CaptainHitop's Guide to the Apocalypse and Stuff.

Shadow and Stick Compass

2014-07-09T16:42:00.001-07:00

Not my favorite video, but this is a concept everybody should familiar with. It is a very simple way to find an East/West line if you are lost and without a compass. Just be aware that the sun is in the North if you happen to be in the southern hemisphere, so any Aussies watching should reverse the last bit. The East/West line always remains the same.

Mk1 UEV 490 off-road camper trailer, Conqueror Australia

2014-04-22T16:23:00.002-07:00

P38 can opener

2013-08-26T12:25:00.001-07:00

One of my daily carry essentials, the P38 can opener. Developed in WW2, it was the standard issue can opener used to open military rations. Used all the way up until the advent of MRE's (meals ready to eat) in the early 80's. It is a much smaller, and lighter alternative to a standard can opener. It's foldable and easily stores in a wallet or on a keychain. At a price point of under a dollar you can't beat it. Pick one up on Amazon or at any military surplus retailer.

Regularly inspect your ammunition

2013-08-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

Firearm safety is of utmost importance to me. Properly maintained firearms and safe practices are the best way to avoid accidents. One thing that I used to give little thought to was my ammunition. I rarely purchase low quality ammo, and I don't reload my own. So what could go wrong with factory loaded ammunition? Lots apparently.

A few years back I got my full carry license, carried nearly every day since. My first choice for carry ammunition was Hornady TAP. Being that they are expensive, I rarely used them at the range. I ran a box through it with no issues, so I loaded them up and carried them in my gun for about a year. Then Hornady comes out with "TAP, Critical defense." So I picked up a couple boxes and brought them to the range to see how they would run. I decided to blow through the old carry stuff since I would be switching over anyway. To my dismay, my gun jammed up after every shot. So I load some target rounds, with no oiling or cleaning the gun runs fine, the ammo is the culprit. Upon closer inspection I notice that every round that had been in a magazine for over a year, was slightly egg shaped. The pressure from the magazine spring, pressing in one spot, for months and months, had deformed them all. So lesson learned, cycle through your ammo, unload and reload magazines regularly to prevent this. I haven't had this problem since.

Fast forward about two years, I have now purchased a Springfield 1911 in .45 caliber. My first choice again was Hornady TAP, Critical Defence in .45 +P. I had issues immediately, I was unable to unload the gun after a round was chambered. Very scary situation. Finally, I was able to force the slide backwards ejecting the round. So after some Googling, and some show and tell at the gun shop, we determined that Springfield handguns with "match" barrels don't have the headspace needed for these specific rounds. So back to regular old TAPs in this gun.

For those that don't know, 1911 is a big, heavy gun. The .45 is also a very powerful cartridge. This means that the recoil spring in the gun is comparably heavy, making the slide mechanism have quite a bit of oomph when loading the next round. Too bad that this can mean major damage to shells when they don't eject properly while unloading a live round. I have had a multitude of damaged bullets from this. The damages include bent cases, dented cases, and probably the scariest one, pressing the bullet further into the case. I have never seen anything like this before, but there it is. (pictured left) The reason this is so bad is because the bullet being pressed further into the case will increase the pressure when it is fired. This slightly shorter bullet could have resulted in a blown up gun. (worst case scenario) So when unloading a gun, point down and away from anything, eject the magazine and pull back firmly on the slide. The live round should eject normally, if it doesn't, lock the slide back and remove the jammed round.

My practice now is pretty simple to avoid these issues. I clean all my guns once a month, (a good practice to be in anyway) while doing so I empty all magazines and inspect every round. I lightly oil them as well with Rem oil from a spray can, I find this helps prevent corrosion and reduces jamming. In addition to that I inspect any live round that I eject when unloading my carry gun.

Surviving the next Sandy

2013-05-16T11:12:00.003-07:00

For those who have experienced this first hand, this post is coming a bit too late. But if you have been reading you'll know that there are a few posts that apply to this disaster. I am very disheartened to see that no one takes their own survival seriously until the news and Facebook tells them to. Preparation is paramount living anywhere in the world. Now it seems that these types of extreme weather are happening more frequently, making long term preparation more necessary. You cannot wait until the day before the storm to stock up, and a run on the gas stations days after only causes panic and gas shortages. To tell everyone that they should get gas today because "all those assholes from Jersey are gonna buy up all our gas" is a self fulfilling prophecy. We did run out of gas here, for one day. Solely because everyone filled up at once. Why was every gas can in the state bought up? I have five or six gas cans. You would think that anyone with a car or a lawnmower would've picked one up before then.

You wanna know what my preparation for this was? I started the generator for a few minutes to make sure it was running ok and Jenna put all the lawn furniture in the shed. No hoarding gas, no running to Home Depot to fight over generators, no buying up a hundred C batteries. (By the way if you still have one of those giant Mag lights that even uses C batteries you are severely outdated in the lighting department) Granted, I am a crazy person, so I am very over prepared for something like this, but there is really no reason to not have five days worth of food in your house. In this post I am gonna lay out a really cheap survival kit, this combined with a five day food supply and you should be able to ride out about anything that might hit the Northeast.

I will touch on food only briefly, just think of three simple meals per day, per person. (Non-perishable of course) Might be a good idea to avoid foods that require cooking, think of soup, spam, stuff like that. Personally I like to stock up on rice and dried beans, the main reason is that they're cheap and last indefinitely if kept dry. These do require cooking but if you have a camp stove or a generator (or the simple ability to make fire) this isn't a problem. For simple indoor cooking I like Sterno, they work well and it's easy to cut up a soup can to make a little stove. Make sure to buy the name brand ones though, they are the only ones I've found that guarantee safe use indoors. I also have a butane stove from MSR that i really like. (purchased at Eastern Mountain Sports) If you can spare the cash commercially available emergency food is a good bet. Most of them are freeze dried and require boiling water. A really good option are military style MRE's. (Meals ready to eat) These can be opened up and eaten as is, or warmed up. Some even come with a heater that uses a chemical reaction to heat your food, it only requires a couple ounces of water to do so.

-First thing in your kit should be flashlights. Buy good ones! Cheapo flashlights are not bright, unreliable and they chew through batteries. Mini Mag Light LED is a cheap, reliable option. They will run about four hours on one set of batteries. Swap new batteries into the kit every two years.

-Next have a mylar survival blanket for each person in the house, you can get them in the camping section at any store that has a camping section. You never know how long the power will be out, or how cold it will be while it is.

-A good first aid kit is important to have in the house any way, build one or buy one.

-A bunch of guns. Not for everyone, I know, just saying is all.

-At least two road flares, important for signaling for help.

-A crank or battery powered radio.

-Two lighters and matches. The best kind to get would be the strike anywhere waterproof ones. (camping section)

-At least six 9 hour emergency candles (camping section as well)

-A solid muti-tool is a must, if you don't know your knives you can't go wrong with a Gerber, they sell them at Dick's. I prefer Columbia river, they sell them at Eastern Mountain sports or on Amazon.

-Some kind of water container is possibly the most important, at least five gallons worth per person. With flooding comes sewage and seawater, possibly contaminating the drinking water supply. Fill your containers before the storm and if there is flooding, do not trust the tap water until it is deemed safe. If you don't have a container, fill the bathtub.

When you get the news that a storm is coming, go through and check the kit, test batteries and check your water supply. You should also pack a bag for each person in the event of an evacuation. I also cannot stress enough how important cash is. If phone lines are down and power is out, you cannot use your debit card or withdraw money at the atm. If you are evacuated a couple hundred bucks will be a good thing to have with you. And yes, you should have a full tank of gas. A good rule of thumb is to always keep a half tank in your vehicle, true for hurricanes and the zombie apocalypse.

Having now covered the basic survival end of things I want to talk about one of the simpler things. As we have seen, people in the city were desperate to simply charge their phone. It may sound stupid, but a charged phone could be a lifesaver. Not just from boredom, but in the event of a medical emergency, or to simply let a loved one know that you're ok. If you have a smartphone, and no way to charge it, turn the damn thing off. Change your outgoing message to reflect that, and turn it on a few times a day to check it. If you have a car, make sure to have a car charger, worst case you can charge it out there. If you don't have a car you're gonna have to plan ahead. One of my many contingencies is a solar backup battery, I did a post on it a few months back. (Solar Battery Backup) This thing is pretty cool, and it can give you about a charge and a half before it dies. As long as its sunny you can top it off all day and charge at night.

For a longer term solution, I have a D/C system set up in my closet, using two car batteries and a solar panel. I did a quick video on it awhile back. (Be inventive) This is a bit ambitious for most. The simple way to make one of these small systems is an automotive jump box and a 12 volt solar panel. These can be picked up at place like Autozone or Advance auto parts for under 150 dollars. Most of these jump packs have a 12v power outlet you can plug a car charger into. So just keeping it plugged into the wall until the power goes out will probably give you enough to charge your phone for a week.

When riding the train

2013-05-11T06:20:00.001-07:00

Many of us spend a good part of the day traveling via public transportation. I'm not a commuter myself but I am currently riding the train on my way to Grand Central. Travel by train is incredibly safe, much more so than by car. Same goes for buses and airplanes. This being said, when things goes awry on these types of transport, it can be disastrous. So heres few tips for traveling via train. These are easily applied to bus and air travel as well.

First things first, choose your seat. (Whenever possible) I prefer to choose the seats at the ends of the train when the train is a bit empty. Gives me four seats to spread out a bit, and usually a power outlet. Another big advantage to these seats is also the close proximity to the doors and your choice on direction to face. Being near the door is a no brainer, but the direction you're facing in the event of a crash can minimize injury. Facing backwards limits the likelihood of being thrown from your seat. Admittedly it would be of little help in a derailment, but I feel it can't hurt.

Next know your exits. Make sure you have two exits in mind at all times. Count the number of seats to each, so you can reach them in the dark. (You should have flashlight on you, I carry a penlight in my pocket at all times) If you aren't seated by the doors I recommend sitting in an emergency exit row. Even when seated in this row, be sure to memorize the route to the nearest exit on the opposite side of the train. If the train becomes derailed it is very likely that your car will be on its side when it comes to a stop. Read the directions on how to operate the emergency exit a couple times so you don't have to do so under duress. Take note of where emergency tools are located as well. On my train there's an emergency pry bar above the exit closest to me and the emergency door controls are to my left.

The more likely emergency that you will encounter would be something like a fire. This is unlikely to be a real emergency as the car you're on catching fire is near impossible. A diesel locomotive can catch fire, but there are many redundancies to keep that fire from spreading to the passenger cars. In this scenario, passengers panicking is probably the bigger danger. All you can do is pay attention and keep calm. I also like to keep all my stuff together in my bag so I'm not scrambling if they evacuate the train.

These scenarios are highly unlikely, but don't be complacent! Being aware of your surroundings becomes second nature very quickly, and takes no time at all. Those few moments of looking around while choosing your seat could save your life.

-Update, 5/18

Thankfully no one was killed, but yesterday at 6:10 pm there was a derailment on a Metro North train in Connecticut. About 60 people were injured, 5 critically, when a New Haven-bound commuter train derailed and struck a Manhattan bound train on the track beside it. It is unclear as of yet what caused the derailment.

Living Outside, with Cody Lundin

2013-03-21T12:51:00.002-07:00

Henry Ar-7 Survival Rifle

2013-01-28T12:05:00.001-08:00

Guns, whatever your opinion on them, are an excellent survival tool. While my AR-15 might be a great tool for self defense if the proverbial "shit hit the fan" it would certainly be a bit much for varmint hunting. I have been wanting a .22 caliber rifle for awhile for this purpose, and one that is this tailor made for survival is right up my alley. The Henry U.S. Survival rifle is a semi-automatic chambered in .22 LR. The biggest selling point being that it all breaks down and stores in the buttstock. It also floats when stowed. You can get it in black or camo and it comes with two eight round magazines.

First impressions, well made and sturdy, despite the light weight. Solid construction and ease of use make it the perfect survival weapon. The light weight and low recoil make it feel like the ideal weapon to hand off to a novice shooter. Right out of the box it fired dead center at 25 meters and 3 inches low and left at 50. Had it firing consistently within the 20 ring in minutes. Over the day at the range I fired off about 280 rounds... with 6 malfunctions. Normally I would consider this pretty bad, but all but one were misfeeds on loading the first round. I think the issue was mostly due to the hollow point ammunition I was using. All I shot was CCI high velocity hollow points in 36 grain. I didn't have an issue until after the 200 round mark, so I think lead fouling was a bit of an issue. From what I have read these rifles don't like hollowpoints, that is all I shot today so I guess I did pretty well. The only malfuction I had while firing was a stovepipe ejection. For those that don't know this is when the empty shell lodges in the ejection port. Other that that all malfunctions were on loading the first shell.

Overall I think that the benefits of this rifle handily outweigh its shortcomings. I don't have any reservations about adding this rifle to my kit. Aside from the couple misfeeds I had, the rifle shot well and was accurate enough to hunt with. Firing a consistent 5 inch group with hollow points is just fine at 50 meters, and at 25 the groups dropped to about three inches. Did I mention it's fun as hell to shoot?

Merrell Minimalist Shoes

2013-01-19T08:55:00.001-08:00

Over the last couple years I have been really getting into the "barefoot" movement. I have been wearing Vibram Five Fingers every day since last Christmas and have done a few barefoot hikes and camping trips. The results I've experienced have been phenomenal, my back pain is all but gone and I don't feel nearly as tired after a hike. The only place I cannot wear my Vibrams is at work. Believe me, even being a mechanic I would still wear them at work if I thought I could get away with it. Two weeks ago I had finally had it with work boots. My feet hurt, my back hurt, my ankle is constantly getting tweaked. (Aggravating an old injury) So I began looking seriously at "barefoot" type minimalist shoes.

There are a lot of these out there from nearly all running shoe manufacturers. I decided on a pair of Merrells, the "Barefoot Run Trail Glove". (wide width) The reviews were excellent and they had Vibram soles. The wide toe box was a nice selling feature as well. First impressions were not great, they seem a little cheaply made for the 110 dollar price tag, I heard a few stitches rip when using the heel loop to put them on the first time.

When I did finally get them on they seemed pretty comfortable. (I knew that they would be difficult to fit at first, I'm used to this with Vibrams) I immediately noticed an odd feeling that I was facing uphill, almost as if the heel was lower than the front of the shoe. An odd feeling at the very least, but not horrible. I think it has something to do with the fact that they are supposed to be running shoes. The wide toe box is very nice, and they feel very secure going up and downhill. The following day I wore them to work, after that day I wasn't quite sold. The low heel makes it feel like you're doing toe lifts all day, something I've never experienced with a minimalist shoe. They also aren't very grippy on tile floors, not an issue on pavement or dirt, but an issue for daily use. I didn't want to make a decision based on one day so I gave it a week. At this point I've gotten used to the quirks and I'm fairly happy with them. There was certainly a transitional period where my shins hurt and my feet would cramp a bit. I went through the same thing when I went to Vibrams, but it passes quickly. Now aside from traction issues indoors, they work pretty well for my purposes. I'm sure for trail running or hiking they would be absolutely perfect. I really don't see myself ever choosing them over my Five Fingers, but on a cold day the ability to wear thick socks might make these tempting. For work they're passable, though they offer no protection in the shop, they look enough like sneakers that no one would question them. I would certainly choose them over a boot any day, but they don't even come close to the comfort of my Five Fingers.

Update 8/14/13

I have now been wearing these to work everyday for eight months. I gotta say, no complaints here. (just don't expect them to be waterproof at all) They have certainly held up better than any of my Vibrams have. I'm nearly through the tread and I've had nothing break down on me at all. They are light, comfortable and durable. I only wish they had toes.

An Apocalypse Survival Christmas 2

2013-01-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

So this is survival Christmas number two! Sorry I couldn't get this one out sooner, been a busy few weeks. Well it seems we have all survived the 2012 apocalypse then, oh well, I think we were all secretly hoping for it. Those who know me well enough to buy me a gift, I'm sure you've noticed my Amazon wishlist has a bit of a theme. Pretty much an even mix of survival gear and vinyl records. Apparently even with the survival gear I still qualify as a hipster. For the most part I have about all I need (or can afford) for gear. I certainly have way more than I can carry, so why more? It just seems like every time I feel like I have it all, I find out about some awesome new thing that must be mine.

My first gift this year was from my dad, a Smith & Wesson tactical pen. (Pictured right) There are a few of these types of pens out there, but I haven't really heard to much about them. The basic idea is an aluminum pen with a decent point at one end that can be used as a stabbing implement in a defensive situation. Now hopefully I won't have to resort to my pen for self defense, but you never know. Ideally I carry a firearm on my person at all times, but there are dozens of times a month I would say, where this is not an option. For instance when I head down to the city, or when at work. Now usually at these times I do have some kind of weapon on me, generally a knife at all times and the addition of my Kimber pepper blaster when visiting the five boroughs. Now the very few times that I would be without either I would say is if I left my knife at home by accident when I headed to work. This is a pretty rare occurrence. Being a mechanic I utilize a pocket knife dozens of times in a day, making my lockback as important to carry as my wallet. This being said, I like to have at least one backup for every piece of gear I own, and dual purpose items are a plus. I need a pen at work anyway, so it might as well have a tactical purpose. Now I know all of these factors are extremely unlikely to occur all at once, but I prefer to hedge my bets. So lets assume I head to work and forget my knife, then head to lunch with some of the guys. For the most part the guys at work are all into this kinda stuff, but there are a few that would be unnerved by "lemme just run out to the car and grab my gun." So in these situations, the weapon is safely locked away (unloaded and cable locked) in the glove box. In this highly unlikely situation, I would be completely unarmed. In my youth I would never have had a problem with this, but a couple pulled back muscles and an old ankle injury have made me question how well I could really handle myself in a fight nowadays. Something solid to defend myself with is just as much a sense of security as it is a real asset, so I'll take it.

First impressions of it are that it feels pretty solid, with a nice clip that is bolted on with two torx screws. This was one reason that this model caught my eye. Many of them have a clip that is attached with a semi-circle of metal that can easily pop loose when snagged. An issue I constantly run into with Streamlight pen lights. (more on that in a bit) One surprise was that it had a screw on top, making the "stabby" end the bottom of the pen. The top unscrews from the main body of the pen and sits on the pointy bit while writing. At first glance on the internet it looked like a click or screw type retractable. Not really an issue that affects performance, but with daily use it is a little more annoying to be constantly unscrewing the top to use it. As far as quality it is akin to a decent quality aluminum flashlight. The screw doesn't have a seal of any kind so submersion in water probably wouldn't be an option. Though all that would be damaged is the refill, I won't be checking how well the machined aluminum seals until I have a refill in hand. The only major disappointment in the pen I would say is that it's kind of a crappy pen. For stabbing, seems great, pen part not so much. Writing feels like a cheap-o bic. Admittedly I am a bit of a snob in this regard, preferring Uni-ball or Pilot Precise for daily use. Hopefully the refill is a common type, allowing for the option to upgrade to a fountain or higher quality roller ball. Overall seems like a good deal, especially since it it only costs about 20 dollars on Amazon. For something like this the thing you need to consider is that you can't plan for everything, and sometimes you cannot justify paying a lot for something you will hopefully never use. Until I hear of someone actually having to use this, there is just no way to know what the performance will be. All I can put forward is that it's a working pen, and I would not want someone to stab me with it.

Another gift I got (also from Dad) Is the Streamlight ProTac 2AA LED flashlight. (Pictured above) I have owned one in the past but had lost it. I am extremely happy with pretty much any Streamlight product I have used. I believe I have reviewed them before so I won't be too long winded with this one. Solid, durable and reliable, you really can't go wrong with this light. With a 120 lumen max output it is really bright. It has a 1.75 hour run time on the highest setting, 4 hours on the low setting. It also has a strobe feature and a rubber push button tail cap. Excellent tactical flashlight and small enough for everyday carry in your pocket. The only real down side to this light is the clip, if it gets snagged on something it goes flying. I have had this issue with all of my penlights from Streamlight. I think I have four or five AAA versions missing the clip. If you were to use the included nylon holster this wouldn't be an issue I suppose, but I just have too much crap strapped to myself already.

With the help of Christmas money I was able to finally purchase a decent bicycle, something I have wanted for a long time. A bike is something everyone really should have, It's great exercise, (something I certainly need) as well as a gasoline free form of transportation. Just seeing the panic that ensued at the pumps after hurricane Sandy, I can only wonder what would happen if there was a national fuel crisis. With my bike I could get back and forth to work and the store, albeit much more slowly. At about 10 miles it will be a bit of a haul to work but it is doable. I look forward to giving it a shot when it gets a bit warmer. When I went to get my bike I had a Cannondale Quick CX in mind. Msrp was around the 600 dollar mark. What I really wanted was the higher end one with disc brakes, unfortunately way out of my price range. So while at the store I asked about some of the other brands to see if there was something comparable in my price range. The salesperson suggested a Specialized Crosstrail. All the same features of the Cannondale I wanted, but below the 600 dollar mark. I felt the disc brakes were more important than the brand, so after some quick Googling of reviews on my phone, I went with his suggestion and I am very happy with it. Riding around the city of Poughkeepsie, the ability to stop on a dime makes me feel much safer. When selecting a model, front suspension and slightly aggressive tires were important to me. I like being able to cut through parks and hop up and over curbs easily. Though I don't think this particular model would be great on the trail, it works well for mild off road use. Today after work will be my first long distance ride, hoping to get 20 miles in before dark.

My Review of VIBRAM FIVEFINGERS Men's TrekSport

2012-12-23T15:19:00.001-08:00

Originally submitted at Eastern Mountain Sports

With an emphasis on traction and performance, the FiveFingers TrekSport features a cleated 4 mm Vibram rubber outsole and a Coconut Active Carbon upper for natural breathability and abrasion resistance.

Five fingers will change your life.

By Captain Hitop from Poughkeepsie NY on 12/23/2012

Sizing: Feels true to size

Width: Feels too narrow

Pros: Comfortable, Durable, Lightweight

Cons: Not Water Resistant

Best Uses: Mixed Terrain, Grass, Around the house, Rocky/Unstable Terrain, At The Gym, Everyday, Paved Trails

Describe Yourself: Recreational Walker/Hiker, Survivalist

Was this a gift?: No

Vibram five fingers are by far the most comfortable shoe you will ever wear. I have been wearing these every day for about a year and I now own three pairs. They are really comfortable and lightweight. Humans are not built to wear shoes, so why wear something that is bulky and impedes natural movement? Ever since I started wearing these all my back problems have dissapeared. I feel less fatigued after walking and they are just flat out more comfortable. They can be a bit cold in the winter so I recommend buying a pair a size up to accomodate socks. My only complaint is that they no longer make this model in leather, and that they don't offer enough models in earth tones. Try them out, they will change your life.

Bailey, uninterested in my new footwear...

Tags: Using Product, Picture of Product

(legalese)

Tinder

2012-12-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

Dry tinder is the first and most important ingredient in a fire. Building a fire is all about adding bigger and bigger pieces slowly until it can sustain itself. It all starts with a tiny ember, unless you're using gasoline that is. For most of my fires I use a farrow rod, and I have dozens of favorites for tinder. In this post I will outline a few of the best ones. One you can make, one that is plentiful in urban areas and two that can be found in the wild.

The first can be made at home or at the campsite, it's called charcloth. To make your own charcloth start with any cloth made of 100% cotton. Place it inside a tin that can be sealed, an Altoids tin works well, and puncture a small hole in the top with a knife. Place the tin in the coals of a fire and give it about five minutes, it should stay in until you can no longer see smoke coming from the hole. Remove the tin and once it's cool check the cloth. It should have turned totally black and be very delicate, ripping easily. The cotton has now turned to pure carbon and will take the tiniest spark. Keep it dry and it will light first try every time.

The second is simple steel wool, found at places like Home Depot or any automotive shop. Steel wool takes a spark easily and will glow red hot when blown on. Lighting it with a match works well too. Placing a 9 volt battery on the surface of the wool will also cause it to ignite.

Cattail is going to be the easiest to spot, everyone knows what they look like. Not only are they edible, but at this time of year they are great when gathered for tinder. By now they are all dried out and the normally densely packed seeds have now turned to a fluffy white mass. Simply place in the middle of your tinder bundle and drop in an ember. If they are still fresh and brown they can be dried for a few days after breaking them off the plant.

The fourth is a bit harder to find, It's called Chaga. Chaga is a fungus that grows exclusively on birch trees. Birch bark has an oil in it that is extremely flammable, and this fungus absorbs this oil. Birch bark itself is an excellent fire starter, but this stuff takes it to a whole other level. Once it takes a spark it's actually hard to put out. I carry a chunk with me in my bag at all times. To find it you want to look for a large black mass growing on a birch tree. When broken open, it's a reddish orange inside.

Maxpedition Fatboy Versipack

2012-12-12T13:30:00.000-08:00

Those that know me have seen my "Survival Attache" before. When I first got into all this survival stuff I realized that in order to be prepared at all I would need more than what I could carry. So my approach has become somewhat akin to not keeping all my eggs in one basket. If I lose one cache of gear, I have another backup. The basic idea is to have everything you need to survive within your home. Then to have enough to survive till you get home within your vehicle, and enough to survive till you get to your vehicle on your person. Go bags are pretty easy, just imagine you're going on a camping trip with the possibility of being robbed or shot at. Now it is certainly not possible to carry all that crap around with you all day, but you can carry the basics. I won't go into everything I carry as I already did a blog post on that. ( It's not a purse, It's a "Survival Attache" )

What I want to talk about is my new bag, the Maxpedition Fatboy Versipack. I heard about these bags from an ad in a magazine, they looked pretty good so I did some research. The reviews were overall very good aside from the occasional complaint that it was too small. (I can see that complaint, it seems bigger in the picture. If you want something bigger they do make the jumbo model, which I haven't checked out yet. ) There are many options with these bags, for this model there is the regular one and the GTG. This is the standard one. (The video below illustrates the differences) So you will have to decide what suits your purposes best.

First impressions are, damn, this may be too small. After a few days though that feeling has passed. It really forces you to prioritize. So I am carrying a smaller water bottle, but all the other essentials I was able to fit after organizing a bit. The construction is very heavy duty and it is quite obvious this will outlast my off brand bag. With many pockets and compartments it makes excellent use of the limited space and has molle style webbing so it can be expanded if needed. The major selling point for me was the dedicated concealed carry pocket at the back. Any hook and loop (velcro) universal holster fits but you can get one right from them for about ten bucks. The bag being a bit small it wont accommodate my 1911, but the XD fits (barely) and my little Smith and Wesson is the perfect size. If you don't plan on using it for this purpose the back pocket would still come in handy.

My complaints are few, but they should be noted. The "cell phone pocket" is a joke. Even a bottom shelf free phone barely fits. You could never fit a smart phone in it. The GTG model has eliminated this pocket, and put molle webbing in its place. I wish this was the case for mine, but I decided the rear pocket with the molle and the magazine pocket was worth the sacrifice and went with this model. I do wish my 1911 would fit, but I didn't expect it to. I am not a fan of off body carry, and rarely do it. If anything I wanted options. Now if I'm just running out in shorts and a t-shirt I can sling the bag with the .38 in it and not worry about a bulky holster. It also gives me an option for a backup in the bag with a primary on my hip. My final complaint is that It's made in Taiwan. Now I am not one to avoid a product based on it's country of manufacture, I would just prefer it was made here. If it is a quality product, I will deal with it. Overall an incredibly comfortable and well made little bag. At 78$ it seems like a very good deal. The quality being way higher than many bags I've seen. The bag can be purchased through the Maxpedition website, but I found it a bit cheaper on Amazon.

Springfield Operator 1911

2012-10-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

Wanted to do a quick review of my new pistol, the Springfield Operator. This pistol is one that I've wanted for quite awhile, but never could afford. It's part of Springfield's loaded series of 1911 pistols. This one in particular was co-designed by Springfield Armory and the US Marine corps. The idea behind this weapon is to take all the aspects of a highly accurate competition 1911 pistol and apply them a rugged, all steel 1911. The result is quite impressive, I never knew I could shoot this well.

A little background on the 1911. It was designed by John Browning and adopted by the US military in 1911. Being that it is still in use today, it is the longest running firearm used by any military in history. (Shotguns possibly being the exception to that, but that's more of a class than a model) The 1911 platform is widely agreed upon by most shooters as the greatest handgun ever made. With a manual safety and a grip safety it was also a very safe gun to carry. With the harder hitting .45 caliber round it was an obvious choice for military use. Even today we are seeing a move away from the 9mm cartridge by many military entities. Opting now for more specialty cartridges including .40 caliber, and using old standbys like the .45 caliber.

There are literally thousands of choices when it comes to a 1911 purchase. My reasoning behind this purchase was mostly due to reputation and brand loyalty. It also helps that this model comes Olive Drab. One thing that I knew I really wanted was an integrated accessory rail. This is not all that common in the 1911 world, but is starting gain some momentum. The ability to attach a light and laser is a great thing to have. The added weight of the frame also helps with recoil and muzzle rise, lending to faster follow up shots. Weighing in at 42 oz. it is a very heavy gun, but I kinda like that about it. They do have the lightweight operator, with an aluminum frame, which is much lighter at 32 oz. If the full steel frame is too heavy for you it would be a good option.

Some other standard features on this gun are Trijicon® night sights and a match trigger. Along with a Pacmayer® rubberized wraparound grip, and ambidextrous safety. The gun also comes with two magazines, a paddle holster, double mag holder, and a cleaning rod. Surprisingly the holster is great, I like it almost more than the DeSantis® leather one I purchased. When I purchased my Springfield XD a few years ago, the holster it came with was not so good. This one I will definitely get use out of. Just the two magazines is a plus, generally they only come with one. I guess for the price it should be expected, but they include two even with the lower end models.

Shooting this gun is by far the best time I've ever had shooting a pistol. The added weight makes the recoil completely manageable, and speed shooting is cake. This is a gun that even a novice shooter could stack bullets with. The large grip may make it tough for some, but with average to larger hands it's quite comfortable to shoot. The only downside I have noticed is that 7 rounds in the magazine goes quick. You really need to practice reloads.

Being a New Yorker we have to deal with a ten round maximum in any magazine manufactured after 1994. So the seven round magazines arent that much less capacity, but I do prefer ten rounds whenever possible. It wouldn't seem like that three rounds would make much of a difference, but it does take some getting used to. Luckily when you order a loaded series 1911 from Springfield, they offer you a one time accessory order at cost. Which means ten round clips for 18 bucks each, nearly half price. The downside to these is they stick out quite a bit, not great for concealment. So they sit in my bag ready for a reload.

Its now been about a month since I picked up this pistol, and about five trips to the range. With about 500 rounds downrange it has performed flawlessly, with one exception. The malfunction I kept having was an inability to unload the weapon with a round chambered, very scary situation. After a ton of trial and error, it turns out ammo was the culprit. Hornady TAP +P specifically. It was actually too tall for my gun, causing the bullet to lodge in the barrel. I have never seen this happen before, the gun is rated for +P ammo, and the ammo is in spec, they just don't work. It all has to do with head spacing in the barrel. .45 automatics with closer tolerances will not accept this particular ammo, but it works fine in all the polymer pistols we tried at the gun shop. I am now running Hornady critical defense .45 auto in 165 grain.

Overall I am incredibly happy with this pistol, if you have the means I highly recommend you pick one up. If not, a more affordable option can be found in the range officer model from Springfield. All the real world benefits without all the bells and whistles.

Solar Battery Backup

2012-08-13T17:11:00.001-07:00

This is a quick review of a solar powered backup battery I picked up. I wanted one of these so I could charge my iPod and phone while out on the trail. I got this one on Amazon for under 30 dollars. The reviews were mixed, but I figured for the price it was worth a shot. The specs are 3 hours to charge with the wall outlet, 5 hours via USB, and 6 hours will give a 50% charge in full sun. From what the manual says you can't get above a 50% charge with sunlight, but the solar aspect is more for topping off.

First impressions are as mixed as the reviews. The solar panel looks very well made, sturdy and scratch resistant. The rest on the other hand, not so much. It has the feel of one of those iPod knock offs you win at the boardwalk. But hey, it was only 30 bucks. It also has a state of charge indicator on the back and an led on a flexible stalk. I'm sure I will get of use out of the light.

For the first charge they recommend a full charge via wall outlet. So three hours later I gave it a try, it charges my iPod, success so far. Over the next few days I topped off my devices, and did two full charges on my phone. (had to recharge the backup twice) So far it delivers as advertised. I would probably get about ten full charges on my iPod Nano, and one and a half on my Droid with one full charge on the backup. This is going to be really great for battery sucking train rides to the city. I did attempt to charge an ipad, no luck there. It sucked the backup down to zero and barely reached 5% charged.

Today, with the backup totally dead, I left it in the sun from 9 am to around 2:30. As promised, it charged to 50%. Another hour later it was still there, so 50% does seem to be the max for solar charging. Not ideal, but it would certainly be enough to keep a phone running, and more than enough for an iPod. Overall I'm pretty happy with it. The downfall will certainly be durability. I really don't think this thing would survive even a mild drop. But for the price I can't complain. It will be perfect for commuting and for camping.

Remora No Clip Holster

2012-07-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

For those that carry, I'm sure you have had trouble finding that perfect holster. As far as I can tell, it doesn't exist. There are a few that come damn close, and Remora is one of those holsters. I have found over the last few years that you really do need a holster for every occasion, including the clothing being worn and the temperature outside. Are you headed somewhere that it won't be a big deal if you show a bit? Or will it be a major problem if your gun is showing? For me the big problem I always had was on the motorcycle. I was having so much trouble concealing my XD that I went out an bought a .38 for pocket carry.

At that time I was using an in IWB (in waistband) holster from Desantis. I dont want to knock that holster, it is incredibly comfortabe, and well made. The only problem is to carry on the hip you need to buy pants 1-2 sizes too big. To carry at the small of the back works well, but you cannot sit down as the gun sticks straight out. This holster was out of the question when riding the motorcycle as well for this reason. My second holster purchase for that gun was another Desantis, this one a leather outside the waistband. Another fine holster, but much harder to conceal. It can be hidden under a t-shirt, but there is a noticeable bulge. The average person wouldn't notice, but it is there. This holster is excellent for carry under a jacket or sweatshirt, but summer is here and that is not gonna work too well. The major downside I haven't mentioned yet is that I can't utilize any of my lights or lasers.

I have searched for years to find an IWB holster that will fit my gun with the light attached. There are many Kydex options for outside the waistband, but very few for IWB carry. I first heard of Remora from video reviews on Youtube, all of which were overwhelmingly positive. They have an interesting design, using a rubberized, grippy material for retention instead of clips. This allows you to place it in your waistband wherever you prefer and at any angle. It doesn't seem like it would be secure enough, but after the videos I saw I was sold. So I ordered one, amazingly it was only 35 dollars. Along with my order I inquired about 1911 holsters, as they didn't list a holster for the model I'm planning on buying.

I recieved an email from Alan (presumably the owner) within a day, thanking me for my order and my inquiry about the 1911 holster. He gave me the model number for the holster I would need, and told me to reference the email for a free mag holder for my trouble. I was amazed, it really was no trouble at all. So about 5 days later my XD holster arrived, with a personalized note from Alan. First impressions are very positive, high quality construction and nice look. I ordered the model to fit my XD 40 with a 4 inch barrel and light modification with the reinforced top. On my first try I actually had to put the holster in place before I buttoned up my jeans, it was that grippy. Once in place, it would not budge, draws nicely and had a good feel IWB. The only downside, my light didn't fit, The gun alone works just fine, but it was too tight with the light attached. I figured I must have ordered the wrong size, so I double check the part number. No luck, I ordered the right one and it doesn't fit. So I email them and used the holster without the light for the time being.

During daily carry it worked great, deep concealment even on the bike, and really secure. About two days later I recieve an email from Alan. He apologized for the problem and said it was most likely due to the reinforced top option. It stretches the material wider, making the clearance on the bottom smaller, only allowing the smallest of lights and lasers. He went on to apologize for the issue, and said he would send out a replacement that would work better. As far as the first one I got, he said to keep it in case I had a friend who could use it or I wanted to carry without my light. I was blown away by this, by far the best customer service I have recieved in a long time.

A few days later my replacement arrived, and it works great. The only downside is without the reinforced top, reholstering is a little tougher. A minor sacrifice to make for having my light at the ready. I suppose it's the draw that really counts anyway. I have carried with this holster for about a week straight and it has not so much as budged once. Draws cleanly and easily, and is very comfortable as I can put it wherever I want regardless of what I wear. The biggest surprise of all, was the 1911 holster included in the package. A free gift to make up for the inconvenience, what an amazing company. Now I really can't wait to get my 1911. Remora has certainly gained a customer for life.

http://remoraholsters.com/

Be inventive

2012-05-17T10:13:00.001-07:00

There's more than one way to charge a cell phone.

Retrieveable Ammunition

2012-05-09T08:42:00.000-07:00

Guns are great survival tools, but they do have their drawbacks. They are loud, require cleaning, and use ammunition that cannot be retrieved after use. They are certainly a large part of my survival plan, but I'm planning for the long term. I would love to tell you that my attempts at building a bow went swimmingly, unfortunately this is not the case. If I were less proud I would post the video of my bow breaking on the first draw. Thankfully Cabela's still stands.

I went with a Martin Jaguar three piece recurve. I didn't have any particular brand in mind but I wanted the three piece recurve because it can be broken down and put into a backpack. A compound bow or a crossbow would definitely be superior in accuracy and power, but this recurve is lighter and breaks down more easily. I also really wanted to build my skills without sights. After all, any improvised bow that I make will be without them.

Overall it is a great bow, very reliable and simple to use. The only downside is the arrow rest it came with, a friend got me a much better one as a gift and it has made a huge difference in accuracy. With a 50 pound draw it can be a challenge for someone smaller but you can untwist the string a bit to lower the draw weight. ( thereby lowering the power as well ) It also has the ability to attach sights and a quiver should I choose to at some point. The entire bow breaks down to about 24" with an allen key, and fits easily in my pack.

Build a Smokehouse

2012-05-01T13:46:00.000-07:00

Smoking meat has been practiced for thousands of years as a way to preserve meat unrefrigerated for an extended period of time. It's also quite tasty. Now sure I could've just gone out and bought a smoker, but I like to improvise. My idea was to build a cold smoker, so that I could smoke cheese as well as meat. For this project you will need a wooden box of a fair size, a pipe at least six inches in diameter, a shovel, and a pot lid at least sixteen inches across. I'm using the lid off of my charcoal grill. The idea is to build a Dakota stove with a chimney leading into the wooden box. A Dakota stove is simply two holes with a tunnel dug between them. Build a fire in one and it will pull air through the tunnel. This is traditionally done so that a campfire cannot be seen from any distance away. Very important if you're trying to stay hidden in big sky country. The reason I'm using this method is that a smoke house is usually built into a hill, I do not have a hill.

Start by cutting a hole in the bottom and top of the box, being sure that the one in the bottom is larger that the top. Save the cutout from the bottom and use it to cover the upper hole. Select the location for the smoker. Dig a hole a distance away matching the length of the pipe you have, dig a second smaller hole about a foot away from the main fire hole. Dig a tunnel towards the bottom of the hole about six inches in diameter between the two for the air inlet. Now dig a trench between the smoke house and the fire hole deep enough to bury the pipe. Bury the pipe under at least a few inches of dirt. (Place a branch on top to keep it from getting stepped on and crushed) The soil acts as a heat sink, cooling the smoke as it moves through the pipe. A cold smoke allows you to cure without cooking, important for sausages and cheese. If you do have a hill, dig out a fireplace and run the pipe just like a chimney up to the smokehouse.

When its all done start a roaring fire in the main hole with the lid off. Charcoal works best, but any dry hardwood works. Avoid soft woods like pine and cedar, they can deposit soot and some pretty nasty stuff, they will definitely ruin the meat. While you're waiting on the fire, soak hardwood chips in water, at least a half hour. Soaked chips produce more smoke and keep the fire from getting too hot. Any hardwood chips will work but some are better than others for flavor. I prefer hickory and apple, maple and oak give nice flavor as well. Chips can be purchased in the grilling section at the store or you can chop them yourself, if you have a wood chipper even better. For my last smoke I did a combo of store bought hickory and maple I chopped myself. By now the coals should be ready, hold your hand over the fire pit, if you can't count to five without pulling your hand away it's hot enough. Pile a big handful of wet chips in the middle of the coals and cover the fire hole. The chimney being on top and the air inlet on the bottom should make it draft easily, if you get smoke out of both holes try blowing in the air inlet. Adjust the opening on top of the box using the cover you cut out of the bottom. The idea is to keep as much smoke in, while still allowing the draft to work.

For the inside of my smoker I use cooling racks that are normally used for baking, I also hang meat inside. For this BBQ im smoking slab bacon, one whole chicken and about ten drums. I smoked this batch for about four hours, adding chips and rotating the meat every hour. After the smoke, grill and add your favorite sauce.

Know your Plastics

2012-04-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

Plastic is one of the most common items in the world. We make everything out of it, but not all plastics are created equal. Some are good, most are bad. If you turn over any plastic item it should have a recycling symbol with a number in it. Occasionally this number will not be there, unless it says PP in the symbol in place of a number it should be discarded. The number system identifies the type of plastic, PP denotes polypropylene, which is food safe. If there is no identification, assume the worst and throw it away. Plastic products are full of chemicals, many can leech into food and water, some simply deposit chemicals like BPA (Bis phenol-A) on everything they touch. Most of these chemicals are long term dangers, in a survival situation, use whatever you have to. In the case of prepping food and water for said survival situation, keep these things in mind. It is a good habit to be in, just in case the apocalypse never comes, it would be nice to live to a healthy old age.

#1 PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) Not food grade, avoid if possible.
Commonly used in soda bottles, water bottles, cooking oil containers. Should be avoided for anything other than water. They can leach antimony and phthalates. Not really any short term danger but not good for food storage, especially acidic contents.

#2 HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) Food grade, safe to use.
Commonly used in milk jugs, plastic bags, and garbage cans. This is the most common plastic you will find. It's widely used in the food service industry. Generally the big blue plastic barrels everyone uses for emergency water are made of this material as well.

#3 PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride, aka Vinyl): Not food grade, avoid if possible.
Commonly used in condiment bottles, shower curtains, Saran wrap, and toys.
Can leach lead and phthalates and other nasty chemicals. Can also release toxic gases when heated or exposed to chemicals.

#4 LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene): Food grade, safe to use.
Commonly used in grocery bags, food containers.

#5 PP (Polypropylene) Food grade, safe to use.
Commonly used in Gladware, water bottles and bottle caps.

#6 PS (Polystyrene, aka Styrofoam): Not safe, do not use.
Commonly used goddamn everywhere.
Can leach carcinogenic styrene and estrogenic alkylphenols. It's also about the worst thing for the environment on this list.

#7 Can be a variety of plastics, some are safe, most are not. If it doesn't specify, avoid.
PC (Polycarbonate) Avoid at all costs, it can leach Bis phenol-A (BPA). Also commonly used in thermal receipt tape so avoid that as well.
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), S. AN (Styrene Acrylonitrile), Acrylic, and Polyamide fall into this category too. They are safer, but not great. Some require a bit more research as well before I would trust them.

New plant-based, biodegradable plastics like PLA (Polylactic Acid) also fall into the #7 category and are food grade.

Wild Onion Soup

2012-04-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Now that you've made your own stock, time to make soup! I did a post about this time last year titled "Food is everywhere" To revisit this concept we will be making wild onion soup. Wild onions are easily spotted about this time of year. Commonly called onion grass, they look quite like a small patch of tall grass. Once you notice them, you can't help but see them everywhere. Dig up the taller clumps and pull out the bigger bulbs. They really do grow like weeds so unless you have a lot of time on your hands don't bother with the smaller ones. In a survival situation they can be eaten right out of the ground, though caloric content is pretty low. The flavor is like a cross between a chive and a green onion. Gather a whole bunch and clean them thoroughly. Chop off the roots and remove the bulb just below where it begins to turn green.

Ingredients-

-2 cups wild onion bulbs, cleaned and sliced in half lengthwise
-6 cloves garlic, chopped
-1/3 of a stick of butter
-1 tablespoon rendered chicken fat (optional but recommended)
-6 cups chicken broth (or beef)
-1 cup white wine (red if using beef)
-4 ounces beer (pale ale for chicken, stout for beef)
-1 tablespoon flour, (Any type will do)
-Salt and pepper to taste
-2 tablespoons Herbs De Provance or preferred French herb blend
-Sliced Baguette
-Provolone cheese, sliced

Melt butter and chicken fat in a large pot, add onions. Wild onion takes awhile to soften, saute for about 15-20 minutes until they begin to brown. This is where the chicken fat makes a difference, butter may not brown them much. When the onions are almost done add the garlic. Sprinkle flour on top and cook for an additional two or three minutes to cook off the raw flour taste. Add the wine and beer and bring to boil. Simmer until all the liquid is gone then pour in broth. If using home made stock I like to pre-mix it but you can do it in the pot, start with 3 cups water and add stock till it tastes right. Add herbs, salt and pepper, simmer uncovered for an hour. Taste and add spice as needed.

Toast the sliced baguette till it's quite crispy. Fill an oven safe bowl with soup and float the bread on top, cover with cheese and broil until the cheese browns.

Homemade Stock

2012-04-11T06:11:00.000-07:00

How often do you take those little cubes you put in your "home made" chicken soup for granted? Without the flavor that bullion cubes or canned chicken stock gives your soup, it comes out flat and boring. Kinda like boiled chicken with salt and garlic. Well the beauty of this post is that not only will it teach you to make your own stock, but it will teach you to be less wasteful. It also saves a ton of money. Throwing away this source of nutrition would be a big no no when you're trying to survive. You can make stock from the bones of any animal, though chicken and beef are the most common. For this one let's start with chicken, as the process is pretty similar either way. The basic idea is to boil bones low and slow to get all that tasty marrow out. Pretty easy right?

Ingredients-

-One dead chicken

-Whatever vegetables you have in the fridge

-All drippings left over from cooking aforementioned dead chicken

-Salt

Start with a whole roaster chicken, prepare it however you like. If you're planning on making soup, roasting the whole chicken is best, save the drippings. Put the meat in the fridge or freezer to add to the soup after the stock is done. Butchering first is fine too, just save all the bones and skin. They can be frozen as well, I like to save up two or three chicken carcasses and boil them all at once. Add all the bones to a big stockpot or crockpot and cover with water. Now add everything else. I prefer the slow cooker method as it uses less energy but on the stove is just fine too. (next project will be the solar cooker) As far as vegetables, I like to make sure I at least have a half onion per chicken and a few cloves of garlic. The more stuff you use, the better the flavor. Celery, potatoes, leeks, scallions, and apples have all worked well for me. You can add spices if you'd like, bear in mind it will limit what you can do with the stock.

If using a slow cooker, put on low and simmer for a minimum of twelve hours. For stovetop, bring to boil and turn down to simmer for twelve hours as well. The longer it goes, the better. I prefer over 24 hours. After it's boiled for as long as you like, remove from heat and strain out all the solids. The veggies are great for the dog, but for the most part the rest is garbage. To be as thorough as possible I put aside the big bones and let them cool long enough to handle them. Break the bones in half and put them in a pot on the stove and add the stock. Add salt to taste, it should be very salty, maybe double what you would put in the same amount of soup. Boil the stock uncovered for an additional hour. This removes some of the water content and gets the last little bit out of the bones. Boiling it down really just saves space for storage, if you're going to be making soup soon you can skip this step. After the hour, remove the last of the bones and pour off the stock into a tall container. For one chicken a quart size container is usually perfect.

Refrigerate overnight. The next day you will see all the fat has separated from the stock underneath, skim off and save. Pictured left is a beef stock a friend made. The stock should have the consistency of gelatin, if it's still runny, boil it down some more. Distribute the stock out to smaller containers and store in the freezer. If done properly it can be canned as well. I haven't tried this yet so I won't speculate. I prefer pouring it into ice cube trays, one cube equals roughly two servings of soup depending on how concentrated you manage to get it. For the fat there is a multitude of uses. Chicken fat can be a substitute for butter in most recipes, pork and beef fat make great candles. (See previous post) I like to add it back in when I roast my chickens, it concentrates the flavor and you don't have to add oil or butter.

The reason your mom always made you chicken soup when you were sick is for all the health benefits of stock. Being made from bone marrow it gives an immune system boost. It also helps the the healing process along, especially in the case of a broken bone or joint injury. These home remedies have gone by the wayside in recent years, hopefully things like this will make a comeback.

Pine pitch torch.

2012-04-04T12:46:00.001-07:00

Dandelion Mead

2012-04-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

This is a mead that I've been wanting to brew for the better part of a year, I just never seemed to get around to it. So today while wandering around outside the shop on my lunch, I noticed how many dandelions had flowered in the last day or so. In about twenty minutes I had enough picked for a one gallon batch. This is a good one for beginners due to the small amount. From what Ive read to make dandelion flower tea (You can make a tea from the leaves, but it is quite bitter) you need about eight flowers per twelve ounces of tea. One thing I have noticed about mead is that you lose quite a bit of flavor after racking, so I tend to make my teas much stronger for brewing. I used about 60 flowers, which is about six times as much needed for the average cup of this tea. Simply bring about a gallon of water to a boil and add the flowers. Remove from heat and cover. Allow to steep for and hour or so.

Once the tea is brewed, strain out the flowers using a mesh strainer. Add about half of the tea back into the pot, add two pounds of your favorite honey. For this batch I'm using Russel farms pure wild flower honey, from Rhinebeck NY. All honey, especially local stuff, has a different sugar content. This is why we start with half of the tea, it's much easier to add more tea than remove it. Add tea in small increments until the hydrometer* reads the desired potential. For this batch I'm looking for about 11% potential, hopefully ending in about two months at 1%, giving a total of 10% abv. If you don't have a hydrometer they can be picked up at any brewing supply store, or at Amazon for under ten dollars. If you want to make this before you get one, or society has broken down an you're unable to purchase one from Amazon, two pounds of honey makes roughly 10% potential in a gallon total of wort*. That's a gallon total, not adding to a gallon of water, so add the honey to a one gallon measure, then add the water. This should get you pretty close. This particular jar of honey gave me three quarts of wort at 12% potential. Once you've reached the desired sweetness, bring the mixture up to a rolling boil. This kills any wild yeasts or bacteria in the honey or water. While warming up, sanitize your fermenters.

There are several ways to sanitize. The most readily available is heat, simply fill the containers (in this case two 1/2 gallon growlers) with boiling hot water and cap them. This is similar to pasteurization, keeping the container above 160 degrees for about 10 minutes should kill anything inside. By far the easiest way is to buy a brewing disinfectant like Starsan, which I am using for this batch. A small amount of bleach mixed with water will work well, (about a capfull per gallon) but can leave some bad flavors behind. Disinfect a small piece of tinfoil as well to loosely cover the top. You cannot just cap it, IT WILL EXPLODE. Believe me, I've had it happen. I've found that with Mead you don't need to be quite as careful as with beer. Honey has natural disinfectant and antibacterial properties and gives you a little room for error, once your yeast is established theres little chance of something else taking hold. The traditional way to make mead by the way is to not disinfect at all and ferment openly, allowing the wild yeasts to penetrate the brew. I will be doing half in the traditional way and the other half using commercial brewing yeast. Which can also be picked up at a brewing supply or online. For mead I prefer Nottingham dry ale yeast.

Once your wort has boiled, remove from heat and pour off about eight ounces for a yeast starter. After the starter has cooled to about 90 degrees, add yeast to it. Allow the larger amount to cool to about 80-100 degrees before adding starter. By this time the starter should be foamy, this is how you know its ready. If it doesn't do anything, you put it in too hot or the yeast is too old. Pour in the starter and cover with the tinfoil tightly but don't secure it in any way. Once the CO2 has built up inside the jar it will push the foil out of the way and vent. This slight pressurization keeps foreign things from getting in. You can also use a commercial bubbler, but as I said, it's a little less likely that it will get contaminated so I don't generally use them anymore. Place the fermenter in a cool, dry, dark place. Make note of the date and alcohol potential. For the open fermentation, place it on a window sill in a container with a large opening on top. Cover with a cheesecloth to keep bugs out. For mine I will be using a large mason jar. After a few days you will see the wild yeast take hold. It will begin to bubble and froth on top. At this point move the jar to a similar cool, dry, dark place.

After about a month, check on your brews. At this point they should be around 5% potential, still way too sweet, but especially when experimenting I like to keep a close eye on it. With my spruce mead a gallon batch was done in 19 days so keep that in mind. At about 2% pour off a glass and chill it in the fridge. If its too sweet, let it go a little longer, if not, start racking. If you don't have a hydrometer, taste will be all you have to go on, it will take practice

Racking consists of chilling the mead so the solids drop out. My method generally is to refrigerate my fermenter down to about 35 degrees and to carefully pour off the mead without disturbing the sediment at the bottom. Do this three times and you will have shelf stable mead, but if you plan on refrigerating it can just be done once or twice. The danger of exploding bottles makes me worry about leaving my mead unrefrigerated. I have had success in the past though, just check them every few days for the first week, if there's no sediment forming in the bottom you got all the yeast out. Serve your mead chilled, somewhere between 45 and 60 degrees. All brews will be a little different depending on ingredients and sweetness, so serving temperature will vary.

Mead has truly become one of my favorite beverages. It's all natural, full of vitamins, and there's no hangover to deal with. Local honey also has really helped with my allergies as well. Three years ago I had such bad allergies I was medicated for two months every spring. Now I only have one attack a year when the trees bloom. All of these benefits and the satisfaction of getting a nice buzz on something you made yourself.

Hydrometer- A device that when floated in a mixture shows sugar content based on bouyancy.

Wort- Beer or mead before fermentation begins, basically a sweet liquid.

Lighting

2012-03-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

One cannot stress enough how important light is. From the ability to make a torch in a survival situation, to how annoying it is when that weird sized bulb in the fridge goes out requiring a special trip to Home Depot. Since the discovery of fire, man has been scared of the dark. That may be hyperbole, but it's not far off. We light our homes, streets and parks. When those lights go out the average person can only rely on the light from their cell phone. It amazes me how completely unprepared most are for a simple power outage, much less a long term loss of power.

My survival mantra is that I plan on my first three solutions to any problem failing, always have multiple backups. I have made entries in previous posts touching on the importance of a good flashlight. I normally carry three when its convenient enough, and worst case scenario, I have everything needed to make a torch and light it, as long as I can find a stick that is. At home I have even more redundancies, too many to list but they include many flashlights, weapon lights and improvised lighting made from automotive D/C systems. To outline a few can give you an idea of what you really need to survive the night long term.

The lights I carry with me everyday are two Streamlight Stylus Pro LED penlights, and a Mini Maglite LED. I won't get too in depth as I have mentioned them in previous posts. Suffice to say they are very cheap, effective, and efficient. The Maglite also has a SOS/Flash setting that can come in handy for signaling. Unfortunately they both use standard AAA and AA batteries, this is not very sustainable. If the world really did end, they would be useless within a couple years. Even with rechargeable batteries, only a few years of use could be expected. For daily preparedness and survival on the other hand, they could be a life saver.

At home in my affectionately named "Tactical Closet", I store my favorite light, a Streamlight Stinger LED rechargeable. These lights are literally bulletproof, aircraft Aluminum body, 180 lumen max output, three brightness settings and a strobe feature. The main reason I highly recommend this series of lights is that it can be charged via the wall outlet or in the car. I currently have a jump box (charged through a solar panel) charging my light. With a two hour continuous run time per charge I only need to plug it in one night a month or so with normal use. I also have the less expensive Xenon model that uses the same charger as well. Also a very solid light, but not as bright and lower run time. They also share batteries so I have one spare that I keep topped off.

Have you ever tried to make a torch? It's a good skill to have, and it's quite fun. A torch is made with a stick, an absorbent cloth, and any oily fuel source. Anything flammable will work, but oily fuels will last much longer. Simply wrap a cloth around a stick and tie it tightly, soak it in the fuel, and light. Do some experimentation to find the best fuels, I've found the best improvised fuel to be gun oil, but regular lamp oil works great if you have it. You can also make a torch from birch bark. Split a stick about about six inches and tie it off to keep it from splitting further. Fold pieces of birch bark and wedge them into the split. Light the torch, as it burns, slowly feed the folded bark up to provide oxygen to the bark. A properly made birch torch can burn for over 10 minutes. Not really a long time, but better than nothing. Make about thirty of them and you can at least make fire wood runs at night, or fend off an attack.

Improvisation is important, not only does it save you money but it prepares you for a time when you can't just pick something up at the store. So I'm constantly keeping myself busy with little projects. Being a mechanic has given me many opportunities to pull apart various vehicle lighting systems. My new favorite for improvised lighting are those little LED halo lights around headlights. If you pull apart the headlight, they can usually be separated into a string of 12v LEDs. These make super efficient lighting that can be run off of a car battery, and charged via solar or wind power. At a 50,000 hour life, LEDs like these are the key to long term lighting. If you can get your hands on sulfuric acid and lead, you can make your own batteries. Collect enough of these LEDS, and you can light your home for a lifetime.