Every Day Carry
Please no BS. I am interested in what other folks actually carry all the time, not their opinion of what a perfect survivalist would somehow manage to haul around all day long. If you say that you carry a fullsized handgun with 6 reloads, a backup piece with 4 reloads, a kabar, a .22 derringer in one boot and a boot knife in the other, a 4″ folder, a folding saw, a leatherman, a GPS, binoculars, a night vision monacle, a water filter, 3 MRE’s, and “mini” survival kit whose contents would barely fit into a shoebox and some other junk it will be pretty obvious that you are lying.
Biggest Wastes of Money in Preparedness
The newest waste of money trend is “tactical pens”. First let us look at the concept. The concept is that you can use this pen as a weapon, maybe in an area where better weapons like guns are verboden. This is just about the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. Seriously if you want to waste your money then send it to me. In the extremely limited circumstances where you have to fight somebody using a pen the important factors will be skill, violence of action, strength and then luck and somewhere after that the completely sub optimal improvised weapon in your hand. I really just don’t think it is going to matter if you have a bic or a super tactical titanium fighting pen. If you are seriously worried about it buy the cheapest ballpoint pen you can find with a steel body, there is no need to spend a ton of money here.
Lastly knives are an ever present place to overspend. Between Gerber, Buck, Spyderco and Cold Steel (among others) there are so many high quality knives in the $35-75 range that you don’t need to spend a ton of money. You could have a very nice collection of knives never spending more than $100 a knife. Even if you feel like being pretty fancy you could definitely stay under $200 a knife.
You are adults and it is your money so do whatever you want. I’m just saying that if you are hurting to figure out how to pay for gear these are some places you can have a pretty tight budget.
Weekend Roll Up
Hat tip to Chief Instructor for the find.
FerFal did an interesting video on big knives. It is pretty long at a bit more than a half hour but if you have the time consider checking it out. His point that large knives are far more useful for fighting is valid but pretty much a given. Really you want the closest thing to a sword you can get if a gun is not an option. Something like a Bowie/ Arkansas Toothpick/ Dirk/ Falcon/ Kukuri/ etc would be the way to go.
I wouldn’t say that I agree with the whole thing. He sort of combines the roles of knives and bigger tools like machete’s or hatchets. In my mind they are distinctly separate categories for distinctly different tools which may admittedly be arbitrary. A machete is pretty much an essential in the Jungle or dense warm enviornments like the Deep South or the sort of Swamps you find in LA and FL. Conversely a hatchet or small ax is probably more useful in the sort of forests found in the Northern parts of the US. For whatever it is worth my experiences in the PNW tell me that a decent medium sized knife (say 3.5-5inches) and a hatchet or small ax are a darn good combination.
Some folks seem to use a tomahawk for this role. I can’t speak to that at all because I have never tried it. The bigger more functional tomohawk’s like those made by Cold Steel may be a viable option. The Trail Hawk is a beefy and substantial tool. I like that it has some heft and a hammer head (though probably better for tent pegs than framing a house). I have handled one of them but never actually used it.
However it sort of depends on what you plan to do. If you are going to clear a little bit of brush to make a campsite, cut some sticks to cook marshmellows and trim up a few small pieces of firewood a machete would work. If you plan to cut enough firewood to warm and cook for a dozen people for a week then you want a hatchet or ax. If you want to go into the woods and pull a Dick Proenneke an ax and a saw would be a decent start. Anyway enough on that topic.
That whole foot in mouth from some random Democrat recently was big fun. Recap “Guess what?” asked Rosen. “His wife has actually never worked a day in her life. She’s never really dealt with the kinds of economic issues that a majority of the women in this country are facing in terms of how do we feed our kids, how do we send them to school and why we worry about their future.” Patrice wrote about it here. I definitely wanted to say something but didn’t really have a full post worth of content. Obviously that she never had a job has far less to do with her arguably not “dealing with economic reality” than marrying a rich guy who became a lot more rich.
Anyway I think that having a parent stay with the kids and not earn any (or any meaningful) income is sort of a luxury. If the family can’t keep a roof over their heads, food in the cupboard and generally meet basic life expenses then both adults need to be doing their best to earn as much money as humanly possible until things get better. If one or both parents insist that (typically) momma stays at home while they go hungry or become homeless there are some serious issues. Having beliefs and ideals is fine but sometimes practical concerns have to trump them, at least in the short term. In fairness also on a comparable level of luxury are beer/ wine/ alcohol, tobacco, soda, coffee and tea, prepared foods, eating out, entertainment other than the library or other free stuff, cable or satelite tv, having the internet at home, eating out, toys like jet ski’s/ dirtbikes/ snow mobiles/ travel trailers and if we are really being honest owning personal vehicles. As we can see pretty much all middle class and most supposedly poor people consume or own some of these “luxuries.” You certainly don’t need Romney money to pull off having the wife at home, coffee in the cupboard, beer in the fridge, a few toys and the internet.
As Patrice noted often if you really look at the income vs necesssary costs (reliable second vehicle, fuel/ insurance/ maintenance for said vehicle, child care, professional clothing, more eating out/ prepared food, the list could go on) women who work often take home a lot less than you would really think. This is especially true with low skill women who will need to pay for childcare. In many cases the income difference if expenses are subtracted is just a few hundred dollars.
Obviously if the potential single wage earner works part time for minimum wage this is probably not viable unless you want to go full on so far out of the box that you can’t see it anymore James Dakin, Off The Grid: Life on the Mesa style. However assuming the potential single income is some sort of adult job that is close to full time money isn’t the biggest obstacle. I hesitate to say a specific dollar amount because cost of living varies by region. For example 40k is doing pretty decent in Idaho or Alabama but definitely is not in LA or NYC. That being said when people talk about how “they can’t afford to have a parent stay home” what they really mean is that they are unwilling to give up some stuff to make it happen and or have a pretty high debt load. I wrote more about this here.
Anyway that is about all the stuff I can think of right now and I am about bored of writing.
Hope you had a good weekend,
Ryan
Finally Friday and Knife Sharpening also 3,000th Post
Not too long ago I found myself in need of a knife sharpener. I had a couple of them but one got worn out and the other is probably in a box somewhere. In any case I wasn’t quite sure what to get but those diamond rod type ones seem to work pretty well. I rather arbitrarily put this one into my amazon wish list. Lansky seemed like a good name but there was no real thought behind it. Wifey was ordering some stuff and needed another thing to get the free shipping (far better to get $6 bucks of stuff you were going to get anyway then to pay it in shipping). It arrived the other day. My only tentative complaint is that it is pretty big. There is a lot of handle and it has this other sharpening thing on the back that adds like an inch and a quarter. I guess you are supposed to use it first then finish with the rod. To be honest I didn’t look that closely and thought it was the normal model but black. Maybe that will be convenient but I am not sure yet.
It might be a bit big to carry in my pocket but I am quite happy with this handy sharpener. In a couple minutes it tuned up an old Buck 110 nicely. In 5 minutes it got my EDC Buck 110 which had a couple minor imperfections in the blade all tuned up and ready to go. I haven’t had it long but am pretty impressed with it so far. This sharpener will definitely go in my ruck for long trips.
I hope you all have a good weekend,
Ryan
Edited to include: This is the blog’s 3,000th post. I had wanted it to be a lengthier post I am working on but finishing it today wasn’t in the cards. To be honest after a long day at work I forgot about the whole thing. Anyway it is a pretty cool milestone. This blog has suceeded beyond my wildest dreams and sometimes I am just amazed by the whole thing.
I am definitely not putting things into auto pilot. Slowly but surely we are still growing, one link, one more person following the blog and a new advertiser at a time things are continuing to get bigger and better. I have some things that I plan to do in the coming weeks and months that should be pretty cool for you guys and gals.
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Quote of the Day
“You can spend a lot of money on a knife, you can spend rifle money on a knife if you want to which I think is silly.”
-Joe Fox of Viking preparedness
You Might Be a Survivalist If?
You arranged the knifes in your chopping block by each ones effectiveness as a melee weapon.
The Buck 119 Special got the first position with an 8″ slicer following closely, rounded out by the cleaver with usefullness dropping rapidly from there.
What If- Knives
I was doing some knife preventative maintenance and had a bit of inspiration. While looking at a stack of knives I wondered what if I had to chooose? We talked about what we would choose if we could only have five guns awhile back and talking about knives seems fun.
Anyway you get five. To define it we will say you get five knives to suit every normal cutting need. No need to get sidetracked into strictly kitchen culinary stuff, herilooms or industrial things like razor knives, I am thinking more general purpose, survival, defense type stuff. These knives could fill most of those other roles anyway. In no particular order here we go.
First I thought about a good all around edc knife. For this I would choose a Buck 110. A great knife to carry around. It won’t cause any awkward looks in a sheath on your belt but it handles and cuts like crazy. If I found myself stuck in the woods with one I would not feel at a serious disadvantage.
Next I considered something I could carry concealed and use effectively as a weapon. Without a doubt this would be a cold steel push knife. I have a bit of experience in knife fighting but a decent background in striking and knifepunching people seems rather intuitive to me.
A relatively large sheath knife for general purposes or fighting came next. I would have to go with a Ka Bar for this. Ergonomic as can be with a big solid blade, not much to argue with here. They are just a darn good knife and I cannot imagine not owning one.
A multi tool is just a darn useful thing to have. I do not carry one as I do not use them that frequently but I keep them at home and in my ruck. I like the original leatherman. (Pictured is a SOG multi tool because my leatherman is MIA.)
Lastly I would want a solid camping/ survival kind of blade. Without a doubt I choose the cold steel kukuri. A few years ago I was watching Lost and thought “what knife would I want if I was stuck on a jungle island?” and ended up buying one of these. They are definitely pricey and it would be genuinely hard to argue they are worth the price when you can get a good machete for 30 bucks or so but I happy that I own one.
Narrowly missing selection was the Buck 119 special which is just a darn good knife. Great as a hunting knife or for all manner of tasks. In all honesty sentimentality is probably the reason the Kabar beat it out for the general purpose sheath knife spot.
Noteably absent is the modern one hand opening “tactical” folder with a pocket clip. I am just really soured on them due to a slew of bad experiences with a variety of big name models. I fiddled with a small belt knife to do everything. It worked OK but carrying one all the time is problematic. A buck 110 to do stuff and a push knife as needed just in case is what I am trying right now.
What would your five be?
Random Thoughts: Inflation, Scotch and my Field Survival Load
Today I realized that commenting has been a bit light which lead me to look at the main page and realizing I haven’t written in a couple days, whoopsy. I have been working through the errands and logistical needs required for us to settle back in here and spending a lot of time with Walker. Really just trying to get settled here so I haven’t tried particularly ambitious stuff on any front. Here is some random stuff that has been going on or I have observed.
I filled up our fairly large Earth hating SUV today. It cost about $10 more than I remember. Not a huge deal as we do not drive much but it was interesting.
A bottle of J and B Scotch Whiskey has gone up two bucks in price. This is my house scotch. It is solidly enjoyable but reasonably priced so I don’t hesitate to pour a glass on Tuesday if the mood strikes me. I love me some single malts but they start out expensive and go up in a hurry.
Along those lines I picked up a Glenmorangie 10 year and it is quite enjoyable. It is goes down mildly and has a pleasant, slightly spicy aftertaste. I may have to finish the glass and have another to confirm this.
I started putting together my level one survival load. My plan is a small pouch that I can slip into my cargo pocket. Depending on my level of motivation to dig around our stuff to find the right pieces it should be finished in the next few days or so. More to follow on this later. The only piece I am kind of up in the air about is the fire starter. I will go with a Zippo in the short term because I have one lying around (somewhere). However I would like to purchase a Butane lighter, like the kind you can use to weld thin metal or smoke crack underwater. Thoughts or input are appreciated on a specific windproof and or waterproof lighter you have had positive experiences with.
So that is what’s going on right now.
Warehouse Raid
While I was home I checked out the warehouse. Almost everything was just fine. A medium (not dripping) coat of oil has kept things just fine except one piece on one gun. The suboptimal piece of metal was given some TLC, oiled up and put away.
Last time I was home I had to dig all around to find mags, ammo, etc for the weapons I carry/ use while home. I decided to take an ammo container and put the stuff I want while home in it. The contents were 3 glock mags, an IWB holster, an OWB kydex holster, 2 boxes of 9mm JHP, 4 rifle mags and a few hundred rounds of ammo. It worked perfectly. I grabbed a Glock and the box and was good to go. When we went on a longer trip I loaded up a couple mags and grabbed the rifle.
I noticed that I need to add a knife to the box. Not having a normal EDC knife was kind of annoying. Sticking a knife in there would let me have one here and just grab it with the other stuff would be convenient.
If you have a cache or keep some guns with a friend or whatever it might be a good idea to put the stuff you would want to pull out first thing in a convenient and accessible location.
Equipment Soldiers Use
I was asked about this and figured it would be a slam dunk easy post. Everybody likes gear and writing about what I know is just too easy. Wrong, the thing is that when you are so used to something it is just what it is, as opposed to significant or noteworthy. If asked a very specific question about gear I can talk for a long time but looking at our whole organization is difficult because it is what I am used to. In any case I will do my best.
Slings- Almost everyone uses some form of a two point sling. Those who do not go with the generic issue two point typically purchase an adjustable two point sling. There are so many makers and models to choose from that you rarely see the same one twice. No clearly defined trends except two point adjustable. Once in a blue moon (less than 10%) are one points with a few of the two to one type floating around. Some folks who carry M16’s still use the three point but that is mostly because they are issued.
Holsters- The Blackhawk Serpa series is heavily represented and has a distinct majority, I would estimate almost 2/3rds. The rest is split between Fobbit’s with shoulder holsters, various other kydex type holsters, assorted leather and nylon jobs. Some quality products from name brand companies and some generic poorly made junk.
Knives- Almost everyone carries some form of a one hand opening type folder of some make or model on their person. Most are midsized 3-4 inch blades and made by major manufacturers such as Gerber, Spyderco, SOG, Benchmade, etc all. Whatever happens to be selling in the PX/ Clothing and Sales had a slight lead but in terms of knives we are totally all over the place. Of the remainder a few carry piece of junk one hand opening folders, a few carry big (5in+) sheath knives and there is a totally random tiny minority like me and my medium/small belt knife. You see a few more sheath knives attached to body armor or kit but not too many. However I would wager almost every soldier has a decent sized knife (often a KaBar) in a duffel bag or a tuff box.
Multi Tools- Everybody has one (if just because they are issued) and they are usually Gerber’s because that is what sells at the PX and is issued. Some live on belts, others on kit and most in rooms or rucksacks.
Boots- Not as many Danners as a few years back. Maybe it is that we are spending more time in hot climates or maybe that the Army is finally issuing some decent kit to us so folks don’t need to go out and buy that. Lots of light boots with soft soles are worn by Infantry and SOF guys. I wear Altima ExoSpeeds though I have heard the new Nike’s are nice and some folks like Rockies or Oackley boots.
Socks- Some folks wear various commercial hiking type socks but more just use the issue ones.
Bags- The Army really got it right with the new small framed molle ruck. It is an awesome 72 hour type bag. This saves young soldiers a $150+ purchase that was almost a requirement to function and I am happy for that. You still see the odd Blackhawk or Camelback or Tactical Tailor type 72 hour bag carried by someone who has been around more than a couple years though.
Belts- People either wear the standard issue tan belt or go out and purchase a riggers belt from somebody or another. All the ones that are not Chinese junk are functionally equivalent as far as I can tell. For those carrying a holster a stiff riggers belt is very helpful.
Cold Weather Gear- Thankfully again this is an area where the Army has gotten their act together. Soldiers do not need to go out and spend hundreds of dollars any more for the cold weather stuff they need. We are issued lots of fleece, gore tex and thermal clothing to stay as comfortable as possible.
Water carrying- Most folks have a camelback, generally issued but you see an aftermarket pouch (typically the better more molle compatible one) occasionally.
As a disclaimer I should note that products sold in our clothing and sales/ PX get a huge boost in purchases and thus use. Young soldiers often do their shopping within walking distance and because of our busy work hours (and laziness) many folks just get what is convenient. This accounts at least in part for the trend towards Serpa holsters and a Gerber multi tools.
To be honest I can’t really think of anything else but if you have a specific question I can probably go into a lot more detail.
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