Preparations Update

[Sourdough]

I agree.
The bad part is, I'm having a hard time caring. Its really frustrating.....but some switch seems to have been flipped in my head and I'm really struggling to care, even as I say to myself "Oh yeah, we've got about 9-10 months of life as we know it left".

I am in the exact same mental place. Not sure if I like it yet, it feels strange. It is not a new state of being for me, yet it is new to have had it constantly for the last few months.

In the past when I have experienced this "calm" it was just before entering clearly danger. It comes after all the assessment of entering the danger was finished, and it was time to enter the danger.

Best example being having to enter thick brush to finish badly wounded, pissed-off Grizzly Bears.

I try to get seriously concerned about possible futures but can't. Seems the only thing I have any caring about is the need to overhaul my type/style of clothing, going forward.

 

[Hardcalibres]

I just got back from Mali.

That is a good place to practice survival skills in a realistic training environment.

 

[Sourdough]

I don't know if it justifies a different thread, but I am purchasing new clothing, that is a totally different style and application, for me. The concept is what I would classify as "military" style/application.

I have long (based on decades of field experience) considered genuine military clothing (and gear) "JUNK" when compared to high quality similar civilian clothing. Think Filson and/or Carhartt products (only their top of line) offerings.

I figure the designed loose fit of military field clothing to be desirable post SHTF. But I strongly desire to "not" appear to anyone to be either actual military or pretend/want-a-be imitation military. I am also avoiding any camouflage.

 

[Caribou]

Random thought. Die the pants a denim blue and the shirts another color or colors, replace the buttons with something nonmilitary.

 

[Sourdough]

Random thought. Die the pants a denim blue and the shirts another color or colors, replace the buttons with something nonmilitary.

People think that military issued gear is super high quality. It is not. And now days because near wars are desert or quasi-desert, it is all about super "light weight" gear. Even boots are for desert climate use.

The military sends two teams a year to scale Mount Mc Kinley (Denali). They take zero military issued gear. It is simply not the best quality.

 

[Heartbroken]

That's very sad and angry-making that our troops aren't provided with excellent gear. They, of all people, should have the best tools to complete their jobs.
Why does the military send people up the mountain twice a year? If it's not to test out actual military gear, what is the objective?

 

[Bacpacker]

Training for mountain warfare. Can't train without the activity involved

 

[Peanut]

That's very sad and angry-making that our troops aren't provided with excellent gear. They, of all people, should have the best tools to complete their jobs.
Why does the military send people up the mountain twice a year? If it's not to test out actual military gear, what is the objective?

Provide? Not while I was in. I remember being excited, thinking I’d be getting 2 months of pay after 8 weeks of bootcamp. Nope… the first month of pay was kept as payment for all my uniforms, shoes etc. Afterwards I shopped for my uniforms at the Commissary along with everyone else. Oh, uniforms and everything else sold at the commissary was provided by the lowest bidder...

 

[Hardcalibres]

People think that military issued gear is super high quality. It is not. And now days because near wars are desert or quasi-desert, it is all about super "light weight" gear. Even boots are for desert climate use.

The military sends two teams a year to scale Mount Mc Kinley (Denali). They take zero military issued gear. It is simply not the best quality.

At one end of the spectrum, yes the main parts of the military do indeed get gear that is compromised down to a cost..........

But the "elite" parts of the military do get much bigger budgets for gear.

The brands that have either positioned themselves to supply that specific market or grown from scratch in that industry include:

• Crye Precision
• Wild Things Tactical
• Beyond Clothing
• Arcteryx Leaf
• SORD
• LBT Inc
• Eagle Industries
• Mystery Ranch

The above includes makers of clothing, cold/wet gear and field gear/packs.

Crye is at the top of the list.....they earned that place with the R&D and the products they made over the GWOT.

The teams that take on the McKinley climb, may well not have access to the gear from the list above.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Something for folks to consider for their preps: sharpening stones. Hubby will be getting a new one since he can’t find our old one
I too have continued but at a slower rate and more narrowed focus.

I recently bought a couple new sharpening stones. I've got quite a few tools for sharpening knives. A couple weeks ago I signed up to take a knife sharpening class at our local knife makers shop. I've been sharpening knives for over 50 years, but figured that it wouldn't hurt to learn from the experts.

 

[Tim Horton]

All my years in tool and die shops I could never get the knack how to hand sharpen drills.. Or knives.. My dad could sharpen his old Buck Stockman pocket knife to shave with.. I lost somehow the best sharpener I ever had.. It was a pull through sharpener from the marine hardware store by the cannery in Vancouver ...spit... I could do a decent job with it..

Does anyone have the magnetic block to hold a knife at the proper angle and sharpen with the round stone on the tin can looking holder ?? Does it work well ??

 

[Peanut]

All my years in tool and die shops I could never get the knack how to hand sharpen drills.. Or knives.. My dad could sharpen his old Buck Stockman pocket knife to shave with.. I lost somehow the best sharpener I ever had.. It was a pull through sharpener from the marine hardware store by the cannery in Vancouver ...spit... I could do a decent job with it..

Does anyone have the magnetic block to hold a knife at the proper angle and sharpen with the round stone on the tin can looking holder ?? Does it work well ??

I've used Lansky sharpeners for 30yrs. Simple, reliable... I use the big kit on good blades. I use the little blue one in the kitchen.

 

[backlash]

Does anyone have the magnetic block to hold a knife at the proper angle and sharpen with the round stone on the tin can looking holder ?? Does it work well ??

I got one for Christmas.
It works but it takes time to get a knife sharp the first time.
After the first time it's faster.
In sharpening anything the important thing is getting the angle right and being able to maintain that angle the entire time you are sharpening.
The rolling knife sharpener solves that problem.
It works better on larger kitchen knives than it does on smaller pocket knives but it does work.
I'm not sure they are worth a $100 though.
I have just about every sharpening system made.
For quick sharpening on ordinary knives the pull through V shaped sharpeners works reasonable well.
My wife will not take care of knives so I have pretty much given up on wasting my time with anything other than the pull through type.
I don't spent hundreds of dollars on knives so if one get trashed I just replace it.

 

[angie_nrs]

Hubby had an appt. in town yesterday so I did just a bit of shopping. I was hoping the big box stores would have more clearance stuff on the shelves but it's too early yet for the really good sales. However:

I got a couple of humidifiers on sale.
Got a couple of slingshots at TS on clearance (half off) for Christmas gifts next year.
Got a couple of heavy work coats for DH on sale even thought it wasn't a super deal, he needed them.
Got new tires on the truck.
Stopped at Aldi and got a half cart of mostly stuff for short term storage that I was running low on. They were all out of ranch the last couple of times I was there, so this time I grabbed a few of the big bottles.

We decided that instead of eating out for lunch (which was the original plan) we bought some roast beef and rolls and I made french dips at home with some tater tots and salad. It was probably more nutritious (and cheaper) than eating out and we saved time so hubby could go and finish a job he was working on so he didn't have to mess with it over the weekend. Plus, now we have leftovers and will have french dips again very soon. Yummy

 

[Magpie]

Given the choice, my husband would look for Russian, German or Eastern European gear when he is at a military surplus place- the Irish gear is not bad either. Just harder to get. But we need stuff that manages cold and damp, not desert terrain. I remember years ago in the UK the British military stuff was poor quality, not sure if it's changed. Probably not, as governments are investing in technology, not equipment.
Thank you for the list @Hardcalibres

 

[Hardcalibres]

Given the choice, my husband would look for Russian, German or Eastern European gear when he is at a military surplus place- the Irish gear is not bad either. Just harder to get. But we need stuff that manages cold and damp, not desert terrain. I remember years ago in the UK the British military stuff was poor quality, not sure if it's changed. Probably not, as governments are investing in technology, not equipment.
Thank you for the list @Hardcalibres

Russian military gear works in the cold, but it is also made down to a modest cost and so is bulky and heavy. It restricts your movement and capability and is somewhat uncomfortable too.

The really good gear can handle a very wide range of conditions - many people think that places like Afghanistan were just hot deserts......but the winters there were very cold too.

The gear on the list I posted will handle cold/damp.

I have a layering system made by Beyond clothing that I have used to work in at -60C (-72F).

My Wild Things Tactical Expedition kit would handle about -20C (-4F).

I have worked in Crye Combat shirts and pants, while wet, for days.......three layer goretex shell clothing from Wild Things, Beyond or Arcteryx is as good as any wet weather barrier layer made anywhere in the world.

Just don't expect the very best gear to be made from heavy fabric that lasts for years.......that is not a priority for the military. If it gets torn or worn through, the military has a big pile of replacement items sitting somewhere ready to go. Fabric choices prioritize performance and maintaining full range of bodily movement.

The other bad news is that the military orders for that sort of gear have mostly dried up........so not as much is being surplussed out anymore. It is a lot more difficult for civilians to find now than even five years ago.

Edit to add: Yes the UK military gear is still about the worst quality of any NATO nation. About the only exception to that was boots. They were and (AFAIK) still are issuing Meindl German made combat boots that are very good.

 

[Sourdough]

Well, I have been working at finding & purchasing several new outfits, intended for post SHTF in specific location & environment. Sadly, all of the pants will need "Professional" modifications. Some new upper clothing (but not much) as existing upper stuff will work. Have ordered upper clothing in colors I have long avoided (dark). All of my existing "weather" gear will work fine, including boots.

The best thing about being an "old" male, is everyone writes you off (as not even slightly relevant) at their very first glimpse of you.

About three or four months ago I did a long and serious look at my existing firearms theory and what would be most likely to be needed for my anticipated future environment (including SHTF).

 

[Hardcalibres]

Well, I have been working at finding & purchasing several new outfits, intended for post SHTF in specific location & environment. Sadly, all of the pants will need "Professional" modifications. Some new upper clothing (but not much) as existing upper stuff will work. Have ordered upper clothing in colors I have long avoided (dark). All of my existing "weather" gear will work fine, including boots.

The best thing about being an "old" male, is everyone writes you off (as not even slightly relevant) at their very first glimpse of you.

Have you considered these:

https://www.cryeprecision.com/G3-All-Weather-Combat-Pant
or these:

https://www.cryeprecision.com/G3-Combat-Pant?quantity=1&color=Ranger%20Green
They are about the most expensive pants in the world, but (believe it or not) they have been bought for special troops, by both sides (us and them) and in the hundreds of thousands of pairs.

For demanding activities they are the best, most comfortable pants I have worn.

I don't have direct experience with the later G4 version.....but I would assume they are as good if not a little better than the G3s.

 

[Sourdough]

Have you considered these:

No.......I have had to swallow hard to pay for two pair of FILSON (copy of) WW-II Field Cargo pants. And I'll have to have them professionally modified. Nothing in my vision of my future involves the word "intentional" combat. Crawling and hiding, maybe.

My goal is to have clothing that someone "else" would choose for combat field mobility; yet I will utilize for my avoiding firefight, while squatting in the outskirts of a very small town in backwater Alaska. Loose fitting, high quality (substantially modified) is my standard for the "very last chapter" of me.

 

[Hardcalibres]

No.......I have had to swallow hard to pay for two pair of FILSON (copy of) WW-II Field Cargo pants. And I'll have to have them professionally modified. Nothing in my vision of my future involves the word "intentional" combat.

Bear in mind that Korean war uniforms were better than WWII....then Viet Nam uniforms were better than Korean war uniforms, then the Gulf war were better than Viet Nam.......and so on

Crawling and hiding, maybe.

Lone survival could well involve both.

My goal is to have clothing that someone "else" would choose for combat field mobility; yet I will utilize for my avoiding firefight, while squatting in the outskirts of a very small town in backwater Alaska.

G3s tick that box and can be bought in solid Tan or Green colors.

Loose fitting, high quality (substantially modified) is my standard for the "very last chapter" of me.

Loose fitting can be pain if they catch on stuff you try to push past.
G3s have stretch panels in them that allow very free movement without needing to be baggy.
The removable knee pads are epic - much better than having separate pads with their own elastic (which were failures but all we had for a long time).
The older you get, the bigger the benefit of knee pads.

 

[Magpie]

Yes- the boots aren't bad, husband has bought a few barely worn ones from a little fishing shop that does a small amount of gear that is preowned but perfect. Great price, but you have tobe in regularly to pick up the best stuff.

 

[angie_nrs]

Perhaps the clothing topic deserves a thread of it's own?

 

[Bacpacker]

Have you considered these:

https://www.cryeprecision.com/G3-All-Weather-Combat-Pant
or these:

https://www.cryeprecision.com/G3-Combat-Pant?quantity=1&color=Ranger%20Green
They are about the most expensive pants in the world, but (believe it or not) they have been bought for special troops, by both sides (us and them) and in the hundreds of thousands of pairs.

For demanding activities they are the best, most comfortable pants I have worn.

I don't have direct experience with the later G4 version.....but I would assume they are as good if not a little better than the G3s.

I assume these hold up to rough wear similar to heavy Carharts or firehouse pants??

 

[Hardcalibres]

I assume these hold up to rough wear similar to heavy Carharts or firehouse pants??

Not necessarily.

The military prioritizes performance over durability.

They are more at their best when you are wading into and out of swamps for days at a time.....climbing....roping......running......crawling....parachuting.....

 

[Sourdough]

I am done for now (as of today) with procuring specific clothing, for enjoying & engaging in catastrophic SHTF reality. I did enjoy this project as a mental/studying/learning/researching exercise (specific only to me).

I'll give myself a B+ for staying focused (read "honest") about my personal situation, especially my age/physical abilities reality.

This project was triggered by my need to assume that I'll "likely" find myself in a totally different & new to me, physical/cultural/social/political/economic/ location with humans.

I might be "wrong", but my judgement is that my primary focus will shift to enhanced need to be non-threatening, pathetic, not-relevant pathetic totally disgusting just barely subsisting "Thing".

 

[CalicoKatie]

Got my little kerosene stove all cleaned up, new wicks and tested her out. Steaks and sautéed mushrooms. I am pleased- now have another way to cook if the power goes out.

Look what I found on Ebay! It's in Seymour, Indiana so anybody in driving distance might be able to work a deal. I saw some other Perfection stoves but they were the one canister type.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/256213965138

 

[Magpie]

Stocked up on batteries, toilet paper, lighters and candles, and finally found the walkie talkies.
Having seen some of the information and lists offered here, I'm redoing mine

 

[Peanut]

Got an order of goodies today from amizot. I bought 2 sets of stainless steel containers for foods/herbs. 3 latches hold the lid which has a rubber seal attached to the inner surface. The seals didn’t leak when I dunked them under water in the sink for several minutes. I wouldn’t take them deep-sea diving but they’ll be great for salt, sugar, flour, corn meal etc in a camping situation. The lid seal is easily replaceable. (Cut a seal out of an old inner-tube etc and glue it on)

The first set of 3 containers has 3 sizes, 1-pint, 2-pint and 3-pint. The second set of 6 are all 2-pint in size. Measurement lines in 100/milliliters are stamped into the inside surface.

I also got 6 waterproof match containers, aluminum, threaded with an O-ring. I already had a couple of them. They are excellent for matches, even better for pills/meds. Exp, I’m out for the day but need to take a pill at noon but don’t want to take the bottle with me. I just put the container in my pocket or clip it to my key ring, a pill won’t get smashed or wet.

I finally found leak-proof denture/retainer cups. In the pic’s below, one cup as been full of water and upside down on my counter for an hour. It hasn’t leaked a single drop! I’m satisfied.

Everything in this order has normal day to day uses and when shtf. Best part, these items were all on sale.

 

[lonewolf]

Given the choice, my husband would look for Russian, German or Eastern European gear when he is at a military surplus place- the Irish gear is not bad either. Just harder to get. But we need stuff that manages cold and damp, not desert terrain. I remember years ago in the UK the British military stuff was poor quality, not sure if it's changed. Probably not, as governments are investing in technology, not equipment.
Thank you for the list @Hardcalibres

I;ve got Military gear, some UK some European, all works well in our mild wet climate.

 

[Heartbroken]

Peanut you made me chuckle, I saw the containers and thought "oh, he's putting out geocaches" but then I read the post and they're actually match holders. I've seen them hundreds of times but they were always called bison tubes and were uses as caches.