" barrel
4) Ruger 10/22
5) Colt 22 pistol
6) Evil Black Rifle

But should the unthinkable happen and I needed to Bug Out with just what I could carry, I think that the choice would be my bolt action 30/06 and the Sig. If I had room and I thought that I could add the weight, I would add a 22 pistol and the AR.

Alot of people question my choice of a bolt gun over the AR, to me it is simply a matter of power and precision over rate of fire. I can do more with a bolt gun than I can with an AR, and the pistol fills in most of the bolt guns shortcomings. The bolt gun takes my effective range out to unrealistic distances for defense (If I can see it, I can hit it), and the pistol gives me a higher rate of fire.

I have one final question for you. When all these bad things happen, and some long haired hippy PETA lover lets all the lions out of the zoo, do you really want to shoot one with an AR?

These are my choices; what are yours?

Chicken and Rice for $2.50

I attempted an experiment of sorts last week. I am tired of paying almost $6 for a freeze dried meal, there just had to be a better way. I did some research, and played around with it a little bit.
I present to you my first dehydrated meal:

Chicken and Rice with Vegetables. The recipe is simple.
1/2 cup Minute Rice
2 tbsp freeze dried corn
2 tbsp freeze dried peas
1 tbsp freeze dried carrots
5 oz canned chicken
1/2 tsp chicken bullion


Boil 1/2 cup water and bullion, add canned chicken, do not drain. Bring to second boil, add rice and vegetables remove from heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste (mostly pepper). You can substitute the chicken for just about any other meat, or soy if thats your thing.

It is a decent meal, fairly lightweight, and it's filling. Definitely wont leave you hungry on a cold, rainy mountaintop.

72 hour food kit

My goal was simple. I wanted a 72 hour food kit for a family of four. First, it had to be kid friendly. Second, it had to have a minimum of a one year shelf life. Finally, it had to be easily transportable and inconspicuous.
My first concern was what to use as a container. This would let me know how much space I had to work with. I had thought about backpacks, plastic kitchen containers, metal drums, and even large plastic storage containers. I decided to use a new five gallon plastic bucket with a new lid. The bucket is printed with an Engine oil label. This fulfils my desire for a low profile appearance. Who expects three days worth of food to be in an oil bucket?
My second concern was what to use for food. Anybody could throw rice and beans into a Tupperware container and call it good. I wanted more, planned meals, and food that the kids would eat. Compromises had to be made in regards to meals. I wasn’t just going to pack three days worth of Chef Boy R Dee and Chicken and Stars into the bucket just to appease the children. On the other hand, three days worth of Mountain House meals would not have fit into allotted budget. In the future, I am going to attempt to supplement a two serving mountain house meal with either noodles or rice.
The main meals are:
Roast beef with rice and brown gravy
15 bean soup
Pasole
Chicken with rice
For breakfast we have several choices:
Corned beef and hash
Instant oatmeal
Hash browns with Spam
I had mentioned earlier that I wanted a kid friendly kit. To accomplish this I have added Kool-aid packets. These will keep help encourage them to drink and stay hydrated, not to mention that the sugar will be a morale booster. My kids love Nutrigrain bars, I have added eight of them. I personally believe that they have good nutrition for low weight, and can be considered a fruit serving. Following this logic, I have added two 30 oz cans of Del Monte fruit cocktail. I decided that peanut butter would also go over well, not to mention being calorie and protein rich. I didn’t want to go overboard and only added a small 17 oz jar. In order to make this more palatable for my wife, I added some seasonings. Six chicken and six beef bouillon cubes, a small bottle of salt and pepper, and some crushed pepper.
Originally I had wanted to add plastic utensils and some cheap cook ware. Unfortunately, it would not fit into the fifty dollar budget, or the 5 gallon bucket.
I packaged everything into small zip lock baggies, or vacuum sealed into airtight containers to make the most of all available space. I filled all the crevices between cans with hard candies. To fend off any unforeseen problems, I duck taped a P51 can opener to the lid of the bucket. I also included some iodine tablets to aid in water purification. Several assorted plastic bags and a box of matches rounded out our kit.
The one thing that I learned from this project was that some serious compromises had to be made in regards to space and shelf life. Three days worth of food uses up more room than you might think, especially when you are making an attempt to appease your children. This project was centered around a five gallon bucket, its low profile appearance, and ability to be sealed.
This kit has limitations, all of them do. I do not suggest that this be your only source of food storage. Without a ready supply of water, this kit will fail. Without a heat source, or a pot to cook in, this kit will fail. However, assuming that these two conditions are met, you should be able to eat, and eat well, for at least three days.

Speed Kills....

An armed attacker can cover 21 feet in less than three seconds. This simple fact is one of the first things I learned at the Sheriffs Academy. We were taught that a man with a knife at 21 feet was a lethal threat. They showed us videos and drilled it into our heads. This video shows that better than most.

And yes, that was fast. Remember boys and girls, the police have no legal responsibility to protect you from harm. Be aware of your surroundings, don't frequent dangerous places. Seek self defense training, only you can be responsible for your safety and that of your loved ones.

As our favorite petite librarian says, "Carry a gun, it's a lighter burden than regret."

Oh, and I almost forgot the link chain:
Caleb covers it.
Joe Huffman covers it.
Robb Allen covers it.

First Aid Kits

I have always tried to be prepared, some items need more work than others. I recently went thru my FAK(first aid kit) and removed all the out of date items, installed some new items, and pulled out all of the latex. As some of you know, Mrs. Sigboy has an airborne latex allergy. Did I mention that it is severe? Anyways, In the house we have the regular comfort stuff for the kids. These kits I decided to focus more on the really bad things that can happen. Broken bones, and holes in people that leak red stuff.



I put two kits together, a main kit that will handle multiple people with multiple injuries.

The smaller kit is for me personally, and maybe one other person. It contains one pressure dressing, alot of gauze, a ACE bandage, a triangle bandage, a roll of 1"medical tape, a bandaid assortment and some assorted drugs. I have also added eyedrops and more drugs.


The first pouch contains drugs, foot powder, misc tapes, moleskin, steristrips and antibiotic ointment/

The second pouch contains assorted bandaids, ACE bandages and wraps, and assorted 2x2's and 3x3's.

My current selection of tools, tweezers, forceps and scissors.

The final pocket contains a SAM splint, CPR mask, gauze, 4x4's, Q-tips, pressure dressings, temparin and eyewash.


In establishing your own FAK you have to decide what your needs are and base your kit around that. I should have more stuff for treating small kiddy boo-boo's, I'm actually considering added another bag for just the kid stuff. Remember that most prefabbed FAKs are not a catch all, you need to adjust them for your needs.

Whats in your pocket?

So my question to you is this: Whats your every day carry(EDC)?
Mine varies upon the perceived situation.

This is my lowest level, it contains one knife, phone, wallet and keys. I use my J frame as my pocket pistol, with ten rounds of ammunition.
Generally I carry the pistol in my weak side front pocket. Draw to first shot at three yards is about 1.75seconds. The reload is incredibly slow, but that is not this guns purpose. I consider this gun to be used for the immediate defense of mine or my families personal well being. It is not for stopping a gun fight that looks like something out of a Hollywood movie.


We have reached the point where people start to think I am strange. This is the point I max out on my concealed carry gear. Notice that most everything is doubled up. Two phones and two knives. Two magazines for the primary pistol, two reloads for the S & W.

The primary pistol is a Sig P226R in 40 S & W. It is gassed up with Winchester 165gr hollow points. I have found that they shoot excellent in this pistol and the recoil and muzzle blast is very reasonable. I used to carry a certain 'golden bullet', they to were awesome, however they would blind you at night. The snubbie is stoked with 125gr +P ammo. The recoil is stout, however, I can count on the bullet to expand at slow velocities.

Also note that I carry a Multi-tool knife. You are more likely to need a pair of pliers before you need a pistol. I also carry a flashlight. Honestly, it's the last thing to be put on, but it is also the most used, when I have it.

So what are your thoughts, too much? Too little? Am I a paranoid gunnut that doesn't know any better? By the way, if you think this is alot you should see my car bag!

Zombie Apocalypse

So I have found another delightful MeME:
88%

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Dating Sites

p.s. A word to the wise, if you want a high percentage, leave your family behind.

Situational Awareness

Tonight on Gun Nuts Radio, Call me Ahab will be talking about the combat mindset.

I have done posts before about such matters, however, today I am going to share a story about situational awareness.


Let me start out by saying that I carry a firearm with the old adage in mind, 'It's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.' I honestly hope that I never, ever have to use it. But I will use it if I have too.


Many moons ago, I had heard of a spat of robberies and muggings in one section of town. I filed the information into my brain and it disappeared into parts unknown. One Sunday afternoon the wife, kids and I went to McDonalds for lunch. We came out of the restaurant(yes, I know, I use the term loosely), I opened the back door for my daughter, opened my door, got in and started the truck. My wife was putting our son in the back seat when a small, brown imported car pulled sideways into the parking spot ahead of us. My radar was on high alert, we were in condition orange and it could turn red in an instant. The male in the passenger seat got out of his vehicle and was walking straight towards my door. I examined my options in a nanosecond. I could not back up, the rear passenger door was open and my wife was standing in it. I could pull forward and push their car out of the way, tempting but the risk to my children was high. I decided to go with the third option. I pulled my pistol and placed it on the seat, I opened my door, stepped out of the vehicle and made eye contact with the man approaching me. He could not see it, but my hand was on my pistol. My body language and eye contact conveyed my point. The point that I was not one to be trifled with. I don't know what went through his mind, but I saw the decision making process in his eyes. When he reached the front of my truck, he immediately made a 90 degree turn and briskly walked away.


I cannot prove that the man in this lesson wanted to do me and mine harm, but I know that he did. What would my next step have been? No, I wasn't going to shoot him outright. That was three steps further down the line. If he had gone two more steps I would have give forceful verbal commands for him to leave my area, than I would have brandished. As for the driver of that vehicle? He was standing beside his door watching all this go down.


Remember the crime problem I mentioned at the beginning of this post? I was in the middle of where it had been happening. Always be aware of where you are at and the things that are going on around you. Look people in the eye and project confidence. The best fight to win is the one that you don't have to get in.

Survivorman is a 'Fudd'

My good friend at SD outdoors recently did a post about how he now carries more gear in the field with him( I take only partial responsibility). His post also covers how surviorman went into the field unprepared and has tarnished the reputation of hunters everywhere.

I think this is a slight exaggeration, however I do know hunters that are not prepared when they head to the hills.

I firmly believe that if you are going more than 23 1/2 feet from your truck, you need to be ready to spend the night out under the stars. No, you do not need a 50 pound backpack with a sleeping bag and a tent.

This is a glimpse of what I carry in my day pack when I elk hunt in the Rocky mountains. This is not my hunting gear, this is my 'just in case' gear. It includes:

Poncho-used to repel the elements or to make a shelter.

5/16 Heavy duty rope(25 ft)

50 ft of 550 parachute cord

Charmin To Go-for when you gotta go.

Sewing Kit

Small easily packable pistol-why carry one rifle when you can carry a rifle and a pistol.

Hunting mini kit-did I just link to myself? That's cheesy.

Canteen, Canteen cup and Cookstove-isn't it obvious?

Packable bone/wood saw-No, it's not to amputate your leg.

Tent stakes-used for tie downs or shelter.

Multitool-doesn't matter what kind, mine is a Gerber.

First aid kit-So you don't have to amputate your leg.

Snacks-VERY important, figure foods that give you 100 calories per ounce or more

Flashlight.

Main meal-This is for when you get stuck on top of the mountain, a hot meal can do wonders for morale.

Fuel Tablets-So that you can have that hot meal.

This is only a glimpse of my pack. Do not forget the fire making equipment, at least two different ways to make fire! Well thought out gear does not make you a mall ninja, yes your buddies may make fun of you, but be strong, you can take it. Having all this gear doesn't do you a bit of good if you don't know how to us it. Practice with it, use it in and out of the field.

Don't forget a knife, I consider mine, and I carry two sturdy fixed blade knives to be part of my hunting gear. Remember, they are as important as your rifle.

Finally, don't forget your brain. This is the most important tool of all.

Tactical mindset

From some other guy:http://www.gunthorp.com/classes_expert_syllabus.htm

WARRIOR MINDSET
What will you do in a crisis? How can you train to survive? I think the warrior mindset may benefit from some kind of epiphany. Mine came as a college student when I was mugged at gunpoint. The horror of the experience helped to open my eyes to the fact that evil cannot be ignored on the physical plane, or for that matter, any other. Like the yin and yang, we all have a balance of the pacifist and warrior within. Depending on the circumstance, there is a time to reap and a time to sow. While keeping a calm vigilance as a pacifist maintaining all options of avoidance and flight, the warrior within each of us needs to be ready in an instant to spring into devastating, aggressive, decisive, no holds barred fight to the finish. Each one of us needs to find the motivation to train and flip that switch without hesitation.

When I read this I thought of how much different training I have received and the mindset that is required to survive a life threatening situation. In my younger days I was always, and I mean always in the warrior mindset(you can thank the Army and my law enforcement training). It was nice, I was always vigilant, always prepared. I had a plan to kill everybody that I saw. I was comfortable with myself. According to my wife, I was also an asshole. Marriage and children have calmed me down considerably. I now only have a plan to kill half of the people that I meet.

This brings me to my actual point. It took many years and some wisdom to discover how to use the mindset to my advantage, and only when I need it. The warrior mindset is the only way(baring luck) that you can win a fight. The easiest fight to win is the one that you can avoid. If you can't avoid the fight you have to be aggressive, you have to fight dirty. You have to plan on going home after the fight is over. If you cower in a corner waiting for the moment to come to you, you are going to lose. You choose your own destiny, you have to make your own moment and take full advantage of it. I'm not saying to be stupid and blindly charge. That will kill you just as fast as waiting in the corner.

Finally, remember that anything is a weapon, and that the weapon does not make the man. Don't ever forget that the your most important weapon is your brain. It will save you when nothing else does. Don't be a sheep, don't be a wolf, be a sheepdog. Trust your instincts, watch your surroundings, be mindful of people who want to cause you and yours harm. After it is all over go home and kiss your significant others and tell them that you love them.

Hunting mini kit

So here is the pic of my mini hunting kit. It's like a supplemental survival kit. Items are listed left to right, top to bottom.

Leatherman Micra

5 rds 338-06

Duct tape

Pouch

First aid kit

Plastic Poncho

Fire makers

Compass

Snake bite kit

Mini saw

550 cord

Space blanket

Sewing kit