I Won!

Thanks to Riverwalker and his stealth survival blog for hosting his Stealth Survival Holiday Special! After entering myself in the comments about 50 hobillion times, I won!
The prize was a free Guardian Deluxe 2 Person Kit from Stealth Survival and 1800prepare.com!
I also get to do a quest post on his blog. I guess that means I'd better get writing!

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.

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?

Haiti, Part II, What Lessons Can We Learn?

So there is looting going on in Haiti, perhaps the dead are the lucky ones. People are living in glorified camps, protected from the weather only by bedsheets. People are being raped, murdered or even worse. Help is slowly arriving, from countries all over the world. The desire of good people to help is staggering, and restores my faith that most people are basically good.
But the situation also shows how tenable society is, and how quickly it can break down into lawlessness. What? It can't happen here? What about Katrina?
So what is the solution? Why being prepared of course. Here are a few things to think about.
1) Do you have 72 hour bags for you and your loved ones? Are they easy to grab when you need to leave in a hurry?
2) Do you keep your vehicles fueled up? Or do they get parked in the driveway with an 1/8 tank of fuel because you didn't want to spend the extra money? If you think about it, it's gasoline, it won't go to waste and you are going to use it anyways. I try and fill up when I reach a half tank.
3) Do you have flashlights stationed at strategic points around the house? I am bad for this one, simply because my son likes to play with them and drain all the batteries.
4) Food and water. How much do you have? How much can you grab in a hurry if you have to leave? Do you have a way to purify water when you no longer have clean water at your disposal? Without these things you will die. I am not saying that everyone needs a years worth of food and thirty days worth of water, but it would be nice.
5) Most importantly, do you have a plan for getting your family out of the house and to safety? Do all of your loved ones know this plan?

I would like people to think about the simple things that they can do to make life better for themselves in a natural disaster. Simply because you are responsible for yourself and your loved ones. Natural disasters happen everywhere, and most can be truly devastating. From tornadoes to earthquakes, all have the power to destroy things. Being prepared can help mitigate the loss.
A Quote from a Yahoo news story:
"We need so much. Food, clothes, we need everything. I don't know whose responsibility it is, but they need to give us something soon," said Sophia Eltime, a 29-year-old mother of two who has been living under a bedsheet with seven members of her extended family.
This really chaps my hide, whose responsibility is it? YOURS! I understand that you live in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, that is no excuse. Sitting around starving to death while you wait for somebody else to save you is no excuse. I am all for helping the victims, I am all for saving peoples lives, I am all for rebuilding Haiti. I am NOT for setting up another welfare mindset where people feel that they are entitled to something for nothing.
In conclusion, I feel that alot of this distress could have been avoided had people just been prepared. If most of them had three days worth of food, extra clothing, and other essential items, they would have been better off than they are now. Perhaps it may have even saved lives.

Haiti

I was away on business all last week and was not going to way in on the disaster in Haiti (or as it seems to be called in the great white north, High-Tie, I swear I can't make this stuff up). As I watch the scenario unfold in front of me like a bad TV miniseries, I cannot help but think how bad things truly are on the ground. I know from personal experience that the news media will exaggerate and sensationalize anything to get better ratings. They also report the truth from a very narrow perspective, this is why I wanted to avoid posting on this subject.

The title of the Fox News story: U.S. Troops Land in Haiti as Thousands Flee Capital for Safety, makes it sound as if the capitol has turned into something out of a Mad Max movie with looters and motorcycle gangs roaming the streets.

People in one hillside Port-au-Prince district blocked off access to their street with cars and asked local young men to patrol for looters.

It has gotten to the point where people are taking care of themselves, their neighbors and their loved ones. To my mind, this is the way things should be, numbers protect you from looters, and the other nasty crimes that seem to follow these disasters around.

Violence added to complications in places. Medical relief workers said they were treating gunshot wounds in addition to broken bones and other quake-related injuries. Nighttime was especially perilous and locals were forming night brigades and machete-armed mobs to fight bandits across the capital.

"It gets too dangerous," said Remi Rollin, an armed private security guard hired by a shopkeeper to ward off looters. "After sunset, police shoot on sight."

In the sprawling Cite Soleil slum, gangsters are reassuming control after escaping from the city's notorious main penitentiary and police urge citizens to take justice into their own hands.

These times truly do bring out the best, and worst in people. Some take responsibility for themselves and their loved ones, others give up and wait for help to arrive, becoming part of the problem instead of the solution.

The port remains blocked. Distribution of food, water and supplies from the city's lone airport to the needy are increasing but still remained a work in progress, frustrating many survivors who sleep in the streets and outdoor camps of tens of thousands.
Pockets of looting and violence also are hindering a slow improvement in getting aid to victims.

Obviously the system that is in place is only margainaly effective. Is there a solution? At this point, there aren't many good ones, aid has to be sent as quickly as possible, and the good people must police themselves to insure that they can hold out until that aid arrives.
This says nothing of the rescue efforts that are still ongoing. There people buried under the rubble that may still be alive, and we should continue to look for them until no hope of survivors exists. We did the same thing after the twin towers collapsed and we should do the same here. Teams from all over the world have arrived to help search for survivors, together, they all hope to make a difference.


Our soldiers are currently on the ground, helping the people and attempting to restore order, my only hope is that there rules of engagement are not so strict that they are powerless.

All images came from yahoo and can be found here. Go look, there is alot of them.

Traffic Stops Made Easy

Recently I was pulled over by the police. What did I do, you ask? I ran a red light, or so he said. I told him it was orange. Did I get a ticket? No. Did I deserve one? Probably.

I can't remember the last time I had to pay a ticket. I would say that I get pulled over about 3 times a year. I'm probably going to jinx myself now, but I generally get out of them. Why? I don't think it is because of my witty charm and stunning good looks. I make the officer feel comfortable. He is just doing his job.

Step 1- Pull over immediately, and get all the way off the road. If he has to chase you, or feels like he is chasing you, it will not end well.

Step 2- Have your paperwork ready, and keep your hands vi sable, shut the car off and keep your seat belt on. No I don't care that it is 110 or -20, do it, he will know your not going to run.

Step 3- Be respectful, use Sir or Ma'am. Remember, he is just doing his job, and when he isn't writing tickets, he is protecting society (that means you as well).

Step 4- Take responsibility for your actions. You know what you did, and you know that you got caught. Don't make up some BS story. He gets lied to all day. He will know when you are lying, and you will pay for it.

Step 5- If you happen to get a ticket anyways, say 'Thank you'. He doesn't hear that enough, trust me. He has seen things that most people can't even imagine. He makes the world a better place. A ticket is a small price to pay for this comfort.

Finally, if you feel that you didn't deserve the ticket, fight it in court, not on the street. It is your right as a citizen of this great Country to do so, and besides, he might welcome the OT. But, if you follow steps one thru four, I doubt you will be getting a ticket. It works for me, and when I finally get one, I will pay it with a smile.

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.

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.

Parental Gun Control

Todays popular blog content is toy guns and children. Do they mix? Do real firearms and toy guns mix? Marko started this, Jay G followed, and now I am jumping on the bandwagon. Marko wants to know whether toy guns are acceptable for children.

I left this comment:
I was raised without any toy guns in the house. My fathers logic was that I can have a toy gun when I was old enough to know the difference. When I was old enough, I had real guns, so what did I need a toy gun for?
I was always allowed to ‘make’ toy guns, that was over looked. I even made my own rubber band guns around ten. Amazingly, I was allowed to have rubber band wars as long as I used the proper safety equipment.
I am a grown man now, with children of my own, my son just turned six, and is not allowed to have toy guns, imaginary guns and squirt guns are overlooked. Both my children know the four rules, and know not to touch a firearm without supervision. They shoulder rifles, dry fire pistols, and practice getting a proper sight picture.
Lately I have been considering changing the rules to allow toy guns under the presumption that they are just toys, I also don’t know how far to take it.

The wife and I have discussed this before and I have been pondering it lately. My current feelings on the subject is this:
1. Boys have an ingrained desire to defend home and hearth. This desire is expressed in the games that they play, fighting monsters and saving princesses.
2. Boys will make toy guns out of anything and everything. I encourage my children to use their imagination while playing, would a toy gun help that?
3. If toy guns are allowed, should the safety rules be used like a real firearm?
4. If toy guns are allowed, how do squirt guns, airsoft and paintball fit into the mix?
5. Speaking of airsoft, I occasionally practice my self defense tactics with airsoft guns, and shoot other people. Does this make me a hypocrite for playing with fake guns and shooting people? Or am I exempt because I am supposed to know the difference?

Marko wrote this far more eloquently than I. I encourage you to go visit, remember to check his comments. They contain many valid thoughts and opinions.

Low Light Shoot

Last night I shot a low light match at the Lets Shoot gun club in Amarillo, TX. I didn't do as well as I hoped. Of course, I also haven't trained for this type of shooting for sometime. My grip wasn't right. Worse of all when the stage didn't go as planned, my fundamentals fell apart. I placed fourth. Tht is not the important part, the important part is that I learned some valuable lessons about my pistol training. I attempted to take pictures. They did not come out, there wasn't enough light. Here is video instead.
I really enjoyed the wide variety of stages. Ther was even one where you did not have a light, all that was illuminating the targets were some red strobes. ?The buzzer went off and you had to identify one target that was a no shoot, the rest were badguys and you hosed them. It was fairly quick, all my shots went low, but I didn't have any misses.

Blogger is not cooperating with me, second video is here.

Economy Enhancement

I found these two posts today from:
1. A blogger
2. A newspaper article at http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_11444354?_requestid=7527720"(sorry, blogger didn't like the link)
They both cover the same thing, the eminent collapse of the Mexican government. I can see why our military considers it something worth watching. It also reassures me that our government considers it to be worth watching.

My thoughts are muddled about these articles. They talk about the possibility of a sudden collapse of Mexicos government creating a failed state. Yes, things can always get worse, however, think about it from a United States economic standpoint. How many people would we have to put on our border to protect it from a failed Mexican state? Alot. How many people are currently unemployed in the U.S.? Alot. Am I the only one that is seeing this correlation? It could be like the new new new deal, only more productive. We could stop all kinds of bad things from coming over our very porous border.

I realize that I am probably going off on a very weird tangent with this article. What kind of effect would a failed state have on our economy? Would it be a lasting drain on our already tenuous budget? Would it force the recall of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan to protect the motherland? I'm not entirely sure what the outcome would be, however I don't think it would be good. But it's probably as likely as Mexico trying to reclaim Texas.

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.

First Blog

Hello from cyberspace!
My first official act as a blogger will be to publicly criticize the Dept of Homeland Security

http://hstoday.us/content/view/5192/149/
**The NGA’s report concluded that, “to a significant degree, the public has so far been left out of discussions about pandemic preparedness. General preparedness information has focused on self-reliance strategies such as stockpiling food, water, and other necessities. State and local governments should engage the public in deliberations about, and request that the public inform decisions on, school closure and other issues with difficult ethical dimensions**

Also in the article it was mentioned that a large percentage of the population believes that they dont need to plan or preapre because it is not likely to happen or that the geverment will be there to take care of them.

I want to know where all the parents are that raised their children to be victims.