SWOT Analysis Per Total Survivalist Blog.

It's nice to see a quantifiable chart that really simplifies a rather complex subject. The SWOT chart that Ryan over at http://www.totalsurvivalist.com/2018/05/evaluating-and-managing-risk-2-swot-and.html has offered up us very easy to use for simple tasks and complex lifestyles.

I'm going to go ahead and insert my 50k foot view of my personal risk assessment into it. I'm not going to do it in the practical chart version due to my normally long winded answers.

Strengths:
1. Well placed, sought after career that is recession proof in the near term.
2. Stable 17year relationship with a sugar momma.
3. One lightly trained fighting age son in the house.
4. Well stocked and diversified physical holdings.
5. Well balanced and diversified skill set for backup income.
6. Tribe that can be relied upon.
7. Legitimately needed by my tribe.
8. Zero debt.

Weaknesses:
1. WAY too close to a population center
2. Indefensible garden home on a freaking golf course.
3. Dealing with a foot and an arm injury.
4. Cardio training is non existent.
5. Carrying way too much weight.
6. Sugar momma has zero interest in defensive training.
7. Youngest son can't keep his mouth shut.

Opportunities:
-Booming Economy plays into strengths 1,2,5,8. Weaknesses 3,4,5 will hamper my ability to capitalize on more income. I'm just too beat up at the end of the day to deal with more work. Motrin is my friend.
-Low priced Precious Metals gives me buying power with 1,2 and 8. Weakness 7 and maybe 2 are at issue with large physical holdings.
- Low priced training benefit/cost ratio. Strengths 1,2,3,4,8 play into this, Weaknesses 3,4,5 make things very difficult.

Threats:
-Economic downturn is mitigated with 1,2,4,5,6,8 and only weakness 3 hurts me here.
-Loss of income has same weakness/strength issues
-Health issue Same as the two above
-Pandemic has Strengths 4,5,6,7,8 for helpers and weakness 1 as a detractor
-Social unrest really depends on how intense it becomes. I work near the town, but geographically separated by a large river and many sprawling industrial campus sites. Only middle class homes between my house and work. Wife works from home with limited travel. There will be inpact, just not sure how severe. DOD will ensure site safety, but getting there could get dicey if we start seeing roving road blocks and highway sit ins. Weakness 1,3,4,5 come into play if I'm forced to walk home, strength 5 is my helper. I'm well trained in navigation and E&E concepts. My get home kit would be considered as strength 4. I've also switched to a grey man vehicle. The big diesel sits now most of the time and I have a very capable small 4x4 utility vehicle for daily travel. It's about as grey as you can get. No chrome, gray in color, tinted windows, quiet V6, matte black wheels....

A little more on my injuries. I was hiking with the scouts on an urban hike in February and my foot fell through some ice and bruised the bottom of my heel. It's never healed right and hurts pretty much all the time. Need to get it looked at because favoring it has caused other issues with the foot. As far as the arm, well, I broke it. We rehabbed our in ground pool and I had to re-bond and rewire the entire thing. I was pulling wire for the automatic cover when one of the wire spools jammed and pulled the ladder over onto me. It was going to hit my kneecap so I blocked it with my ulna. It got a pretty good fracture, but no real movement of the bone structure. I decided to finish the job and see how it felt. The wife was away the next 2 days and I didn't feel like dealing with a cast so I just took it easy. The fracture was small enough that it solidified the next day and I had no bone movement so I just went about my business with a rather large, odd looking knot on my right arm about 5 inches from the wrist. It's almost healed. The main issue I have with that arm is carpal tunnel. I have a lot of very technical large and ultra small work to do on aerospace parts machining equipment. My productivity is hampered at times. Luckily I'm in a supervisory role and only perform on hot projects and troubleshooting. That will change when or if this project completes in 2020. My left arm was already fixed a few years ago. It needed far more work done so I did it first.

When Murphy Shows Up For Laughs

Ah yes, it's that brilliant time of year when business slows down and I can get some free time to get away with my boys. Unfortunately one of my boys is injured and couldn't make our last outing. He had an interesting interlude with an elliptical machine on New Years eve and is recuperating on crutches. The oldest man child is feeling just fine, so he and I decided to take a trip to our favorite patch of woods and scout some new camp areas and test some new equipment. The weather forecast was less than inviting with constant rain and cooling temps, but Momma wanted us out of the house for the weekend so we acquiesced.

Friday Morning I was perusing the weather forecast and seeing that if we left early on Sunday, we would be fine to miss the most inclement weather front of the year so far. A big Alberta Clipper is heading straight towards us. It looks like we were going to wake up to light wind and some flurries as the temperature dropped all day. Not a huge issue, but something to be aware of. We packed accordingly and layered in proper fashion for the temps and rain. We both chose to forego a rifle for hunting and instead packed a pistol in case a ferocious tree rat attacked or we tripped on a rabbit.

For shelter,  he chose my old el cheapo backpacking tent and a jungle bag with and added fleece liner. I went with my standard Grand Trunk Skeeter Beeter hammock and Browning 20 degree sleeping bag. I also brought two SilNylon tarps. A large 14 x 12 for shelter in the rain and a 10 x 7 lightweight model for my Hammock cover. My son decided to upgrade his ground pad for the colder weather so he dropped his lightweight summer closed cell pad for an inflatable 1" thick pad. I used the Klymit Static V Lightweight inflatable pad that has been nothing short of brilliant for insulating the bottom of my hammock from the elements.

The trip consisted of a 1.5 hour commute that turned into 3 hours with construction, followed by a 3.5 mile backpack slog in the muddy terrain. We arrived at a camp we've been to before but never used. Being that the season is over we expected to be alone at the furthest marked camp from the entrance. Someone had done some upgrades to the seating and fire ring so we decided that this was the place to be. Our regular location was another 1.5 miles but the dark and wet muck made us decide to change venues.

We set up camp, got a great fire going and started processing wood with our new tools. My son struggles with making a fire so I helped him process and baton enough wood for a decent start. Everything was soaked so I started splitting a chunk of cedar I found for some decent fire starter. He started the fire all by himself and did a great job.This is the first outing for my new Husqvarna small forest sized axe and folding buck saw so we quickly made use of them for the task at hand. My son's headlamp went dead twice during this procedure and he was quickly out of batteries. It seems he forgot to charge them after his last outing. This brings us to our first issue of the trip. I offered him my last set of batteries and had one extra set for myself. We ate a small meal and turned in. Winter brings early bed and late mornings.

 

We both got up at dawn and immediately got the fire going again. Our processed wood from the night before was soaked from condensation and hanging fog. We split some new wood and processed it out to tinder and kindling so we could get breakfast going. What a glorious breakfast it was!

See that cedar on the bottom left? Cedar smoked applewood maple bacon. The 13 year old ate his weight in bacon and even downed a pop tart as well, I stuck with just bacon and English breakfast tea.

After breakfast, we went on a great 3 mile hike to see some new camping spots I'd heard of but had never seen. They were breathtaking. Huge ridges overlooking the river and a few lakes. One in particular was very inviting with a single narrow entry point and sheer vertical drop offs on all other sides with the river directly below.

 We returned to camp in the early afternoon and gathered wood for our evening meal and the expected rain and chill. We had barely began when the rain started. It was light at first but soon transformed into a monsoon like deluge. At the first sign of rain I set up the large tarp for shelter at the edge of the fire ring and covered the wood processing area as well. The large tarp was almost too large and was difficult to get set up right in close quarters where the seating was. The fog rolled in and made for a interesting accommodations.

 My son begged me to let him sit in my hammock for a while to relax and I heard snoring shortly after dark, which is near 6 this time of year. I processed wood most of the night and found a rather large white pine that was perfectly seasoned and barely large enough for me to carry to the camp site. It had a lot of resin in it and kept me warm until 11pm when I kicked my son out of my hammock. I threw on a bunch of wood and watched the fire from inside my hammock. I set up my son's jackets to dry in the heat of the fire. At about 11:30 the wind shifted and sent our jackets into a large puddle near the tarp shelter. This was bad. Issue #2. We now had soaked jackets. Mine is a synthetic Carhartt, so not a big deal for me, but he had a cotton hoodie and a rain jacket. I had sent him to bed with my under armor cold gear base layer to keep him warm so that was the only up side.

 Foggy and dark campsite. Our jackets are hanging on a stick under the tarp.

Fast forward to 3:30am. My feet are FREEZING! What the heck is on my feet? I kick up and feel the tarp has water or something in it and has stretched down into my hammock. Kick again and hear an odd sound. That's not water! It's SNOW! I look out of my shelter to see 3 inches of white stuff covering everything. Evidently, the weather forecast changed and my wife had sent me an update, but there is little to no service in the area I'm in. It's 20 degrees out and falling fast. All my equipment is soaked and frozen solid. My son's jackets are frozen solid. This is bad.

I kick his tent and wake him up. He's cold. He left his headlamp on and it's dead. I'm on my last set of batteries as well. The snow is blowing sideways. I start striking camp immediately. He's getting his things together in the tent and I tell him not to come out until he's all packed up in there. Everything is swelled up with ice and snow. My tarps don't fit back in their containers, my paracord knots are frozen solid and won't come undone so I start cutting them free. My knit hat is soaked but I keep a spare in my sleeping bag. I put it and a wide brimmed waterproof hat on and hand the Carhartt jacket and gloves to my son. His gloves were also soaked and frozen in his tent. I have my synthetic fleece base layer as a jacket. We get everything packed and head to the truck at 4am as the temperature steadily drops and the wind howls. This was the best decision I made the entire trip.

The wind, snow, water and ice has conspired to drop numerous trees onto the trail and fire road to further impede our progress in the 3" and counting snowfall. I kept a blistering pace to keep us both warm. My son is in an after school running club so he's having no issue keeping up. I'm carrying a pack that weighs close to 60 pounds due to the added weight of snow, water and ice covered gear. There is also flooding from the torrential rain the prior night. My son used my Phone to light his way and we made it easily but my hands were pretty cold from the wind with no gloves. We stripped off our wet tops and climbed into the truck. The 10 mile trip to the highway was the most eventful drive of my life. Trees were down in the road and we had to drive around and over them multiple times. My Phone was pretty spent, so no pictures of the snow or travel home.

Here's what the storm looked like after it passed my area. Joe lives north of me in the great white north, but the storm tracked right to his area.

When Murphy shows up, you better have a plan, because I know many people who would have hunkered down and gotten themselves in trouble in the same situation. It was 16 degrees when we returned to the truck and in the single digits that night with a -15 windchill. The only reason we didn't get in trouble was because we sped up when we were cold and slowed when we started sweating. This was the perfect situation to show that training and knowledge can be the difference between discomfort and disaster when things go wrong.

What went wrong?
Weather changed drastically.

Why did that impact us?
- Didn't take proper care of our equipment. Frozen jackets, hats and gloves.
-Not enough batteries.
-Marginal sleeping gear

Consider a time when weather forecasting was non existent. People prepared for the worst all the times. We no longer think in those terms. The "known" trumps the unknown. Sometimes it can bite us. In 2 weeks I'll be camping near the same area and I plan to make some adjustments to my kit.

How Many Magazines is Enough?

I have a confession to make. I'm a magazine hoarder of near clinical proportions. Especially with regard to my battle rifles. They take the most abuse in training and use so I feel compelled to have an overabundance. Even during the big scare I made a tactical upgrade by trading 10 Pmags for 30 C products new in wrapper GI mags. This is in addition to the foot locker of used mags I bought at a sale a few years ago. No such thing as too many.

 The thought process I go through is simple and well thought out. I look at my total number of rifles and multiply by 11 for a base line. 11 magazines is what I consider a combat load of 4 to 6 with a few in reserve for your pack or vehicle. I then add in 10 mags per family member to train with. That way we don't burn up our carry/fighting mags while training. Proper training is really hard on mags. My current loadout mags in my level 4+ armor and go pack are 40 round Pmags.

I do prefer mil contract mags, and the larger rental operations have proven that they are longer lasting and take heat cycles better than plastic mags. The brownells GI mags are supposedly the best price for the functionality. I personally prefer C products contract mags. They handle debris slightly better than most and the outside stays buff for a longer time. Most mags get super slick after many reloads and handling, which can lead to dropped mags. They have the green followers which work great, but they aren't the new fangled tan follower that is proven superior and the military is phasing in the tan follower. Beware the black follower. It's not anti tilt and is the least reliable in adverse conditions. Green is still good to go. Magpul followers are great but costly. You can hedge your bets and decrease your loss rate by having some rebuild kits on had as well.

Pistol mags are a bit more robust due to their smaller size and construction. I have a minimum of 3 mags for carry and 5 for training. That way you aren't loading and unloading your carry mags all the time. I have 20 or so extras per model rolling around just in case. I've streamlined my pistols recently and have dropped the 10mm, 40SW and only stock Glock 9mm mags, HK usp 45 mags and a few pocket gun mags. The LCP being my choice for deep cover carry.

I ruin 2-3 rifle mags a year. I ruin 1 pistol mag every couple years. That's for our entire household. Those 30 mags I bought are a 10 year supply if I keep training as I have with the family. I do my best to replace them as time and resources warrant, but I do keep 50 contract GI mags in reserve just in case. My hoarder status is showing.

You also need to remember that I keep lots of AR15 mags in my Caches and I always keep a thousand plus loaded in my bastard child mags and keep them locked away in my safe. No such thing as too many! My lightweight plates stay loaded all the time as well. 3 25 round 308 mags and 3 glock 17 rounders with plus 2's. That's a lot of firepower in a hurry.

Specialty Mags- I do have several rifles that are AR10 or long range in nature. My 300 Win Mag competition gun has 3 magazines for it. They are little 3 round units, and I bought them mainly due to the fact that you can use them as a single shot follower in competition more readily than the stock Remington bottom metal. Not something you need to stock deep.  Same goes for the rest of my long range stuff. I do have a Beta C Mag, but I've honestly never used it. I see no need. You'd have a useless slag of metal for a barrel after 100 rounds of sustained fire. I consider it an investment.

My AR10's on the other hand, each have 21 mags for them. I don't shoot them enough or train with them enough to warrant the extra mags. The 20" gun uses 20 rounders and the 16" uses 25 round Pmags. Luckily Pmags fit the LWRCI platform. They are easy to find and plentiful again. The AR10's have a definitive use and plan of action for my defense plan. They don't need all that many mags due to this. They aren't something I'm going to go patrolling with, just too heavy. It's best for killing buicks and turning cover into concealment. 

AR optics/Failures discussion.

Ryan over at Totalsurvivalist.com has a great discussion thread about AR optics and failures. This has been hashed out many times on many pages with both professionals and mall ninja's alike. Optics fail, regardless of manufacturer or use. I've seen every manufacturer and optic made fail in one way or another. I've personally seen simple temperature differential fog lenses and make a an AR into a nice club. Rain can also cause some issues with some fogging. Ryan has a ton more formal military training than I do, and that's really important. The adverse conditions he's seen are a testament to the suitability of the RDS and AR platforms.

As with all electronic/mechanical devices, the more complex, the more issues they have. I'm no expert, but with 15 years of helping at a gun shop that is near a military training facility that trains the tip of the spear, you do pick things up from those guys. There is also a military testing/research facility nearby as well. I have the opportunity of interacting with some very interesting people. They have some interesting input on optics and use. I'm assisting with advanced classes here and there, but I'm still a ways away from teaching the high speed stuff.

I suppose optics are the first thing to consider. I'm pretty big on the Aimpoint M3 for close to a decade. In that time, I've seen every other manufacturer fail on my rifle or another. The only other Optic I've never had a failure out of is a Trijicon Tri-Power. I know and have seen others fail, by not the one I have. It's been run on full auto, 9mm carbines, 308 rifles and many other riles. It's not the most robust unit, but it works in most conditions. The M3 only has one major drawback, and that's the battery it uses is a non typical one, and non rechargeable. It's fairly heavy as well.

I do have a few cheaper models, the Vortex Sparc II and a Black Spider LLC smallish red dots. They seem to work just fine. They are on some training guns my boys use. Keeping them light is important. As the technology has increased I've kept the M3's due to the longevity and the fact that I'm used to them. I see no reason to change yet, it hasn't advanced enough or been tested enough for me to forsake the current units I have.

 I know a plethora of military rifleman that swear by the Eotech's, and I know many that despise them. The only optic that I know of that everyone is fond of is the ACOG. It's ultra clear optics and mid range magnification is head and shoulders above most. I know you can get similar results with a magnifier, but it's not nearly the same. The single best optic I've ever used has by far been the Elcan Specter DR. Sooner or later someone is going to come up with a similar design for less money, and then I will go for it. Until then, I just can't justify the expense.

Another often overlooked issue would be BUIS. Back Up Iron Sights are critical IMO. If you have a Red Dot Sight failure, you will be guessing POI unless you have another method of aiming. All my primary weapons have BUIS with Trijicon front sight posts. In very low light conditions, this is critical to be able to aim with confidence when your target is in the shadows and doesn't allow you to silhouette your front sight post. Another thing all my battle rifles have is a quick disconnect for the RDS. If you break the glass or get dust/mud/blood on the glass your sights are useless as well unless they are offset. Being able to quick release your glass can be important. I've been in that position and it sucks. Raining like hell, sloshing through mud puddles and go prone into a bog and fill your optics with muck.  If you use plastic backup sights, you better stick with airsoft.

AR platform failure points. My goodness how we can count the ways. It takes so little to make a fully functional rifle into a paperweight. I've found that spending the money on a mid to high end rifle generally makes good sense. The major manufacturers spend the right money on the parts that must work properly for reliable function even in abusive environments. I also test my rifles to failure with poor care just to see how well they can handle the grime. My main 5.56 rifle can handle between 2000 and 2400 rounds without cleaning before failure. I spot cleaning every 500 rounds or so does make it last indefinitely. Pull the BGC, shake it off and wipe it down with CLP, brush out the lugs and chamber with a brush, lube liberally and toss it back together. If I run it with a can, the less rounds to failure.

My backup gun will only run 1600-1800 rounds til failure. I've since changed out the buffer spring and extractor spring, so that should help it along. The Chamber in that rifle is a bit rougher than my main rifle, so I put some of the issue as being caused by the chamber slowing extraction slightly. Need to test it again with the changes to see.


The most common "fatal" issue I see in classes and at the range is popped primers. They fall into the works and generally jam up the trigger. This is a crappy jam because it's fatal and cannot be fixed in a firefight. I use reloads most of the time, so it's something I have seen often with my rifle. They can also jam up in the lugs.

The most common non fatal issue is a stuck case. A new extractor spring or extractor will generally fix this. The next common is out of battery failure. This is mainly due to a dirty chamber, wrong buffer/spring combo or bad ammo. Short stroking, not ejecting the old or not stripping a new one is usually caused by a dry rifle. AR's like to be wet with lube. A plugged gas tube can also be to blame, but I've never seen one happen with brass/non russian ammo. Bad gas rings can cause this as well. If you can stand your BCG on the bolt end with it extended and it will not drop to the unlock position without pushing down, your rings are good. You can fix it in the field by changing a single ring if you are in a pinch. That's usually enough to get it back running again. Double feeds are due to magazine issues or operator error.

Last year when I took a vehicle class, I had SEVERAL issues. I know better than to change stuff right before a class, but I did it anyway. My Geisselle  trigger kept spitting pins, My castle nut came loose and I kept jamming cases due to my inability to properly clean the case lube off reloads I was using. I also only had a couple months on a 2 point sling I brought. I used to use the backplate for my rear sling attachment, but it would cause me issues when doing clearance drills. Had to move it back to the stock. I tested my RDS battery before I left, but on the morning of the class, it was dead. Luckily I keep several spares in the gun. Had it not been a class, and had been a real need for the rifle, without BUIS I would have been in trouble.

Mags cause more issues than all the other items listed here combined. I've seen all mags of every type and manufacturer fail. My best advice is to beat up and cycle thru the same mags you keep for duty/carrry. If you like Pmags, keep 10 newish tested mags for your primary kit and beat up a bunch of the same type and manufacturer mags in training. This ideology is two fold. It allows you to test longevity on the mags you plan to bet your life on, and it allows you to train with the identical mags you will carry. When mags go bad, it just sucks. You can fix GI mags, but plastic mags tend to split the feed lips and have to be trashed. These mags pictured below were tested and found lacking. the feed lips are bent and they are unusable in this condition. The second pic is a comparison after adjustment. Filing down the front edge also makes them more reliable and less prone to jam with abuse. I don't personally do so, but I know guys forced to use GI mags that do it with good results.

The Mag on the right is adjusted properly, the left mag has it's feed lips bent down, making the mag useless. I use a magazine lip adjustment tool I bought from MidwayUSA.

I keep a spares kit in my Armor and another in my ammo bag. Included in the kit are gas rings, a firing pin, an extractor and extractor spring, a small tube of oil, half a tooth brush and a stuck case extractor. That's about 25-30 bucks worth of insurance. I keep Red dot sight batteries in the Hogue grip.

The receiver you use is the heart of your gun. I've seen some really weird things with messed up lowers. Buffer tubes threaded out of line, pins out of spec, mag wells too tight/loose, lug cutouts too tight/loose, etc. I've had people bring me junk receivers from brands I've never heard of that will never work right. I've seen big name high production companies with issues as well, but I've never seen an LMT lower that was out of spec enough to cause issues. Their QC is excellent. I generally buy LMT casting and internals for my battle rifles because it's a known quantity. My Bushmaster lowers were all made by LMT many moons ago. There are many other great manufacturers out there with quality products. DPMS has gotten a bad name in past years, but they do make a decent budget rifle/parts. I don't bet my life on them, but my son's rifles are about half DPMS with Bushy L prefix lowers and Spikes lowers. I do have to true up the DPMS uppers to make sure the barrel is straight, but other than that, they do fine.

The buffer tube is the next critical item. I've sold rifle to friends and had them change out the stock and tube to never get the rifle working again. The guy blamed me, and asked me to fix it. He put on some cheapo chinese tube. The threads were cut off center so the buffer had tons of parasitic drag and it was rough inside. I fixed it for him, but learned my lesson. Never trust your life on chinese junk. It's fine if you like fixing your gun at the range, but not good if you intend to fight with it.

Gear Review: Osprey Aether 70 gen 4 Backpack

With my boys old enough to start backpacking and really getting into it, I've been eyeing a few of the higher end packs out there. I've used crappy rucks for so long that I'm used to getting sore shoulders and abrasions on my collar bone area after day 2. Now that I'm a bit older and can afford a better pack, the options are endless. My quest started online, looking at backpacking blogs, trail blogs, manufacturer sites and REI. There were so many options that I was a bit bewildered.I've been on a lightweight backpacking kick for a while so I looked at many lightweight bags but decided to buy a big multipurpose bag instead. Nothing heavy, but big enough and tough enough to take on a winter trip for a few days.

The next thing I did was to measure up all the gear I would take and get it together to see what size pack I needed. It seemed like 65 liters without food is enough for a good winter trip, so I looked at maybe 80 liters with a nice heavy bag and extra clothes would be optimal. After looking around and checking out the packs I spotted that fit my needs, I decided that a 65 or 70 liter pack would fit just fine. My lead choices were the REI crestrail 70, Arc'teryx ultra 65, North Face Terra 65, Granite Gear Blaze and the Osprey Aether 70.

The Osprey had the largest capacity, the Granite gear was the lightest, the Arc'teryx was the toughest material and the REI was a good blend of all the others. I didn't choose the Arcteryx due to it's hip system being a bit too lightweight for such a big bag. I dropped the Granite Gear because it's just not stable enough for me with an HDPE frame. I chose the Osprey due to it's stellar customer service reputation and the well built suspension system.

With 50+ nights of camping over 2 years  and backpacking "in the bag" so to speak, it's been a very good, serviceable bag. The price is very commensurate with the quality. Even after stuffing this thing to the gills for a 3 night trip in weather down to 10 degrees. I've hiked several double digit days with it while hosting scouts and with my family out in rough terrain. Once you get the belts set for you, it's a simple task to get up and go.

The bag is a single cavity system with a lower adjustable divider. The divider is perfect for someone who changes out their sleep system routinely. In the summer I use a fleece liner. It's good down to 50 degrees or so in the hammock. If I pack properly, I can fit my entire summer sleep system minus the pad into the lower cavity of the pack. The pack has a zipper at the lower end for removing your sleeping bag without removing the gear from the top.

The top cover is also a single cavity unit. That can be frustrating at times, but once you ziplock bag things up it gets easier. Everything on the pack is industry standard, side compression straps, cinch top for the main pack, side and back elastic pockets, wire backplate and padded straps. Some different things you will find on the pack are double keepers on the front straps, pole keepers on the front and back, side pockets and a stiff moldable hip belt, a separate pocket for a hydration system, and a built in whistle on the chest strap. The area that is against your back is very comfortable without getting too hot. Air channels pump air along your back with every step. The pack's frame is adjustable to fit many different torso lengths.

The pack has been extremely durable. I've bushwacked through briers, fallen into rocks, had mice in it and stuffed it to it's breaking point. There isn't a single tear, rip, hole or abrasion on the pack. It had a thick base material that keeps it from getting holes when you set it down. My youngest dragged the pack on my concrete driveway for 30 feet before I stopped him. No marks. The zippers works like the day I received it. It's never hitched up or had to be reset.

The good: Comfortable. rugged for it's weight, good zippers and buckles, bottom and side feeding as well as top feeding, adjustable.

The bad: Rather heavy for the size, topper is single cavity, side pockets are a bit small.

The ugly: None.

I'll post up my full kit at another time.

Wifey's 3 Day pack.

I'm in the process of building a 3 day pack for the wife to take in her vehicle. There are so many threads out there on how to build one for a man or kids, we don't hear much about the contents of a woman's BOB. Women are hardy and able to deal with much more than we think, but they also can wilt pretty quickly without some semblance of civilized products or regular items.

Let's look at it from the perspective of a problem solver. How far (Realistically) will she have to travel? How far can she walk in a day? Will she have companions? Can she travel safely? Is she trained or mentally ready for a sudden tedious walk? What will make it easier for her?

Then we get into the essentials for her trip, including the math for how long her trip will be. It's all math at that point. Let's use my wife as an example. She's a remote employee for a 3 letter mega corporation and travels to local clients only rarely. Usually she's too far away to rescue, or she's here at home. Recently she's been in Dearborn, MI consulting for another mega corporation that sports 4 letters. If she's that far away, I can't help her because she's out of reach. Not only that, the pack won't be coming on the plane with her so it's moot. If she's at a local client's place, she can make it home within 3 days at most. About 35 to 40 miles max. She can do 15 miles a day without issue as long as she's not running for her life or injured.

What will she need to make it 3 days on her feet in this weather? The lighter the pack, the faster the trip, plain and simple.
Pack- decent 3 day pack or daypack.
Shelter- Something to keep the rain off you while you rest or sleep.
Water- A way to get clean drinking water.
Food- Anything light, low salt and high calorie.
Light- Lightweight light source
Protection- Something to fend off Dogs or two legged animals.
Comms- Some way to contact home as far away as possible
Route- Find your way home without getting lost
Clothing- Weather appropriate gear
Personal items- Stuff you want and might need to have around.

Pack- It's usually best to figure this out last, because you want a pack big enough to fit everything you need. I have a few extra 3 day assault packs and some duffel bags, but for Christmas a few years ago I got her a really nice Kelty Backpack, a Redtail 30. It's really close to the size she needs, but it's a bright color. I'll decide once I'm ready to get the pack together. I have a feeling a black NC Star 3 day pack is in her future.

Shelter- The simpler the better. A tarp, casualty blanket or best of all, a Poncho would be perfect. It allows for protection without occluding your surroundings too much.

Water- I'm going to put a nalgene bottle and 2-20 oz water bottles in the pack in case my boys are with her. She will also get a bottle of purification tabs.

Food- Clif bars, some hard candy, some jerky sticks and trail mix.

Light- A small headlamp, extra batteries and maybe an extra flashlight. Preference given to a headlamp with a red beam for discreet travel at night.

Protection- This is where it gets screwy. She likes guns but isn't interested in carrying a gun so doesn't want to go get her carry license. That means in order to stay legal she needs a long gun. The obvious choice would be a KelTec Sub 2000 in 9mm. Breaks down to pack size, will take 33 round glock mags, and is easy to manipulate. 100 rounds JHP in 3 mags, 19 in an extended mag to keep in it. A decent sling will help too.

Comms- Cell Phone as primary and then a 2 way GMRS radios with extra batteries in case I can go look for her. All call signs and codes in a small notebook in the pack. Radio is set to proper channel and privacy code before hand. We have tested them and they are good to 4 miles if at least one person is elevated. If the phone lines are a mess, texts should still work as long as the towers are still operating. Another option is a backup disposable cell phone in case of a domestic threat.

Route- Pre planned routes from each side of the larger, meaner city close by, as well as from each direction of travel from home. A map and compass will be in the pack, with a rain cover or ziplock bag. Routes Marked in highlighter close to home but not all the way. Maybe to the edge of where she knows the streets well.

Clothing- Army Surplus silk thermals, a few pairs of warm non cotton socks, a warm hat, rain suit if no poncho, a loose fitting warmup or track suit. My wife is well endowed, no reason to entice the animals. She always wears a warm jacket and I'll throw and gloves and a scarf inside the hat. Another hugely important item is shoes. Find a pair that she doesn't wear because they look too shabby and put those in the pack. She won't miss them and they will be well broken in. Think Grey Man Camo. Have her dress as average as possible and remove all jewelry.

Personal Items- TP, Wet Wipes, Tampons (There's a 1 in 5 chance she will need them), Nail clippers, a small knife, Zip ties, Gorilla tape wrapped around a shopping card, Paracord in case she needs to repair clothing or breaks a shoestring, a small microfiber towel. Anything that's small and light that will help her. Maybe a lighter and some Votive candles in case she needs a fire for an emergency, like if she fell in some water and was too cold to continue on without drying off. First aid kit with plenty of Ibuprofen. Some cash in medium and small bills would help as well. Keep them in different places in case the pack gets grabbed.

Things to make sure she leaves out of the pack:

Earbuds- They will ruin her ability to observe her surroundings.
High salt food- It can cause a person to dehydrate and get cramps
Alcohol- No reason to make a person sleep deeper than need be or have dulled senses.
Loud toys for the kids- obvious attention getters.
Brightly colored clothes- Think grey.
Purse- Have her throw everything in the pack, dirtbags know purses mean money.

 Should she ever need to use it, the earlier she heads out, the safer she will be. If she's in denial and shelters in place, it's going to get more difficult. We live near a major city and many of the companies she visits aren't in the best part of town. Her most often visited client is in the middle of a large industrial/urban complex of factories, scrap yards and has a major interstate and a large river between her and the house. The Interstate only has 3 places to pass under it that she could reliably use without adding a day to her trip. There are 2 river crossings under the interstate, but they aren't passable.

Without a plan, the proper mindset, and the tools to succeed, any venture you attempt can be more difficult than it needs to be. I love my wife dearly and would want her to make it home if there's an emergency. I know many of us always think of ourselves and how we would make it home, but what about the rest of the family? It's only fair to make sure they can have the same or even a better chance than you do.

Gear Review: LA Police Gear 3day pack

About two years ago I bought an inexpensive 3day sized pack from LA police gear for 29.99 plus shipping. http://www.lapolicegear.com/diplomat-3-day-backpack1.html I expected it to be a thin, cheapo bag for stuffing extra gear in. What I received was a very durable material backpack with good stitching and thick padded straps. I looked the unit over very well and decided to utilize it as a primary unit, retiring the light weight pack I've grown out of.

I decided to do some research on the pack before I invested the energy to personalize it. I found widely varying reviews and opinions on the pack so I was adamant about deciding for myself. Upon the first evaluation, I was still undecided due to the cut and bulk of the pack. At first the zippers were very hard to operate and caught on the lining very easily. Once broken in, the bag sculpted to my back and the zippers became far more user friendly. The first addition I made the the pack was a 102oz water beast bladder system from Camelbak. It fit perfectly and even came in OD like the pack I chose. As I've added equipment and accessory pouches all over it to make an extended sustainment pack. This brought it's capabilities from 3 days to a month or so fairly quickly. The molle system made adding the pouches very easy. The pack itself full loaded weighs in at 36 pounds before water is added to the bladder.

The interior of the pack has a pvc coating making the pack water resistant. The external compression straps make it easy to attach a bed roll, rope or backpacking tent. I've also added a tomahawk to the exterior compression strap. Instead of buying a ready made system that you have to deal with how it's made, this system allows for easy customization. The drink tube can be routed left or right due to the pack having 2 gusseted outlet tabs with hook and loop closures. I haven't tried rucking the unit for extended days, but it works great and is fairly comfortable for a weekend pack trip. I usually use it for car camping trips and extended range trips where it would take 3 or more days to walk home.

Overall, the pack gets 2 thumbs up. One for being fairly inexpensive and one for being robust for it's price. I'm not saying this unit is equal to anything made by Blackhawk, Eagle, Maxpedition or other name brands. The packs strength is it's price. It doesn't have the best zippers or hook and loop. It doesn't have a name brand's warranty or backing. I've kept this pack loaded for almost 2 years now and I've car camped, hiked, rendezvous, and bugged out with this pack on numerous occasions. There isn't a single rip, tear, hole, zipper issue or even a worn strap. Solid performance at a budget price. The only reason I'm changing is so I can have a modular sleep system in my pack during winter and to have a better suspension system.


Let's take a look at mine:

I've added a Condor extra large bottom pouch that was made to be a stand alone satchel. A few Blackhawk pouches of different types, a Condor Tool carrier pouch and smaller flashlight/admin pouch on the front. Each pouch has it's purpose. Food, first aid, hygiene, Pens and paper, tools and such. The outside Molle webbing has held up tremendously well. Not a single stitch has come loose, nor has a zipper had to be reset. It's holding together my menagerie of pouches like a champ!

The modular nature of the pack allows me to customize the setup depending on what I'm planning. I can attach my shotgun scabbard to the side and now I have a pack hunting rig! Another couple additions I made are a SOG tactical tomahawk in a custom made kydex sheath and Blackhawk TaTang knife in a custom sheath.

The pack has been complete for about 6 months now, so I guess it's time to replace it with something designed to do what I'm forcing this pack to do and return this pack to a 3 day pack and pass it on to my son.
Here's what the pack holds right now, minus food. I keep a small food bag prepped and ready for a hasty exit. I can lash it to my pack in a second so the food isn't in there right now.

Gear list:
8x12 tarp, heavy duty tent stakes, Skeeter Beeter Hammock, Precut tarp lines, Sleeping bag, Rope, Cook pots and stove kit, rain gear, dopp kit, mess kit, Stainless mug, tea/coffee/juice kit, playing cards, Med kit, sam splint and shears,Katadyn hiker pro filter, Poncho and garbage bags, shemaugh, hat, gloves, wet wipes, zip ties and gorilla tape, head net, microfiber towel, paracord, notebook with info and codes, Night ize figure 9's, writing utensils, mirror, tools, inner tube ranger bands, P51, Blackhawk TaTang knife, SOG tomahawk, 12v solar charger, AA/AAA charger, CR123 charger, assorted batteries, chem lites, headlamp, backup battery charger for technology, bladder, map case and compass, GPS, water hose, yoyo fishing kit.

I used to add a pad and 2 man tent under the compression straps when it was cold out, but they are in the trailer and it's freezing cold outside. Not gonna go get them right now. I did notice a few things have come up missing over time. My spare socks are missing, as are the clothes pins I keep in there. Huh, must have needed them elsewhere.

I'll make sure to post a review of my recreational pack, and Osprey Aether 70, when I get a chance. The new Bugout pack, a Marine ILBE and assault pack, will also be coming up for review.

Your Smallest and Greatest Security Risk

I'm an avid Smartphone user. Due to my vocation, it's a necessary evil that I must use to schedule, Email, text and invoice customers and students. Without it, my day would be longer and I would have less fluidity with my customers. They like immediate responses to Email and phone calls. Technology today has brought communication on any medium to a seamless procession of information. This (when used properly) can make you more productive and more popular than the competition.

Unfortunately, it can also make you a target. There are mass reports of stolen passwords and Email accounts, deceptive hotspots, government spying, malware, spyware and many other issues that can make the smartphone your greatest enemy. The greatest threat to is to your personal security.

How many times do you see someone walking while using their phone? Zero situational awareness, danger avoidance or situational control. You might as well close your eyes and walk into traffic! Even the simplest things can be dangerous. Light poles, bollards, curbs, shrubs, and uneven surfaces can bring you great pain. These wouldn't be a bother if you would get your head out of your phone!

A few tricks to keeping your phone safe. Turn off the bluetooth transponder and never use an open WiFi hotspot. Many are fakes that are there to steal your login info and send inappropriate Emails to your contacts. Never leave the phone out in public. Some phones have known faults that can allow hackers to access it. If they see what type of phone you have, they might be able to access one of those faults.

Password protect your phone. Change the password every month. Secure your phone with a protection application that takes a picture of anyone who enters a wrong password. This will help identify a possible security threat.

Another threat is to have yourself filmed saying something inappropriate. In today's society, we have a large chance of being filmed when we least expect it. I've used this tactic myself when I was entering into a gentleman's agreement with another party that I felt wasn't going to be honored. Upon first learning of the breach of contract, I simply sent the person an Email with a youtube link of the conversation. Problem solved. Check your local laws on this, they aren't the same everywhere.

Text messages and Emails are forever. They can be accessed by civil and private entities at any time. Never text or Email something you don't want people to know about at a later date. This includes medical or psychological information about family members. Any communication is fair game these days.

I've long bemoaned the use of a phone over polite conversation, especially at an eating establishment or family outing. I can't tell you how many times I've seen 4 people sitting down to eat and all 4 are on their phones instead of talking. Small talk will be a lost art in 20 years.

A smartphone is an invaluable tool for today's economic and social environment due to it's ability to multitask and help the user keep on schedule and in contact. As long as you are careful and always vigilant, you should be safe. My emergency kit doesn't have a traceable smart phone, it has an untraceable dumb phone.

Firearms Selection

So many "experts" get hung up on having every gun under the sun to defend themselves. They feel they must have brand X or Y with these certain features and in this color with exactly the caliber they say. What a bunch of hooey. There are a few things you do NEED to have.

1. A functioning firearm
2. Cleaning kit for said firearm
3. Ammunition for the same firearm.
4. The skill to use it.

For a long time I've helped out from time to time at a gun shop that prides itself on making a customer for life out of the people who tread through the door. Over the last 17 years of hanging out there and buying hundreds of guns from the guys there, I've found many words of wisdom. The first of those being, beware the man with one gun, he more than likely knows how to use it.

Don't get hung up on which brand is the best or what sight system is optimal for certain conditions. The gun you have in your hand is the one that can get you out of trouble. The 16 in the safe are useless when you can't get to them.

Characteristics of a good firearm.

1. Functional 100% of the time
2. Sights you can see
3. Easy to use
4. Easy to reload
5. Proper weight and length for you to use in most environments
6. A caliber that is readily available
7. Accurate enough for your needs

If the gun won't work unless you jiggle the hammer a little, it's useless. If you can't aim it, why bother. If it's a single shot bolt action, you might have trouble with multiple targets. The L82A1 Barrett is a bad machine, but can you carry it in the woods or along your property line? There are a bunch of really cool rifles out there in exotic calibers, but will that be any use to you if you can't feed it or afford to feed it.? Accurate enough means just that, as long as you can hit a dirtbag sized target at the ranges you will more than likely engage at, you're good to go.

Being a certified gun nut, I have more than I need. I have multiple calibers and multiple platforms for engagement from point blank out to 1500 meters. I'm not saying everyone needs that, but I sure like mine. All but a couple of my guns are common calibers. 22lr, 12ga, 380acp, 9mm, 38spl/357mag, 40SW, 45acp, 223 and 308. I do have a couple odd balls. A 10mm and 300Win Mag. Why? Because I can. Common calibers ensure you can more than likely scrounge ammo in any situation. The 2 uncommon calibers I have are the ones I CAN get ammo for these days. Scary, right? 10mm ammo is going for $50 a box now and 300 WM is about the same, but it's available if I was out. I can't say the same for common calibers.

What would I consider a good "Stash" of firearms?

22LR rifle
12ga shotgun
A carbine in a common caliber. 223/5.56, 7.62x39, 308, 30-06
A pistol that can be carried concealed in a caliber above 380acp and below 41 magnum.
A pocket pistol in 22mag, 32, 380 or 9mm.
A bolt action scoped center fire rifle in a common hunting caliber.

A collection like this would have an arm available to fit the needs of most people in a serious need to defend themselves or feed themselves. I will say this though, a man with a 10/22 rifle and home field advantage could put a hurting on some well trained operators.

There is no replacement for trigger time. The more you shoot the better you will become. Training will speed up your abilities as well. I really can't stress that enough. A good instructor can shorten your learning curve by years. They can short cut you past all the mistakes people make in the beginning and allow you to focus on proper techniques and build confidence in your abilities. If you think about it, it's the cheapest way to become a better shooter. You can shoot 10k rounds a year and get very good, or take a few classes at 500 a pop and be thousands of dollars ahead monetarily and months ahead as well.

Any machine that isn't used will fall into disrepair. Practice!

A large stock of ammo is secondary to being able to utilize the firearm. If you have stashed up thousands of rounds of ammo, but haven't trained because you wanted to hoard it, you're behind. Have a decent stash, but concentrate on keeping your skills sharp. That ammo will only do the next guy good if you lose your first gun fight because you're rusty.

In closing, I'll offer a last bit of sage advice. If you find yourself in a fair gunfight, your tactics suck. If I'm forced to defend my life, I'd prefer to take the shot at 600 yards with a high powered rifle. The less danger you put yourself in the better your chances of defeating the opposition.