TEOTWAWKI Blog

Kali with a Tomahawk

2012-05-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

I have not seen any 'hawk work quite this effective before. Fun to watch. Via Edwood on Bladeforums.

Dave Canterbury on Cutting Tool Choice

2012-05-23T15:02:00.001-07:00

Good video from Dave, talking about "one tool" option knives and the commonality of multiple tool sets throughout history. Basically, big tough "one tool" knives are a compromise--they're not an axe and not as good for finer wood work as a dedicate carver/slicer or a skinner.

I've been leaning more this way--different blades for different tasks. I think we too often look for the one tool that will do it all, and end up with compromised performance.

Thrive Express

2012-05-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

A new THRIVE Express pouch & box, pictured next to an old-style #10 can Entree.

Shelf Reliance/THRIVE recently did away with their line of Entrees, replacing them with a new product line called THRIVE Express. Here's the bullet points:

Big difference - packaging. No more #10 cans, which is a bit odd for a company known for their can rotator shelves. Now, you get four individually vacuum packed pouches inside a conventional-shelf friendly cardboard box.
The meal selections themselves changed a bit. If you had a favorite Entree, it might be gone.
Total cost, advertised shelf life and calorie counts remain similar.

Likes & dislikes after the jump!

What I like:

The individual pouches make the food easier to eat and work with. No need to open a #10 can, and you can space out your consumption of the food without worrying about half a can going stale. Buy a box, sample one and save the rest for later--hard to do with a #10 can.
The pouches are a handy size to take on a camping trip, or even for an emergency kit--weight is around 10 ounces, and about 1000 calories in a pouch gives you a pretty good weight/calorie ratio.
According to our Shelf Reliance sponsor, Jade Garn, part of the reason for the move to the pouches was to avoid the "settling" that was common with the #10 cans. The flavor & good stuff would settle to the bottom of the can--no longer a problem with the pouches. That's a good thing.

What I don't like:

The boxes are way bigger than they need to be--they're only half full with the pouches inside. This leads to wasted space on the shelf. Basically, same amount of food as contained in the #10 can, more than twice the space on the shelf. Yes, you can skip the box and repack the pouches more efficiently...or Shelf Reliance can just use a smaller box. Or cram more pouches inside. When you're stacking food deep, efficient use of space becomes a big consideration.
There's no option for #10 can entrees from Shelf Reliance now--if you've invested in their rotator shelves, probably not something you're thrilled with. Of course, competitors do offer full meals in #10 cans, and Shelf Reliance offers a wide variety of dried and freeze dried ingredients in #10 can packaging.

Overall, a bit of a mixed bag, but the move to pouches is probably more practical for those who will occasionally use their THRIVE food for an easy-to-prep meal.

As always, Shelf Reliance independent consultant Jade Garn is available to answer any and all questions you may have about Shelf Reliance food, and you can purchase the it from the Shelf Reliance website, right here.

Behind the Scenes on Walking Dead Season 3

2012-05-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

Filming for Walking Dead's season 3 opener has begun, and AMC has gone behind the scenes to show some of what they've got in store. Hear Rick's Aussie accent! Daryl hints at romance! Lots of fake blood! Fans of the show--check it out.

Wilderness Pocket Survival Kits - My Kit

2012-05-21T13:40:00.001-07:00

As promised a while back, here's a look at one of my personal pocket survival kits. It's not perfect by any means, but I'm pretty happy with it at this point.

When it comes to building a pocket kit for surviving in the wilderness, I try to make sure that I hit the big survival priorities. Pictured above is one of my personal pocket survival kits. I'll walk you through the capabilities that I wanted my kit to have, and I why I've chosen specific gear to meet those needs.

One thing that I like to keep in mind when building any kind of kit is what I call "Ragnar's Rule of 3s," which says to have three ways of accomplishing anything that's vitally important to your survival. You'll see that reflected in my gear choices below.

Full run down after the jump!

The knife and duct tape are ranger banded to the outside of the tin, everything else fits inside. The kit can be carried in a pocket and the lanyard clipped to a belt loop to provide some measure of security. The ranger bands can also be used to carry the kit on a belt.

Here's the interior of the tin. I actually managed to jam a few extra pieces of Tinder Quik in for this shot--it's kind of like a game of Tetris, sometimes you do better then others. You can see the needle taped to the roof of the tin.

And here's the full dump of the kit. Click on the image for jumbo sized. Contents list at the end of this post.

Now onto the capabilities and gear selection.

Fire
Fire is of course at the top of the list when it comes to must-have capabilities--warmth, boiling water, cooking food, protection, signalling, the list goes on. This kit has three methods of starting fire--a Mini Bic lighter, ferro rod and a 4x Fresnel lens. The Bic should work in all but the crappiest of conditions, so I've got the ferro rod in there for redundancy and backup.The Fresnel lens is in the kit because it takes up next to zero space and is multipurpose - potential for fire starting, but also magnifying for looking at slivers, etc. Make sure that you get a 4x or higher Fresnel lens--the 2x lenses are lousy for getting things burning.

I've added two small rubber o-rings to the Bic to make sure that the fuel is not accidentally released in the kit. A small zip tie will work as well.

For tinder, I have several pieces of Tinder Quik, which lights easily, burns for several minutes, is mostly waterproof and can be crammed into nooks and crannies. The kit also has three ranger bands, which light easily and burn for several minutes. The altoid tin can be used to make char cloth--and has, which is why the tin is all black/burnt looking. And, of course, there's naturally found tinders.

One thing to note - if you're planning on using a ferro rod, make sure that you have the propper tools to strike one! Don't just assume that your knife can do a good job of it - the Ritter RSK Mk5, in particular, is worthless for throwing sparks, at least in stock form.

Water
The ability to carry and make clean water are also at the top of my list. I've included a very capable WhirlPak bag, also known as an emergency water bag. While the WhirlPak takes up a bit more room than a condom, it's also a much more capable and functional container. It's quite robust, easy to open/close, stands up on its own, and is perfect for SODIS.

For this particular kit, I've included 6 Aquamira chlorine dioxide tablets. In other kits, like this one, I've used a small vial with repacked iodine tablets--you can pack 20-30 tablets pretty easily this way. Iodine is not particularly effective against cryptosporidium though, so it's a trade off. This particular kit did not have the room for a vial, and the Aquamira tablets are effective against crypto, given enough time, so I went with those.

The tablets and SODIS provide two methods of purifying water, and a third would be boiling water, either with another container that I have with me, one that's found, or potentially processing small amounts at a time in the altoid tin--it holds about 4 ounces of water.

Shelter
Shelter is impossible to pack into an altoid tin, though disposal ponchos, contrator grade trash bags and space blankets are all good options if you step the kit up a bit in size. Instead, I have roughly 12 feet of 250-lb cordage and about 7 feet of paracord in the lanyard to aid in shelter making. I'd be constructing a primitive shelter of some kind, but the cordage gives options.

Navigation
Being able to find my way back to safety--self rescue--was an important capability. The kit contains a button compass, checked for accuracy. The needle has also been magnetized and can act as an improvised compass if necessary. Along with other methods for direction finding, navigation should be squared away. The light can of course assist with navigating in the dark if that becomes necessary.

Signaling
Signalling is another important capability I wanted this kit to have. I may not be able to self rescue, which means surviving in place and hoping that help comes. This kit includes a small whistle, 3 feet of rescue orange duct tape and a Streamlight Nano light. Of course, fire will probably be your best bet for long distance signalling. The knife sheath also features a small SOLAS reflective dot. I'm looking to add a slim signal mirror to the kit.

Repair/Construction
These provide me with the ability to repair things or bushcraft up new tools. The kit includes 4 feet of duct tape (3 feet orange, 1 foot black gorilla tape, wrapped around an ESEE survival card), the previously mentioned cordage, 3 ranger bands, a heavy-duty sewing needle wrapped with kevlar thread, safety pins, a piece of hacksaw blade, a small carabiner, Swiss army knife tweezers and a BFE Labs UltraLight Kit knife.

These tools can be used for food gathering (there's potential for fishing, trapping and hunting), gear repair or even first aid--sticks plus cordage/tape can be used to splint a broken leg, a safety pin can be used to immobilize a broken arm, duct tape makes a decent bandaid, etc. They are simple tools, but provide a lot of versatility.

The Kit Knife is carried on the exterior of the kit, inside an OscarDelta kydex sheath. While the sheath is on the big size for the tiny Kit Knife, it fits perfectly ranger banded on the outside of the kit. This method of carry allows for easy access to the knife, and also provides a mounting hole for the paracord lanyard. I should, at a minimum, also have a larger knife with me, but I include the Kit Knife for redundancy. A cutting tool is an essential to me--whatever belt knife I'm carrying and the Kit Knife provide two options, with found/made cutting tools being the last resort.

Other Plans
As mentioned, I'm looking to add a small, flat signal mirror - most of the ones I've seen are much too thick. I'm also going to make up a small laminated card with emergency information on it - name, blood type, contact info, etc.

Contents List:
I've included links or notes next to items.

Fire:

Mini Bic Lighter - lighter colors allow you to see fuel level
Ferro rod
Tinder Quik tabs

Water:

WhirlPak bag - also on eBay as "emergency water bag"
6 AquaMira tablets

Navigation:

Button compass - not sure where to get this model, but I'd buy new from Firesteel.com. They check all of their compasses prior to shipping. Big lots are cheap on Amazon though.

Signalling

Whistle - this came from a zipper pull, I think sold at REI. Small and loud.

Multipurpose:

4x Fresnel lens - check eBay
Altoid tin
3 Ranger bands - just pieces of bicycle inner tube
12 feet of 250lb-test line - I got a big spool at a military surplus place, haven't been able to find it online. Would probably go with bankline.
7 feet of 550 cord in the kit lanyard
Steamlight Nano light
BFE Labs Ultralight Kit Knife in an OscarDelta Sheath
An ESEE survival card wrapped with 3 feet of orange duct tape and 1 foot of black gorilla tape
Magnetized heavy duty sewing needle wrapped with kevlar thread
Small piece of electrical tape
3 Safety pins
Piece of hacksaw blade
Small carabiner - came free with a sea-to-summit spoon
Swiss Army Knife tweezers

So there's my current wilderness/outdoorsy-style pocket survival kit. I'll be showing you a kit with a more urban-survival theme in the near future, so stay tuned for that.

Prepping advice for young people

2012-05-17T15:43:00.003-07:00

Somewhat surprisingly to me, there are apparently more than a few younger people out there who are interested in preparing for tough times. The wider popularity of prepping, via YouTube, blogs like this and others, and probably TV shows like Doomsday Preppers have certainly helped spread awareness. And I'm sure many of you older have passed on the prepping bug to your children and young relatives. That's all awesome.

Here's a snippet from an e-mail I received recently from a young fellow:

I'm a kid that likes normal things but I also like prepping. Both my twin brother and I are avid preppers and are always thinking on the subject. We are only in 6th grade and we wondered if you have any tips for kid preppers?

My big bit of advice for "kid preppers" is to focus on learning. When you're a 6th grader, learning is your job--along with chores/helping around the house and, of course, growing up! While you're limited on funds and what you can/can't do, there is a lot out there that you can learn.

I would look to get involved in outdoor clubs - potentially Boy Scouts, 4H and so on, and soak in information. Blogs, YouTube and your local library will also be valuable sources of education. Try things out, experiment and learn--be safe and have parental supervision when needed--but have fun.

In the old days, children were given important responsibilities at a young age--they grew up fast. My grandpa grew up on a farm and ran a trap line by the time he was about 8 or 9. I think most boys would love to stomp around the woods with a hatchet, .22 single shot and set traps, but we're mostly trapped in suburbia and cooped up inside these days. Sad.

My son is 3 and a half, but here's a short list of some of the skills I'd like him to have by the time he's 12 to 14:

Basic gardening
Basic knot tying
Fire starting
Knife safety
Safe use of an axe
Firearms safety and some skill with a .22 rifle (under proper supervision)
Basic cooking skills
Basic repair skills
Basic clothes mending
Basic hunting/butchering ability

That's a pretty good foundation to work from, and well within the grasp of a younger person.

As far as gear goes, I would work with parents to build a basic 72 hour kit, ideally for each member of the family. It doesn't have to be high dollar stuff. If we're talking birthdays or Christmas, I'd ask for one or two quality items that will last a long time, over a bunch of smaller things that will break and be lost.

That's my advice for "kid preppers," I'm sure the tribe has lots more wisdom for our younger readers. Let us know in the comments section!

Oil Filter-based Suppressor

2012-05-17T10:52:00.001-07:00

The Econo-Can adapter - just a simple thread adapter that allows oil filters to be used as a sound suppressor. The adapter is the ATF registered "device" in this case. Pretty crazy - one to file away. Enjoy!

Sawyer PointOne Squeeze Water Filteration System

2012-05-15T18:27:00.002-07:00

A Sawyer PointOne Squeeze filter and 1L bag, ready to pack!

I've got to thank some of my readers for referring me to Sawyer's new line of water filters, which leverage revolutionary technology from dialysis machines to bring incredible water filtration capabilities. All of Sawyer's filters comes with a million gallon guarantee--at a gallon a day, that's 2739 YEARS worth of service. Essentially, these filters aren't going to wear out during your lifetime.

To top that off, these filters are MORE effective at removing bad stuff than almost anything else on the market - the PointOne filters are so named because they filter down to an absolute .1 microns--almost all other filters only do .2 microns--dramatically exceeding EPA requirements.

It's going to be very tough for competition products, especially considering the price point of Sawyer's products--the PointOne Squeeze, for example, is available for just over $50 on Amazon.

The Squeeze is the lightest weight version of Sawyer's PointOne filters, perfect for compact kits and lightweight get home units. Total weight with one of the included platypus-like filtration bags is 3 ounces. And, despite its small size, the Squeeze is still good for a guaranteed million gallons of service.

The Squeeze works quite simply - fill up the container, attach the container the Squeeze filter unit, and squeeze/drink the water through the filter. You can empty the water into a clean container or just drink on the go. The base kit, marketed to backpackers and campers, comes with 3 sizes of Platypus-like bags, in .5L, 1L and 2L sizes. They're good enough quality, but not quite as tough feeling as the Platypus bags, and I'd prefer clear bags over the black/blue scheme.

Of course, the Squeeze is more versatile than that -- the filter's threading will match up with a standard-thread water bottle or 2L soda bottle, and Sawyer makes an inexpensive adapter for integrating the Squeeze in-line with a Camelbak or similar hydration pack. For a few bucks more, Sawyer even sells a kit for using the PointOne Squeeze with a 5 gallon bucket for gravity drip setup--if you're only going to have one filter, I'd probably go with this kit, which gives you both mobile and base camp options. If you're going to use a non-standard bottle, make sure to check the fit beforehand - a sloppy fit with the Squeeze can lead to leaking unfiltered water in with your filtered stuff. I've had zero problems with the water bags included by Sawyer, but an older Platypus bottle is a no-go.

The flow of water is restricted as the water passes through the filter, but the speed of the filter is very good. With mostly clear water, I was able to get a little less than a liter in a minute of squeezing. It doesn't fill up your water bottle instantly, but it's fast enough, especially considering that you're not pumping perpetually for those two minutes - just squeezing.

Using a gravity setup, Sawyer claims up to 540 gallons of production in a day--yes, with one of these little 3-ounce filters, you could meet an entire group's water needs.

As the Squeeze gets dirty, the flow will gradually slow as the filter's hollow fibers clog with bad stuff. Sawyer says that by the time you need to clean their filters, you will have had to clean competitor's ceramic filters several times over. For very dirty water, they recommend backwashing the filter once every 5 to 10 gallons. If the water is clear, it can go much longer than that--potentially hundreds of gallons between cleanings.

That backwashing/cleaning is the maintenance you'll need to perform to keep the PointOne going for its million-gallon guaranteed lifetime. A syringe is included for washing the filter out, and the procedure can be completed in the field in only a few minutes.

The PointOne exceeds EPA guidelines for removing protozoa and bacteria, but like almost all filters, it's unable to remove viruses. Here's the lowdown on waterborne viruses, from REI.com. "Viruses:

may exist in water wherever there is a reasonable chance of human fecal contamination;
are believed to be less prevalent in North American wilderness water sources than protozoan cysts or bacteria, but may be a greater threat in less developed countries."

If you're in those kinds of circumstances, you'll want to add in a second step to kill off any viruses - generally a chemical like chlorine dioxide or iodine tablets.

However, Sawyer also makes another filter, the PointTwo, which filters down to .02 microns, and will actually remove 99.997% of viruses. The PointTwo is a designed largely for gravity drip using a bucket or larger water bag. Due to the tiny filtration size, the PointTwo filters are slower, producing a claimed "up to" 70 gallons of water a day. But, with the PointTwo filters, you can count on those gallons being clean and virus, bacteria and protozoan cyst free. No need for chemicals, boiling, long wait times or hours of pumping. That's HUGE. The only thing it won't remove is chemicals that have completely dissolved in the water--and to my knowledge, no filter can do that consistently. More on the PointTwo in the future--it's a pretty impressive bit of technology.

Needless to say, these filters are an exceptional prep investment. The PointOne Squeeze and the other PointOne filters are in the $50 neighborhood, and the PointTwo filters are a bit over $100. They're really revolutionary, IMO - a one time purchase that can largely erase concerns over having clean, safe drinking water in bad times. With a 5 gallon gravity drip set up, you could provide clean drinking water to an entire group or community. Heck, trustworthy water could even become a valuable source of barter and trade in bad times!

At this point, we've purchased a PointOne Squeeze and a PointTwo bucket kit, and I've been very happy with both. Initial testing of the PointOne Squeeze in some nearby water sources has gone well. I'm planning on picking up at least one more PointOne Squeeze - these would serve as our lightweight, "mobile" filters, with the PointTwo serving base camp duty.

Truly revolutionary and one of the most exciting survival-related products to come out in a long while. Really, in a long term situation, these filters would be worth much more than their weight in gold. No batteries, no pumping, simple maintenance, very effective and an incredible service life--in my opinion, Sawyer's filters are one of the best preparedness buys on the market today.

Definitely worth a look!

The PointOne Squeeze on Amazon >
The All-in-One PointOne Squeeze Kit on Amazon > This one has the parts for the 5 gallon bucket setup.

The PointTwo Bucket Kit on Amazon >

Review: ESEE-4 Knife

2012-05-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

ESEE 4 in an AZWelke Kydex sheath.

I've had am ESEE-4 for a little over two months now--haven't put it through hell-n-back yet, but have gotten used to the ergonomics and features of this knife. The ESEE-4 is well regarded in bushcraft circles--most of the ESEE line does pretty well. I have an Izula II and a sheath from AZWelke Kydex that has done me well, and I was looking for a mid-sized fixed blade, so the 4.5 inch ESEE-4 was a natural choice.

The 4 fits well in-hand in all positions save reverse grip, edge in. The knife has a generously sized choil, which allows for choking up close to the blade for finer work. The micarta slab grips are about average in hand comfort--the dimensions are a bit odd for my hand, but not too bad. The grip is a bit on the wide side, and then doesn't have the thickness to match. The 4 is grips well lower on the handle, helpful when batoning wood.

At 7.3 ounces, the ESEE 4 is heavier than thinner stock knives--Moras, for example-but that's the tradeoff you'll make for the thicker steel and rugged construction. It's not overly heavy by any means, and the weight carries comfortably on a belt.

The Blade
The 4's blade is made of high carbon 1095, which is good because it takes an edge well and sharpens fairly easily, but also bad because it is much more susceptible to rust than stainless steels. To help slow the spread of rust, ESEE coats their blades in a thick blade coating, though the steel of the edge and logo areas are still exposed, and of course the coating will wear off with hard use.

I'm personally not a fan of blade coatings--they wear off and interfere with striking a firesteel on the spine of the knife. Some complain that they also make the knife "stickier" when going through wood. I understand why ESEE and other companies coat their blades, but even with the coating, the knife can and will still rust if it's not properly cared for. Ensuring that the knife is dried off after use and performing a regular oiling of the blade should do prevent major rust problems from happening. ESEE should at least offer a version of the knife without a blade coating, especially for the 4, which is intended to be the "wilderness" model in their lineup.

As is, I've removed much of the coating from the spine in an attempt to get the 4 to throw decent sparks from a ferro rod. High carbon steel is usually ideal for this purpose, but I've only had moderate success with the 4's stripped spine. If the ability to throw sparks is essential to you out-of-the-box, ESEE's knife are going to be a let down.

The 4 comes shaving sharp out of the box, and I've found the 1095 to be easy to hone up with a strop. The 4 is made of 3/16ths thick blade stock, which is my preferred thickness--I'm not a fan of the pry bar like 1/4 inch thick blades, which are generally overkill. 3/16ths is plenty sturdy. I've done a little batoning with the 4 and it does well.

The 4.5 inch blade is a good size for general work - not too small, and not too big to get in the way. 4 to 5 inches in the general blade length recommendation from most survival experts, and I tend to agree. Big blades have their purposes, but for use and carrying, the sweet spot lies around here.

Sheaths
I'm picky about sheaths, but I will admit that I will actually found a use for the 4's stock sheath. I've rigged it in behind a pouch on my plate carrier, where it works fine.


The AZWelk Kydex sheath, set up for horizontal carry.

For belt carry, I again went with a taco-style AZWelk Kydex. His sheaths are well made, well priced and use the proven and versatile tek-lok system for attachment. His sheath for the ESEE-4 works well, and is a valuable upgrade if you're planning on actually carrying and using the knife on your belt. Like a holster for a handgun, a good sheath is essential for actual use. AZWelk's sheaths are also designed not to dull up the edge of your blade - bad kydex sheaths can rub the edge and dull things up. His stuff gets a thumbs up from me, and he makes sheaths for a variety of popular knives, including the ESEE and Becker product lines.

Overall Rating
Overall, the ESEE-4 is a knife is a solid knife for general use, bushcrafting and survival purposes. However, it is not perfect, with the blade coating and stock sheath coming up as dings against it. The so-so grip doesn't help, either. You'll need to consider whether those are deal breakers for you, though they can be overcome if you're willing to put in the additional time/money to resolve them.

My next project for the 4 is to strip the blade coating and refinish the knife. Haven't decided on the exact style of refinishing yet, but will show and tell when I finish it up!

The ESEE-4 is available from most online knife retailers, and you can also get it via Amazon, too.

Open Thread: Pack Choice

2012-05-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

The Hill People Gear guys have got me looking at upgrading my "outdoors" pack--currently a ~2800ci REI pack in decent shape. This is the bag that I use for camping, backpacking and is kept mostly loaded for bug out purposes. I've run a bit short on space - with food, water, some minimal extra clothing, shelter system/sleep gear and of course tools, I just can't really fit everything that I'm looking to. So, I'm window shopping for an upgrade at the moment.

What packs are you guys using?

A bit more about what I'm looking at: I'm looking at a variety of different setups, and getting led towards the high end set ups from Kifaru, Mystery Ranch, or using the new HPG Highlander, compression panel and another company's frame. I like the modularity of a compression panel type design - you can cinch it down for a day hike, or expand it out for all kinds of loads - pack bags, jerry cans, children, etc.

The Mystery Ranch Crewcab looks good, but I've heard mixed reviews on their NICE frame, and it's crazy spendy. Kifaru is even more spendy, and I'm not a fan of a 6-8 week wait time and MOLLE insanity.

At this point, I'm willing to spend in the neighborhood of $400 for a nice pack set up that will last me a long time and do a variety of things. Leaning towards picking up a Kifaru frame and then going with HPG for the Highlander, compression panel and pack bag. You can see what that set up looks like (or close to it - I think that's a prototype of the pack bag) at the HPG website.

Five Rules

2012-05-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

Not the five--this certainly isn't all-encompassing--but five good ones I like to keep in mind.

1. Have someone to watch your back.
Last I checked, you can't grow eyes in the back of your head and you eventually need to sleep or hit the head. Or patch you up when injured. Situational awareness is big, but you've got to have someone else who you can count on to watch your six and stick with you through hell and back. Those people are often few and far between, and those relationships should be valued and cared for.

2. Be prepared to walk away.
Things go bad. Good situations can turn to crap in a heartbeat. Sometimes you can stand up and fight, but often times getting out of dodge is your best bet. You don't want to get stuck between the hammer and the anvil. You've got to be able to drop it all, grab and go at basically a moments notice. Have a plan and a way out of harm's way.

3. Focus on what matters first.
You've got a finite amount of time/energy, so you need to work on the important stuff first. The stuff that matters the most should get your most attention and should get that attention the soonest. The other stuff can and should wait. This is a huge thing--it's all too easy to become distracted--but getting a handle on this is really important. Always good to take a moment to step back and think about the direction you're moving in.

4. Have a Plan B.
Gear breaks and the best plans fail--Murphy's Law and all that. Backups keep you alive when things go south, whether it's redundant equipment, an alternate route or contingency plans B through Z. In a time-is-life situation, you're not going to have the precious time to sit there and troubleshoot or rethink what you're doing. You've got to be able to transition quickly and aggressively to a backup plan.

5. Capabilities trump gear.
There's something to be said for having the right equipment, but a survivor's actual capabilities--skills and physical abilities--are what matters most. When things go bad--when there's stress, when there's pressure--then your capabilities are put to their test. If you're going to succeed, things will need to be near autopilot--don't count on having the time to think, fumble through and figure things out. You've got to be able to flip the switch and act, and that takes practice. Lots of it.

What are you thoughts? Agree, disagree? What other "rules" do you prep by?

Arc'Teryx Makes the Case for Urban Wolf Grey

2012-05-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

Urban survivors, check this out. Makes a compelling case for color choice in urban/industrial environments. And while Arc'Teryx does make some cool clothes, they certainly aren't the only company that makes things in grey.

I'm partial to the name, too :).

Biogas for Fuel

2012-05-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

Check out this post over at John Robb's Resilient Communities, on the virtues of DIY Biogas Digesters. Think of Bartertown's pig waste power plant and you've got the idea--waste goes in and methane and a "fertilizer slurry" comes out. Basically septic a tank on steroids.

Build cost under a thousand in materials + labor, and supplies around 20 hours of cooking fuel or 5 hours of electricity, per day. The system will function indefinitely as long as there's waste coming in--totally sustainable. Effort is also minimal, freeing up labor to focus on other tasks.

Very cool. Sure, it's not as sleek and high tech as solar panels, and there's the collection and hauling around buckets of waste and associated unpleasantness, but it's cheap, sustainable and it works.

More details at Resilient Communities >

Anyone got a Pyser SGI SAS Compass they want to sell?

2012-05-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Been trying to track down a Pyser SAS Compass aka the NATO Survival Compass for a bit now, but they're out-o-stock or overseas. Interested to see how these stack up with the cheapies...anyways, if you're got one you're willing to part with, shoot me an e-mail (teotwawki.blog@gmail.com).

Haley Strategic Announces New Thorntail Light Mounts

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

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Travis Haley, formerly of Magpul Dynamics, and all around gun handling guru, has been working up a improved, innovative components for the M4/AR-15 weapons system for a while now. Haley Strategic's Thorntail light mounts place the weapons light further forward than typical light mounts, providing for more ergonomic weapons handling and easy access to the light's control.

I've been oogling these, and now they've got one that'll work with my big ol' Surefire M951...tempting...

Triple Barrels of Revolving Zombie Doom

2012-05-08T15:28:00.005-07:00

With three barrels, 18 rounds, this thing has more ammo capacity than a Glock and shoots three rounds with every pull of the trigger. Edit: Looks like it shoots one round at a time, moving from the outer rounds inward. The double 1911 floating around the 'net a while back has nothing on this puppy. Though .45 ACP is going to beat the revolver's 6.35mm/.25 ACP in terms of...well, every way possible.

Break open design for easier loading, and it looks to have some sort of old-school speedloader device, too.

A one-of-a-kind piece from Spain that I don't think we'll be seeing in mass production any time soon. For some reason I don't think the ATF would be too happy about this one.

Via Neatorama, original here at antique gun site Horstheld - with lots more pictures!

Prizes...

2012-05-08T14:57:00.002-07:00

First prize.

Prizes are traveling to the winners. This loot was hard to part with!

And now, for those of you who are completely, utterly sick of looking at altoid tin kits, we're going to take a lil' break from pint-sized kits for a while. Don't worry - I'll come back to 'em in a short while.

PSK Contest Winners Announcement!!!

2012-05-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

Drum Roll. It's time.

I bet you've all been on the edge of your seat for this one. It was a great contest, with loads of great entries, and judging was tough! I enlisted the help of blacksmith-extraordinaire Randy Church, E&E kit expert SnakeDr666 and my TEOTWAWKI wife for judging assistance. Personally, this was the toughest contest I've had to judge so far--36 entries to choose from, and each with a lot going for it.

Remember, kits were judged based on criteria like the quality of photographs, creativity, description and equipment selected for the kit. Winners had an excellent combination of all.

Before we get to the winners announcement, we wanted to announce a bonus prize for our youngest entrant, Entry #28, in 6th grade! We were all encouraged to see such a solid entry from someone so young, and wanted to send some prizes her way. She will be receiving a prize package including a rescue orange OscarDelta Super-8 paracord bracelet, a Bear Grylls fire starter and an eGear Pico Light.

Due to the generous support of the contest's sponsors, there are three prize packages, for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. This contest would not have been possible without their help, so please give them your support. Entrant #20 has also generously donated three of his KYAA kits, so each winner will also receive one of those.

Click below for the full run down on our three prize winners!

Third Place

Third place goes to Entry #4, from OutdoorSurvivalists, which was one of my personal top choices for a wilderness survival scenario. This entrant has a lot of great kit selected--should have no problem starting a fire, carrying/purifying water, has a solid knife in the RSK Mk-5, a whistle and light for signalling, and has lots of options for gathering food. There's a lot to work with here. The description was solid and the pictures were clear and nicely labeled. Good job!

OutdoorSurvivalists will receive a Choate Car Rescue Tool, at least $20 worth of survival books & gear from TEOTWAWKI Blog, as well as a KYAA kit.

2nd Place

Second prize goes to Edwood's urban survival/E&E kit. Randy Church gave this kit the nod for "The ability to cram the largest amount of useful **** in and around an Altoids tin." It covers a lot of urban survival/E&E bases and is clearly well thought out and regularly put to use. The pictures are great, too.

Edwood will receive an AR-15 Essential Parts Kit and Car Rescue Tool from Choate, a bundle of survival gear from OscarDelta & SnakeDr666, at least $30 worth of survival books & gear from TEOTWAWKI Blog, and a KYAA tin.

And, without further ado...the grand prize winner...

1st Place

Entry #22, from SurvivalTomes is our grand prize winner. This was a tough one, but this entry was the only one to get a vote in from all of the judges. A combination of creative but useful gear selection, good thought process and stylish photos moved this one to the top.

SurvivalTomes will receive a neo-tribal forged survival kit from Randy Church, an AR-15 Essential Parts Kit and Car Rescue Tool from Choate Machine & Tool, $50 in credit from Shelf Reliance consultant Jade Garn, a bundle of survival gear from OscarDelta & SnakeDr666, a copy of the Doom & Bloom Survival Medicine Handbook, a $25 certificate from Paladin Press, and a KYAA survival tin.

Phewf! That's it! Huge thanks to all those who entered the contest--it was a lot of fun, and we here at T-Blog were glad to be able to host it. Thanks go out to the contest sponsors (give them your support!) and also our judges.

Things'll be getting back to normal here at T-Blog, but stay tuned for some additional posts on our take on both wilderness and urban pocket survival kits. Thanks for your support!

Reminders

2012-05-05T13:24:00.003-07:00

Few quick reminders.

Randy Church is having a cleanout sale 'till tomorrow (Sunday) night. Lots of great stuff for bargain prices and Randy's a great guy to work with. Check it out right here.
Last I heard, entrant #20 still has a couple KYAA kits he's willing to send out to T-Blog readers, free of charge. These are really well done wilderness survival-style kits that bases, and it's super generous to offer them up free-of-charge. Full details on how to get one are at the end of his entry, right here.
Also, if you're not already, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. We post up the occasional link and comment there that may not make it to a blog post.

Contest Recap & Open Thread

2012-05-04T14:56:00.002-07:00

It's been a great contest. Huge thanks goes out to all those who shared their kits. I've gone through my inbox several times, but if you sent in an entry prior to the April 30th 11:59pm deadline, and I HAVEN'T posted it, let me know.

I also wanted to extend another big thanks to those who sponsored the contest. Randy Church for the inspiration and neo-tribal altoid kit. SnakeDr666 and OscarDelta, Choate Machine & Tool, Jade Garn, Dr. Bones & Nurse Amy, and Paladin Press for offering up some really great prizes.

We saw a lot of interesting things over the past month. A lot of altoid tins, and a surprising number of Trojans. For lighting, we saw a lot of a particular model of flat LED light, loose LEDs and one kit with built in mood lighting. There were of course weapons, with knives a plenty, a handgun, slingshot and arrow heads. For food, we've seen plenty of micro fishing kits, and also gum sticks, beef sticks and candy (pink Starbursts forever!). Fire starting gear, flash drives and a door alarm, too. Suffice it to say, there's been an impressive breadth of kit to look at!

I wanted to open things up to your thoughts, reactions and learnings from the contest. Share 'em in the comments section, and stay tuned for the big announcement sometime on Monday.

Building a Great Pocket Survival Kit - Planning

2012-05-03T13:22:00.001-07:00

Build a great one o' these.

We've had a ton of fun looking at the various survival & EDC kits that have come in over the past month, and wanted to give some thoughts and perspective on what it takes to make a great pocket survival kit (PSK). As you guys and gals know, it's a lot more than chucking some junk drawer left overs in an altoid tin; there's actually something behind it.

Professionals of all sorts have been carrying pocket-sized survival kits for a long time now - heck, the SEALs who took down Bin Laden a year ago had E&E kits in their BDU pockets. They aren't a silly thing, but they are generally a last ditch kind of measure. They're for use if you are separated from the rest of your gear and left with only what's on your person (or less!). They're meant to help you get out of whatever trouble you've gotten yourself into and survive over the short term. A pocket kit is never going to be capable of long term sustainment--they're for keeping you alive and getting you to safety as long as possible.

As with all kits, PSKs should be designed with a specific use scenario and environment in mind. From there, you look at the problems you would need to solve and the capabilities that your kit needs to have.

PSKs pose an especially interesting challenge due to the size constraints--you really have to focus on what would be essential in a given scenario. That's one of the reasons I enjoy PSKs so much.

What am I preparing for? - The Use Scenario
The use scenario is the kind of situation and environment where you would need your kit, and will dictate what you pack inside your kit.

You can't really plan for how you end up in the bad situation--you would avoid it if that were the case! But you can describe the kind of bad situation and, from that, the associated problems that your kit needs to deal with.

The classic pocket survival kit is geared towards Dual Survival-style wilderness survival. In this case, potential use scenarios would be something like:

"I am lost, stranded or injured in the forest." (or desert or wherever)

For urban survival/E&E preparedness, other potential use scenarios could include:

"I am at work when a wide scale disaster strikes--I can't get to my vehicle and I'm left with what's on my person."
"I am traveling in a foreign country when there is a regional disaster or instability."
"I am being pursued by people who want to do me harm."

What problems might I need to solve? - Capabilities
Your use scenario will drive the capabilities that your kit needs to have. Think through the challenges that would be associated with that scenario--the problems that you would need to overcome in order to make it out alive.

Write out and prioritize the capabilities that your kit needs to have, and hold onto that.

Taking the first use scenario ("Lost, stranded or injured in the forest.") the problems quickly come to mind. Navigation. Fire. Shelter. A container for water. First aid for broken bones. Need to signal potential rescuers. Dave Canterbury's 10Cs of survival are a great guide here.

But wilderness survival is what we're probably all used to looking at, right? Let's look at something a bit different - the at work/disaster strikes scenario, something more "urban" in nature.

The problems change. Fire and shelter are probably not as big of concerns. Potential containers are fairly abundant, but purification would be an even bigger problem. Defense becomes a much bigger priority (see U.K. riots, Katrina, etc.). Signalling potential rescuers may still be critical (buried under rubble, stuck in a burning building). Navigation may or may not be important. A good light may be more important than in a wilderness scenario. Cash or other compact wealth could be critical.

If we look at the E&E scenario (pursued by people who want to do harm), things change again. The kit itself may need to be concealed on your person or cached somewhere safe. You may need to escape restraint. Defense again is a big deal. Ability to alter your appearance may be big, as is the ability to prove your identity and credentials. Communication may be hugely important. You've probably got a functional economy, so cash would be an essential.

Capabilities Drive Gear Selection
When you've got your prioritized list of "must have" capabilities, it's time to start picking gear.

For critical capabilities - say fire starting in a wilderness survival kit - I like to build in redundancy in case my primary method fails (usually a small Bic lighter). And go with the critical "probably die if I can't do this" stuff first; make sure you can accomplish those things before you move onto less important stuff.

Also, keep in mind that if you've got to resort to a PSK, you're very likely injured or in terrible conditions. Fragile gear or gear that requires fine motor skills might be just about worthless. You want simple and you want tough.

Finally, the actual container or size of the kit, as well as your carry method, should also be thought through with the scenario and problems in mind. If you find that you can't fit the kit in your pocket and you don't want to compromise on gear selection, it's time to start looking at belt pouches and other on-body carry options like the HPG Kit Bag. Really, a pocket survival kit is a big time compromise, and if you can step up your kit in size and still reasonably keep it on your person, then you'd be better off for it.

Closing
If you don't build your PSK with these kinds of constraints in mind (scenario & must have capabilities), your kit will end up lacking or disorganized. Write our your scenario, prioritized problems and associated must-have capabilities, and begin building your kit from there!

A note on EDC kits - I view these as different from pocket survival kits. Much of the contents of these kinds of kits (stacks of bandaids, OTC medication, nail clippers, etc.) is more for convenience than anything critical, life-or-death. It's generally comfort stuff, and I tend to carry it in my EDC bag, versus filling a pocket with it. Your mileage may vary, but pocket real estate is valuable stuff :D.

So, there's my thoughts on planning out a pocket survival kit. In upcoming posts, I'll go through a couple different scenarios, what I think are the must have capabilities, and my gear picks. Stay tuned!

Pocket Survival Kit Contest Entry #36

2012-05-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

This is my first take on a pocket survival kit, and it is made for my wife as a present for her upcoming birthday. As she works in town and has little need for fishing gear on a daily basis, it is intended to be a suburban survival kit, as well as a purse-sized tool-box. She also carries a Swiss army knife and a Laguiole L'eclair 3" folder.

List of contents:

First Aid

Rubber bands x2
Large Band-Aid
Small Band-Aid x2
Blister pad
Alcohol wipe
Gravol x2, Ibuprofen x2, Aleve

Tools

Boxcutter blade
~6' 550 paracord
~3' duct tape
Crazy Glue
Safety pins x3 (between the duct tape, the glue, and the safety pins, she should be able to fix just about anything)
Needle & 12" thread

Safety & survival

Waterproof matches x4 w/ striking surface (because fire is mankind's greatest achievement)
Flash light (I'm well impressed with this $3 Canadian Tire key fob light)
Whistle
Pencil
Sheets of paper x4
Hair elastics x2 (the elastics are used to hold the paper rolled snugly around the pencil, but can also be used to deal with a hair emergency)
$20 bill (enough to get a taxi home, or to get lunch)
Reflective band (because getting hit by a car sucks)

Pocket Survival Kit Contest Entry #35

2012-05-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

This one comes with its own built in lighting system - a first!

Let me start by saying thanks to TEOTWAWKI for an awesome website and a great contest. This was a lot of fun to put together and I learned so much from all the different entry's that I feel like I'm prepared for anything.

This is my urban kit with a little bit of everything in it. I won't be needing to skin any antelopes with this one, just something for the city. The best feature is the light that comes on when you open the lid. I used a very thin strip of LED light ribbon and lined the inside of the tin with it. I added a micro switch so when the lid is opened the light comes on automatically. There is also a dedicated on/off switch for it as well.

1 12v battery.
1 Bandaid.

2 Days anti-radiation pills.
1 Stamp.
1 Razor blade.
2 Mini zip ties.
3 feet of paracord.
1 Mini carabiner.
1 Swiss army knife: scissors, blade, nail file, flathead screwdriver, tooth pick, tweezers.

1 Mini binder clip.
1 Super glue.
1 Adapter plug for 9v battery, provides another option to power the lights if the installed 12v battery runs dead.

Good luck to everyone and thanks again TEOTWAWKI!

Pocket Survival Kit Contest Entry #34

2012-05-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

My Survival tin was constructed after viewing many posted on youtube. I tried to pick the best items suited for my needs. I made up 6 tins and handed them out to my family on Christmas. I tried to make the items more suitable for my girls and wife. I did not include items like fishing gear because I just don’t see them sitting by a stream and trying to catch fish when they never fished in their life. I did include a nail clipper for their sake.

Below are the items I included:

1.       Altoids tin with reflective tape on the bottom. I saw this on done by someone and thought it was a good idea.

2.       2 large rubber bands

3.       1 velcro strap 15” long

4.       Leatherman Micra, Scissors, clip-point knife, tweezers, nail file/cleaner, flat Phillips screwdriver, extra small and medium screwdriver, bottle opener, ruler

5.       Nail clipper

6.       Small BIC lighter with 5’ of wire and 5’ of electrical tape wrapped around it.

7.       Razor blade

8.       Whistle

9.       Krazy Glue

10.   Compass

11.   P-38 can opener

12.   Assorted safety pins

13.   2 paper clips

14.   Fire Steel

15.   Floss (6)

16.   Freznel Lense, for magnification and starting fires

17.   Medication bag, 2 Imodium tabs, 2 sudafed tabs, 2 Advil tabs and 2 IOSTAT Potassium iodide tabs to protect the thyroid gland from exposure to radioactive iodine. I live within 15 miles of a nuclear plant.

18.   First aid bag, Antiseptic wipes and 4 assorted band-aids.

19.   Sewing kit, black and white tread and 2 needles.

20.   Small paper and 2 small pencils.

21.   Phone list for family members.

22.   Tie wraps (2).

23.   8 GB thumb drive. This I configured with an encrypted volume and a regular storage area. The encrypted area is for documents like birth certificate, banking, insurance, passports etc. The regular storage is for survival documents for example, first aid, food info, water purification, weapon info etc. I also installed Tor Browser on the drive which allows you to insert the drive into any computer and use the browser on the thumb drive. This way you don’t leave any trace on the host computer and you can even have your own shortcuts.

Pocket Survival Kit Contest Entry #33

2012-05-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

My Altoids Tin is designed as a backup in my go bag, rather than an everyday use kit. I chose the Altoids tin because it can also be used to boil water. First aid items have been omitted because I have a dedicated first aid Altoid tin.

Contents:
1. I taped a signal mirror to the outside of the tin so it is very quick and easy to access.
2. A surgical blade will work as a last ditch effort and takes up less room.
3. Tin foil for making pots/pans, among many other uses.
4. Snare wire
5. Nylon twine
6. Compass button
7. Wire saw
8. Safety pins
9. 1 condom for carrying water. Non-lubricated tastes much better. Magnums hold more.
10. Iodine tablets to purify water.
11. Cotton balls for extra tinder and padding contents to stop tin rattle.
12. 3 pre-soaked tinder strips.
13. Pencil
14. Fishing line wrapped around pencil for easy storage.
15. Duct tape
16. Safety pins
17. Needles
18. Weights, swivels, and small hooks. Small hooks can catch both small and large fish and take up less room.
19. 3 candles
20. Waterproof matches cut, wrapped in electrical tape, and covered in the finger of a latex glove.
21. 2 match strikers.
22. Flint stick and striker.
23. Small whistle I cut off of an emergency side release buckle.
24. Waterproof paper in plastic sleeve.
25. Magnifying glass.