Ive been looking into having a shower awning on the side of my new van and after looking at several different brands I came across the Quickpitch, having the most solid bracket system I could find. Im also looking at hot water systems. I dont like having indoor systems they take up too much room and when they break. Been there done that. There are several options listed below. from a Joolca portable LPG operated system. To a solar and 12volt options. Still looking into comparing whats out there, but prefer portable and easy to fix.
I was searching for a problem solving system and Trackways Online Courses appeared in my search. Interesting online courses going cheap. I havent signed up for any yet. Im concentrating on live courses at the moment unless there are more lockdowns.
The following youtube seminar pretty much sums up where we are in the world today and what possible ramifications will be happening in the next 30 years and what has led us to this point. A very interesting talk by Peter Zeihan and how agriculture and economics effect the planet.
It will be interesting how the restriction of the three big fertilizer types will be the new way of fighting. Economics and agriculture are the new ways of fighting wars and control.
Brief notes Pay attention to the following;
trade routes for fuel supplies 2 destroyers in the Indian ocean imports and exports from different countries and reliance air launch cruise missiles to Australia and range great incites into barrack Obama and Donald Trump export markets, health, mass consumption, financial stability and food countries require all these to remain stable African swine flu in pig herd culled in the last three years and how they are fed quickly to build herd back up food unstable countries 3 to 8 years to bring oil field on line shale basins 3 to 8 weeks to bring on line and transport and all on land 9 access points to Russian defense Georgia Crimea karvekstan Ukraine
all three fertlizers removed at some time and consequences
Russia and belarus potash 2nd and 4th exporters phosphate based fertilizers from china nitrogen due to fuel problems
Written as a novel and not as a text book for starters. I’m sitting here trying to think of other books that have I reread more times than this one and Dune by Frank Herbert is the only one that comes to mind. Every-time I sit down and read this book I have to keep a note pad with me. The amount of ideas, research matter. inspiration for learning.ideas for articles that I have found between the pages.
The overview is why he became interested in prepping and the lessons and journey he takes into that world. Starting with seeing through apocalypse eyes to noticing the corruption around him and going into history. This book actually started my journey into studying history. Such as with questions. “Why didn’t the Jews leave Nazi Germany”? Funnily enough years after reading this book I’m now living the same or well similar circumstances of Pre-Nazi Germany and the mentality of the people on many levels.
Through the realization that his country cant protect him after Hurricane Katrina and similar events.With research from writing articles for the NY Times with such headings as Birthday Clowns to Avoid and tips on Death Cult Etiquette, you stay amused through the chapters.
You get to page 65 when he explores what happens to the reaction of people to 9/11 by page 88 your looking into the laws that the US passed. Similar to here in Australia that no one noticed or assumed they could never be used against them. A very eye opening section that started me looking into Australian laws. The second half of the book details his run to learning from tracking , shooting, having a back up plan to learning blades and how to kill and butcher a goat.Becoming part of the circle of life!
I try to put every prepper I meet onto this book because I can see their all runners. Running from fear. The last third of this book the author stops running from life and runs to it. Hes learnt to be a EMT and search and rescue and hes no longer running and in fear hes running toward something. This is a lesson I want every prepper to learn. Skills negate the fear! Id really like to see a sequel after this longer time and see if hes kept up with it all.
I wrote an article a while ago about basic EDC gear. That said always carry a cutting tool, a way to start a fire, a light and a tactical pen. Id like to amend that with an idea I am starting to work on after writing about tourniquets and pressure bandages. That is to also include a tourniquet.
My idea is to find a small pouch that I can put on my belt that will hold an Olaes flat pack pressure bandage and a RATS tourniquet. The idea came from the RATS being the smallest and easiest tourniquet to carry but I wanted to wrap it flat pack style so it doesn’t bulk out a pocket. So it is always on you and not just in the car or a shoulder bag or knapsack.
I always pick up a blade I don’t always pick up a medical system to support that blade.
(Disclaimer not a medical technician. This is personal opinion blah blah blah for the snowflakes)
Im putting this up for a mate that was asking questions about what to purchase after looking at the medical kits and IFAKs on the US sites.
I pretty much said buy from Tacmed Australia and make your own its cheaper. To put together a Wilderness medical kit theres a good youtube clip by the Grey Bearded Green Beret linked at bottom of the page. One thing I would like to emphasis that was on the full length dvd was you not qualified watching a youtube clip, go out and get proper training.
Some people will say to use one type over another. Simply put I use different bandages for different applications.
Firstly Pressure Bandages.
Israeli vs Olaes. I use both The Olaes has 3 meters of packing gauze included and a plastic sheet for abdominal wounds and a velcro braking system to stop the bandage unrolling. The Israeli has a plastic clip to make it easier to obtain better pressure.
Israeli left Olaes right
In all my IFAKs I have Olaes bandages due to the extras. I use the flat pack version in my Blue Force Gear Micro Trauma kit so it will fit. Where I use Israeli Bandages are on my harnesses and gun belt set up. They just fit easier into the type of tourniquet holder I use.
Israeli on harness
Tourniquet Differences.
Once again there are advantages and disadvantages of each type and style. On all my harness and belt systems I use SOF T wide. They’re wider for femoral leg wounds and have an aluminum windlass as opposed to a plastic one.If I’m going to use something on myself I want the best. The SOF T also has a buckle system so once staged you don’t have to slide it up over the appendage. They also have a triangular locking system for the windlass as opposed to a velco locking tab.
SOF T on harness showing triangular locking lug
In the IFAKs I keep in my medical kits I use the SWAT rubber style. I don’t care if I apply it to someone else and they are dragged off in an ambulance with a $20 piece of equipment. Where as the SOF T version s are more than three times in price. The Swats also pack smaller and flatter.
swat rubber
The RATs versions are great for keeping around for kids and they fit in pockets the smallest. I always have them about.
couldnt get a good pic of mine
Gauze and Quickclot
Combat Gauze is the best but also very expensive so I use it with my firearms related equipment, and stand sport quickclot in my other gear.
combat gauze
It came down to price, packing ability and where I expect the most damage to a wound as to where I would use different pieces of gear. For Combat you have four appendages so need four tourniquets. For bushcraft use I carry Two. A SOF T and a RATs for Kids. You can never own too many tourniquets or pressure bandages. Dont get hung up on hype better off having one than none.
Q; Why do I use more than one type. A; If I could afford all SOF T tourniquets I would buy all SOF T but I cant . I also wanted to try out a few different ones for myself which not many people do.prices listed below and I look out for sales specials usually. Q; Why use different ones for those applications A; First RATs always have a tourniquet for kids and they fit in a pocket the easiest to carry on a person and not in a kit. Second I have three SOF T one for harness, one for battle belt and third for bushcraft gear. I cant afford any more than that. Those are the places I expect the greatest amount of bleeding. Third SWATs I can afford to fill my IFAKs and trauma kits with these In AUD SOF T t $46 SWAT $20 from legear normally $30 RATS $35 CATS $65 combat gauze $80
As part of my communications set up Ive purchased a GME TX 6160 UHF hand held radio. I may at a later time purchase an installed radio set up within my 4WD but Ive found a handheld does most of what I require.
When I was younger I didn’t see the need for off grid communications. I went bush to get away from all that and didn’t want to talk to anyone. Now I’m older and have injuries and health issues, as-well as after a few incidents Ive reconsidered. I still have to upgrade a PLB too.
I was driving up in the hills in Northern NSW by myself and was only 50 meters off the main road and sunk into clay. I managed to get out but thought. One I had left my GHB at home half completed and Two no phone signal. I couldn’t even open the doors to let the dog out and walk back to the main road and with lock-downs and paranoia rampant, had no chance of getting help.
I had turned around before sinking any further and limped back to the main road. I didn’t even have my air compressor with me to drop the tyre pressures to 10 pounds to get out of the soup easily. Where I drive now there is no phone reception on the tracks and that’s only 15 minutes from a township.
My Fly fishing instructor was also telling me about carrying a PLB after he tripped and hurt his leg in a stream crossing. Fifty feet from a main road and no way to get help trying to crawl up a river bank. You don’t have to be in the middle of no where to need a PLB. Fifty meters from a road may require one, especially in snake season.
They were just little things not far from home where I should have been more watchful, thinking I’m not going far I wont worry about packing recovery gear. Now I always have the back of the 4WD packed with recovery gear, communications equipment, cooking gear, tarps and first aid, tools, GHB, food, etc.
Having said that I continually break that rule by needing to help people move, use the back of the tray for building equipment. In three weeks time I have emptied everything out to travel three hours to my bushcraft course and need the room for my backpack and hiking trolley and to drop off all my dogs bedding , food etc to a mate to baby sit the day before.
I’m not a big radio freak and want to talk to people (People give me the shits) but the two systems Ive brought will let me either let me know whats going on around me or get me out of trouble in combination with a Slim Jim antenna for extra range.
Ive been reorganizing my all my gear into boxes ready for my move into a smaller van. Selling my 17 foot caravan and building a 14.5 foot off road trailer more suited for extended off road use. I came across some of the equipment I had purchased when I was a member of a HAM Radio club preparing for my licence.
This had more to do with communications . I’m attempting to get back into it after urging from a mate in the US. Rob from Practical Survivor Blog.
When looking up some of the antenna systems on the AMP 3 site it looks like they no longer list them but I have emailed to see if they are still available.
Follows are a couple of shortwave long wire antennas and a crystal Radio from Patriot Radios that also looks like they no longer exist. I have included a link to Geojohn crystal radios. I first started getting into crystal radios after seeing a WW2 movie of prisoners of war making a radio that did not require power to receive news from the outside.
I have also included a link to the Baofeng users handbook.
crystal radiopacket decriptionpacket contentsslim Jim antenna
I had joined a local Ham Radio Club back home but had to drop out when I started traveling again but would like to buy a cheap hand held unit just to listen to information rather than relying on free to air TV or youtube for information. I have been looking at the handheld units Yaaesu VX-6DR analog just to start with before getting into the digital FT-5DR at double the price. Along with a portable packtenna and sotabeams tactical mini mast system.
Ive been using a Yoyito handline . However I replaced the nylon with double taper flyline from an old reel. It makes it easier pulling in the line by hand. I came across the idea at a trout farm that had a similar set up for children.
