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. 

Budget AR15 Builds and Why I Choose Them.

It's well know that I prefer the AR platform to any other battle rifle. The reasons are due to it's proliferation in the US as well as my familiarity with the rifle series. It's the most common rifle sold in the US for a long time now and it really is well suited to 90% of shooters due to it's modular and adjustable nature. You can build them in literally any configuration imaginable.

 Most recent build. My son built the entire thing himself at 12 years old. It now has a Black Spider red dot.

Another significant belief I have was first iterated by good old Joe Stalin. "Quantity has a quality all it's own." So for the price of a high end manufacturer's AR15, I can build 3 budget guns. Once again, why? Because even a budget build can work remarkably well. Outfitting another person can be more of a force multiplier than a super whiz bang piston driven death dealer.

These builds tend to run around the 650 dollar mark and include a 1x optic. Why an optic? Because it's a crutch. Teaching fundamentals with irons take time, and it's much easier and faster to teach fundamental hold and bullet drop.You might not be outfitting a shooter, you might be outfitting a neighbor.

 The Minuteman Cache includes such a rifle.


What to look for in a budget rifle:
Standard quality parts
Mil spec dimension parts

For this discussion, there are some built rifles that accomplish these tasks. Smith and Wesson's base models as well as DPMS's base models work just fine. I haven't had much luck with PSA or some of the other cheapo parts like UTG and the like. Double star on the other hand have been nothing short of brilliant in my rifles. Many contractors are given DPMS rifles for ship defense and foreign protection details. They work and they're cheap. I've been using the DPMS oracle uppers for all the builds I've done in the past 4 years with a perfect track record. No functionality issues, decent accuracy and a cost around 300 bucks. Hard to beat with an included BCG and charging handle.

Optics are an easy choice. Something inexpensive and durable. Vortex is a good option for this. The Sparc series is pretty good, and there are a myriad of others out there that will work great. Always have extra batteries on hand. I include flip up iron sights as well. I've been prone to getting a gas block with a picatinny rail and dual flip ups die to wanting a clear sight picture. A standard front sight post occludes your sight picture.

I generally install a JP reduced power spring kit to loosen up the trigger a bit. A cheapo sling works great, and it is easy because the rifles I build are very light weight.

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.

Beware the Trendy Firearm Wave.

How does that saying go? Hail to the new king, just like the old king?!?!? Or is it, The king is dead, Long live the King? I'm not all that sure, but I've been involved in the firearms industry long enough to have lived through fad cartridges and training, fad camo and mall ninja success stories. It's all a subjective propaganda charade wrapped up in the fad camo of the day. It's not very often that a truly momentous breakthrough happens and the firearms community as a whole is cheering. It's always been 1911 v Tupperware guns, specialty cartridges over "under performing" standard rounds, and tactical drudgery training v home schooled shootists. The fight never ends.

It's really hilarious to me when a "new" thing is actually a rehashed old thing. The 300 Blackout used to be a wildcat round. I was a big proponent of the 300 Whisper back when only one company made dies and JD Jones carried the name. It was a nightmare to find parts to make the thing run. You had to scrape up brass wherever you could, and most of it had too thick a neck so we were turning them down and splitting necks all the time. It was the wild west of load development. Little to say, until AAC decided to back a similar round, it was rather difficult to love the round. Once standardization happened, it became a viable option. Every time I built a blackout gun, someone would come along and buy if from me. I really didn't want to sell it, but I could build a new one and upgrade it with the money they were willing to pay. Dies are still a sore spot in my book, but for the most part, they work. RCBS small base being the single know outlying option.

Every time I open a RECOIL magazine, I see a new improved version of something I used to use paracord and duct tape to make myself. Instead of 30 cents, it's "worth" 30 dollars. There have been some significant ballistic improvements made for better performing bullets and powders, but for the most part, it's just beating a dead horse. How many crappy chinese things do you really need to hang on your 30 pound AR15 chambered in 6.5 superduperrocketshipmagnum? The same one you can only find 3 magazines worth of ammo so you don't shoot it.

We really do need to consider logic over wants some times. I know that personal preference cures all, but come on. If I'm teamed up with you in a class and have to carry that gun doing a simulated casualty evac, I'm gonna drag your super cannon along like towed arty or use it as a walking stick. I've also noticed that those same arty pieces usually have some crappy GI trigger and crappy Amazon parts as a base. I've seen guys With AN/PEQ's and they don't own NOD's or even have a way to Zero it. It looks cool though.

The same goes for "tactical" training. Instead of the fundamentals, they get people interested in the hype more than the content,  or the youtube SELLebrity that runs the school. I'm not sure you know it, but they are laughing their butts off at your expense when you're temple indexing your C-clamp turret stance. You paid to learn something with no value. It's just sad. It's ok to stand while learning the fundamentals, but if you're standing still in a gunfight, you better be the one shooting first. If you're not, you're going to lose.

Remember Ladies and Gentlemen, there's a point to this whole firearms movement. The point is Liberty. Not just for you, but for your children. The enemies of freedom are alive and well here at home, and they are out breeding Conservative/Libertarian/Christians at an alarming rate. Soon they will have the political clout to have a controlling interest in your life. A fight is coming, so you had better make sure you are ready for 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.

Recreational Backpacking Kit- 2015

As much as I've been in the woods this year, it's been great for refining and updating my gear. Without a doubt, I've gone through quite a bit of gear I though was "good enough" for the task, only to find it hampered my ability to enjoy my time in the outdoors.

My biggest issue has been the weight of the gear. I've been steadily dropping pack weight all summer. At the beginning of last summer ('14) here was my system's contents

-Sleep system
6x8 camo tarp, ridgeline and steel stakes, tarp paracord, Grand trunk ultralight hammock, Stansport hammock straps, Alps mountaineering regular lightweight pad, Surplus MSS intermediate sleeping bag, Cocoon inflatable pillow
-Cooking kit
Primus Litech 10oz pot and pan, Backpacking Isobutane fuel pod, MSR pocket rocket stove, Olicamp stainless cup, Sea to summit 3 piece utensils, Stansport mess kit, Sponge scrub pad, campsuds soap, Lighter,
-accessories
Princeton tech Byte headlamp, aaa batteries, Pocket knife, Altoids tin med kit, flashlight/flood light, GPS, Compass, 6oz Bug Juice, 16oz water bottles, zippered shower kit, tech towel, Katadyn hiker pro filter, water purification tabs, Kindle Fire tablet.
-Bag
Osprey Aether 70, 100oz camelbak waterbeast, sealine pack liner.

Currently (Fall 15)

-Sleep system
12x9.6 Aqua quest Nysil tarp, Technora .08 tarp cordage and ridgeline, lightweight 6" aluminum tent stakes, ENO atlas straps, Grand Trunk Skeeter Beeter hammock, alps pad, Cocoon inflatable pillow, Browning Yellowstone 20 degree bag (spring/fall), Coleman fleece liner (summer), Both bags in winter.
-Cooking kit
Primus litech 10oz pot and pan, butane fuel cell, lightweight backpacking self igniting stove, Oilcamp aluminum cup, Titanium long spoon, light my fire plastic mess kit, 1/2 spong/scrubber pad, lighter, MSR Ti 10" pan
-Accessories
 Princeton tech 3aaa headlamp, Eneloop batteries, Jockery 12000mah charger, Pocket knife, Small plastic med kit, Hemostats, streamlight stylus 2aaa light, Compass, 1.5oz 100% deet, 32oz Nalgene water bottle, maxpedition first aid pouch with limited toiletries, Sea to summit light weight towel, synthetic buff washcloth, Sawyer squeeze water filter with 2 64oz bags and bladder fill kit, kindle fire tablet, Keen shoes.
-Bag
Osprey Arther 70, 100oz camelbak waterbeast, Osprey rain cover, Maxpedition glasses case.

Clothing is another thing that has changed. I was trail walking in cotton Blackhawk pants, but have gone to Kuhl renegades as my go to trail pants. They don't snag on briers or twigs and give me 100% flexibility while drying quickly. I wear an SOE trouser belt with zippered pocket. My socks are always Vermont American padded trail socks. Shoes used to be Brooks Cascadia 8's, but I've since worn those out and went to my fall back Merrill trail shoes. The newer style soft synthetic shirts are amazing. The feel like cotton but wick like regular synthetic. I wear Under Armor compression underwear to guard against chafing as well.

I always change as soon as I get set up for the night. My clothes get hung up to dry and I will use some wet wipes to clean up. Keeps you fresh and from getting chafed in places you don't want to be raw.

It's Been a Busy Summer for Us

I've kind of taken the summer off due to obligations I feel are more pressing than the blog. Nothing personal, just attempting to juggle a bunch of trips and my wife's accelerated global travel. She's gone a bunch to foreign lands while I'm responsible for the household and manchildren. It gets a but busy when you struggle working and getting the kids on and off the bus.

The wife and I have discussed quite a few things regarding our security. She's on board in the mindset that soon America will be a very dangerous place to live in the near future. We considered leaving but I just can't bring myself to do it unless we have ready transport to get back here in the event of something serious.

We've been considering moving overseas and that just isn't going to fly for a while, so the next best option would be to have a 2nd home and a retreat. For a retreat, I'm talking a cabin in the woods pretty far from civilization. My current retreat is shared and I'm just not willing to bet the farm that I can cohabitate with a few of the people that are in the group.

As far as a second home, the wife and I have found an area in the Keys that we really like. It's not touristy, nor is it too expensive. The idea is that when the kids get older we can snow bird at will. Once that's completed, we would sell out current house and buy a cheap condo in town and only hang out here in the summer for family, and develop the cabin as a full time abode. Once the retreat is fully functional, we can sell the condo and be back to 2 places to do upkeep.

That's the idea anyway.

I've tested a TON of new gear this summer. I've spent so much time in the woods that I quit storing my backpack and just leave it out for the next event. I've spent the last 6 weekends in the woods and will spend the next 3 out there as well.

New Equipment:
Backpacking stove
Nysil tarp
Technora cordage
Kuhl pants
Tech charger
Rain gear
Hammock straps
Food

I should be a while getting it all sorted, but it will happen as time permits.

I did recover both my Caches. The minuteman cache was jeopardized by an impending divorce and my grey man was pulled due to the company changing hands as the owner retired and took a buyout offer. Back to square 1. I'm making changes to them while they are here. I've become interested in bushcrafting skills and have found some items to be extraneous. I've also found some cheap kit hacks that you will like for lightening the load.

We've also had some setbacks this year. The house has been in need of some upgrades so we've invested some cash into that. Our HVAC system will be getting replaced next week as well. I've pulled some of the cash from my kits to make the repairs more affordable.

This summer has really been a good one for the family. I've spent more time with my boys in the woods and it's been a really good thing.

 One of the camp sites we spent time at over the summer.