Drinking through a fire hose...

Camelbak Motherlode

So what can be said about the “Motherlode” that makes it worth your hard earned dollars?  First off, you can drink through this thing like you are drinking through a fire hose.  With the wide mouth bladder, you can fill it back up just as quickly.  Fill this bad boy up with 3L of your favorite liquid.  If you want to survive, I recommend water.  If you are courageous you could try something else, but you’ll likely just end up as a dehydrated mess of worm food and some lucky bastard will make off with the rest of your kit.  This is an awesome hydration system built into an amazing bag.  Click the video you will find in the title link.  It will give you a great idea of what the bag looks and feels like.  Unfortunately, pictures don’t really do it justice.

Second, as a bug out bag (BOB), this thing is 2258 cubic inches of awesome.  What else is nearly this size?  This is a medium size bag, think of a large school bag or a small rucksack.  Some examples of these:   

The straps are padded excellently on this pack and they keep you comfortable over the miles.  I have not yet put more miles on this pack than it was comfortable to carry.  All told, I’ve carried it for a grand total of somewhere around 100 miles.  It survived an entire deployment and it still hasn’t busted a seam or stitch anywhere.  If you are a fan of the waist belt packs, this pack has an integrated waist belt.  When in regular hiking mode, I don’t use this.  I find them awkward and uncomfortable.  When I purchase a second one of these, (which I plan on, in MultiCam) and have it as my dedicated BOB, I will leave the waist belt on.  Its usefulness in that scenario will outweigh its otherwise goofy appearance. (Seen below in manufacturer's picture.)

Photo Source

Now I know a lot of you are thinking that this is really small for a BOB, but let’s be real about this.  Though your BOB is your lifeline, you also have to carry it.  Many of us are not in any kind of physical shape to carry anymore than 30-50lbs over extended distances.  I’m a soldier and I’m in pretty dang good shape, especially by military standards.  Why does that even matter?  The Army expects you to be able to carry approximately 75 pounds of gear (this includes your weapon (@ 8-10lbs depending on cool guy gear) and protective gear (@ about 30lbs for your helmet, ballistic armor, ACUs and boots)) 12 miles in under four hours.  If you want to be high-speed, make 12 miles in 3 hours or less.  For a select few in the military, they can make it this entire distance in less than two hours.  Now keep in mind, to cover that amount of ground in that amount of time you are doing a mile every ten minutes at two hours, every 15 minutes at three and every 20 minutes at four hours.

Why do I say all of this?  Learn to pack light, it will save your life, or at the very least, make it much easier to survive.  At some point you have to make a tradeoff between survivability and mobility.  This is the same decision anyone going into combat has to make.  Move quickly, but be exposed, or move slowly, but be able to survive a tank round to the face. (NOTE: You will NEVER be able to survive a tank round to the face, do not try.)

I, (obviously) am a fan of packing light.  Eventually, I will post an entire layout of my BOB on here for anyone to copy if you like the idea.  I’m currently in the process of building this awesome pocket kit for every member of my family.  Click this link.  It will give you a great example of what you can do with some creative thinking and not much space.  So if you have a great idea of how to pack light, or just want to share some ideas on what you would put in your BOB, please feel free to post a comment.

As always get D.E.E.P., F.A.S.T. and survival becomes second nature.

A tale of two knives...

Gerber Evo Jr 

I love Gerber knives. This is your basic pocket knife. It has some great little bits about it. I got this to replace the Applegate-Fairbairn Mini Covert serrated knife that I had to unfortunately leave in Afghanistan due to a lack of prior planning on my part. It was the best pocket knife I have ever owned, from its balance; to sharpness and perfect length it was just an amazing knife. I’m sure some Navy Customs agent is loving that knife right now. I make it a habit to not buy things twice if I sell them, lose them or break them, and this is one of the few items that may become an exception to the policy. This is of course, once I break or lose the Evo Jr. This is a link for the Mini-Covert. The two reasons you should by this knife above any other pocket knife…..it weighs less than two ounces and is coated with titanium nitride for added corrosion resistance. Gerber Evo Jr.: +1, Mother Nature: 0

Some Stats:
· Blade Length: 2.75"
· Closed Length: 3.6"
· Overall Length: 6.35"
· Weight: 1.80 oz.
· Handle: Aluminum

 

Gerber LMF II Infantry - Coyote Brown

 

 

I love everything about this knife. This knife was built as a survival knife and you can certainly tell. You could probably club a bear to death with this thing. When you hold it you know you have a man’s knife in your hand. What’s more is that it actually has a small area that could be used as a hammer in a crunch. It has holes built in to it so that you can lash it to a pole and use it as a spear! A freaking spear!!! As far as the fun and cool guy factor goes, that is definitely up there. On the useful side of the house, you can use it to spear fish…..sharks. Additionally, it was designed to pierce the fuselage of plane, so if you ever find yourself face to face with a rhino, well….run. If you try to take down a rhino with a knife you are stupid…..DON’T! Three of the five species of Rhinos are listed as critically endangered anyway, and it’s likely you have no idea which is which, so leave them alone. (Side note: I had no idea either I had to Wikipedia it.)

Back to the knife, it’s insulated, so even if you accidentally hack into a live wire you shouldn’t give yourself a shock. Though this is obviously not a recommended practice, it’s nice to know you are covered even if you have a moment of sheer stupidity. You can use this knife to sever small branches and lash together a quick shelter. It is even fire resistant. They don’t mention it in their details, but the butt of the knife can easily punch through glass. Finally, it’s a knife, so it does anything any other standard knife will do, it cuts stuff, just really, really thick stuff.

Finally some details about the sheath. You can attach it to your leg, your belt, your MOLLE gear with integrated MOLLE straps, or you can 550 cord it to your gear. The picture doesn't do it justice, however, the leg straps have a really sticky, rubbery cord sewn in to them that helps keep the knife stationary when attached to your leg. The only way the knife will move when it is attached this way, is if you have it on loose, or your pants actually move, this stuff really sticks. Worried about keeping this beast sharp as you hack through airplanes and floss alligator’s teeth? Don’t, it has an integrated sharpener, so your blade will always be as sharp as your wits, and hopefully, just a bit sharper.

Some stats on this beast of a knife:
· Overall Length: 10.59"
· Blade Length: 4.84"
· Weight: 24.28 oz. (w/ Sheath)
· Weight: 11.67 oz. (w/o Sheath)
· Blade Style: Drop Point
· Blade Material: 420HC Stainless
· Blade Type: Serrated
· Handle Material Glass-filled nylon with TPV overmold
· Sheath Material: Ballistic nylon with fire retardant coating
· Lashing holes for use as spear
· Low-profile sheath with built-in sharpener
· 2 Leg Straps
· Sheath
· MOLLE Compatible

 

Gerber Wish List
This is my Gerber wish list. Basically, I just want to beat the stuffing out of all of these items and see if they will hold up to the abuse. I’m very tough on my equipment, but I think that plays in to the theme of this blog anyway. When everything has fallen apart and the world as we know it no longer exists, will these items be something you can actually stake your life or homestead on. Of course, I’m in the military and have limited resources (read: money) so either Gerber is going to have to give me these (never going to happen) or the write ups for these items will take years to complete. I will purchase things on this list as I break or wear out the gear I already have.

Things I will probably never be able to afford (or I don’t foresee breaking the items I already have , thus they do not need replaced):

De Facto Knife
Gerber Crucial Multi-tool
DMF-Modified Clip Point(or the Tanto)
Efect Military Maintenance Tool
Cable Dawg Tool
Brush Thinner

Things I should eventually get:

Back Paxe
Splitting Axe
Machete Pro
Epic Drop Point
Folding Pruners
E-Z Skinner
Profile Fixed – Gut Hook
Profile Fixed – Drop Point
Artifact
Shard

Where do the days go

Unfortunately, I got a little behind.  To caught up in work and packing for my new assignment.  I always do DITY moves and they are an absolute pain.  Anyway, I have gone on yet another little adventure that I will talk with you about tomorrow.  For today, one of the reviews that I promised you from the pictures I originally posted.  I always carry around a small pocket knife so I wrote a review about that, and the thing you see in the pictures strapped to the bottom of my leg, may be the most epic knife ever created.  For being a relatively "basic" knife, it's very hard to beat.  Now I just need Gerber to start sending me free stuff to review for them.  I'm sure that will happen with all the views I'm getting on this blog. (Insert hysterical laughter.)

Anyway, I'm sure the blog will pick up eventually, until then.  Whoever my one or two viewers are, enjoy.

Photo Shoots and Discovery Channel’s Doomsday Preppers

Sunday of this week, I took my family out into the wilds of my current post and did a little impromptu photo shoot.  I was stopped by cops and questioned.  It’s ironic how military training can go on all over post, but as soon as you step outside to conduct a little survival training (er…photography) you get the tenth degree.  I can walk around with knives and blades and march down a road by myself with an assault rifle, but I’m getting water-boarded for hanging out on the trails around post.   

Bunker 1

Bunker 2

Gear Shot 1

Gear Shot 2

Goofing Off

On to the point….I will continue conducting photo shoots and posting the pictures up for all of you to see.  Throughout the following week I will break down the items used in the photo shoot and give you a basic “review” of the item.  For more complex items, (such as weapons) I will also include any technical drawings I can scrounge up, field stripping procedures and any other information that I believe could be of use to you and your family.

Yesterday was terrible, so unfortunately no post and now I am a bit behind.  I’ll try to catch up a bit tomorrow.

Fitness for the day (remember Fitness is the F in “FAST”) was focused around chest and biceps.  I still have to upload all my data to Bodybuilding.com which is a great website for the record.  If you are more interested in fitness than you are all the rest of “DEEP_FAST” it would be a great site for you.  If you aren’t into fitness you should be, if you aren’t fit enough to carry your Bug Out Bag or defend your family, what is the point of prepping to begin with.  If this describes you, please just send me your prepping gear and any money you plan to spend in the future, because someone is just going to waste you and take your gear.  If you send it to me, I can do a review and everyone wins!

Doomsday Preppers was on the Discovery Channel today.  If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly suggest you watch the show.  I’ve even learned and re-learned some survival skills.  It is full of great ideas and showcases a wide range of prepper ideologies.

The breakdown of items used in the shoot will begin tomorrow.  Prep yourselves for information download, and yes, the corny pun was intended.

NOTE: I did not actually get water-boarded.

 Photo Source

National Parks Week - Make your own adventure

This marks my first post for the blog, and it is something that I hold near and dear to my heart.  Get out from behind your computer, TiVO or DVR whatever shows you just can't live without, collect up your kids, AND GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!  Go explore, have an adventure.  Adventure plays into the FAST acronym and I'm sure you wonder where adventure plays into everything else.  Adventure is....put simply....PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE and potentially TRAINING.  Potentially more important than that, it is your life, the memories you build with your family and friends, the fun events you can look back on in life and smile at, especially if the TEOTWAWKI ever happens.

All of this to say, it's National Parks Week and ALL 397 National Parks are offering free admission, all week long.  So if you happen to be close to one, get out there and explore.  Test some of your survival equipment, test how your Bug Out Bag actually feels on a cross country hike.  Test something, even if that is just a new way of making Smores.  Bottom line, get outside and have some fun.

(Link to National Parks website) http://www.nps.gov/npweek/


-Sly Fox