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

Gun show in Kalispell this weekend. Not really much on the list of things to buy…at least, not gun-wise. In addition to thundertoys, gun shows also give me a chance to pick up surplus gear at good prices. Sleeping bags, tactical flashlights, winter shooting mitts, BDU's, etc, etc. In terms of gun stuff, Im curious to see if AR mags have come down any…I did an inventory a few weeks back and while Im probably better off than Joe Average in terms of AR mags, Im not at my personal minimum requirement per gun. (Ideally, I'd want fifty per gun.) I also need about four more mags for the FAL, a few more P35 mags, and if theyre cheap enough another few Glock mags. Really, nickel and dime stuff…in terms of firearms, Im pretty okay with what I have at the moment. There is stuff I want but its not urgent.
=====
Im taking a Red Cross first aid and CPR class next weekend with the girlfriend. Eight hours of french kissing a CPR doll. A tedious experience, to be sure…but a necessary one. Being the Zero is about more than just gear and stored food…theres skills and abilities to acquire. What else? Oh geez, its a long list…

vehicle maintenance/repair
bicycle maintenance/repair
welding
wiring
carpentry
metalwork
gardening
radio communications
electronics
cryptography
woodworking
plumbing
small unit tactics and leadership
rappelling
map reading
advanced first aid
etc etc etc (please dont comment with “You forgot…”, trust me, its a long list)
=====
Winter has hit one of its usual 'chinook' points….its the dead of winter and for a week or two its fifty degrees. Happens every year. Then we get used to it and nature pulls the rug out from under us with three weeks of subzero temperatures. However , I may take advantage of the weather to go shooting this weekend at some point. I still havent played with the CZ rifle as much as I would like.
=====
Was at CostCo yesterday and to my delight I discovered that the big packages of skinless,bonless chicken breast they sell now come as packages of several poly-bagged, heat sealed meat. This means I no longer have to individually vaccuum seal and repackage a dozen pieces of chickn. Nope, I can simply pull the individual packages out and freeze them. Very cool…makes my life a little easier. Not necessarily cheaper, but at least a little easier.