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Letter Re: Kevlar Helmets and Head Protection
Most folks focus on vests first when it comes to ballistic protection, but the head should not be neglected. Obviously your brain is one of your most important organs, one of the most sensitive to blunt trauma - and the body part most likely to be exposed when you are behind cover!
A helmet is not a "discreet" piece of gear, and not appropriate for everyday use, but helmets are much-needed ballistic protection in a bad to worst-case situation, e.g., a homeowner in a Hurricane Katrina type situation, or a patrol officer rolling up on a potential shooting. In that kind of situation you would probably prefer that bad guys see that you are armored and a "hard target", in order to deter an attack. Most importantly, you would (we hope!) be behind cover with just your head showing - so wouldn't it be smart to protect what is most exposed?
Helmets are also excellent for lessening blunt trauma, though you should be aware that any impact on the head is a serious threat that causes some level of injury - no armor makes you invulnerable. The blunt trauma protection of a helmet is often not given enough weight. Think about it - in a high-threat confrontation you would often be coming under fire and moving as fast as possible, perhaps in the dark. Very likely you would be hitting trees, walls, cars, the cover you are diving for, etc., etc. in your haste to get to cover. Any helmet (even a bike helmet) is desirable so that crashing into hard objects is less of an impact on the brain, possibly saving you from being knocking disoriented or unconscious.
Helmets are excellent ballistic protection from pistol-caliber threats (and Fragmentation) but, sorry to say, rifle protection helmets are not on the market. Traditional mil spec PASGT helmets stop Level II threats (9mm pistol / .357 Magnum) and the latest mil spec, the Advanced Combat Helmet (aka ACH aka MICH) stops Level III-A threats (9mm sub-machine-gun / .44 Magnum). Most people focus on this small increase in ballistic protection of the ACH over PASGT, but what is much more important is the big improvement in blunt trauma protection.
The traditional PASGT Kevlar Helmet has a leather and nylon suspension system that is not particularly comfortable, and provides very little blunt trauma protection. But the latest mil spec for the ACH is a pad system inside the helmet (3/4th inch or 1" thick / 19 - 25mm) that absorbs a lot of shock that would otherwise be transmitted to the skull.
If you already have an older PASGT not to worry! You can upgrade with a PASGT Retrofit Kit to bring the old PASGT up to the ACH standard for blunt trauma cushioning.
If $70 is not in the budget, there is a very inexpensive accessory called the Parachutist Foam Impact Liner that is almost as good. Airborne troops used to get a 1/4" (6mm) thick pad which the Air Force research found is roughly 70% as good as the ACH pad system. We would recommend that as a minimum upgrade to older PASGT helmets.
Either way, there is one upgrade to vintage PASGTs that is mandatory to keep the helmet secure, and prevent bobbing of the helmet when you are moving. This is replacing the old 2 point chin strap with a 3 or 4 point system that connects at the back.
Helmet Buying Checklist
1. PROTECTION - whether it stops Level II or Level III-A threats is less of a factor than whether it has an ACH blunt trauma pad system. Personally I'd rather have the old PASGT Level II protection - with the ACH pads retro-fitted in - than a newer Level III-A helmet without the ACH Blunt Trauma Pads.
2. COVERAGE vs. ERGONOMICS - the ACH shape has no brim, and is cut short on the back and sides for better hearing, and better ergonomics in the prone position. The PASGT has a brim, and is longer back and sides for more coverage (photos).
You can get Level III-A helmets in the PASGT shape, so it really depends on your situation and personal preference as to which is better for you--e.g., maximum protection in a vehicle, or for a non-combatant - go for full coverage with the PASGT shape. For a "trigger puller" who needs to go prone - ACH.
3. COLOR is not a determining factor as you can spray paint the helmet, or put a cloth helmet cover on. We do recommend Tan as a good all around color, as solid Black can tend to stick out.
4. FIT AND STABILITY is critical. The chin strap must be connected at the back as well as the sides. The helmet must fit snugly and comfortably even with no chin strap. Get a good head measurement to ensure a good fit.
The bottom line - in a bad situation you want ballistic and blunt trauma protection on your head. You have two eyes, two arms, two legs, and two lungs - but only one brain, so keep it safe!
Yours truly, - Nick, Manager BulletProofME.com
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Field Gear on a Shoestring Budget: Ten Project Examples, by George S.
The following are some hopefully useful field expedients, substitutes and
spares, all
of which can be had for a buck to about ten bucks each:
#1: Drywall Saw: if you don’t have one of those all-purpose $49.95 survival
knives or field shovels from Gerber or Glock with the accessory root saw, or
you’ve found that the finger-length saw blade on a Swiss Army folder
leaves a lot to be desired when cutting a 2x6 [board] down to size? A bow saw
or flexible survival kit saw are a couple of possible candidates that may be
up
to the
task, but so too is an inexpensive drywall "stab" saw. The blade
on the one I got for a buck in the closeout tool bin at my local Big Box store
hardware department has a blade just a smidgen under 7 inches long and saw
teeth that cut on the push stroke on one edge and reversed teeth that work
on the
draw stroke on the other. It also has a sharp enough tip on the blade point
to poke through drywall or thin wood paneling, hence the term "stab" saw.
The handle on mine, made/distributed under the GreatNeck
brand, P/N 4932, is
hard plastic and black rubber, comfortable enough to use for repeat cutting.
Though that handle included a molded-in flap pierced for a lanyard or hang
cord, the handle itself is stout enough to be drilled at the butt end for a
hole for a wrist lanyard or dummy cord. So I modified mine to eliminate any
chance of the cord tearing through the molded flap. I also did a little reshaping
of the handle on my saw with a file to get it to better fit my hand, so there
is enough material molded around the blade at the handle end for personal modification
to suit.
In addition to the obvious uses for field carpentry, mine’s proved useful
on the rib cage and pelvic bones when field dressing whitetail deer. There
are certainly other times in the woods when a nice quiet saw is to be preferred
to noisier if sometimes quicker tools like machetes or hatchets, as well as
being lighter in weight. A drywall saw is easily carried in a homemade or improvised
leather or nylon web belt sheath, or a short length of metal tubing can be
squashed flat and the saw blade inserted, both for protection for the blade
from other residents in a toolbox and to keep the saw from chewing holes in
a pack or rucksack pocket. Mine also fits in a scabbard meant for an M7 bayonet
for an M16 rifle,
which I picked up for a couple of bucks in the junk box at my favorite army-navy
surplus store. That has the total cost for my saw under
five bucks, so I went back and bought two more, one for a pal and one as a
spare for myself. Using a saw to cut those little figure-four release triggers
for small game snares or dead
fall
traps beats doing that task with most knife
blades, by the way, though setting snares in the cold is not real high on my
list of fun things to do. But if
you’re going to try it, I suggest you first practice setting the things
when it’s warmer out...and using a saw instead of a knife to build your
hare-trigger releases. (Yes, that spelling was intentional!)
#2: Snow Camo Overwhites: I live in snow country where sets of military over-white
trousers and parka can be useful during the white time of the year, and yes,
I have a good set. But my back-up plan consists of a large white vinyl trash
bag that can either be used for its intended purpose or can instead have neck
and arm holes poked into it in a pinch, then to be worn to help keep drizzle
and sleet off. It’s considerably more glossy and shiny than I care for,
which can be cured either with a few vertical stripes of flat white automotive
spray paint, or an XXXXXL white t-shirt can be added over it- unless, of course,
you are a XXXXXL T-shirt size as is, and you have to use a white pillowcase
or kiddy bed bed sheet substitute instead. Really large used T-shirts go for
50 cents each at my local Goodwill thrift store, and since I’m not planning
on wearing these against my skin, I’m not the least bit squeamish about
getting one that’s been used. And while I was there I found a pair of
much-dripped-on white painter’s pants for a buck, too, oversized and
baggy, just right for wear over warmer trousers underneath. A few shots with
the ol’ 99-cent can of flat white spray paint, and I was right in business.
Admittedly, they were still loose enough on me that I needed a pair of elastic
carpenters’ suspenders to help hold them up, and those suspenders were
available only in blue or red, not white. Out came the flat white spray can
again, which took care of that, backed up by a wrap or two of white athletic
bandage tape over the too-shiny buckles, which both locked them in place and
ensured there wouldn’t be any giveaway shine even if the paint flaked
a bit. It didn’t hurt to have that pair of short lengths of tape handy
should they be needed for other uses, either. That white spray paint also works
real well on surplus store desert helmet covers to whitenize them for winter
wear, then useable either as field jacket or parka hoods, or as, of all things,
wintertime helmet covers.
#3: Inexpensive Lockblade Folding Knifes: I like nice pretty folding knives,
both factory and custom, and some are so pretty and beautifully crafted that
it seems like sacrilege to drop one in a pocket, let alone open it up and actually
use it; the one I got as a present a couple of years back is like that. So
in my pocket rattling against my keys instead is the cheapie $1 lockblade folder
I picked up in the sporting goods/camping supplies department at my local Wal-Mart.
Packaged as "Ozark Trail #3074," the knife’s 31⁄4" blade
is jinked (partially "sawtoothed) along the rear third of its belly
edge, is marked "stainless," and is retained by a screw, making sharpening
and other maintenance simple. The knives’ handles/scales are a hard black
plastic that’s sufficiently impact resistant that of the dozen or so
examples I have none have yet suffered breakage or cracking, though one that
came in contact with a hot Jeep exhaust manifold melted and blurred a bit.
Now that one’s a "parts queen" donor for any of the others
that might have a blade chip or snap a point. That hasn’t happened yet,
the only replacement so far needed on my stable of cheap Chinese folding pointy-sharpie
things having been that of a replacement blade pivot screw that came loose
on one and got away in my pocket. The scales are a little squarish for my taste,
easily fixed by rounding off the edges and corners with a file or sandpaper,
and yep, there’s a well-placed hole for a dummy cord lanyard or key ring.
One so equipped resides on a spare bootlace that goes around my neck when I’m
kayaking in the summertime, and twin brothers of the cheapie Wal-Mart folder
live in the glove box of each of my vehicles, my tool boxes, in one pocket
or another of most of my rucks and daypacks, on my key chain and there’s
one in the drawer of my computer desk where it does double duty as letter
opener and box tape slicer. There are some users who don't care for the idea
that the
knife can be disassembled and have concerns that parts can become
unattached and lost. I haven't had that happen yet, but I figure screw tightness
checks are routine maintenance,
and I will use a threadlocker if I think it's necessary.
#4: Singlepoint Balance Sling: I had always wanted to be a high-speed, low
drag, tactical operations operating operator, but had never been able to come
up with one of the $35-$50 3-way HK or
Vickers slings that all the gun shop commandos and SWAT Team
guys who’ve never fired a shot in a real world
gunfight keep insisting to me that all the real professionals use. Adding a
center-of-balance attach point for a centerpoint sling is a simpler alternative,
and can be accomplished with nothing any more complicated or expensive than
a screw-in eyebolt at the point where the wrist of a shotgun’s butt fits
into the gun’s receiver, an expedient that goes at least as far back
in historic use as Doc Holliday’s sawn-off double-barreled scatterguns.
For the sling itself I used a five-foot length of black 1-inch wide tubular
webbing as used for rock climbing harnesses, also very useful for belts and
regular weapons slings. The advantage of using the tube web in this application
is that the tube web is hollow inside, and inside went a 48-inch-long elastic
bungee cord. The hook of one end of the bungee’s elastic shock cord was
then crimped to the front snaploop of a very used AK-47 sling
that had pulled out the oil-rotted threads holding it on, though all sorts
of alternate snaps
and swivels [or a 550-cord loop] could be used instead. The ones found on $2
surplus Swiss gas mask bags are especially excellent, with or without the bag
strap attached. The hook then attaches either to an AK or other rifle’s
front sling swivel, or at the new midpoint location if the hardware for that
application is installed. A friend who saw and tried my centerpoint sling on
my AK wanted one for his new M4 configuration
AR-15, and since he already had a sling attach point installed as the stock
locking plate of his CAR-15,
all I had to do was add the sling’s body loop and the strap with the
swivel snap. In his case, that snap was made from a pear-shaped key ring mini-caribiner,
after threading a short piece of clear plastic gas line tubing over it to keep
it from scratching the rifle finish and keep potential rattling silenced.
At the other end there’s a loop just large enough to go over the user’s
shoulder across the chest front, again with the elastic cord keeping it snug.
With the sling snap attached at the midpoint I can hold my rifle in both hands
and extend it out to arm’s length in front of me, and the elastic and
slightly muzzle-heavy weight with a loaded mag in places returns it to a muzzle-down
port arms position. This allows a fast transition from carbine to handgun,
handheld radio/cell phone, or my ice cream cone, depending on my priorities
at the time. I really prefer to have web or leather slings on weapons that
may be fired enough to get more than a little warm, since nylon slings can
melt through if they come in contact with a hot barrel. I’ve also had
my doubts about the general utility of balance point slings, but this is my
opportunity to try one out for a while, and there do seem to be two situations
in which mine has proven useful for me. One is while standing around with the
weapon at ready for long periods of time, as when at a guard post or waiting
to hit the firing line on a hot range, probably why they’ve been so popular
with some troops in Iraq. The other is when aboard a motorcycle, snowmobile
or ATV and the right hand is occupied with operating the vehicle, which would
be a really nice time to have a shorty bullpup weapon instead. But when what
you’ve got is what you’re going to have to use, I’ll admit
the springy sling may be worth being fitted.
#5: Gear/Armor Carrier Vest: Now that I had my new SWATzie sling I now needed
a black tactical vest and armor plate/pad carrier to go with it, and $2 seemed
to be a good price to give for the basic start for one. That was for two of
the polycloth black shopping bags from my local Wal-Mart store at a buck each,
offered as an alternative to the usual flimsy plastic variety. Aside from the
low cost, their big attractions were their 12" x 12" square size,
and the pair of 11⁄4" wide straps that serve as the bags front and
rear handles. Cutting away the stitching that held the end of one strap at
the mouth of one bag left an attached double strap that was long enough to
go over my shoulder and connect the first bag worn in front to the second one
across my back. The other strap was similarly modified, but on the other side
of the handle, giving a strap on either side to connect to the other bag, one
on the front left side of the front bag, and the other on the right rear of
the same bag. The straps on the other bag were modified the same way, but alternated
in mirror-image reverse, so that the outside left strap of the front bag’s
strap connected to the outside left of the rear bag, and the inside straps
likewise went to the attach points of their respective counterparts. In my
case, just the straps of one bag worn draped over my neck probably would have
been enough to position the front bag high enough in front that the bag’s
open top came to about the height of a field jacket’s front collar button.
That configuration is very similar to the old Military Armament Corporation
(MAC)
Ingram M10 submachinegun carry bags [made of then military-standard olive drab
canvas] that unfolded for wear beneath the user’s neck, the inside
of the MAC bags being lined with a Kevlar pad. I wanted protection and other
features
in back, though, so initially went with the twin bag approach. The bag in back
rode high enough that it too left just enough room for a jacket or shirt collar
to fit beneath it, and it covered my upper back and shoulders nicely. Both
bags rode high enough that an equipment belt can be worn underneath, and the
belt can be put on either first or after the vest is in place; others of different
body sizes may find they’ll need more of the adjustment provided by lengthening
both shoulder straps. Alternately, a set of padded shoulder straps salvaged
from a day pack or ALICE ruck
shoulder straps could be used instead.
Inside the rear face of my front bag went a used and expired Kevlar soft vest
obtained in a trade from a retired cop neighbor of mine. Inside the front face
of that same pouch went a military SAPI plate,
hopefully capable of withstanding rifle fire--or maybe not as effectively as
desired:
the military
has been replacing them with a newer E-SAPI version--an enhanced SAPI plate.
I also added a "kangaroo pouch" extension extending from the bottom
of the front bag, [made from a third black cloth shopping bag folded in half
top-to-bottom, giving a 6-inch extension and raising the basic cost of the
rig by another whole dollar. The Kevlar padding from another soft vest went
in the bag in back. I can add yet another "kangaroo" drop pouch location
on the bottom of the rear bag, should another 8" by 12" SAPI or E-SAPI
plate come my way and I feel like spending yet another dollar, and depending
on whether I want the extra SAPI protection low over my kidneys and spine,
or higher at my shoulder level. Until then the ballistic pad from a vest fired
into for testing rides at a height in between, sealed in a large vinyl pouch
to prevent the pad from becoming soaked if I get caught wearing the vest outside
in the rain, or go for an unplanned swim. No, you shouldn’t use expired
or damaged vest inserts or material. Yes, you ought to spend the bucks for
the very best body armor you can afford, and if you’ve developed tastes
based on personal experience, go with it. But if all you have on hand is less
desirable material, it may be better than nothing, so long you’re under
no illusions about its lessened effectiveness.
At the bottom edge of both the front and rear bags’ exterior I added
a left and right-side horizontal black nylon strap [sections left over from
building the sling described in section #4 above] and quick-release buckle
to connect the front and rear bags at my waist. The buckles came in a package
of three from the craft section of my local fabric shop, and one had been used
on a holster project, leaving the two I needed. I notice, however, that these
not only appear identical to the ones used on grocery shopping cart kiddy seat
belts and will fasten with the cart buckles just fine, but also are even identified
as having been made by the same manufacturer. [Ask nicely at your grocery when
they change their shopping carts’ seatbelts for newer ones less frayed
or for ones with a newer advertising message and you may get a grocery bag
full of the old ones for free.] In any event, the bottom straps do a fine job
of keeping the bottoms of the vest bags from flopping around, and mine can
be adjusted for anything from t-shirt weather to opened up enough to fit over
a parka or field jacket with winter liner. Velcro attachments would probably
work just as well.
Upgrades and enhancements: I also added velcro at the edge seams of the bags
to help the bags maintain their flat and square profile when other items like
my cheapie overwhites and poncho are added inside between the ballistic panels.
Likewise I added matching facing velcro straps to the former cloth handles,
now over-the-shoulder straps, which helps them stay together to be slid through
the adjustment buckles for them, which are former metal sling adjustment keepers.
The Velcro came from the craft department at Wal-Mart in a strip about 3⁄4-inches
wide by 3 feet long for a little over a buck. Yes, there are uses yet to come
for the leftover hook-and-loop pieces.
I wanted a way to carry ammo and other goodies with my cheapie vest, and since
they’d be a bit difficult to get to with the vest padding inside, that
meant pouches for them on the outside surface, leaving the bag interiors to
function as a drop pouch for empty magazines or clips or other non-disposable
novelties. The solution to hanging external pouches or other accessories was
easy, and all it took was a bunch of 12-inch long black nylon inch-wide straps
laid out in horizontal rows across each bag’s outside face, separated
by about a half inch. If that sounds like MOLLE rack
webbing, it should because that’s a good approximation of what it
is, though spaced primarily for ALICE gear
rather than MOLLE. Accordingly, the
critical dimension is not the
spacing between the straps, but the distance from the bottom edge of each lower
strap to the top edge of the upper strap, which should be from about 2-1⁄4
inches to no more than 2-3/8 inches, the inside height of an ALICE fastener.
The front face of my vest wound up with nine rows of webbing, seven at the
bottom and two at the top for first aid packet or compass pouches. On the back
outside face, it’s also covered top to bottom with nine rows of the webbing,
allowing anything from a Camelbak canteen pouch, a couple of 2-liter GI bladder
canteens or ammo pouches to be fitted. The spacing for the vertical stitches
that hold the straps to the fabric is approximately 1-3/16ths inch apart each
and I made up a spacer from a narrowed wooden paint-stirring paddle to keep
them in a reasonably uniform vertical line. Note that the metal ALICE clip
fasteners will chew through web straps fairly rapidly, since they’re
really meant for use on the heavy- duty web of a pistol or LBE belt.
One answer for this is to use the commercially available and relatively inexpensive
ALICE
strap-type adapters; another is the old airborne unit trick of replacing each
ALICE clip with at least two separate loops of parachute cord, knotted tight
and with the ends at the knot fused by heat to prevent the knots from working
loose. Now if you come across a military vest or armor carrier with the MOLLE
straps worn through, you’ll have a good idea as to the likely cause,
and how to prevent a repeat if you adopt the vest and repair the damage.
As an added benefit, the resulting ALICE/MOLLE web slots are just large enough
to allow the body of a 12-gauge shotgun shell to fit, with the shell’s
rim keeping the round from dropping through. That inspired me to build a second
vest primarily for use with a shotgun. Lacking the bottom extensions it’s
accordingly shorter and more compact, and so can be worn reasonably concealed
beneath a GI field jacket. The old Second Chance Z9 that was the first vest
I owned back in the 1970s rides in front in this one, and I’m still looking
for another castoff vest for the back pouch. Additional boxed ammo carried
in pouches in back helps balance the load on my shoulders, and helps prevent
me from kicking myself for not bringing more ammo along for those parties that
last longer than anticipated.
A third, similar vest was made at the request of a friend for carrying .50
caliber rifle ammo, among other items. It’s similar to my second "shotgun" vest,
with a few variations described later. Other specialized applications may well
come along, and I expecting that vests to serve as at least temporary expedients
for dealing with them can be launched at a cost of around two bucks each, for
a start.
The triple-magazine ALICE pouches
for M16 magazines fit very nicely at the bottom corners of my first "rifle" vest,
though M16 magazines aren’t
what are in them. With the two inside top anti-rattle strap tabs that separate
the three magazines removed, an M16 pouch is just right for an 8-round M1
Garand clip of .30-06 ammo laid flat. Alternate the bullet ends left to
right as more loaded clips are added, and they’ll hold eight clips, nine
in some if an extra one is crammed up into the pouch cover before snapping
it shut. I’ve
got two pouches so filled on the back bottom corners of my long vest and another
up front, [and a holstered handgun where a fourth ammo pouch could go] giving
me 192 rounds in 24 clips carried in three pouches. Conveniently, my Garand
ammo is stored in 192-round cans, in clips; isn’t it splendid how such
things sometimes work out?
A load like that with the added weight of vest pads and plates can get heavy
after a bit, so I added some of that black nylon webbing along either side
of both of the adjustable straps to help spread the weight; padded pack straps
are a possible solution for this problem, too. Those leftover short sections
of Velcro strip were added to three of the webbing rows approximately centered
on the front panel on the third, fourth and fifth rows from the top. Their
mating sections were added to the back of a largish US flag patch, which I’ll
continue to consider wearing so long as this country and its Constitution remain
at least partially workable institutions. Since situations in which wearing
a bullet-resistant tac vest with a couple of hundred rounds of Garand ammo
are not only possible but appear to be becoming more likely of late, there
may be some question as to how long that "workable" consideration
will last. Others may find flags of state or local jurisdictions, their religious
or veterans organizations, or family or group identification symbols or name
tapes to be more suitable or to the point.
Oh yeah: the black Wally-World bags come with the motto "Paper or Plastic?
Neither", and "Wal-Mart" printed across their front. Various cures for this
can be as simple
as just facing those slogans inward, turning the bags inside-out placing the
lettering in the inside where it won’t be seen, to a few shots with the
trusty 99-cent spray paint can, the flat black one in this case. I found that
the paint solvents softened the bag lettering enough to allow the printing
to be scraped away, but turned one inside out for better access to the stitching
of the handle straps anyway. If you don’t care for the black colored
bags, blue ones from Kroger grocery stores can be used instead, or bright orange
ones from the Big Lots retail chain. I’m sure that the selection can
vary depending on what stores are in a particular area; I haven’t found
suitable bags in winter white yet, but either a white cover can be added to
the front and rear faces of the pouch sections, or that ever-handy can of flat
white spray can be again called to duty. An inexpensive camouflage bandanna
can be used as a sewn-on cover before ALICE or MOLLE
webbing is added instead, for those wishing to match their other field gear
or maintain uniformity with
group camo; likewise the remaining material from the back of a camouflage shirt
blouse or lightweight T-shirt could be used. I've also found that the
JoAnn Fabrics shop chain offers
a very similar bag in a Loden/British Racing Green for a buck each, and a few
of them may be the beginning of my next project.
Those who’ve seen how glaringly black vests fluoresce in current night
vision equipment seem to be less enthusiastic about using all-black gear, but
television and movies have done their best to condition their zombie audiences
to accept those in the black tac vests as being the ultimate in authority figures.
That
kind of mass conditioning may be helpful to domestic concentration camp guards,
but the cowering habits of sheep-like GDP en
route to the slaughterhouse may also be utilized in making one’s
exit from such locales by other individuals or groups wearing the black vests,
at least until the urban inmates discover that many of those in the black outfits
may not have their best interests at heart.
As for sourcing components, I happened to get a deal on a couple of a hundred
18-inch sections of nylon strap from the industrial surplus outlet of a manufacturing
plant. New web from commercial sources can be used instead; one pal of mine
used a couple of cheap nylon dog leashes to make his, and inexpensive import
nylon slings are another source of alternate potential raw material. Those
wanting olive drab straps instead of black can use the material from the Swiss
military web straps offered by Sportsman’s Guide, 6 of them 31 inches
long and 14 that are 66" each, all with plastic pinch-release buckles,
and
under $15 for all 20, their item # 124510. Sportsman's Guide also offers 1-inch
wide nylon strapping in 125- yard rolls as their item
# 132816,
but you don’t get any buckles with that deal. My ballistic pads and inserts
have been collected from a variety of sources and applications over the years,
but those looking for their own suppliers of those components should check
with the offerings of BulletproofME.com or UsedBodyArmor.com as
possible sources.
Previously I’ve never cared for vests for much other than the specialized
ones for aircraft survival gear, [which can be slung over flight deck seats
when not in use] M79/M203 ammunition or photographic gear. The polyvalence
of having body armor and ballistic plate carriers do double-duty as attach
points for web gear is too obvious to avoid, however, particularly since the
armor carrier makes the use of web gear or LBE suspenders underneath both hot
and uncomfortable, and can restrict access to gear carried underneath. Two
bucks [or four] for a pair of shopping bags as a starting place for an armor/gear
carry vest seems like a good bargain to me, though you’ll have considerable
time and hand work putting one together after you decide just how you want
it arranged.
The vests made from 12"x12" bags front and rear work out a little
short so far as complete lower torso coverage goes, but that can be an advantage
for those who expect to spend lengthy periods seated in vehicles or elsewhere.
Adding the extensions like those I used for my SAPI plates provides an additional
6-inch deep pocket that runs horizontally completely along the front of the
vest, long enough inside for double-taped "royal" AK or RPK magazines,
full-length Sten, Swedish K or Thompson SMG magazines,
or for use as a "drop
pouch" for expended magazines or recovered clips in the case of my Garands.
Those without such concerns can use the long horizontal space for chem-lights,
highway flares or pop flares, pistol mags or a gas mask or night vision device,
as available.[JWR Adds: I do not advocate taping rifle of
SMG magazines "end for end" . This often results in the downward-pointing
magazine getting jammed full of mud when you jump down prone. So instead, tape
the pair together parallel (with both tops pointing upward.) You can
use a short length of dowel, and a pencil, or even a couple of thicknesses
of MRE spoon
handles between
the magazines, to make them angle apart from one another, to provide the necessary
magazine well clearance.]
Those who are really tall might want to consider the possibility of stacking
two bags piggyback, front and rear- four bucks worth, again. Alternately, that
open space beneath the rib cage not well covered by a single bag [or the small
of the back, for the rear bag] can be used for a front- attached drop magazine
pouch or reversed fanny pack, or in back, for an extension for a poncho or
sleeping bag carrier that rides below the 12" x 12" dimensions of
the bags. If a fanny pack is used low across the back, the waist straps from
it can be used for the waist/belt line connecting straps between the front
and rear bags, saving the separate addition of those components. It’s
also a common feature on commercial vests to include multiple belt loops extending
beneath the vests’ bottom edge at the belt line, allowing an equipment
belt to be supported by the vest itself. Such can be added and used if that’s
your preference.
One additional word of warning: the allegedly recycled plastic-weave material
from which the raw material shopping bags are made does not seem to be especially
fireproof or fire-resistant, and the nylon straps added for gear attachment
certainly are not. A dunking of the vest in one of the commercially
available fireproofing chemical mixtures could be a wise final finishing step
once the vest is completed but before other equipment is installed. That may
be more of a consideration if you’re an armored fighting vehicle crewman
or plan to hang around the exhaust downdraft on either side of a CH-47 "Chinook" helicopter
exit ramp, but do be cautious when close to campfires or other open flames,
and try not to excessively antagonize anyone operating a flamethrower.
#6: Too-big, worn-soled Moccasins fix: I’d been watching for a decent
pair of mocs for most all of last year’s yard sales, but all that turned
up [at the last yard sale of the season, of course!] was a pair that was way
oversize and had both soles worn through. No worries, for 50 cents for the
pair, they were a bargain, just a quarter apiece. I spent part of the winter
cutting away the worn-through bottoms and peeling off the glued-on strip of
finest plastic beading in the decorative native pattern of the Made in China
tribe. On Memorial Day weekend, off I went to the Buckskinners' and Revolutionary
War Reenactors’ Rendezvous where the sutlers and craftsmen had set up
their booths and tents on Sutler’s Row. I found the guy I was looking
for, a leathersmith who offered a resoling service for mocs, with buffalo leather
soles for $2 per sole. That gave me a pair of newly-resoled slightly oversize
mocs for just under 5 bucks. I added a pair of glue-in padded insoles, let
them dry, and then checked their fit: still floppy. The next addition was a
pair of $1.98 cotton booties, which I installed by wrapping my feet in plastic
shopping bags and then putting on the booties, and then liberally slathering
rubber cement over the booties and the places inside the mocs I could reach,
pretty much everywhere once I had them turned half-inside-out. Insert glue-coated
bootied foot in moccasin, allow to dry, and then repeat on the other foot.
While I was waiting for the second foot’s new addition to dry, I carefully
removed my other foot from the first one, leaving the bootie and plastic bag
inside. I then had at it with my paramedics’ shears and cut away all
of the former bootie that showed outside the edges of the moccasin, then slowly
and gently began peeling away the remains of plastic bag from the moc’s
interior. Again, by the time I had finished with the first foot the glue had
set up enough for me to begin on the second. I set them aside to cure up overnight,
and as it turned out, they had all weekend. When I tried them on again, the
fit was just right, tight enough to stay in place without flopping or raising
blisters, and loose enough I could nudge one off with help from the toes of
the other foot.
The insulation from the cold provided by the cotton bootie bottoms was a nice
feature, but one I’d have rather avoided for extended summertime wear
or for wear in situations in which the things were likely to get soaked. If
I hadn’t had the services of the rendezvous craftsman, I could have likely
have done a fair job of resoling them myself, or could have let a local shoe
repairman- getting harder to find nowadays- do the job. But he did a very tidy
job, had materials that were unavailable to me, and the skilled experience
he had at doing dozens of pairs of mocs at each of these events he attended
far outweighed the cost of his very reasonable price. Interestingly, that leatherworker
who did my resole work had another pair he was working on when I picked mine
up. Belonging to a big feller pushing over 350 pounds or so, the addition to
his mocs included the bottom of a pair of flip-flop shower shoes added as a
cushion to the underside of his mocs before the buffalo skin retread went on
and concealed that decidedly non-period padding. That combination would indeed
help keep ground dampness from morning dew or a light rain off the bottom of
one’s feet, though, and if needle and flax or waxed linen shoemaker’s
threads weren’t available, at least some similar work could probably
be managed with a tube of shoe-goo and/or some staples. And maybe an old pair
of cast-off donor flip-flop shower shoes.
Yeah, during this year’s yard sale season, I kept my eyes open for any
more good deals on moccasins, with no real sweet finds. But now I’m happy
to find any good deal on mocs whether they’re my size or if they happen
to be a bit bigger, and smaller ones go into a "trade goods" bucket.
Any time I can get a pretty good pair of mocs for under a couple of bucks,
I figure I’ve done okay; I spend a lot of time in the things, indoors
and out, so spending another five dollars or so on a pair to extend their service
life and improve their fit seems like money well spent. That’s not only
much less than what a decent pair of even imported lined mocs will run new,
but I suspect those buffalo hide soles are going to last me a good long while.
And interior padding added to a pair of oversize shoes or boots when nothing
else is available could save someone an awful lot of blisters.
#7: Fifty Caliber Spare Ammo Carriers: When a pal of mine managed to scrape
up the bucks to get the .50 caliber long-range rifle he’d wanted for
some time, he came to me for advice and counsel on ammo and accessories, since
I’d gotten myself one as a 50th birthday present a few years back. Could
I make one of those two-dollar tac vests [#5 above] for him, but set up for
.50 x 99mm Browning MG ammo for his Big Rifle instead of shotgun shells or
MOLLE gear? Why sure, I told him, it being just a matter of having three rows
of loops per row of shells, the one at the bottom consisting of smaller bullet-diameter
loops to keep the cartridge cases from dropping through, the rimless but bottlenecked
.50 cases not being as well retained by the top row of webbing as rimmed shotgun
shells are. I believe it would have been no great problem to space rows of
eight cartridges across the 12-inch space available, but he was happy with
a pair of rows of six shells each, with a little extra space in front, a configuration
that does make removing them from the loops a bit easier and keeps the vest’s
weight down. On the back, he specified an all-web covering, giving him the
option of carrying additional ammo in pouches, or canteens, Camelback water
bottle, or other useful goodies back there. I don’t expect he intends
to do much crawling beneath barbed-wire fences for long distances, especially
on his back, while he’s equipped with his big long-range noisemaker.
A dozen rounds is a good beginning for an ammo load out for the big loud rifle,
but a way to easily increase that amount by double or triple was still needed.
In the big box in one gun shop I visit pretty regularly all sorts of used holsters,
pouches and cast-off accessories from trade-in guns can be found. Though I’d
pawed through the contents before and noted an odd trio of residents therein,
I’d never had a use for the particular items I had encountered and had
no immediate use for them. Apparently, other customers had felt the same way,
because there they remained, despite price tags of five bucks each. Now they
had suddenly become useful; I paid for the three and picked up a fourth one
new in the packaging, at a cost more than the three used ones combined. The
items in question were vinyl plastic "Sidesaddle" 12 gauge shotgun
shell holders meant to be bolted to the side of Mossberg 500 series scatterguns;
similar models are available for the Remington 870 and Winchester 1200 guns,
and several other models. The problem is that with the aluminum receiver of
the Mossberg guns, the receivers can be warped inward if the sidesaddle attaching
bolts are overzealously tightened. The previous owners of the guns traded in
with their spiffy tactical ammo holders still mounted had apparently found
that out the hard way.
One simple answer if using the things on a shotgun, especially if it’s
a gun other than the model the device is meant to be mounted upon, is to attach
it to the stock instead, using wood screws and/or multiple wraps of tape. In
this case instead, the ammunition holders were fitted up to each other, back
to back, with a short section of seat belt webbing removed from a junked car
mounted in between as a spacer. The spacer web extends just far enough from
either end of the two shell carriers to allow a pair of grommets to be added
at the corners of both ends. This allows a carry strap with snap hooks to be
hooked to them for carry in either a vertical or horizontal position. The strap
I favor for the purpose is the one that’s used for the U.S. military
2-quart bladder canteens, since it’s wide, adjustable and comes with
a snap hook at either end; the Israelis are also real fond of using these as
top-mounted M16A1 rifle slings. Since the ammo being carried is a dozen rounds
of .50 caliber instead of a dozen lighter-weight shotgun shells, the wide strap
is advisable since it helps spread the load across the shoulders.
With the six-.50 rounds of one carrier facing forward and the others pointed
to the rear, [or up and down, if a horizontal carry position is used] it’s
a simple matter to peel off individual rounds as needed, either to load the
noisy rifle, top up a magazine, or refill the vest loops. If the user prefers
to have them all face in the same direction, they can be inserted in that way
instead. There’s a possibility that rounds could drop out or be knocked
off inadvertently, since the .50 rounds are much longer than the shotgun shells
that were fully covered when in the carrier slots. That leverage of the longer
ammo can be taken care of by having a pouch on the belt into which the carriers
can be dropped when on the move, one on either side, or velcro or snap-on covers
can be made and installed.
Those who don’t have a .50 but are looking for a means of carrying a
dozen extra reload rounds for a shotgun may also find that fitting two of the
sidesaddle carriers mounted back-to-back is a suitable way of doing so, especially
if an over-the-shoulder strap is added. That allows a quick "grab-and
go" procedure of quickly taking up the shotgun by its sling in one hand
and the dozen-round ammo carrier in the other, then tossing the ammo carrier’s
strap over a shoulder to free up the hand with the ammo for other purposes.
#8: Knife Handle Repair: While at the local thrift store looking for really
big undershirts, white painters’ pants and worn-out, torn or ugly belts
[a buck each, and dandy material for knife sheaths or reinforcing cheap import
book bag/backpack shoulder straps for more severe duty] I made my usual search
of the used kitchen cutlery box; this time I struck pay dirt. With items ranging
from 25 cents to an extravagant $2.50, I zeroed in on a 7-inch blade Ontario
Knife Co butcher’s knife, with a 50 cent tag sticker on it; when
I picked it up I found out why: the wood around the rivets on the starboard
side grip
scale had split and required repair or replacement. Can do!
Yep, I could have just whittled and sanded a twin of the good one, drilled
out the remaining rivets, replaced them, and it would have been almost as good
as new. I could even have just epoxied the old handle back on, good for at
least a short-term fix, but probably a repair that wouldn’t survive hard
use. Instead I took some of that black nylon web strap material left over
from building those $2 tac vest/ armor vest insert carriers, and cut a section
long
enough to go from the back of the blade’s edge along the handle where
the grip scale had been, wrapping around the butt of the handle at the end,
then back again along the other side to match where I’d begun, but on
the other side. Then I cut another one, same length. Mine worked out to just
over 91⁄2 inches long; shorter or longer handles would of course require
shorter or longer sections. The point, though, is that the length of strap
material that covers both sides is made from one continuous strip of web.
The next step is to liberally coat both sides of the knife blade where the
handle rests with epoxy [knives that have a short tang instead of full-blade-width
material for grip attachment get a different fix, discussed later] and to press
the web, not along the sides of the grip where the wood scales
had been, but along the top and bottom, again, wrapping around the butt. When
the epoxy has
tacked up sufficiently to keep the web in place, fold the material sticking
out to the sides down against the handle area. Don’t worry if there’s
a gap, but if a dry test fit before applying epoxy shows any overlap, you may
want to trim a little off the edges so that they neatly butt against each other.
At this point I begin wrapping the handle area with plastic shopping bag material
cut about a half-inch wide, overlapping each wrap just snug enough to hold
the webbing tightly against the handle. When you get up to the end try to tuck
the section wrapping around the handle’s end in as tightly as you can;
if it won’t cooperate, there’s a cure for that after it’s
dried.
Once you’ve completely covered the handle with the plastic bag material
wrap, you’re ready for the next step, which is a single-layer wrapping
of more of the bag material around the entire handle. At this point, I add
a pair of corrugated cardboard pads over the handle area- you may not need
it. I then put my handle in a vise and tighten that sucker good, squeezing
the epoxy into the nylon web and getting a good bond to the metal beneath.
I let it set up overnight at least, a weekend if possible- the directions for
your epoxy, room temperature and your experience with your favorite flavor
of epoxy may vary. When it’s nicely set up and cured a couple of days
later, I peel away the plastic bag strip, and if necessary I’ll then
hold that butt section momentarily over a candle if needed to get a good fit
on that back-end fold. The idea here is to heat the material just enough to
soften it, not for it to catch fire. Again, squashing it in a vise while it
cools may help, but if you don’t have a vise, you can do about as well
by setting the handle on the edge of a brick on it’s side, using another
brick on top for pressure, and adding a concrete block on top of the upper
brick for
additional weight.
The next step is a repeat of the first, but using that second strap you cut
to size, except that this time the web will be placed flat on the handle sides
instead of the edges the first strip covered. This time you do really want
as good a fit as possible at the back edge of the handle, and this time, since
the epoxy is going to bond web-to-web, my first wrapping to secure the web
in place while it sets up is a covering of black nylon fishing line. Then I
add the plastic bag strip, then squish that feller real good in the vise, and
go away for a day or two. Or three.
Unwrapping the bag material is like Christmas, I’m surprised almost every
time, sometimes good, sometimes not. If the repair is to your satisfaction,
good on you. If not, some more carefully applied heat, a little more epoxy
here and/or there, and some more of that fish-line wrap may fix your problem.
If not, you can always get out the rasp or a wire wheel on a drill and start
over. Or use leather from those cheap thrift store belts instead, though it
doesn’t wrap around the ends as well and heat won’t help shrink
it to fit- you may be better off cutting a separate piece for each side’s
handle if you use leather. I’ve repaired the handles of around a dozen
knives and one hammer using variations of this method, some of ‘em toolbox
knives that get knocked around and rattle in the box quite a bit. So far, I
haven’t had to redo any of the ones I’ve reworked this way, and
some of those repairs date back to 2000. Though some folks like to use a loose
wrap of cord around the handle so that it can be unrolled and used for alternate
purposes in an emergency, I’d rather have the most secure handle possible
and carry spare cordage wrapped around a knife’s sheath and as a sheath
tie down. That personal preference is up to the user, but I’ve yet to
run out of cordage and regret not having access to that epoxied to my knife
handle.
As for those knives with narrow tangs or less than full-length material where
the handle attaches: I’ve done the same sort of thing with a cord-and-epoxy
repair, except that in this instance I use heavy nylon cord [trotline cord
from the Sporting Goods department] instead of flat web. If there’s a
hole through the tang from a previous attach rivet or screw, I start on one
side there, go through any existing or added hole to the other side, and then
both radial wrapping and back-and-forth linear runs of cord begin. Once it’s
built up enough to act solidly enough as a handle again, a cover made of a
short section of that black hollow-center tube webbing can be used if flattish
grip sides are preferred. If not, just go at it with more and more trot line,
and again, finish up with a finer fishing line or even heavy carpet thread
in the color of your choice if desired.
The application of composite cord/epoxy handles is not limited to knife blade
repairs of course, but may also be of use to those looking for a way to utilize
hacksaw or Sawzall blades made for cutting metal as emergency hand tools. The
back-up plan to this application is to use a pair of vise-grip locking pliers
as an expedient handle for a metal-cutting saw blade, allowing later use of
the blade in the tool for which it was designed if desired or possible, but
the added permanent handle is certainly more comfortable for extended in-hand
use. Neither should the possibility of adding a handle to a worn-out or broken
saw blade reground to a knife edge be overlooked; power hacksaw blades are
particularly nice for this application. Those who wish to build their own survival
knife with saw teeth on the blade spine and a sharp belly edge can begin with
a new power blade, rework that blade to the length and shape they prefer, and
add a handle as per the above. Their resulting tool will be at least reasonably
capable of either whittling or cutting metals.
#9: BugOut Bag folding fork and spoon [or "Spork".] This one is an
idea that’s
neither new nor original, but like the others is one that’s been further
modified to fit my particular needs and the material available to start the
project.
In this case, I wanted a compact fork and spoon for use with both my personal
bugout bag, as well as extras for the 30-day supply bags carried in my vehicles.
My first attempt consisted of simply shortening a pair of the utensils in question,
then drilling a hole in their shorter handles for a connecting lanyard or key
chain. But they rattled.
During the Second World War, some German troops were equipped with a
mess kit fork-and-spoon combination that had the handles of the utensils shortened
even
more, then were joined by a rivet that served as a pivot, allowing them to
fold and nest into each other nice and compact. When folded out, the opposing
tool became the handle end for its partner, allowing shorter handles than if
they had been separate items. I cut the handles of
my first-draft unit down further, drilled them for the pivot and joined them
together. Opened, the utensil’s fork was sturdy enough to assault combative
peas, or, with the other end, the spoon was ready for the annihilation of soups.
Folded, the unit was compact enough to slip handle-first into the side of a
first-aid or compass carry pouch, through one of the webbing loops of a tac
vest or armor plate carrier, or, temporarily, in the top of one’s boot
if the cuffs are bloused into it.
I began my initial limited production run of enough of the folding utensils
for my BugOut Bag, 3-day pack and 30-day packs, plus one each for the glove
boxes of each of three vehicles, and a couple of spares. Improvements/additions
included grinding a flat screwdriver tip on the end of either handle just past
the rivet, one that is narrow enough to service M1911 grip
screws and my pocketknife blade pivot screws, and the other a bit wider. Adding
a second pair of smaller
holes further down the handle with another rivet set into one handle so that
the rivet’s head acted as a detent into the mating hole in the handle
of its partner made the lockup of the unit more positive when in the open position.
And naturally I added a small hole for a dummy cord lanyard to prevent loss
either from dropping or absent-mindedly setting it down and forgetfully walking
away from it. This is why they’re called dummy cords.
It turned out that the first dozen I built for myself weren’t enough:
others who’ve been around me when I’ve been using mine have asked
me to build one or more for them too. I’ve also got a simpler variation
that simply consists of a fork-and-spoon pair riveted together end-to-end but
doesn’t fold. That version goes along with bulk packages of food in storage,
along with a P-38 military folding can opener. The two items can be connected
together by key chain, one of the ubiquitous mini-carabiner snap links or a
chain repair link, or on a lanyard cord long enough for the useful tools to
be carried or temporarily draped around a user’s neck.
#10: Shoestrings. Speaking of hanging things on a cord around one’s
neck: I frequently keep a quarter-sized "button" compass and small
pocketknife around my neck on a spare bootlace; and some of us old-timers include
a military
P-38 C-ration can opener as well, even though the days of the issue of C-rats
are long gone. This used to be a common practice when I was in the military,
threading the bootlace cord into the plastic protective tubing we put over
our dog tag chains to keep the cold chain off our bare skin. I’ve yet
to really need these minimalist survival tools, though I’ll be glad enough
to have them if I do suddenly have a critical use for them, but the extra boot
lace has come in handy numerous times. Sometimes that’s actually been
as a replacement for a shoelace that’s broken on a shoe or boot, but
there’s a swell flash of realization when you really need a short length
of strong cord and then remember you’ve got one handy right around your
neck.
Variations on this idea include using braided nylon #550 pound test parachute
suspension line, also known as "parachute cord" instead, or using
fisherman’s
twisted cord trot line, both of which are available in a variety of colors
and sizes/strengths. The #18 twisted nylon cord I use is rated at 113 pounds
test, and the thicker #36 cord is listed as good for 320 pounds; if anything
stronger is required I reach for my roll of parachute suspension line. Short
sections of any suitable cordage are useful as "dummy cord" lanyards
for weapons, knives or other critical gear, especially when in or around boats,
snowmobiles, or motorcycles. Cord can be such an excellent replacement for
the metal ALICE equipment clips for U.S. belt equipment that some military
users pitch all their metal fasteners; just be sure and use at least two separately
knotted cord loops as the silent and nonmetallic replacement for each ALICE
clip if you do this- and three per is better.
I’ve also known one trooper who used military issue WD-1/TT commo wire
as replacement boot laces in a pinch; the civilian-world equivalent would be
stereo speaker wire. Clearly, he didn’t have an extra bootlace worn around
his neck...
.
Final thoughts: My adaptations, field expedients, and shade-tree modifications
are ones that were suitable for the tasks I’ve had at hand, the tools
I’ve had available, and the skill levels and experience I’ve got
at working with the tools I had for what I was doing. Changing materials or
methods may be perfectly suitable for your needs, you may conclude that some
of the items or modifications just aren’t worth the trouble, or that
the expenditure of a few more bucks on more specific-purpose items is a better
idea- and for you, that may well be. For others, some of these adaptations
may be the only gear that fits a minimalist budget, or that allows the purchase
of other necessities. In other cases, some of the items presented here may
serve as spares, with better top-grade [and top-dollar!] equipment better used
for the job at hand until it fails from overuse or is otherwise expended- and
my low-bucks methodology may give you a back up plan to turn what might have
been a disastrous shortage into an inconvenience. As with all things, your
mileage may vary, and remember that all of my demonstrations have been performed
by a professional on a closed course.
Way back in the early days of World War Two, when wartime shortages and
rationing began to affect stateside consumers, a motto appeared by which many,
perhaps most of those recent survivors of the Hoover-Roosevelt Depression lived.
Some thirty-five years later it was revived and applied to those living in
politically [and physically] embargoed Rhodesia, also engaged in a war, theirs
simultaneously against foreign invaders, domestic terrorists and sellout politicians
[in England and] within.
Now there may be another resurgence of the applicability of that motto, and
we may soon be in a much better position both to more clearly understand and
appreciate the creativity and resourcefulness of those who lived by those words
earlier, as well as finding a few of their earlier methods and techniques useful
in our time as well: "Fix it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!"
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Letter Re: Sources for Fasteners for D.I.Y. Web Gear Fabrication
Good Morning, Jim!
I am a long-time regular reader here with a question. On your blog you've been
recently posting about various web gear, etc. I have long desired to build some
of my
own gear using nylon straps and high strength plastic buckles, tensioners,
and adjustment components typically found on outdoor gear. The problem has
been finding a source/supplier for these components. Do you have any recommendations?
Thank You, - John Geerman
JWR Replies: In my experience, piece parts for Fastex buckles
and similar parts are ridiculously expensive
if bought new in small quantities in a "brick and mortar" retail store.
Lower prices can be found in bulk online (for example, at eBay), REI (Fastex
quick release buckles
and
"tri-glides") and Reef
Scuba (for
nylon webbing material). But
I've found
that
it is often best to simply
find "trashed" military
surplus backpacks and well-used older generation Load Bearing Vests (LBVs),
and cannibalize them for their hardware. Check around at your local surplus
stores
to see what
they have.
The Swiss Army surplus waterproof Alpine backpack extensions, for example,
have a profusion of
redundant hardware--including the hardware and straps such as the extraneous
tie-down straps like those designed to hold down a Swiss "Darth
Vader" helmet when stowed on the back of the pack. If you
take
half
of
these
off,
you
still
have
a quite useful
waterproof
bag,
plus
a big pile of male and female Fastex type connectors, short length of
straps, and
tensioners.
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Two Letters Re: Seeking Advice on Assembling Web Gear
Sir,
In a recent post you mentioned unbuckling your ALICE belt
when going prone. I learned a little trick in ROTC using
a carabiner and two pieces of 550
[parachute] cord. First, adjust belt the
way you want it. Second, tie the two pieces of 550 cord
onto the end of the ALICE belt and hook them together with the carabiner. Adjust
the length of the 550 cord to get the slack needed when going prone. This allows
you to keep your belt buckled but when you need additional slack, just release
the buckle and the 550 cord keeps the belt from flopping around too much. Don't
tie the 550 cord together, as the carabiner allows you to unhook the
belt quickly if you fall into a creek or river and need to dump your LBE -
Bill N.
Dear Jim:
Thank you for referring readers to us for advice on web gear. At BulletProofME
Body Armor we are authorized dealers for Blackhawk and SpecOps
tactical nylon gear, but really our focus is body armor. Normally we only do
quantity orders for tactical
nylon, outside of specific armor-related items we stock. But we can give some
good advice on the questions to ask to help avoid major mistakes.
There is such a huge selection to choose from these days, and so many different
situations, it is hard to give universal advice. Some basic questions are in
order - and probably mandatory to remind “gear freaks” to keep
it practical! ;-) . There is no one right solution, and all solutions have
tradeoffs:
1. What are the possible situations / circumstances ? Under contract for a
year of security duty in “the Sandbox”, or trying to keep the neighborhood
secure during a power outage… As Stephen Covey says, “Begin with
the end in mind".
2. What do you really need to carry? More weight and bulk = less mobility.
versus “two is one, and one is none”.
3. How discreet do you need to be? A basic kit on a belt might be preferred
to avoid the martial image that a full chest and drop
leg rig gives off. On the other hand, if you were doing a ‘Neighborhood
Watch on Steroids” in a post-Hurricane Katrina type situation, you might
want to be more overtly armed and armored to deter looters.
4. In a similar vein, does the setup identify you as one of the good guys?
In a chaotic active shooter incident you don’t want to be the recipient
of “friendly
fire”.
5. Used with, or without a backpack, or day pack?
6. Can you access your most time-critical items standing, kneeling, sitting,
prone - or in a vehicle? (By the way, the practice of putting lots of equipment
on the belly area is a really bad idea when you really need to get low and
prone…)
7. Can you get in a vehicle and drive reasonably comfortably with the rig on?
8. Can you keep your pistol and spare mag in the same place whether it is concealed
carry, open carry, or on a tactical rig? This is so that your pistol draw (and
spare magazine draw) are always the same in your muscle memory. You probably
don’t have the time to do the amount of draw practice you really should
right now - why add another draw to practice? Keep it simple for your muscle
memory with less chance of a slow or fumbled reaction under life-threatening
stress.
A similar line of reasoning applies to rifle magazine pouch placement - keep
it simple and consistent.
For example, assuming you are not a full-time SWAT officer, holsters on
drop legs are probably not such good idea, unless you can really make the time
to practice a different draw stroke until it becomes instinctive under high
stress. (We do recommend drop legs for additional ballistic protection and
secondary pouches.)
A belt
attached to armor is a great idea to keep it consistent, and all one
piece.
9. How fast can you put the gear on? Waking up to the sound of breaking glass
at 3 a.m., or a patrol officer pulling up to a bad scene - then it had better
be fast to throw on. Keeping it to just a belt is faster, or all web gear on one
piece of armor with MOLLE [attachment points].
Some options for speed:
Spare ammo already on the rifle
A “Grab
and Go-bag”
Bandoleers (Note
that these can flop around, but they are very fast to throw on.
Yours truly, - Nick at BulletProofME.com
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Home Invasion Robbery Countermeasures--Your Mindset and Architecture »
Letter Re: Seeking Advice on Assembling Web Gear
I love the questions on web gear. Best advice I can give, having gone through
multiple iterations of trying this and that, is to divide up your load. What
do I mean by this?
In the military they have a “combat load” and an “approach
load” concept. Your “combat load” is the web gear that you
see troops with all the time – their “battle rattle.” On
the other hand the “approach load” is similar to what we would
refer to as a survival load (roughly).
The major problem with web gear is that it does not work with any backpack
that has a waist belt unless you set it up to not carry anything on the pistol
belt unless it is carried with a drop leg (thigh) type of setup. Oops, no ammo
pouches or canteens on the pistol belt. That means that forget the cheap ALICE
gear etc. unless you plan on walking only for a day and not even spending the
night in bad weather. You have to go with a vest type setup right out of the
gate if you want to use a large backpack.
Personally, I have used an Enhanced Load Bearing Vest (ELBV)
and H-harness that can carry eight M16 magazines in chest mounted pouches,
or a no-name (custom
made)
survival vest that carries magazine pouches on the belly with some success.
I prefer the ELBV as
it can take all the cheap ALICE gear in a pinch. It also does not dig into
me when I go prone like the other vest (which I only use
when I am out hunting any more as it makes the perfect day pack with minimal
survival gear – which is what it was designed for). I then have my pistol
in a drop leg holster so that it rides below both the pistol belt and the backpack
waist belt. On the other side I have a knife in a drop sheath and pistol magazine
pouches in a drop leg configuration (holster and magazine pouches from Black
hawk).
Water is in a hydration bladder inside the backpack as well as two one quart
canteens (you can’t beat the old canteen cup and canteen cup stove with
any modern gear) and two two quart canteens in or on the backpack. I would
recommend
people look at the Kifaru line of backpacks – they are rock solid (mine
has survived three trips to the Middle East and one swing through Afghanistan)
and built by the guy that started Mountain Smith. They are pricey but they
don’t fail in the field and wear like a dream.
I also carry on the outside of the backpack a Camelbak hydration pack with
100 ounces of water. It has just enough carrying capacity to make up for the
butt pack that I used to carry on my pistol belt (poncho, some food, and SERE gear).
In a fight I can ditch the backpack in under a minute, get the Camelbak on,
get one of the two one quart canteens clipped on, and shove the Russian
Spetsnaz shovel into the loops on the Camelbak (designed to carry
ice axes) after I take it off of the larger backpack. So, while not perfect
it is the
best thing I have found to date.
A couple of tips no matter what brand/setup you go with. First, go prone and
roll around on the ground. Your magazine pouches should not dig (try to land
on one if it digs into your diaphragm …) and at least some of them should
be accessible regardless of the position you are in. Second, you should be
able to roll over and over and low crawl with the rig. I saw one kid with a
ton of gear not be able to get low enough behind a street curb one time and
he ended up a casualty. [JWR Adds: One reason that I prefer
traditional pistol belts and suspenders is that by simply unbuckling the
pistol belt latch, any pouches in the front can be pushed to the sides (putting
all the weight on the suspenders), allowing the wearer to low crawl effectively.]
Remember that hard objects in your backpack become shrapnel when hit by bullets.
Third,
when
you
jump up and down you should
not
make any noise.
When you are done with your web gear buying and backpack buying and you start
to load up, keep this in mind. On your web gear you only want those things
that you will need in a fight.
The Colonel that was portrayed in the movie “Blackhawk Down” now
has an infantry battalion in Iraq. Because of his experience with the [Mogadishu] “Blackhawk
Down” affair
he now never leaves his compound without having at least 30 loaded
magazines on him. Plus he carries a combat lifesaver kit. This
outfit has the best ones on the market today. - Hugh D.
« Letter Re: The Best College Degrees for the Next Depression? |Main| From the SurvivalBlog Archives: Inflation--Past, Present, and Future »
Two Letters Re: Jerry Cans Killed Nationwide by California Political Correctness
Mr. Rawles,
I just wanted to get the word out to all that have not heard yet, all non-CARB
(California Air Resources Board)-approved fuel cans will be no
longer be sold nationwide [in the US] after January 1, 2009.
That means you will not be able to buy any more of the ever-so-useful NATO
gas cans to store fuel in and I assume any other fuel can that does not meet
this new regulation. I know this is a little late to post this, I just found
out myself a few days ago. I talked to Maine Military Surplus this morning
and they
still have a few left and are expecting a new shipment soon although
they had to pay more for the latest ones.
With shipping these were just over $26 apiece. Anyone who thought this was
a free country needs to think again.
Thanks so much for all you do, Mr. Rawles. I hope you and yours had a very
Merry Christmas. - S. in Oklahoma
Sir:
I read the recent post on CARB compliant gas cans that are going to be mandatory
for the US in January. Here in Pennsylvania we've had them in place for a while
now. It might be good to let your readers know what they're in for.
My first words of advice to anyone in a non-CARB compliant state -- go
buy
any "old
style" gas cans that you can find now if you need them. The new
CARB compliant cans are a real pain in the rump to use. The CARB compliant cans
are the most over-engineered
product I've ever seen. They're airtight, child-proof, and typically require
3 hands to get gas out of them. The first models used a spout that hooked onto
the lip of a gas tank and needed to be pressed in to actually let gas out. Newer
models use a lever-style handle that's easier to deal with, but there's a child-proof
tab that needs to be pulled back before the lever can be pressed. Fortunately
that child proof tab can be removed out in about five seconds to make the cans
much more user-friendly. The CARB compliant cans are ventless; there's no more
little
vent opening and the venting is actually done through the spout. This prevents
evaporation
that occurs when the vent spout is open, but it means that air has
to come in while gas flows out and that makes emptying a can much slower. It
also means
that older spouts won't work well with new CARB compliant cans because they aren't
designed for venting through the spout. Emptying a 5 gallon CARB compliant gas
can through its supplied
venting spout takes about 5-to-6 minutes -- but it seems a lot longer when you're
holding the heavy can with one hand and pressing the pour lever with the other.
Fortunately, I've found a solution to the whole CARB compliance debacle --
the tried and
true siphon hose. I recently bought a "Super
Siphon" from Boat Show
Products -- what a great product! Unlike the CARB compliant spouts, the Super
Siphon
can
empty a fives gallon can in two minutes or less. I was looking for the fastest
and
easiest way
to fill up my cars from gas cans. The super siphon fits the bill. It uses a ball-check
valve to let liquid in but not back out, so there's no manual sucking gas through
the hose required. You just shake the check-valve end of the siphon hose up
and down into the gas can until the gas fills the hose and starts the flow then
physics takes over and the gas moves. I position the gas can I'm filling from
on a step ladder to keep it higher than the car's gas tank opening. No mess,
no
heavy
cans to hold and the fuel gets transferred quickly. Plus, I don't need to stand
there holding the can while it fills - my hands are free and I can pay attention
to something other than the gas can (Like getting the next can ready to go).
I have no business connection with the Super Siphon or the vendor, I'm
just a happy customer. I just wanted to pass the info along to anyone who stores
gas for a bug-out situation. There are other similar siphons on the market and
it might even be possible to build your own if you can find the check-valve piece
somewhere. I highly recommend that everyone who intends to fill their car with
a gas can at some point actually try it. Most CARB compliant cans don't have
nozzles long enough to fill a car, and even if they did it's a challenging if
not impossible
procedure.to hold the can, fumble with the child safety lock and the gas release
lever all while trying to keep the gas flowing into the 3/4 inch opening of the
gas tank. Siphoning is definitely the way to go.
Thanks for you blog; I've enjoyed reading it. - Doug in Pennsylvania
JWR Replies: Thanks for your letter. An even faster method
than a siphon pump is a homemade
12 VDC fuel transfer pump. Every prepared family should have one or two
of these.
« Letter Re: Soft Nose Loads for Battle Rifles |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Seeking Advice on Selecting and Assembling Web Gear
Mr. Rawles,
Thank you very much for your web site. I have been reading it every day for
the last two months. It is a wealth of knowledge. Read your book as well.
I have been researching food, water et cetera for quite a while and your
site has helped a great deal. My family will be quite prepared for whatever
in short order. The one thing that ha me confused is web gear/tac vest/ALICE gear.
In your book you refer to a certain type of web gear but I am having trouble
putting all of the pieces together. I am ex-Coast Guard and not at all familiar
with land gear. What web gear goes with what pack and belt, et cetera? Can
you help me with a list of compatible gear or recommend a book or manual?
Thanks, - Kurt in Washington
JWR Replies: There are umpteen opinions out there on web
gear, so take the following as just one man's view. Although they are currently
all the rage, I am not a fan of load bearing vests. I still
primarily
use the
old
tried-and-true
ALICE gear, although I have upgraded from the traditional "Y" suspender
harness to the more heavily-padded Eagle
Industries Ranger "H"-harness.
The new modular MOLLE (spoken "Molly")
vests are more versatile than the older-generation
Woodland camouflage vests that have stitched-in magazine pouches, but I
prefer having nearly everything handy at belt level. I've found that it is
slow and cumbersome to
get magazines
in an out of pouches that are any higher than my solar plexus. So that is why
I'm still an ALICE LC-2 vintage dinosaur. But as they say, "Your mileage
may vary" (YMMV).
Adding body armor to the equation changes things considerably, since full
Interceptor Body Armor (IBA)
with a MICH helmet
weighs anywhere from 19 to 25 pounds, depending on sizes and how many add-on
pieces--such as upgraded SAPI plates--are
included. And keep in mind that those figures do not include the weight of
ammo, magazines, a full hydration bladder, and various wunderkind gadgets.
When wearing non-concealment body armor, a load bearing vest/carrier does make
sense. Talk to the folks at BulletProofMe.com (one
of our advertisers) for details on
getting set up with body armor, pouches, and hydration systems that are practical
and comfortable. As I've mentioned before, fitting is crucial
with body armor,
so talk with an experienced dealer with a big inventory and responsive customer
service policies that can fit you properly.
Here
is a brief overview on the older ALICE generation US military web gear.
Greater detail can be found in FM 21-15, "Care And Use Of Individual
Clothing And Equipment", which can often be found at Amazon.com, Midway, GR8Gear.com,
and LoadUp.com
Here
is a PDF of a Fact Sheet on the latest MOLLE generation US military web
gear. Since this is the era of the high tech Stryker soldier, most of the "documentation" for
MOLLE gear is actually in the form of instructional DVDs. Oddly, I've never
seen these DVDs for sale in the civilian world. (But no doubt the Airsoft Mall
Ninjas have a secret distribution system, via Bit Torrents or some such.)
The majority of ALICE and MOLLE items will interchange--meaning that in
most instances you can clip an ALICE magazine pouch onto a
MOLLE vest, or attach a MOLLE pouch onto a ALICE belt. Don't be worried about
mismatched
colors or camouflage patterns. Practical civilian survival "ain't a
beauty contest." In real world camouflage,
randomness is a good thing. Anyone that tries to tell you that all
your gear has to be "color coordinated" is a poseur.
Both ALICE and MOLLE gear is available from U.S.
Cavalry Store. (BTW, if you follow that link then we'll get a little
piece of the action when you order.)
« Two Letters Re: What Are the Best Magazines for Investment? |Main| Note from JWR: »
Two Letters Re: The Big Chill Causes Diesel Gelling Problems in the Lower 48
James:
The blog post regarding diesel gelling is correct for the most part. However
there are solutions that are easy and inexpensive. There are many aftermarket
additives that will keep your fuel oil from gelling and also raise the cetane
level of the fuel. The cetane level is similar to the octane level of gasoline,
the higher the better it burns. DieselKleen, Stanadyne and others are good
choices. My 6.0L Ford F350 gets a full mile per gallon better mileage with
the addition of DieselKleen and I have not had a single engine problem in over
two years
of operation. One gallon of DieselKleen is about $17 dollars at Wal-Mart and
treats 300 gallons of diesel fuel. For climates where freezing temperatures
are a concern, make sure to purchase an additive that has anti-gelling properties.
DieselKleen in the silver container is the anti-gelling formula. Hope this
helps. - Jim T.
JWR:
Those of us who live in Canada (in my case 60 miles northeast of Toronto)
and drive diesel vehicles (1990 diesel Land Cruiser, HDJ81) know the problem
of diesel gelling all too well.
However there are measures you can take to lessen the problem, e.g. add an
anti-gelling diesel additive with every fill up, the amount varies with brand).
In addition install a heater on your oil pan, a block heater to warm the coolant,
and lastly and by no means least, wrap your battery (two batteries, in my case)
with an electrically heated battery blanket. Also, use a lighter weight oil
in the winter, such as 5W40. Regards, - Mark N.
JWR Replies: As this
article (cited in Eric's letter) describes, unfortunately the currently
available selection of additives do
not work in preventing wax dropout in the new USLD formulations.
« Letter Re: Comparing the Big Three Battle Rifle Chamberings in the United States |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Letter Re: Long Haul Voice and Data Communications in a Post-Collapse Environment
Mr. Rawles;
In the event of total meltdown, have you thought about using bulletin board
systems (BBSes) as
a means of communicating? If, and that could be a big if, the phone land
lines were
still operating, but ISPs were down, then a BBS
would be a excellent way to keep folks informed. Pre-Internet I ran BBSes with
multiple phone
lines
with
great success. Just an idea.
Also, while on that topic, has there been any
discussion as to shortwave frequencies that you may support? Is there/are
base stations set up for relays of news and information? A survival Net so-to-speak.
I
come from a hard core marine/yacht background and the are cruiser nets worldwide,
depending on what ocean you are in at the moment. Something like that for
landbase
usage would, to my way of thinking, help to ease folks' minds, pass on latest
news and to quiet down the rumor mills that spout false info. I can't stress
the
need for people to become well versed in the ownership and usage of shortwave
amateur sets. They can be had on the cheap and be in use now! This is not
something that you have to stash away until you need it but a tool that
you can enjoy
for years to come. They are also a good way to access e-mail accounts when
your current provider is down. I won't this all this here as there are books
on this topic and pages of programs that will work with a SSB/Ham system,
either land-based or marine based. - LAS
JWR Replies: Since traditional telephone services, DSL,
cellular services, ISPs,
and the Internet are all more or less dependent on grid power, I expect them
to all go down within a few days of each other, in the event
of
major
catastrophe. There will, however, be some utility in ham radio based packet
radio and digipeter networks, that can operate like BBS servers and even
like a quasi-Internet. These can operate over long distances in the HF ham
bands. There are also some
regional 2
Meter Band networks that are partially served by photovoltaic-powered
repeaters. So parts of those networks might also remain intact. Because many
older hams are retiring, there are lots of used radios and packet TNCs
on he market, selling for very reasonable prices.
Rather than "re-invent
the wheel", I recommend joining and expanding existing packet HF BBS
networks, such as those listed at Totse.com.
One word of warning: Do not just bookmark the Totse page. Like all
the other World Wide Web pages, the Totse page will vanish if the power grid
goes down. So be sure to print
out an updated hard
copy,
roughly twice a year. (Mark your calendar.)
I also recommend joining an
existing topic-based scheduled ("same time, same frequency") HF ham call in. Perhaps
some
SurvivalBlog readers that are active hams can recommend an existing scheduled
meeting time and frequency to discuss preparedness topics.
Parenthetically, I should mention that since the sunspot number is currently
fairly low, this is now a great time to join
a
network.
(If
you
can get connectively
now--with such poor skywave propagation--then odds are that you
will be able to do sp just about anytime in the future!)
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Comparing the Big Three Battle Rifle Chamberings in the United States, by Kyrottimus »
Letter Re: Speeding Coyote Hunters Arrested in Illinois
Mr. Rawles,
I came across this today, and thought you'd be interested: Police:
WIU students arrested with cache of weapons.
The key points are:
1.) They were stopped for speeding and their truck searched
2.) Both men had gun permits
3.) They were arrested for possession of firearms and ones' home searched
4.) Both are now facing legal battles - [even though] no laws [other than the
speed limit] have
apparently
been
broken
Blessings & Good Health, - Christine
JWR Replies: A few of my observations:
Did you notice the
box for the FN FS2000? It looks like they had a big gun-buying budget.
If they were indeed just out hunting, then why were they wearing body armor?
That seems a bit odd, but they were certainly in their rights to do so.
I have my doubts about the article's mention of a "silencer." Odds
are that either a. ) It wasn't really a suppressor--just a misidentified muzzle
brake, or flash hider, or b.) It was an NFA-registered suppressor.
The bottom
line is
that they may
not have been doing anything illegal, other than exceeding the posted speed
limit. (Although I have no idea if it legal to carry a loaded firearm in a
private automobile in Illinois like in The Unnamed Western State
(TUWS), where I live. Knowing Illinois, I suspect that they've restricted that
right.)
It is curious that the illinois journalist mischaracterized the four guns
(one rifle and one pistol per man) as a "weapons cache". That is a pretty
modest quantity for a "cache". In Texas, in fact, that would be considered
traveling "lightly
armed."
And on the lighter side, here is a bit of conjecture, from your friendly Editor:
Can you imagine if this had happened in Wyoming instead of Illinois?
The exchange probably would have gone something like this:
Deputy: "Do you know why I pulled you over?
Student: "I think it was because I was going 70 in a 55 zone.The 70 zones
are so much more common, so that's what feels like a normal speed to me."
Deputy: "You boys need to slow down, especially after dark. Consider
this a warning.
Student: "My apologies, officer. I'll do my best to keep a closer eye
on the speedometer."
Deputy: "Whatcha boys doing out here with those NVGs?
Student: "Huntin' coyotes."
Deputy: "Had any luck? I hear the price of pelts is was up this year.
Oh, you should watch for bobcats, too. I hear those pelts are fetching $800
apiece for nice ones. Now don't forget to slow down. Good luck with your hunt,
boys."
« Letter Re: Deflation Possibly Followed by Mass Inflation? |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Letter Re: A Suggested Checklist for Preparedness Newbies
Here's a beginner's list I made for my [elderly] father today:
Food
{Brown pearl] rice does not store well. Neither does cooking oil so that needs to be fresh.
No, Crisco doesn't count.
Coconut oil would be your best bet.
Wheat berries - 400 pounds - bulk order at your local health food store
Beans - 400 pounds - bulk order at your local health food store
Mylar bags
Spices
Salt
Country Living grain mill
propane tanks, small stove and hoses to connect
freeze dried fruits, vegetables, eggs and meat if you can find them.
Water
500 gallons
of water [storage capacity. Rainwater catchment is a common practice
in Hawaii]
Water filter
Cooking
Cast Iron Cookware
Firearms
FN PS 90
10 PS 90 magazines
5.7 handgun
10 FN 5.7 handgun magazines
5.7 ammo
Training: Front Sight four day defensive
handgun course. (Note: eBay sometimes has
course certificates for $100!)
Body armor: Nick at BulletProofME.com
Medical
Personal medications
Augmentin antibiotic
Up to date dental work
Painkillers
Bandages
Iodine
Anti-fungal spray
Finances
$10,000 cash in small bills
100 one-ounce silver coins (GoldDealer.com or Tulving.com)
Transport
Gasoline in 5 gallon cans or better yet, this.
Gas stabilizer
Mountain bikes
Air pump
Miscellany
Flashlights
Rechargeable Batteries
Battery
charger
Hand held walkie talkies
Topographical map of your area
Spare eyeglasses
Shortwave radio
Home generated power
12 volt battery system
Good backpack
Good knife
Good compass
Good shoes
Bar soap
Toothbrushes
Dental floss
Toilet paper
Fishing kit
Salt licks
Connibear traps
Regards, - SF in Hawaii
JWR Adds: The following is based on the assumption that SF's
father also lives in Hawaii: Because of the 10 round magazine limit for handguns,
I recommend that Hawaiians purchase only large
bore
handguns for self defense--such
as .45
ACP.
Both the
Springfield
Armory XD .45 Compact or the Glock Model 30 would both be good choices. The "high
capacity" advantage of smaller caliber
handguns
is not available to civilians in Hawaii, so you might as well get a more potent
man stopper, given the arbitrary 10 round limitation.
« Two Letters Re: Survival Medicine and Ditch Medicine |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Holster, Sling, and Web Gear Recommendations
Howdy Mr. Rawles!
Before I begin, I’d like to offer my congratulations on your fine novel
being republished. I’ve read it once myself, then again to my family
(I hate television, reading is good family entertainment) which should be considered
high accolades in itself. Currently my copy is in the Pacific Northwest, bound
for the midwest next, as it continues to travel the country within my circle
of friends.
I read the
posted letter by R.P. on 26 August, and associated recommendations
on holsters, slings, and web gear, and thought I’d offer some discussion
on the matter:
The main reason pistols are currently worn on thigh rigs has less
to do with ‘CDI’ [“Chicks Dig It”] factor and more
to do with accessibility. When one wears a vest festooned with pouches, the
bulk of these tend to hinder proper presentation of the pistol when the holster
is worn conventionally on the pants belt. That is, if the pants belt can even
be seen, as most wear their vests low enough to preclude such. The addition
of body armor only exacerbates the situation. The pistol, therefore, is typically
moved elsewhere – mostly onto a thigh rig or integrated into
the vest itself. This is far from a new style though – the old leather
1911 holsters
hung down from the frog clip to accomplish the same purpose.
As you noted, thigh holsters typically aren’t comfortable
while ‘on
the move’ . They are good for one thing though, and that’s an assault.
Thus the reason that laden troops are often seen with them – those troops
are equipped for an assault. Additionally, a conventionally mounted holster will
typically interfere with a ruck waist belt. If not precluding ruck use entirely,
at a minimum compromising comfort.
I’ve been working through these issues for years, and have come to some
conclusions:
No one rig will ‘do it all’. Compromises abound and are mandatory.
For the vast majority of time (as it applies to me) a light vest, at the
most, is all that is called for.
I am not personally a fan of the heritage [LC-1/LC-2 series] deuce gear. Not
that the concept is wrong, bad, or anything else – but the ALICE clips
(or as my associates and I came to call them, “meat hooks”) really
did need to be jettisoned. They rub body parts raw, blistered, and cause other
similar problems when used for any significant length of time. As well, the
magazine pouches were designed more for extreme magazine retention and protection
(security) than allowing a speedy reload, and the closure hardware on them
never was very robust.
When I had evolved my deuce gear as far as it would go, my pouches were all
lashed to the pistol belt with gutted paracord.
Using the grommets of the belt and the freshly-emptied ALICE clip slots on
the pouches, paracord can be worked
tight enough to prevent pouch movement laterally and vertically. Another consideration
is that by using paracord, there is less metal to clink against other items.
This technique worked well in my opinion, and happened to be identical to
the way – in both layout and
attaching - one of my closest friends independently evolved his LBE in Ranger
school. If one is really attached to that generation of equipment, then I recommend
this method of pouch attachment, as it is a quantum step up in comfort! Just
make sure that the knots are oriented away from your body and melted somewhat,
to prevent them from coming loose and the paracord sheathing from unraveling.
In my opinion the new generation of MOLLE load bearing vest (LBV) is superior
to the old deuce gear - of course allowing that everyone is different. Not
only are the MOLLE vests superior in comfort, but the modularity offers the
capability of repositioning your pouches to find the placement where they feel
best for that individual. I personally prefer the slightly older models that
use two buckles in the front, as opposed to a zipper. Conveniently, these vests
are low enough in cost that purchasing one per rifle, carbine, or shotgun isn’t
cost prohibitive.
Like R.P. and yourself, I have attended Front
Sight. I’ve also attended
other top-notch institutions – I typically attend at least one course
per year. As such, it should come as no surprise that after significant attempts
at finding “a better way”, I also advocate using a conventionally
mounted belt holster. It seems we prefer the same manufacturers as well – Blade-Tech
and Milt Sparks specifically. The Milt Sparks folks talked me into trying the
Summer Special II and I’ve been happily using that for the last three
years or so and actually prefer it to the original Summer Special. I would
also add Lou Alessi to the recommended holster-maker list, as I’ve been
using his leather belt holsters for the last decade or so and am quite taken
by his execution of the old Bruce Nelson design, which Lou calls the DOJ holster.
Specifically, I prefer the slightly modified version he made for Dick Heinie.
Those can still
be ordered as such directly from Lou, as Dick quit carrying
them. I’ve used several gun belts over the years, but eventually stuck
with the Riggers Belt offered by The Wilderness. I prefer mine with the optional
5-stitch reinforcement, to make the belt less flexible under load.
I have found that the key to proper pistol presentation when wearing a vest
is to have the vest ride high enough that it doesn’t interfere with the
holstered pistol; not quite as high as a chest rig, but almost. As well, when
laying out the pouches for attachment, I leave a open area on my front and
both sides; approximately 10:45 to 1:15, 2:00 to 4:30, and 7:30 to 10:00 are
all open space. This allows unimpeded access to a properly holstered pistol,
as well as the spare pistol magazines and such on the opposite hip. The open
area directly to my front is so that I can assume a solid prone position without
lying on full magazine pouches; I space the pouches such that they act as wheel
chocks when I’m in the prone. With the vest riding
at this height, other items can be carried on the belt with decent access – a
knife, pistol magazines, flashlight, multi-tool, and compass for example. With
all that open area though, the vest really doesn’t carry much. As
I’m not employed to assault enemy positions, I don’t need an assault
vest. What I do need – and what the vest provides – is water, more
ammo for the pistol and carbine, navigation, communications, and a blow-out
kit. If called for, a PVS-14 or PVS-7D in rigid case can be quickly and securely
attached to the water carrier on the back. As the unofficial motto of my favorite
school says, “shoot, move, and communicate”, this vest is geared
to meet those needs. What it is not geared to meet is self-sustainability.
This vest shouldn’t be confused with a rig meant for patrolling, what
one would choose to wear when knowingly venturing into unfriendly areas, or
anything to sustain oneself longer than a few hours. Essentially this is a
vest to be worn when contact isn’t expected, just something to work ones
way back to a nearby resupply.
For the applications where the light vest isn’t sufficient, a ruck is
called for, as well as a vest that works well with a ruck but also has the
volume capabilities for sustainability. Of course, this is a trade-off, and
there are many trade-offs involved in choosing kit. As always, determined by
METT-T [Mission,+Enemy,+Terrain,+Troops+Time Available]. At this time, for
a patrolling
/ heavy vest, I’m evaluating
the K171 Arktis model. It’s heavier, bulkier, doesn’t allow unimpeded
pistol usage (the pistol is stowed in a cross draw integral holster and meant
to provide
security over speed), and favors security over speed in reloading – but
it does carry a patrolling load well.
On the topic of slings, I realize this is personal preference, but I prefer
different slings for different applications. On a battle rifle or a precision
rifle, I prefer the Quick-Cuff from Tactical Intervention Specialists. I’d
been using these slings for years before our military adopted them as part
of issue sniper kit - they really are top-drawer quality. I’ve used them
on long-range courses and competitions and never regretted it. It doesn’t
do anything that a good loop sling doesn’t
do – it just does it faster and easier. For shotguns and carbines, it’s
difficult to find better than the Giles or Vickers slings, in my opinion. When
set-up such that the buttplate is approximately one fist height below the chin,
these work very well.
At this point though, I’d like to reiterate your admonition that training
must be sought. If a trip into the Arizona or Nevada deserts, the
Oregon mountains, the Oklahoma hills, isn’t a viable option at the
moment, then I also advocate the Appleseed
Program [rifle matches and clinics].
These fine, hospitable folks will get you spooled up on the basics of marksmanship
quickly
and efficiently – I
should know, I’ve
been volunteering as an instructor for almost a year now. All the best, and
God Bless! - Bravo
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The Warrior Way as Survival Strategy: Attune Yourself to a Martial Mindset in Daily Living, by Jeff Trasel
One of the constant knocks by the mainstream media on the preparedness movement
is the oft-touted canard that preparedness, indeed the “survivalist” mindset
is nothing more than an excuse by far-right loons to engage in Rambo-esque
fantasies of firearms, firefights and macho posturing. While there is a scintilla
of truth to this in some far dark quarters of doomsday lunacy,
it is for the most part fiction. (This matches JWR’s caveat on discussing
unregistered suppressors [in the US] or other illegal preparations). So that
we bring no discredit on what is nothing more
than prudence, perhaps a few short observations can be proffered here so those
of a serious nature can learn to assume a proper martial mindset without resorting
to hysteria.
Preparedness, survival, or any other euphemism one can assign to our interest
is as much mindset as gear, land or other physical manifestation of prudence.
It is in itself a way of life that incorporates simple daily teachings, practice,
and when training, the incorporation of real-life situational aspects that
can better model an actual emergency scenario or a situation of social unrest.
Any competent defense professional will say that greatest advantage in warfare
is information, followed by logistics, then combat power. It’s no use
having the greatest army in the world if you don’t know where the enemy
is nor if you can’t you feed your troops. As Napoleon so famously postulated,
an army marches on its stomach.
So with those adages in mind, how does one
prioritize daily living to more readily understand these concepts? We all have
things we do on a daily basis, so the question of incorporation becomes one
of time management, especially given the marvelous source of information now
available in today’s 24 hour “always on” culture. For instance,
instead of perusing the morning newspaper or watching the morning breakfast,
find several reputable financial news sources such as the online versions of
the The Wall Street Journal or Barron’s. Start educating
yourself on how markets move, how seemingly insignificant moves in commodities
or futures,
such as pork or wheat can have a direct impact on your daily life. This also
gives you markers to start creating your own scenario planning data for acquisition
planning, and in the worst case, a timeline for moving to your retreat. American’s
are notorious for living in a bubble, in what is now a deeply materialistic
culture, and missing the obvious signs of downturns both in the US and abroad.
This new discipline has an upside as well, in that by becoming a more financially-aware
individual, you can make more informed decisions on how to manage cash flow
or even become a day-trader, freeing up capital for other, more serious purposes.
Understanding the world around you, looking at information as intelligence
rather than simple factoids and being aware of the bits and pieces that can
provide a different and in many instances, a more accurate picture of what
is really going on, is a skill that will pay one back in spades. Think outside
the box!
Next, personal fitness is a must. In any crisis situation, adrenalin levels,
stress, even physical injury can manifest themselves in a variety of ways that
can cripple or terminate the best laid plans. It is therefore mandatory that
anyone considering a preparedness strategy baseline their family health. The
advantages of this are twofold: first, it gives one an idea of how much exercise
they will need to incorporate into daily life to bring them to a level of basic
fitness of a recruit in the US Army, ideally the Marines, which is not as hard
as it may appear. Second, this will aid in identifying a medicine acquisition
plan for family members so you are not caught short in a crisis situation.
There won’t be heart or blood pressure tablets around if the mob has
burned all the Walgreen [Pharmacies]. Gun shows are great places to get surplus,
mil spec-quality first aid equipment, along with catalog houses that supply
paramedics or EMS personnel. The best book on the subject is the US Army Special
Forces Medical Manual, available anywhere, along with “Where There
is No Doctor” and “Where
There is No Dentist”. (I will
cover medicine in a survival situation in greater detail in another post.)
Learn how to take your blood pressure, especially pre- and post-exercise so
you understand the difference between resting and active pulse. The various
military physical fitness programs are all available on the web. Pick one that
you can realistically follow upon consulting your physician, and then be rigorous
in its application.
You want lean, endurance-based conditioning – not necessarily big bulky
SEAL-like muscles. I can remember from my [USMC Force] Recon days watching
these guys while with them at dive school, getting all bulked-up and then not
being
able
to
run worth a damn with my fellow Marines. You want endurance, endurance, endurance.
Muscles will come, and remember: shooting skills are as much a kata as a karate
movement and are technique-based on a solid, lithe platform. Incorporate a
martial art into your training regimen if possible. This can be a speed bag,
or large punching bag, dojo work, sparring with a partner or any other self-defense
program. These teach discipline, respect for the art, and most importantly,
stamina and situational awareness, all priceless skills in a crisis situation.
These types of activities begin to solidify the warrior mindset, and in solidifying
this mindset, you now assume the duty, indeed the responsibility to only use
these skills in the protection of kith and kin, and not as a license to bully,
cajole, or simply show-off. Many years ago my first sensei gave me an axiom
that rings very true: “One warrior may spot another in an instant. Be
it by the way he moves or by the way people avoid him. The problem lies when
would-be warriors and/or fools attack a true warrior. The fool may seem to
back the warrior down, but the warrior knows by instinct that he outclasses
the opponent and does nothing, or just kills.” By increasing you martial
acuity, you will soon learn to spot fools, an invaluable skill not only in
crisis situations, but in life in general.
Learn to live in the outdoors. Go camping or hiking with your family as much
as possible. Carry weight when you hike, so you get used to load bearing. Increase
it, and record you accomplishments. Not only is it great exercise, but it allows
for team-building activities and provides an avenue to understand group dynamics
and how task-oriented your family is or is not and what your personal and familial
endurance levels are and should be. Bring map and compass and learn orienteering
skills, and if possible, find the local orienteering club and go on organized
compass courses when you can. Land navigation is an invaluable skill along
with map reading (topographic – not your normal service station map of
greater Canton…). This was the greatest challenge when I attended [US
Army] Ranger school, the skills of pace-setting and azimuth shooting, particularly
at night.
Remember, you may not have the luxury of G.O.O.D. as
a family unit, so it is imperative everyone know how to find your retreat,
rally point, or rendezvous
site by azimuth and location. Moreover, in fleeing, you may need to alter your
route intentionally if pursued, and you will want to keep your bearings so
you eventually end-up where you need to be. This will help bond your family
unit, and help in math skills with kids. Thinking on your feet and being able
to understand where you are without navigational aids is the ideal. Hold a
rehearsal drill with a prize or incentive at least yearly. Also have a vehicle
plan that works on the same level – and here any of the relatively inexpensive
commercial GPS systems
can be a great help. However, don’t become reliant
on them, as they fail, they require power, and they can be tracked. Map and
compass are best – master them. Have your kids join the scouting movement
in your area as this will also provide an inroad to appreciating living rough.
I learned more about outdoor living in my 10 years of scouting than was ever
taught to me in the many schools (with the exception of S.E.R.E. – Survival,
Evasion, Rescue, and Escape) that I attended whilst in the military. Lastly,
get local
guidebooks that identify edible plants and animals indigenous to your potential
egress/retreat area. Again, take the family out and do some plant, bird, and
animal spotting. Knowing how animals behave – particularly what they
eat – can give you insight into how they react around humans, particular
those humans not know to them. Understand the ebb and flow of the environment
around your egress and retreat area. The warrior knows his terrain intimately
and it is a force-multiplier in a crisis situation. From the Art of War,
on the Varieties of Terrain for the commander: “if ignorant of the conditions
of mountains, forests, dangerous defiles, swamps and marshes he cannot conduct
the march of the army…”
We’ve now started to look at incorporate an intelligence gathering outlook
on life, followed by a fit state of readiness for the unexpected, now what
about conflict? Unless you live in a state that allows concealed carry, you
most likely will not have much experience in the carry of, or more importantly,
the skills of living with loaded firearms. The old soldier’s adage of
training as you will fight is key here: living with live weapons does not impart
a casual familiarity that can lead to tragedy, more so the understanding of
levels of readiness depending on the scenario. Combat pistol and rifle craft
will be followed in another post and there as many philosophies as there are
gurus. I subscribe to the school of Jeff Cooper and Mel Tappan, and readers
are encouraged to seek out their writings. Suffice to say, in regards to our
emerging warrior ethos, the idea is mastery, as a weapon is only as effective
as the mindset and situational awareness of the person wielding that weapon.
Begin to think of becoming one with your chosen piece; don’t choose a
combat handgun, rifle or shotgun simply on caliber and aesthetic appeal. You
want to ensure you have good grip control, eye relief (for rifles) and for
shotguns, that the stock fits snugly when snapping the weapon to your shoulder.
This is especially critical when fitting weapons for women and children. Your
martial mentality is the platform for that weapon to be effective so it is
imperative it feel comfortable. Next, find an air pistol and air rifle that
resemble your chosen battery. Rather than wasting ammo “snapping-in” on
the range (and fielding potential embarrassing and/or curious questions), use
these tools to get the feel for breath control, trigger pull and eye relief.
Use toy soldiers to simulate range. If you pick a particularly loud air rifle,
check local ordnances prior to beginning your training. I have used air pistols
in my garage for many years with no problem. Just ensure you have sufficient
target backing. You will be amazed by how well you shoot your live weaponry
once you’ve disciplined your stance, breathing and bench positions with
the air weapons.
One of the reasons I stress familiarity with a martial art is that all involve
a relatively similar pre-contact stance. That is, feet slightly wider than
shoulder width, a light bend in the knees coupled with a straight back and
slight relaxation in the elbows in a punching position. This easily translates
into the FBI “A” (“triangle,” “apex,” etc.)
shooting position when using a pistol. There are a variety of shooting stances;
find one you’re comfortable with and practice it until it becomes rote.
I like to shoot on BLM land where I can set up a loose range with a variety
of targets that can simulate a variety of situations. Moreover, one can carry
side arms “live,’ the most important part of the exercise. Always
use caution and appoint one of your group as range master. I cannot emphasize
enough the importance in warrior thought of acclimation to daily use of one’s
weapons. Each pistol, rifle and shotgun, and the associated ammunition and
accessories, all have specific, indeed quirky, characteristics that are best
discovered and addressed in a benign environment. Another advantage of the
informal range is practicing contact drills in the form of fast draw and point
shooting; again, topics for another time, but key to the mindset. In conjunction
with the mechanics of the draw and basic tactical levels (safe – elevated – hostile),
there is the consideration of dress and load-bearing equipment. We’ve
all seen pictures of militia-types and airsoft rifle enthusiasts kitted-out
to the nines, but in reality, no warrior worth their salt dresses in such a
poseur fashion.
Kit should be scenario, then mission-driven. It’s ok to mix commercial
and military gear, as it gives you the best of both worlds, along with adaptability
and more importantly, a covert OPSEC profile. One need not run around in camouflage
with chickenplate-enabled body armor and all the other stuff that goes with
such a mindset in order to present a hardened, tactical, preparedness profile.
Try running 10 to100 yard wind sprints with what you consider to be “appropriate” gear,
along with running up and down hills, pausing frequently to set-up a shooting
position, and you will soon see what gear is needed and what quickly proves
superfluous. Moreover, one quickly grasps the need for constant conditioning,
proper diet, and rest – again, train with the gear you intend to use
in your preparedness planning. Crisis situations entail short-burst energy
requirements, breath control, noise and movement discipline and a host of soft-skills
that are much more important than having “cool” gear. You may have
the slickest web gear, a trick battery of personal defense weaponry, and way-cool “digital” cammies,
but if you’re too winded to hold an aim point, too thirsty sucking down
water like there’s no tomorrow (and at that rate, there won’t be…),
or cramping and puking for lack of salt, you are now ineffective as a resource,
a drain on those dependent on you, and more likely dead, as you were not sufficiently
aware tactically, as you were too troubled sorting yourself out… The
warrior is ready at all times, and uniformly effective, regardless of time,
place, or contingency.
I rarely wore the same load bearing equipment (LBE) configuration twice, as
operational contexts were always different.
The axioms I lived by were simple
enough: keep your [front] belt area free of any pouches or protuberances; this
allows you to lie flush when rounds start flying; next, position you main weapon’s
magazine pouches on your side, slightly behind your hip or ideally, over your
kidneys, as again, when prone, they are easier to access without elevating
your profile. You drink more than you shoot, so canteens can be located at
the traditional hip pistol position; use [CamelBak-type water] bladders where
possible, as they are less noisy, hold more, and can double as a pillow, rifle
rest or
anything
else
you can come-up with. 1 qt. plastic mil spec canteens are fine, but I normally
carried them on my main LBE framed knapsack or butt back. Use mass to distribute
weight (your hiking with weight pays off here). If you do use them on your
waist belt, ensure they are positioned in such a way that you won’t injure
yourself collapsing quickly on the deck, nor are they in the way of your weapons
carry. Never attach a side-arm to an LBE belt that leaves your body. Drop-leg
pistol holsters seem all the rage, and for Close Quarters Battle (CQB)
and urban warfare, they have a place. In a retreat scenario, less-so, as they
will
hang on fencing, drag on brush, and hamper quick ingress and egress from vehicles.
Use good quality leather or black nylon (i.e. low-profile, non-martial appearing)
pistol dress when not in tactical mode, and again, wear it as often as possible
so it becomes second-nature. Shoulder holsters are good for this as well; just
ensure it fits, can carry spare magazines, and that you have practiced drawing
from the holster so it is not a liability. As to holster location, again, this
is personal preference, as some like to cross-draw (i.e. a right-handed shooter
holsters their piece on the left hip, magazine facing the target, and draws
across the body) or use the simple hip draw. [JWR Adds: The
disadvantages of cross-draw rigs have been previously discussed in the blog.]
Concealed carry
is much in the same vein, although by its very nature, you normally carry
a
smaller
weapon,
using a variety of purpose-built holsters on the arms, legs, inside the belt,
or small of the back. I like the small of the back myself. Constantly experiment
with your LBE until it is no longer “fiddly” and fits and works
the way you desire. Run in it, dive on the ground in it, get it wet, understand
how it behaves in a variety of circumstances. Use black electrical tape, or
ideally, mil spec“100 mph tape” (in reality, olive-colored gaffer
tape) to secure loose straps and to cover metal or plastic tabs or sharp edges
that might become noisy or otherwise problematic in use. Don’t use black
duct tape as it is too sticky and leaves a residue that gets on everything.
In recapping the warrior mentality relative to equipment, remember that less
is indeed more; the more you pre-place, the less you need in a bug-out kit.
Blend in and look "conformist" as much as possible, using situational
awareness, concealed carry, and normal attire when going about your business
in urban
and non-conflict
rural areas. Don’t depend entirely on surplus or new mil spec gear; use
the best kit for the job, but more so, maintaining a martial “look” may
draw the authority’s attention or encourage other fools of a tin soldier
mentality to take you on. Adjust your kit profile to the appropriate level
of security and risk and you should be fine. Lastly, you must reconcile in
your mind the concept of deadly force. Regardless of how prepared your scenario,
you may be forced to confront those that wish you harm, and you will die if
you start the mental ethical thought process at the contact point. Knowing
your tools, knowing where to shoot, and understanding the need to shoot will
allow you the upper hand when dealing with fools. Concise action can often
abrogate the need for violence; so again, preparedness can be as much a tool
of avoidance as much as kinetic action. Deadly force will comprise several
upcoming posts and I will also provide a topical reading list in the next few
weeks, addressing not only use of deadly force, but the warrior mindset, how
to plan and what constitutes strategy, tactics, and conflict. In the meantime,
start thinking about times you’ve been scared, or in a heightened state
of anxiety, or even shot at. What went on in your mind? How perceptive were
you? What physiological signs manifest themselves? How did you compensate?
In short, begin to analyze things from an angle of what you would do, say in
an airplane crash or severe auto accident – I call this reaction planning,
and it will save your life. Understand that danger has constants, just like
any other natural phenomena. The more you think of “what-ifs?” the
more you will be ready for crisis.
In closing, preparedness, like any other skill, is much, much more mental than
physical. The successful preparedness planner is in essence a renaissance thinker,
as you must understand and appreciate a variety of skills, and master the most
critical at least at a basic level. In creating this series of articles, I
will be working with a variety of assumptions: many of my readers will have
had some military or scouting background, and possess a passing familiarity
with firearms. You may have only just started to think about contingency planning,
and I encourage you to mine the marvelous resources of SurvivalBlog. Next,
that you have families, and you intend to incorporate your family or immediate
friends or relatives into your planning; also, you are in the early days of
simply trying to sort through the myth and reality of what the preparedness
movement and mindset entails, along with the commiserate moral, ethical, and
practical considerations one must entertain to not only thrive in a crisis
situation, but also maintain the social mores of being a good citizen, neighbor
and staying within the remit of reasoned law. And like a good scout: Be Prepared… Stay
tuned! - "Jeff Trasel"
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After 10 Years--Some Observations and Lessons Learned by a Y2K-Era Prepper
It was June, 1998. Y2K was
a salient topic of conversation. It got my attention. When the electricity
went off and there would be no water to drink, and no
fuel to move food to the JIT grocery
stores, I could see things getting very ugly. I had been willing to fight
for this nation as a member of the US Army.
Now it was time to fight for my household. I bought a Springfield Armory
M1A. I bought a safe to store it in. I bought another M1A (for
the spousal unit of course!) I bought ammo. Lots of it. I bought gear. I
bought food.
I became awakened to the idea of being self-reliant.
That was 10 years ago. Y2K didn’t cause a global melt down. (Although
I have a friend in the service that sat in a command bunker holding his breath
at Y2K – the
government didn’t know what was going to occur.) I
have not had to live through or endure Hurricane
Katrina. No participation
in the 9/11 attacks.
In fact, I can’t claim a campaign ribbon for any
disasters. Am I upset or sorry that I have changed my life to follow a path
of self-reliance? Most definitely, absolutely not!
Let me share with you the good and the bad of what I have done in the last
ten years. So often, people new to self-reliance are like ants at the foot
of a mountain staring up with their head touching their back wondering how
in the world they will ever be able to replace modern society and be able to
take care of themselves WTSHTF.
Well, truth be told, you can’t do it
overnight unless you’re Warren Buffet. I am walking, talking living proof,
however, that you can make significant progress. Let me show you!
In order to show you that you do indeed have cause for hope, let me share
a
few of my screw-ups. How about the initial purchases I made
while in a state of “marked concern” when I became “self
aware” with
regard to self – reliance. The money I invested in self-reliance was
my spousal unit’s “down payment on a house”. Do you think
this view of “my nest” versus “the world may end” led
to some intense “discussions”? You bet your last dog flea it did.
For much of the intervening 10 years I have been the one prepping while my
wife harbored a severe grudge against the entire topic because I spent our
money for the house down payment on crazy self-reliance materials. A grade
of “F” to
me for consensus building. She is just beginning to come around in the last
two years. Poster child example of a bucket of wet sand. (If two guys fight,
they belt each other like two crazed wolverines. Eventually they realize they
were stupid for fighting, shake hands, forgive and are back to being friends.
Kinda like a cow urinating on a big flat rock – big splash and splatters,
but it dries up pretty quickly. Get in an argument with a gal and it is like
pouring water into
a bucket of sand – the surface may dry after a bit, but it stays wet
down in that bucket for a long time.)
I very religiously squirreled away Gillette Atra razors because that is what
I used each day. The handle that you click onto the blade cartridge gave up
the ghost after many years of faithful service. The stores don’t sell
them anymore! Now I have three dozen packs of five cartridges with no way to
use them to shave! Fortunately, I did find a second/spare handle in my stores
and
will
be able to use them up. Did I re-learn some valuable lessons? You bet!
Two is one, and one is none.
You need to see what you have (inventories!)
Store what you Eat/use – I did great on the cartridges, but forgot
spare handles!
In the run-up to Y2K I bought a dozen 6 volt golf cart batteries to be able to
set-up some kind of power system in the house. Great intent. No photovoltaic
panels No wiring until last year. They have been “stored” sitting
on pallets in a friends storage building for 9 years because I have not been
able to get
to the replacement power system yet. I could have used that money for a higher
priority item.
The spousal unit and I built our home last year. We did many things very right.
Some learning experiences occurred, however. Maybe chief amongst them is my
underestimation of the massiveness of the size of this endeavor! I joke with
friends about not being free from the To Do list to be able to get into trouble
for at least five years! Fix the septic pond berms. Sort out the “scrap” lumber.
Put a deck on the back of the house so the [building] code Nazis will give
us the permanent occupancy permit. Fix the leaking pressure tank in the basement.
Fix the DR
mower. Mow. Clear 30 trees dropped to get the septic pond clearance (not done
with that one yet). Cut and split and stack firewood. The list goes on. Don’t
get me wrong – I would not trade my homestead back for city living for
anything. Was I able to foresee the "second & third order effects” of
the change to a country homestead? Nope. Not even having read Backwoods Home
magazine for 8 years. Thank God I listened to my in-laws and did not try
to finish the upstairs interior construction while living downstairs!
Prior to Y2K I tried very hard to create a group. It failed in many ways. Had
Y2K caused the feared problems, we would have been road kill. Okay, we would
have been the third or fourth critter on the highway run over by life, but
we were
nowhere near ready to deal with WTSHTF/TEOTWAWKI.
The Yuppie Queen and her husband went right back to spoiling their princess/daughter,
buying Jaguars, clothes,
and hair implants. You know - living the typical American city life. The other
couple moved out onto 20 acres in a very rural county and raise goats and chickens.
I am on 20+ acres and moving in a self-reliant direction. Two out of three
ain’t
bad!
I endured the gauntlet of multiple careers trying to find a fit for who I am.
Thankfully, my spousal unit was trained well by her farmer parents. We never
carried any debt other than the mortgage. One thing we did do smart was under-buy
on our home with a condo (sixplex) in town. No car payments. No credit card
payments. We kept 3-6 months of expenses in savings. One business venture was
as a franchisee for Idiotstate. Massive mistake. Four years with no income
for me and a net loss of $60,000 overall. What preps could you get done with
an
extra $60,000? I am certainly not happy I put one in the “L” column.
I am not proud of failing. I am proud of jumping into the fight and giving
it my 110%. As they used to tell me in the military, “What an opportunity
for character building!” Learning lesson for me was that I should never
have stopped Soldiering. I simply have green blood. I have returned to the
Army by working as a tactical/leadership contractor at a nearby Fort and getting
reappointed into the National Guard. Will a deployment take me away from directly
protecting The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU)? Yes. Does staying employed doing
what God designed me to do mean we’ll have a steady income? Likely. Does
a pension check from age 65 on make us better able to care for ourselves? You
betcha. The world may not disintegrate in 30 days. It may actually remain fairly
normal. One has to prepare for that contingency as well.
By now you have to be thinking “What a knothead! This guy couldn’t
find his fourth point of contact if you put one hand on a cheek!” Well,
not so fast there Skippy! I have a thing or two that should go in the “W” column.
I should give you a massive dose of hope! Let me describe to you in a quick
overview where I have come to in my 10 year quest to become more self-reliant.
First, about our home…
Home
Your home is your castle, right? Well mine actually kinda is. It sets on a
chunk of land that is 20+ acres. The terrain is rolling and 95% wooded. It
butts up against a cemetery to the north, a 900+ acre conservation area to
the south, a river to the west, and a section line to the east. The home is
an Insulated Concrete Form (ICF)
structure. The walls are 1” of concrete
fake rock veneer, 2.5” of foam, 8” of reinforced concrete, 2.5” of
foam, 5/8” of sheetrock. It is “round”, being made up of
12 wall sections each 8 feet in width. Two stories with a basement. About
1,800 square feet of living space. (2,700 with the basement, however, that
area is not finished yet.) Geothermal heating/cooling and a soapstone wood
stove.
Metal roof. No carpeting – oak floors and tile. The wellhead
is inside the home so I don’t have to worry about winter breakdowns or freeze-ups,
nor losing access WTSHTF. We are running at top speed towards the 20% equity
checkpoint in order to get rid of the bankster-invented Private Mortgage Insurance
(PMI) extortion racket. (We have a credit rating of 804, so the “risk” the
bank incurs by carrying our note is a freaking joke!). It suits our lifestyle
very,
very
well. Our intent was to have a very low maintenance home. Having lived here
one year in two more weeks, it looks like we have a very big check mark in
the “W” column. More details on the design/floor plan in a future
article!
Weapons & Training
We have an M1A set-up for combat, and one set up for long-range precision work.
The Glock 21
[.45 ACP] is the base pistol for the household, with one for each of us and
a G30 [compact Glock .45 ACP] as back-up. The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU) doesn’t
carry a rifle or carbine, just the pistol. (More on that later.) Training for
both of us
includes Defensive
Handgun 1 and Team Tactics with Clint and Heidi Smith at Thunder Ranch. I have
also had General Purpose, Urban, and Precision Rifle with Clint. I completed
a special symposium at Gunsite (pistol, rifle, shotgun, carbine). I am an NRA Certified
pistol, rifle, and home defense instructor. I have several other weapon platforms
as a “Dan Fong” kind of guy. The two rifles with
accoutrements, and the four pistols with same were certainly not cheap. Nor
was the training. I do, however, know how to properly employ them now.
Food & Supplies
The spousal unit & I could stretch the on-hand food to cover two years.
Canned freeze dried is 45% of it, bulk buckets is 45%, and “normal use” food
is the last 10%. We have built a rolling rack set of shelves for the 3rd part
to ease rotation of the canned goods with each grocery store trip. No, I haven’t
found the secret spy decoder ring sequence on how to rotate the bulk and freeze-dried
stuff with our normal, both of us work, lifestyle. The sticking point for this
area I see is that WTSHTF, Mom & Dad in-law, Sister-in-law, Brother-in-law
with wife and two princesses (one with hubby), and my Mom & her husband
will
show up on our doorstep. That makes for an even dozen mouths to fee
Security
Now for a bit more detail. First topic up, IAW my military training, is Security.
The base of everything here is God. I have chosen to bend my knee to Jesus
Christ as my Lord and Savior. I can amass all the weapons, ammo, food and “stuff” you
can imagine, but He is the one ultimately in charge. I am charged to be a prudent
steward of His possessions - my family, property, vehicles, food, weapons,
ammo, etc.. I am definitely striving to be the ant storing things for the winter.
If you ain’t right in this area, it will really matter in eternity.
Part of your security is weapons. There are sheeple, wolves, and sheepdogs.
I am definitely in the 3rd category. In today’s world your “teeth” are
your firearms. I plan from a Boston T. Party paradigm of having a battle rifle.
Hence, the M1A. Were I starting over today, I would likely go with a FAL, but
now "I will dance with the one that brung me". Or maybe just accept the brilliance
of the M1
Garand at $620 delivered to your doorstep from the Civilian Marksmanship
Program (CMP).
I do have two of these. Hard to argue with .30-06 ball. I renovate Mausers
as my hobby and so have a .35 WAI scout rifle. A second one in the
more common 7.62x51 chambering is in work now. I laos have a Mossberg 835 [riotgun],
two Ruger 10/22s (one blued, one stainless), Ruger MKII stainless .22 LR pistol,
S&W
625 pistol in .45 ACP/.45
Auto Rim, a few Enfields, and a couple of Mosin-Nagants round out the field.
Let me detail for you the path to get to the Glocks. I think it may save you
some of your money. I received a Colt Gold Cup [M1911]
.45 ACP pistol from my Dad as a graduation gift from the Hudson Home For Boys
[aka USMA West Point].
Great
intent. A weapon as a gift – how can you ever be wrong in doing this?!
However, a terrible choice as a combat weapon. The Gold Cup is a target pistol.
Tight
tolerances.
Feeds only hardball, and that can be tenuous proposition. I carried it on the
East-West German border leading patrols. The rear sight broke twice. The front
sight shot off once and tore off twice. It was a jammomatic. I hated it. Sold
it to a guy that wanted to target shoot.
Took that money and bought a stainless Ruger P90DC. Sack of hammers tough.
always goes bang when you pull the trigger. Inexpensive as far as handguns
go. After some marked de-horning, you could even make it run in a fight without
shredding you at the same time. One marked problem. Two [different weight]
trigger pulls [for first round double action versus subsequent round single
action.]. This started to teach me to throw the muzzle down as I pulled the
trigger in
double
action.
This nasty habit caused a problem when you were firing the 2nd through X rounds,
as now it operates as a single action. TLSU had a heck of a time with it at
Thunder Ranch. Clint loaned her his G21. No more trigger problems.
Still bowing at the altar of the 1911, I bought a Kimber Compact to carry instead
of the Ruger. (I still have the Ruger – it is still “the gun that
my Dad gave me” and no one buys the P90 used for anywhere near it’s
initial cost, so I can’t sell it without taking a significant bath on
it.) The Kimber was going well. Then I got a little too aggressive at slamming
magazines home in the shortened grip and jammed it. Then the recoil rod unscrewed
itself during an IPSC run
and seized the gun while messing up the trigger. Off to Kimber. Free warranty
work and 48 hours without my self-defense pistol.
Now I have no confidence in the pistol. I Loc-Tite’d the recoil rod
and staked it so it wouldn’t come undone again. Then I sold it.
Glocks cost roughly one-half of what a Kimber does. Crummy factory sights,
but all my pistols wear tritium anyway. No ambidextrous safety required. My
short fingers are
mated to big palms, so I can handle the grip. TLSU has been trained on the
Glock Model 21 (G21). It ain’t an issue of psychological derangement
like many guys get about their 1911/Glock/H&K/Springfield, but it is a
comfortable and working relationship between Glock & I. I have a G21 and
a G30 for both of us. They always go bang accurately and they have never rusted.
I am
not
pleased
with Gaston [Glock]’s refusal to take responsibility for any mistakes
they make in manufacturing. No problems with the G21 however. A pistol is what
you
use
to fight your way back to your rifle, which you shouldn’t have laid down
in the first place.
M1As hit my safe because it is what I knew from the service. They also fire
a full power cartridge, 7.62x51. It makes cover into concealment. I don’t
have the other 10 guys in an infantry squad fighting with me so I can maneuver
under their covering fire. I have to hit the bad guy with a powerful blow once
and move on to the next wolf/bad guy. Mouse guns firing rabbit rounds don’t
scratch that itch for me. To each his own. My two are old enough to have USGI
parts and good quality control. Here are the mods I made to my “combat” M1A.
Maybe they will help you:
Krylon paint job to disrupt the "big black stick" look
M60 [padded] sling
Front sight filed down so that zero is achieved with the rear sight bottomed
out
Handguard ventilated
National Match trigger group, barrel, and sights (came as a “Loaded” package
from Springfield)
Rear aperture drilled out to make it a ghost ring
Skate board tape on slick metal butt plate
For the “Surgical” M1A (it shoots1/2 minute when I do my part):
National Match loaded package
Trigger assembly additionally tuned at factory
Unitized gas system
Factory bedded
Stainless barrel
Swan rings and QD bases
Leupold M3 3.5-10x40 scope
Handmade leather cheekrest
Other weapons - I have two M1
Garands. Both were bought from the CMP. One
is stored offsite with a "Bug-In Bag" (BIB). One is a Danish return, less
wood, that I re-stocked. TLSU has claimed this one as hers. Ammo from the CMP
is
cheaper
than any
other cartridge out there, save the communist surplus stuff. An M1917 Enfield
(also
from CMP) is in the safe, along with a 2A, a #3, and a #4. A VZ24 is stored
offsite. The first Mauser I renovated is sitting there as an additional .30-06
with a Trijicon 3-9x40 tritium-lit scope. A Remington 700 with Leupold VX-II
scope is in the safe, but likely to be sold soon. A Mosin-Nagant (M44 or
M38) ride in each vehicle.
I formerly had [Ruger] Mini-30s. I could never find any 20 or 30 round magazines
that would function reliably. I sold them and got SKS carbines. When I quit
holding out
for TLSU to become a Warrior and carry one, I sold them off to fund other
toys. I am pondering the purchase of an AK folder because it is a sack of
hammers
tough and can be transported discretely. I don’t know if I have ever
come out on the positive side when selling a gun. Now I have to re-buy an
AR-15 to have one for training purposes. The SKSs could be useful for arming
the
family showing up on your doorstep. Hindsight being 20/20, I would caution
against selling any gun you buy. (The 700 mentioned above is a 2nd precision
weapon and I have no AK to train with. Still deciding.)
Ammo is required to feed these weapons. I have over 10,000 rounds of 7.62x51.
I have over 10,000 rounds of .22 LR. No, I don’t think these amounts
are enough. Now that the costs of ammo have risen to heart stopping levels,
I really don’t feel like I bought enough in the past!
I need to plus up the quantities/smatterings of other cartridges that I have
like .30-30 Winchester, .270 Winchester,
.40 S&W.
The location of my home is the best I could get balancing competing requirements.
It is as far from the city as we can get and still stomach the drive to work.
It is between two major line of drift corridors – 12 miles to the major
one, 8 miles to the secondary one. It is bordered by neighbors on only one
side. The folks in the cemetery don’t say much. The critters in the
wildlife area are more vocal - the ducks, turkeys, geese, hoot owls, loons,
coyotes
sound off regularly. We don’t mind. About 95% of the property is wooded.
A few hickory, lots of oak. walnut, (unfortunately) locust trees are all
there.
The local river comes out of it’s banks about every other year and
blocks our driveway for several days, but never comes near the house. The
German Shorthair
is long in the tooth for security, but she is there. A new pup is in the
pipeline.
I would feel a great deal more secure if the homestead was picked up and
dropped into Idaho or Alaska. It is about as good as we can do, though, staying
near
a major city so we can have decent paying jobs. There are some improvements
we can make though. I just bought a weather alert radio from Cabela’s
today. Tough to hear tornado sirens when you live miles away and have 1 foot
thick walls! We need a driveway monitor/alarm. Again, the superior insulation
of
the walls means we hear nothing outside. I can see the utility
of sandbags if things got really ugly. Some more land line communication
assets would be
useful. I think an AR-15 for training people would be useful, as would an
AK. Overall, I think we have done pretty well in the security arena.
Our Home
We started the 10 years in a condo. It was part of a six-plex set on a small
pond. I hate Homeowner’s Associations and their covenants! We could afford
the mortgage on one of our two paychecks. Good thing! I didn’t get a
paycheck for four years. We scraped by. Two years after re-entering the job
market we built our house. We worked on the plans for five years. Beware! Finding
a property piece and building a non-shoebox home on it is not for the feint
of
heart!
You effectively are funding the construction of a mini town. You build and
maintain mini roads (your driveway). You must build and maintain a mini sewage
plant (Your septic system/pond). You must build and maintain a mini water plant.
(Your well.) You must perform mowing and tree removal for the mini parks of
your town (Your “yard”/acreage). I will write a separate article
detailing our construction woes.
Let me highlight some of the self-reliant features of the house for you. We
did not want to spend a constant stream of Federal Reserve Notes [FRNs]on
maintenance. We used insulated concrete form (ICF) construction for the structural
strength
and the energy efficiency. The metal roof should outlast us. The geothermal
and
the
R-50 walls
of the
ICF are paying us back the initial investment in construction costs. We opted
for no carpeting due to the track in mud nature of the property, having a dog,
and me having allergies. Wood and tile floors don’t hold dirt like carpets
do. Less fire hazard as well. We used commercial steel doors for the exterior
and security-need spots. They have ASSA
[high security] locks. They have peepholes.
The basement has a 10’ square root cellar for the storage of canned produce
from the garden. It also has a safe room/shelter. 12” of concrete overhead.
The well head is enclosed in it. Land line telephone and power service into
it via buried lines. Food stored in it. DC wiring
in place to the attic for when we get to the photovoltaic [PV]
system. We also ran DC wires to each room in the house for the use of LED lighting
off of a battery system. The soapstone
wood
stove
augments the electrically driven geothermal. (In spite of several damaging
thunderstorms this past year, we have not lost power so far – great job
juice Coop!)
The stairwell was kicked out onto the W/NW of the house. This shields the house
from the hottest part of the day’s sunlight, and the coldest winter winds.
We made the stairwell an extra foot wide. What a huge nice difference that
foot makes to walking up and down each day, not to mention moving stuff up
or down them! The mud porch/entry was set up for coming in with muddy boots,
or for snow covered coats. We should have made it 1’ wider, as it can
be a little tight. The bench is great for donning/doffing boots. The tile is
easy to clean the muddy paw prints, human or canine, off of.
Windows were one of the few areas that caused some fireworks. TLSU wanted a
green house in order to take advantage of the great view of the property. I
wanted firing ports to defend against mutant zombie hordes. I am still hugely
uncomfortable with the nakedness the windows leave us with. Yes the view is
great, but what about when we experience incoming rounds, or more mundanely,
when someone comes out to the property while we are away from the house all
day at work and they help themselves to our stuff? Some relief is in sight,
however. We are pricing Shattergard vinyl film for the ground floor windows.
Things That are Still Need on the Home
The great thing about the R-50 ICF walls is that they are R-50 and pretty tough.
The bad thing is that they are R-50 and pretty tough. We can’t hear anything without
a door or window being open. Hence the just purchased weather alert radio for
us from Cabela’s this week. It is kind of eerie waking up at
0200 hours and having no idea if the thunderstorm is just a thunderstorm or
if it is a tornado. The television is useless when the rain is so heavy that
the dish won’t get a signal. With regard to 2-legged varmints, a driveway
MURS Alert
system is on the purchase list as we have had multiple invited guests show
up, beat on the front door, and have to walk around to the living room
windows to get our attention so they can be let inside. Okay for invited guests – certainly
too close for uninvited varmints!
The entry hallway was one of TLSU’s “must haves” in the house
layout. It has worked out well in terms of traffic flow and such. The security
door at the foot of the stairs is a tough choke point to deal with at 0500
in the dark. No light installed there means nothing is visible through the
peephole.
I will have to install a camera and/or light so I don’t open it to let
the dog out in the morning and get rushed by 2-legged varmints.
So far, the only commo needs are between myself and TLSU. When the sister-in-law,
brother-in-law, parents-in-law and my Mom show up and we start pulling
security, we will need to be able
to talk more. I have an old set of TA-312 [field telephone]s and wire for the
primary LP/OP,
but obviously will need more in this area. Just not a sexy/fun area to spend
FRNs on for a combat arms kinda guy, but I am working on the self-discipline
needed.
We did look ahead and sink the FRNs into running 12V wires in the home for
future installation of PV panels and batteries. Obviously things like the Shattergard
film, more food, more Band-aids, etc., are of a higher priority though. We
are working our tails off to reach the 20% equity mark to get rid of the PMI
extortion as well. I still have an ASSA lock to install on the shelter door,
and one to put into the basement door. Other projected door enhancements include
armor plates for the front, outside basement, shelter, and outside storage
doors. There just never seems to be enough $ to go around, does there?
The other major source of fireworks during the home design/build was on-demand
water heaters. Having taken a 30 minute hot shower with one in Germany for
5 marks while on an FTX, I well understand what a brilliant piece of technology
they are. TLSU, having never been outside of CONUS cannot give up on the electric
water heater. She still doesn’t believe that the electricity will ever
go out for more than an hour or two. Wouldn’t it be great to be able
to draw hot water at the kitchen sink, and take a hot shower from a propane
fired on-demand heater? She doesn’t get it yet. Obviously not something
to break up a marriage over. We really did very well on the whole house building
thing. The opposite of what everyone warned us about. I am pretty proud of
that performance!
Food
We started a garden this spring. So far, it is an endeavor run by TLSU. Spinach,
onions, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, beets, and some herbs. I have not been
able to convince her to expand the size. She wants to learn in steps and I
am the whacko that orders 100 seedlings at a time from the conservation department,
which then overwhelms us in the planting department. For example, the first
iteration of this tree-planting endeavor, we got them the Thursday before Easter
weekend. Friday night and all day Saturday we planted our buns off. TLSU was
indeed a great Trooper about it, planting right along with me. Sunday was spent
at church
and pigging out at family’s homes for Easter. Monday I had shoulder surgery
to grind off bone spurs and remove cartilage chips. Too much, too fast. But
at 7 FRNs per 12 seedlings, how can you argue? I have to admit though, that
after two years of the 100 seedlings, I am ready to give it a rest. This year
we settled for seven apple saplings. Initial inspection of the cherry, pecan,
oak, walnut and persimmon seedlings around the house reveals about an 80% survival
rate. Only another 10 years and we will be getting food from them!
The initial freeze dried and bulk storage food needs to be rotated. Anyone
figured out how to do this kind of at home cooking when the two of you work?
The canned/”normal” food is now being rotated with each grocery
store trip. We have canning jars for this year’s veggies and the root
cellar has a robust collection of shelves to store them on. How much is enough?
I
don’t know. Four geographically separate and secure stashes of three
year’s
worth of food for all of the family? Who knows!?
Medical
I have Boo-boo kits just about everywhere now. You know, the band-aid and antibiotic
salve with ibuprofen kit that handles 90% of life’s issues in this area.
Now comes the high-dollar investment stuff. The combat blow-out packs for gunshot
wounds or serious car wrecks. I did go along on a buying trip to a medical
warehouse and got some catheters, sutures, gauze pads, etc.. I did get in on
the last great iodine buy before our loving big brother government banned the
sale of iodine to us mere citizens. (It is a stewable ingredient to make drugs,
you know – “we must deprive/punish all to protect you from a few.
Oh, well, you don’t need to be able to sterilize water anyway – we’ll
take care of you on that too….”)
TLSU and I eat very healthy food – locally raised beef with no antibiotics
or growth hormones. No growth hormone dairy products from a local dairy. Spinach
from the garden. There are sugar detectors on the doors. Also, no chips allowed.
We get to the dentist regularly. We both do Physical Training (PT)
. She jogs 3 miles, 3-4 times per week. I run over lunch at work about 4 miles,
4-5 times
per week
and
lift
weights twice per week.
“Needed Still” list includes: Blow out kits, more bandages, more
hospital type stuff, more medicines, syrup of ipecac, more antibiotics, more
feminine
stuff (think of a vaginal yeast infection with no drug store open), drinking
alcohol, poison Ivy soap and remedies, athlete’s foot cream, more baby
wipes, more hand sanitizer, all forms of baby stuff, get the bone spur ground
smooth in my other shoulder and the cartilage chips taken out, get rid of the
cat (allergies).
Vehicles
We still have the same vehicles we had in 2001. A 1998 Toyota Corolla bought
with 30,000 miles, and a 1999 Ford Explorer bought with 45,000 miles. Both
were
paid in full when bought. Both avoided the 25% loss of value when driving a
new car off the lot. The Corolla gets 37 MPG.
I hate it. Every bit of plastic on it has broken – the car door locking
mechanisms, the trunk lock, the ventilation system fan. It gets 37 MPG. I can’t
find anything to touch that. The Ford is too big to get decent mileage, and
too small to really be
a useful truck. It is paid for and has AWD/4WD.
It always starts. Both vehicles have BIBs and gas masks in them. Both have
trunk guns. Both have roadside gear
to help ourselves out of a jam. We are saving for the replacement of them both.
We are going to be saving for quite a while. We need more cash in the BIBs
and Bug Out Bags (BOBs)
All of the preps in this section were done via Cabela points. I bought gas
and paid for business expenses - everything I could pay for with a credit card
was paid for with the Cabela’s credit card. You get points at some sickening
rate of $.01/FRN spent, $.02/FRN in the store. However, when you buy $6-8,000/month
of stuff between personal and business stuff, it adds up! The gear for the
BOBs & BIBs, weapons gear and parts – a significant percentage – 85%+
- came from Cabela [credit card bonus] points. When I got birthday or Christmas
monetary gifts I spent them on self-reliance items. We did this never incurring
any
interest
penalties because we zero the balance out each month. Our BOBs are set-up to
sustain us for 10 days. They are packed in Cabela’s wet bags for load
out in five minutes. Originally I sought to wear a tactical vest and ruck.
After two unsuccessful winter BOB campouts where I could barely waddle one
mile with
both of them on at the same time, I dropped the vest. TLSU’s back is
in tough shape due to scoliosis, so she is not humping any mammoth rucks with
the extra three mortar rounds and can of 7.62 linked. We also decided that
the G21 was what she could carry and dropped the SKS and chest pouches of 10
round stripper clips. Her ruck is a Camelback Commander. That is as big of
a ruck as she can hope to carry without killing her back. We are not leaving
home to go on a combat patrol in Hit or Fallujah. We are fleeing some kind
danger and have every intention of avoiding additional entanglements, to include
government hospitality suites in stadiums.
The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU)
I started self-reliance the wrong way. No consensus development. I saw a danger
and acted. I am a male/sheepdog/warrior type. I am not sure that I could have
ever persuaded her to participate in any meaningful manner before Y2K. She
has only recently begun to do so after eight years of seeing me provide for
and protect her. I was, however, stubborn/strong enough to do what I thought
was
the right thing and to heck with what was popular. Most “males” check
their gender specific anatomical gear at the wedding alter and continue on
in sheeple status. I get that females are the nurturers. I get that they work
from an emotional starting point, not logical. Not wanting the tornado to destroy
the house or the hurricane to wreck your and the adjoining three counties is,
at best, the French method of addressing life. TLSU is finally helping me to
rotate food via the grocery store purchases. She no longer rolls her eyes or
sighs disgustedly when I spend my Cabela points to buy gear. Once I explained
to her that I was planning to shelter and feed her parents and siblings and
that our one year of food wasn’t going to feed all of them for very long,
she started to get on board. She even likes spending the points off of her
Cabela’s card now. She is running 3-4 times per week and gets some PT
from work outside in the garden. She has come a long way. As best as I can
tell, she will not ever be a warrior. We have come a substantial distance from
sleeping on the couch each time a self-reliance topic hits the table of discussion
though. A definite and growing check mark in the “W” column!
Skills
Skills that I have acquired:
Rifles – renovating Mausers and training at Thunder Ranch helps
your ability to use these tools immensely.
Soldering – fixing plumbing leaks myself vs. paying a plumber $200
to show up and start billing me for work
Building – I invested 13 full work weeks of time during the building
of our home helping the contractor. Some of it was the nubby work of cleaning
up the scrap and sawdust. Some of it was banging in joist hangers. I laid
all the tile and 95% of the wood flooring in the house.
Fix-it – the DR Brush mower has long passed it’s warranty
period and while performing quite admirably, does need attention every now
and then.
The 1974 F100 demands attention regularly. Each of these repair work challenges
teaches me a little more about mechanical items and taking care of things
myself.
Sewing – Yes, my dear Grandmother taught me to sew buttons, and
my Mom taught me to survival sew/repair things. A 1960 gear driven Singer sews
nylon
gear though!; )
Skills still needed:
More First Aid – it appears that a first responder or wilderness 1st
aid course may be in the cards for this year.
More Hand to Hand – my goals and objectives list has had this goal
on it for several years. Good news – I got started on knocking it off the
list. Bad news, it revealed an “old man” shortcoming in my shoulder.
Good news, I am getting the shoulder fixed (hopefully) during “normal” times
versus after Schumerization. I just may get ambushed and not have my trusty
M1A in hand. Having unarmed defense skills means never having to be a steak
dinner/victim.
More riflesmithing – each birthday or Christmas gift of money has
been partially apportioned to the purchase of gunsmithing tooling. I need more
practice
with the tools I have. I still need more tooling. I recently secured Parkerizing
gear, but have not gotten the metal stands for the tanks built. Still,
progress is progress and I can already do more to maintain weapons than
95% of the
population.
Knife making – I just cringe at the idea of spending $300 for top
quality knives. CRKT is my friend. Even better is learning to assemble the
scales and
blank myself. Eventually, knowing how to forge blanks myself would be useful.
Mill lumber – with 95% of my property wooded, I have the material
to be self-reliant with regard to my lumber needs. I need a way to saw the
tree into lumber though. First, the mill, then the skill to use it. Then
I have
the gear to diversify my income and help others.
Have I always done the smartest thing? Absolutely not! Much to the crazed
satisfaction of a former operator buddy, I have cycled through the “best/high
dollar” gear
approach to the “sack of hammers USGI/AK” school of self-reliance.
Don’t get me wrong – I ain’t surrendering my Kifaru rucks
anytime soon! However, there were a great number of FRNs spent on those self-reliance
tuition payments! Have I learned a lot? Absolutely, yes! Am
I better able to maintain my independence and protect and provide for my
family? Absolutely,
yes! Could you do better than I did? Good chance. Have you
done as much as I have in the last 10 years? Only your freedom, loved ones,
and the quality
of your life post-TEOTWAWKI depend on the answer to that one.
« Letter Re: Request for Investing Advice |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Recommendations on Body Armor
Mr. Rawles:
I've seen your advice on guns and commo gear, but what do you recommend for
bulletproof vests? Should I have one for concealment, and a separate [heavier]
one for a stand-up fight in the worst case? Or is there a compromise thickness?
Also, what do the [NIJ vest
rating] "Levels" stand for, exactly? Thank Ye Much, - Arnie V.
JWR Replies: I forwarded your questions to Nick at BullterProofME.com,
since his
knowledge of body armor dwarfs my own. Here is his response:
Dear Arnie:
Your questions are very well put. The most basic question of Body Armor
is - do I need to stop rifle fire or pistol fire? It's all a tradeoff of
weight and concealability versus protection.
Soft concealable
vests (e.g., Kevlar) will
NOT stop rifle fire, but are rated Level
II-A or Level II for standard handgun threats, or Level III-A for more exotic
pistol threats such as 9mm sub-machine-gun or .44
Magnum. Weight is only 3 to 6 lbs. (1.4 to 2.7 kg.)
generally.
Rigid Rifle
Plates are rated Level III to stop
lead core .308 Full Metal
Jacket (NATO
7.62 x 51mm), or Level IV to stop
steel core .30-06 Armor-Piercing
(AP). Rifle
Plates, are
generally 10" by
12" (25 by 30 cm.) and will add 7 to 18 lbs. to a vest, depending on the
type chosen, as you need a pair for Front and Back protection,
.
For technical details on the NIJ ratings, see the
ballistic
ratings chart.
Tactical
Body Armor, e.g., the Interceptor vest we are running a
special on
is roughly twice the weight of a concealable, torso protection vest at 10 lbs.
(4.5 kg.), but
twice the coverage area with extended torso protection,
plus neck and groin protection. But then you add
the weight of Rifle Plates!
Here's a quick and dirty guide as to how armor can be configured - click the
links for example photos:
1.
Concealable
Vest for pistol protection on the torso e.g., 4 lbs. (1.8
kg.)
2. Concealable vest with
Rifle
Plate Pockets and Level IV Rifle Plates Front & Back, and pistol
protection all around, e.g., ~16.5 lb. (7.5 kg.) - this
would be "concealable under a jacket"
3. Level IV Stand-Alone Rifle Plates in a
Rifle
Plates Carrier for rifle protection only on the Front & Back, ~15 lbs.
(6.8 kg.) - this would be "concealable under a
jacket". Level III Ultra-light Polyethylene plates would be just 7
lbs. (3.2 kg.)
4. Overt
Tactical
Body Armor for pistol and sub-machine-gun protection, ~10 lbs. (4.5 kg.)
(without Rifle Plates)
- "concealable under a jacket" if neck and Groin Protection
taken off.
5. Overt
Tactical
Body Armor with Level IV Ceramic
Rifle
Plates, e.g., 22.5 lbs. (10.2 kg.) (You can also
add
side
Rifle Plates)
For running around town to protect against street crime, a concealable vest makes
the most sense as handguns are the most common threat. Just as important,
being concealable, light, and easy to wear,
it will
be worn more often. As we say - the best vest for you is the one you
actually have on when being shot at! (As opposed to a heavier vest left
at home in the closet.) We spend a lot of time talking folks out of concealable
Level III-A vests for more concealable Level II vests that are easier to hide
under light clothing.
For continuous use in a low threat environment, it might even make sense to forgo
the vest and use a ballistic insert to make a
Ballistic
Backpack or Briefcase. A briefcase or backpack will usually be
around, rather than a vest that won't always be worn because of heat buildup,
or clothing choices.
For high threat situations, e.g., glass breaking at 3 o'-clock in the morning,
or
standing guard in a Hurricane Katrina style disaster, maximum protection in both
coverage
area and
protection level makes the most sense. Hence
Tactical
Body Armor with
Rifle
Plates, and maybe even
Side
Rifle Plates. The extended coverage and rifle protection gives
you
a much "warmer and fuzzier" feeling when you are in a
real "two-way range" situation!
So, if you can afford it, both a concealable torso vest, and an extended coverage
Tactical vest with Rifle Plates is the optimal solution. Just as pistols
and rifles serve different purposes with different capabilities - it's always
a tradeoff between convenience and weight vs.
protection.
If your budget dictates one or the other, go with what fits your circumstances
most often. Discreet, concealed wear all day in low threat areas, or overt
Tactical armor for shorter duration, high risk
situations.
If you need to split the difference, you might want to consider a modular
Rifle
Plates Carrier to upgrade your concealable vest with rifle
protection. Going the other way, you can strip down an Interceptor
vest, removing the neck and groin components for a torso vest concealable under
a light jacket. Yours truly - Nick, Manager, BulletProofME.com
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Two Letters Re: Potatoes as a Survival Garden Crop
Morning, Jim!
Just a quick addition for your readers to your recent note about potatoes gaining
in popularity: most of their useful nutritional value is in their skin and
outermost fractions of inches. I believe this is true of most root vegetables.
Peeling these vegetables just renders them as a wad of starch or carbohydrate
- much less useful for your body than the good Lord intended them to be.
All they really need (especially if grown in a home garden where you know
what went into the soil) is a quick rinse and a light scrub.
Ideally your order of produce procurement would be as follows:
- home garden or friends' gardens
- public market/farmer market
- grocery store (produce sits for days before it gets displayed!)
- big box store with produce department (yuck)
So, no, peeled, frozen, fried and salted french fries do not really count as
your healthy serving of "vegetable." And if you really have some
ingrained loathing of potato skins and must peel them, at least put the peels
in a compost bin! - Carl H.
JWR
I enjoyed your novel ["Patriots"] immensely. The tenets
of your philosophy of survivalism are well thought out and codified.
I believe we are missing the boat when we don't consider the better alternative
of planting and/or storing potatoes as a survival basic food source, rather
than wheat, or other grains. Potatoes grow easily virtually anywhere, produce
abundantly, the plants are unobtrusive, and are not foraged by deer, among
other things. After TEOTWAWKI,
it would be a lot easier to plant and subsist on them rather
than large gardens.- Jim F. in Oregon
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Horse Breeding Now, and in the Future »
Letter Re: Retreat Livestock Guardians
Hello,
This is in response to TDs’ article
on Retreat Livestock Guardians. My wife and I left the computer industry
about 10 years ago and established our little retreat in N.E. Texas. We have
60 acres with a stream, couple of
livestock ponds, well, and a cistern. We presently have as livestock: Boer
goats, horses, donkeys – (both standard and what is called Giant), pigs,
ducks, and chickens. And of course several cats. Cats keep the snakes, tarantulas,
rodents, and other small nuisances away from the house and barns.
Why I am writing is because when we moved out here from Dallas, all the local
livestock producers were just going on and on about the Great Pyrenees as guardian
animals. So, when we purchased our first set of goats, (20 females and 1 male),
we built two pens for them. One for birthing, and one for the male to reside
with the females until time for birthing.
What I found out about the Pyrenees [breed] was absolutely true. The one we
acquired from another established breeder became part of the herd, and was
every bit
as described by TD in his article, except for one thing. These animals bark
at anything and everything. Especially at night. When our first one was a puppy,
I was really impressed with her, because she bonded with the animal and family
right off. Was very quiet, and was very little maintenance. Until she turned
about a year old. Then the barking started. And never stopped. If a leaf was
blown across the pasture at night, that animal went off like an air raid siren.
Wife thought if we got her a mate, that that might reduce the barking. So,
we acquired a male from another breeder, this one the same age as our female.
Well, then we had two alarms going off every night at anything. Armadillos,
possums, skunks, squirrels, deer, and I mean anything that moves at night,
these two sounded off. And they are quite large, male approximately – 90 pounds,
female approximately – 75 pounds, and quite loud.
Even though we enjoyed the personalities and the great job these two did with
the herds, when trying to have a retreat where the main entrance and most of
the acreage is concealed and not very recognizable from the road, the noise
these two made could be heard literally for about a mile. So even though they
performed to expectations, for the purpose of our retreat, they were a liability.
I also checked with other livestock producers in the area that had these animals,
and found out that this is the norm and not the exception. All of these livestock
guardian dogs have a tendency to be excessively loud at night. And that is
just unacceptable for the operation and purpose of this retreat. So now the
donkeys are fulfilling that obligation. The two standard donkeys are in with
the horses. And the two giants are in with the goats.
I have got to say, I am very, very satisfied with the results. I have watched
the two standard donkeys go after a couple of coyotes with absolutely
not fear at all. Ears laid back and not a sound. Just full speed ahead, then
both in a coordinated attack run off any and all predators. The two giants,
since they are in the pens with the goats, have not yet had to demonstrate
their abilities, because watching through night vision goggles, I have just
watched the predators emerge from the tree lines, take one look at the donkeys,
and fade back into the woods. Guess they already had altercations with their
kind before.
One thing that I was worried about, was what I had heard about donkey braying
at all hours. Both daytime and nighttime. I have not found that to be the case.
So far, the only time these animals bray, is at feeding time. And then, only
somewhat quietly. Really no louder than the ducks. On a side note: You want
a good nighttime early warning system- Ducks. Normal varmints, coons, skunks,
possums, whatever can wander all around and the ducks will not emit any noise
unless they try to get into the pen that the ducks are locked up in every night.
But let anything larger, or not normally supposed to be around that time of
night show up…. And those ducks are alerting everyone and everything.
Wife and I are really attuned to sleeping peacefully throughout the night,
subconsciously filtering out all the normal nocturnal noises until the ducks
go off. Then I up and out the door in a flash, armed and looking for the cause
of the alarm.
This is not to say we are not looking for some sort of canine. I do believe
that one is a necessity, but we just have to find the right breed. One thing
we
have been talking about, to suite the needs out here is a type of dog I had
before joining the Marine Corps. It was called a Basenji. This breed is a descendent
of African wild dog that does not have the capability of barking. The one I
had was always silent unless growling or a kind of whimper when feeding time
was at hand. The dog actually prevented a burglary of my apartment one night.
I was asleep in the back bedroom, and the dog must have heard the perp quietly
knock out a pane of glass next to the front door. You know how apartments are
not really made for security. Anyway I was woke up by a loud yell of someone
in pain. I dressed and turned on the lights in the living room, and sitting
by the window was that little Basenji with quite a bit of blood around his
mouth and on the surrounding windowsills. Apparently, as the perp reached through
to try to unlock the door, the little do just waited until the perfect opportunity,
and latched on. Let me tell you, for a relatively little animal, about 45 pounds,
the dog has quite a set of jaws on him. These dogs are known for clamping down
on an extremity and not letting go. Not just a bite and release. Now as far
as little children, these little dogs just love them. They will endure just
about anything from children. Very loyal animals and very quick learners. Obedient
and smart. Now, how they will do out here [at our ranch] I don’t know
yet. But it looks like we are going to give one a try and see how it works.
Anyway, just wanted to put in my two cents worth in about the dogs in a retreat
environment. The livestock guard dogs, in a non-SHTF environment, like the
Pyrenees are absolutely wonderful, and exactly as described by TD. But – When
you do not want your location to be compromised by unnecessary and excessive
barking, maybe an alternative is needed. Respectfully, - B.W.
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The "Come as You Are" Collapse--Have the Right Tools and Skills
In the Second World War, the United States had nearly two full years to ramp
up military training and production before decisively confronting the Axis
powers. In the late 1970s, looking at the recent experience of the 1973 Arab-Israeli
War, the Pentagon's strategic planners came to the realization that the next
major war that the US military would wage would not be
like the Second World War. There would not be the luxury of time to train and
equip. They realized that we would have to fight with only what we had available
on Day One. They dubbed this the "Come as you are war" concept.
In my opinion, the same "come as you are" mindset should
be applied to family preparedness. We must recognize that in these
days of rapid news dissemination, it may take as little as 10 hours before
supermarket shelves are cleaned out. It make take just a few hours for queues
that are literally blocks-long to form at gas stations--or at bank branches
in the event of bank runs. Worse yet, it may take just a few hours before
the highways and freeways leading out of urban and suburban areas are clogged
with traffic--the dreaded "Golden
Horde" that I often write about. Do not make the false assumption
that you will have the chance to make "one last trip" to the big
box store, or even the chance to fill your Bug Out Vehicle's fuel tank. This
will be the "come as you are" collapse.
The concept also applies to your personal training. If you haven't learned
how to do things before the balloon goes, up, then don't expect to get anything
but marginal to mediocre on-the-job training after the fact. In essence, you
have the opportunity to take top quality training from the best trainers now,
but you won't once the Schumer hits
the fan. Take the time to get top-notch training! Train with the best--with
organizations like Medical
Corps, WEMSI, Front
Sight, the RWVA/Appleseed
Project, the WRSA,
and the ARRL.
Someday, you'll be very glad that you did.
The come as you are concept definitely applies to specialized manufactured
equipment.You are dreaming if you think that
you will have the chance to to purchase any items such as these, in a post-collapse
world:
razor
wire, body
armor, night
vision equipment,
advanced
first aid gear, tritium
scopes, dosimeters
and radiac meters, biological decontamination
equipment, Dakota
Alert or military surplus PEWS intrusion
detection sets, photovoltaics,
NBC
masks, and semi-auto
battle rifles.
Think about it: There
are very few if these items (per capita) presently in circulation. But the
demand for them during a societal collapse would be tremendous. How could
you compete in such a scant market? Anyone that conceivably has "spares" will
probably want to keep them for a member of their own family or group. So
even in the unlikely event that someone was even willing to sell
such scarce items, they would surely ask a king's ransom in barter
for them. I'm talking about quarter sections of land,
entire strings of
well-broken horses, or pounds of
gold. Offers of anything less would surely be scoffed at.
Don't overlook the "you" part of the "as
you are" premise.
Are you physically fit? Are you up to date on your dental work? Do you have
two pairs of sturdy eyeglasses with your current prescription? Do
you have at least a six month supply of vitamins and medications? Is your body
weight
reasonable?
If you answer to any of these is no, then get busy!
Even if you have a modest budget, you will have an advantage over the average
suburbanite. Your knowledge and training alone--what is between your ears--will
ensure that. And even with just a small budget for food storage, you will be
miles ahead of your neighbors. Odds are that they will have less than two week's
worth of food on hand. As I often say, you will need extra supplies on hand to
help out relatives, friends, and neighbors that were ill-prepared. I consider
charity my Christian duty!
I have repeatedly and strongly emphasized the importance of living
at your intended retreat year-round. But I realize that because
of personal finances, family obligations, and the constraints of making a
living at an hourly or
salaried job, that this is not realistic--except for a few of us, mainly retirees.
If you are stuck in the Big City and plan to Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.)
at the eleventh hour, then by all means pre-position the vast majority of your
gear and supplies at your retreat. You will most likely only have one, I repeat, one G.O.O.D.
trip. If there is a major crisis there will probably be no chance to "go
back for a second load." So WTSHTF will
truly be a "come as you are" affair.
With all of this in mind, re-think your preparedness priorities. Stock
your retreat well. If there isn't someone living there year-round,
then hide what is there from burglars. (See the numerous SurvivalBlog posts
on caching and constructing hidden compartments and rooms.) Maintain balance
in your preparations. In a situation where you are truly hunkered-down at
your retreat in the midst of a societal collapse, there might not be any
opportunity to barter for any items that you overlooked. (At least not for
several months. ) What you have is what you got. You will have to make-do.
So be sure to develop your "lists
of lists" meticulously. If you have the funds available, construct
a combination storm shelter/fallout shelter/walk-in vault. It
would be virtually impossible to build something that elaborate in the aftermath
of a
societal collapse.
A closing thought that relates to your retreat logistics: The
original colonial Army Rangers, organized by Major Robert Rogers during
the French and Indian Wars of the 1750s had a
succinct list of operating rules. The version of the "Rules of Ranging" recounted
in the novel "Northwest Passage" by Kenneth Roberts started
with a strong proviso: "Don't forget nothing." That
is sage advice.
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Letter Re: Question on Body Armor "Expiration" Dates
Dear Jim:
There is an "urban myth" that Body Armor "expires" after
the official manufacturer warranty runs out. Actually, the standard five year
warranty is simply based on the insurance companies legal need to limit their
liability - not on the actual performance of armor. (I have a sneaking suspicion
that manufacturers don't complain too much about being able to sell new Body
Armor every five years either!)
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has found that 10 year old used armor
tests as good as new. Since we deal with a lot of Police Surplus we run tests
on
the oldest and worst looking vests we see (vests we would never sell because
they are over 25 years old, on the old NIJ 0101.02 standard). Oddly enough,
these old and beat-up vests always stop 9mm +P FMJ and .357 Magnum +P JSP for
us.
Here
is a direct link to data and photos.
Of course decertified Zylon vests are not to be trusted - regardless of age.
However, good Body Armor lasts much, much longer than the five year warranty/insurance
policy.
Thanks, - Nick, BulletProofME.com Body
Armor
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Letter Re: Question on Body Armor "Expiration" Dates
James,
I hope you or some of your readers can help me. I am looking at getting a
bullet proof vest. The more I learn about it everyone says that they are
really only
good for about five years. Then you should replace your
vest with a new one. That is fine if I were a police officer and used it
everyday, but I am not
and would
only wear it during my training drills. My questions is, is the five year
limit just a way for the companies to limit there liability and get you to
buy a
new vest every five years, or do they really go bad? I did order a test panel
from BulletProofME.com and when I did some testing it seemed to stop everything
it should have and then some. This panel was over 10 years old. The other
problem is that this equipment is very expensive and I really do not need
it unless
something bad happens. My fear is that I invest a large sum of money now
and in five short years the investment is no good and I have to replace it.
I also
realize that you cannot even test shoot it to see if it is still stopping
bullets because that will weaken the vest. Please let me know your thoughts
on this.
How long do you keep your bullet proof vests, and how should they be cared
for? Thanks, - Korey
JWR Replies: The five year figure that you heard cited was
a very conservative manufacturer's estimate, and was based on the
assumption of daily
wear in a harsh environment.
Such estimates are published primarily for liability reasons. The much greater
useful longevity of Kevlar vests has been well documented at BulletProofME.com and
other body armor web sites. I recommend that all SurvivalBlog readers take
the time to read through the extensive information on body armor vests and
helmets that is available there, free of charge
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Letter Re: Getting Yourself--and Your Rifle--Fitted for Body Armor
Dear Jim:
Boston T. Party backs up your opinion on the value of Body Armor - to quote: “...
An order of magnitude advantage” ("Boston on Surviving Y2K and
Other Lovely Disasters").
you posted a good letter from Ryan that mentioned adjusting your buttstock
length to account for Body Armor, web gear, etc. The main point to test all
your gear - all at the same time - is a real nugget of wisdom. It's amazing
the glitches that pop up that you can never foresee until you test.
One thing to note - 2" is probably a little too much compensation in buttstock
length unless you have very thick clothing and web gear as well. Ultra-light
Polyethylene Rifle Plates are just under an inch thick (~2.5 cm.) but the most
protective Level IV Ceramic Rifle Plates are only 0.75" (~2 cm). So an
inch of adjustment with web gear is probably a good estimate.
We offer both Ultra-light Polyethylene and Ceramic Rifle Plates with a "shooters
cut" on the Front plate. So, with this taper at the top of the plate,
you can get a buttstock plant directly onto your body (or soft armor). See this
photo page. So you would have just 0.25" (~6mm) of soft Body Armor
under the buttstock with "shooters cut" plates.
Yours Truly, - Nick - Manager, BulletProofME.com Body
Armor
JWR Adds: My approach at compensating for the thickness of
body armor and/or heavy winter clothing is as follows: Size your buttstock
with assumption that it will be used in
conjunction with body armor or heavy winter clothing. Then, in instances where
you are shooting in casual circumstances without body armor (or in warm weather),
simply add a slip-on
recoil pad to make up for the difference in stock length. That pad can
be removed in seconds, if circumstances change.
For any readers with HK91s
or CETMEs
(or clones thereof), I recommend that you buy a couple of inexpensive spare
military surplus G3 stock sets s from Cheaper
Than Dirt. They currently have G3 stock sets on sale for under
$10, complete with a pair of handguards and a pistol grip! (See item # MGR-281 in their latest catalog.) With a
price like that, you can afford to buy several stock sets and get
creative. Do some WECSOG experiments
with a hacksaw, two-part epoxy, and various recoil pads--while of course saving
your original stock in its original configuration. OBTW, I am not a
fan of the G3 "A3" collapsing stock, since it has a buttpad that
is uncomfortably small and curved, and its stock rails do not provide a consistent cheek
weld. An A3 stock might be useful in confined spaces (such as defending
a vehicle), but otherwise, I do not recommend them.
For any readers with M1As,
I recommend that you buy a few inexpensive spare stocks from Fred's
M14 Stocks--they have thousands of M14 stocks
in inventory--and shorten them as needed, adding recoil pads in the process.
OBTW, I am particularly fond of the Pachmayr "Decelerator" recoil
pad. One of your spare stocks should be cut extra short, to accommodate
any small-statured shooters at your retreat. Just keep in mind that when you
switch stocks on an M1A or M14 that it may have to be re-zeroed. Test your
rifle's accuracy with each of your spare stocks well in advance of Schumeresque times.
For any readers with AR-15s
or AR-10s,
I recommend that you buy a complete spare collapsing (CAR-15/M4 Carbine
style) buttstock assembly. You should preferably one that has three or four
adjusting "position" notches. For fine-tuning the length of pull,
someone skilled with a drill press can add additional adjustment notches.
We use L1A1s
here at the ranch, three of which are equipped with extra short length-of-pull "Arctic" Maranyl
stocks. These stocks were used extensively by the British Army in Northern
Ireland in the 1970s, where they wore body armor for foot patrols in inimical
places like Ulster and Belfast. Thankfully, L1A1 buttstocks have hard plastic
pads that come in several lengths, although changing them is a bit time consuming,
since the recoil spring nut must be removed. Arctic length Maranyl stocks can
occasionally be found on eBay. Unfortunately, metric FALs--at
least "as issued"--do not have as much stock length flexibility as
L1A1s. However, as with an HK91, you can buy a couple spare stocks and do some
WECSOG experimenting. The limitation, however, is the protruding recoil spring
tube.
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Letter Re: Snap Shooting Skills
Sir;
The recent SurvivalBlog article on snap shooting was great. I think that
there is one useful thing to mention and that is how body armor vests (particularly
thicker
ones with
rifle plates) change the way you shoot. The first and most obvious change to
the proper way to shoot both rifles and pistols is to always face the target
with your body armor! This means facing your chest directly towards the enemy,
it really changes the way snap shooting works. Bringing rifles on target while
keeping your chest straight toward the target is something that needs to be
practiced for awhile. Doing the same with pistols is easier but still must
be practiced.
When wearing body armor also change the way you shoot from the prone to reflect
the protection of the vest. Instead of the traditional strong side knee bent
lying mostly on your weak side the way to do it is flat on your chest straight
to the target so the vest protects you as much as possible.
The second way that body armor changes the way you shoot is ergonomics. Vests
add thickness to all sides of your upper body. If your long gun has
a
stock that is exactly the right length for you [when wearing street clothes]
then it will be roughly two inches too long. This is where M4 or HK91 adjustable
stocks are real nice. Web gear is also going to fit smaller. These little things
get to be a significant problem
after a while. Try to get some hours at the range practicing snap shooting.
Practice shooting with your entire kit (weapon, web gear, body armor, [and
helmet]) now, so that if
you need
to change something you can do it before you really need the stuff--[in times
when] going online and ordering a larger vest or shorter stock will probably
be impossible.
Body armor is a big purchase (about the price of a decent battle rifle especially
if you get [SAPI] rifle plates). After stocking a good pantry full of food
and a basic firearms battery for each adult (with plenty of ammo and accessories);
I can
not think of another more useful item to have. - Ryan
JWR Replies: I agree with you wholeheartedly that body armor
should be a high priority purchase. It is one that is often overlooked by my
consulting clients. As your budget allows, each adult family member
at
your retreat should buy a Level IIIA concealment vest and a Kevlar helmet.
If you have a big budget, then also buy an Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) vest
(or equivalent).
If I had to choose between buying a
second gun and buying body
armor, I would definitely choose the body armor! Consider it part of your
life insurance--the
type that insures that you don't die--as opposed to traditional
life insurance that pays after you die. (Well, technically, it would be "assurance", rather than "insurance", but you get my point.) Do some comparison
shopping, for price, quality, and proper fitting.
(The latter is crucial.) One vendor that I recommend offers all
three is BulletProofME.com.
(I was recommending them long before they ever became a SurvivalBlog advertiser.)
« Letter Re: Preparedness While on Business Travel--What to Pack |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Preparedness for Less Than a Worst Case, From an Eastern Urbanite's Perspective
Hello Jim,
I am very new reader of your blog and am just now starting to go through the
archives. Based on what I’ve read so far, I commend you on putting together
a useful, fact-intensive blog on “survivalism” (whatever that means),
that isn’t geared towards loony, off-the-reservation, tinfoil hat-type
readers, who believe that 9/11 was a plot masterminded by Halliburton.
That said, one problem I suspect I will have with your blog is that you consistently
seem to be preparing for an extreme, and more-or-less permanent, breakdown
of society—or TEOTWAWKI, if you will. In one of your blog posts, you
noted that the problem with preparing for TEOTWAWKI, is that “between
now and then, you have your life to live.” This statement is particularly
true for those of us who don’t live out West, don’t live in rural
environments (let alone, gasp, urban east coast cities), have young children,
drive a minivan, and enjoy otherwise the soft, latte-sipping lifestyles of
Yuppiedom in the second Golden Age of American wealth.
My family and I fall into that category to a great deal. Don’t get me
wrong: I e-ticketed most of my courses at Gunsite, so I’m no head-in-the
sand sheeple. And I’m a pretty capable empty hand fighter. But I also
grew up in the suburbs and didn’t exactly spend my youth learning to
trap, fish, hunt, or plant seeds. I am married to a lovely wife who has no
interest in learning to run a carbine, and we have a young daughter who prevents
us from grabbing bug-out rucks and heading off to the bush for two weeks. In
any event, if we ever managed to actually get from our 30th floor apartment
in Manhattan to the bush, I’m not sure we’d know what to do.
The point I’m making is that there are a lot of people like us—people
who live in cities, who don’t feel in the least bit at home in the outdoors,
who aren’t going to learn about land nav or plotting azimuths, who aren’t
going to buy a bug-out retreat in the country that is going to lie empty 52
weeks a year, and who are basically screwed if TEOTWAWKI actually and truly
arrives.
Barring TEOTWAWKI, it seems to me that we are infinitely more likely to face
moderately scary scenarios, like Hurricane Katrina and necessary urban evacuation,
some urban 1970s style civil disturbance but nothing like Mogadishu, high-intensity
individual criminal acts, a low-order terrorist event nearby and the accompanying
panic, or some other situation shy of the worst case scenario.
We urbanites can prepare for those events, while not being entirely distracted
from our workaday “ordinary” lives, or dedicating ourselves to
trying to get off-the-grid. I certainly have made some attempts to prepare.
For example, I have no doubt that we’re in the 99th percentile of Manhattan
preparedness by virtue of the fact that we own:
- a well maintained and fueled Honda CRV with GPS, local region street maps,
XM radio (for news), an empty 5 gallon gas can, and various vehicle repair
tools
- a (legally permitted) pistol and shotgun, and enough ammunition for a firefight
and reload under civilian ROEs
- $4,000 in cash
- a week of MREs and water, full rations
- a PVS-14 [night vision] monocular
- soft body armor
- basic camping equipment
- various tools like a good knife, a pry bar, Surefire lights, chemlights,
paracord, etc.
- a fully stocked medical kit, 30 days of scrip drugs, and a copy of “Medicine
for the Outdoors”
- personal hygiene gear
- a roll of 1mm poly sheeting and a ton of 100 mph tape
- full face respirators and disposable N100 masks
- GMRS radios, shortwave radio, a hand crank radio
- a ton of batteries
- a USB key and a 500 GB backup drive with all our important information
- 1 box of critical paper documents
- clothing suitable for the seasons
- baby stuff
Most of this gear is boxed, labeled, and stored in a single closet that we’ve
dedicated to SHTF equipment. The other stuff (car, guns, cash, key documents,
etc.) could be policed up in 10 minutes, and is written down on a checklist.
If we had to, I reckon we could shelter in place for a week, or we could bug
out in an hour (assuming, of course, Manhattan was not totally gridlocked).
I’d be very interested in your thoughts about what urbanites should be
doing to prepare for bad times, given the restrictions of space, limited knowledge
of/interest in outdoorsman skills, “Yuppie” lifestyle constraints,
etc. Thanks. - D.C.
JWR Replies: For someone that lives on Manhattan Island,
you are definitely quite well-prepared!
Some preparedness upgrades that I'd recommend for you:
1.) Pre-positioning some
supplies stored with friends or relatives, or perhaps in a commercial storage
space, at least 150 miles out of the city, on your intended
"Get Out of Dodge" route. (For that dreaded "worst case.")
2.) Adding a rifle to your firearms battery. With New
York City's semi-auto and magazine restrictions, you might consider
a .308 Bolt action with either a
small detachable
magazine,
or perhaps a non-detachable magazine. A Steyr Scout would be a good choice.
Some semi-auto rifles that might be approved include top-loading M1
Garands
and FN49s. (No doubt easier if you are a member of a CMP-associated
shooting club.) If you can't get permit approval for any modern rifles,
then there is a handy exemption
for
long
guns
"manufactured
prior
to
1894
and replicas
which
are not
designed to
fire fixed ammunition, or for which fixed ammunition is not commercially
available." You might consider a pre-1894 production Winchester Model
1876 or 1886 in an
obsolete caliber such
as .40-60 or .45-90. (See my
FAQ on pre-1899 cartridge guns for details. Be sure
to select rifles with excellent bores and nice mechanical condition.
3.) A
small photovoltaic panel for recharging your flashlights, radios, and
night vision gear batteries.(Along with a 300+ Amp Hour 12 VDC "Jump Pack"
(such as JCWhitney.com's
item # ZX265545) and 12 VDC "DC to DC" battery charging trays and the
various requisite cords.)
4.) A supply of antibiotics.
5.) Consult your local fire code, and store
the maximum legally-allowable quantity of extra gasoline, assuming you have
a safe place to store it. (I realize that most Manhattanites have their cars
stored commercially with no additional storage space, and it can be a 20
minute car-juggling exercise just to get your hands on your car, depending
on how "deep" you are parked.) If extra gas will be stored in your
vehicle, then be sure to get one or more Explosafe
brand fuel cans,
and strap them down securely so that they will maintain their integrity in
the even of a vehicle collision.
You might consider upgrading to a mid-size 4WD SUV (such as an E85-compatible
Ford Explorer) and have it fitted with an auxiliary roof rack where you can
carry extra gas cans. (Again, I realize that most Manhattan parking garages
have height limitations, but do your best.)
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Updated Nuclear Targets in the United States »
Six Letters Re: New-Found Respect for .223 as a Potential Man Stopper
Jim-
I couldn't help but respond to the blast of letters re: ".223 as
Man Stopper", as most of my time in the employ of our Uncle Sam was engaged
in the testing and evaluation of small arms, OPFOR and NATO.
(As a matter of full disclosure, I did not offer any opinions or make decisions
regarding their
respective performances; rather, I merely conducted the tests and recorded
the results. Therefore my opinions were/are not colored by the political intrigues
of small arms procurement procedures). The trap we, as survivalists/retreaters
fall into when looking at our weaponry is to look to the military. Survivalists
are not infantrymen!!! Military doctrine is based on large numbers
of well-armed, well supplied men engaging
in unit activities to accomplish a specific mission
within the parameters of acceptable losses. Survivalist do not operate in the
same world. Who in your group is an "acceptable loss"? Your wife,
husband, son, daughter, neighbor?
The best lens to focus your preparations
through is that of the early settlers in the Old West. Constantly at risk
from hostile natives and marauding bandits, they stocked their homesteads high
with arms and ammo, and always carried at least two guns in
every foray away from the home. The ones that made it also planned retreats,
escapes, and hideouts,
equally stocked, around frequently visited locations on their homesteads.
So, what is the best caliber? The 7.62mm NATO is an excellent (but heavy)
man stopper,
and the 7.63x39 is a decent (200 meter) cartridge, the ballistic twin of
a .32 Special or moderate .30-30. The 5.56x45 is currently in use by all NATO
countries,
save Turkey and Greece (they're soldiering on with their [Heckler & Koch]
G3 variants). Its limitations are well known but the body count continues to
rack
up, and
has
for the last forty years. Very accurate, easily controllable (especially
in full auto) and light weight (read: easy to carry a lot of;
see full auto mention).
It's like the Aussies say about beer: "The best beer in the world is the
one in your hand!" Pick your poison, but remember the Five Rules of Gunplay
that my
Grandpa taught me: 1) Shot placement; 2) shot placement; 3) shot placement;
4) always
shoot enough gun; 5) never get shot for lack of shooting back! Something
to consider, thinking like a farmer rather than a commando.
As always, keep the Faith, - Bonehead
Jim-
Scientific evidence supports Martin's observations of the .223 Remington as
a man stopper.
There is a substantial body of academic forensic analysis of the .223s terminal
performance. This includes extensive autopsy work, as well as prolonged accumulation
of wound and mortality data from battlefield and law enforcement encounters.
The United States Department of Defense studied terminal performance of the
5.56 NATO round during the initial deployment of that round to Southeast Asia.
Setting aside the later problems that would tarnish the M16 reputation, and
unfortunately taint the round by association, the terminal performance of the
round itself was deemed to be excellent.
The most documented encounter involving the .223 is the infamous FBI Miami
shootout. With the exception of several presidential assassinations and attempts,
this is the most carefully, forensically analyzed gunfight in history. In that
fight, five FBI agents were hit with a .223 round fired from a Ruger Mini-14:
Head (1), neck (1), arm (1) and torso (2). All four of the men hit in the torso,
head and neck were immediately removed from the fight. The man hit in the arm
was unable to operate that limb.
You suggest that slow expansion soft points are needed for the .223 to be potent.
[JWR Adds: I think that you misunderstood my statements.
I stated that fast-expanding soft-nose .223 varmint bullets would not stop
an
armored
opponent
at long range.]
The
.223 FMJ was
developed specifically to remove that need. At appropriate weight, velocity,
and stabilization, the .223 was designed to overcome the
disadvantages of internationally mandated military FMJ ammunition. It yaws
upon entry into flesh, tumbling and travelling sideways to create a large wound
channel, coming apart during the process.
Yes, .30 cal rifles have superior penetration performance against targets behind
cover, and in the case of rounds like the .308 Win., will carry more energy
at very long ranges. But they don't necessarily have better terminal performance
than the .223 at the ranges at which most people are capable of
accurate fire.
Factor in the number of platforms available, the ubiquity of the ammo, the
low recoil, the cost, the ability to store and carry more rounds: The .223
is a very good choice in a main defensive weapon.
Regards, - Rich S.
Jim & Co.,
I hadn't had much time to read the blog in the last few weeks (maybe months)
but was greeted with another discussion of caliber selection, and thought
I would throw my hat into the ring. Of all the ammo out there, some of the
worst you can chose is SS109, unless you are trying to shoot long distances
for area effect with an M249. That steel they put in the nose is only there
so that the nose wouldn't be too heavy, not so it would "penetrate" better.
While I don't disagree with the opinions of some of our men and women in uniform
about caliber selection (mostly because it's their a** on the line), combat
is a numbers game, and everything comes with trade-offs. For your MBR you
have to choose between weight, round count, penetration, range and knock-down
power.
When we fought the last two world wars 60 rounds was considered a combat load,
and any of those rifles could punch through several concrete houses before
they stop. The .308 is a little bit lighter,
and has a little bit less punch, but is deadly accurate past 1000 yards, but
still suffers from the same inherent drawback; weight.
The .223 (5.56x45mm) has an advantage in this arena, it's fired from a lightweight
gun (nominally 8 pounds) it has low recoil and high second follow up shot potential
(in full auto mode) and the ammo weighs about 1/3 of the .308. Playing this
strictly as a numbers game, you can now carry three times as much ammo for
the same given weight. Would you rather: land one round of .223 causing a serious
wound, or take the chance of missing and not hurting your assailant at all?
Another point that is often forgotten, people are really not all that big.
Typically we are thin skinned, and are maybe 8-18" thick from front to
back, side to side. Thus any kind of "penetrator" round will simply
punch a clean hole right through, and not do very much damage (arguably the
biggest issue with the .223 vs .308). As a follow up, it bears repeating, any
wound over 2" deep has a very high likelihood of being fatal. With this
in mind, even explosive varmint bullets will penetrate this deep, most likely
tearing through soft body armor up to 500 yards.
The main kill method for bullets, clubs, and rocks is not penetration, it's
energy transfer. It's how much blunt force trauma you can inflict on your enemy.
To this end a bullet which penetrates will not transfer much of this energy,
but a hollow point, or frangible bullet will.
In my opinion, those varmint bullets, or frangible bullets are the way to go
for putting your enemy in the ground. Both of these will give higher rates
of energy transfer, destroy more tissue, and based on the guaranteed fragmentation
at long range are likely to cause very high bleed rates in whatever you decide
to put them into.
Also, some of the other letters referenced military development pushing back
towards larger caliber rifles such as 6.8 SPC and others. This is utter garbage,
as the military is still buying more 5.56 rifles, as well as putting out further
competitive bids for 5.56 caliber weapons. While it's nice to see the 6.8 out
there, and I am always impressed with it's performance, will it be replacing
the 5.56 any time soon? I really really doubt it. However, it looks like the
Brits are dropping the .308 as being too small for sniper purposes, and are
rolling out a few new variants in .338 Lapua.
Some links for people to digest:
Tavor21 rifle headed into service with Indian special forces
The
USA's M4 Carbine Controversy
-AVL
Dear Jim,
Once again I feel called to step in and provide some info on 5.56 ammo.
First, as I've said before, for long-term situations I'd prefer a bolt action
rifle in a common game caliber of the area (8mm, .30-06, 7.62x54, .308). This
gives ultimate reliability for best cost.
However, there are times when high output is necessary. At those times, you
need a fast firing weapon in the standard caliber of the area. In just about
the entire civilized world, that caliber is 5.56mm. There is no point in stocking
a "wildcat" caliber, and little in stocking a non-standard round.
I love the .45 ACP, but 9mm and .40 are far more common in official supply
chains, which will have ammo long after .45 ACP is exhausted in stores. Actually,
I prefer .45 Long Colt, but it's no longer US issue and a bit hard to find
in strategic quantity.
As far as rifles, .308 is getting very pricey, very fast. It also means a heavier
weapon, heavier ammo and more recoil. In a G.O.O.D. situation, all these are
relevant.
In such a situation, I don't plan on stopping for long. I don't plan to hang
around to find out if my rounds killed or merely wounded a goblin, and I don't
expect most goblins, rioters, etc, will act like hardened combat vets and stick
around for an extended fight.
My sources (beyond my own decades of experience) include a Navy combat medic
who has treated more than 400 casualties in our current nastiness. In his words,
he's never seen a serious torso or head hit with 5.56 that was not incapacitating
or lethal. I can testify firsthand from running a training range that most
troops do not shoot exceptionally well. Add in the fog of war and a natural
fear reaction, and, with no disrespect intended, I'll bet any amount of money
that most of the "multiple torso hits" that didn't take a bad guy
down were probably multiple torso misses. We've all been positive that
we hit a target that didn't react, and must be defective. Or else the weapon
is.
It's
human nature to trust ourselves, if we are healthy. But it doesn't matter what
you miss with. It won't work.
Did some hits fail to stop the bad guy? Certainly. Bob Dole took multiple German
8mm hits in WWII. Should we assume 8mm is an inadequate stopper and go back
to .45-70?
For information and reassurance I offer the following links:
An extensive, official
analysis of wounding mechanisms in small arms projectiles.
An
Army LTC's take on matters.
A
ballistics tutorial.
Also, one cannot equate ".308 or 7.62 Soviet." Apart from a similar
diameter, the two rounds have nothing in common. This is the "bigger is
better" school, which taken to its extreme would equate 9mm and .375H&H.
Both are "Big." The question is, do they have enough power to penetrate,
and do they terminate in a fashion that will cause sufficient wounding? At
400 yards, the 5.56 is comparable in power to a .45 ACP at the muzzle. Is that
the definition of "inadequate"? Especially since the odds of any
one of us engaging a hostile target at that range, and hitting, are very close
to zero (and I speak as someone with military match trophies on the shelf behind
me, using a standard H&R contract M16A1 at 400 yards).
5.56mm causes greater wounds than 7.62X39. This has been demonstrated and documented
hundreds of thousands of times since Vietnam. It is also a more effective round
in terms of rounds per pound for transport. See Dr. Fackler's documentation
above, among others. For example:
5.56mm
will go through at least 12" of
pine...and keep going.
Neither
7.62 NATO nor 5.56 will penetrate a 6" sandbag.
5.56 will penetrate two Level
IIIA vests with hard trauma plates.
SS109 spec 5.56 has better armor
penetration than some 7.62 NATO loads. (This site has lots of useful info, but is starting
to decay. I've sent a reminder to the hosts.)
As far as I'm aware, the myth of the US military "returning" to .30
caliber has been around for 40 years, ever since 5.56 was adopted. For a variety
of reasons, not the least of which is number of rounds per pound for logistical
supply, this is never going to happen. If you run out of ammo, it doesn't matter
what you could have shot the bad guy with. Even if it were inadequate, I'd
rather have half a 210 round loadout of 5.56 than none [remaining] of a 100
round loadout of 7.62.
By the way, I've been performing a dirt test on one of my AR-15s. 2000 rounds
over a year so far with no cleaning. The only failures have been due to $3
used sold-as-parts Israeli surplus Orlite magazines.
I should also mention the following data that I found at AR15.com
"Combat operations the past few months have again highlighted terminal performance
deficiencies with 5.56x45mm 62 gr. M855 FMJ. These problems have primarily
been manifested as inadequate incapacitation of enemy forces despite their
being hit multiple times by M855 bullets. These failures appear to be associated
with the bullets exiting the body of the enemy soldier without yawing or fragmenting.
This failure to yaw and fragment can be caused by reduced impact velocities
as when fired from short barrel weapons or when the range increases. It can
also occur when the bullets pass through only minimal tissue, such as a limb
or the chest of a thin, malnourished individual, as the bullet may exit the
body before it has a chance to yaw and fragment. In addition, bullets of the
SS109/M855 type are manufactured by many countries in numerous production plants.
Although all SS109/M855 types must be 62 gr. FMJ bullets constructed with a
steel penetrator in the nose, the composition, thickness, and relative weights
of the jackets, penetrators, and cores are quite variable, as are the types
and position of the cannelures. Because of the significant differences in construction
between bullets within the SS109/M855 category, terminal performance is quite
variable—with differences noted in yaw, fragmentation, and penetration
depths. Luke Haag’s papers in the AFTE Journal (33(1):11-28, Winter 2001)
describe this problem."
So obviously one also must consider the construction of the projectile. With
that in mind, and the wonderful mass of data available here, I'm still very
happy
with
5.56,
with the right ammo selection (as with any caliber). - Michael
Z. Williamson
Mr. Rawles,
The posts about the .223 on your web site reminded me of an
article I recently read [At Michael Yon's web site] and thought you would be interested.
The takeaway line from the article: "Prosser shot the man at least four times
with his M4 rifle. But the American M4 rifle [cartridge]s are weak - after
Prosser landed three
nearly point blank shots in
the man’s abdomen, splattering a testicle with a fourth, the man just
staggered back, regrouped and tried to shoot Prosser.”
Keep up the good work, - Jack
Jim:
Okay! Hold on a minute, I did not say that I preferred the .223, I
just said I found a new found respect for the .223. I have seen what it can
do.
I was only comparing
chest size and penetration. In the right hands the .223 is a very formidable
weapon. If all I can see is the boot or hand or leg or arm it will have serious
hole in it and the varmint will be out of the game along with the two it takes
to haul them out of the line of fire, and I may get them too with my .308.
The .223 68 grain is not extra heavy by any means when you consider the available
bullet weight spectrum. The various arms conventions re hollow points will
not apply as society breaks down. The dead never complain.
To Stephen in Iraq, CDR, Clyde, Jack, and all the readers of the blog. My
favorite .308 cal shoots a solid 168 grain boat tail crimped molly bullet.
These are not super hot hand loads. They are loaded to the same specs as standard
mil spec .308s. They are just faster because of the moly. Faster gives me
a longer battlefield zero.
For all you new readers I fully support Jim's position regarding the .308
as the primary battle weapon. I personally hold that our primary survival caliber
is a .308 in a semi auto, backed up with other common calibers like .30-06,
7.62x39, and .223.
Here we use mil spec .223 and .308 ammo. However, Jim is very right in developing
ballistically matched rounds for each weapon. We have done this. In my bolt
gun I prefer to use 168 grain
bullets but will use mil spec as well. Now I am a older fart, can't run a
long distance, but can walk all day with short breaks. Will defend my home
and will seek out varmints using the shoot
and scoot principal. For me accuracy and long range is more important than
firepower, however we have both.
So for all you .308 buffs, "I are one" too. My favorite hunting caliber is
a .300 Weatherby magnum, and yes, I shoot 168 grain boat tail bullets in
it as well. - Martin
JWR Replies: Thanks to all of those that commented. There
is certainly no lack of controversy on this topic!
One important point
of clarification: I specifically mentioned
that current fast-expanding .223 soft nose
"varmint" ammunition lacks penetration against armored
opponents at long range.
It works fairly well "up close and personal", or against someone
that is not wearing body armor.
But even then, it may take several shots to put Mr. Bad Guy out of the fight,
during which time he very well might still be launching lead at you.
So once again, if I have the choice, I will grab a .308. It has often and
rightly been said that in gun fights there are no
second
place winners.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Dual and Triple Purpose Livestock, by The Memsahib »
Letter Re: Advice on Body Armor and Helmets
Dear Jim:
You are spot on with your recent recommendation to think about concealable body
armor first. As we say: "the best vest for you is the one you’re
actually wearing when shot!" And being easy to wear and concealable makes
a vest much more practical and used more often. It is analogous to self defense
with pistols vs. rifles.
Rifles are indeed superior protection - but pistols save more lives because
they are actually carried and available most often.
I must add a caution to your advice about relying on two Level II vests to
perhaps stop a rifle bullet. In some cases, where the rifle bullet is slowed
down by cover, yes. We have had a concealable Level II vest come back from
Iraq, after saving a service member who was hit with AK-47 fire--but first
the bullet had been slowed and deformed by the back of an unarmored vehicle.
Generally soft body armor will never stop direct [rifle] fire.
Rifle bullets are travelling at 2 to 3 times the velocity of pistol bullets,
and have a more
pointed-penetrating
tip, and thus will likely penetrate even two Level II or III-A soft body armor
vests. Two times Level II does not equal Level IV! ;-) Better to save the money
from the second vest and spend it on Rifle
Plates and a modular Carrier, or Rifle
Plate Pockets as a second outer shell
carrier for your vest.
Your advice on helmets is wise - I'd rather have the older, heavier PASGT Kevlar
Helmet with the MICH blunt trauma pad system, than a newer helmet with no pad
system.
Finally, thank you for your kind words about our dedication to sizing and fitting.
We work very hard at this as there is a delicate balance between the amount
of protection and coverage vs. comfort and concealment. It is really worth
spending the time to get detailed measurements, and to discuss trade-offs between
protection levels, models and sizes.
Yours truly, - Nick, BulletProofME.com
Body Armor
« Two Letters Re: Bug Out Vehicles |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Advice on Body Armor and Helmets
Mr. Editor:
I have been working on preparedness for my family for five years
now, but I realized that there is one area where I'm lacking: body
armor.
What sort of vest do you recommend, both for concealment-type and for the "worst
case"
sort
of situations? What [protection] "level"
vest rating should I get? For home defense in an out-and-out TEOTWAWKI,
should I also buy a kevlar helmet? Are used vests worth buying? Which dealers
are trustworthy? I live in a suburb of Atlanta
[Georgia,
USA],
but
my work
frequently
takes
me downtown to places like Peachtree Plaza. (Downtown Atlanta has
a
high
crime rate.) Thanks, - Peter G.
JWR Replies: In my experience, most survivalists make the
mistake of buying Level III body armor, and then rarely wearing it. It is just
too heavy for day-to day wear, especially in a hot, humid climate. A
vest is useless if it is always hanging in your closet.
My low-budget approach has been to buy two NIJ Level
2 vests for each adult: One that is my size and one that is slightly larger,
with an additional trauma
plate.
A
Level
2
vest
will stop
most handgun bullets (see
the NIJ ratings). And a Level 2 vest is fairly comfortable
to wear and relatively inconspicuous, even in an office setting, if you pick
your clothes carefully. (For example, opaque, loose-fitting shirts and sweaters.)
For defending your retreat, both vests can be worn together.
Worn in that manner, the
two vests will provide a good chance to stop some rifle bullets--even better
than a Level 3 vest. If you have a really big budget, you might consider buying
both a Level 2 vest and a full coverage high rating (Level 3 or Level 4) military
body armor such as Interceptor Body Armor (IBA).
With upgrade plates, those vests can easily cost more than $1,000 each. Although
I suspect that the prices of both new and used IBA
will come down, since it is being made in very large quantities to support
OEF and OIF troop
deployments.
Used body armor can be worth buying, if you buy from legitimate dealer. There
is a surprisingly large number of "low hours" vest one the market, primarily
from people that wash out of police academies.
I strongly suggest that you buy at least one and preferably two spare vest
carriers (the out fabric shell). That way you can have an extra carrier, so
that you can alternate them, for laundering.
Helmets do make sense for defending a retreat. It just takes a moment to put
one on. Their cost has come way down in recent years, with the profusion of
used USGI kevlar
PASGT helmets
on
the
market.
I recommend
finding
the right size PASGT helmet,
and then upgrading it with the latest chin strap and perhaps a MICH-type
suspension system.
The vendor that I recommend for both vests and helmets is BulletProofME.com.
I have been recommending them for years--long before they became a SurvivalBlog
advertiser. They have a wide selection, very competitive prices, and they are
quite knowledgeable. Most
importantly,
they
are experts
at vest
and
helmet
sizing,
which is crucial. Presently they are offering a free shipping special for
anyone that mentions that they are a SurvivalBlog reader.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Well "Torpedo" or "Bullet" Bucket Construction Plans »
Letter Re: Positive Feedback on BulletProofME.com
Hey Guys,
I was the first to order an Interceptor [body Armor (IBA)] vest from BulletProofME.com and
I am very pleased. I disassembled the vest to check the inserts, and there
was a
momentary panic because they were made by Second Chance in 2005. I sent the
serial number and lot number in to Second Chance, and they told me the vest
had no Zylon. With that knowledge, that vest turned into a heck of a
deal. Thanks,
- Jeff
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Two Letters Re: Tourniquet Pros and Cons »
Letter Re: Real Life Gunfight Experiences
Hi Jim
I found the article about real gunfights, earlier this week, very interesting.
I happened to run across this
video of a real gun fight between quite a few law enforcement officers s and
one guy with a battle rifle.
I am no gun expert, but it sure taught me a few things:
1) Never take a handgun to a rifle fight
2) Take cover. These guys just walked out the door and got shot.
3) Riding on the hood of a car is not a good tactic.
All the best, - Kurt
« Letter from FerFAL in Argentina Re: Greenspan, Gold, and the Safe Store of Value |Main| Letter Re: Who Can Supply Sturdy Headsets for FRS Transceivers? »
Letter Re: Dragonskin Body Armor Versus IBA
Dear Jim,
Dragonskin Armor, from all non-PR reports, isn't
nearly as good as its designers would like us to believe. (Also see: this
article, as well as this
one.)
Dragonskin is claimed to meet Level IV standards, but has
only been certified by the NIJ to
Level III. And that's only one model of several--others are not certified
at all. They are being sued by the USAF over this fraudulent claim.
After several delays refusing to provide test samples to the Army, the Army
purchased some and sent them to an independent lab. [The manufacturer] Pinnacle
claims these tests were "incomplete." True. Because Dragonskin failed
the tests almost at once, so why continue?
It can't survive high desert temperatures or other environments--the glue fails,
the ceramic delaminates and it loses protection.
Meanwhile, despite Pinnacle's vicious smear campaign, Interceptor [Body Armor
(IBA)] does stop rifle fire and is saving lives. It is possible
to do better, I'm sure. I'm
hesitant to believe a company that falsifies its standards is the one to do
so.
I hate to sound biased, but to me Pinnacle appears to be a scam artist. I
wouldn't be surprised to see the owner somewhere tropical with a suitcase full
of cash
in a few years. - Michael
Z. Williamson
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Greenspan, Gold, and the Safe Store of Value »
Three Letters Re: Surplus Interceptor Body Armor (IBA)
James,
I noticed the letter you posted about the man who bought his interceptor armor
from eBay. Much of the Interceptor [Body] Armor on the market is stolen property.
Many times it was stolen through supply [channels] and that is one of the reasons
so many troops had to buy their own.
On many of the tactical forums you have to be able to produce proof that you
bought the interceptor armor legally.
The interceptor armor itself is outdated. It is very heavy and bulky. Dragonskin
is also not available to civilians. You have to have a end user certificate
to even get the stuff. Thanks for the great site. - Meerkat, Murfreesboro
Tennessee
Dear Jim:
Dr. Richard makes a critical point about avoiding defective Zylon vests on
eBay, but I must add some cautions to his suggestion about buying used Interceptor
armor. For the sake of full disclosure, here at BulletProofME.com we
are about to advertise a $500 special on our brand-new Interceptor Outer
Tactical Vests on SurvivalBlog. But the following information is factually
verifiable for any skeptics.
Beware of Stolen Interceptor Armor
Unless the armor was bought with private funds, it is U.S. government property
and should have been turned in by the user. The Army criminal investigations
unit has been aggressively confiscating undocumented armor from both military
and non-military personnel, and prosecuting dealers who knowingly bought stolen
armor. This has been such a problem, we simply won't buy Interceptor armor
without verification of it's title - just like a car.
Beware of Damaged SAPI
hard plates
Unless it has been abused, there shouldn't be a problem with the protection
level of the aramid (i.e., Kevlar) soft ballistic panels in the Interceptor.
Aramid does not degrade noticeably just from age.
Be very, very careful with SAPI Rifle Plates
These Small Arms Protective
Inserts (SAPIs) are made out of boron carbide and are more fragile than Ceramic
Rifle Plates. Some will have hairline cracks not visible unless X-rayed. Even
just
improper packaging for shipping can leave them damaged (I swear a lot of the
delivery drivers are former shot putters, the way they throw packages around!
)
Also, unless it is an Enhanced model (E-SAPI) it is not full AP protection
like Level IV Ceramic Rifle Plates, the
original SAPI mil spec called for M-16 and AK-47 threats to be stopped - but
not AP rounds.
Finally, regarding the "better" Dragon Skin. Well, Pinnacle has an
impressive public relations machine, but they have only had the vest certified
to Level
III
standards (to
stop .308 FMJ) by the NIJ (National Institute of Justice). If I really had
a superior product that was being ignored by the Army, I'd have it Level IV
certified (stopping .30-06 AP) and sell it to police customers - why hasn't
Dragon Skin done this? They
only have a Level III certification on file.
We have customers in The Sandbox who bought Dragon Skin, but just couldn't
take the extra weight. Just like everything else, take the time to dig below
the marketing hype and know what you are buying. Thanks, - Nick, Manager,
BulletProofME.com Body Armor
James:
I am a new reader of the your blog. (About two months now) I even submitted
a story [to the SurvivalBlog
non-fiction writing contest] about raising chickens for survival protein.
It did not win, but hey it was fun to be published, and maybe it can help out
someone else.
Maybe
I
can try again next month I would love to have a copy of your book. It sounds
good. And I am addicted to the blog. I read it almost every day.
The reason I read it is because I do most of these things any way but now I
can learn to do it the right way. Thanks for all this great info. You may even
see a few dollars in snail mail in a few weeks.
I was looking at the info about body armor and how some of the good stuff from
Iraq is showing up on eBay. That got me thinking. Do you have any past info
about body armor, what the rankings mean? What the ball park prices are and
how to find used stuff. (I do love eBay) I think
this would be a great Item to get a hold of but I need more info before I make
any purchases. I looked over the web but all I can find is info from the sellers
and some times I have trouble believing every thing the sales person tells
me. Any info would be great. Thanks, - Korey
JWR Replies: A good description of the NIJ body
armor protection standards numbers can be found in this
primer. I have no idea about current auction pricing on IBA.
Just be sure that what you buy comes with an original receipt or military Statement
of Charges.
(Items that are misplaced by soldiers are often paid for via Statement of Charges.)
« Letter Re: Wood Gasification |Main| Letter Re: Masonry Stoves / Brick Ovens »
Letter Re: Surplus Interceptor Body Armor
James,
Military surplus Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) is starting to show up on eBay from
Iraq war veterans who had to purchase the military spec armor themselves before
the
military was able to issue the armor to every soldier. This week, I purchased
a full set of the Interceptor body armor with the front and back small
arms protective insert small
arms protective insert (SAPI) rifle
plates from an Army officer via eBay. This equipment is heavy (around 17 pounds)
tactical armor that is bulky. It offers good
protection and intimidation factors for
post-TEOTWAWKI uses
and is perfect for guard duty or working security related jobs. The Dragonskin
armor is better but is too expensive (~$5,000) unless
if you need it for a day job (e.g. contractor in Iraq or Afghanistan). I would
still recommend separately buying a concealable, lighter Level IIIA bullet
proof vest for use in day-to-day, non-tactical applications, particularly for
trading and leaving your home or retreat during an economic collapse or severe
economic depression. Finally, your mileage can vary purchasing on eBay. The
condition of the equipment varies greatly, not all auctions include the SAPI
rifle plates, and some are for the older (defective) versions that used the
Zylan material. I would recommend that SurvivalBlog readers create an e-mail
alert on eBay to have eBay send them an email when the key word "interceptor
armor" appears in new auctions. There are some bargains and more sets
of Interceptor Body Armor are starting to show up in eBay auctions. - Dr. Richard
« Letter Re: Mercenaries a Post-TEOTWAWKI Threat |Main| Note from JWR: »
Reader Poll Results: Your TEOTWAWKI Resume -- 100 Words and 100 Pounds
Some of these stretched the 100 word limit. (I skipped posting one that rambled
on far
beyond the limit.) The poll's premise in a nutshell: "If
someday you went to the gates of a survival community post-TEOTWAWKI and
pleaded the case for why you should be let past the barricades and armed guards
to become a valuable working member of the group, would you get voted in? Taken
objectively, would you vote yourself in?"
I am a shoe maker (not just a repairman) can repair saddles tan leather have
done ranch work mechanics weld gardening skills set a broken bone stitch up
a bad wound can bake bread etc, shooting skills need work only 5.5 MOA on AQT.
Can milk a cow make butter some basic carpentry skills can use a wood lave
make one if needed to know how to set up wind / water power to a shop or mill
make
some one laugh when things are bad can teach can also learn.know how to adapt
over come make things work specialization is for insects.
Some limits to work: mild back problems cannot do a lot of over head work.
1 CETME rifle with 12 mags, ALICE pack, compressed MREs, 1 folding shovel camo
nylon rope water filtering canteen extra canteen freeze dried canned soup 1
empty
small can rubbing alcohol cotton balls (cheap cook stove) 1 cooking kit 1 med
kit 1 multi tool 1 roll toilet paper 1 wash cloth 2 tooth brushes tooth paste
1 belt with bayonet for CETME one pocket knife canteen & pouch cleaning
kit for rifle and butt pack 2 mag pouches fishing line and hooks matches 4
Bic
lighters 1 Iver Johnson 5 shot .38 S&W revolver 36 rounds of ammo, Flecktarn
camo pants and shirt vest 1 light weight sleeping bag wool socks and
a
spare pair sturdy boots, Carthart coat tan 1 pocket size bible etc,,
--
Many years' experience in:
Primitive Skills:
*edible and medicinal native plants
*cordage and rope making
*hide tanning
*bow and arrow making
*bow hunting
Contemporary Skills:
*organic gardener
*orchard (fruit and olive)
*beekeeper
*firearms use
Mid-50's, good shape for age, 6'4", 225#. Wife, mid 50's, 5'10", 150#
(who shares many of the above skills, plus expert at canning/freezing, quilting,
tatting, making clothes and moccasins).
Both have a sense of humor and aren't afraid to work.
In packs, besides personal gear:
*heirloom seeds
*needles
*lighters
Carrying:
*one .308 MBR, one .223, with magazines and ammo
*two .45 Governments
--
Age 25, weight 160, excellent health, single. Engineer, engine mechanic, builder,
jack of all trades. Trained and competitive marksman. Skilled teacher. Tolerant,
thick skinned, sense of humor. Introvert, not loner. Schooled in college, educated
in real life. History buff and cook.
Competent with photovoltaics, backhoes, generators, concrete, gardens, propane
systems, AC and DC electricity, firearms, computers, welding.
Most importantly: not a prima donna, armchair commando, or busybody.
Equipment includes rifle, pistol, small amount of ammo, soft body armor and
binoculars.
--
Age: Near 60. Can still
see well enough, without glasses, to shoot back.
Old, tired, wore out. Been around the third world several times. (South America,
South Seas, East Asia) Can't lift a third my own weight. Don't eat much. Know
how to do just about anything.
Will arrive with 30 Lbs water, 30 Lbs freeze dried food, Ruger Mini 14, S&W
659, 100 rds for each, a few old books. and 50+ years usable knowledge. That
about 100 pounds? (Worst case here. Actually, I would attempt to bring my entire
robotics shop. Attempt, I said! )
Skills: Artificer. If you can picture it, I can make it. Make a windmill from
a starter motor. Make my own tools as I need 'em. Bend railroad rail with no
more than an axe and 6 young men for the bull work. Machinist, electrician,
carpenter, stone layer, robotics engineer .
--
Age 25. Ex-military.
Trained extensively in: Perimeter reconnaissance,
Land-navigation.
Instructor of: full-spectrum warfare, defensive fighting positions, combat
operations.
Expert marksmen: M16A2, M4A1 (GUU-5/P), M9. Expert in FN-FAL,
M1A/M14, AKM, M16/AR-15 Family, 1911-A1, M9, CZ-75. Proficient with many other
firearms.
20/15 vision. Reloading/Gunsmith hobbyist.
Physically/Mentally Fit.
Pragmatic/Realist/Professional.
Equipped: FAL Carbine (18"bbl). Custom 1911A1. PASGT Kevlar Helmet/Vest. Boots/Socks. Woodland BDUs.
Custom LBE: Seven 30rd FAL Mags(210rds). Eight 8rd 1911-1 Mags( 64rds). Two 1-quart Canteens (Full). Multi-tool.
Medium ALICE pack: Five 20rd FAL mags (empty),
Two SA Battlepacks (280rds). Two Boxes .45ACP (100rds).
First-Aid Kit. Extra BDUs (1 set). Cans of Soup (5). Mess
Kit. Local Map/Compass.
--
Phd/MBA expert (37) on alternative energy and appropriate technology. Tool
maker and builder/manufacturer/processor of useful post-TEOTWAWKI machines,
trade goods, and alcohol (own BATF-licensed alcohol fuel still). Russian MBA
wife (35) survived fall of Soviet Union and 1998 crisis. 4 yo and 10 mo daughters.
Home machine shop, tools, anvil, forge, ethanol still, large printed alternative
energy / appropriate technology / engineering / survival library, and inventory
of preparation items greatly exceed the 100 lb per person limit but would be
worthy of a group salvage/recovery mission. G.O.O.D. bags contain standard
items recommended by Rawles, et al. Additional personally carried gear would
include M1A w/ Leupold scope, AR-15 with trijicon night sites, Glock 21 (45ACP)
with Trijicon night sites, Berkey water filter, laptop with large collection
(>500 books) of appropriate energy and appropriate technology books on CD,
Robinson curriculum on CDs for home schooling kids, ten 15"x15" fresnel
lenses capable of starting fires in 30 seconds, disassembled 2" diameter
alcohol still column with supply of vapor locks and 1 lb of ethanol yeast,
and a few of my more portable tools (blacksmith hammer, hardy, & gloves;
measurement tools; multimeter; temperature measure).
--
48 y/o 6ft 180lb male – good health
- Can walk 20 mi/day in full gear
- “Rifleman” with .308 MBR
- Doctor (emergency medicine and minor surgery)
- Gunsmith and reloader
- Cook
Backpack (40 lbs)
Sleeping bag/tarp
(2) BDUs & wool socks
Rain gear
Soap/camp towel/toothbrush
Food bars for 1 week
Water filter/bottle
Cookset/Trioxane tabs
Compass/map
Small survival kit (Fishhooks, matches, snares, etc)
AR-7 and 200 rounds
Web gear (35 lbs)
Knife
First aid/trauma kit
G23 + 2 mags (51 rounds)
8 mags .308 (150 rounds)
HK91
Barter/buy-in: (25 lbs)
Minor surgical set
Sutures/dressings
Local anesthetic/syringes
2000 doses various oral antibiotics and pain meds!
--
I feel I would be a great asset to your community. I am a seventh degree black
belt in American freestyle combatives and I could easily teach your people
the skills to handle themselves in this perilous time. I also have an extensive
background in firearms handling,gunsmithing and reloading. My real expertise
thought is as a meat butcher. I can literally take a beef ( or any wild or
domestic animal) from the field to the table. I bring with me a full set of
cutlery tools, including saws,steels and several knives. I also carry a AR-15
w/8-20 round, loaded mags. A Glock 19 w/mags, and a Rem 870 tactically modified.
I have a full set of ultralight camping gear including, freeze dried food,tent,
sleeping bag,etc. My loyalties are to God, Country, and my brothers at arms.
--
repaired furniture
a little basic farm work(irrigation, pick rock)
assembled some field sprayers
signalman
roofing
painting
inventory control/purchasing
drafting
some hunting
a lot of fishing
a lot of target shooting
cashier(a lot)
lube and oil cars
janitor
built 40 wood tables for an assembly line
sorted recycled paper
stock shelves
gas station attendant
a little gardening(corn,peas,onions)
unarmed watch
yard work(mowing, weeding)
sandwich/donut driver
some bow and arrow
some encrima [Philippine stick fighting martial art]
some cooking
printers helper
some CPR
--
Male, 38, 160 pounds. Reasonable shape.
Skills:
Suturing, minor surgery, advanced airway management, cautery, fractures, casting,
NBC treatment, tooth extraction and making dental fillings. 2 home births.
Pistol. Morse code.
Supplies:
Sutures, antibiotics, casting supplies, complete surgery tools and dental extraction
set.
.45, scoped M21 sniper rifle plus ammo. Field scope, rangefinder. Level 4 bulletproof
vest, helmet, FRS radios.
Water filter, water, food, tent, sleeping pads and bags, heirloom seeds.
Two boys, 7 and 9 and wife. All with level 3a vests. Kids with .22 rifles and
ammo. Wife with 9mm, AR-15 and ammo. Knows some gardening. Kids learning morse
code.
--
Strengths-
Have excellent interpersonal/negotiation skills
Have made a sufficient study of military history/combat tactics/military strategy
Maintain a vegetable garden/fruit trees
Have studied/used survival techniques in N.A. and C.A.
Have knowledge of indigenous edible plants/animals in N.A. and C.A.
Have skill-at-arms on US/ComBloc small arms
Am expert in usage of map and compass
Have field grade(ditch) medical skills
Maintain personal combatives skills
Can forage and improvise like nobody’s business
Have seen the elephant
Weaknesses –
No livestock husbandry experience
Not a carpenter
Middle aged
Average driving skills
Probable TEOTWAWKI employment:
Retreat security
Weapons maintenance and training
Strategic Planning and Implementation
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Stocking up on Horse Tack »
Letter Re: Leatherworking as a Post-TEOTWAWKI Occupation
Dear Jim,
Basic leatherworking [suggested in the recent poll on potential TEOTWAWKI home
businesses] is fairly easy, if time consuming. Shears, a punch and strong
thread are all that's needed. Fine work or more elaborate items than pouches,
belts, hats and such take practice, but the leather can frequently be salvaged
from mistakes and reused.
I think the most important aspect of the skill for a TEOTWAWKI environment
would be skinning, curing and tanning. Brain, urine, vegetable and oak tanning
are time consuming (Everything about leather is), but books exist and functional
(as opposed to pretty) leather isn't too hard to produce. It's worth practicing
once or twice now.
Also don't forget that dried rawhide, or leather boiled for a few seconds.
(Oil isn't necessary. Water is preferred) is hard enough to armor against
cutting edges and some blunt impacts. -
Michael
Z. Williamson
JWR Adds: Most SurvivalBlog readers will recognize the name Michael
Z. Williamson (since he frequently sends us e-mails), and many of you
have probably read some of his books. (He is a well-known science fiction
and military
fiction writer.) But you may not have heard that he is also a part-time sword
and knife maker.
He is a co-owner of a custom edged weapon biz called, appropriately enough Sharp
Pointy Things. He has also considerable experience doing historical reenacting.
So when Mike mentions the utility of boiled leather for armor, he speaks
from first hand experience! And for any of you thinking about about buying
any sharp pointy things to prepare for that dreaded multi-generational TEOTWAWKI
("MGTEOTWAWKI") scenario, then Mike is the man to see.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Rethinking Global Oil Reserves by Michael Z. Williamson »
Letter Re: Walking Blood Banks and Interceptor Body Armor
James,
Here's
a link to an e-mail written by a Marine Corps Intelligence officer
in Iraq.
It's humbling to read first hand the sacrifices our troops endure for
us. But in all dark clouds, there is a silver lining (in this case
from a preparedness perspective). In the near future, there are going
to be a lot of medical personnel returning to civilian life that know
exactly how to treat gun shot wounds and conduct "walking bloodbanks".
May the Lord bless you with one near your home.
Other stray thoughts: keep an eye out for the new [Interceptor] body
armor if it ever hits the surplus market. Also, the next generation
of expert
firearms instructors is being molded right now in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once
again, may you be blessed with one near your home in the future.
- Rookie
JWR Adds: My favorite snippet from the Marine Corps
officer was this:
"Best Chuck Norris Moment - 13 May. Bad Guys arrived at the
government center
in the
small
town
of Kubaysah
to kidnap the town mayor, since they have a problem with any form
of government that does not include regular beheadings and women
wearing burqahs. There were seven of them. As they brought the mayor
out to put him in a pick-up truck to take him off to be beheaded
(on video, as usual), one of the bad Guys put down his machinegun
so that he could tie the mayor’s hands. The mayor took the
opportunity to pick up the machinegun and drill five of the Bad Guys.
The other two ran away. One of the dead Bad Guys was on our top twenty
wanted list. Like they say, you can’t fight City Hall."
« Retreat Potential Analysis: Bonner and Boundary Counties in North Idaho |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Letter Re: Swords and Bows for that Dreaded Multigenerational Scenario
Jim:
Some corrections and additional points regarding swords, crossbows, leaf springs,
etc.
1) The Japanese do not have a monopoly on “cutting” swords;
most European swords before c. 1500 (and even after this point) were quite
capable of serous shearing blows. See Ewert Oakeshott's "Sword
in the Age of Chivalry" and "Records of the Medieval Sword" for
more details.
2) An “epee” or “foil” is utterly
useless as a weapon, being for sporting use only. The rapier (which is what
the epee/foil is based loosely on) is somewhat useful,
but is a somewhat degenerate sword style, introduced after swords were becoming
secondary weapons on the
battlefield.
3) “Great Swords” are not all that heavy – 3 to 5 lbs is
typical.
4) For quality modern reproduction swords, go to Arms
and Armor
or Albion Armorers.
These tend to be high-end, but are made not only of top notch material, but
are exact reproductions that have
all of the fighting capability of the original Mediaeval arms that saw real
combat, including proper balance, weight
distribution, etc. Other quality manufacturers include Cold Steel (as mentioned),
Del Tin, and Lutel in the Czech Republic. Moral: you get what you pay for.
5) The above being said, some lower end reproductions from China and India
are of adequate quality, especially Hanwei Forge and Windlass Steelcrafts.
I avoid the Hanwei simply because it is out of China.
Neither is perfect, but they will be adequate.
6) This poster, alas, knows little about European swordsmanship. Go to Chivalry
Bookshelf for solid information on this subject.
Also, check their links section for sites that perform training, etc. in true
European martial arts.
7) I suspect a European sword can be drawn as quickly as a katana…
8) Bows are simpler to make than crossbows. Unless your foes are running around
in chainmail or heavier armor, there is little need for the penetration power
of the crossbow. Don't forget you need to make arrows/bolts for these weapons!
This is a separate skill.
9) Blackpowder is a sustainable resource, so there is considerable payoff in
researching pre-smokeless powder weapons… I was working on an article
for
SurvivalBlog, and still am, but have found that it is going to take awhile
to write it to do it justice.
10) While one technically can use a leaf spring for a crossbow prod, it is
a much more difficult proposition than most realize. Simply attaching a spring
to the end of a block of wood will not do it. It requires
fairly precise design and especially heat treating to pull off. For additional
problems vis-a-vis leaf springs see below. For those still interested in crossbows,
consult New World Arbalest and UC
Crossbows
11) Swords are not all that easy to make, either. Well, at least to make correctly… Spend
some time exploring the FAQs and articles on Arms & Armor or Albion, along
with SwordForum or myArmoury.com to learn some of the pitfalls. I have forged
a couple of Celtic sword blades (one from a leaf spring and the other from
a bar of 5160 spring steel) and it is tough
work. But it can be done.
12) While mail is easy enough to make by using simple butted rings, it is difficult
to make correctly (i.e. with overlapped and riveted rings alternating with
solid rings that are either punched from sheet, or
overlapped and forge welded) so that it really works.
13) Swordsmithing and armoring are quite fun, I highly recommend getting into
it, if you have interest. But don’t neglect gunsmithing…
14) Finally, while leafsprings are good steel, there are a couple of pitfalls.
First, they often have some degree of fatigue induced microfracturing, which
can naturally cause problems, and second tend to "remember" their curvature,
making simply flattening them out and reshaping them problematic at best. For
this reason I usually relegate scrap leaf springs to shorter swords or knives,
since these problems are less apparent on shorter lengths. Note that the above
problems can be mitigated or eliminated, but you
really have to know what you are doing. Too long to
explain here, I’m afraid.
P.S. Do not neglect simpler melee weapons, such as spears, axes, maces, etc.
Spears, in particular, were really the dominant battlefield weapon, and maintained
more importance than the sword, even into modern times (think:: bayonet on
end of rifle) - GFL
« Letter Re: Our Grid-Up Bug Out -- January 22nd Through February 4th, 2006 |Main| Letter Re: Including Physically/Mentally Impaired Children/Adults in Retreat Planning? »
Letter Re: Recommendations on Body Armor?
Dear James:
J.H. is absolutely correct in that you should avoid body armor with Zylon,
and that most of the "big name" brands in Body Armor have put out
Zylon models. Some Point Blank production was only 20% Zylon, but it's just
not worth taking the chance. For any vest you should check out the manufacturer's
website, and then if there is any question of Zylon, get a confirmation in
writing of the ballistic fibers used.
The recommendation to buy only NEW armor is not always the best advice, though.
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has tested 10 year old USED Body Armor
and found it tested as good as new, see
http://bulletproofme.com/How_Good_is_Police_Surplus.shtml
This applies to Aramid, i.e., Kevlar or Twaron vests, and NOT Zylon, of course.
We have tested 10 to 25 year old aramid ballistic panels (some in bad condition)
and they have always stopped the common pistol threats, including the standard
test rounds of 9mm FMJ, and .357 Magnum at +P velocities
Ballistic protection levels explained at:
http://bulletproofme.com/Ballistic_Protection_Levels.shtml
So, buy the best protection you can afford. But get a used vest, rather than
no vest at all. It's like poker...
One vest and one gun, beats NO vest and two guns!
The point about the practicality of concealable vests over Tactical Body Armor
is very well taken. Better 50% protection that you are wearing 100% of the
time, than 100% protection left at home in the closet! The best vest for you
is the one you are actually wearing when shot!
For guard duty in a crisis, nothing beats the turtle-shell feeling of a Tactical
Vest and Rifle Plates - though it is a good idea to cover it up with a jacket.
But make the concealable vest the first priority.
One of the questions we are most often asked is which ballistic protection
level to get: Level II-A, Level II or Level III-A, from thinnest to thickest.
Again, often less is more. Better the Level II-A or Level II that you can easily
conceal and are wearing, rather than the Level III-A at home in the closet.
Level III-As stop more of the uncommon threats like 9mm sub-machine-gun and
.44 Magnum, but this is a very small percentage of the threats on the street.
The real advantage of the thicker Level III-A vest is more blunt trauma protection
- possibly letting you return fire more effectively.
We have an in-depth, generic Guide to Selecting Body Armor for those who want
to learn more:
http://bulletproofme.com/How_to_Select_Body_Armor.shtml Yours
truly - Nick - Manager, BulletProofME.com Body
Armor
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Asian Avian Flu Radio Show Archives »
Letter Re: Recommendations on Body Armor?
Sir:
I'd read your post in SurvivalBlog about body armor - someone had asked for
some recommendations. I own a small company and my employees wear armor, I've
worn
armor for ten years... And there have been some upheavals recently that those
looking to acquire used body armor need, desperately, to be aware of that weren't
addressed in your answer - which was adequate but I felt needed elaborating
on - so here goes!
WHAT BRAND OF BODY ARMOR SHOULD YOU AVOID WHEN BUYING USED...
Both Second Chance and Point Blank are facing bankruptcy and major lawsuits
associated with some of their vests - specifically the so-called 4th generation
fibers known as Zylon, Second Chance used them in it's ULTIMA, ULTIMAX and
TRIFLEX series of vests and Point Blank (who also make the PACA brand vest)
used them in too many products to list here - so I'll give you the PDF link
to the document on file in the current civil case against them.
https://www.pddocs.com/PointBlank2/files/exhibit_a.pdf
I could ramble on about the foreign buyout of both companies prior to their
spectacular failure rate - but it's irrelevant to survival. So, what brand
to buy?
Gee, I guess that means Safariland or ABA (American Body Armor) are safe huh?
Nope! Everybody messed up! Again, too many products to list here - here's another
link for Safariland's vest exchange program.
http://www.bodyarmor.com/zylon/
I'd guess that the above manufacturers represent about 90 percent of the total
law enforcement vests sold in the last ten years. They'd still own the market
today, if they hadn't gone to Zylon to try and increase flexibility in the
vests.
Yes, there are other manufacturers (a couple dozen in fact), nearly all of
them import their vests from our Chinese friends, few manufacturers make them
here - and you can still get a quality vest WITHOUT Zylon from these guys...
but you need to know more, you should understand what soft body armor can and
cannot do.
The basic theory behind soft body armor is the same as a baseball glove, spread
out the impact and it doesn't do as much damage (or penetrate) Kevlar fiber
has tremendous linear strength to other fibers, tightly interwoven like a trampoline,
and layered, it catches the bullet, spreads out the impact and your skin is
not penetrated - you go up in levels from IIa -> II -> IIIa (IIIa is
the highest soft body armor rating - above that is level III and IV, hard ceramic
plates)to
defeat the more energetic 9mm rounds which are only a real threat for one reason,
they are more pointy than other pistol rounds and FAST. Essentially, to defeat
soft body armor you need to be fast and/or pointy - a 22 LR Stinger
round is plenty fast, but is blunt tipped and will not penetrate even the lowest
level
of soft armor. The newer 17 caliber ballistic tips are a real threat to soft
body armor. A 17 HMR I fired at a level II vest panel, waltzed right on through.
Granted it was an old vest panel (about 8 years) but it seemed solid to me.
I don't know what energy might be left after penetration, I just wanted to
know if it WOULD penetrate. Ironically, 12ga slugs and 44 Magnum rounds are
so flat that even a IIa will stop them, you don't get the higher rated soft
body
armor the heavy rounds - you get them to defeat 9mm subgun rounds. This logic
stemmed from, I believe, the idea that you should always wear a vest that will
stop the bullets you carry. And with many police agencies carrying 9mm HK-MP5
variant subguns, it spawned the popularity of the IIIa level vest. The dinky
little round that FN developed
for their P90 was specifically meant to defeat soft body armor - hence the
near moratorium (note that they are now marketing
a 16 inch barreled version of the P90 now for civilian sales) on the gun for
civilian use, and the absolute moratorium on the 'good stuff ' (steel tipped)
and FMJ versions of their ammo. The new ammo for the gun is aluminum tipped,
and deforms too easily to defeat a IIIa vest - or so I am told.
Incidentally, "NO!!!!" I will not conduct a series of tests to determine
what newfangled bullets will or will not penetrate soft body armor. Hundreds
of guys with more time than me have already done so. Google is not just a cute
sound made by a baby. Look it up.
Things like ice picks and shanks go right through soft armor (sharp and pointy).
Your vest will give you some protection against slicing damage in a knife fight,
but almost none against a vigorous stab. There are a whole generation of specialized
'stab' rated vests that prison guards wear, although Second Chance does make
a vest that has dual layers (ballistic and knife), I think they call it the
Prism series.
All centerfire rifle bullets will penetrate soft body armor too. You hear/see
those 'trauma packs' or 'plates' that some manufacturers put in their vest
- they are NOT rated to increase the stopping power of the vest - they are
to spread out potential heart stopping, or rib breaking (with accompanying
lung puncture) impacts and decrease the amount of damage you might take if
you get in a head on collision. Second chance used to make a hard-plate that
increased
your ballistic protection, they still do - but they add a LOT of weight - for
about the same weight you can get a REAL ceramic plate that IS rated to stop
rifle rounds.
The only thing that will reliably stop rifle rounds (most of them) is ceramic
plates, commonly referred to as SAPI plates by the military. They are typically
10 inches by 12 inches (size varies with application) and slip into a carrier
over your soft body armor, they are meant to be used in conjunction with the
soft armor as some rifle rounds will fragment on striking the plate and the
vest is supposed to catch those fragments. It is not very reassuring to know
that only a 10 by 12 inch square on your torso is resistant to rifle bullets
- but you shouldn't be presenting ANY target to a looter/criminal - much less
a fully exposed torso. Plates are HEAVY - not something you'd wear everyday.
You are far more likely to be wearing simple soft armor in an everyday scenario,
or while out working in your victory garden.
My entire point isn't to dissuade you from buying body armor, it is to make
it clear that you need to do your research before you buy - especially if you
are going to buy used, or off of Ebay. You need to understand the limits of
it, and find a way to make it part of your routine. Just yesterday a police
officer was killed in a city south of me, I will be sending a contribution
off to his widow - he was not wearing his armor when killed - although the
department had issued it to him. Body armor is uncomfortable to wear, but if
you do it often enough it becomes less annoying. That's why I had some panels
inserted into a levis jacket - even in a casual setting, I can have it with
me without arousing suspicion (unless someone picks it up!).
Were I to make a recommendation, find a used vest that you can VERIFY was sold
in the last year or two, VERIFY has no Zylon in it, and VERIFY that it has
not been exposed to harsh environments. Apparently Zylon was super-sensitive
to getting damp/wet, all manufacturers used to encase the panel in Gore-Tex
to help with wicking away sweat, now some are encasing it in a thin rubber
casing to totally exclude water dampening the Kevlar - because, YES! Even Kevlar
will deteriorate with prolonged or repeated exposure to dampness/heat/sweat/bad-breath,
etc... And when you get that used vest delivered, take the panels out and look
at the dates or date codes listed, a LOT of used vest hawkers on the internet
buy new carriers (the thing the panels go in) and the vest looks new in photos
- but may contain ten year old panels. So, again, if you MUST buy used - buy
from someone with a solid, honest reputation that you can VERIFY.
Soft body armor needs to be comfortable, if it's ill-fitting you wont like
wearing it, ergo, you will NOT wear it. For that reason I do not recommend
EVER buying a used vest that doesn't fit your measurements exactly. If you
go to a police uniform shop, they'll measure you for a vest, and then you'll
know the exact size front and back panels you'll need to find in a vest. Be
careful though, some uniform suppliers are 'snooty' - believing that only police
officers and other government agents should have soft body armor (no kidding).
In some states you may not legally possess body armor. I'm pretty sure New
York City restricts it, as well at the PRK.
So be wary, do your homework and be patient for the right used vest to come
along. For TEOTWAWKI I must say
I prefer concealable body armor - what the goblins don't know about they can't
take steps to circumvent. Make it obvious
that you wear armor, and I can guarantee you a looter will stay awake nights
plotting his next head shot. While you are toiling away insuring the survival
of your family, they have ALL DAY to plan looting you - it's their CHOSEN CAREER
PATH.
In case you folks are wondering about the body armor I own...
1 Point Blank full vest tactical carrier (external) - with IIIa panels made
by another manufacturer
2 sets of SAPI plates one level III and one level IV that fit in the above
vest
2 PACA concealable IIIa vests. (kevlar only) 1 year old and 4 years old.
1 tanker style kevlar helmet
1 USGI camo pattern flak vest, five years old - fits nicely under either PACA.
I'd rate it at a IIa for most applications, maybe a little less. It is, however,
intimidating to wear - psychological factor is why I have it.
1 Levis denim jacket with IIa panels integral to the torso and back and upper
arm. I can wear this anywhere and NOBODY knows I'm armored.
OK, so maybe I do have a bit of armor - and that's not counting what I have
for the family, maybe someday I'll post the picture of my eight year old daughter
and her somewhat large vest and AR-15.
I did manage to get hold of a few dozen "destroyed" body armor panels
(for testing!), I trimmed, sandwiched and overlapped them in a few waterproof
(vacuum) bags and sized them for my door and rear panels in my '65 Landcruiser.
I'd considered using lexan laminate bullet-rated plastic, but MAN is that stuff
expensive!!! I didn't pay for the 'destroyed' body armor panels, so it was
just labor to make them. My source was a body armor representative that was
swapping out vests for a couple of local departments (police departments buy
new vests every five years regardless of use/wear) - this activity happens
every day around the country - where do you think a lot of those used eBay
vests come from? These panels are somewhat stiff given how I fastened them
to one another, and are two layers thick everywhere with IIIa panels. These
used vests are shipped overseas for police officers over there who cannot afford
them. England is a big benefactor from this program, and many eastern bloc
countries. (Was that politically correct?)
ALL that being said, body armor is something that is not only 'nice to have'
but lends a passive safety factor to your life - you don't have to 'display'
it for it to be useful, and the stuff keeps you warm in the winter! I've had
to lay prone for extended periods of time in the snow, and the armored parts
of me stayed very warm, it also smoothes out the rocks that always seem to
exist in any terrain that you might be called upon to go to ground on.
What do I think you should get? I think you should buy NEW - it's somewhere
between $300-500 dollars for a quality Level II these days - or you could go
the used route, but I don't think it's worth my life to save 100 bucks... I
read a passage from John Ross's "Ross in Range" commentary area (www.john-ross.net)
that says something along the lines of 'Friends don't let friends buy junk
guns.' - and I'd like to second that opinion but apply it to body armor. The
time to find out that your body armor was just a little TOO old to stop that
9mm round going a measly 1000 f.p.s. is not when you're wearing it. I'd also
suggest reselling it every three years and using the proceeds to upgrade to
the new
stuff. If the political rhetoric hits the revolving finger slicer you might
be faced with a few years of using the stuff - and unavailability of new replacements.
The more life you have in the vest when the balloon goes up, the longer it
will be useful. Or rotate the used vests (if you can afford it) to the barter
goods bin (and seal them away from moisture and heat) - if you think a tanned
piece of leather will be worth something in a disaster - imagine what value
will be placed on any body armor you have tucked away as surplus. - J.H. in
Colorado
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Letter Re: Recommendations on Body Armor?
James:
I'm a newbie at preparedness. I have some nitro-packed storage food and I'm
working on buying a few guns and getting training. I think I'll start
with a course at Front Sight. But for immediate needs, I'm about ready to buy
some body armor for "just in case." Are the
mil surplus flak vests that I see advertised for +/-$80 a good deal? -
T.Y.
JWR Replies: I highly recommend the training at Front
Sight it is top notch! About body armor; first things
first: Forget about the older-vintage
military surplus "flak" vests" that
you saw advertised. These are primarily designed to stop shrapnel, but
not bullets.
Most of the pre-1985 military issue vests would barely rate Class IIA.(Which
is lower than Class II,
if you
aren't familiar with the rating system--that numbering system confuses
a
lot
of
folks.)
I
do not
recommend
them.
About
their only advantage is that some have a collar, which provides better neck protection
than typical law enforcement (concealment) vests. IMHO,
you are better
off buying
a law enforcement trade-in vest, Class II or higher.
(Which would be: Class II, Class IIIA, or Class III.) Used
Class II vests start at around $200.
My personal approach: For myself, I bought a pair of
slightly used Class II
vests, with one of them slightly larger than the other, plus a trauma
plate. This cost less than buying a new Class III vest, and they are
more versatile than a single heavy-weight vest. I can wear either
of them alone for concealment, or I can wear *both* plus the trauma plate
in between
when the Schumer really hits the
fan. This will provide better than Class II protection.
BTW, the Memsahib has a Class IIIA
vest, contoured for ladies. It
also was a trade-in vest, which she got for a bargain price at a gun
show.
Two body armor dealers that I recommend are: Y2K
Body Armor (which is operated by T. Allen Hoover) and BulletProofME.com
Body Armor. Of the two, Terry Hoover seems to have the best prices.
He
specializes in vests that come from police academy wash-outs. These are
"low hours" vests that are in great shape and very reasonably priced.
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Army Upgrades Interceptor Ballistic Armor With New Side Panels
(Quoting the American
Forces Press Service, Jan 10, 2005, by Jim
Garamone) The Army will continue to improve body armor issued to
soldiers, and will begin
manufacturing side-panel inserts to the Interceptor ballistic armor (IBA),
officials said here today. The side panels, which weigh three pounds, will
be
made of the same material
as
the
small-arms protective inserts.
Army Col. Thomas Spoehr is in charge of fielding body armor. He said the Interceptor
body armor now issued to servicemembers protects against most of the threats
they
face in Iraq and Afghanistan today. "It's the best body
armor in the world," Spoehr said.
And the proof is in the number of people who are alive today because of the armor.
One documented account from June 2003 showed an Iraqi shooting a soldier at point-blank
range in the chest with a shotgun. The young soldier picked himself off the ground
and arrested the Iraqi.
The Army is making changes to the protection system, Spoehr said, but has to
be
careful to balance changes with mission. "You could outfit a soldier
from head to toe in armor, and he would be completely useless," he said. "We
have to be sensitive to the weight burden we put on soldiers in that arduous
environment
over there. Every ounce that we put on the back of a soldier could mean the difference
between their ability to accomplish the mission or not."
Weight is a huge factor, officials said. The average infantryman carries 85 pounds
of gear into battle, according to officials at the Infantry School at Fort Benning,
Ga. This includes weapons, ammunition, water, protective gear and so on. The
Interceptor
armor - the vest and Small Arms Protective Insert (SAPI)
plates,
along with neck and groin protection - weigh in at about 16 pounds.
But the improvements planned for the Interceptor armor will increase the weight.
Enhanced SAPI plates will add three pounds to the weight, and side-panel plates
another 3 pounds. Other shoulder and side protection adds five pounds. Wearing
all pieces
of the Interceptor armor could add about 27 pounds to soldiers' burden.
By comparison, the "flak vest" of Vietnam came in at about 25 pounds,
and the original flak vest worn by airmen during World War II weighed around
40 pounds, Air Force Museum officials said.
But in addition to weight, commanders have to look at constriction and how much
ability soldiers have to move their arms and legs and get in and out of vehicles
quickly, Spoehr said. "It's not as simple as going to a catalog
and ordering it," he said.
He said the commander has to control this factor. The body armor is modular,
and
commanders can assess the threat and how much armor soldiers should wear.
"We're going to be producing a new side-armor plate," Spoehr said. "If
the mission doesn't accommodate wearing that new side armor plate, then the commander
can direct, 'Don't wear that today.'"
For example, while the side armor adds 3 pounds, it does provide more protection. "We
want to give that type of an option to commanders," Spoehr
said.
Army officials said they continue to monitor all aspects of fielding the armor.
A check of the books revealed that 8,000 of the vests did not go through inspection,
Spoehr said. The Army recalled those vests on Nov. 12, 2005, and would not issue
them. No piece of armor will be issued to soldiers without undergoing a painstaking
inspection process, he emphasized.
