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

Fella walked in to the shop today with one of these:

Its in 9mm, takes sticks or drums, breaks down into a smaller package….hmmm….could it be? Could it be?

Nope.

Took it to the range and shot it. Outrageously fun gun to shoot. Sticks were a bit finicky but the drums worked flawlessly. Problem is, this is a 10.5# 9mm carbine. It weighs about as much as a Garand. I’ve handled a lot of 9mm carbines…Uzi, HK, Sten, Sterling, Colt, etc….this was the heaviest 9mm carbine I have ever held. Oh sure, its built like a tank, but for that kinda weight I would think theyd chamber it in something a little zippier. Still, it was interesting. Although the drum is a nice selling point the harsh reality is that it is heavy, use uncommon mags and parts, has virtually no accessory support, and has an unknown reputation as a semi-auto build. Fun range gun, but I’ll pass.

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Picked up a pair of Chaco sandals last week. I have rather wide (EEEEE) feet andam very hard on shoes. A pair of shoes will last me for maybe 8-12 months before I blow out the sides from my wide feet. When I do find a pair that I like in my size I tend to wear them until they are practically falling off my feet. I hate buying shoes. The missus has a pair of these things and said I should try them. Upon close examination of them it appears that someone took the Viet Cong tire sandal, upgraded it with a bit of tech, and manages to get a hundred bucks for it. But…are they worth it?

Well, theyre fully adjustable on every strap so if youve got weird fett you can make em fit just right. I figure the more I wear them the less wear it puts on my other shoes. Since the sandals dont really have any sides for me to blow out I should get some rather lengthy service from them. I went kayaking last week with them and was sloshing around the river and found them to be ideal for water. Sure, they make me look like some hippy granola type but from a preparedness standpoint theyve got some use. Theyre maintenance free, take a soaking with no detriment, are adjustable so you can give yourself room if you wanna wear socks with them (which pegs the Dork-o-Meter), and can be made to fit freakish feet like mine. They can also be resoled or rewebbed by the comapny if they ever do wear out. Im going to try wearing them into the winter and see how it goes.

Thus far, Im really enjoying not having my feet constrained like they usually are. Its also nice to not have to worry about things like getting my shoes wet or having to dry them out when they do.  So far, me likey. They are definitely the ticket for fishing and anythign else that involves standing around in the rivers.