Nobody asked me to be quiet

So I'm not going to. Blogger day of silence? News to me. I spend enough time not blogging as it is, but I'mm just enough of a non-follower to post this in disregard. Yes, I'm absolutely as concerned about the rest of my inalienable rights as I am about 2A.

So make one that does...

I have a problem with gear- mostly that I don't like a lot of it. I'm very lean for my height, so clothes are tricky to fit. It seems like every piece of work or personal gear I own is ALMOST perfect, and I like things to be just so. This, more than anything, drives my impulse to personalize and modify equipment.

There is one other major factor- cost. Custom, especially in the realm of gear and guns, is expensive. So I find things that are close to perfect, and modify them as I see fit.

This brings me to my latest project, my shirtslicker. I have a dilemma; I live in Oregon, and I work outdoors, and I hate raincoats. They're clammy, they rustle (I prefer the option of stealth, although I talk loud enough to negate it), and they cling to me, and annoy me. So I stand in the rain and get wet, which is less than ideal. Today, I lit upon a solution. I took a regular long sleeve cotton shirt and waxed it.

It turns out, oilcloth is really just cotton canvas treated with linseed oil and wax. For the cost of a few bucks in boot wax, and the knowledge that I can never wash this shirt again, I have a rain resistant piece if outerwear that meets all my criteria. Its as simple as applying a thick, even coating of boot wax (I prefer Obenauf's LP, but could only find Sno-Seal), rubbing it in, then hitting it with a hair dryer to push it into the cotton. I may need to put an additional coat on, but I'll try it tomorrow and see how it works.

So it really is as simple as that. If you can't find the item that works, just make one that does. If you can't do that, well, I'd advise learning.

Somehow my Quantum Mechanic...

Always seems to charge more than the estimate. Watching a Discovery channel special about wormholes, a few things occur to me.

1) In theory, there is no difference between theory and reality. In reality, there is. When a super mega smart astrophysicist says warping space is easy, and you can go as fast as you want, he's right. In theory, we can go faster than light. In REALITY we haven't gotten TO light speed yet. Maybe if you were nicer to the engineers, they would help you with that.

2) When talking about real stuff, try to get it right. To the people that know how things work, you sound like an idiot, which costs you in credibility. The highway tunnel is not made of concrete and reinforced steel. It's made of reinforced CONCRETE and STEEL. Pedantic? Yes. But it is an important distinction.

3) We, as a nation, are spending serious money paying dreamers to think very cool thoughts about visiting other stars, while cutting the positions of very serious people who ACTUALLY GOT US TO THE MOON. Who needs a horse when we can spend all our dough on this nifty cart?

Hmmm...

Art thys thyng working?

Even the Quote of the Day is a link...

Still busy busy. Making countertops today! So, just to remember how to work this thingy, I link you to a previous quote from Kevin Baker at TSM. Just in case you weren't reading TSM, you should be. Careful, it takes time...

Pratchett of the (How far apart were we going to do these?)

"Aagrahgaah," said Detritus mournfully.


"Don't mind me, just don't spit it on my boot," said Vimes.


"It mean-" Detritus waved a huge hand, "like... dem things, what only come in..." he paused looked at his fingers, while his lips moved "...fours. Aagrahgaah. It mean lit'rally der time when you see dem little pebbles and you jus' know dere's gonna be a great big landslide on toppa you and it already too late to run. Dat moment, dat's aagragaah."


Vimes's own lips moved. "Forebodings?"


"Dat's der bunny."


"Where does the word come from?"


Detritus shrugged. "Maybe it named after der soun' you make just as a t'ousand ton of rock hit you."


- Jingo, by Terry Pratchett, page 13 (from the top, after Leshp has reappeared, and they're watching the people in Sator Square harangue and such. I'm telling you, RTWT)

Bad Things Happen to Good People Bag, some assy req'd

After a pretty serious amount of interest (at least on MY scale, Thanks Tam!) in my version of the ready bag (choose your favorite nickname! Heck, you can call it Flobert for all I care) I thought I'd put together a real post, pictures and everything! So here's my new Go-Bag.

Here's an overview of my ideal: I'm building a bag that I can have with me at basically all times. I need it to be well organized, convenient, and full of things that I will PROBABLY need. This last requirement is where I shift away from the traditional Bug Out Bag. I have noticed that there are people in the world that are building these Bug Out Bags that have absolutely no concept of how hard it is to carry an 80 lb pack. I HAVE carried an 80 lb pack, and it SUCKS! More to the point, it is nearly impossible, without serious training (yes, I'm looking at you, USMC) to 'grab' an 80 lb backpack and just walk away. Yes, I know the hardcore will excoriate me for not including 17 loaded 35 rd magazines for my M4gery, but I don't even have one of those, so it's a moot point.

What's NOT  moot point, is that this bag is not a 3 day zombie invasion bag. My battle rifle is at home (don't muck about, I am pretty good with stripper clips, and I'm pretty sure I can lay effective fire from the SMLE as fast as the next totally untrained random guy) and that's where I'm trying to get to. If you've waited until you have 8 minutes to duck out before the fall of man, a 3 day bag won't do you any good. So this is a 24 hour bag. It contains a junk-drawer cross section of all the things I think would come in handy if I were REALLY stranded, as well as a few things that I know come in handy on an irregular basis. You all know the chassis I chose (if not, click here) so this is a rundown of the stuff I put in it.

First stop, exterior. As you can see, my hatchet rides quit nicely on the MOLLE webbing that covers the face of the bag. This is just an ordinary hand axe from Gerber- lightweight, stays sharp, handy as all hell. I chose the long handle hatchet, but to suit other needs there is also a compact handle (about 7in) and a camp axe (about 24in) available.

Next, front interior pocket.

As you can see, this pocket has a lot of organizers, which I like.This one contains some of the various school standards, such as pens, pencils, scratch paper, and various patchcords for phones and music, etc. Nothing too exciting here. I have added small bottles of mouthwash, shampoo, and contact solution (and a spare contact case) for some basic hygiene.The first two forms of fire are here, a standard Bic lighter and some strike anywhere matches. I generally prefer to have at least 2 or more means of starting a fire on my person. Two is One and One is None; this applies to fire sources more than others, since they are relatively fragile.

Main Pocket.

This one, as you can well see, has A LOT of pockets. Remember, this is built as a tool bag, so each one of these pockets would hold a wrench, ratchet, or etc. This is great for organizing. Which is also great for me, because in this portion I have, in no particular order: A can of Stearno, roll of duct tape, 3 road flares, water purification tablets, a sewing kit, extra socks, work gloves, ziplock bags, batteries, a hunting knife, sharpening stone, rubber bands, zipties, a small roll of twine, wet-wipes, and two packages of tissues. Whew! Say that 5 times fast! I'm not going to go into the utility or reasoning behind these items, as I'm sure that most people can spot that pretty easily, but I'm going to mention one that most seem to leave off the list: dry socks. You know what the difference is between jungle rot and athlete's foot? You guessed it, dry socks. Also, one will notice that I have rather a lot of items included that are for sanitation. This is not a theoretical inclusion- wet wipes are in there from personal experience. Whether filthy from fire or flood extraction or from gutting a deer, wet wipes can make you feel like an entirely new person. Tissues, by the way, handily double as toilet paper, and there's a reason that fireline crews call that stuff 'mountain money.'

Next up, Blowout Kit(s)

I say multiple kits because I keep a handful of these around at all times. The main portion of my kit in this bag is not actually included, but attached to the outside. That is the small, camerabag looking 'Husky' item that you can see clipped to the waist strap (shown on far right). I keep it thusly because I firmly believe that Blowout kits should be something one does not have to dig for. If you need it, you generally need it when every second counts. Inside that kit, I have the usual bandages, wipes, tweezers, tape, etc. but I also have added an Isreali Battle Dressing, a packet of Celox styptic powder (don't be stupid with this stuff) and a small tube of Super Glue (see previous disclaimer). My booster kit (shown to center) contains extras of several items, including tape, ointment, gauze, and another IBD. This booster kit occupies its own dedicated pocket, which will shortly have a First Aid label applied to it.

A last note on things I haven't added yet. There are a few items that I still have to add to this particular Go-Bag, but they are redundancy items, for the most part. I am going to add a permanent resident flashlight, (two is one and one is none) as well as a spare Leatherman tool (to supplement the one that lives on my side full-time). Some paracord will be added shortly (it's around, just not in the kit yet). The last item is one that I'll have to chase down; a solar/dynamo radio, with USB plugs for charging electronics. Just think how far we have come that I'm trying to figure out how to power my cell phone with a hand crank...

Anyhow, there you have it. That's my Bad Things Happen to Good People Bag. Handy, ever present, and weighing in at a current 13 lbs. After all, if the first rule of gun fights is to have your gun with you, then the first rule of survival is to have your tools with you. An 80lb 3 day pack does you no good if it's safe, at home, cause the damn thing's to heavy to move around.  Stay safe!