Tried out a new technique that I saw Ray Mears do on a video, a safe and simple way to make small kindling sticks Works well, I did a very short video of it on youtube.
Sorry, not the best angle, it was raining a lot and my wife didn't want to get her camera wet, she was hiding under some trees :)
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Eberlestock backpacks
I'll be doing some more detailed reviews of some eberlestock backpacks - eventually - but wanted to just drop a little line here to say how much I truly love them.
I talked a little about the F3 Halftrack in a previous post, and still consider it a great pack. I picked up the Gunslinger II after and have nothing really negative to say about it, enjoyed it a lot and the scabbard was super handy. I also bought the incredible expensive V90 Battleship in anticipation for an upcoming 1-2 week survival training course, I couldn't take another excursion with my old MEC pack. Sadly, I had to cancel the trip after we moved and haven't used it since, I think I may end up selling it. I don't want to, I spent a ridiculous amount of money for it and I love it but....we will see. I wish I had got the waterproof fleece version now that I have moved to such a wet area.
My EDC-to-work bag has now changed. I moved from the halftrack to the gunslinger II to (briefly) the X1A1 and now have settled on the Blue Widow.
All are great packs and the Blue Widow review and a discussion on work/BOB will be coming as soon as I have time to write it :)
I talked a little about the F3 Halftrack in a previous post, and still consider it a great pack. I picked up the Gunslinger II after and have nothing really negative to say about it, enjoyed it a lot and the scabbard was super handy. I also bought the incredible expensive V90 Battleship in anticipation for an upcoming 1-2 week survival training course, I couldn't take another excursion with my old MEC pack. Sadly, I had to cancel the trip after we moved and haven't used it since, I think I may end up selling it. I don't want to, I spent a ridiculous amount of money for it and I love it but....we will see. I wish I had got the waterproof fleece version now that I have moved to such a wet area.
My EDC-to-work bag has now changed. I moved from the halftrack to the gunslinger II to (briefly) the X1A1 and now have settled on the Blue Widow.
All are great packs and the Blue Widow review and a discussion on work/BOB will be coming as soon as I have time to write it :)
And then there was one
FYI, I shut down my alternate blog today.
I haven't been posting much to it and there was essentially no traffic. I think I will stick to what I am doing on this blog, others are doing social commentary better right now and I only have so much time.
Thanks to those that were reading it and had subscribed.
I haven't been posting much to it and there was essentially no traffic. I think I will stick to what I am doing on this blog, others are doing social commentary better right now and I only have so much time.
Thanks to those that were reading it and had subscribed.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Cold Steel Micro Recon 1 Knife Review - Keychain Knife
I may get accused of hyperbole at times but I consider the Cold Steel Micro Recon 1 to be the most useful and quite possibly the flat out best knife Cold Steel has ever made. Obviously Cold Steel makes a lot of knives
that fit a lot of needs and it’s difficult to compare a combat knife to a
woods/survival knife or a skinning knife to a kitchen knife. What I am instead doing is a taking a knife
within a specific category and comparing it to others on the market. They have really kicked some a** here :)
My video review is here:
The category in this case is the keychain knife. A keychain knife is (obviously) a knife that you carry with your keys. Normally it has a small lanyard hole that you can slide a key ring through or you attach it with a short cord or chain. In our society, a keychain knife can be the ultimate EDC (every day carry) knife as people rarely going anywhere without keys – house, car, work, whatever.
My video review is here:
The category in this case is the keychain knife. A keychain knife is (obviously) a knife that you carry with your keys. Normally it has a small lanyard hole that you can slide a key ring through or you attach it with a short cord or chain. In our society, a keychain knife can be the ultimate EDC (every day carry) knife as people rarely going anywhere without keys – house, car, work, whatever.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Adventures in Biking
I will probably be doing a series of posts on my bicycling experiences. I almost thought about another blog split off but decided to bore everyone here instead!
I decided on a mountain bike. I really had no idea what to get, I don't know a darn thing about bikes. The road bike didn't seem right and the hybrid bike, I dunno, just didn't appeal. I went with the sturdier looking mountain bike and what I thought (perhaps mistakenly) would be better grippy tires for the wet weather and gravel around here.
Spent about $400? $500? Can't quite remember, it was 2 months ago. More than I wanted to, for sure, but decided to get one put together properly from a bike shop rather than getting one from the local department store. I tried that years back and it was a mess and I got sooooooo frustrated trying to adjust it....
It was a lot of money but will be paid for with a few tanks of gas I won't buy - assuming I get good use from it.
So far it's been pretty good. My fitness sucks, fortunately it's not too far a ride. I'd be a lot better off though if it was flat and 10 times as long....hills suck.
I decided on a mountain bike. I really had no idea what to get, I don't know a darn thing about bikes. The road bike didn't seem right and the hybrid bike, I dunno, just didn't appeal. I went with the sturdier looking mountain bike and what I thought (perhaps mistakenly) would be better grippy tires for the wet weather and gravel around here.
Spent about $400? $500? Can't quite remember, it was 2 months ago. More than I wanted to, for sure, but decided to get one put together properly from a bike shop rather than getting one from the local department store. I tried that years back and it was a mess and I got sooooooo frustrated trying to adjust it....
It was a lot of money but will be paid for with a few tanks of gas I won't buy - assuming I get good use from it.
So far it's been pretty good. My fitness sucks, fortunately it's not too far a ride. I'd be a lot better off though if it was flat and 10 times as long....hills suck.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Small EDC and Tactical Fixed Blade Knife Comparison & Review
I recently completed a video comparison on 4 small fixed blade knives. I am still rocking the hideaway straight as my EDC knife but started to look around at some other options as well. The awesome custom fit of the HAK is also it's only real weakness, if you are wearing gloves you pretty much can't use the knife.
The four knives are the TOPS M1 Sub Compact, Boker Fred Perrin Neck Bowie, Tops FDX Hunter Point, and the Esee Izula. The main common feature between these, besides small size, is a deep(ish, depending on blade) finger choil.
The four knives are the TOPS M1 Sub Compact, Boker Fred Perrin Neck Bowie, Tops FDX Hunter Point, and the Esee Izula. The main common feature between these, besides small size, is a deep(ish, depending on blade) finger choil.
No More Winter - Famous Last Words
Hello everyone. I'm not dead and I haven't forgotten you. Very sorry I haven't posted in so long, I've been crazy busy since I moved. My work training was interesting to say the least but it progressed at a rapid pace, I finished sooner than expected. This gave me the bright idea to do a late entry in the school semester and take 3 classes....needless to say, I have been busy.
All is going well though I had to laugh after reading my last post. We ended up getting socked with some serious winter here over a 2 week period (plus periodic dumps of snow for weeks after), temperatures in the area dipped to -25 C (much colder with windchill) which is absolutely unheard of for this area. Pipes froze and then burst all over town, it was pretty crazy. The weather was no big deal but it did create some interesting events.
A few notes:
1. I was lucky. My house is up quite high on a hill, set on bedrock. I have a concrete perimeter foundation and a fully insulated basement. Even though my basement isn't heated, my pipes came through OK. I also added some pipe insulation but couldn't get any heat tape for love or money - more prep for next year.
2. I've never lived somewhere with such steep grades, I have always lived in lands of flat! We had a lot of ice and snow and I couldn't make it up the street in our rental car. The day we had to move out of the hotel and into our house, my bike got left behind and we left our bags into the car. I packed up a few personal items and we walked to our house. I went back for the car the next day and grabbed the bike a few days later.
3. 4WD can be your friend. We went wild and crazy and bought a jeep. I have severe buyer's remorse but there have been many days where cars were littered at the bottom of the street and I drove by them on the way home.
4. I quite like riding the bus. There was too much snow for me to even consider biking to work, I don't think I would have lived. I ended up taking the bus one way and then walking home or taking a cab the other, the bus generally only matches up with one direction.
5. Biking uphill is HARD!!!
6. Not a news flash but a good reminder, water-resistant just means a delayed soaking.
All this walking to and from work has been a good reminder of the importance of weight in a BOB. I've been carrying my Eberlestock Gunslinger II pack to work and I've really tuckered myself out. Some minimal survival gear, textbooks, lunch, sometimes a laptop, etc, it adds up fast and I am wiped out. All the more reason to carry it of course, it's good training for my fat a**.
Get in shape people and test your gear. You don't want to carry it for the first time when it's a real emergency, you want it to feel natural and normal.
BTW, love that backpack.
Anyway, I'm going to start posting some material, I have a lot of stuff to add, I hope I can get to it all soon.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone that reads and comments, I really appreciate it. I'm shocked to have over 10,000 views of the site, I didn't even have to tell my mom to get them, lol.
Take care all.
All is going well though I had to laugh after reading my last post. We ended up getting socked with some serious winter here over a 2 week period (plus periodic dumps of snow for weeks after), temperatures in the area dipped to -25 C (much colder with windchill) which is absolutely unheard of for this area. Pipes froze and then burst all over town, it was pretty crazy. The weather was no big deal but it did create some interesting events.
A few notes:
1. I was lucky. My house is up quite high on a hill, set on bedrock. I have a concrete perimeter foundation and a fully insulated basement. Even though my basement isn't heated, my pipes came through OK. I also added some pipe insulation but couldn't get any heat tape for love or money - more prep for next year.
2. I've never lived somewhere with such steep grades, I have always lived in lands of flat! We had a lot of ice and snow and I couldn't make it up the street in our rental car. The day we had to move out of the hotel and into our house, my bike got left behind and we left our bags into the car. I packed up a few personal items and we walked to our house. I went back for the car the next day and grabbed the bike a few days later.
3. 4WD can be your friend. We went wild and crazy and bought a jeep. I have severe buyer's remorse but there have been many days where cars were littered at the bottom of the street and I drove by them on the way home.
4. I quite like riding the bus. There was too much snow for me to even consider biking to work, I don't think I would have lived. I ended up taking the bus one way and then walking home or taking a cab the other, the bus generally only matches up with one direction.
5. Biking uphill is HARD!!!
6. Not a news flash but a good reminder, water-resistant just means a delayed soaking.
All this walking to and from work has been a good reminder of the importance of weight in a BOB. I've been carrying my Eberlestock Gunslinger II pack to work and I've really tuckered myself out. Some minimal survival gear, textbooks, lunch, sometimes a laptop, etc, it adds up fast and I am wiped out. All the more reason to carry it of course, it's good training for my fat a**.
Get in shape people and test your gear. You don't want to carry it for the first time when it's a real emergency, you want it to feel natural and normal.
BTW, love that backpack.
Anyway, I'm going to start posting some material, I have a lot of stuff to add, I hope I can get to it all soon.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone that reads and comments, I really appreciate it. I'm shocked to have over 10,000 views of the site, I didn't even have to tell my mom to get them, lol.
Take care all.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
New Location
Well, here I am in the Pacific NW.
NO MORE WINTER!!! Well, at least of the minus a billion and endless snow kind. It's been very windy and rainy here but I'm loving the above freezing temps.
It's been a bit stressful getting everything set up down here, finances are stretched to the limit. We are going to be car-less UFN, just not in the budget right now.
Starting work tomorrow, probably 6 weeks of training. If unsuccessful I will be absolutely f***ed so wish me luck!
Happy New Year everyone, I hope 2012 is awesome.
NO MORE WINTER!!! Well, at least of the minus a billion and endless snow kind. It's been very windy and rainy here but I'm loving the above freezing temps.
It's been a bit stressful getting everything set up down here, finances are stretched to the limit. We are going to be car-less UFN, just not in the budget right now.
Starting work tomorrow, probably 6 weeks of training. If unsuccessful I will be absolutely f***ed so wish me luck!
Happy New Year everyone, I hope 2012 is awesome.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas, family, and being a good neighbour
Merry Christmas everyone, have a great holiday. I hope everyone is safe, warm, and happy. The holiday season can be a stressful and depressing time. There are many people suffering financially right now and the near-mandatory consumer aspect of Christmas can be quite a burden.
I should have posted something a little sooner but to all you parents out there who can't afford to buy your kids the latest and greatest toys, don't worry, they'll be OK. Don't feel guilty, be honest with your kids - even if they don't understand now, they will (hopefully) someday. I did. I'm sure you are all doing the best you can. And don't be afraid to accept help if you need it, it doesn't make you less of a person.
My parents grew up somewhere between dirt poor and not too bad, depending on the seasons and such. Mom was the second of 4 kids and lived in a small town in BC, my grandfather operated a small sawmill and did other work. Dad grew up on a farm in southern Alberta, he was the second of 6 kids. They both learned what doing without really meant.
My parents were poor when they met and stayed poor for some time but were able to provide us with food, shelter, and everything I needed - I never wanted for anything of physical importance and things improved for us a lot financially by the time I was old enough to remember much. After my Dad graduated university, things got better for them but they never were focused on spending a lot of money, they were focused on paying off their debt - student loans, house, etc.
When I was 6, Dad got transferred (the old move or you're fired deal) and we bought a new house under a grant program that was going on in Saskatchewan. It was very nice house, very big* and in a nice neighbourhood. I was lucky. However, to afford that house, certain things had to be "sacrificed" - we made do with less, we bought used, and we accepted (and gave) help as needed. My clothes were hand me downs or from the discount bin at Zeller's. Starting around age 8, I began to separate from my peers in three ways:
Why do I bring this up? Because it meant I spent more time with my parents than most of the kids my age and that was a lot more fun than expensive shoes or whatever. Your kids may cry if they don't get an ipad or something but that will be in the garbage sooner or later, it's not worth it. Focus on what you can give, even if it's just a hug and an I love you.
My four favourite Christmas gifts as a child:
Something that can engage your child's imagination doesn't have to be expensive - I know, easy for me to say that, I used to get a pretty expensive Christmas list from our kids too....
Really though, the best gift that you can give is your time - as much as you can. For example, some of my fondest memories of my Dad are going to work with him. With my mom, I still remember her reading to me, it was very precious. Those are the memories that can last a lifetime and can really hold a family together when the children get older and become evil teenage monsters (jk, sort of).
Say hello to your neighbours, bring them over a plate of food, offer to shovel their walk - sometimes people can be hard to approach and saying "Hey, it's Christmas, so we..." can be a good ice breaker.
Think of any older neighbours in the area. They may not have family close by and could use some assistance. Check that their utilities are still turned on (sometimes crazy stuff happens over the holidays) and that they have enough to eat. If you can, try to invite them over for dinner, you might end up with some free babysitting and some good company :) One of the best things about the Mormon church was the time we spent in service activities. I got to spend a lot of time with people of all ages and backgrounds, do a lot of useful volunteer work, and spend time with my family.
It's also a good time to reach out to estranged friends and family, again using the season as a reason can make things easier.
Community bonds are valuable from a survival standpoint, a safety standpoint, but also for health and happiness. The Winter Solstice/Christmas/whatever period should be about happiness and family - whether that's the kind we have or the kind we want to create.
*It's funny what people consider a big house now. Our house was 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (1 full, 2 half) and had a full basement with a good-sized yard that was all garden in the back. I would guess it could have been as much as 1500 sq ft, which really is enormous for 4 people. And then I look at some of the houses people buy now...wow. I really don't understand the love for McMansions.
I should have posted something a little sooner but to all you parents out there who can't afford to buy your kids the latest and greatest toys, don't worry, they'll be OK. Don't feel guilty, be honest with your kids - even if they don't understand now, they will (hopefully) someday. I did. I'm sure you are all doing the best you can. And don't be afraid to accept help if you need it, it doesn't make you less of a person.
My parents grew up somewhere between dirt poor and not too bad, depending on the seasons and such. Mom was the second of 4 kids and lived in a small town in BC, my grandfather operated a small sawmill and did other work. Dad grew up on a farm in southern Alberta, he was the second of 6 kids. They both learned what doing without really meant.
My parents were poor when they met and stayed poor for some time but were able to provide us with food, shelter, and everything I needed - I never wanted for anything of physical importance and things improved for us a lot financially by the time I was old enough to remember much. After my Dad graduated university, things got better for them but they never were focused on spending a lot of money, they were focused on paying off their debt - student loans, house, etc.
When I was 6, Dad got transferred (the old move or you're fired deal) and we bought a new house under a grant program that was going on in Saskatchewan. It was very nice house, very big* and in a nice neighbourhood. I was lucky. However, to afford that house, certain things had to be "sacrificed" - we made do with less, we bought used, and we accepted (and gave) help as needed. My clothes were hand me downs or from the discount bin at Zeller's. Starting around age 8, I began to separate from my peers in three ways:
- Religion - I grew up in the Mormon religion which was not well regarded where we lived. I have a very clear, and sad memory of my best friend (Catholic) telling me I was going to hell for being a devil worshiper. Yep, the old days, before Catholics and Mormons found common cause. Christmas is a good time to teach your children about tolerance and a great time to discuss beliefs, history, and culture.
- Appearance - As mentioned, my clothes were either of low quality, handmade, or dated/used. We shopped at thrift stores and I got a lot of hand me downs from other church families. If you didn't have the right shoes back then, you were of low social status. I doubt that has changed. I also was small for my age and my mom cut my hair...
- Grades - Scholastically, I was years beyond my peers, especially in reading and mathematics. Doing well in school is not a recipe for being popular.
Why do I bring this up? Because it meant I spent more time with my parents than most of the kids my age and that was a lot more fun than expensive shoes or whatever. Your kids may cry if they don't get an ipad or something but that will be in the garbage sooner or later, it's not worth it. Focus on what you can give, even if it's just a hug and an I love you.
My four favourite Christmas gifts as a child:
- A set of blocks my Dad made for me. I would spend hours and hours with them, even when I was "too old" for them.
- A pair of wooden swords my dad made for me - that was good for countless house of whacking people :)
- A swiss army knife from my maternal grandfather. I got that when I was 8? or so, I had a lockback knife before that. Good for a lot of fun projects though you might get arrested these days *sigh* I brought mine to show and tell at school, good luck with that one.
- A bag of marbles. I could spend all day shooting with my friends!
Something that can engage your child's imagination doesn't have to be expensive - I know, easy for me to say that, I used to get a pretty expensive Christmas list from our kids too....
Really though, the best gift that you can give is your time - as much as you can. For example, some of my fondest memories of my Dad are going to work with him. With my mom, I still remember her reading to me, it was very precious. Those are the memories that can last a lifetime and can really hold a family together when the children get older and become evil teenage monsters (jk, sort of).
Being a good neighbour:The holiday season is a good time to reach out a little to the people around you and try to build some bonds.
Say hello to your neighbours, bring them over a plate of food, offer to shovel their walk - sometimes people can be hard to approach and saying "Hey, it's Christmas, so we..." can be a good ice breaker.
Think of any older neighbours in the area. They may not have family close by and could use some assistance. Check that their utilities are still turned on (sometimes crazy stuff happens over the holidays) and that they have enough to eat. If you can, try to invite them over for dinner, you might end up with some free babysitting and some good company :) One of the best things about the Mormon church was the time we spent in service activities. I got to spend a lot of time with people of all ages and backgrounds, do a lot of useful volunteer work, and spend time with my family.
It's also a good time to reach out to estranged friends and family, again using the season as a reason can make things easier.
Community bonds are valuable from a survival standpoint, a safety standpoint, but also for health and happiness. The Winter Solstice/Christmas/whatever period should be about happiness and family - whether that's the kind we have or the kind we want to create.
*It's funny what people consider a big house now. Our house was 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (1 full, 2 half) and had a full basement with a good-sized yard that was all garden in the back. I would guess it could have been as much as 1500 sq ft, which really is enormous for 4 people. And then I look at some of the houses people buy now...wow. I really don't understand the love for McMansions.
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