Amazon Sales on Swiss Army Knives

FYI, Amazon is heavily discounting Swiss Army Knives. No emergency/survival kit is complete without one.  (Yes, that's an Amazon Associates link.)

The Safepacker Holster

In a previous post I recommended bringing a pistol along with you when taking a walk in the woods for defense against both criminals and animals, especially wild or unrestrained aggressive dogs.  When carrying a pistol it is important to have a good holster which will both protect the gun and allow for easy access.

The gun I've carried the most frequently is a Smith & Wesson Model 640, which is a small 5 shot revolver.  It's small enough to fit into a pocket.  I've frequently carried it in a pocket holster in a cargo pocket in my EOTac Field Jacket.  However, I've wanted to pack something with a bit more punch and that's easier to shoot under stress. I also wanted something with a higher capacity, after encountering a couple of unleashed dogs simultaneously.

Since I don't need to be concerned with large wild animals in Pennsylvania (I am not worried about black bear), this meant one of my 9mm autoloaders -- a Springfield XD9, Browning High Power, or SIG P225.  (I might be willing to go with a 6 shot revolver if it's a medium frame piece in .38 Special or .357 Magnum.)

Concealed carry was also desirable.  Although open carry is legal Pennsylvania (including in Philadelphia so long as you have a concealed carry permit) it tends to draw unwanted attention from law enforcement and urbanites unaccustomed to anyone other than a cop carrying a pistol.

Based on these requirements and reading several reviews posted on some online forums, I decided to give the Safepacker from The Wilderness a try.  I ordered on in the "Commander" size which would fit any of the pistols mentioned above.

The Safepacker is made from nylon fabric over a closed cell neoprene foam core.  The main body of the holster has two compartments, one for the gun and the other for a reload.  The main compartment is covered by a flap which is secured by a fastex buckle.  The front edge of the main compartment is closed with Velcro, allowing an easy draw.  The flap also has hidden pocket secured with Velcro.  On the back there's a wide belt loop that wraps around and secures with Velcro on both the back and the front.  The top has a hand carry loop and two D-rings for adding a shoulder strap (not included).  The Wilderness ships Safepackers with a small carbiner snapped to one of the D-rings, to hold your keys, etc.

My Safepacker is black and could be easily mistaken for a case for binoculars or other gear, as it doesn't really look like a holster.  Fabric and stitching are of high quality and don't look like they would show appreciable wear for quite some time.

After receiving the Safepacker I tried it out with a few of my pistols.  As expected, the XD9 and Browning High Power fit perfectly.  Out of curiousity I also put my Springfield M1911A1 in it.  The Springer is a full size 1911 with a 5" barrel and despite my Safepacker being labeled as the "Commander" size, my full size 1911 fit fine.

I also tried it with my 1952 Polish Tokarev which fits well, as does my 2" S&W Model 15 revolver.  It would probably take up to a 3" K-Frame as long as it had a round butt.  A 2" J-Frame fits with plenty of room to spare. I'd like to find a 2.5" Ruger Speed Six to try but they are pretty uncommon.  Anything larger will require the "Government Model" size Safepacker, or larger.

As with any holster, how comfortable it is when carrying depends in large measure upon your belt.  You can have the best holster ever made, but if you hang it off some wimpy belt it will flop around, droop, and generally be uncomfotable.  For the past several years my everyday belt even when I'm not packing has been a Mitch Rosen gunbelt purchased from Dillon Precision.  It's stiff and supports the weight of a holstered handgun well.  The Wilderness sells their "Instructor" belts which are also suitable for use as a gunbelt, but would look out of place in my normal business casual dress.

After using the Safepack for the first time I am quite pleased with it.  The wide belt loop stabilizes the entire unit on my belt and it's comfortable to wear.  The loop will allow you to attach the holster to a backpack's waistbelt, something most holsters cannot accomodate.  Accessing the pistol is similar to other full flap holsters, though I find the Fastex buckle especially easy to undo while still being secure.  It's definitely easier than releasing the flap on a GI M12 holster, for example.  Further, the design of the Safepacker lends itself to use as a pistol case for transport to and from the range or for storage.

If you're in need of a well made flap holster which offers excellent protection for your gun, while at the same time not looking like a holster, you should give the Safepacker from The Wilderness a very close look.

Do You Have a Backup Water Supply?

Most Americans take a reliable supply of safe drinking water for granted.  For most of us, it's a given.  However, this weekend the greater Boston metropolitan area was placed under an advisory to boil water due to a rupture in a gigantic underground water pipe.  Over two million folks were affected.

In other locales safe water supplies have been interrupted, for example, many areas of the Gulf Coast lost most major utilitites, including water, after Hurricane Katrina.  Aside from natural disasters, there's also the specter of terrorists contaminating the water supply or attacking treatment plants.

 There are a few things you can do to prepare yourself for a water supply interruption:

• First, store some water in your home.  Empty 2L and 3L soda bottles work well for this.  Clean them out thoroughly with hot soap and water, add a drop or two of plain, unscented sodium hypochlorite bleach, and store in a cool dark place.  Bottled water from the store is of course fine, but more expensive than doing it yourself.  FEMA recommends storing a minimum of one gallon of water per person per day, for at least three days' worth.  This is really cutting it close, especially for hot environments when you may be expected to be exerting yourself, e.g., cleaning up hurricane damage.
• If you have advanced notice of a possible water supply interruption, fill your bathtubs and any buckets you have.  Even if this water isn't drinkable you can use it for flushing toilets.
• Second is having a water filter.  The small hand pump units sold for use by hikers work but require a lot of manual effort.  Better are gravity based units.  I recently bought a Katadyn TRK Drip Gravidyn Water Filter from Amazon.com.  The Katadyn unit basically consists of two stacking plastic buckets and three filter elements.  You pour contaminated water into the upper bucket then wait for it to drain through the filters into the bottom bucket.  You can then get your filtered water via a spigot in the bottom bucket.  The Big Berkey Water Filter System with 2 Black Berkey Filter Elements
  is a similar system but is made from stainless steel instead of plastic.
• It's also a good idea to keep a gallon or so of chlorine bleach around for disinfecting water.  The EPA recommends using 8 drops per gallon, while the American Red Cross recommends twice that.
• When disinfecting water, whether by using bleach or a filter like the Katadyn or Berkey, it's a good idea to strain it through something like a coffee filter or cloth first, if it's at all cloudy.  Doing so will extend the life of your filter and help remove unpleasant crunchy bits.
• In my opinion, boiling water is the last resort for making it safe to drink.  Boiling takes time and uses fuel, both of which may be in short supply after a disaster.

Safe drinking water is critical for sustaining life.  Think ahead and get prepared so that if your supply is interrupted you have something to fall back upon.

Some Random Observations After a Walk in the Woods

Over the past few weekends I've been able to get out in the woods a few times.  Some random observations:

1. BDU pants are better than jeans for woods loafing.  The looser fit makes navigating steep trails easier.  The BDU's tighter weave may also be somewhat less water absorbent than denim.

2. A hat with an all-around brim is better than a ball cap.  On my walk yesterday I wore an OD boonie hat which I picked up last week at I. Goldberg's in Philly.  The 360* brim provides better protection against sun and rain, especially for your ears and neck.  Also, compared with a hood, a hat allows you to better hear your surroundings.

3. In dense woods you'll frequently hear people well before you see them, if you're not making too much noise yourself.

4. If your pack has a sternum strap use it.  Without the sternum strap, the shoulder straps of my Maxpedition Baby Condor sometimes slip off my shoulders.  The sternum strap keeps them in place and also seems to put a little weight onto my chest, further distributing it.

5. Waterproof footwear is good.  If it's rained recently you're going to run into muddy spots on the trail.  I'm quite pleased with my Merrell Moab Gore-Tex cross trainers.

6. A walking stick makes traversing steep terrain a lot easier.  I've been using my Irish Blackthorn walking stick from Fashionable Canes.  Aside from steadying yourself, a walking stick can be used as a pole for a fly, and in extremis makes a decent weapon.

7. Related to no.6, carry a pistol if you can, especially if you will be in an area in which you'll be encountering people.  Unfortunately, there are bad people in the woods, but just as frequently you'll encounter dogs.  Now, I like dogs but they are potentially aggressive, dangerous animals.  And a lot of people seem to think it's perfectly OK to let their dogs roam free, and if you run into one that's less than friendly, you're going to want something to defend yourself with.  Against a pack of dogs a walking stick isn't going to cut it.

8. Whenever you venture into the forest there's the possibility that you'll need to stay overnight.  You could get lost, bad weather could blow in unexpectedly, or you could get injured.  Bring some supplies with you to make it more comfortable.  At a minimum, bring the following:

* Water in a canteen or bottle, a metal cup in which to heat water.
* At least two ways of starting a fire (e.g., matches and a lighter).
* Tinder.  In an emergency you don't want to be searching high and low for dry tinder.  Take a ziploc bag full of dryer lint and/or commercial tinder like Esbit hexamine tabs.  A couple sticks of fatwood will help you get a fire going quickly.
* A flashlight and/or headlamp.  The latter is very handy because you don't need a hand to use it.
* A poncho or lightweight tarp.  I like a poncho because it's more of a multipurpose item.
* At least 20 feet of strong string.  I like paracord (AKA 550 cord).
* A sharp knife.  It doesn't need to be big.
* Some high energy snacks.
* A pocket sized space blanket.  These will help break the wind and retain body heat.  The silver or gold color also makes you more visible to rescue parties.
* Some method of signalling for help. If you're in an area with cell service, nothing beats a cell phone.
* Don't forget to let someone know where you're going and when you expect to return.

A Couple New Traditional Knives

I just picked up a couple new traditional knives from SMKW.

(Click thumbnails for full sized pictures.)

First, a Condor Nessmuk knife:



For a knife that costs less than $30, it's not bad.  Fit and finish are OK, not great.  It's comfortable in the hand and slices pretty well, now that I sharpened it and polished the bevel.  (The edge needed work out of the box.)  I may smooth the matte finish of the rest of the blade then give it a nice patina with vinegar or mustard. The sheath is good, heavy leather and was stitched well.

Next, we have a Case Trapper with chrome vanadium blades and red jigged bone handles.  Workmanship is excellent and both blades came shaving sharp.



Finally, I put them together with a 'hawk I've had for awhile, for a "Nessmuk Trio."



Not much you couldn't do in the woods with these three tools.

Important Info About Credit Cards

One of the most important things about emergency preparedness is getting you financial house in order.  For the past several decades, credit cards have been a critical part of most Americans' finances.  How they will be issued and the fees associated with them will be changing.

This article from Yahoo Finance gives you a summary of how things will be changing.  If you don't use credit cards, great.  If you're like most Americans and you do use them, read the article to get an overview of what to expect.

PSL-54C Range Report

A couple of weeks ago I picked up a PSL-54C rifle.  Anyone in need of a semiautomatic centerfire rifle firing a full power round, which is easily scoped, should give the PSL a look.  If the PSL meets your needs the combination of relatively low cost and cheap ammo makes it a worthwhile option.

I got the PSL to the range for the first time yesterday, and posted a report over at Blog O'Stuff.

Smartphones and Facebook in the Aftermath of the Haitian Earthquake

I ran across this story from Haiti today, about how a smartphone and Facebook were used in the aftermath of the recent earthquake.

You cannot count on cell phone or Inter service being available in the aftermath of a disaster, but you should be prepared to take advantage of them if they are available.

Commuter SNAFU

Tonight's commute home turned into a real SNAFU and an example of why you should be prepared to deal with unexepected situations, especially during Winter.

Background: I work in Center City Philadelphia, PA, and commute to and from there on the SEPTA R6 line.  In the past week, we had two Nor'easters blow through, dumping around 40 inches of snow in the  Philadelphia region.  (We're at 71.6" of snow for the season, making it Philly's snowiest on record.)

My ride into town today was delayed about 45 minutes.  My train home was a few minutes late leaving Suburban Station, then when we got a bit past Temple, sat on the tracks for about 40 minutes.  Apparently, a switch was frozen in place, preventing my train from getting on the correct track for the remainder of the trip.  Eventually, we got diverted to Wayne Junction, a station not on the R6 line. Incidentally, it's not in what I'd call a good neighborhood.  More like, "Da hood."

I got off the train at Wayne Junction and called my wife and asked her to come get me.  Thankfully, she exactly where to meet me, since she drives by the station on her way to work.  I had to wait at least 45 minutes for her to arrive, however, due to heavy Friday night traffic and poor road conditions left over from the storms.

OK, so why is this a preparedness post?  A few reasons:

1. The temperature was in the 20s.  I was appropriately dressed in a fleece vest, Wall's Blizzard Pruf jacket, wool gloves, ball cap, and Merrell Outlander boots with wool socks.  I started to get cold about 10 minutes before my wife showed up but I could have held out a while longer.  Many of the other people on the train weren't as well dressed for the conditions, most notably in the lack of a hat and/or hood on their jacket.  Also, while tight pants and high heeled boots look great on fit young women, they don't insulate all that well, nor are such boots good for walking in snow.

2.  I was stuck down in the 'hood and needed someone to come get me.  Commo was in the form of my cell phone, a Motorola Droid.  This helped me in identifying exactly where I was with the built-in GPS and Google Maps.  My battery was getting on the low side so I was able to swap it out for a fully charged spare.  (This is one reason why I won't get an iPhone -- no user-swappable battery.)  If the Droid had failed I also have a Blackberry on me, which I have because I'm a floor captain at work.  I'd say for most folks a second cell phone is overkill as long as you have a spare charged battery, or some kind of booster that you can plug into your cell phone.

3. On the way home, we got diverted onto a side street.  Now I understand why Philly schools have been closed since Wednesday.  The roads in Philly are atrocious.  The side street was covered in a good 6" of hard packed snow with ruts.  My wife's Mazda 5 got caught in a rut so I got out an pushed, to make sure she didn't drift into a parked car.  I was really glad I was wearing my Merrells.

Two things I will change: I'll add a knit watch cap and a snack bar or two to my bag.  I already have a 24 oz. Nalgene bottle of water, a flashlight with spare batteries, first aid kit, and even a space blanket.  Had it been raining or snowing I had an umbrella to keep the precipitation off.

Just because you're within the realm of "civilization" doesn't mean you won't have to deal with some uncomfortable situations.  Be prepared. 

Snowpocalyspe Gear Review

As you may know, the Mid-Atlantic region just got hit with the second Nor'Easter in less than a week.  This has given me the chance to wring out some gear.

Troy-Bilt 5524 snow blower: I bought this about five years ago directly from the manufacturer.  At the time it was their smallest two-stage unit, with a 24" wide by 18" high cut.  It's worked spendidly this week, though the 5.5 HP engine did get bogged down a bit at one point by the heavy wet snow we got this time.  As long as I took care not to try and force it through too much snow at a time.  I believe that the current model is a little more sophisticated than mine, e.g., it has a crank to adjust the chute.

Wall's Blizzard Pruf Jacket : This is a traditional cotton canvas work jacket with a hood that I picked up at WalMart last year.  Carhartt and Dickies sell similar jackets.  It's fleece lined and warm into the upper 20s with no extra layers underneath.  Because it's cotton, I sprayed it down with a NixWax water repellency treatment, which helps a little.  I wore it for several hours out in blowing snow yesterday and I stayed warm and dry, but even after brushing off most of the snow, it got wet once I came inside and the snow melted.  It takes a long time to dry, too.  Good for work around the house but I wouldn't want it in the field if I expected foul weather, unless I had a shell or poncho to put over it.

Mountain Hardwear Alchemy Softshell Jacket: I bought this at REI last Fall and have worn it a lot while commuting.  It's very water resistant -- unless you're in a sustained downpour it'll keep you dry.  It's also windproof.  I wore this over a wicking t-shirt, flannel shirt, and my REI Polartec 200 fleece vest when I went out last night to clean off the cars again and wound up staying outside for about a half hour to do one more run with the snowblower.  Even though it was in the 20s with a strong wind I stayed warm and dry.  I wore it again today when cleaning up after the snowplow came through and it was plenty warm.

If I was sedentary in this weather the Alchemy wouldn't be warm enough, but for strenous activity it's fine.  The main thing I'd change on this jacket would be to make the cut a bit less slim in the sleeves, to facilitate layering over a fleece jacket.  Also, pit zips would be nice, and the next softshell jacket I buy will probably have a hood.

Orc Industries PCU Level 5 Softshell Pants:  These are USGI technical softshell pants. I ordered these factory direct on February 2nd, after Punxatawney Phil saw his shadow.  They arrived yesterday.  I wanted something that I could wear over jeans, BDU pants, sweats, or even just long johns that would be water resistant, wind proof, and more breathable than my German surplus rain pants.  I am quite pleased with them.  Note that these are not waterproof, but the only moisture that made its way inside was when I sat on a chair with some snowmelt, and even then my behind didn't get too wet.  They are very windproof, as well.  IMO, these make a good, less expensive alternative to civilian technical pants.  Unlike some civvie softshell pants, these have no fleece lining, so they're just a shell.

One feature of these pants that I took advantage of are loops inside down near the hem on each leg.  I used these today to tie on some paracord stirrups to hold the pants down over the tops of my boots to seal out the snow.  I didn't do that yesterday and they rode up exposing my ankles.

Military Morons has a good review of the Orc pants here, which find I very on-target.

REI merino wool hiking socks: I wear these or similar socks from Wigwam every day, unless I'm wearing sandals.  Comfy and warm, even when wet.

Merrell Outland Mid-Height Boots: These are waterproof and although not insulated, in combination with my REI merino wool socks are warm enough down into the teens when I'm active. They come up a bit over my ankles so for this storm I could've used higher boots.  (Once I made paracord stirrups to prevent my softshell pants from riding up this was a non-issue.)  The Merrells have good Vibram soles which provide good traction on slippery surfaces.  The one downside to these boots is that they are not very breathable, resulting in sweaty feet if it's warm.

New Address and Site for The Shooters' Bar

The Shooters' Bar -- the Internet's oldest freely-available list of pro-RKBA attorneys has a new site and a complete site redesign.  Updating TSB had become a bit of a pain as the list grew.  The new site has one page per state and allows me to more easily update it using RapidWeaver, from where I can then upload the changes to the Web.

The new address is http://www.theshootersbar.org/.

If you maintain a page which links to the old version, please update your link.

Finally, along with the new site are some new attorney listings.

Marmot PreCip Jacket Review

Yesterday while up at REI checking out their Winter clearance sale I wound up coming home with a Marmot PreCip rain jacket (which unfortunately was not on sale).

For several years I've taken a layered approach to outerwear since it allows you to combine different garments to meet changing climate conditions on the fly. I have a couple of hardshells and a softshell. One could say I've become a bit of a jacket whore. What caught my eye about the Marmot Precip was the very light weight, which I find attractive since I spend a couple hours each day commuting on a train to and from work in Center City Philadelphia. A heavy jacket is nice if I'm waiting for the train but can get uncomfortable once I'm actually on it.

Anyway, Marmot bills the Precip as "value-oriented rainwear for backcountry and urban travelers." It weighs only 13 oz. and is made using Marmot's PreCip DryTouch breathable laminate. Note that the laminated is bonded to the outer ripstop nylon shell and there's no lining. Some reviews have noted delamination after a few years but Marmot has replaced those jackets under warranty. Other features of the jacket include a generously sized, adjustable hood which fits comfortably over a hat, pit zips for ventilation, two zippered pockets, a shock corded hem, double storm flap over the zipper, and taped seams. The hood can be rolled up and secured with a Velcro tab. The PreCip jacket is available in a variety of colors, ranging from subdued to putrid. Mine is "Dark Cedar," which is very close to USAF sage green. It's a nice low key color that looks good in the city or the woods.

Marmot notes on their site that the PreCip is sized for layering over a fleece or softshell. I found the sizing to be good, fitting comfortably over my Polartec 300 SPEAR fleece or my REI Polartec 200 hoodie. Compared with my other hard shells the sleeves seem better sized for layering, allowing more freedom of movement.

Yesterday was nice with a temp around 50 degrees F. and a good breeze. I took a one mile walk with my family around the neighborhood in the new jacket. I had it layered over a couple t-shirts and the REI fleece hoodie. The combination was comfortable but after about 10 minutes I opened the pit zips. Today the weather was more typical of January: upper 30s with a steady rain and some wind. I took another one mile walk, this time wearing the PreCip over a t-shirt, cotton flannel shirt, and an REI fleece vest made from Polartec 200. This combination was comfortable for the half hour I was out. The PreCip blocked the wind well and kept my upper half totally dry, even when I stood under a fairly heavy stream of water dripping from a tree in my yard. Again, the pit zips were welcome. The hood fit well over my ball cap and kept my head and face dry. It doesn't "batten down the hatches" as much as the hood on my Mountain Hardwear Exposure II parka, but this shell is more of a rain jacket than the mountaineering-oriented Exposure II.

A couple changes which would improve the PreCip jacket in my opinion would be a mesh lining for better ventilation and protecting the waterproof laminate, a Napolean pocket and perhaps making the body a couple inches longer. If Marmot does lengthen the design they should add a two-way zipper, as well.

The lightweight PreCip packs up into a small space and would be a good choice for a traveler needing a shell that can be stowed in a carry on bag. It protects well against rain and wind. The light weight does come at a price. I can't see the PreCip as being as durable as heavier hard shells. For brush busting in the woods or activities like three-gun, in which you might find yourself rolling around on the ground, something heavier will stand up to abuse better. However, for trail hiking, travel, and commuting, the PreCip looks like it should be a good choice.

ECWCS Fleece SPEAR Jacket

For a little while I've been looking for a new fleece jacket, since my trusty old Columbia Titanium jacket is starting to show its age.  However, spending North of a hundred clams for something made from recycled soda bottles wasn't sitting well with me.  For example, I am very unimpressed with the very popular Denali from The North Face, and the only heavyweight fleece from Mountain Hardware that my local REI carries is the Monkey Man.  No thanks, I don't want to look like Sasquatch.

So, in looking around online at the beginning of January I ran across the "Polartech Fleece Jacket, ECWCS Liner" at Omaha's.   This is a black fleece jacket made of Polartech 300 issued to GIs as part of the ECWCS layering system.  I've seen the same jacket advertised as a "SPEAR (Special Personal Equipment Advanced Requirements) jacket."  For $39.95 and made in the USA, I figured it was worth a shot.

The shipment from Omaha's arrived six days after I ordered for the jacket, along with a few other items.  Upon inspection, the ECWCS Liner is a pretty standard fleece jacket.  The labels inside show that it was made for Goodwill Industries and there is a NSN (NATO Stock Number).

It has two handwarmer pockets and two large mesh pockets inside.  The zipper is two-way.  The ends of the sleeves are adjustable with Velcro tabs.  There is a windproof nylon yoke, along with nylon patches along the outsides of the forearms.  The yoke does not cover the back of the two-ply collar, which is a bit disappointing.  Also, the collar cannot be fully zipped all the ay up over my 17" neck.   Sizing in the rest of the torso is a little generous.  I ordered a Large and while the sleeve length is perfect the body is a bit long, which is OK because it won't ride up if I bend over.  (I am 5'6" tall, with a 44" chest, 34" sleeves, and a beer gut.) I suspect a Medium would've fit but this fits comfortably over a sweater.  The armpits have pit zips for ventilation. The bottom hem can be tightened with elastic shock cords on both sides.

Like most fleece jackets, the ECWCS Liner is not very wind resistant.  To test it I took a walk around my block the night it arrived.  The temperature was 29 degrees F., with a 5 MPH breeze.  I wore the jacket over typical city clothes: a cotton undershirt and a cotton/poly button down Oxford shirt.  What I found was that as expected, the breeze -- whether from my walking or the wind -- penetrated the fleece easily.  Until I warmed up from the walk I felt a chill where the breeze was blowing against me.  However, it wasn't too bad and I could tell that if worn under a shell, the ECWCS Liner would provide good insulation.   I tried it out under my EOTac Field Jacket and my Mountain Hardwear soft shell, and it seems to layer a bit better than my Columbia jacket.  The sleeve adjustment tabs slip inside the outer garment more easily.

Since getting the ECWCS jacket I've worn it into work a couple of times.  Once was under my soft shell and once by itself layered over another fleece, on a calm day.

I am happy with this purchase.  The jacket is warm, comfortable, pretty well made, and a good alternative to the high priced fleece jackets from name brands.

Security Vulnerability in Adobe PDF Reader

FYI, because much of the info you download from the Internet is in PDF format.

There is a zero day security exploit for the Adobe PDF Reader that is currently out in the wild and for which there is no patch.  It exploits a vulnerability in Reader’s Javascript implementation.

Details here.

If you must use Adobe Reader you should disable Javascript until this is fixed.

• On Windows, launch Adobe Reader and go to Edit > Preferences > JavaScript and uncheck Enable Acrobat JavaScript.
• On a Mac, launch Adobe Reader go to the Adobe Reader menu > Preferences > JavaScript and uncheck Enable Acrobat JavaScript.
  

Alternative free PDF viewers are Preview.app on Mac (included with OS X), and Foxit Reader on Windows.

Thoughts on the Dollar Carry Trade

Over at Blog O'Stuff.

Incoming Train Wreck and Gold Prices

Found on PrudentBear, via Clayton Cramer:

The rise in the gold price above $1,100 per ounce last week is a pretty good indicator that something has changed. For 18 months, the gold price had been in a trading range topping out around $1,000. It has now broken out decisively from that range. The opportunity for the world's central banks to change policy and affect the economic outcome has been lost. The world economy is now locked on to an undeviating track towards another train wreck.

At most times, the gold price is not an economically significant indicator. In 1980-2000, it declined irregularly from $850 to around $280, and movements in it seemed to have had little or no effect on the global economy. That's what you'd expect; even at $1,000 per ounce, the global production of gold is only around $100 billion annually, which would put the entire world's gold extraction industry only 17th on the Fortune 500. When Gordon Brown sold Britain's entire gold reserves in 1999, at a price below $300 per ounce, it seemed a defensible decision. I went to a meeting in 2001 hosted by a diverse group which believed that the U.S. Treasury was conspiring to suppress the gold price, and my main thought was: why would Treasury bother?

However, in relatively few periods, gold becomes of immense importance. When investors lose trust in conventional currencies, because monetary policy appears set to debauch them, gold is the immediately available safe haven. During such periods, gold's former importance as a store of value becomes uppermost in the public mind, and its price becomes a major economic indicator.

The entire article is worth reading.  In a related vein:

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Gold prices surged to record highs yet again Monday, topping $1,139 an ounce, as investors continue to favor the precious metal over currencies like the U.S. dollar.

Gold for December delivery jumped $22.50, or 2%, to settle at a record $1,139.20 a troy ounce Monday. That easily trounces the closing price for Friday, when gold settled at its previous record of $1,116.70 an ounce.

After the close, the price continued to move even higher in electronic trading.

Link.

I don't consider myself a "gold bug."  However, a couple things caused me to revise my thinking about gold and other precious metals:

1. Comments by Fernando "FerFAL" Aguirre, author of the Surviving in Argentina blog.  He does have real-life experience with this, after all.
   
2. Second-hand comments by someone high up the food chain at a major Wall Street investment firm, relayed to me through my accountant back in the Spring.

In my opinion PMs are worth serious consideration as a prep, not necessarily as an "investment" in the sense that they'll increase in value, but rather as a hedge against inflation and/or the drop of the dollar's value against other currencies, which will cause the cost of imported goods to rise.

Edit 11/18/09 at 12:38: I should clarify number 2, above.  The discussion was not about investment advice.  Rather it was about the state of the economy then and where we thought it was heading.

"Us and Them" in a Societal Collapse

Over on Survivalblog, JWR posted a letter from a retired US Army warrant officer with experience in several real-world SHTF situations.

Having worked for the Army for 27 years in a number of different failed countries I may have a unique perspective on survival that I would like to share with your readers. I believe most of the "survivalist community" is vastly underestimating the impact that other humans are going to have on their plans. Hunkering down and waiting for everyone to die off is a simplistic plan and I believe has almost no chance of working. You may be able to hide your retreat, but you can't hide the land it sits on. That land itself may become a scarce commodity if the US transitions to an agrarian economy.

Food is the key resource. Most communities are at risk because they simply don't have enough calories stored to get them through any kind of crisis. But, storage is no more than limited capital to allow people time to grow more food. Food production requires land....if your retreat is sitting on farmable land, it will be a scarce resource.

Carrying capacity of the US using non-petroleum farming techniques is far lower than most of your readers probably think. Also, most areas of the US, especially cities, don't have anywhere near enough farm-able land to go back to some kind of agrarian pattern. Without public infrastructure and modern transportation, we are going to experience a huge die-off caused mostly by starvation. In a total collapse scenario without immediate restoration of the economy, basically everyone who lives in a city is doomed unless they can take over some kind of farm land.

Go read the whole thing.

Eotac Operator Field Jacket Review

Last Saturday I attended the Second Annual Zombie Shoot at Langhorne Rod and Gun Club.  One of the shoot sponsors was Rogue Elite, owned by my friend JY.  He gave me an Eotac Model 502 Field Jacket in Lizard camo to T&E.  The jacket is also available in OD, coyote brown, and black.

I've had a couple different kinds of field jackets/combat smocks over the years -- a couple American M-65s and a replica of a British WW2 Second Pattern Denison Smock from What Price Glory.

The M-65 field jacket design draws its roots from the M-43 field jacket that GIs wore during WW2.  It's a cotton shell with an insulating liner that buttons in.  From WW2 through the 1980s it was issued in OD green, then in woodland camo. (Commercial copies have been made in other colors and camo patterns, like black, navy, and desert camo.) It's a pretty good Winter coat, but even with the Quarpel treatment, only water repellent, not waterproof.  The M-65 has four pockets and a hood which rolls up into the collar.

The Denison smock was originally intended as a garment which could fit over a paratrooper's clothing and web gear during a drop.  It provided camo, extra pockets, and was intended to prevent the web gear from getting caught in the parachute's lines.  It also became popular with the Commandos and some officers wore them as status symbols.

The Denison has four external pockets and two internal.  WW2 Denisons have only a half zip and are thus pullover garments.  They are a shell only.  A notable feature of the Denison smocks is the "tail," which hangs down from the back and can be snapped between the wearer's legs so to prevet it from riding up during a jump.  They do not have a hood and are made from cotton twill.

The Eotac field jacket was based on a 1950s European (I believe it was French) design.  Like the Denison, it's made from 9 oz. cotton twill and is therefore somewhat wind resistant.  The fabric is preshrunk has been given a DuPont Teflon treatment to add water and stain resistance.  This won't make it waterproof but should extend the life of the fabric.  I may spray it down with Scotchguard to add a little more water repellency.

Like the Denison, the Eotac has a half zip for the top half of the front, while the lower half can be secured via snaps.  Unlike the Denison it's not a pullover, which makes donning or doffing it much easier.

What I really like about the Eotac field jacket is the number and arrangement of pockets.  There are no less than seven pockets on just the front of the jacket:

• Two cargo pockets near the bottom.
• Two more on the chest,
• Zippered Napolean pockets behind the chest bellows pockets, and
• A pen pocket sewn to the front of the left chest cargo pocket.
  

There is also a small zippered pocket with a pen slot on the top of the left sleeve.  This might be a good place for a bandage or a space blanket.  All four cargo pockets have elastic loops sewn in, which can be used for securing flashlights, pistol magazines, knives with pocket clips, etc.  The cargo pockets can be secured shut with snaps; there are two rows of snaps per pocket which you can use according to how full each pocket is.

Aside from the exterior pockets, there are also four pockets on the inside, two near the bottom and two on the chest.  These can be securely shut with Velcro straps and also have the elastic loops.


All the snaps on the cargo pockets are covered with rubber, so they don't click when they bang against something.

The cargo pockets are perfectly sized to hold a S&W J-Frame revolver in a pocket holster.  My Springfield XD-9 with a 4" barrel will fit in the cargo pockets without flopping around.  A 5" M1911 is a little too big to fit in the pockets but it looks like a Commander would fit.  The elastic loops in the pockets can be used to secure revolver reloads in a Bianchi Speed Strip.  If you're packing an autoloader, the elastic loops are sized to properly fit a double column 9mm or .40 S&W magazine or single column .45 mag.

With all these pockets one could lose track of gear you're carrying.  That said, if you keep things organized, for some who is in a situation where full "rattle battle" gear is overkill, a properly setup Eotac Field Jacket could act as a form of load bearing equipment in lieu of a combat vest.  If a situation develops where you need to investigate something around the home or farm in a hurry, a properly setup Eotac FJ would allow you to get ready quickly with a sidearm, reloads, flashlight, battle dressing, etc.

Other features of the jacket include a Mandarin collar, epaulets, a drawstring around the bottom, and elastic cuffs with adjustable snaps.

Like the Denison smock, the Eotac FJ lacks both a hood and a means of adding an insulating liner.  Of course, one can still layer, and if you have the proper size FJ, wearing it on top of a fleece jacket or vest would be a good combination down to around 30 degrees, possibly a bit colder.

So why in this age of modern fabrics like softshells would you want an old fashioned cotton field jacket?  Ruggedness, for one.  Softshells are nice (AAMOF, I have an expensive Mountain Hardware softshell), water and wind resistant.  But if you think you'll be going prone, busting through brush, or other activities which similarly abuse your clothing, it's hard to beat the tough wearing appeal of cotton.  Additionaly, compared with syntehtics, cotton breathes much better.  For example, at the aforementioned LRGC Zombie shoot where I got the Eotac FJ it rained all day, with temps in the 60s F.  I wore a set of German surplus rain gear (parka and pants).  They kept the rain off but I sweated quite a bit, so by lunchtime I was soaked anyway.  I would not have been much wetter had I worn my Denison to the shoot.

Also, it's my understanding that as long as you don't wash a cotton garment with detergent that has brightners in it, it'll be less visible through night vision gear than nylon.  One could layer the Eotac FJ over a modern technical fleece or softshell for the best of both worlds.

Finally, compared with synthetic hardshells, a cotton jacket is quite a bit quieter when you brush against foliage.

There are a couple things which would improve the Eotac FJ, in my opinion:

1. As mentioned above, a full-length, two-way zipper.  I understand the rationale behind the current half-zip, but I prefer a full length two way zipper.  I may take mine to a tailor and have it replaced.

2. A roll-up hood similar to the one on the M-65 FJ would be nice.  At least some of the current British combat smocks, descendents of the WW2 Denison smock feature this.

With those two nit-picks aside, the Eotac Field Jacket is a really nice piece of kit with excellent attention to detail.  The quality of workmanship is top-notch.  The fabric is high quality and the sewing is excellent.

Zombie Shoot and Lessons Learned

Over on Blog O'Stuff I posted an after action report for Langhorne Rod & Gun Club's Second Annual Zombie Shoot.  I posted it there since we all know zombies aren't real (Oh really?).  After my description of the stages, though, I've included some observations about gear and shooting which are relevant to preps, so check it out.

Money in War-Ravaged Iraq

I found this article from Mises.org interesting, in light of the possibble collapse of the US dollar due to government mismanagement of the economy:

There has been much ado concerning the Federal Reserve's doubling of the monetary base this past year. Many believe a currency crisis or hyperinflation of the dollar is imminent. Some go as far as to say that this crisis will destroy America.

...

In the villages, houses and boats needed to be repaired or rebuilt, roads needed attention, and parents wanted to get their children back in school. In order to do all these wonderful things, a medium of exchange was needed. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending onhow you look at it, the villagers did not put much faith in the paper money printed by the government in Baghdad.
As this was an agrarian society the villagers turned to a time-tested medium of exchange: livestock. In the villages all households had some sheep, and the more affluent houses had very large herds. Goods were exchanged, debts repaid, and business contracts agreed upon all using sheep as money.

...

The river water, while great for crops and livestock, was not ideal for human consumption, and therefore clean drinking water became a very valuable commodity. The bottled water brought in from the larger cities was one of the most sought-after commodities in the village, and I soon noticed villagers pricing items in not only sheep, but bottles of drinking water as well.

Then there was the standard wartime medium of exchange: cigarettes. The villagers smoked cigarettes every evening with chai tea. They were bought in the cities and brought back by the truck load. As a result they were not as valuable as sheep or bottled water; however they served as small change for the villagers.

Full article.