Nice spring day the other day, then, naturally, in the space of 24 hours, we go to rain and snow. Im riding my bike these days against $3/gallon gas costs, so a sudden 40 degree drop in temperature can make bike riding a bit cool. Am I worried? (By the way, as I type this its hailing the size of corn kernels out there…) Of course Im not worried…I reach into my bag and pull out my Cold Weather Module. Slip on a knit cap, wool trigger finger mitts and keep going. But that darn chill…hmmm…reach into the Bag O’ Tricks and pull out a Polarmax longsleeve tee and put it on over my regular tee and under my shirt and Im nice n’ toasty. Why? Because I know that in Montana the weather can change every five minutes and with this in mind, I prepared.

Metaphorically, the preceeding paragraph could be a good example of why we do the things we do. The weather can change in five minutes here and life in general can change for the ugly much, much faster…but, as Theodore Roosevelt opined ‘you never have trouble if you are prepared’. A good question is how far into the foreseeable do you go in your preparations before you hit tinfoil beanie country (and the poorhouse). Preparing for job loss? Ok. Preparing for blackout/hurricane? Always good. Preparing for nuclear bombing? A bit of a stretch but not out of the realm of possible. Preparing for alien invasion? Pass the Reynolds Wrap.
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Reminder that the Mountain House #10 can group buy is up. By the individual can or case, your call. Ends June 6. This’ll be the only sale for 2007 on this stuff and the price will be going up next year.
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My extra 10-rd mags for the CZ550 should be here any day now. From a tactical standpoint I think that if you need multiple 10-rd magazines for your bolt gun you may have bitten off a bit more than you can chew. I mean, after the first ten rounds either your target is no longer a problem, dug into the ground, or way behind cover and calling in air support. So why’d I get five more mags? Spares. If one breaks or gets lost I want to be able to carry on. I haven’t shot the CZ in a couple months but I have a happy little notebook here full of shot targets and I can say it’s the mot accurate factory boltgun I’ve ever shot and a very large part of that is due to its single set trigger. I would, however, like to give Savages AccuTrigger law enforcement package a shot. The girlfriend is still holding out for the Remington LTR, though.
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The rain the other day got me thinking about my wet weather stuff. Of the military ponchos I like the US ones the least. Theyre very light, which is nice, but their waterproof-ness isn’t always what it could be. Quite simply the material isn’t really waterproof. If it gets wet enough water just seems to absorb into it and when you touch it you get wet. I’ve been much more pleased with the German rain ponchos in their clay/brown color. What I really like about them, other than their waterproofitude is that the snaps along the edges are double sided so you can snap a bunch of these things together to make various shelters… sources for the German ponchos are a bit hard to find but if you can find one that’s got no holes in it and doesn’t have the snaps torn out of the edges, grab it…theyre good gear. The Swiss alpenflage ponchos have been on the market for a while and theyre not really ponchos as much as they are rain capes. Still, a good value and cheap enough to have a bunch. The color leaves me a little cold…not a lot of reds in a Montana environment..even in the fall, but some people seem to like it.

GI poncho liners make almost no sense to me. You cant really wear them in conjunction with your poncho unless you cut a hole in it and if you lace it into your poncho to create a sleeping bag or blanket you’d be better served with a Thinsulate or Wiggys poncho liner that’s going to provide more warmth. (Before you say it, yes I am aware of the ‘Ranger Rick’ kit to convert your liner to work with your poncho) Kifaru has come out with their Woobie which I like the looks of a LOT but am thoroughly turned off at the unbelievable price. However, rolled up compact and stuffed into a daypack it would be excellent insurance for when youre out hunting or tromping around in the woods.

One product I have been very pleased with, and that I recommend, is the Outdoor Research Goretex boonie cap. I think they call it the Seattle Sombrero or some other stupid cutesy name. It is, however, a good product.. has an adjustable band for head size, Velcro to hold the brim of the hat up, removeable stampede strap and can be had in ‘forest/black’ but its really more olive than anything else. Its an excellent hat for wear when the big flakes are coming down and you want to keep that stuff off your shoulders and out of your face.

I haven’t tried the military wet/cold weather gear yet (ECWCS) simply because I just don’t have that kind of money. However, I do see it on people around town and once in a while you can find some on the surplus market at a reasonable price.

Another wet/cold goodie that I would never imagine doing without is a quality set of GoreTex socks/boot liners. These things turn any pair of shoes into a waterproof pair of shoes without turning the insides of your socks into a sweaty swamp. I usually wear a cotton sock, then the liner, and then a wool sock. With that rig I could wear sandals in the snow and be warm and dry. Theyre an excellent piece of gear. As I’ve learned, if your feet are dry and warm you can walk pretty much forever. Cold and wet feet, on the other hand, are miserable and a danger to your health.
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Whaddya know! Long-life chocolate!