Took my emergency binder to the next level

First, let me explain.  There is a lot of information that I rely on as part of my emergency preparedness.  I have a lot of gear and equipment. And all of it has service manuals and require maintenance, and have specifications that they should be maintained within.   Also there is a lot of research information that I have gathered over the years as part of my prepping on how to perform certain tasks, recipes and ingredients for meals, strategies and information, things I won't discus.    This is all for me, but it can be a reference for my family, or others in my group should they need the information.  A wise man once said, "the longest memory is shorter then the shortest pencil".    So while I do know most of it, I don't have to memorize it because I keep copies of all these documents in a binder in one of my totes, so i will have access to the information.

Well, I was going through some stuff in my office the other day, and came across my old Gen 1 IPad. I haven't even seen this thing in at least a year, and even then the software had done its final update, and it was slow and most of the newer apps wouldn't run on it.  But here it was in perfect, day one condition.  It was perfectly protected by an Otter box since the day I bought it.  Then it struck me.  Just like i have a folder of PDFs on my PC,  and my binder, I could have PDFs and critical documents on this iPad.

Yeah sure, if we get hit by an EMP it's useless.  But for any other situation its perfect.  Its light and portable, backlit for night reading.  Even though its too slow for the new app, I got the biggest drive available at the time when i bought it, so it will hold a truckload of books.

Well, I wiped its storage clean and restored it to the base software without Apps, and went to work.  I searched the web for copies of every doc, manual, and book. I pulled together all the info I already have in my files.   I went to the FEMA web site and downloaded the CERT class syllabus.  I was able to find a copy of  the military's SERE training manual. I located several other preparedness, survival, and crisis management manuals in PDF form.  By the way, the US government spends a LOT of money on FEMA and similar agencies.  Did you know the CIA has a lock picking manual? and its on the web to download for FREE!   Its amazing all of the reports and manuals are available for free if you just dig through their websites.

I downloaded the service manuals on all my Coleman and Goal Zero gear.  Schematic and exploded views of how things like my Dual Fuel lanterns and stove can be invaluable when field servicing them.   I revisited the sites for all my guns and installed their complete service manuals.  Information on my solar panels, and my crossbow.  I have complete schematics for all my electronics and  communications gear. I have high resolution road and waterway maps of my state and all the surrounding states, courtesy of the US Department of Interiors.

I was even able to find the manufacturers service manual for my Ford F150. Keeping it running could be critical during a crisis, since its my primary means of escape.  I have the manuals for generators and schematics of how businesses work like gas stations, that could be key salvage points in an extended survival situation.  There are even plans to make a alcohol still and how to make a biodiesel system.   And, the option in the apple print driver to make PDFs means i can make my own from any information source I choose.  If i can print it, I can PDF it and drop it on the iPad.

There is a complete medical and first aid library on the iPad.  There are reference books for hunting, fishing, gardening, dehydration smoking and food preservation methods that require little or no electricity.   There are books on edible plants and how to identify poison ones.

Its basically my own private internet with all the specific reference information I would need in an extended crisis.  Sites like the following give links to PDF versions of a wide variety of files on topics   http://www.themodernsurvivalist.com/archives/2471
Additionally, editions of  my favorite magazines like OffGrid, American Survival Guide, Recoil, Backpacker, and Survivors Edge are available in PDF format.  I put every Offgrid on there, 10 or so Recoils, the last 2 years on American Survival Guide, and a mixture of the others including Outdoor life and Camper just to round out my reading options.

Now whats it all worth of not a little fun too, so I put Max Brook's World War Z, and his Zombie Survival Guide on there.  I also added Bushcraft 101, a couple of camping and Dutch Oven cook books, and some other fun stuff.

Operationally, I can charge the IPad from my solar power system and the otter box has proven to be tough as nails and protected it through years of abuse on construction sites, where its been dropped countless times.  And all of the data is on a hard drive, accessed locally, with no need for the internet.  I could have given it to my son to play Angry birds on,  or sold it on Ebay and got next to nothing, but this was a great way to re-purpose an older tool that was basically discarded, to task thats right in the sweet spot of its design.

As with most of my gear, it doesn't have to just sit on the shelf waiting.  I plan to toss it in my gear for my BSA campouts to give me both reference material, and a boat load of entertainment reading options.

My house is crap...

Thats not to say I don't like my nice, "open floor plan" suburban house.  And I love my woods and all the suburban amenities, but its the standard run of the mill Pulte type wood, drywall, partial brick, home you see all across America.   And its crap as far as crisis protection.

After 30 years in construction i see the exposure everywhere. You can almost kick your way through the siding to get in, and thats IF you didn't want to break one of the 15 windows that you could almost open with a butter knife. Its what i call security for honest people.   Honestly, when the face brick stops at your hip, an exterior wall is not much harder to break through then an interior wall.

With the protection afforded the Sheriff's office, the local police and all the other LEO agencies you become less focused on physical security.  If there is a need, police arrive almost instantly because everyone has an alarm thats monitored. Everyone knows police will show up and they depend on it.  You are safe, but only because of the blanket provided by "the system".

My previous house,  in the inner city, was built in the 50s.  It had a brick skin to the roof line, steel casement windows. It even had a completely brick skinned 2.5 car garage that i had converted to a workshop.  I had a generator inside the garage that only powered the basement and kitchen so we could keep a low profile in a blackout and the only light would be basement. It had steel pins drilled in the windows that basically made them iron bars when engaged and i made wood fill panels that would block the few windows that were of concern.  It was a  literally a fortress.

Since before Y2K i had been adapting that house for a sustained siege. Partly because the higher crime rate in the inner city, and partially because of my pepper nature, I had improved the security on the doors and windows.  But there were other things, like It had a huge 8 x 15 walk in pantry, that was on and outside basement wall, without a heat vent.  It stayed about 60 degrees year round and was lined with wood shelves that was amazing for food storage.  The house was built with the idea of pantries and home food storage were common, because we were in the baby boom and remembered WWII.   I knew "in the city" the police were somewhat less responsive, and i had "hardened" my residence and focused on being self reliant.

I contrast the two homes because, what happens when the police can't come?  I talk a lot about bugging out, but thats actually the last resort.  Shelter in place is a much more likely response to an event.  And as much as i enjoy the suburban life, this suburban home actually makes me less secure and more vulnerable in a prolonged shelter in place.  There is little difference in the population per square mile in the inner city and the suburbs when you think of crisis response.  Neither has the physical space to ensure security. And the timing may be slightly delayed, but an overwhelmed law enforcement system would eventually be the case in both locations.  The difference is, my previous residence gave me significant advantage in securing myself and family.

So anyway, as a self proclaimed prepper, I do the best I can to be ready.  I have enough plywood against the wall of my garage to secure the two sliding door walls, and the front glass door.  I have a quantity of 10 foot 2x4s bundled and standing in the awkward space beside the garage door. I keep enough carpenters nails and deck screws to put it all up.  I have a number of staged items to allow me to create a perimeter around us, but its a trade off I made with my eyes open.

Guns, Guns, Gun.... and more guns

Watching the news you would think the world was on fire, and the only answer was a large pile of semi automatic weapons.  When I look around at what takes center stage when you talk about prepping, its guns. Or at least thats is how it is in the U.S.  The media, seems to ignore most of the other stuff, because it isn't sexy.  Well, I kind of purposefully avoid the subject for that very reason.  I don't want people to think I'm the lonely nut with an basement full of guns and MREs.  But I did want to share my strategy and philosophy on guns for what its worth.

First, I approach my guns with the same view I do all my other prepper topics, thats practicality and efficient implementation.  I believe in practice, practice, practice and practice some more, and I believe in training.  And not just for me, thats me and my daughter at the gun range, and I regularly drag her and her 13 year old brother to both the archery and gun range with me.  I make them shoot, and as much as they hate it, I also make them come home and perform their own gun cleaning and maintenance. Lets be honest, NOBODY likes gun cleaning, but they do it and they know fully how the guns function.   People "learn by doing", and they learn better by doing repetitively.

I take my wife on "shooting dates" where we go to the range, and then out to dinner.  I often wonder what the people at the next table in the little bistro would think if they knew were were running jam weapon clearing and administrative reload drills an hour before and we just blew through a couple hundred rounds of ammo. The key is guns and training integrates into our lives.  They aren't in a dusty box on the top shelf of the closet.

The second point is as far as prepping is concerned,  I look at the gun as a tool.  And just as with any other tool I considered maintenance and training in my selection.  I have friends who have a wide variety of sizes and calibers, and yes I have a few "fun guns", but these "Prepping guns" are simply for business.  I want reliability, I want familiarity, and I want to be able to maintain them deep into a crisis situation.

With that in mind, my tool of choice is the Glock 17.  But not just one, I have several identical guns.  They are not sexy, or exotic.  They are just a bunch of plain old Glocks.  Yes my buddies give me "the look" at the range, but it limits my spare parts inventory, all my holsters and mags are interchangeable, and we all can operate any one of the weapons we pick up.  There is no learning curve for anyone in the family, Its just automatic.  They know these just like they know their sleeping bags, or any of the other gear.

Having a bunch of the same gun simplifies a lot of things.  Its that same philosophy I use with cooking kits, or flash lights, walkie talkies, lanterns, and any number of items I have.  Find one that works well, train to get the absolute maximum out of it, and them stick with it.  Its boring, but efficient.

Now, i'm sure a few of you are thinking "seriously Ray, a 9mm?"...   Well, everybody can handle it effectively, and its light weight enough to carry a lot of rounds, its cheap enough to train with a lot.  And its common enough round, that there will be quantities even during a crisis.  Of course, I have an AR, and we all train with it too, but when you compare all the aspects the 9mm is the best bang for the buck IMHO.  In a crisis, there will be more then enough to worry about without thinking about what round you need, how many mags, did we get the right box of ammo for that.    Just like other prepping items, i'm planning now, so I don't get caught up in the confusion of the moment.

Sharpening my ax...

Metaphorically that is.

Honestly I have been putting a lot of time in, piece by piece, using and refining my bugout load.   From the day I dug my trailer out of the weeds.  I have used it or its components on various campouts weeding out what didn't perform, and hunting down sales to improve my gear.

Not only have I camped monthly with my Boy Scout Troop using this gear,  I have done several weekends on my own, and whenever I feel like camping, but time responsibilities and schedules won't allow the hours of driving, or life is just "in the way",  I will camp in the woods in my back yard.

Well just before the leaves got to falling, I got one good weekend where I did just that.  Its a penalty free zone for my son to practice setting up our gear,  he would argue that he does more then enough with the scouts already but you can never practice too much.  Its also a way to ease my wife into the great out doors.  I have found she is much more receptive when there is a real bath room a short walk away.  She also gets use to it, and builds up her confidence in her own skills.

Since I made a full weekend of it, I got to pull out all my gear. The only thing I missed was a campfire.  Sadly, my neighbors kind of frown on me burning things so...  I got my Screen house out and put together the full camp kitchen and did manage to do most of the meals on the camp stove.   But i will admit, i went to my gas grill on my deck for my steak diner.  I got to pull out all the sleep systems, and chairs, support and first aid gear, and clean prep and inventory everything while I enjoy the last warm weekend Michigan will see for a while.

I also get to shake down how all my gear works together.  Since when I do this on of these "at home camping" exercises, i use all the gear in my bug out trailer.  I pull out all the components, from the Camp Kitchen Mark II, to my First aid/MASH station, I even set up my motion activated perimeter alarm system along the tree line

One of the best tests I ran was a full deployment of power generation and distribution system.  From the Deep cycle Battery mounted in the trailer, I can power each tent and run Goal Zero Light a life lights from a 12 volt outlet that will also charge phones or other USB gear.  Between my Mars100 Solar panel and two Goal Zero brief case panels, i can produce enough wattage to fully recharge the system during the day.

To me it just fun, but its always an opportunity to learn and test and better my skills to test and get familiar with my gear.  I always have interruptions, be it a work site to stop by, or dropping off or picking up children, or just run of the mill life type stuff, but the key is I can go do it and come right back to camping.  It turns an ordinary boring weekend into something a little special.  My thought is to get out there, even if its only into the back yard.

Slumberjack Ronin Sleeping Bag Review

Most of my posts are prepping and my philosophy surrounding it, but every now and again I toss in a product review to help others.  In this instance its because I was intrigued by the design of the Slumberjack Ronin sleeping bag, but couldn't find any real reviews to help me decide if I should purchase one or not. With that in mind, please indulge my ramblings on it.

First, I already have several sleeping bags in varying weights, but the unique double zipper design that creates arm holes, and the oversize foot box stood out as unique features that caught my attention.  I must say, the Ronin delivers on all counts.  If you have ever felt constricted by the tightness of a mummy bag, but like the comfort and warmth you get over a traditional square bag, this bag is the answer.  In the slightly oversize foot box my feet had room to wiggle and move, but were close enough not to lose body heat to dead space.  At 5'10" and 180 pounds i'm not a huge guy, but I filled the bag and had plenty of room.  This bag will work for guys much bigger then I am, but I never felt swallowed up or lost in it.

Slumberjack makes a Ronin +20, 0, and -20 degree model, all with the same features.  I opted for the -20, because i'm planning for some deep winter camping this coming season, and even though it won't nearly test the bags limits, I'm a cold sleeper, so the extra warmth will be welcome.  I've had both my 0 bags out in high teen nights and I slept and survived, but wasn't completely "comfortable".  I'm looking for a higher level of performance bag combined with my folding cot to get me to that next level. 

I haven't had it out in the real REAL cold yet, but I can say I was impressed with the loft of the insulation, the quality of the zippers and the overall construction.  That brings me to the bigger improvement I've found, the duel zippers.  By opening on both sides, this bag will work perfectly with my Bivy cover that zips opposite of my other bags.   Combined with my Mil-Spec Bivy, I'm sure i'll be warm and dry in any conditions. The duel zippers also create the arm holes and let me work in the bivy, or in my solo backpacking tent without coming out of the bag.  The zippers also have a vent option zipper that comes up from the bottom on both sides.  Its a very simple idea, but it adds so much flexibility to the bag, its a wonder more companies don't make a similar model.

Just for comparison, here is my new Slumberjack Ronin -20 next to my Ledge River 0 bag, and my Coleman 0 degree bag.  I had both zippers on the Ronin open in the pics. Its not quite that wide at the shoulders, but the foot box is a good deal bigger then either of the other bags.   Being i'm a side sleeper, and the mummy bag design forced me to be flat on my back it prevented me getting a good night's sleep.  In the Ronin I have just enough room to move and turn in the Ronin, but still get the benefit of a mummy.   From a design aspect it does have the internal collar just above the shoulders  that keeps the cold air from seeping down around your neck, its not as secure as the collar in either of the other bags, but it works.  My first weekend out, I experienced a warm front move in while i was camping. I simply left both zippers open all the way to completely vent the bag and let the panel just "float" like a blanket over me. I was in a -20 degree bag in out in low 30s the first night, that became almost 60 degree temps the second (yeah, Michigan weather), and I did not feel smothered at all by the bags weight.  Thats true testament to the flexibility the bag design has.

I also did my best to show how well the double arm openings work, but my photo didn't do it justice.  All I can say is, it works perfectly in the field and this in the leap forward in bag design.  being able to sit up and start my Mr heater to knock the chill off from inside my bag and get that first cup of coffee will change winter camping for the better.  Also being able to sit and relax and make my notes on the days events, read, or even blog from a campsite comfortably.  My initial impression is this bag is its well worth the price and the dual zipper is a great new twist.

UPDATE:

OK, a quick update. Rather then making a new post about the bag i figured i would just add some notes.  In case you didn't know from other blog entries, i'm a BSA Assistant Scout Master.  Well, we have done several winter camp outs, including a Polar bear weekend that really tested my bag, and i must say the Ronin has become my favorite bag by far.  I also have used the bag with just my Mill-spec bivy and no tent sleeping under the stars on a few campouts.  It worked great as i expected with the dual zippers, the bivy has a left zipper and is a bit of a pain with my other bags.   

The Ronin performed so well i have added a Slumberjack Sojourn 20 to my "soon to buy" list.  The Sojourn shares all the design features that i like, but its dri-down filled, so it will pack down small enough for my summer hiking/backpacking needs.  My Ronin is huge by the way, WAY to big to even dream of fitting in my Kelty 80 by itself.  Now i know you're thinking "a 20 degree bag for the summer? are you nuts?"  Well yeah maybe, but i live in Michigan, so any spring summer or fall night can go down to 40 degrees.  Heck, we had a mid May campout and woke up with snow on our tents, so i'm leaning on the flexibility of Sluberjack's design to allow me to adjust to any summer temps.  

Coleman dropped the ball on this one

Ok, I normally don't bash a product.  Its not my style to bad mouth companies, and typically its wasted energy.  But this time i just have to vent.   If you have seen much of my blog you know I think highly of the Coleman company.  I use a lot of their gear camping, we buy a lot of there gear with the Boy Scout troop, and Coleman products are an intricate part of my evac and emergency plan.   Now sure there are better high end products out there in most categories, but the balance between price and performance, Coleman usually comes out way ahead.  That is way I'm so pissed off with my latest Coleman purchase of a Coleman Xtreme cooler.

The one you see here is my work horse.  It lives up to the 5 day title and then some!  I chased it down and paid top dollar at REI for it years ago, when the Xtreme wasn't available most places. Its only draw back is size.  While perfect for family camping weekend, or filling with drinks for a long weekend of friends on the deck, it was way to big to be toting off by myself to keep in my tent at scouting campouts.

Now when I saw the Coleman Xtreme cooler line got expanded to include a 28 liter, I couldn't wait.  Finally a cooler that looked good, and could keep my drinks and food cold the whole weekend without fail, in the size i would use most often. I jumped on the first one I actually saw in the store.

Now for its main function as a cooler, it, just like its big brother, is amazing.  While the small one is advertised as a 3 day, my way of packing gets me 4 to 5 days of cold.  The fact that its designed  slightly tall, so it can hold 2 liter pop bottles makes it outstanding.   So whats the problem, right?   Well, the second main function is mobility.  That means you plan to carry the thing to and from some location, and THAT is where Coleman fell down on the job.

Here is a close up of the handle.  In trying to make a comfortable grip, they don't continue that little "I beam" type structure all the way across the handle, and they fill in with a soft grip.   Well thats great walking around the store with it empty headed to the casher, but that lack of rigidity allows a lot of flex when you cary a full cooler.  I mean a LOT of flex.  In fact, i'm pretty sure its going to break in half on me soon.

Now for most people, their coolers sit in a garage or basement all but a couple of hours, but with BSA campouts monthly, along with other events, I planned to use this cooler frequently. Its disappointing when a small but critical shortfall can hamper a potentially great product.

Oh, and here is my way of packing.  I got this from a fisherman in Florida.  First, freeze 2 liter bottles of water in your freezer (for the little cooler I use 4 for the big one 6 or 8). Why 2 liters instead of the ice/freeze pacs?  because they're free!  If the cooler is hot, or stored in a garage, bring the cooler inside a day before use and let it pre chill, you can even throw a sacrificial bag of ice in if you want to really help cool down the insulation.  So depending on if its just drinks, or drinks and food, you can drain or dump the ice and put the frozen 2 liters bottles in.  Then fill with whatever you're taking.  This is great for food, because if you choose to dump the ice, there is no water to make everything mushy and soggy, but the temp will stay cold.  Nothing worse then a package of beef and hot dogs and sticks of butter swimming abound in a cooler full of water for a weekend.  You can even drink the cold water from the bottles, if need be.  These pictures are of the little cooler on day 3, and you can see the 2 liters are still frozen. They were finally thawed and just cold water on day 5.

I still love Coleman, and i'm going to baby the damn cooler as best i can, but i really wish they would have put dual side handles on the ends like the big one has.

My Vango Banshee 300 finally got put to use

So over the winter I went looking for a light, tough, backpacking tent.  I knew I wanted extra space, and I knew with the upcoming Boy Scout program for 2015 and 2016 included a lot of Hiking and Canoeing.  I also have hopes of getting to the BSA Philmont ranch and doing a multi day hike.  I started searching for the best tent I could find mainly focused on wet weather camping.  Why?  Because any Boy Scout will tell you, no matter how sunny it is all week, it ALWAYS rains on Boy Scout weekends.  Its just does...

Now I already had 4 tents, ranging from a 10 person family, 2 different size Coleman instant tents (which I LOVE), and a 3 person dome. All of them have their place, but none of them are light enough that you would want to carry them for any length of time, let alone, hump them through the bush or up a mountain trail for a week.  

Anyway, my search took me to Europe, where they seem to hike in the wettest of seasons, and thus have reversed what seems to be the normal convention of tent design.   Unlike most U.S. tent manufactures who have produced a screen tent held up by polls, with a rainfly that covers it, the folks at Vango have come up with a design that pitches and supports the rainfly, and suspends the screen tent portion inside from toggles.   The system allows you to leave the system pre-assembled and pitch both parts of the tent as one time, in the rain, and keep the inside space dry.  In a heavy down pour creating a dry bubble to get into, rest and sleep, can be invaluable, and this is exactly what the Banshee does.

Oddly enough nobody carries any of the Vango line in the US, and most places that sold them locally in Europe only shipped over there.  After, a lot of searching, keyboard pounding, and review watching, I finally stumbled across the good people at Cotswold Outdoors, who graciously were willing to ship a Vango Banshee 300 the United States for me.  They make a 1, 2, and 3 person version, but the weight difference was so minimal that I opted for the extra space of the 300.  Plus I figure I will be backpacking with my son, so it would be for both of us and our gear.

So thus far, I had only got to set it up in the basement and in my yard to test, but I finally got a chance to fully test my Vango Bashee 300, along with all my backpacking gear for a full weekend.   Even though it was just a normal Boy Scout campout, and I had my usual truck full of gear at the ready, I put all my light weight ystems to the test and lived completely out of my backpack.  

In typical Michigan fashion we got all the weather available in 72 hours.   There was a substantial rain storm the first night with high driving winds and cool temps so at the Detroit River waterfront it got into the 40s. This was followed by a warm front that moved in that took us into the 80s for the rest of the weekend. In the top pic you can see how everything was soaked and the heat created dense fog, then it became a sauna the second night.   I got to fully test my Vango, my Klimate Static V sleeping pad and X pillow, and my Ledge feather light sleeping bag in the full range of environments. The Vango shook the water and wind off like a champ and kept me dry but not clammy.  Then the next night I stretched out the front lines and opened the front and rear vents a little more and enjoyed the breeze and cross flow of the ventilation.

The Banshee is truly flexible enough for any environment but light enough to carry with ease.  The Staggered poll design puts the highest part of the tent right over your head when you sit up in a sleeping bag. and as you can see, the combination of solid panels which are orange, and screen sections on the inner tent give you plenty of air flow, without the draft that can be uncomfortable on your head and feet.  The 300 has dual doors, and the fly extends out giving you a "porch" on one side for wet gear or muddy boots.

As for the rest of my gear, my Ledge feather light 20 was more then capable of keeping me warm on the forty degree night, and was just as cozy as my River 0 heavy sleeping bag.  The Klimate Static V was the shocker.  It was actually more comfortable then my big inflatable twin mattress.   Klimate gets good reviews on most sites, and they are richly deserved.  I liked the way the X-pillox cradled my head when placed in the back of the mummy bag, and the fact that is delates and floods so small it fits in the stuff sack with the Static V means you won't even know you're carrying it.

Now none of this is like sleeping at home, but after hiking 20 miles, I am sure I can get a good restful nights sleep and recharge my batteries with this system.

Went looking for a challenge...

and BOY did I find one.   I know i haven't been doing any post lately, honestly, I haven been on any of my social media lately.  My prepping kind of took a back seat, not that I'm not ready, but i was looking to improve my abilities and physical training.  I've been focused on two things. Working with my son on merit badges, and prepping for a GoRuck Challenge.

If you aren't familiar with them, GoRuck challenges are events put on across the country by a Florida based company started and run by a bunch of Ex special forces guys.  My impression is after getting out, they missed the adrenaline rush, the camaraderie, the teamwork and bonds, that are built in Spec Ops.   I suspect they also though us civilians could benefit from a similar experience. You can google the company and their events for your self, and there are pretty good vids on youtube that give you a taste.

So anyway, I decided to treat myself to this abuse in celebration of my 52 birthday.  I wasn't ready!  Oh, i'm in shape, and I carried my weight, and completed the challenge.  I'm pretty sure I was the oldest guy there and I didn't give and inch.  What I wasn't ready for is the feeling.  We stared as 44 individuals, but by the end of the day, we were a unit.  You learn a lot about yourself when you face a common goal and have to work together to solve problems.  You learn to dig deep, to trust and to fight and give beyond what you thought you were capable of.


I've been on teams before at work, and sports, and I have friends who we say are "fox hole buddies".  But there is a level beyond any of what I knew that I was shown through this event.  The high after completion.  Maybe this is the brotherhood fraternities feel, or police and fire training classes, I don't know.  What I DO know is i'm a GoRuck convert, and recommend it to anyone who is up for a challenge.  Prepare to have your ass kicked, and your eyes opened.

My vision is almost complete...

When I first stared thinking about an evac situation that was regional enough that a "bugout" was logical and practical, my goal was to be able to get to a remote location with enough gear, food, to survive comfortably for 30 days to 45 days.  I figured, thats about the amount of time before they let the Katrina survivors go back.  At least the ones that were "prepared" to go.

Anyway, I thought about what I needed from shelter to parameter security, to cooking systems, to first aid, potable water production, personal hygiene, power production, food, and means of capturing wild game (traps, fishing, hunting).  I focused on needs for production, not carrying inventory, so instead of cases of water, tanks of propane, and other consumables, I have water purification systems, and cook systems that use wood as a source of fuel.  Between my fully loaded trailer, and my prepackaged totes, I can be packed and on the road in under 30 minutes. To me THIS is my "bug out bag".

I also thought, after I made my base camp, I would want to have a mode of extended transportation that was fast, quiet, and conserved the limited amount of gas I would be able carry in a rapid evac.  I can quickly go beyond my establish perimeter for my campsite if required.  I have ways of attaching two of my "water brick" containers, if the closest source of fresh water is not walking distance, or if there are any other unforseen reason to travel greater distance from camp.

Well, it took a little metal work and some modifications, but I adapted a dual hitch system to accept a bike rack and pull my trailer.  This allows me to carry two mountian / trail bikes without compromising any of my bed space and my trailer can still tilt and pivot to deal with the off road environment.   Even better, it all says together, so my load up time is barley impacted.

The right tool for the job...

There is an old saying that goes, "when the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail".  This holds very true for a lot of situations, especially firearms.  I bring this up because while going through some safety briefings at a recent training outing a couple of friends and I were talking about what we carry, and own, and why.  I was surprised by what I consider a over reliance on the AR15, and the 9mm Glock.  Now, don't get me wrong, both of these are excellent weapon systems, and I own several of each, and they are my go to weapons, but only in certain circumstances.

The reality is a survival situation may not be the urban gunfight portrayed in movies.  It more then likely will be long hours of hiking or if you're lucky use of some other sort of manual transportation like a bicycle. In those cases a AR could work, but may not be the best thing.  Well, this is my "right tool" for that job.  Its my hiking camping and survival rifle, the Ruger 10/22 Takedown.

Now I'm not going to go into a review of the rifle, there are a ton of them on the web already, and I can't add much to that discussion. Its the philosophy of use and practical application of firearm that I want to focus on.  While without question a weak round by comparison, the 22lr has an advantage in that its light, so you can carry plenty, if you're accurate it can be deadly to both man and hunting, and its cheap enough that you can practice until your fingers cramp up, and thus can actually be good with it. Compare the weight of a 22lr to a 223 Remington round. Now multiply it by 200, or better yet 500!  Add that to all the gear you already need to hump for a 5 day hike, and thats where things get challenging.

As for the rifle itself, the 10/22 takedown splits in half, as the name implies.  It fairly light, it fits perfect in most back packs for hiking, but the pass through slots in the Kelty backpacks are a perfect place to carry it.

To increase my range and accuracy in hunting, I have outfitted mine with a mini-red dot scope.  I can carry enough gear to rough it for a long time, and the 10/22 would be perfect for rabbits and other small game.

There are other rifles that fit this bill, the first one that comes to mind is the Henrey US Survival rifle, and its also an great choice. The reason I prefer the Ruger is while it is a great pack/survival weapon, but its also a lot of fun to shoot, and its a great rifle for my son to use.  Its versatile enough to fill a few rolls, but when i think of a survival rifle, the 10/22 Takedown is the right tool for the job.

My RPCS hat.

Ok, so what the heck is a R.P.C.S. hat? Why do i have one? what does it do? Why is it even worth reading about?  Well, RPCS stands for "realistic prolonged crisis simulation".  This is completely a Ray made up term, so i define it the way i want to.  There is no pride in authorship, so feel free to redefine it as you see fit, if you like the concept.  A lot of preparedness and emergencies seem segmented.  Its food over here, its weapons, its shelter, or communications, or whatever.  Its ready for a hurricane, or wild fires, or power outages.  But in reality its all interconnected and interdependent, and its my RPCS hat that helps me focus on these relationships.

Now at a basic level, it really isn't to important.  A 3 day "bug out bag" will work for a hurricane, blackout, or any short term disaster.  At that point, they are all universal.  And its easy enough to test them.  Just throw the breaker in the basement, or go camping for a weekend and only use your BOB to survive.  But when you begin to plan for longer duration crisis, testing is not as easy.  Thats where the RPCS hat comes in.

Realistic prolonged crisis simulation is thinking about the likely situations, and then looking for the connections and interdependencies that exist.  For example, when storing water, its easy to think about drinking, but water is large ingredient in the cooking process.  Try to cook rice, beans, pasta, meat, chicken almost anything without some water and you will find it almost impossible.  Combine that with food prep and clean up, and your potable water consumption expands greatly. To make a true analysis of your water needs, it takes a conscious effort, and pen and paper, to accurately track usage. The first time i did this it was a real eye opener.  


I know people who say "hey, i'm prepared for an emergency, i have a generator".  Ok, so its been in the corner of the garage and hasn't been started in years... What do you think happened to the fuel inside?  and speaking of fuel, how much do you have? A gallon can that you also use for the snow blower and lawn mower?  So you can keep your fridge and TV going for 6 hours...  and then what? You know the gas stations won't have power either, right?

Prepping for a real extended crisis takes a higher level of analyzation, and to me running a RPCS in your head as you go through a week, and recording your observations, is a critical part of improving the effectiveness of prepping.

A mindset of "fun"

Practice is difficult.  No one wants to spend countless hours alone in front of a piano, or violin, or in a batting cage, or shooting free throws.  It boring, lonely, and tedious work.  But the results show when you hit the field or the stage.  Its practice that separates Keiko Matsui and Michael Jordan, from countless violinist and street ball players.  Sure "the greats" have natural talent and ability, but we all have some, just like every knife has an edge.  It is the through practice that those who excel hone their talent to a fine point.

Ok, so what does any of that have to do with my prepping?  Well, practice for a crisis can be just as boring as free throws, but if you're doing it right its a lot harder.  Keeping that human "edge" to be ready to deal with adversity isn't easy.  Looking at the past two winters we have seen time and time again people across the country trapped on the expressway miles from home by ice and snow.  Having a get home bag in your car is good, but a little practice on hoofing it to safety WITH the gear in that bag is much better.

The easiest way to practice is to make it fun.  This brings us to a big question, what is "fun".  Well, climbers, hikers, runner, campers, outdoorsmen, have developed a kind of scale that classifies fun in the following ways...

Type I Fun – true fun, enjoyable while it’s happening, and fun to remember.  Good food, good sex, margaritas, a day at the beach.  Basically, Disneyworld.

Type II Fun – fun only in retrospect, hateful while it’s happening. Things like mountain climbing, triathlons, winter camping, marathons and 10k runs.  Great war stories to relive over a beer with your buddies

Type III Fun – not fun at all, not even in retrospect. As in, “What the hell was I thinking? If I ever even consider doing that again, somebody slap some sense into me".  But, i was outside, and thats better then being stuck in the house any day.



So, growing up a city kid, I had to work to change my mindset and redefine what is fun and what i enjoy.  The rush of excitement when my eyes first open and i see the roof of my tent.  Watching the sunrise while cooking breakfast over a open fire as the sun comes up and its 15 degrees. That satisfied feeling while my meal heats up on my Jetboil after a 10 mile pack hike.  The smell of smoke from the campfire in the evening.  

Sure, sitting in a sports bar with a cold beer watching the final four with my buddies can be fun, but its not going to help me save my family in a crisis.  I have only so much recreation time, changing my mindset of fun to things that will contribute to my survival make the work enjoyable.

Ok so its been a month since my last entry...

I know you're saying "Ray,  you lazy bastard".  Well, quite the opposite.   I have actually been working very hard on a new goal.  After a friend introduced me to the GoRuck Challenge, I have decided to "treat my self" to this abuse as a way to celebrate my 52 birthday.  For those of you that are unfamiliar with GoRuck, think of a one day civilian version of Navy SEAL training.

So i'm alternating running 3 miles a day, or hike/walking 4 plus miles with a full pack.  i'm also doing the P90X Yoga workout daily to get limber and flexible.  Along with my other family obligations, and the spring ramp up Boy Scout events, I haven't had much time to write.

Toss GoRuck into Youtube and you will see a good sampling of what the program is all about.