Don't Hesitate When Things Are Going Well.

The economy seems to be zooming down the pike and revenue is up, but there are some dark clouds on the horizon. Even if the economic outlook was rosy, it would only take a serious weather event or terrorist incident to change that. Remember to stay vigilant in not only your martial skills, but also your preparedness side as well.

Shooting and training is fun! It's a thrill to get away and refine your skills as the head of the domestic war department. What's not very fun is rotating your fuel, purchasing things that don't go bang, and doing the accounting portion of the food/calorie game. I'm well aware of this because I did my quarterly inventory and rotate this week. I'm almost a full month late doing so due to my volunteering with scouts and instructing far from home on the weekends. It's an excuse, but it's also the truth.

I was shocked by how much I need to replace this month. I've been pulling outdated items from the pails all summer and just now was able to identify that my calorie count is down almost 30% right now. Protein count is down 25% as of this writing. I'm in serious need of a resupply for my long term storage food. I'd say that I'll have to spend a good 350-400 bucks to get it back to where it needs to be to last a full winter (Nov-March) without resupply.

I've failed to remain vigilant in this area and need to get it squared away immediately. Don't make the same mistake! Do quarterly and bi annual inspections. Pull all your food out and inspect each container for damage. Document each food group for contents and it's sell by or viability date. Check your seeds to make sure it's enough and of a proper variety to keep you fed for a rough year.

Back From the Woods....Again

Just spent another two weeks in the woods. One week was spent training scouts in marksmanship skills at a camp and the other was spent with my son's scout troop at summer camp. I've decided to invest in some lighter and better components for my Hammock. I use it enough to justify the investment and it will help a bunch to keep my kit light.  I'm thinking a SilNylon rain cover, some Dyneema cordage and better fasteners for the hammock itself. Should drop 3 Lbs off my pack and save space too.

I've been away, but not so much that I haven't seen the news feeds from time to time! Very weird times we live in. In my opinion, it's the most divisive, dangerous period in my lifetime. The whole country feels it. My business is way down for this time of year. People aren't spending money on anything but maintenance and consumables. Back stock is way down. Companies I do biz with are normally stocked to the hilt with product this time of year, but they are all holding back as well. Most are not hiring new people or are not replacing the ones that quit/retire. Very ominous times indeed.