2017: A Year In The Rear-View

I know, you've heard it all before, New year/New you- ad naseum. Don't fall for the hype. You were responsible for what happened in 2017. Some choice you made ended you up right where you are today. You might be thinking that hey- that drunk driver that crashed into me isn't my fault! Yes, it's your fault. You chose to accept the risks when you pulled out of the driveway. Had you stayed at home you'd be safe(er). But wait, there's more. A plane falls out of the sky and lands on your house, yep, you chose to live in a metropolis or near an major hub and accepted the risk of higher flight numbers.

Quit blaming others for random stuff. You can hold another accountable for their actions in the case of the plane or drunk driver, but what about holding yourself accountable? Do you look in the mirror every morning thinking that you made perfect choices all day every day? No. We all have room for improvement or self improvement if you like.

Every year you see people talking about being ready to start a new year and forget about the dumpster fire that was last year. That is exactly the wrong idea. You started and fed that dumpster fire with your choices. Own up to it and start making decisions with your head instead of your heart. Analyze your investments daily- That means looking at them for what they are, regardless of how you feel about them. That means time investments, financial investments, vanity investments, relationships, habitation, Etc. If you can't admit that you made a mistake, you've already made 2 mistakes. If that dude that you've hung out with for 20 years is dragging you down, you need to improve him or lose him. Your goals and standards are defined by your surroundings.

Quit being jealous. If someone won the genetic lottery, good for them! That may not be your lot in life, but it's not an excuse to demonize someone or deflate your own self worth. If you're a hater, you're allowing someone else to live rent free in your head. Toss that luggage to the curb and work to grow your own flock of haters. The measure of a person is how they deal with adversity. You beat it, or it beats you.

You are responsible for you. That means that you should be willing to own up to your shortcomings and learn to handle them.

Be humble. You are no better than anyone else. How you treat people that can do nothing for you defines your character.

Be productive. The only way  to deserve anything is to earn it. A promotion that is worked for is held in esteem by your peers.

Time is money. You're trading time for everything you buy. Instead of looking at a prospective purchase by price, look at it in time. If you're willing to trade an hour of your day's pay every day to eat out at lunch, just understand the cost. Your time is finite and growing shorter every day, don't squander it.

Be content. If you gave it your all and came up short, learn from it. Don't let it break you. Trying to live up to the expectations of others can run you ragged. Keep your grass tended and it won't be greener on the other side. Live your life, not what others think is great and exciting.

I'm speaking from experience. I've made all the mistakes you can make, then stopped and owned up to it.

Make 2018 your year, then 2019. 

My 2017 Best Gear Purchase

With the added income associated with the current contract I'm fulfilling, Ive purchased some higher(ish) end gear and supplies to increase my camping comfort level and some weight savings. With all the purchases, I've made some good ones, a few decent ones and a couple bad ones. It wasn't tough to make a decision on the best purchase though, that was easy with a strong standout such as this.  So for 2017, my best purchase has been the Klymit 20 degree down sleeping bag.

klymit official site.

I know, you're thinking- "It's just a sleeping bag, What gives?" Well, let me tell you why this one is so significant. It weighs less than my synthetic bag and is at least 2x warmer. I would struggle at 40 degrees in my 20 degree browning bag, but I was toasty and warm at 30 with no tarp shelter over my hammock. I've since taken it down past 20 degrees without an issue. The best thing about this item is the fact that it comes in an oversized version which is far less constrictive and you don't have to be as rigid during the night. You have room to move and even turn without dislodging your bag. This is especially nice in a hammock because I like to put a pillow under my knees to make it more comfy. The extra room also means more fluff to keep you warm, all in a bag that packs down to 16x8".

I purchased the large model and have no issue taking the extra .4 pounds it weighs over the standard model. It's still almost 2lbs lighter and about 3/4 the size of the synthetic bag I used to use. The bag has a moisture resistant outer shell to keep you warm even in the cool dew of night. It rained cats and dogs during a shooting event and some water got in my hammock, but I never felt it, the outer shell did it's job!

If you add in the Hammock V insulated pad, it's even warmer. No need for an under quilt anymore. I woke up to a coating of frost on my hammock netting the morning after this pic was taken. I was toasty, refreshed and ready to go hunt! I made a 2 for 1 shot on a couple tree rats, and later that day my son got his first all on his own tree rat.

Wow, how did that happen?

Sorry all, I received a contract advancement and what I thought would be a end of the year completion date ended up getting extended indefinitely. I'm really busy, like ungodly slammed at work and still keeping my business floating on weekends. Add in a family and youth stewardship volunteering, this has really taken a side line. I do have TONS of new great gear to review, but making the time has been tough. Every spare minute has been spent in the woods with my boys. I'll get back to you every time I get some time.

                                                                    Last camp out

                                                                           Latest Project

Forest Fires and Hurricanes

I've noticed a big numbers jump on posts about caches and inclement weather lately. Not sure what's driving it exactly, might be the weather or the fact that a US territory just enacted a Firearms Seizure order, or both?

The entire point of preparedness is to be prepared for anything, but sometimes Mom Nature decides you need to flee. Now.

What would you do if you had 2 days to plan your exit from your current AO. Not an enticing program when you consider it's a real issue for some this week.

What really upsets me is when I hear of people binge buying water. Of all the stupid things to spend money on. Your tap works, and you've spent your entire life throwing away plastic bottles. Go buy a water bottle if you have to, but 20 2 liters in the attic would be a perfect solution to the problem at hand. If that's not an option for you due to space, why would you not have a few cases of water in the closet?

BadThink DoubleSpeak

I realize it's been a while since I've written a political diatribe. I haven't really felt the need prior to today due to the common lunacy not requiring further commentary. It's become laughable due to the ineptitude of the leftist echo chamber. Then two things happened. It's looking more and more possible for the president to be removed. Secondly, Charlottesville.

These two seemingly unrelated subjects have become relevant due mostly to the fact that they have both become possible by the actions of the forth estate. The media has covered the actions of the antifreedom movement and worshiped at the altar of communism. They are responsible for the suppression of free speech and supporting the spread of mob rule. What they don't understand is the depth of the precipice they now stare into. For the first time in the history of our country, the abyss is staring back, silently. If this behavior continues, Clinton's rules will be applied.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

Edmund Burke

It's still a bit early to do something for the common person, but for the authorities, they are sorely lacking in their response to these actions. The best thing that can come of action is that one of the groups continues to hate them. Inaction on the part of law enforcement pretty much guarantees hatred from both sides. That is the worst of all possibilities for law enforcement. Alienating the people that do pay taxes, put out blue lights on their porches and lend support to officers without question is a horrible choice. If that grass roots support stops, I'm not sure what the extent of the fallout will be. We've had 6 officers shot this weekend and not much publicity or angst over it among the regular citizen. I'm afraid the slide has begun. The mistrust and hatred the common man has for the feds could become shouldered by local law enforcement.

The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.  

  Edmund Burke County Meeting of Buckinghamshire (1784)

War is Peace

Freedom is Slavery

Ignorance is Strength 

-1984

The youth and counter culture of today are fighting logic and morality at an unforgiving rate. By the end of the decade, we may be in a shooting war with our countrymen and women. Who do you think would benefit from that? A distracted and frightened populace will clamor for protection and freely give up liberty to stop the killing. It's just a matter of time at this point. As Matt Bracken has said so harshly, we are a single mag dump away from a civil war. Had it happened at Charlottesville, This might be a very different post. 

As far as the Trump Presidency goes, I had hoped that he might have gotten some traction and actually done a 10th of what was promised. Nope, not even close. He is mired in his poor choices for cabinet and can't make anything happen while the right and left in office oppose him. I pretty much expected such, but was cautiously optimistic. If they remove him from office, all bets are off. I cannot guess at the outcome. Consider what would have happened if they removed Obama and add in trillions of rounds of ammo and millions of guns that the obama supporters didn't have. Your guess is as good as mine. 

It's time to pick up your training tempo and consider your options for best defense if you are caught out in a riot. Might even be good camo to have a black hat and scarf in your vehicle to blend in and evade the opposition. There are so many options and strategies out there that we need to consider them all when things get dire. It's high time to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Most importantly, stay off the enemies' radar. Lives have been ruined by misidentified protestors and death threats have been levied.

Every Day Carry Philosophy Part 2: What have you done for me lately?

Normalcy bias has always been and will always be the biggest struggle for most concealed carriers and protection minded folks. We abhor a dynamic environment and instead concentrate on the "fun" variables that don't require training. We want to buy things to shortcut training and make us more lethal without the effort. Yes, there are better technologies coming out all the time.... No, not all of them are useful or necessary. Every once in a while some new tactic leapfrogs to the front of people's minds and monopolizes the market and conversation. Like now, appendix carry is the hot topic and driving force for holster innovation. It's a viable carry option for most and hides extremely well. It has a few drawbacks, but for the most part, it works.

Let's now go back 20 years when small of the back holsters were all the rage. Same rules apply. Has drawbacks, hides well, etc. It's no longer an accepted method by the masses due to inherent flaws. The biggest being that the person behind you can easily stop a draw and falling on your back can cause a broken spine.

My biggest issue with appendix carry is when I'm seated. I don't generally mingle with the public in an unknown venue very often, but when I do it's usually in a seated position at a conference, class, restaurant, or movie. It seems that a different method of carry would better benefit me. I'm currently testing out a new hybrid style holster called the Berkut II by Green Force Tactical/Forward Training Concepts. It's an improvement on the appendix by changing the draw stroke slightly and in doing so, making it slightly more sit friendly.

I'm currently seated trying out my new holster, and it's working so far. Only time will tell.

Another issue that seems to be at the forefront is pistol ammo. Everyone wants the new hot ticket. They change carry ammo more often than underwear. That (in my opinion) wasted ammo money would be better spent on FMJ at the range. Super performance ammo isn't worth a dime if you can't get solid hits. Even worse, misses with this ultra performance voodoo slug could be more harmful to an innocent if you hit them. Stick with the fundamentals and do your work at the range, not on the keyboard, unless of course you are testing your new wiz-bang holster by typing in a seated position.

BTW, not sure I'm going to stick with the threaded barrel in this configuration. It's protrusion happens to make contact with my personal protrusion, and that is an unwelcome distraction.


http://www.greenforcetactical.com/exclusives/

The Philosophy of Every Day Carry.

We look at many EDC posts on different channels on Youtube and the myriad websites and see people that need to gain some perspective about convenience. I've personally carried too much at times, but for a reason. You would tailor your load out for the scenario, so why not have a baseline of gear and add to it. For instance, why not carry a chest seal and band aids in your wallet? Takes up zero room and adds security.

Personally, my EDC is Wallet, Watch, Knife, Light, Phone, Keys. (That's also my verbal check in the morning) Everything after that is a choice. I can no longer wear a gun at work, the DOD says "Hell No" to that at this facility. I can deep cover carry, but that would be a very dicey thing to do. Other than work, I carry what fits my attire. I don't generally upscale my "Smoke Wagon" when I go someplace unsafe, I just don't go someplace unsafe- unless it's critical. If it's critical, I'll load out and bring backup.

The baseline idea is a set of gear that you don't deviate from and build on that. Upgrading and changing gear to fit you needs is easy and the transition can be made easy. Such as, I used to carry a 2 cell Surefire light, but it was too bulky. I stopped carrying a light and decided a phone was enough, then I tried searching for something in a loud room while talking on the phone. No dice. I switched to a streamlight 2-AAA stylus light but it was still a bit much. A single cell Microstream is now my go to option for an EDC light and it literally disappears next to my knife in my pocket.

A great option for keeping your EDC together is a valet. I've been carrying an auto knife for years, but it's against policy at the facility so I keep 2 knives in it and pick the one for the day. 

I believe you get the idea, but I'll go into more EDC detail when my new holster arrives from Green Force Tactical. They have something new I'm going to try out.

Sorry For The long Hiatus.

A quick update on why I've been gone so long. With the boys being old enough to care for themselves after school, I've decided to go back to working full time-ish. I'm still teaching and volunteering, but now I'm working at a large defense contractor in my area doing a total refit on the entire facility. The pay was literally too good to pass up and the work is a gravy train with biscuit wheels. I normally charge 68 bucks an hour for my time as an independent and these toaster heads are paying me way more than that, so here I am.

That's the reason I've been gone so long. Shuttering a business and completing several contracts while working full time was nothing less than excruciating, but well worth it. I'm all caught up now and actually had this weekend off so I took my son fishing today for the first time this year. It literally felt like a blast furnace outside, but we did well. Caught a 5# catfish and a few bass and bluegill.

The good news is, I have a ton of gear that I need to get the reviews done on. Some of it is new and some is updates on older gear. I've purchased some new stuff and have been using it a while now.

The great news is, I'm going to be pack to posting more often and having better content now that the DOD is funding me!

Winter Decluttering

It's winter, and around here that means that it's too cold to go gallivanting in wood too much or spending days at the range comfortably. So what is there to do besides count calories? Declutter. Go take a look at your supplies. Sell off redundant or outdated gear. Auction off some of those holsters that are piles in a bin out in the garage. Sell that leather MC jacket you don't use or rebuild the carb on the mower that isn't running right. Here's my list.

1. DeGunk and get running the Dirtbike and sell it.
2. Sell my racing equipment since I'm not going to get on the track anymore.
3. Remove one of the racks in my garage and build a new bench for tools.
4. Sell off extra diving equipment
5. Rebuild the Carbs on my vintage motorcycle and sell it off for something newer.
6. Clean out and organize the trailer.
7. Purchase more metal fuel containers and sell the plastic ones.
8. Build high level shelves in the garage for storage.

With nothing else to do, sitting on your computer or video game isn't going to make your life easier. Get to it!

Legislative Look

With the new congress, it seems that we have some new 2A bills that will be heard within the next few weeks. The reciprocity bill for CCW seems like a good thing, but as always, you have to check the fine print. I've heard some rumors of some states being able to fully disallow CCW in order to skirt the bill, but it remains to be seen and amended. I'll stay up to date on it.

In my state, they are looking at doing away with the CCW permit all together. I sure hope so. Nothing like permitting a right and turning it into a privilege.

The Affordable Care Act seems to be on it's final legs, but there is nothing to replace it with as of yet. Maybe we can look at cutting the 10 levels of oversight and governmental meddling to get those costs down. The same with Pharma.

I see that Trump has Hired one of my state's biggest political hacks, Dan Coats to head the DNI. What a joke. C'mon, don't let the establishment entrench itself. 

Building a wall is totally unnecessary and costly. If you make the crime of entering the country bad enough to overcome the benefits of coming here illegally, problem solved. We have the national guard of several states that can take on the protection of our borders. The ROE needs to change, though. See a gun, pop em. Done deal, no more drug lords attempting to cross the border. Pretty easy to overcome situations with a little harshness and frugality. Illegals that have been here for more than 5 years and have kids here can stay. They will never get voting rights and cannot attain citizenship unless they leave and enter properly. They must also pay taxes for the 5 years they have been here and cannot get social security. The idea is to make following the law easier and more beneficial than breaking it. Those migrant workers wishing to work here need a low cost visa with positive identity checks. Farmers hiring illegal workers should be fined heavily.

New Year, Same you.

I don't subscribe to all that new year's resolution crap. I do believe in goals and constant change. It's really easy to rest on your laurels this year and slack on your goals when we have an apparent change of leadership in Washington. Just remember, the tide didn't turn, it was just a couple offices that swapped sides. We still have the same number of idiots running the country. We still have 20 Trillion dollars of debt. We are still dealing with a broken society and an entire generation of useless snowflakes.

None of this is going to go away rapidly. Globalism and Crony Capitalism is still the law of the land. We have less of a free market than any time in history. The police state is still in every aspect of our lives and the republican congress just gave full scale spying rights to the government. This aint over by a long shot. Dig deep, keep up on your skills and make an effort to cleave waste and sloth from your household.

I added a little kydex porn for the masses.