Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

I have a roadtrip to do next week. I’ve made my list and am checking it twice… its pretty hard to get into trouble when youre on interstate all the way. Rest stops every 20 miles, a McDonalds every other exit, etc, etc.

But, not taking any chances, I am packing gear ‘just in case’. Could get stuck in snow, might lose a fuel pump in the middle of the night, etc, etc. And , of course, the ever popular getting-held-up-at-a-rest-stop-bathroom.

So, the ubiquitous backpack with sleeping bag, water, flashlight, first aid, ammo, knife, gun, GPS, etc, etc.
==========================
From the ‘Duh! Ya think?’ Department comes this: Terroris attack before elections … rocket scientists. We pay people to come up with this stuff?

Of course theres going to be a terrorist attack (or attempt) before the elections. Spain was a textbook example of a successful terrorist attack, why wouldnt someone else try that here? Time to do some threat assessments, people….oil storage tanks or chemical plant in your immediate area? May wanna keep the truck packed and ready to go on a moments notice.
==========================
“There is but one answer to terrorism and it is best delivered with a Winchester rifle”…attributed to T.R.
==========================
On the other hand, I believe it was Heinlein who said that “The price of freedom is the willingness to do sudden battle, anywhere, at any time, and with utter recklessness. ”
==========================
But, back to the issue of gearing up for Ragnarok…….

The Tactical Tailor pack that I got to examine last week is now high on my list of acquisitions. That kinda quality for only $110 is a bargain. A. Freakin’. Bargain.

I have a roadtrip to do next week. I’ve made my list and am checking it twice… its pretty hard to get into trouble when youre on interstate all the way. Rest stops every 20 miles, a McDonalds every other exit, etc, etc.

But, not taking any chances, I am packing gear ‘just in case’. Could get stuck in snow, might lose a fuel pump in the middle of the night, etc, etc. And , of course, the ever popular getting-held-up-at-a-rest-stop-bathroom.

So, the ubiquitous backpack with sleeping bag, water, flashlight, first aid, ammo, knife, gun, GPS, etc, etc.
==========================
From the ‘Duh! Ya think?’ Department comes this: Terroris attack before elections … rocket scientists. We pay people to come up with this stuff?

Of course theres going to be a terrorist attack (or attempt) before the elections. Spain was a textbook example of a successful terrorist attack, why wouldnt someone else try that here? Time to do some threat assessments, people….oil storage tanks or chemical plant in your immediate area? May wanna keep the truck packed and ready to go on a moments notice.
==========================
“There is but one answer to terrorism and it is best delivered with a Winchester rifle”…attributed to T.R.
==========================
On the other hand, I believe it was Heinlein who said that “The price of freedom is the willingness to do sudden battle, anywhere, at any time, and with utter recklessness. ”
==========================
But, back to the issue of gearing up for Ragnarok…….

The Tactical Tailor pack that I got to examine last week is now high on my list of acquisitions. That kinda quality for only $110 is a bargain. A. Freakin’. Bargain.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Pouch food….mmmmm….nothin’ says lovin’ like something almost-fresh from the pouch. Military field rations (MRE’s) as well as Humanitarian Daily Rations (HDR’s) are packaged in heavy foil and vinyl envelopes that are usually called ‘retort pouches’. The food is already cooked…simply heat n’ eat. Pouches can be heated by leaving them on a hot engine, in a pot of boiling water, or even left on some hot sunny road surface. If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you have a more than passing familiarity with such foods. Retort pouch technology, such as it is, like all military technology, eventually trickles up/down into the civilian sector. Prime examples – Chicken McNuggets. Originally a military food idea that went nowhere until McDonalds picked up the ball and ran with it. Or, for a civilian to military example, CamelBak.

Anyway, when I shop at the local Albertsons or Costco I usually keep an eye open for ready-to-eat, no-cooking-required, single-serving, long-shelf-life products to try out and to add to my stockpiles. Foods packaged this way are more expensive but their convenience is worth it, in my opinion. These are the foods that get thrown into a five-gallon bucket with a half-dozen bottles of water, and then squirreled away somewhere. In a hurry, I could simply grab the bucket by the handle and know I’ve got a week of food ready to eat and ready to go.

So, todays experiments:
StarKist Tuna in 3 oz. Foil package
Zatarains New Orleans Style Long Grain & Wild Rice in 8.8 oz. Heavy plastic package
DelMonte Sliced Pears in pull-top 8.5 oz. Can (yeah, can….not a pouch)

The Zatarains was a disappointment. Smelled good but the texture of the rice was what youd expect from a food like rice that has been left to sit sealed in its own moisture for a long time. It was just too mushy to be appetizing. A little salty, but not bad in the flavor department but the texture made it just too unappealing. Rice and spaghetti are two foods that simply cannot store well in their cooked state. Thumbs down.

StarKist tuna was a winner. The packaging removes the need for the tuna to be drained like when its packed in a can. Consequently you get the same amount of tuna but without the heavy can and liquid. Tuna was tasty and seemed a bit more flavorful than the canned variety. A bit dry though, but not enough to be objectionable..make sure to knead and shake the package so that the liquid that is packed with it can be distributed evenly. Packaging is opaque and as heavy as any MRE entrée…big nod of approval for the packaging. I need to decode the date codes to find the anticipated shelf life, but this stuff is a winner. Its also available in ‘flavored’ varieties like lemon pepper and peppered.

Canned fruit, regardless of manufacturer, is usually a safe bet. What appealed to me here was the packaging. Most canned fruit comes in either the usual 15 oz or so ‘normal size’ cans or in the tiny pull-top cans that don’t really offer much in terms of portion. This particular can was a pull top style in the 8.5 oz. Size. Convenient pull-tab can and a reasonable size – good combo. Canned pears are canned pears….these were tender, well fleshed and good. Although cans are much heavier and bulkier than the pouches, when it comes to canned fruit I usually don’t mind the weight. However, these are a good size for keeping a case or two around for quick snacks and desserts during minimal-cooking-time events such as power outages and the like.

My focus in the particular products isn’t so much making them a central part of my food planning (larger packaging with less ‘easy-open-single-serving’ness fills those needs). Rather its for putting a package so that if I get stranded at work or somewhere, I’ll be able to function normally without the effects, both moral and physical, from lack of familiar food.

Pouch food….mmmmm….nothin’ says lovin’ like something almost-fresh from the pouch. Military field rations (MRE’s) as well as Humanitarian Daily Rations (HDR’s) are packaged in heavy foil and vinyl envelopes that are usually called ‘retort pouches’. The food is already cooked…simply heat n’ eat. Pouches can be heated by leaving them on a hot engine, in a pot of boiling water, or even left on some hot sunny road surface. If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you have a more than passing familiarity with such foods. Retort pouch technology, such as it is, like all military technology, eventually trickles up/down into the civilian sector. Prime examples – Chicken McNuggets. Originally a military food idea that went nowhere until McDonalds picked up the ball and ran with it. Or, for a civilian to military example, CamelBak.

Anyway, when I shop at the local Albertsons or Costco I usually keep an eye open for ready-to-eat, no-cooking-required, single-serving, long-shelf-life products to try out and to add to my stockpiles. Foods packaged this way are more expensive but their convenience is worth it, in my opinion. These are the foods that get thrown into a five-gallon bucket with a half-dozen bottles of water, and then squirreled away somewhere. In a hurry, I could simply grab the bucket by the handle and know I’ve got a week of food ready to eat and ready to go.

So, todays experiments:
StarKist Tuna in 3 oz. Foil package
Zatarains New Orleans Style Long Grain & Wild Rice in 8.8 oz. Heavy plastic package
DelMonte Sliced Pears in pull-top 8.5 oz. Can (yeah, can….not a pouch)

The Zatarains was a disappointment. Smelled good but the texture of the rice was what youd expect from a food like rice that has been left to sit sealed in its own moisture for a long time. It was just too mushy to be appetizing. A little salty, but not bad in the flavor department but the texture made it just too unappealing. Rice and spaghetti are two foods that simply cannot store well in their cooked state. Thumbs down.

StarKist tuna was a winner. The packaging removes the need for the tuna to be drained like when its packed in a can. Consequently you get the same amount of tuna but without the heavy can and liquid. Tuna was tasty and seemed a bit more flavorful than the canned variety. A bit dry though, but not enough to be objectionable..make sure to knead and shake the package so that the liquid that is packed with it can be distributed evenly. Packaging is opaque and as heavy as any MRE entrée…big nod of approval for the packaging. I need to decode the date codes to find the anticipated shelf life, but this stuff is a winner. Its also available in ‘flavored’ varieties like lemon pepper and peppered.

Canned fruit, regardless of manufacturer, is usually a safe bet. What appealed to me here was the packaging. Most canned fruit comes in either the usual 15 oz or so ‘normal size’ cans or in the tiny pull-top cans that don’t really offer much in terms of portion. This particular can was a pull top style in the 8.5 oz. Size. Convenient pull-tab can and a reasonable size – good combo. Canned pears are canned pears….these were tender, well fleshed and good. Although cans are much heavier and bulkier than the pouches, when it comes to canned fruit I usually don’t mind the weight. However, these are a good size for keeping a case or two around for quick snacks and desserts during minimal-cooking-time events such as power outages and the like.

My focus in the particular products isn’t so much making them a central part of my food planning (larger packaging with less ‘easy-open-single-serving’ness fills those needs). Rather its for putting a package so that if I get stranded at work or somewhere, I’ll be able to function normally without the effects, both moral and physical, from lack of familiar food.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

I must say, the events in Spain are very eye-opening. The very definition of terrorism is violent action directed against civillians to force political change. And in a brilliant stroke, whomever was responsible for those bombings did exactly that – they pushed Spain into voting for a change in government that was, no doubt, sympathetic to the aims of the bombers. Can you grasp what an incredible feat that is? Few as a dozen people managed to, almost overnight, change a government.

Now, if that wasnt a job by al-Qaeda you can bet theyre going to learn from it. Novembers elections in this country would be the ideal time for this sort of thing….end of Oct/first day of Nov. you blow up something big, cause major mayhem, and hope that it will turn public opinion against the administration and get ‘the other guy’ elected. But, Americans are not Spaniards…I think we’re less likely to stop throwing punches even if we get our noses bloodied.

My point? Well, other than admitting that it was a masterful operation that seemed to do exactly what it intended, the bombing in Spain is going to make this years election a season of heightened awareness. Athough we keep bouncing into this Yellow/Orange alert nonsense, Id say that right before the election is when the next major terrorist attack in this country will take place.

Fortunately, being in a relative middle of nowhere, I dont have to worry about it too badly. Ceratinly, my daily commute isnt going to be a target as it would in, say, Washington DC or NY. No, my concerns will be with the fallout (so to speak) from such an attack…

But, if I *did* live in or near a Major Metropolitan Area In The East/NorthEast or West, I would be extremely alert during all of October and be ready to bugout (or in) on a moments notice. I’d keep the vehicle gassed up, have as many alternate routes memorized as possible, and never be more than arms length away from a television or radio.

I must say, the events in Spain are very eye-opening. The very definition of terrorism is violent action directed against civillians to force political change. And in a brilliant stroke, whomever was responsible for those bombings did exactly that – they pushed Spain into voting for a change in government that was, no doubt, sympathetic to the aims of the bombers. Can you grasp what an incredible feat that is? Few as a dozen people managed to, almost overnight, change a government.

Now, if that wasnt a job by al-Qaeda you can bet theyre going to learn from it. Novembers elections in this country would be the ideal time for this sort of thing….end of Oct/first day of Nov. you blow up something big, cause major mayhem, and hope that it will turn public opinion against the administration and get ‘the other guy’ elected. But, Americans are not Spaniards…I think we’re less likely to stop throwing punches even if we get our noses bloodied.

My point? Well, other than admitting that it was a masterful operation that seemed to do exactly what it intended, the bombing in Spain is going to make this years election a season of heightened awareness. Athough we keep bouncing into this Yellow/Orange alert nonsense, Id say that right before the election is when the next major terrorist attack in this country will take place.

Fortunately, being in a relative middle of nowhere, I dont have to worry about it too badly. Ceratinly, my daily commute isnt going to be a target as it would in, say, Washington DC or NY. No, my concerns will be with the fallout (so to speak) from such an attack…

But, if I *did* live in or near a Major Metropolitan Area In The East/NorthEast or West, I would be extremely alert during all of October and be ready to bugout (or in) on a moments notice. I’d keep the vehicle gassed up, have as many alternate routes memorized as possible, and never be more than arms length away from a television or radio.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

“Whenever he gets into a fix
he reaches into his bag of tricks..” – Felix The Cat theme song

Asked what the hallmark of the prepared is, I’d say its a toss up between a firearm and the backpack. (In fact, my coat of arms should be a pair of crossed 870’s and AR’s over a backpack.) But I think the nod goes to the backpack.

For the last several years I usually travel my day-to-day with my Dana ‘Lewis’ daypack. I bought it many years ago when Dana was still a made in the US. Its a regular size daypack, like what you see every college kid packing around. It has a few nice features, like redundant closures – if a zipper breaks theres always a strap/buckle system to use as backup. A nice touch. Although a ‘civillian’ pack, its durability and versatility has made it an almost constant companion for me. During hunting season I change out the contents and it goes as my survival/hunting pack. Its deficient in some areas, not enough attachment points, for example, but Ive been satisified.

And then this shows up today in UPS. I am mightily impressed and when it comes to gear, Im a tough customer.

Material is heavy Cordura-type fabric. Should handle sliding around in truck beds, tumbling off cliffs, getting soaked, getting dirty, etc, with aplomb.

All stress points (and even some non-stress points) are double stitched…at least. Some are triple stitched. Some are quadruple stitched!!!! Yowza!

Padding in the straps is generous. Strap attachment points are reinforced quite nicely. Shoulder straps include a sternum strap and the usual D-ring and web attachment points.

There are three compartments, all accessed by zippers. The inside of the main compartment is lined on the bottom (which also has a drainage hole) with blaze orange material to make hunting objects easier. Nice touch. 2900 cubic inches is the advertised capacity of the bag.

Top of the bag sports a serious drag handle and covered drinking ports. (Could also run radio cords through as well.)Theres Molle-style webbing on three sides of the pack as well as attachment points on the bottom of the pack. Compression straps on the sides and top of the pack allow for rolled up gear like ponchos or field jackets.

This is a seriously nice high-speed, low-drag pack. I’d feel not the slightest bit of hesitation to load it up and toss it out the back of a truck at forty miles an hour, drag it behind me in a river crossing, As much as my Dana has been a good piece of gear, Im not one to let sentimentality stand in the way of an upgrade. Price is about the same as what I paid for my Dana about seven years ago – $110. This would be an extremely well spent $110. Im going to investigate the rest of their gear and if its as well made as this thing, Im going to have to do some serious ordering from them.

All their gear is made in the USA, by the by. While I’ll buy gear from anyone if it meets my needs for quality and funtion, I prefer to buy American.

A quick perusal of Tactical Tailor’s website shows some very nice modular pockets to add on. Im in love…truly!

I called the LMI’s to come by and check this thing out…thats how impressed I am with it. Expect some field reports about this thing over the summer.

“Whenever he gets into a fix
he reaches into his bag of tricks..” – Felix The Cat theme song

Asked what the hallmark of the prepared is, I’d say its a toss up between a firearm and the backpack. (In fact, my coat of arms should be a pair of crossed 870’s and AR’s over a backpack.) But I think the nod goes to the backpack.

For the last several years I usually travel my day-to-day with my Dana ‘Lewis’ daypack. I bought it many years ago when Dana was still a made in the US. Its a regular size daypack, like what you see every college kid packing around. It has a few nice features, like redundant closures – if a zipper breaks theres always a strap/buckle system to use as backup. A nice touch. Although a ‘civillian’ pack, its durability and versatility has made it an almost constant companion for me. During hunting season I change out the contents and it goes as my survival/hunting pack. Its deficient in some areas, not enough attachment points, for example, but Ive been satisified.

And then this shows up today in UPS. I am mightily impressed and when it comes to gear, Im a tough customer.

Material is heavy Cordura-type fabric. Should handle sliding around in truck beds, tumbling off cliffs, getting soaked, getting dirty, etc, with aplomb.

All stress points (and even some non-stress points) are double stitched…at least. Some are triple stitched. Some are quadruple stitched!!!! Yowza!

Padding in the straps is generous. Strap attachment points are reinforced quite nicely. Shoulder straps include a sternum strap and the usual D-ring and web attachment points.

There are three compartments, all accessed by zippers. The inside of the main compartment is lined on the bottom (which also has a drainage hole) with blaze orange material to make hunting objects easier. Nice touch. 2900 cubic inches is the advertised capacity of the bag.

Top of the bag sports a serious drag handle and covered drinking ports. (Could also run radio cords through as well.)Theres Molle-style webbing on three sides of the pack as well as attachment points on the bottom of the pack. Compression straps on the sides and top of the pack allow for rolled up gear like ponchos or field jackets.

This is a seriously nice high-speed, low-drag pack. I’d feel not the slightest bit of hesitation to load it up and toss it out the back of a truck at forty miles an hour, drag it behind me in a river crossing, As much as my Dana has been a good piece of gear, Im not one to let sentimentality stand in the way of an upgrade. Price is about the same as what I paid for my Dana about seven years ago – $110. This would be an extremely well spent $110. Im going to investigate the rest of their gear and if its as well made as this thing, Im going to have to do some serious ordering from them.

All their gear is made in the USA, by the by. While I’ll buy gear from anyone if it meets my needs for quality and funtion, I prefer to buy American.

A quick perusal of Tactical Tailor’s website shows some very nice modular pockets to add on. Im in love…truly!

I called the LMI’s to come by and check this thing out…thats how impressed I am with it. Expect some field reports about this thing over the summer.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Slow times in Zeroland. My civillian life has alot going on so my life as Commander Zero is taking a backseat right now to whats going on elsewhere.

But, I still manage to get a few things done…..

Finally moved all the crap into the bunker that Ive just left laying around for the last few months. And it drove home the fact that I really need to get more shelving in the bunker. I also need to label the storage containers a bit better.

Still havent picked up any 26.5mm flares or smoke. Very bad. Who knows how long the cheap surplus stuff will be on the market. The bottleneck is this absurd $20 HazMat fee. I was hoping to stumble across some at a gun show but that isnt looking likely. What I’ll have to do is order enough of the things to make it worth the $20 fee.

Discovered that, apparently, a 10-round .40 S&W Glock magazine can be stuffed with 9mm ammo and used in my G19 with no problems. Interesting. Means that the concept of pre-ban/post-ban magazines is now a non-issue. I can 13 or so rounds in the .40 Glock mag and its perfectly legal since Im not ‘making or modifying’ a magazine into pre-ban configuration.

Must do some website work…been slacking in that regard.

Slow times in Zeroland. My civillian life has alot going on so my life as Commander Zero is taking a backseat right now to whats going on elsewhere.

But, I still manage to get a few things done…..

Finally moved all the crap into the bunker that Ive just left laying around for the last few months. And it drove home the fact that I really need to get more shelving in the bunker. I also need to label the storage containers a bit better.

Still havent picked up any 26.5mm flares or smoke. Very bad. Who knows how long the cheap surplus stuff will be on the market. The bottleneck is this absurd $20 HazMat fee. I was hoping to stumble across some at a gun show but that isnt looking likely. What I’ll have to do is order enough of the things to make it worth the $20 fee.

Discovered that, apparently, a 10-round .40 S&W Glock magazine can be stuffed with 9mm ammo and used in my G19 with no problems. Interesting. Means that the concept of pre-ban/post-ban magazines is now a non-issue. I can 13 or so rounds in the .40 Glock mag and its perfectly legal since Im not ‘making or modifying’ a magazine into pre-ban configuration.

Must do some website work…been slacking in that regard.