New gear and shakedown hike!!

Spring is here!! And, with spring, comes more outdoor time! That being said, I have picked up a few items over the winter, and want to do a small review on them, as I did a nice little shakedown hike today to try some new gear out.
The items I will review are
My Kelty Redwing 3100 pack ( have owned this for about a year now, but haven't put any mileage on it yet)
Keen Gypsum mid hikers
OR insect resistant gaiters-short
Backcountry Navigator program for my SGII

First, lets start with the feet. These shoes I found on sale, and got them cheap. Keen has been making a name for themselves as quality hiking footwear in the past couple years. I figured I couldn't go wrong picking up a pair of these. I subscribe to the "light is right" theory of footwear. By that, I don't wear heavy, full leather boots. First,. they simply don't fit my hiking type-unless I am in a scree field, I don't see a need for heavy boots like this. Second, my experience with the heavier boots is that, although they are waterproof-this also causes my feet to sweat, heavily, thus negating the waterproof claims. Don't fool yourself-even with goretex, you will likely experience sweating. The majority of sweat glands exist in our feet, and, as such, the more boot, the more sweat. Instead, I prefer a lighter weight short cut shoe, that is breathable. If my feet get wet, they will dry out. Even if they are soaked, at the end of the day, they will mostly be dry by morning-and, with a dry pair of socks on, you likely wouldn't even notice any remaining dampness.
Next up is fit. I get hotspots on the top of my feet. Its hard to find shoes that don't do this for me. These haven't created that as of yet, and that makes me happy. The overall fit is nice-I prefer my shoes a little big, as my feet have a tendency to swell when walking a lot, due to numerous stress fractures they have suffered throughout my tenure in the Army. So, I like a little room in the toe area, and buy accordingly. With shoes in general, a size in one brand doesn't necessarily translate to the same size in another-and, these are no different. They are size 9s for me, where I would usually go with an 8.5 (yes, I have small feet). But, the 9s fit me best, so I went with those.
I did about 4 km in them today, both on trail, and off (mostly off). I am happy to report that, after that little trial, there were no hotspots, no issues, and, even with a soaking crossing a swamp, they remained comfortable. I didn't even notice my foot was wet, until I looked down, and saw it was discolored. Although, I think this is more due to the warmth of the standing water, than anything else.All in all, these Keens work for me. They fit my criteria as affordable, durable, good quality, and good fit.
Next up, the OR gaiters, the Bugout model. These I bought, again, on sale. According to the tag, these are repellent for ticks, mosquitoes, and chiggers, for up to 70 washings (I honestly don't know anyone who washes gaiters though). What can I say-throughout my bushwhacking, they kept the crud out of my low cut shoes. And kept my pants bottoms tucked in. I didn't have any ticks on me-I cannot definitely attribute this to the gaiters themselves, but I can attest to them doing what they are supposed to do-keep all that crap from getting in your shoes. I spent more time off trail than on, and they worked flawlessly. They are tan in color, and likely will not remain so for long. Personally, I don't care if they look dirty-they are outdoor gear, and are going to get that way. So be it. But, the dirt definitely shows on these. Be warned, if that's something you don't like.
Next up, my Kelty Redwing 3100. I haven't really put any mileage on this yet, so this will be an ongoing project. I got this particular model because, well, its very popular, and got great reviews. I wanted a pack I can use for up to a week, but isn't so giant as to be unwieldy. I tend to pack minimally, so I thought this would fit the bill. Here are my likes:
First, I had about 27 lbs in this. I put my hammock, tarp, and pegs in there, a small first aid kit, and the rest was water. I had a 100 oz camelback (there is an internal pocket for this), and a bunch of 1L bottles, filled with water. I prefer this method, as, if the weight it too much, I can empty the bottles. My pack weight I want to keep under 30 lbs, with water, and this pack is rated to about 35. Carrying the weight I had wasn't a problem.
Overall, this pack is a decent fit. It isn't spectacular, but neither is it horrible. I have had packs that fit like a glove, and some that, no matter what, hurt your back. This was neither. The overall fit was good, but, without a truly adjustable back, its sort of a one size fits all. Which, works for most people. I just found myself shrugging to readjust every now & again. It wasn't bad at all, just something to note.
There is an aluminum stay that provides rigidity. If I spend the time getting this adjusted to my back, this would improve my carrying it greatly. I like the single stay idea myself.
The shoulder straps are easily adjustable, for both length and the load lifters, and are comfortable. There is a sternum strap as well, that is actually long enough to fit my chest, without being completely extended. I DEFINITELY liked that feature!!
The hip belt, I am not so fond of. As this is a multi-use pack, the hip belt is kind of flimsy. It certainly did its job, and I didn't experience any rolling of the belt-even when off trail and scrambling. Long term, I want to keep an eye on this though.
As for space, this has plenty of space for my hammock, tarp, sleeping bag, underquilt, clothes, food, and camelback. I have packed it full previously, but didn't hike with it. Its a tight fit, but it works. I am a minimalist when it comes to clothing, preferring to carry only one spare clothing set, no matter the length of the hike. I got this pack with the idea that, with less room, I would pack less, and that works. It is a great size for a 3 day trip, but, if you are like me, you could do a week, or longer, with it, no problem.
Last up, Backcountry Navigator. I like to record my trips, and this seems to fit the bill. They offer a free 2 week demo, and the full version is $9.99, available in the Google Play store. Its simple to use, and setting waypoints is dead easy. It recorded my entire hike, to include time, distance, elevation gain and loss, and even has a way to pause it, if you take a break (which I did). There is an ability to download local maps to your SD card as well. As I JUST got this app today, I haven't had the opportunity to play with it fully yet, but, expect a full review on it when I do. I suggest that, if you are looking for a decent mapping program for your phone, try it out-you have 2 weeks, and it costs nothing (some things may be disabled though in the trial version).
Overall, it was a great day to be out. I decided to be a little adventurous, and dust off my old navigational skills. Fortunately, it worked out. I really want to get out and start playing around with a map & compass again-perhaps look into some orienteering courses. I have missed playing like that. The place local to me is ideal for orienteering-terrain variety, good hills, easy to recognize on a map. Someday.....

New gear coming this week!

I haven't posted a whole lot, and I promised to do more this year. I hope to get more outdoors time this year, be it shooting, hiking, kayaking, or whatever. Being a homeowner, a lot of my time is getting taken up with that. Which I am ok with!
If you aren't familiar with me, I am a firearms owner. My pistol of choice is Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm. This is my carry gun, range gun-my only pistol. If you aren't familiar with the platform, one of the shortcomings-the only one-is that the magazine release is hard to manipulate with smaller hands-which I have. Chris Costa, of Magpul fame, started his own company. He had made an after market extended magazine release, specifically designed to address this. I ordered one, and will be trying it out next weekend, so stay tuned!
Update as of 4/14/12: I have been told these are backordered, and not to expect one until May. So, review will be at a later date

Tying it all together

Ok, I am linking my online blog to my Google+ account. This will hopefully get me to start posting more, and spending less time managing things. I REALLY want to dump FB altogether, but, as I have been a part of it almost since the beginning, its kind of hard to wean myself off. But, this should help get things rolling. We will see!

A new year!

So, happy new year! I have a few things I want to accomplish this year. Get in shape, become a better piper, get some home improvement done, things like that. I have some goals to achieve as well, to help accomplish these this year. First, I am going to enter a zombie 5k obstacle race in may. That's my first fitness goal. Second, I am going to attend a 2 day shooting school this summer, which is both fitness and shooting goals. Last, I plan to attend a piping workshop, to improve my skills. My reward? A 7 day cruise with my girlfriend next year. So, here's to accomplishing goals!

Tactical Medic class

I had the opportunity to attend a Tactical Medical class over the weekend of 21-22 November, 2010, put on by Code One Training Solutions (www.code1web.com). The primary instructor, Ian McDevitt, invited me personally to attend the class. The course ran through the weekend, and was approximately 6 hours each day. The course is designed for people that have some sort of valid medical training-be it a first responder, EMT, paramedic, or some other qualifications. The course is an introduction to performing these duties while in a role of a medic assigned to part of a SWAT or SRT team. It assumes you have the necessary basic qualifications for performing in that role. Not that the information is above a laypersons head-I am not currently certified in any of this, but have been a certified first responder, combat lifesaver, have taken wilderness first air courses, and currently possess Red Cross cert for first aid/CPR/AED, for adults & children. I attended this course for the knowledge, and the opportunity to train with others. And, I was certainly NOT disappointed! Now, on to the class!
The class consisted of a number of police officers, several EMT-Bs, a paramedic, and an ER nurse. I was THE most unqualified person there. That isnt to say I didnt know what to do-as I stated, I am familiar with the material, just not as up to date as everyone else. The first day was spent going over the concept of tactical medicine, the applications of it in today’s world, and the differences between the role of a tactical medic on the civilian side vs. a military role as a medic. The focus during both days was on the 3 phases of tactical medicine, and where to apply each phase. The 3 phases we dealt with were Care Under Fire, Tactical Field Care, and CASEVAC. The focus of the weekends training was primarily with the first phase, and touching on the second phase. Its important to note that, like anything else when in these types of environments, the phases are VERY fluid-often going back & forth between the first 2 phases, as the situation develops. This is where we focused our attention.
We covered topics such as pressure dressings, hemostatic agents, tourniquets, and when all of these are applied. Through handouts, videos, real world scenarios, class discussion, and practical application, we all had a thorough understanding of the use of all of the above-what works, what doesnt, and why. Ian has extensive experience in this subject, in hostile areas, and had plenty of stories to relate to us. He also had several videos to show us, as well as numerous pictures, of proper & improper wound treatment. By the end of the first day, I felt fairly confident that I knew what I was doing, what the phases were, and, through several iterations of practical application, how to handle the equipment.
Day 2 was the practical application day. We started off with a mental exercise. We were asked to plan the casualty phase of an operation. This is similar to paragraph IV of an op order, for those in the military. It consisted of locations of different medical facilities, what was available, route planning, etc. This was a higher level exercise, but it drilled into us that, although care STARTS with you, there is a large support chain there to assist with care. Once we were done that, Ian went over some of the packs he has used. Some worked, some didnt. And, he was honest in his assessment in all of it. If gear didnt work, he called it out. If he recommended a particular brand, or piece of equipment, he provided the dealer, and the website, so that anyone who wanted to check it out, could. Once the gear fondling was done, we broke up into 2 groups, with LE working together, and the civilian side working together.
I worked with several EMTs, who had a LOT of practical experience with the medical side, but limited tactical experience. The scenarios called for both. I FINALLY felt I could bring something to the table! We ran through scenarios where we had an officer down, and we had to get to him/her. We varied between the area being secure, to us being under fire. As was explained to us the first day, the transition between the first 2 phases is fluid-and, with these scenarios, we went back & forth between them several times, with each scenario. We even ran one where we never left phase 1. After running through 7 scenarios of varying degrees of difficulty, we then broke for lunch.
After lunch, we secured an abandoned building, and the whole group worked together. In the real world, this is how it would actually work. The LE have their jobs to do, and the tactical medic is there primarily to deal with casualties after the LE have done their jobs. So, we broke it down so that everyone got a turn doing their jobs. LE did their various response scenarios (workplace violence, officer down, etc), the tactical medics followed up with them when they were called forward, operating in both the 1st & 2nd phases, and the casualties were taken to the ambulance, and treated by the EMTs & paramedic in the CASEVAC phase. All phases were covered, and everyone got a chance to rotate into the tactical medic role. I felt that the whole class benefited from this integrated training. It allowed the LE to see the benefits of having a dedicated medic to their team, and the civilian side got to see how the LE operates for different callouts. I learned a lot talking with individual officers, as to what their SOPs are-and, they vary greatly from anything I have done with the military-and, even from what I thought they would be. I wont go into detail, but their level of response, and how the respond to certain situations, was a real eye opener to me,
In conclusion, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this class. Some of the knowledge was new to me, some I had some experience with, and havent used in a while, but, in the end, it was all beneficial. The instructors are VERY knowledgeable, and have many years experience between them. They have been there, and done that. By sharing their stories, providing handouts, to include a book on tactical medicine written by Ian, videos, slide shows, demonstrations, and practical applications, I have a newfound reverence for those men & women who risk their lives, every day, so that others may live. The experience I walked away with will remain with me for a long, long time. Even as a civilian, a lot of this can be applied. Self aid is something we ALL should know-and knowing what works, and what doesnt, can be the difference between you living or dying.
I want to thank the following for a great weekend: first, to the Old Saybrook PD. Thanks for attending, working with us, and demonstrating your tactics to us. Stay safe, in the line of fire. Second, to the EMTs & paramedics that attended; your lifesaving skills dont go unrecognized by us civilians. Your dedication to your profession, and your interactions with people on a daily basis who arent at the best point in their lives, doesnt go unnoticed by us civilians. Your skills may sometimes be taken for granted-but they are ALWAYS welcome when needed. Stay safe.
Last, I would like to thank the instructors, who, without them, this course wouldnt exist.
Ian McDevitt-primary instructor. Paramedic, CCEMTP, Tactical Medic, FARMEDIC, graduate of CONTOMS & H&K tactical medicine, as well as a few other creds. On top of all this, he has also served with the Army as an Infantry officer. Ian has worked in places such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Central America. Ian, I want to personally thank you for inviting me to this course.
Tony Maggio-EMT, paramedic, and EMSI. Tony, thanks for your guidance and help, with someone who doesnt know all the cool lingo you guys use.
Rory Leslie-paramedic, and is an OIF vet, who served with the 101st. Thanks for your crafty scenarios-it helped drill in the fluidity of going back & forth between phases.

If you are interested in attending one of these, you can go to www.code1web.com for further information, or contact TacMedic here on the forums via PM. Again, this is a very informational class, and is geared towards SRT/SWAT scenarios, where a team medic would be attached. It helps to have a basic understanding of BLS, as your role would require you to perform at LEAST at a level of First Responder.

BCB Crusader Integral stove updae

This is a follow up to the review I did in August, with pics.

I wanted to write this review for a while now, and just finally got around to it. I have been using the NATO canteen for about 2 years now, and recently purchased the Crusader burner and digicam zulu pouch from Bestglide. As a result, I wanted to review the whole kit. I am in no way associated with, or compensated by, either Bestglide, BCB International, or any of their affiliates. All items were purchased full price, and I was neither endorsed, nor compensated, for this.
I purchased all the following items separately, but, on the Bestglide site, you can purchase them as a complete set as well. Here is my setup I purchased:
NATO water bottle with plastic mug
Crusader metal canteen cup
Crusader cooker
Zulu pouch.
Green Heat
Additional stuff I have in the pouch:
12 Pur microtabs
2 pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil
small lighter in plastic bag
LMF Scout firesteel
titanium spork.

Review.
I did a test run a few weeks ago, in my kitchen, to try the stove system out. I used 8 oz water, straight from the tap, and started the test. I left the cup uncovered-honestly, I didnt even think of covering it. In this controlled environment, I achieved the following times:
Water achieved small bubbles at 6:38
Flame went out at 10:27.
Its important to note I did NOT cover the cup, so I lost a lot of heat that way. I was a little concerned with this initially.

Today I did the outdoor test.The weather was about 70*, slightly overcast, minimal to no wind. A nice day to be outside, overall. Not a great time to test gear, as it isnt testing limits, but it was great to get a baseline, where I can post reviews in inclement weather at a later date. As before, I used 8 oz tap water. However, this time I used a piece of tin foil to cover the lid of the cup (the complete kit apparently comes with a plastic lid; I dont have one, as I have heard bad reviews of it melting on the first use, so I didnt purchase one). Here are the results:
Rolling boil achieved at 5:24
Flame went out at 14:14
Two things of note here-of course, covering the cup increases boil time. In this case, it actually caused the water to boil. The other thing was the longer time until flame went out-I burned the package (it didnt burn completely, but it came close), and this gave a few more minutes of flame time. It also reduces waste. There was a very slight breeze as well, and this may have helped both the boil time & the flame out time too, as I did notice the flame increase slightly with the breeze.

Things to note with this set. First, the canteen itself. There is a little retaining plastic thing that keeps the lid from getting lost. I broke it, within the first week of use. I am a dumb grunt, and it was FAR too fragile for me. The button on top of the cap broke, so I removed it completely. Its no great loss-its been over 2 years, and I havent lost the lid yet.
Second, if you get the Crusader cup, do NOT get the PFTE coated one. The inside of the cup is peeling, as you will see in the accompanying pics. The outer coating is fine-I think that the boiling water does something to the coating. Get the SS one, and get some stove paint, and coat the outside. Me, I am gonna boil & scrape till the internal coating is gone. Not really a fun project.
Third, I am in love with the zulu pouch. This holds the complete kit, plus accessories. There is a pocket in the inside of the lid, that can hold purification tabs. There is also an internal front pocket, that holds additional fuel packets, tin foil, and my fire gear. Hell, I could stuff the spork in there too, but I usually just shove it wherever. There is room in that little pouch for small items. I have a few boullion cubes in there, just in case. It comes with a shoulder strap, and is MOLLE compatible. Really, it doesnt get any better than that....
Fourth, Green Heat is a decent product. It heats quick, you can light it with a firesteel, it doesnt smell, and you can burn the packet. It doesnt leave any residue afterwards (it certainly doesnt have the fish stink Esbit tabs do). This leaves the stove relatively clean, and ready for the next round. It being a gel, you cannot add to the stove when its burning. Which isnt a big deal, I suppose. You could always add small pieces of fuel though, to keep it going, if needed.

All told, this is a great little set. In fact, its the set I take with me for dayhikes & geocaching, as opposed to a small pack. Between the set, a small FAK, an altoids kit, and my pocketknife, thats all I really need. If you are looking for an all in one kit, something that can take some abuse, and doesnt require any more fiddling than opening a packet & lighting, this is for you. Its rugged, relatively light, compact for what is in there, and stupid resistant (soldier-proof). This kit is a primary component of my BOB kit, and can be used on its own, as needed. The only major downside is the PFTE coating-but, again, my mistake is your gain!

Crusader Cooking Set, test I

Ok, so I tried the cooking set inside. Here is what I did; I used 16 oz water, measured from my Nalgene bottle. The water was room temp, roughly 78*. I poured the water into the metal canteen cup, lit the gel, started my timer, put the cup on the cooker, and waited. Here are the times I achieved:
From start to first bubbling: 6 minutes, 48 seconds. There was never a true boil achieved. The water did begin to boil, with occasional small bubbles, but never a rolling boil. The gel flamed out at 10 minutes, 27 seconds.
I think that the water was likely hot enough to either make noodles in, or to add to a freeze dried dinner-but certainly not enough to boil water for consumption. That being said, there is enough room in the cooker itself to stuff little pieces of wood, if needed, to keep the flame going. I may try that on the the second test.
Overall though, this is my baseline for testing. I will do an outdoors test this weekend.

BCB Crusader Cookset

I haven't written anything of substance in a while, so I figured I would jump right back into it, by doing a review of a nice, robust, outdoors product. Today I am going to discuss the BCB Crusader Cookset. This is, from what I understand, standard issue with the British forces. The set consists of the following items: a plastic cup, the water bottle (1L capacity, I believe), the cooker, and the holder. Lets start with the holder.

The model I currently have is an older style canteen holder. It DOES hold the entire set completely, albeit a little on the tighter side. The closing mechanism is a sort of plastic clasp. The back of it is a padded loop, with snaps, designed to snap over a web belt )or any belt, but, the thicker, the better). It looks to be ideally suited for a 2" wide belt. There are also aftermarket holders for these, one of which I have ordered. They are a little larger, and have MOLLE straps on the back, as well as a shoulder strap of sorts. I have seen them in DPM (british camo), black, OD, and digicam. I am quite sure there are other colors out there as well. If none suit you, there is always spraypaint :).

Next up, the canteen itself. This is a 1L canteen, and is marginally bigger than the standard USGI 1qt ones issued to American forces. The canteen itself is black, and is a little thicker than the US ones. In my opinion, it is a little more rugged. The black color actually aids in warming up water in the container when placed in the sun. This is good for winter use, as you can place ice into some water, set it out in the sun, and let the bottle go to work. The neck of the bottle is a little wider as well, exactly for this purpose. The cap is attached via a molded plastic lanyard. There is a loop that attaches it to the bottle, and a molded button attached to the cap. My experience, and others I have read, this breaks fairly quickly. Mine broke in the first 2 months of use.

Next up is the plastic cup. This cup, from what I understand, is usually ditched by troops. As a soldier, I can see that happening. However, as a civilian, I like the cup. It allows you to eat & drink at the same time. Putting a hot beverage in the cup, and making ramen, or something similar, in the canteen cup, works out for me. Besides, you dont burn your lips on the plastic. The cup holds 22 oz, full to the top, according to my highly accurate Nalgene measuring device (a water bottle).

The canteen cup is made out of stainless steel, and comes in 2 finishes; black (pfte coating) or stainless. Mine is black. It is similar to the USGI canteen cups-hip shaped, with two swing out handles. The cup itself holds a full 28 oz-almost as much as the USGI issue canteen! This thing is built rugged as well-being made out of SS, it should stand up to some abuse. The pfte coating on mine is starting to wear out a little, but, I am not too concerned.

The last part of the kit is the cooker itself. This is simply another piece of stainless steel, shaped similar to the canteen cup, but slightly larger, to allow the cup to rest on it. There is a hinged arm that opens up for storage in the holder, and closes to put the cup on. There is also a little burn cup in it, where you put fuel into (more on that in a moment).

This all fits together into the holder. You put the burner in first, with the concave part against your body, and the arm of the burner raised. Next, in goes the canteen cup, which nests right into the burner, when its open. Then, the canteen fits in next. Last, the plastic cup goes in, inverted, as a sort of lid. Close it up, and you are good to go!

A couple of notes. First, you will want to throw some extra stuff into the bottle holder. The older issue holder will make this a little harder than the newer ones. In mine, I have the following items stuffed into the holder: a titanium spork, a LightMyFire Scout firesteel, 8 Pur waterpurifcation tabs, and 3 greenheat gelpacks (fuel).

Now, about the gelpacks. These neat little items are gelled fuel. From their site, this is Ethanol derived from sugarcane and other renewable agricultural resources. Its, safe, clean, non toxic, non explosive, burns clean, and only emits water vapor and EXTREMELY low CO2 emissions. Translation; in an absolute emergency, this can be used indoors, without any ill effects (it IS still fire though, so, PLEASE, use common sense). Best of all-when its burned, there is NO mess to clean up!

Ok, so thats the kit. I plan on doing 2 tests with this. The first, indoors, in a controlled environment. I want to test boil & burn times. Boil times are between 6-8 minutes, from everything I have read, and burn times are approximately 15 minutes.

This past weekend

Well, my plan to do an overnighter didnt turn out that way. My old National Guard unit is being deployed to Afghanistan, and they had their sendoff yesterday. So, I spent the majority of the weekend with friends I still have in the unit. Additionally, I also attended their ceremony yesterday, and some BBQs a few of the guys had. So, the only REAL time I got outside this weekend, other than BBQ & Beer, was some shooting. So, I will talk about that :).
Up until this weekend, I had a S&W M&P 9c. This is Smith & Wesson's military & police model pistol. The 9c is a compact version, in 9mm. I have owned this pistol for roughly a year, and was very happy with it. It fit my hand well, shoot pretty good, and was easily concealable (you cannot open carry in MA). Although I was satisfied with this, I wanted a full size version for 2 gun classes & competitions. The advantage of a FS vs. a compact is that it is heavier, rendering it easier to control. The downside is it is bigger, making it harder to conceal. To me, thats an OK tradeoff-I wear large button down shirts to conceal anyway.
So, a little over a month ago, I put some feelers out, to see if anyone was willing to trade. I got some replies, most wanted a little $$ thrown their way-rightfully so. I priced a new one, if I were to trade mine in, and the difference was $280. A little high, but it was within my price range.
Then, I had someone on a forum I belong to state they would be interested in a trade, straight up. I contacted him, and we agreed to meet up, and if we are both satisfied, we could swap & fill out the paperwork.
I drove down there, both pistols were looked over, both parties agreed, and we exchanged pistols, filled out & filed th paperwork. No money was exchanged, it was an even trade. The new FS one I got had all of 50 rounds fired through it. A pistol break in period is 3-500-so, in essence, I got a NEW pistol. AND, to top it off, the trigger has been done. In MA, a legal trigger in a NEW pistol is 10 lbs. This SEVERELY reduces your accuracy, as a 10# trigger is HARD to pull. The job he did on it, reduced it to 5#-which is VERY light. Its exactly where I wanted it-a solid pull, but nothing that would throw the pistol off, resulting in NOT hitting what I wanted to. I was ecstatic!
So, off to the range I went yesterday. The weather was about 85, sunny, no wind. I put 150 rounds through it. First thing; I need to get used to the trigger. I found myself slapping it, as I am used to a harder pull. With time, I will get used to that. Second thing; the bigger pistol is easier to shoot, overall. The larger frame, and the subsequent weight increase, allows for quicker follow up shots. And, it simply feels better as an extension of my arms. One thing I noticed with this is that I cannot detect trigger reset. Essentially, trigger reset is when, after pressing the trigger to the rear, if you slowly release it forward, you will feel the sear engage again. This is trigger reset. All pistols do it differently, some you can feel, some you cannot. Trigger reset is important as that is the breaking point for pressing the trigger to the rear again. This is something I am going to fix.
So, thats my limited outdoor experience this weekend. This coming weekend, I am going canoeing on the Saco. This is a camping trip-we are tenting on a shore somewhere, and drinking. So, there will be minimal gear writeups. However, I will likely do an overnight in the White mountains, as I will be in the area. If I do, I will most certainly do a writeup at that time!

New stuff!!!!

Ok, I have been WAY out of the loop, and I apologize. My life has been crazy busy. If you are still reading this, thank you. My intent is to hopefully post on a weekly basis.
I need to update my interests here too. I plan on doing an overnight hike this weekend, and will update my blog afterwards. The main goal of this is to keep a log of what I do, mainly for me. If it helps you out, or you have questions, then great! Plan on hearing from me again soon!!!

Good afternoon, its been a while since I updated this blog. Without going into detail, suffice it to say that life just sometimes gets crazy, and you cannot always accomplish everything you want to do, so you make sacrifices where you can. This was one of them. But, I want to put something in here, and TRY to post monthly. I had asked a question on the ETS forums regarding the use of alcohol stoves in below freezing weather. Well, I decided to take it upon myself instead, and do a practical test. This is by NO means a definitive one-this is simply something that I wanted to try & test out to gather some general data. I am using the following equipment for my test:

a GSI 1L cookset-filled consistently with 16 oz of water (measured from my nalgene bottle)

A Snowpeak Gigapower piezo stove, with a small gas canister (full for this test)

A homemade cat stove

A Mini-Trangia brass stove

A Minibull Designs mini Atomic stove

A Pepsi Stove

The first of the two tests I am doing is the control test. What I did was simply boil 16 oz of water on each stove, and timed the stoves until it reached a rolling boil. Note; yours may vary. The fuel I used was standard denatured alcohol, that was about a year old. I also picked some up for this test, as I only had enough left to test indoors. Which means that the outdoor test will be done with relatively fresh fuel (canister stove being the exception.). I measured out the 16 oz of water, for each test, using a standard nalgene bottle, filling it up to the hash mark. I used tap water, cold, for each test. Additionally, I cooled the cookpot in between each test, so as to minimize possibly skewing the results with a warm pot (I simply ran cold water into it each time, until the pot was cold again-nothing fancy). Here are the results of my indoor control test:

Gigapower canister stove-reached rolling boil in 3:56. Of course, thats the advantage of these types of stoves-a rolling boil, fast. This was by FAR the quickest of all boil times. The fuel is isopro, so I am anxious to see what the outside performance will be, as they traditionally dont operate well at low temps.

Homemade cat stove-reached rolling boil in 10:42. I used a heat reflector shield with this as well. The design for the stove is simple-its an empty cat food can, with holes punched in it. You fill it with alcohol to the bottom of the row of holes, light it, and set the pot directly on the top. The boil used ALL the fuel for this-I suspect that, when doing this test outdoors, it may not reach boiling, due to the lower temps. But, right now, that is only a suspicion.

Mini Trangia-reached rolling boil in 10:46. This only consumed roughly 1/3 the fuel in the stove. This is the standard brass Trangia alcohol stove, that has been in use for damn near ever. Honestly, these are my favorite alcohol stoves, due to their heavy duty build. And, you can keep alcohol within the stove itself, with its lid. This also came with a simmer lid, which I find completely useless, as I am of the mind that cooking, while hiking, consists of boiling water & adding it to the dehydrated food. But, again, this is personal preference. Your experiences may differ. The simmering gizmo is simply a lid that restricts some of the heat output, by limiting the amount of jets being used.

Pepsi Can Stove-reached a boil in 5:23. This was a LOT faster than I expected! I used a pot stand for the test, as this type of stove isnt a sit-on-top kind. It took about 15 seconds for the jets to ignite. Used about a 3rd of the way up for fuel, which seemed to be maybe just a little too much, by about a minute's worth of burn time.

Minibull Designs mini Atomic-reached boil in 5:34. This was surprising, as I expected it to hit boil before the pepsi can stove did. The first time I tried, I didnt add enoug fuel-its hard to judge how much you put in it without graded measuring lines on your fuel dispenser. So, the second time, I filled it with more than I thought I would need, which worked (I cooled the pot off in between too-in fact, I ate dinner between the first & second tries).

My control experiments left me with a few thoughts-first, canister stoves are quick & easy. But, that is expected. The downside is that you need to pack out empty fuel canisters, which are still heavy (comparitively speaking). Also, if they break, you are pretty much SOL, if it cannot be fixed immediately.

Alcohol stoves can be lightweight, and with the correct design, are within acceptable boiling times-comparable to my canister stove-at least inside. We will see what changes, if any, to boil times outside, in the cold. The great thing about alcohol stoves is that they are simple-pour fuel in, light, and go. No moving parts, nothing to clog. Fuel I keep in an empty soda bottle. They are delicate though (with the exception of the Trangia), and can be easily crushed if stepped on. Of course, if you can find another one, and have something small to poke the jets through with, you can make another one. The design is insanely simple. From everything I have read, the downside is that these will not work in sub-freezing weather. I have no first hand experience with that-which is what I will be testing this coming weekend!

Look for another post shortly after the coming weekend with post-outdoor test information.

New items for review next weekend!

I recently received a few new items in the mail, that I plan on testing out next weekend. Three things specifically; a minibull stove, a custom outsdoors knife, and a sparklite from TAD gear. More to follow on this, including pics.

As promised, a review on the DVD Prepared to Survive

First off, I have to apologize for not getting this done sooner. I came down with the evil flu, that took me down a couple of days, I had some bagpiping engagements I had to take care of, and I had an army buddy visiting this past weekend. So, its been a crazy couple of weeks, but I DID get to watch them (plan on it again soon too).
First, the packaging. The DVD set (two DVDs) come packaged in a standard plastic type case. The front picture is gorgeous: a mist covered mountain. The back is a quick overview of the contents, and the bios of the 4 authors: Gretchen Cordy, Doug Ritter, Buck Tilton, and Rich Johnson. Reading these quick bios, these are some heavy hitters in the world of preparedness. You have a USAF survival instructor, a leading authority on survival, particularly small aircraft safety, co-founder of the Wilderness Medicine Institute for NOLS, and an ex-special forces soldier, who regularly teaches outdoor survival tehniques, and writes for several outdoor magazines. So, these are your instructors; needless to say these are some heavy hitters!
The DVD set is broken down into two disks; the first one is basic concepts, in depth topics, and profiles. This DVD goes into a LOT of the mental state of a survivor; they pull on some real life scenarios, and have interviews with some folks who had survived several days snowed in on a mountain in CA. There is alot to take in; the DVD is over 2 hours long. They show a little demonstration, using some lost hikers, or basic things; a quick lean to using plastic sheeting, carrying a whistle, little things like that. This DVD mainly touches on the preparedness part of it; skills you should know, and some of the thought processes one goes through. There are quite a few concepts that are discussed, and the narrators pull from personal experience to illustrate some points. It is not dry; all 4 narrators are presenting information that, although it may not be fresh, new ideas for some of us, is certainly alot of the things people overlook, such as the boredom of your situation, the Rules of 3, and the fact that, by the time most people admit they are lost, it is dark. These are things that arent normally discussed, or are at best brushed over, in alot of the books out there. So, it is nice to see someone touch on these things (I have carried a deck of cards for YEARS in my survival kit, for just this purpose!).
The second DVD is bonus materials. They go into some of the things one would want in their kit, as well as some knife selections. This is nice, as they point out the pros & cons of some of the equipment, but dont seem to endorse any particular brand (so it doesnt really feel like an infomercial). With the knife selection section, they go over what to look for in a good sheath knife, showing several different models. Again, as these folks are professionals, they keep it well on track (no Rambo style knives). Gretchen does a section on knots; this part I found sort of lacking. She went over a timber hitch, and a square knot. IIRC, that was about it. Personally, I think that this was sort of glossed over; I would've liked to see some other basic knots reviewed as well; classic ones like the figure of 8, bowline, girth hitch and a reef knot would have been nice. Not sure why only 2 knots were covered, but, dont expect much.
The last part of the 2nd DVD is scenery; I must admit, I didnt look at these as of yet. However, I believe most, if not all, of this DVD was shot in the Pacific NorthWest, so, I am SURE it would be gorgeous.
Overall, I think that this is a worthy addition to any outdoors library. It isnt campy, they arent pushing a particular product on you, it isnt a military-style movie; it is just 4 experts sharing their knowledge & experience with the rest of us. My suggestion would be to pick this up if you can!

DVD review coming soon to you!

So, I placed an order from Lifeview Outdoors last week, and received a brochure for a DVD set: Prepared To Survive. I thought, oh, goody, another thing for me to order! Doug Ritter contributed to this, so I figure it HAS to be good. Well, I was going to wait till next month, but I needed (wanted) a couple of other items, namely, another mora knife, and a PSK for my nephew. So, they were actually having a special over at their website; $54.99 for the DVD set & a PSK. So, I slapped the mora order on there, and they are on their way! I plan on reviewing this this weekend, should it get here in time.

Friendly Reminder

Dont forget to change meds & bandages in First Aid kits, as well as batteries in flashlights & smoke detectors! New year, time to change things!!!

A new year for me!

So, after getting soft for the past 4 years as a civilian, I decided that I need to whip my fat ass back into shape. I was never ripped, mind you; I am short, & stout (like a teapot?!?!). However, I was solid, at my peak. My recent snowshoeing trek showed me how unfit I really am; 5 hours of snowshoeing shouldnt have resulted in soreness for a few days. When I was active in the Army, it seemed I could walk indefinitely (and a few time, it seemed like I actually did). Although I am older now, and know I will not get back the fitness level of my younger days, I can still do what I can to get back into shape. I have put on about 20 lbs or so as a result of working a desk for the past 5 years, and this will adversely affect my health. I am aware of this, and am making the concious decision to control it. So, I joined my local gym today, and will start on a "getting back into shape" program on Monday.
I have never been a fan of the gym; however, I realize that I cannot do this alone; I have tried (I usually run for about a month, then find something else to do). So, I am hoping that by making this part of my daily regimen, much like it was when I was active (when we werent deployed somewhere), and this should help me keep on track. Time will tell; my goal is 30 lbs by June, or 2 waist sizes (which is more realistic). Time will tell!

Winter hike 2009

So, today I decided to do a little snowshoeing. I havent done it in a couple of years and, frankly, since I have gotten back from a year in Cuba, the cold just isnt for me anymore. But, we got over a foot of fresh snow this weekend, I had today off, so I decided to take a little walk. My INTENTION was a short hike, maybe an hour or so, where I wanted to test out anew stove type (more on that below). Well, I packed a small daypack, with my essentials for "just in case", and off I went!
It was gorgeous out there today! Weather was about mid 20's or so, partially sunny. I started off with a med weight thermal base layer, goretex pants, my TNF fleece top, wool watch cap, and glove liners with ragg wool half mitten thingys (the kind that you can pull the top of the mitten off, flip it back & velcro it, so you can use your fingers).
My daypack consisted of the following:

Pack: Camelback MULE

Outside:
Military poncho
Mora knife/leather sheath, firesteel
Garmin GPS60CX
Bandana
small carabiner (non safety, key fob like)
about 6' of paracord type cordage

Main pocket:
1L british issue canteen, with metal cup (better suited to any situation, as opposed to the bladder the MULE came with)
3 1 gallon ziplock bags
2 leaf bags (large trash bags)

Top pocket (all in ziplock bags):
3 Clifbars, 1 granola bar (absent, instant coffee packets)
notepad & pencil
Spare AA batteries
Wooden nickels (I geocache, and this is what I leave in my finds)

Bottom pocket:
50' paracord (may be more, I cut this off a spool from my units armory)
Gerber hand saw
Heatsheet
Brunton orienteering compass
Princeton Tec LED headlamp (repaired with duct tape, incidentally, from my kit)
Tinder (cotton balls with petroleum jelly)
Adventure Medical Kit Ultralight (pretty standard, I only swap the medicines out, add Advil, and put an irrigation syringe in it)
PSK

PSK contents:
waterproof tin container
necklace with small compass, LED flashlight, and Fox40 whistle
15' of small cordage (the stuff that came in the RSK PSK)
handfull of strike anywhere matches in a small ziplock bag
tinder (again, the little things that came with the RSK kit)
small roll of duct tape
plastic see through disposable lighter
fishing/sewing kit (2 lures, 4 hooks, 6 sinkers, 2 needles, 4 safety pins, 20' of fishing line wound around the outside of the tube)
roll of thread
signal mirror
fresnal lens
snare wire
ferro rod w/striker
surgical blade, sealed
micropur water purification tablets
tin foil
survival pamphlet


That weighs in at about 11 lbs, almost non existent as far as weight goes. I left the poncho behind, and strapped on my goretex jacket. I also snapped the paint can stove to the small biner.

So, about 45 mins into the hike, I decided to bust brush to find a nice secluded spot to test this stove out. With a little over 2 feet of snow, find a LEVEL spot was a bit of a test. So, anyway, I found a nice place to test it out.
I stomped a flat area as best I could, then dug down with a snowshoe. Got it fairly level. Then, I went to find tinder. Easy task, as this is a mixed growth forest. Within 5 minutes I gathered what I thought was a good amount of fuel. So, on to the stove...
First, one thing I advocate wholeheartedly; ALWAYS carry cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly! These are the BEST firestarters one can use! They catch a spark instantly, and burn for a good minute.
So, I get the stove started. Got a good base of wood burning. Then, decided to test how long it takes to get water to a boil. I filled my canteen cup about halfway, and put it on the stove. It worked, but with a fair amount of fidgeting. It took about 15 minutes to get it to start forming bubbles, at which point I stopped the test. It was hot enough for coffee. The reason it took so long is that you have to constantly feed the fire, and remove the cup in doing so. This method isnt the greatest, but, hey, its a wood stove, essentially! I have seen other designs with s smaller can attached horizontally...but, well, I like quick & easy! And this stove does exactly that, with no fire scar afterwards.
Ok, the design of the stove is stupid simple; get an unused 1 qt paint can from your local hardware store. Take a tailors tape measure and make marks along both the top and bottom of the can at 1" increments. Now, drill out those marks with a 1/4" bit. Thats it, you're done!
The idea behind it isnt so much a stove, as a controlled fireplace. Word of warning; paint cans have a lining on the inside, so, when firing this up for the first time, let it ALL burn off. Takes about 10 minutes, give or take. After that is done, it should be fine.
When you are cutting fuel, think SMALL. This is a small wood burning stove; nothing larger than your index finger will fit into it. Hence, the constant need to stoke it. But, again, as long as you have access to stuff to burn, you are fine. It just takes a little longer, thats all.
So, done with the stove testing, I pack up, and start my trek home. I decide to cut through the woods. Well, I got some fantastic pictures, but, a shortcut it was not. I wouldnt say I was lost; I could always backtrack. I COULD say I took the scenic route back to my jeep though :). It was a nice day for a walk anyway! 4 hours longer than planned, but, hey, that sometimes happens, you know?
More photos here

Gear Testing this weekend

I am tsting out some new gear this weekend, namely a new stove & cook system. The cook system is a GSI Soloist, and everything, including the fuel canister, fits inside it. I am also trying out a giga power stove as well. I just tested the stove in my kitchen, and achieved a rolling boil at 4:20. I will check boil times out in the field this weekend. I am also introducing my nephew Josh to lightweight backpacking. We will get some pics this weekend, and post them here. More to come soon!!!

Foraging in New England

Well, I've decided to add some foraging to my weekend outings. I picked up a book called "Foraging in New England", which is a nice field guide by Alpenguide. There are color plates in the middle, and descriptions of the plant, time of year to harvest it, where its found (the book is broken up into regions; coastal, wooded, cultivated land, waste land, etc), and even how to prepare it.
So, I went up to my local woodland, Groton Town Forest, and went for a walk. I have modified my packing list somewhat. I now use a Maxpedition pack, which is sort of a shoulder pack. In it I have the following (off the top of my head); military poncho, tied to the bottom, nalgene water bottle, with a stainless steel cup, Gerber hand saw, a battery operated chemical light thingy (looks like the military chem lights, but it run off of small batteries), compass, small emergency bivy sack, first aid kit, 50' of paracord, flight gloves, a survival tin, and my Mora knife with flint & steel. It sounds like alot, but, it weighs just under 5 lbs, and, for the summer, and warm weather, there's enough there to get me through a night or 2. Additionally, there is a zippered pocket, behind the main one, that I slipped this field guide into. So, knowing what I have, I'll go over what I learned!!!
I found about 4 different species that I could easily identify. I found common plantain, wintergreen, bunchberry, and burdock. Granted, I know what most of these were. Also, with the exception of the wintergreen, most species were WELL past their harvesting time. Which is fine; my goal is to become familiar with these. I also additionally tentatively identified a few more; stinging nettle, pineappleberry (which, when I was young, used to crush, ust to smell them), canada goldenrod, and queen anne's lace. All in all, a good, productive day. If you regularly spend time outside, I'd HIGHLY recommend getting a field guide, similar to mine, and spend the time outside learning. Its amazing how you look at the woods, after you start learning so much about them!

Been a long time!

Sorry, its been a LONG time since I've logged on this site! Some updates; I havent been outside as much as I wanted to be lately. Life got crazy. I got let go from my old job, which sucked anyway, and started a new one. My commute is a LOT longer now, which limits me going out whenever I want. Also, I am currently in a relationship, which also limits my outdoor time. Lastly, I took up the bagpipes a year ago or so, and this takes up a HUGE amount of time. I still do get out occasionally, and recently picked up a book called "Foraging in NEw England". I am going to go out this weekend and try some of the things in there. I will keep you posted.