Review: CE Jay Engineering - Phoenix Jr IR Beacon

As I posted recently, I had a surprise delivery arrive, and wanted to let you know all about it. A "restricted export" item, I feel very privileged to be able to play with it, hard to get out of the US.

This is the Phoenix Jr IR strobe beacon

This 30x20x20mm (1.2x0.75x0.75") block of acrylic weighs only 8.5g (0.3oz) and has a 9v battery attachment point on the bottom, slightly covered by a lip. Inside the acrylic you can see the three IR LEDs and the simple controlling circuit board. Simplicity in design! 

The 9V battery will provide 200 hours of strobing, according to CE Jay Engineering, and even after draining the battery of its primary charge, they suggest that giving it a2-3 hour rest can eek out a short while of extra strobing, in a pinch. The flash rate of 20 milliseconds every 1.3 seconds was specifically chosen to prevent confusion with small arms fire, which is a VERY good thing, to my thinking. 

The clear case, and design allows for a 360 degree viewing angle, from around the beacon, and a 240 degree viewing angle from the vertical( due to the battery, obviously). 

Whilst not "waterproof" the beacon is purported to function whilst immersed until the contacts fail due to electrolytic corrosion. That's pretty impressive. No switches, no moving parts, just the 9v connectors. Plug in a batter, and it's on. Pull battery off, and it is off. 

I tested it with my Yukon 3x42 NVG, placing the beacon on my car and walking down the street until I lost line of sight, and I have no doubts that this beacon would be visible for hundreds of meters more. To get a decent photo, I took it inside, and with my iPhone, took a couple of "down the relief" shots.

Unlike some IR LEDs, those used in the Phoenix Jr are totally invisible to the human eye, with no tell-tale red pulse. This means for covert use, either in static positioning, or secreted on your person, and even through clothes, you can signal to NVG equipped observers. 

I am throughly impressed with this piece, and am going to see a out placing an order for the non-export restricted waterproof carry case for it. I think this kind of item that would be ideal for assisting Search And Rescue teams finding me in the event that I have a misadventure. That or IFF when I am out laser tagging. 

Review: Laser Genetics - ND-3x50

After my visit to the SHOT Expo, I thought it was time to roll out one of my big lights. 

I had seen these whilst browsing the Canis Latrans Sports website (they do "replica" gear, where my Ops-Core style helmet came from ...) The idea of a laser pumped light sounded really cool, but I had no idea what to expect. I took the plunge and ordered one.

It turned out to be much bigger than i had expected (I did choose the bigger of the three versions available.) Here it is, the Laser Genetics ND3x50 laser designator (or a clone of the same)

The fist thing I need to tell you is that it IS large. The objective lens end is 60mm (2.35”) in diameter, and the barrel, whilst the standard 1" ring size gives the unit a 240mm (9.45”) over all length. It's a big light at 380g (13.5oz). However, it gives BIG results.

Powered by two CR123A batteries, the light has a maximum output of 50mW, which is purported to give a visible light at up to 4.8km (3 miles). It manages this by producing light at 532nm (green), apparently the easiest light for the human eye to see. 

So it's a huge laser pointer, so what?  

Built into the base of the objective end is a Rotary Optical Collimator, which allows you to dial in the focus of the beam, from 50mm to 320mm at 300mm from the end of the objective. That then spreads out to about 2m at 11m (see pics below), or , when dialed in tight, leaves a pretty much 50mm spot for as far as you care to through, up to about 450m (500yrd) effective range.

By "effective range" I think they mean when mounted on top of a scope, which, as it happens, they include mounts for with a "weaver style ring", a 1" scope mount (essentially a windage and elevation adjustable double sided mount, a tripod mount, as well as a pressure switch accessory. Lots of tactical options there. Just remember, this is a BRIGHT light, and you can see the beam in the night air, leading right back to the source. 

Tracers work both ways.

That said, the all aluminium body, with its anodised finish, o-ring seals and nitrogen charged lens cavity make for a pretty solid piece. One thing I noted were some imperfections. There is dust on the inside of the objective lens, and when dialed to wide-beam, there is a distinct "gibbous moon" effect where the lens is not quite right. This may be because this is a "replica" rather than a stringently QC'd piece.

Here are a couple of shots of me testing it indoors, from room-sweeping, to tight spot. In its room-sweeping end (or any of the wide angles, it also casts a secondary diameter, giving you a pretty good field of illumination at the "up close" distances, great for trails and sweeps.

I also took it out to the valley near Puffing Billy scenic railway, and had a bit of a play with it.


This is a really cool light, and I really enjoy taking it out and beaming it around. It is very powerful though, and I am always careful to steer clear of aircraft, delicate eyeballs and Sith Lords.

Review: HexBright - FLEX Programable light

I'm really excited to be bringing this one to you. This is another Kickstarter project that I backed ages ago, (Launched: May 21, 2011Funding successful : Jul 19, 2011) that finally arrived about a month ago. 

That's a long time, you might say. It was. However, creator Christian Carlberg made it up to me and all the other backers with his constant step-by-step updates, keeping us up to date with every design iteration, testing run and exchange of parts. The included videos of the whole process kept the faith, and my interest the whole, long, wait.

When it finally arrived, I was as thrilled as could be. This is the HexBright FLEX, open-source programmable, rugged, high-performance light. (Here, stacked up against my Surefire 6PX)

Christian pitched the HexBright as "a stylish, rugged, high-power compact light you can use as-is or reprogram however you want using open-source code." and yes, it is all those things!

 

The Flex has a max light output of 500 lumens thanks to the
CREE XM-L U2 LED super bright LED light source that sits at the pointy end behind the TIR Lens. The lens is made from PMMA, optical grade acrylic.

What does that give me? According to the Kickstarter page, and the Hexbright site, that means you have a High Mode output of 500 Lumens for 1 hour, a Medium Mode output of 175 Lumens for 8 hours or a Low Mode, 50 Lumens for 30 hours. Five HUNDRED Lumens. The Surefire 6Px is listed with a 200L output, and the 5-11 ATAC A1has a 103 Lumen output rating.

For those interested in color temperature, the FLEX sits at  5380K - which apparently is "just shy of daylight". Thanks to all that circuitry, you also have regulated light output, the light stays constant and has a 1.6amp max output, thanks to the USB rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery, which is apparently 3.7 VDC 2400 mAh, 4.8 Amp Protected). All that circuitry however, isn't just for power-metering, it also houses the programability of the unit.


The HexBright Flex comes shipped with default program modes of high (500 LM), medium (350 LM), low (200 LM), and blinky. but by plugging the FLEX into a computer via the micro-USB port, and then loading code with Arduino software. (You need to do some downloads first, both the USB drivers, the Arduino application and then the Arduino code files for whatever programs you want to run.

Part of the fun about this light is that versatility. As well as the press button at the tail-cap, the circuit board also has a temperature sensor, which can be used to monitor the lights heat for emergency shut-off due to overheating, but also can be used to report ambient temperature (reporting through flashes of the tail-button LED's). It also features a accelerometer which enables rotation and tap based signals to be used to govern the light (ie, rotate to dim or brighten, or tap to change settings, or message)

The inner housing rotates out via heavy set threads at the -tip- of the light, rather than the tail, which was a cool addition, and seals up with a well-seated o-ring gasket at the tail end. Accessing the USB port can be achieved by simply unscrewing the tail cap enough to expose it. It also means I can charge it via my solar chargers.
 

The body of the FLEX was machined from solid hexagonal aircraft-grade aluminium bar stock. both the tailcap, and the internal carrier body with its threaded end are made of the same stock, giving you a rock-solid construction. The tailcap button is a translucent rubber, also fully sealed, allows you to see the green and red status lights (charging, and mode-changing).

 
 At 145mm by 34mm, and weighing in at 215 g  (5.7" long by 1.3" , 7.6 oz) this is big for a pocket torch, but all that body houses the electronics, AND acts as a heat sink for the mighty CREE XM-L U2 LED. The knurled tailcap end is ever so slightly raised above the hexagonal sides of the main body, so the FLEX doesn't sit quite as flat as i'd have liked, but the meaty finger groves and that hexagonal body make it an ergonomic dream to wield or stuff a pocket with. A couple of narrow lanyard holes in the tailcap give you a carry-loop option.

Here's me doing a bit of an indoor test and comparison with my Surefire and ATAC A1, turning a cave into day.

Outside, the limitations of my iPhone to capture good night footage don't do the FLEX justice, but all the same, 500 Lumen is nothing to be scoffed at. I'm not sure if my car-headlights are this bright (bigger, yes, but as bright? I'm not sure).

Once I connected my FLEX to a PC, and messed around with the Arduino programs I found online, I settled with LOW-MED-HIGH, hold for flashy, hold and tap for strobe, and using the accelerometer, "go to sleep after 20 seconds of inactivity/wake on movement" for that "find your light in the dark tent" option. 

Going LOW-MED-HIGH at the tap of the button means I dont dazzle myself unnecessarily, or give my self away too badly if I am being careful about light discipline.  

Here's the comparison shots of the LOW-MED-HIGH settings indoors.

The HexBright FLEX is an awesome piece of engineering, I was really pleased to have received mine, even after the deliciously long wait, thanks to Christian's awesome updates and cute videos. This is definitely going into my EDC load, and my main concern is learn how to code new programs for it!


Non-US enquiries,  contact Christian directly at christian@hexbright.com

Video Review: IRL Shooter - Patient 0: Team Shinbashi 26-1-13

Here is another follow-up from my recent adventures in the "IRL Shooter: Patient 0" Lasertag zombie game ...


Our initial kit-up and training

Moving through the facility and decontamination

Running around and decisions made under presure

Multitasking: Sweep and clear AND hacking!

Chaos, casualties and karma

As you can see, the facility was very dark, very atmospheric and the zombies/actors very enthusiastic. The comms/storytelling was rich and immersive.

Video Review: United Cutlery M48 RangerHawk

This is me testing out the United Cutlery M48 Rangerhawk which I reviewed recently.

Hope you enjoy watching me chopping, piercing and hacking!

Click image to go to Think Geek's store

Review: United Cutlery - M48 Ranger Hawk axe

Here is my first totally "tacticool" post in a while. I have shown you some axe-love in the past, and even debunked a cancelled product post and flirted with some serious and lustful objects but haven't really gotten up close and personal with the smaller choppers, till now!

This piece of bad-assed pointy is the
M48 Kommando Ranger Hawk Axe from United Cutlery. I had seen this advertised on ThinkGeek, and loved the look of it, and for the price, was willing to grab one to mess with. ThinkGeek have changed their shipping conditions however and this as well as many other of their tool and cool items no longer ship to Australia. I don't know if this from their end or ours, but I was denied! I hate that. I managed to find alternate means of securing my item, via a well known ordering service named after a large South American river system. This too was not without issue, and following once cancellation, I managed to secure myself a chopper!

This head of this piece is "precision" cast 2Cr13 stainless steel, and features a wide bearded cutting edge, which sweeps downwards nicely, and has a very smooth geometry to its edge.The topside of the head has been beveled back and is not blackened like the rest of the head, which I thought was a little odd.. Three holes skeletonise the head, reducing the over all weight without making the piece flimsy feeling in the slightest. The back of the "beard" had a smooth finish and I felt I could grip it for precision whittling if it ever appealed to me. The whole piece weighs in at 1.088 kg (2.4lbs) and sitting at approximately 20cm (7 5/8") across the length of the head, and just under 40cm (15 1/2") "tall" This is a really light option for what it is.

There is apparently 90cm (36") a pole-axe version available as well, but it looks like it may be a different head too.



The flip side of the axe-head is this very impressive spiked beak, again with the edges being uncoated "false edges" in this case leading to a rather pointy, and well defined penetrating tip. the beak follows the same lines as the axe-beard, and sweeps downwards, aiding in transferring the energy of a swing. An interesting and well thought out feature seen clearly here is the notch cut into the underside of the beak, which fits the thumb-and-index finger top of your fist if you slide your hand right up the shaft to take a grip of just the head. This facilitates a really comfortable choked-up grip for fine chopping or perhaps cutting with the blade.
Traditionally,the back of a Tomahawk
seems to have primarily been a hammer type end, rather than a spike, which seems to have been more a common feature of the Warhammer. No less devastating when featured here though, I imagine.

The handle of this piece is nylon, reinforced with 30% fiberglass and features both a double sided "knuckle" for gripping and preventing you from accidentally sliding up the grip, as well as a series of deep groves running the circumference of the rounded handle.

A lanyard hole at the base fits paracord nicely, and in fact,  one of the options offered by United Cutlery is a cord-wrapped version (only on one colour of the handle as far as I can tell, the OD version). Speaking of which, there appear to be a number of colour options available for this, black, OD green, safety orange and rescue yellow. This is a really nice thought, allowing people to clearly indicate the tools function, or keep it subdued and inconspicuous for those people on two-way firing ranges who don't want to stand out.


The head of the axe is fitted to the haft with three TORX type screws, binding the tang to about 1/3 of the length of the haft. I was happy with the binding and security of this attachment, from the brief testing I gave this piece, but intend to do a whole lot more chopping with it shortly.

The sheath is probably the least satisfying piece of the package. Whilst the nylon and furniture was hefty and felt well put together, with rivets along the top and cutting edges, and press-studs to close the bottom of the sheath, for "pull-away" access, however, on the back of the sheath, the attachment options to mount the whole thing were pretty woeful on this model. A single narrow belt-loop was pretty limiting, and I think I will need to do some modifications before I can fit this into my current platforms and bug-out-bags. To be fair, the cord-wrapped / OD green option comes with a somewhat more accommodating sheath, with some PALS/MOLLE looking hook-and-loop tabs, but overall, this was a disappointing end to what was otherwise an outstanding looking and feeling little axe. . 

Perfect for that long trek in the bush, demounted search and rescue, breaching and increasingly for CQB if accounts are to be believed.   

VIDEO REVIEW HERE

Click to go to Think Geek store listing ....

You may wonder, in this era, why would people be interested in a hand-axe, well here are some Hollywood-produced suggestions....

Making a lasting first impression.... Colonial era style

Up close and personal, Revolutionary War style.

Video Review: Ontario Black Wind vs meat & bone

In the final of these three posts demonstrating the abilities of the KA-BAR Zombie Killer knives, Dead-On Annihilator, Stanley FUBAR and Ontario Blackwind, I will leave you with the abilities of the Blackwind, which I reviewed a while back. This now out-of-production blade is loosely based on a Japanese sword, being a single edged, two handed blade. This one is considerably shorter than a "standard" katana, and far less curved, being all but straight. It does lend itself to techniques that I am familiar with however, and I have used it extensively as a horticultural tool, hence my nickname for it, my "tree-chopping sword"


1 Ontario BlackWind vs beef leg-bone, following the KA-BAR Zombie Killer collection. Watch for flying bone fragments, which impressed the hell out of me. That's why I wore safety glasses!

2 BlackWind vs pig head. Now, this head already had some damage done, in the form of penetration tests from the KA-BAR's, but the damage dealt by the Blackwind goes way beyond this. I only have a little experience test-cutting, and have been away from kendo training for some time with an ankle injury, so my form was off, but it certainly got the job done, from a standing cut-chop point of view. (We generally practice a moving cut-slice in kendo) but fairly happy with how these two cuts felt, given the targets and placements.

All in all, I was very happy with these tests, the items I tested, and lastly, the great stocks I made from the leftovers. I hope you liked this series of posts, feel free to comment and make requests for my next video demonstration and review.

Video Review: FUBAR & Annihilator vs meat

Following on from my previous post where I demonstrated the kinds of effects the KA-BAR Zombie Killer knives have on a selection of beef and pig parts, today I compare and contrast The Dead-On Annihilator SuperHammer with the Stanley FUBAR.

For the two hammers, I did static tests with the the beef sides, leg bone and pig head on stacked logs. This was my first attempt at target cutting on meat, but was a very rewarding experience.

Again, I tried to limit myself to the, strikes and thrusts that I would use in a fighting situation, rather than what I might use in a demolition or handy-man type situation, in that I wanted to avoid over extension, and sufficient commitment to each strike to complete it satisfactorily whilst being in a follow-up position as well.

As I mentioned in the original post, and in the clips, all the meat was retrieved and used to make some really delightful stocks, the fat rendered for lard and the remnants fed to my chickens to supplement their pellet, grain and vegetable scrap diet.

So, on to the mayhem...


1 Dead-On Annihilator & Stanley FUBAR test vs prone sides of beef



1 Dead-On Annihilator & Stanley FUBAR vs beef leg-bone


Whilst being (presumably) off-purpose for these tools it was a very valuable set of tests for me personally, in that they demonstrated what kinds of effects these tools would have in the event of their being used in combat. Namely; messy and very unpleasant. I've had ribs and fingers broken from blunt-force trauma from weapons (accidentally during the course of kendo training) so can attest to how debilitating it can be, even with something as innocuous as the wooden bokken let alone a hammer. War-hammers were employed for centuries with devastating effect

Video Review: KA-BAR ZombieKiller blades

I wanted to do some practical testing of the
Ka-Bar Zombie Killer Knives that I have been reviewing of late, and felt the best way to do this was to do some practice cutting. Rather than invite strangers into my back yard for tsujigiri - the act of testing a sword on a chance passer-by, or tameshigiri- on rolled, wet, tatami matting, I chose to use a variety of meat and bone sources. Beef brisket off-cuts (with both bone and cartilaginous ribs), a beef leg bone, and halved pig head were my targets of choice.I could have used cardboard, bottles of water, bamboo, tatami-rolls or even, horror of horrors, fruit and vegetables but I wanted a more authentic performance test.

I hung the beef sides from a beam, to give it the opportunity to swing and move freely and also did static tests with the the beef sides, leg bone and pig head on stacked logs. This was my first attempt at target cutting on meat, but was a very rewarding experience.

I tried to limit myself to the cuts, strikes and thrusts that I would use in a fighting situation, rather than what I might use in a demolition or handy-man type situation, in that I wanted to avoid over extension, and sufficient commitment to each cut to complete it whilst being in a follow-up position as well.

All the meat was retrieved and used to make some really delightful stocks, the fat rendered for lard and the remnants fed to my chickens to supplement their pellet, grain and vegetable scrap diet.



1 Hanging beef-sides Vs the "Death" Dagger and "Famine" Tanto are the smaller two, with the "War" Sword and the "Pestilence" Chopper being the larger two.


2 Stabbing penetration beef-sides Vs the "Death" Dagger and "Famine" Tanto, along with the "War" Sword. The "Pestilence" Chopper did not have a stabbing tip so was not used for this test.


3 Beef leg bone the "Death" Dagger and "Famine" Tanto, with the "War" Sword and the "Pestilence" Chopper . I also tried out my "Tree Chopping Sword", the Ontario BlackWind which I reviewed a while back.


4 Finally, I tested the three stabbing capable KA-BAR's against the pig head for penetration.

I was really pleased with how each of these knives (and my sword) worked out. They did indeed wreak devastation onto the targets, effortlessly cutting and stabbing, chopping bone without a noticeable blemish to the edges or coatings.

I hope you enjoyed watching as much as I liked making these, and stay tuned for some hammering from the Annihilator and FUBAR, next!

Review: Hibben style throwing knives

Normally I am a firm believer in the "don't throw your weapon away" school of thought, but there is a great truth in the words of Drill Sergeant Zim "the enemy can not press a button, if you disable his hand". So, I've dabbled in the throwing of knives for some time now. I've had a few over the years, but these ones, and ones like them caught my eye after seeing Under Siege (at (8:56) yes, it's in Spanish) and they turned out to be a "real' product. These are knock-offs of the UC-454 Hibben Throwing Knives.

I acquired the big one from a disposal store, and the smaller is one of a pair, presented to me by a friend on my 21st birthday. They used to be diamond sharp and mirror edged, but I lent them to someone, who seemed to have practiced somewhere stony or something; the edges are pitted and dinged. I have not had the heart to take them to a grinder and get them smoothed out again, but I will in time. Still pointy, still fit for purpose, just ... dinged.

So, these are made of what I presume is 420 J2 stainless steel, like the originals, and are one piece in construction. 420 J2 is considered a "low end" of stainless steels. It is very stain and corrosion resistant, and tough due to being very soft. However, it is also very weak, and not very wear resistant. In a throwing knife, which is essentially a disposable piece of kit, by its very nature, this isn't such a big concern, as long as you bear that in mind. No matter what Steven Seagal may make you believe, these do not make good kitchen knives. Passable letter openers, to be sure, and nicely balanced throwers to boot. The hollow grind of both the real and false edges gives them a very clean look, and they fit the curve of the hand nicely. The simple blade geometry lends itself to keeping as good an edge as you can hope to with 420 J2 steel, which is to say, chopping sharp, but not slicing sharp. If you want a kitchen knife, get one. These are for "thunking" into targets, not sushi.

You can see that I have bound the larger of the two with a cord-wrap (badly), which gives it a little bit of a nicer grip in the hand. This adds a little mass to the back of the blade, but my knife throwing skills are such that it really doesn't matter what I do to the blade, nothing really increases or decreases my ability, which is to say, I could either do with some more time at the range, or leave it in my hand. Inexpensive at easy to come by at the time, (although less common in disposal shops around where I live these days due to the Weapons Control Act) I'm glad I have these, and wish I had somewhere wide, open and soft-floored to practice with them again.

100th Post: Questions and Answers

Hi there!
Thanks for reading, and hopefully, thanks for continuing along thus far.

I'd like a moment to re-welcome you to Apocalypse Equipped, which I've been writing since the beginning of December 2011.

This is a place for me to write about one of my passions: acquiring, using and carrying hardy and rugged gear that I feel will keep me prepared for disaster, if and when it strikes. It's a testbed, a review of my collection and a lifestyle both talking about, and thinking about preparedness.

It's place for me to review the various rugged, nifty and needful kit that I've accumulated, for every-day preparedness in the event of accident, disaster or world-shifting end-times Apocalypse, be it zombies, triffids or Mayan divide-by-zero errors.

I've been thrilled to get some great comments along the way, people either pointing out alternatives, calling me on lapses of logic or using this as a guide for their own choices. Brilliant! Likewise, I've been astonished by the amount of traffic I've gotten; I repost to Twitter, Google+ and Facebook (please feel free to add me on any, if you haven't already) and feel very grateful for the reposts that either my readers have given, or that my review-ies have given me. Thanks one and all!

So, now over to you, faithful readers ....

Is there something else you'd like to see me review? Gear, goodies, tech and toys? More of my semi-ranting "Home Front" posts? More "Wish-Lusts"? Or even another video-review? Is there something I'm missing?

I'm taking requests, lay it on me, and I'll see what I can manage.

So, thanks for the presence thus far, and I hope you'll continue reading!

Home Front: Training and Skills

As I mentioned in my opening post, I believe there is a lot we can do in order to be ready to face a disaster or catastrophe. Not just stockpiling needfuls, or getting the best kit and setup. More than choosing a prime bug-out location or arming yourself to the teeth, knowing how to survive in the face of hardship, and having the skills to get you out of a tight spot, and make it work in the long term to my mind is the difference between the gormless masses and the prepared. Molding the body and mind, as my kendo instructors have taught me, takes time, effort and dedication. Good teachers will guide, but it is up to the individual to learn, work and expand on that. I was inspired at an early age reading my fathers extensive library of Golden Age sci-fi. I came across this quote and it's stuck with me.

"A man should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." Lazarus Long Time Enough For Love - Robert A. Heinlein 

I like to think that in my life, I've managed to accumulate a number of skills, and more importantly an attitude much like those referenced by Clint Eastwood's character GySgt Highway in his 1986 film, Heartbreak Ridge "Adapt, innovate, overcome!". Somethings, like raising and keeping chookens, and growing a vegetable patch are pretty pedestrian, and apart from the space and effort of maintaining them, they are pretty low-skill skills to acquire. A while back I decided that the feral doves that were raiding our chooken food were worth potting, so modified a part of the bunny hutch to make a "lobster pot" type trap. 

After catching a bunch of them over the space of a few days, and plucking, gutting and cleaning them, I was able to make a variety of reasonably-tasty meals with what was essentially foraged meat. Later after deciding that it was a LOT of work for what it was, we returned the wire extension to the bunnies, much to the delight of Triceratops Girl (or in this case, Bunny Girl)

Cross training, is a skill that can be applied to -life-, not just the adventurous. I happen to be adventurous, so my cross-skilling takes that path. I can sail-board, snorkel and SCUBA dive, I learned to drive a 4WD in the desert of Dubai, in preparation for possible evacuation in the lead up to the First Gulf War as a teen, though it was a lot longer till I was road-licensed. Spending a lot of time climbing indoor walls (and buildings, before parkour became a "thing") whilst in uni gave me a good feel for rope use, rigging and ascension. Not to mention how to get into places that you generally shouldn't or expect to be able to.
I took woodwork in Junior High in Canada, from which some skills with hammers, nails, chisels and saws came, good for building, breaking and repairing when simply buying a new one isn't an option.Having "handy" skills is a real draw-card, I've found, and opens many doors, especially when in a community that might otherwise lack that particular set. Knowledge is currency in the information age, but so are social skills. Being able to network with those around you is just as much a learn-able and valuable skill as being able to knock together a coop, turn a couple of hand fulls of seeds into hearty dove stew or rigging a rope bridge across a chasm. Not everyone can be good at everything, and one person, whilst able to accomplish a lot, will be taxed and stressed enough by a disaster situation, without having the pressure of "doing it all themselves". Gather your crew, work out who can do what, who is willing to learn and do new things, and how you can improve and develop everyone's skills, and attitudes.

Most people wont find the prospect of my training for the Tough Mudder to be very appealing, then again, who relishes the idea of digging in the fields to get next seasons crops in, or doing a full inventory audit of your supplies? Some things need preparation, in order to be ready for the challenges ahead!


We have a saying in our house, which is pretty well understood by us and ours "you get a place in our bunker..." (and the converse, equally holds "they DON'T get a place in the bunker..."). So perhaps you need to ask yourself, have you got the skills it will take to adapt, innovate and overcome? If not, or if you think there are things you could learn, train and develop in yourself, when is too soon to start? gambatte!  

Wish Lust: Sword- The Deuce

It's the festive season, and that brings up the topic of wish-lists in my family, which in turn gets me looking around for needfuls and lustfuls. There are things that I want that I know are big ticket items, which were I not already buying things for my friends, loved ones and family, I would have already snagged. This is one of those. The Deuce by Zombie Tools. I really like their attitude, marketing and the looks of their pieces. 

And here is why.