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

So, Im up at Home Despot looking at heaters. The kerosene heater I want uses 1.9 gallons of fuel for a runtime of 9 hours. However, a small propane heater that uses 1# bottles operates at 18 hours. (Admittedly, I need to know the # of BTU’s each device produces.) So, that means that 1# of propane at $1.90 gives as many hours of heat as almost 4 gallons of kerosene (at $4.50~ a gallon). Plus the propane stores easier. Hmmmm. It cant be that simple…theres gotta be a major difference in BTU output. Next time I go up there I need to investigate this further. Cheaper and more efficient are the hallmarks of the Commander Zero lifestyle. Additionally, the propane heater is less expensive than the kero heater. Curiouser and curiouser. I know kero burns hot so Im betting the tradeoff here is in BTU’s. If anyone has a link to a source listing the relative BTU output of various fuels, Id certainly be interested.
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Im torn on the FAL….I know I want a .308 semi-auto rifle but that really limits my choices to the FAL, M1A, AR-10 type and the HK91. At the moment the HK91 has mags for as little as $2 ea. A huge attraction. But the guns are very very expensive, dont have a last shot hold open, and arent the most optic-friendly. The FAL is a great design, mags are cheap and plentiful, but I think the sights are just too crude. The M1A is nice but mags are a bit spendy these days and im not sure if thats going to change in the near future. The AR-10 (The Bushmaster model) looks really really promising what with it taking FAL mags and all, but Im not terribly enamored of the AR gas system. I think for now I’ll hold onto the FAL and see about swapping out the sights for something a little more A2′ish.
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I need to find a source for decently priced mylar bags (food grade) in various sizes. What Id LOVE to find is a place that’ll sell me a roll of the stuff so I can just make my own bags. Those mylar bags are great things…airtight, watertight, lightproof…mmmm-mmm.
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I need to also pick up some topo map software…I plan on spending alot more time out in the sticks next year, so itd be nice to have some good maps.