Keep Your Car Keys By Your Bed At Night
Many of us can't afford a burglar alarm system, but if you have an alarm on your car you have an alarm system in place whenever you're in your house.
Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear someone breaking into your house hit the car remote's panic button; it will set off the car alarm. (Some remotes require you to hold down two buttons to enter the panic mode.)
Test it before you depend on it. Your remote will probably cause your car alarm to go off from almost everywhere in your house. If there's a dead spot, remember it.
Just like if someone were breaking into your car, once the car alarm enters panic mode it will keep honking your horn (or wailing the siren) until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain or your battery runs down.
Obviously this tactic works better if your vehicle is parked in the driveway, but even if the car is in the garage the noise should cause housebreakers to take flight.
In any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't get to the phone the car alarm trick will draw attention.
Take Shopping Carts Back To The Store
[Edit] This one has been nagging me ever since I posted it. I was so busy mixing up fancy words that I failed to communicate, prompting a question that indicated a lack of understanding of what I meant. In short, I wasn't clear enough.
To be clear, the sole purpose of taking a shopping cart with you from the parking lot to the store or mall is to provide a mobile barrier. Period. Likewise on your way back out to your vehicle you should take a mobile barrier (shopping cart) with you to your car for the same reason. You are under no obligation to put the shopping cart into the cart corral when you get back to your vehicle. Doing so would expose you to the very danger you've been avoiding. [End edit]
I encourage my wife, niece and any other female to take a shopping cart from the parking lot into the store when they go shopping. I also do it myself. Because I'm a good citizen? No. Because you can't run from every scruffy looking person that comes near you in the parking lot. But you can play hard to get.
Taking an empty shopping cart into the store as you enter may earn you Browne points with store management, but more importantly it provides a mobile barrier you put between you and an attacker on your way in.
When my wife's niece visited us on her way to college I challenged her to a game of tag around a shopping cart. As my wife looked on in disapproval, she came to realize that as long as I kept the shopping cart between us she couldn't catch even an old codger like me.
Of course you'll want to take a shopping cart out with you as you return to your car too; even if you didn't buy anything. This is a safety issue; it's not about helping the store with its carts. Leaving your shopping cart in the Cart Corral as you are leaving is optional.
Now, add to that yelling and screaming as you're being chased around the shopping cart and you've got your mobile personal defense barrier for going into and coming out of the store day or night. A rapist/robber doesn't want attention from all the people in the parking lot and those coming out of the store. He'll run off.
Pedestrian U-Turn on sidewalk
Another trick I showed her was the U-Turn when some creep is driving alongside her trying to pick her up while she is walking on the sidewalk. Walking faster won't work 'cause the creep in the car can go a lot faster then a human can run.
But just by turning around and walking back the other way women & girls can derail a lecher's plans. He can't back up into traffic and if he tries he's likely to back himself into an accident. Besides showing the roué she's not interested this tactic puts distance between her and Lothario in case he's tempted to try more forceful means. A few months ago she called to say the U-Turn maneuver worked for her.
-------------------
(RRM writes)
Your ideas and suggestions were very good and hope that will help other people.
Thanks for sharing,
RRM
(I appreciate your vote of thanks,
DesertDave)
-------------------
To Comment on this article
E-Mail Me Unless you specifically ask me not to, I'll post your reply here in the blog so everyone can read it. Of course I'll remove your last name, email address and any other specific information for privacy purposes.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
MultiCam Camouflage: the Desert Test
This article will be rather short on words but long on pictures. My wife and I went out into the Southwestern desert this morning to take some pictures of me decked out in Atlanco (Tru-Spec brand name) MultiCam from boonie hat to jacket and pants.
We took about 86 pictures: two each of me with my head down behind the MultiCam bonnie hat to hide my un-camouflaged face from the camera and two each of me in the exact same position looking at the camera so viewers could see my face.
Relax; I'm only going to show you six of the best pictures here. Three in which it will be hard to spot me and three of me in the same spot but with my face showing so you'll know where to look when you go back to look at the first picture again.
Double Click on a picture to enlarge it.
Keep in mind that although your viewing is hampered by having to look at an image on a computer screen you also have the advantage of knowing there's a person in the picture so eventually you'll spot me because you know to keep looking. Now imagine you're walking along a trail with no idea where to look. Ayup! You could easily walk right by a whole platoon, wearing MultiCam, hiding in the bushes or even in knee high grass.
Although it's hard to judge from the images, all pictures were taken from within pistol shot range, 50 yards, (which amounts to close range for a rifle) and a few well within easy pistol range.
Also when in sunlight black (as in black rifles) tends to stand out against a lighter background.
I know of no camouflage that can help you remain hidden when you're backlit in an open area. The contrast between the lighter sunlit area and the shaded side of you creates an instant silhouette.
As with all camouflage just about everything's easier to hide in shadow so I'm not including the pictures of me in shadows since I'm invisible in them even to me and I know where I was standing when the picture was taken. Suffice to say if you're forced to hide wearing non-camouflage clothing (hopefully browns, grays or dark tans) shadows are a good place to do it.
As my own mini adventures and the searches of the Spanish Peaks area documented in Incident At Big Sky have shown once you've eliminated white and/or bright clothing from the equation remaining still is the key to not being noticed.
To Comment on this article E-Mail Me Unless you specifically ask me not to, I'll post your reply here in the blog so everyone can read it. Of course I'll remove your last name, email address and any other specific information for privacy purposes.
We took about 86 pictures: two each of me with my head down behind the MultiCam bonnie hat to hide my un-camouflaged face from the camera and two each of me in the exact same position looking at the camera so viewers could see my face.
Relax; I'm only going to show you six of the best pictures here. Three in which it will be hard to spot me and three of me in the same spot but with my face showing so you'll know where to look when you go back to look at the first picture again.
Double Click on a picture to enlarge it.
Keep in mind that although your viewing is hampered by having to look at an image on a computer screen you also have the advantage of knowing there's a person in the picture so eventually you'll spot me because you know to keep looking. Now imagine you're walking along a trail with no idea where to look. Ayup! You could easily walk right by a whole platoon, wearing MultiCam, hiding in the bushes or even in knee high grass.
Although it's hard to judge from the images, all pictures were taken from within pistol shot range, 50 yards, (which amounts to close range for a rifle) and a few well within easy pistol range.
Also when in sunlight black (as in black rifles) tends to stand out against a lighter background.
I know of no camouflage that can help you remain hidden when you're backlit in an open area. The contrast between the lighter sunlit area and the shaded side of you creates an instant silhouette.
As with all camouflage just about everything's easier to hide in shadow so I'm not including the pictures of me in shadows since I'm invisible in them even to me and I know where I was standing when the picture was taken. Suffice to say if you're forced to hide wearing non-camouflage clothing (hopefully browns, grays or dark tans) shadows are a good place to do it.
As my own mini adventures and the searches of the Spanish Peaks area documented in Incident At Big Sky have shown once you've eliminated white and/or bright clothing from the equation remaining still is the key to not being noticed.
To Comment on this article E-Mail Me Unless you specifically ask me not to, I'll post your reply here in the blog so everyone can read it. Of course I'll remove your last name, email address and any other specific information for privacy purposes.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
MultiCam Camouflage Clothing
MultiCam looked so spectacularly effective on my computer screen I decided I had to have a set of my own – purely for evaluation purposes you understand. Since I have such problems with fit in military clothing I determined that a vacation from my retirement in the form of a road trip was in order.
A few hundred miles into the trip I'd tried REI (sporting goods store) and Bass Pro looking for MultiCam without success. The Bass Pro's camouflage "expert" (a young lady in her early twenties) told me the camouflage pattern "has been discontinued" and seemed confused when informed the pattern was so new it was just starting to hit the market and was current issue to our troops in Afghanistan.
I'd done business before at a surplus store in Ft. Collins, Colorado called Jax Outdoor Gear so I thought I'd revisit them and check for MultiCam.
VICTORY! Jax, now three times larger than I remembered it, has MultiCam! Well, kind'a sort'a. They had a Tru-Spec brand jacket (shirt) by Atlanco in my size but no pants in my size at that time. Nor did they have any MultiCam boonie hats in my size left on the shelves when I came through. I was assured a new shipment was expected soon. I decided to check back with Jax on my way home.
I could hardly believe this stuff! Seeing pictures of it blending into a variety of backgrounds on the web is one thing, but seeing the pattern in person is something else. It almost seemed to be trying to blend in with the walls in my motel room as I wrote my notes on the purchase.
The merchandising guys at MultiCam have dubbed this camo pattern the "One perfect camo pattern for all environments and for all seasons."
Perfect? Er... what about snow? Hey, pobody's nerfect and since I don't plan to invade Antarctica anytime soon I'll give the advertising guys a pass on that one.
But I do have to agree with "... with MultiCam you can actually become one with the background whether it's an eastern hardwood forest, a western prairie or a duck blind on a southeastern waterway." And I'll add it works pretty darn well in southwestern deserts too. This camo pattern is truly awesome!
I stopped by Jax again on the way back home and picked up another set of real Tru-Spec MultiCams since I was having so much trouble finding them.
I'm now the proud possessor of two (2) Atlanco (Tru-Spec brand name) MultiCam shirts (cotton twill & ripstop) and MultiCam pants. I've learned to look for the "MultiCam" label since there are some knockoffs out there. You have to look for the Tru-Spec or Propper brand label and/or the little two-tone tab that says "MultiCam" peeking out from a seam. I still need to find a genuine Tru-Spec or Propper boonie hat to complete my MultiCam camouflage ensemble.
It seems the Army & Navy stores have beat out the big sporting goods stores on this one. Every big name (REI, Bass Pro and another one I can't recall right now) sporting goods store I've gone to hasn't even heard of MultiCam but two out of three surplus stores I visited were carrying MultiCam or a cheap off brand imitation of a slightly different color scheme. Problem is it's flying off the shelves of the surplus stores so fast it's hard to find the real stuff in my size.
The Cabela's store I visited didn't have MultiCam in stock; however Cabela's does list MultiCam on their website.
Success! I picked up (at last) a genuine Tru-Spec MultiCam boonie hat in Albuquerque. My MultiCam "outfit" was at last complete. As far as I've been able to discover the only MultiCam boots on the market are more brown leather than Multicam pattern so I'll pass on those for now. When I compare the real MultiCam camouflage pattern by Atlanco (Tru-Spec brand name) or Propper (Public Safety brand name) to BDU's from some imitator I can see the difference. I expect that difference will show in the field too.
My goals at the start of the Road Trip were to:
A. Collect a full set of the new MultiCam BDU's that fit me which would mean trying them on and checking the labels to insure I was getting the real Tru-Spec MultiCam camouflage pattern. Fallback Position/ Plan B: Order from the Internet and hope.
B. Not miss a single episode of Tom Selleck in Blue Bloods on CBS Friday nights. Fallback Position/ Plan B: Hope for reruns.
Thanks to Jax and in room hotel TV's I succeeded in accomplishing both goals.
To Comment on this article E-Mail Me Unless you specifically ask me not to, I'll post your reply here in the blog so everyone can read it. Of course I'll remove your last name, email address and any other specific information for privacy purposes.
A few hundred miles into the trip I'd tried REI (sporting goods store) and Bass Pro looking for MultiCam without success. The Bass Pro's camouflage "expert" (a young lady in her early twenties) told me the camouflage pattern "has been discontinued" and seemed confused when informed the pattern was so new it was just starting to hit the market and was current issue to our troops in Afghanistan.
I'd done business before at a surplus store in Ft. Collins, Colorado called Jax Outdoor Gear so I thought I'd revisit them and check for MultiCam.
VICTORY! Jax, now three times larger than I remembered it, has MultiCam! Well, kind'a sort'a. They had a Tru-Spec brand jacket (shirt) by Atlanco in my size but no pants in my size at that time. Nor did they have any MultiCam boonie hats in my size left on the shelves when I came through. I was assured a new shipment was expected soon. I decided to check back with Jax on my way home.
I could hardly believe this stuff! Seeing pictures of it blending into a variety of backgrounds on the web is one thing, but seeing the pattern in person is something else. It almost seemed to be trying to blend in with the walls in my motel room as I wrote my notes on the purchase.
The merchandising guys at MultiCam have dubbed this camo pattern the "One perfect camo pattern for all environments and for all seasons."
Perfect? Er... what about snow? Hey, pobody's nerfect and since I don't plan to invade Antarctica anytime soon I'll give the advertising guys a pass on that one.
But I do have to agree with "... with MultiCam you can actually become one with the background whether it's an eastern hardwood forest, a western prairie or a duck blind on a southeastern waterway." And I'll add it works pretty darn well in southwestern deserts too. This camo pattern is truly awesome!
I stopped by Jax again on the way back home and picked up another set of real Tru-Spec MultiCams since I was having so much trouble finding them.
I'm now the proud possessor of two (2) Atlanco (Tru-Spec brand name) MultiCam shirts (cotton twill & ripstop) and MultiCam pants. I've learned to look for the "MultiCam" label since there are some knockoffs out there. You have to look for the Tru-Spec or Propper brand label and/or the little two-tone tab that says "MultiCam" peeking out from a seam. I still need to find a genuine Tru-Spec or Propper boonie hat to complete my MultiCam camouflage ensemble.
It seems the Army & Navy stores have beat out the big sporting goods stores on this one. Every big name (REI, Bass Pro and another one I can't recall right now) sporting goods store I've gone to hasn't even heard of MultiCam but two out of three surplus stores I visited were carrying MultiCam or a cheap off brand imitation of a slightly different color scheme. Problem is it's flying off the shelves of the surplus stores so fast it's hard to find the real stuff in my size.
The Cabela's store I visited didn't have MultiCam in stock; however Cabela's does list MultiCam on their website.
Success! I picked up (at last) a genuine Tru-Spec MultiCam boonie hat in Albuquerque. My MultiCam "outfit" was at last complete. As far as I've been able to discover the only MultiCam boots on the market are more brown leather than Multicam pattern so I'll pass on those for now. When I compare the real MultiCam camouflage pattern by Atlanco (Tru-Spec brand name) or Propper (Public Safety brand name) to BDU's from some imitator I can see the difference. I expect that difference will show in the field too.
My goals at the start of the Road Trip were to:
A. Collect a full set of the new MultiCam BDU's that fit me which would mean trying them on and checking the labels to insure I was getting the real Tru-Spec MultiCam camouflage pattern. Fallback Position/ Plan B: Order from the Internet and hope.
B. Not miss a single episode of Tom Selleck in Blue Bloods on CBS Friday nights. Fallback Position/ Plan B: Hope for reruns.
Thanks to Jax and in room hotel TV's I succeeded in accomplishing both goals.
To Comment on this article E-Mail Me Unless you specifically ask me not to, I'll post your reply here in the blog so everyone can read it. Of course I'll remove your last name, email address and any other specific information for privacy purposes.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Incident at Big Sky
I just stayed up until four AM to finish reading a book I already knew the ending to. I'd recently received a tip on a book that touches on the nourishment aspect of survivalism from 6Tex at one of the boards I frequent.
I ordered Incident at Big Sky (ISBN 0393023346) from Amazon and waited for the snail mail.
Incident at Big Sky is the true story of Sheriff Johnny France and his struggle to capture "Mountain Men" Dan and Don Nichols in 1984; written by Johnny France and Malcolm McConnell.
Long story short, Dan and his father Don Nichols had kidnapped Kari Swenson intending to make her "Dan's woman" but the plot fell apart when two amateur would be rescuers, Al Goldstein and Jim Schwalbe, found the Nichols' camp -- with Kari chained to a tree. In the ensuing mêlée Dan Nichols accidentally shot Kari badly wounding her and Don Nichols deliberately shot and killed Al Goldstein. The Nicholses abandoned the wounded Kari and went on the run. Sheriff Johnny France took out after them.
When Botch Cassidy and the Some Dunce Kid pulled their little "Me Tarzan, you Jane" stunt they cut themselves off from one of the main survival strategies that real hunter-gatherers have depended upon for ages i.e. mobility; the ability to follow the game/maturing vegetation throughout the year. As wanted men the Nicholses couldn't follow the deer and elk down into the valley when winter forced the herds into the "lowlands" where the sheriff was waiting for them. Hence they were near starving when arrested.
The calories available from deer meat are a lot fewer than those available from beef.
Highly active men typically burn about 4,200 Calories a day. Traveling up and down mountainsides through snow and clambering over boulders and deadfalls while staying off roads and trails the Nicholses would easily burn up 4,200 calories in a day. Hunting would be a difficult way to try to make up for the calorie deficit particularly when we consider that not all hunts are successful, but all hunts burn calories.
Wild meat is generally less "filling" in terms of energy providing fat than meat from domestic animals.
I can't remember for sure, but I think it was on Man Woman Wild that I recall Ruth England saying that hunter-gathers got something like 80% of their food (calories?) from gathering. A check with Wikipedia verified that: in the first paragraph. (HA! I remembered it right! Guess I'm not ready for the old folks home yet.)
In the summertime the Nicholses couldn't go to their hidden gardens in the mountains because the Sheriff's deputies were watching them. Of course you're not going to get 4,200 calories a day out of turnips and carrots either.
Macho men survivalists who head for the bunker in the bush to escape TEOTWAWKI will find themselves in nearly the same situation as the Nicholses when the MRE's run out.
You pretty much need to be in the "lowlands" to grow any meaningful amount of crops and, make no mistake about it, the lowlands is where people are going to be. Starving TEOTWAWKI survivors probably won't be all that considerate of farmer's property rights either.
If you're expecting TEOTWAWKI you'd probably do better joining or organizing farming collectives similar to the Israeli Kibbutz system for you, your friends and family than digging a cave in a mountainside with interlocking fields of fire.
And now, cutting to the chase, here are some things that stood out in my mind as I read the book.
On pg. 15, 16, 17 Kari's first mistake was not paying attention to her instincts. She should have turned around and run away when she first saw the two grubby men waiting for her on the trail.
On pg. 56 First two searchers/would be rescuers, Jim Schwalbe and Al Goldstein, had obviously been watching too much TV! Although confronted by two men armed with rifles they through they could control the situation by denying reality and decreeing "Nobody's gunn'a get hurt we don't want any more gun play!" When reality reared its ugly head Al was dead.
In Ch. 6 & 7 Amazing amount of organization and coordination is necessary to mount a search & rescue operation. The two sheriffs involved had to balance budgets, duty rosters and media relations among other things.
End Ch. 7, when the sheriffs and deputies moved in to rescue Kari and recover Al's body they were all armed with a rifle and a pistol each. They used military tactics not that Hollywood crap you see on TV and in the movies.
On pg. 129, before the kidnapping & killing the Nichols had planted hidden gardens of turnips & carrots in mountain microclimates that would support them. They also supplemented their supplies by stealing food staples from cow camps and the Cachés of professional hunting guides.
On pg. 166, 167 Afraid to go to their hidden gardens & Cachés they raid a cow camp tent stealing food and looking for a radio in hopes of learning what was going on in the lowlands and discovering how/where the search for them was progressing.
Pg. 220, 222, despite having stolen nearly 60 pounds of food from two "lowland" cabins the Nichols were hungry and asking for food when Tom, a hunting guide, found them about a week and a half later early in the winter (October). Living in the open in the snow burns a LOT of calories (pg.223, 230).
One thing that stands out, over and over again, is Don Nichols' arrogance. Having eschewed contact with society he imagines himself omnipotent in his wilderness domain. This hubris causes him to repeatedly decree that certain things can't happen in "his" wilderness. But, of course, when he comes into contact with other humans his presumptions prove untrue.
Several times experienced LEO's (Las Enforcement Officers) pass within "ten paces" (pg. 144) or a few yards (pg. 199) of Don & Dan Nichols. The Nichols escape detection by closely following the same principles of stealth I use.
During my first enlistment in Basic Training at Ft. Ord, CA the effectiveness of stillness was brought home to us young trainees one day when we were all marched into bleachers and sat looking out over about fifty yards of iceplant about four inches deep while a Drill Instructor lectured us about camouflage.
Although he told us there was a camouflaged sniper directly to our front sixty pairs of eyes couldn't spot him and were indeed beginning to believe there was no sniper when the DI told the sniper to shoot a blank "into the air" because the sniper was so close the DI didn't want anyone to get hurt.
We saw the puff of smoke and heard the rifle's report, but still couldn't see the camouflaged sniper until he stood up. Even then we could barely see him until he walked right up to us.
Overall Incident At Big Sky was a good book well worth the time it took to read. I've added it to my permanent survival library.
Aftermath
'Mountain man' woman abductor denied parole
"Don Nichols, who has spent nearly 23 years in the Montana State Prison for kidnapping a Bozeman woman and killing one man who tried to rescue her, was denied parole Monday. The self-described mountain man appeared in front of the state Board of Pardons & Parole at the prison in Deer Lodge, said Craig Thomas, executive director of the board. The board told Nichols he wouldn't have another opportunity for freedom until April 2012, when he will have his next parole hearing."
Here's the video for those of you who don't read books.
To Comment on this article E-Mail Me Unless you specifically ask me not to, I'll post your reply here in the blog so everyone can read it. Of course I'll remove your last name, email address and any other specific information for privacy purposes.
I ordered Incident at Big Sky (ISBN 0393023346) from Amazon and waited for the snail mail.
Incident at Big Sky is the true story of Sheriff Johnny France and his struggle to capture "Mountain Men" Dan and Don Nichols in 1984; written by Johnny France and Malcolm McConnell.
Long story short, Dan and his father Don Nichols had kidnapped Kari Swenson intending to make her "Dan's woman" but the plot fell apart when two amateur would be rescuers, Al Goldstein and Jim Schwalbe, found the Nichols' camp -- with Kari chained to a tree. In the ensuing mêlée Dan Nichols accidentally shot Kari badly wounding her and Don Nichols deliberately shot and killed Al Goldstein. The Nicholses abandoned the wounded Kari and went on the run. Sheriff Johnny France took out after them.
When Botch Cassidy and the Some Dunce Kid pulled their little "Me Tarzan, you Jane" stunt they cut themselves off from one of the main survival strategies that real hunter-gatherers have depended upon for ages i.e. mobility; the ability to follow the game/maturing vegetation throughout the year. As wanted men the Nicholses couldn't follow the deer and elk down into the valley when winter forced the herds into the "lowlands" where the sheriff was waiting for them. Hence they were near starving when arrested.
The calories available from deer meat are a lot fewer than those available from beef.
Highly active men typically burn about 4,200 Calories a day. Traveling up and down mountainsides through snow and clambering over boulders and deadfalls while staying off roads and trails the Nicholses would easily burn up 4,200 calories in a day. Hunting would be a difficult way to try to make up for the calorie deficit particularly when we consider that not all hunts are successful, but all hunts burn calories.
Wild meat is generally less "filling" in terms of energy providing fat than meat from domestic animals.
I can't remember for sure, but I think it was on Man Woman Wild that I recall Ruth England saying that hunter-gathers got something like 80% of their food (calories?) from gathering. A check with Wikipedia verified that: in the first paragraph. (HA! I remembered it right! Guess I'm not ready for the old folks home yet.)
In the summertime the Nicholses couldn't go to their hidden gardens in the mountains because the Sheriff's deputies were watching them. Of course you're not going to get 4,200 calories a day out of turnips and carrots either.
Macho men survivalists who head for the bunker in the bush to escape TEOTWAWKI will find themselves in nearly the same situation as the Nicholses when the MRE's run out.
You pretty much need to be in the "lowlands" to grow any meaningful amount of crops and, make no mistake about it, the lowlands is where people are going to be. Starving TEOTWAWKI survivors probably won't be all that considerate of farmer's property rights either.
If you're expecting TEOTWAWKI you'd probably do better joining or organizing farming collectives similar to the Israeli Kibbutz system for you, your friends and family than digging a cave in a mountainside with interlocking fields of fire.
And now, cutting to the chase, here are some things that stood out in my mind as I read the book.
On pg. 15, 16, 17 Kari's first mistake was not paying attention to her instincts. She should have turned around and run away when she first saw the two grubby men waiting for her on the trail.
On pg. 56 First two searchers/would be rescuers, Jim Schwalbe and Al Goldstein, had obviously been watching too much TV! Although confronted by two men armed with rifles they through they could control the situation by denying reality and decreeing "Nobody's gunn'a get hurt we don't want any more gun play!" When reality reared its ugly head Al was dead.
In Ch. 6 & 7 Amazing amount of organization and coordination is necessary to mount a search & rescue operation. The two sheriffs involved had to balance budgets, duty rosters and media relations among other things.
End Ch. 7, when the sheriffs and deputies moved in to rescue Kari and recover Al's body they were all armed with a rifle and a pistol each. They used military tactics not that Hollywood crap you see on TV and in the movies.
On pg. 129, before the kidnapping & killing the Nichols had planted hidden gardens of turnips & carrots in mountain microclimates that would support them. They also supplemented their supplies by stealing food staples from cow camps and the Cachés of professional hunting guides.
On pg. 166, 167 Afraid to go to their hidden gardens & Cachés they raid a cow camp tent stealing food and looking for a radio in hopes of learning what was going on in the lowlands and discovering how/where the search for them was progressing.
Pg. 220, 222, despite having stolen nearly 60 pounds of food from two "lowland" cabins the Nichols were hungry and asking for food when Tom, a hunting guide, found them about a week and a half later early in the winter (October). Living in the open in the snow burns a LOT of calories (pg.223, 230).
One thing that stands out, over and over again, is Don Nichols' arrogance. Having eschewed contact with society he imagines himself omnipotent in his wilderness domain. This hubris causes him to repeatedly decree that certain things can't happen in "his" wilderness. But, of course, when he comes into contact with other humans his presumptions prove untrue.
Several times experienced LEO's (Las Enforcement Officers) pass within "ten paces" (pg. 144) or a few yards (pg. 199) of Don & Dan Nichols. The Nichols escape detection by closely following the same principles of stealth I use.
During my first enlistment in Basic Training at Ft. Ord, CA the effectiveness of stillness was brought home to us young trainees one day when we were all marched into bleachers and sat looking out over about fifty yards of iceplant about four inches deep while a Drill Instructor lectured us about camouflage.
Although he told us there was a camouflaged sniper directly to our front sixty pairs of eyes couldn't spot him and were indeed beginning to believe there was no sniper when the DI told the sniper to shoot a blank "into the air" because the sniper was so close the DI didn't want anyone to get hurt.
We saw the puff of smoke and heard the rifle's report, but still couldn't see the camouflaged sniper until he stood up. Even then we could barely see him until he walked right up to us.
Overall Incident At Big Sky was a good book well worth the time it took to read. I've added it to my permanent survival library.
Aftermath
'Mountain man' woman abductor denied parole
"Don Nichols, who has spent nearly 23 years in the Montana State Prison for kidnapping a Bozeman woman and killing one man who tried to rescue her, was denied parole Monday. The self-described mountain man appeared in front of the state Board of Pardons & Parole at the prison in Deer Lodge, said Craig Thomas, executive director of the board. The board told Nichols he wouldn't have another opportunity for freedom until April 2012, when he will have his next parole hearing."
Here's the video for those of you who don't read books.
To Comment on this article E-Mail Me Unless you specifically ask me not to, I'll post your reply here in the blog so everyone can read it. Of course I'll remove your last name, email address and any other specific information for privacy purposes.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Camouflage Again
Check This Out
Click on the small images at the bottom of the page to enlarge them. EACH of the images has at least one person wearing MultiCam in it. (Click on the arrows at the ends < & > to see more pictures.) Sometimes they are so nearly invisible you'll swear there's no one there, but there is, you just have to stare at the picture for a few minutes to see them, but they're there. Also note the contrast when the MultiCam wearer is near a person wearing Woodland camouflage.
Being Seen
If ya' want'a be seen use Movement and Contrast.
For Contrast try Black on white, white on a black (or any dark color) background or white, orange, red or yellow against a green background. Ayup, flowering plants figured out how to attract pollinators and seed spreaders a long time ago.
Movement of just about anything against a contrasting background multiplies the chances of being noticed by the human eye.
Being UNseen
If ya' want'a disappear? Combine camouflage patterns (and/or dark dull colored clothing) with the elimination of outline, movement & contrast. Then blend in with the background shape and color.
Eliminate movement. Stand still! The human eye/mind is really attuned to noticing movement, particularly with peripheral vision. Turning your head, bringing your hand/arm up to take a toke on a cigarette will draw the attention of people to whom you were invisible. If you have to move walk within tree lines or next to large objects that will mask your movement and your hide your shape.
Contrast Wear clothing that approximates (i.e. does not contrast with) the colors of the background you expect to inhabit.
Back when I was running the surplus store a group of Border Patrol agents, wanting to order some MARPAT, came to me shortly after the USMC MARPAT camouflage pattern came out. They showed me a full color photo of some Border Patrol agents from a different district standing in front of some large mesquite bushes while wearing Woodland MARPET except for their hands and faces the agents were very hard to see. If they'd been wearing gloves and a little camo grease paint on their smiling faces they would have been virtually invisible!
In my humble opinion, in of all its versions MARPAT is superior to the ACU's Universal Camouflage Pattern.
Shape Wear clothing that blends in with your background so that your human shape isn't easily discernible. The human mind looks for remembered shapes. That's why it easily picks out the double-popsicle on sticks shape of a human's torso and legs or the "vehicleness" of a car or truck.
Never stand out in the open. Always stand in the shade and as close to large natural terrain objects (bushes, trees, boulders and buildings) as possible.
Outline Wear something that breaks up your outline. Ghillie suits and some modern 3D civilian camouflage like the Leafy 3D camo pants, jackets, hoods and hats sold at stores like Cabela's, Bass Pro or your local sporting goods store.
Not having your shape outlined (or silhouetted) against the sky is one of the reasons military units take up positions on the military crests of hills.
I was moved to begin this revisit to the subject of personal camouflage when I stumbled onto the MultiCam web site the other day. MultiCam is, in my never so humble opinion, such a strong improvement over the US Army's current camouflage uniform that it's blasted its way through the layers of Pentagon inertia and bureaucracy to force its adoption for troops on the ground in Afghanistan. "However, it has been newly commissioned in 2010 and will be replacing the UCP pattern over time for use by US Army Units serving in Afghanistan."
MultiCam is such an improvement over the Universal Camouflage Pattern (Ayup it's the same ACU) that, if the bean counters can see their way clear to stop diverting millions of taxpayer dollars to the manufacturers of ACU's we could/would/should see MultiCam on our military here in the states soon.
It'll be a big improvement since the so called "Universal Camouflage Pattern" which is supposed to blend in with everything in general in fact blends in with nothing in particular which is why MultiCam is replacing the ACU's in the theater of operations where bullets are actually flying.
I'm planning to buy a set of cammies in MultiCam soon.
To Comment on this article E-Mail Me Unless you specifically ask me not to, I'll post your reply here in the blog so everyone can read it. Of course I'll remove your last name, email address and any other specific information for privacy purposes.
Click on the small images at the bottom of the page to enlarge them. EACH of the images has at least one person wearing MultiCam in it. (Click on the arrows at the ends < & > to see more pictures.) Sometimes they are so nearly invisible you'll swear there's no one there, but there is, you just have to stare at the picture for a few minutes to see them, but they're there. Also note the contrast when the MultiCam wearer is near a person wearing Woodland camouflage.
Being Seen
If ya' want'a be seen use Movement and Contrast.
For Contrast try Black on white, white on a black (or any dark color) background or white, orange, red or yellow against a green background. Ayup, flowering plants figured out how to attract pollinators and seed spreaders a long time ago.
Movement of just about anything against a contrasting background multiplies the chances of being noticed by the human eye.
Being UNseen
If ya' want'a disappear? Combine camouflage patterns (and/or dark dull colored clothing) with the elimination of outline, movement & contrast. Then blend in with the background shape and color.
Eliminate movement. Stand still! The human eye/mind is really attuned to noticing movement, particularly with peripheral vision. Turning your head, bringing your hand/arm up to take a toke on a cigarette will draw the attention of people to whom you were invisible. If you have to move walk within tree lines or next to large objects that will mask your movement and your hide your shape.
Contrast Wear clothing that approximates (i.e. does not contrast with) the colors of the background you expect to inhabit.
Back when I was running the surplus store a group of Border Patrol agents, wanting to order some MARPAT, came to me shortly after the USMC MARPAT camouflage pattern came out. They showed me a full color photo of some Border Patrol agents from a different district standing in front of some large mesquite bushes while wearing Woodland MARPET except for their hands and faces the agents were very hard to see. If they'd been wearing gloves and a little camo grease paint on their smiling faces they would have been virtually invisible!
In my humble opinion, in of all its versions MARPAT is superior to the ACU's Universal Camouflage Pattern.
Shape Wear clothing that blends in with your background so that your human shape isn't easily discernible. The human mind looks for remembered shapes. That's why it easily picks out the double-popsicle on sticks shape of a human's torso and legs or the "vehicleness" of a car or truck.
Never stand out in the open. Always stand in the shade and as close to large natural terrain objects (bushes, trees, boulders and buildings) as possible.
Outline Wear something that breaks up your outline. Ghillie suits and some modern 3D civilian camouflage like the Leafy 3D camo pants, jackets, hoods and hats sold at stores like Cabela's, Bass Pro or your local sporting goods store.
Not having your shape outlined (or silhouetted) against the sky is one of the reasons military units take up positions on the military crests of hills.
I was moved to begin this revisit to the subject of personal camouflage when I stumbled onto the MultiCam web site the other day. MultiCam is, in my never so humble opinion, such a strong improvement over the US Army's current camouflage uniform that it's blasted its way through the layers of Pentagon inertia and bureaucracy to force its adoption for troops on the ground in Afghanistan. "However, it has been newly commissioned in 2010 and will be replacing the UCP pattern over time for use by US Army Units serving in Afghanistan."
MultiCam is such an improvement over the Universal Camouflage Pattern (Ayup it's the same ACU) that, if the bean counters can see their way clear to stop diverting millions of taxpayer dollars to the manufacturers of ACU's we could/would/should see MultiCam on our military here in the states soon.
It'll be a big improvement since the so called "Universal Camouflage Pattern" which is supposed to blend in with everything in general in fact blends in with nothing in particular which is why MultiCam is replacing the ACU's in the theater of operations where bullets are actually flying.
I'm planning to buy a set of cammies in MultiCam soon.
To Comment on this article E-Mail Me Unless you specifically ask me not to, I'll post your reply here in the blog so everyone can read it. Of course I'll remove your last name, email address and any other specific information for privacy purposes.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Bug Out Bag
The other day I watched some guy's video presentation of his Bug Out Bag and its contents. We can forgive him his choice of a multi hundred dollar military/civilian backpack with more outside pockets than a billiard table; after all we enthusiasts do tend to get carried away sometimes.
His choice of color (coyote) was good but short of shotgun shells I can't figure out what all the "shotgun loops" would be useful for. And truth be told, all those outside pockets could come in handy.
Any of the military/civilian camouflage patterns in dark green, brown, black or tan or those colors themselves would be as good. (Just stay away from the bright colors like reds, yellows, orange and white.) You'll probably find more of the blend-in and camouflage bags at sporting goods and outdoor stores.
One good thing about the backpack is the fact that it was a hydration pack which lets the wearer drink on the go without stopping to unlimber a canteen.
Water is one of the heaver substances out there weighing in at a tad over eight and a third pounds per US gallon so having all that weight in close to your back not only enables you to carry more water, it keeps the weight in close to your body and leaves room for something else besides a canteen on the belt.
Of course with water being all that heavy you can't carry very much of it without weighing yourself down to the point that mobility is adversely affected. That's were a Katadyn (or similar) water filter comes in. Or you could carry a small amount of household bleach (unscented Clorox) to disinfect as you go.
You'll want a suitably sized backpack for each family member. I've placed a list of links to hydration pack manufacturers at the bottom of this post. (You can find notes on Vehicle Bug Out Bags HERE.)
He chose to pack (without enumerating the contents for viewers) two first aid kits; one of the "Band-Aid variety" for small cuts and abrasions, and the other of the "bandage variety" (including a folding splint) for more serious injuries.
I would suggest that you pack the following two items in your "Band-Aid" level kit because I know from personal experience that both of these products work as advertised.
A bottle of New-Skin liquid bandage which dries rapidly to form a tough protective cover that's antiseptic, flexible, waterproof, and lets your skin breathe. (I've found New-Skin to last lots longer than a Band-Aid particularly on wounds to skin that bends.) Another use for New-Skin is for neutralizing splinters that you just can't seem to get out any other way. A drop of New-Skin on the splinter prevents infection, grabs the splinter preventing it from working its way in deeper and eventually, when the New-Skin finally comes loose days later, pulls the splinter out.
A package of moleskin because bugging out may require a bit of unaccustomed hiking which almost certainly will cause debilitating blisters if not treated immediately. (In my hiking days I'd use the scissors of my Swiss Army knife to cut strips and rectangles of Moleskin to cover sore red areas before they became blisters.)
In your "Bandage Level" first aid kit I highly recommend QuikClot or Celox or some other battlefield proven haemostatic agent for the treatment of deep or severely bleeding wounds.
A metal canteen cup or small pot for cooking and boiling water would be useful too. This brings me to Leather work gloves for use in handling hot things around the campfire as well as handling spiny prickly thorny things.
This brings us to walking boots or shoes, socks, pants, Gore-Tex jacket and a blanket or sleeping bag (in camouflage or a dark dull color) to be stored in a plastic bag to keep dry until needed. One of those large vacuum bags you see advertised on late nite TV would work well here, but any plastic will do.
He had another good idea i.e. packing a wad of small denomination bills in a plastic Baggie for use as long as money is being accepted. He chose small bills because, as he pointed out, there aren't likely to be a lot of people able to make change out there.
If things go from the paper money as legal tender to paper money as fire tinder stage it might be nice to have a few junk silver dimes and silver quarters in there too.
He chose to pack Electrical tape instead of the more versatile Duct tape. I'd choose the Duct tape because, as anyone who's ever compared the stickiness and strength of the two will tell you, Duct tape is stronger and will stick to more stuff. Electrical tape tends to stick to itself better than most other things and it stretches.
The Duct tape you'll find in the store is normally wider (17⁄8 to two or more inches) than Electrical tape which is usually about ¾ of an inch wide. That extra width plus the extra stickiness and strength makes Duct tape useable for more applications (you can always rip Duct tape lengthwise to get narrower pieces) in any situation where you're not repairing electrical wiring.
Please note that duct tape can be used for bandages and holding splints in place as well as dozens of other helpful uses like covering the international orange/reflective white stripes on your kids school backpack that's been pressed into service as a Bug Out Bag because you're on a budget. You'll find silver/gray duct tape at hardware stores and OD (Olive Drab) green and camouflage duct tape at military surplus stores.
In addition to his EDC knife he'd put another folder in the backpack as backup. Of course there was a big sheath knife too. Not a bad idea if you might find yourself needing to cut branches for shelter or fire.
My own choice of EDC knife is a genuine Swiss Army knife in a leather pouch on my belt. I choose a real Leatherman multi-tool for the Bug Out Bag.
Of course we all need fire starters. He chose a magnesium fire starter several BIC disposable lighters. A metal match would also be useful here.
You'll want a hank of 550 cord easily available in sporting and surplus stores. Try to get 50 to 100 feet of the real 550 cord not those cheap imitations. You'll thank yourself for doing so if you ever have to hang off the side of a cliff (been there done that) on a single strand of the stuff.
Two Flashlights; preferably LED flashlights using the same battery and bulbs (cannibalization to make spares) are a good idea in case one goes out when you need it most.
Of course anyone who watches Man Woman Wild, Dual Survival or any of the survival shows knows how to start fires with a nine volt battery and a piece of fine steel wool. So as a backup to your other fire starters why not add a small (many are the size of a pack of cigarettes) portable AM FM radio powered by (of course) a nine volt battery and a piece of fine steel wool in a baggie?
Like most of the other items listed here the cheap radio performs a multiple function i.e. morale booster, communications and fire starter battery holder. Having some idea of what's going on (or at least the official version) keeps you informed no matter where you are and could cheer you up.
The food in the video was just health bars, power bars and candy bars. Nothing wrong with that. This is after all a bag for getting the hell out of Dodge not living out of for months. But remember that the non-canned food you buy in the grocery store, although lighter, is produced and packaged with the expectation that it will be sold and consumed within a few months.
When he mentioned Slim Jims and beef jerky I recalled reading about some of those products found to have mold on them while still hanging on the merchant's rack. I'd eschew Slim Jims and jerky in my Bug Out Bag if it's to be stored unused for a long time; which, hopefully, it will be.
Health and power bars tend to have a lot of grains in them. You might want to stick them in the freezer for two weeks to kill any bug eggs that might develop into larvae while sitting in your backpack waiting for Armageddon.
Then I'd place each bar separately in a baggie evacuating as much air as I could while folding the baggie around the bar and sealing it. Then place several baggied bags in another one repeating the process. Of course the emptied baggies will come in handy if you ever have to eat the contents while on the run.
But why bother?
Why bother rotating (hopefully you'll remember) store bought food that wasn't packaged for long term storage for years while waiting for an emergency you hope will never come when you've got one of natures best all around, and longest lasting, foods right beside those perishables on the grocer's shelf?
Eatable honey has reportedly been found in Egyptian tombs and is as nutritious as any power bar. Additionally, because of honey's antiseptic and antibacterial properties it can be used as a field expedient wound ointment.
Buy a small sealed jar of pure honey and tape the top closed with duct tape. I'd also recommend putting duct tape all around the jar to buffer it during rough handling. I eschew plastic bottles of honey because it's too easy for them to burst when compressed.
The leading hydration pack manufacturers are:
Camelbak
High Sierra
Dakine
North Face
Outdoor Products
0000000000000000000000000000000000000
JW (an international traveler) writes:
"I keep a “minimalist” first aid kit in the glove compartment of my car, along with a few gadgets (to cut seat belt straps, break car windows, etc). I keep a full first aid kit and tool box in my trunk.
When I travel, I have a small tool kit that I carry with the obligatory Leatherman, Swiss Army knife, etc., but have a couple of small, lightweight “unique” items. By memory (so not nearly complete):
Dentist mirror
Magnet on a 8” stick
1’ of magnesium ribbon wire (for fire starting)
Matchbox sized piece of “fire starter”
Waterproof matches
Fully charged extra cell phone battery
Compass
6’ of thin monel wire
3’ #12 electrical wire and a few assorted connectors
Long needle nosed pliers
Small “interchangeable tip” screw driver/wrench set (including metric sizes)
Compass
Eyeglass repair kit
Jeweler’s loupe and small magnifying glass
Small calculator
Small (slightly over matchbook size) book of various pictures to use when no one speaks English (food and car items, hotel/bed, policeman, etc.)
Water purification tablets
Cypro (strong antibiotic)
Pain killers/anti-inflamitory/stomach/muscle-relaxant assorted pills
Antiseptic/anesthetic cream, a few Bandaids
Assorted other doodads that I don’t remember off the top of my head
The kit is about the size of a paperback book in a zip-up “leather” carry case and has proved useful over the years. Many of the “doodads” come from my scratching my head in the middle of nowhere and saying to myself “If I only had a …”
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
000000000000000000000000000000000000
(Cap42 writes:
I wished I had brought mole skin or ducktape on my 24hour hike in Basic. Blisters really suck! I had one on my foot so bad from that hike that when the medic came around the next day and drained it it closed and filled back up over night and he had to cut it open and take the skin off the next day!
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
0000000000000000000000000000000000000
(This note is from "KC" a person I know to be a retired Special Ops medic.)
Lot of good ideas there. As far as what medical gear to take, I guess it depends on what it is you’re preparing for (length of time and conditions expected). Not to mention medical experience of the user; an experienced medical professional would want a LOT more than the average citizen (IV fluids and such) ‘cause they’d feel naked without it.
Th[is] link West Marine Medical Kits is to a (much over-priced) website that caters to boaters. For Godsake don’t BUY this stuff, but get ideas on how they packaged medical kits by length of time, number of people, and type of injury. If you’re putting together a kit for aftermath of a disaster (think Katrina), then a 3-5 day kit augmented with field dressing packs and anti-biotic ointment would do. Anything else could be improvised. Add to it as needed for the amount of people you expect to use it.
One of the kit manufacturers on the West Marine site, Adventure Medical Kits lists the exact items contained in their kits.
The medical kit listing for each of the kits on the Adventure Medical Kits web site has a handy, “printer friendly” button to print the list. Nice for use when building your kits to show what’s inside. Don’t forget to add the expiration dates of any meds you put in the kit. [sealed in clear plastic baggies]
If you’re thinking TEOTWAWKI, you can’t pack enough, and what you do pack better be labeled in Chinese and Russian along with English, ‘cause they won’t ignore the opportunity.
Th[is] link is to the downloadable Emergency War Surgery book that has been studied by combat medics for many years. Very useful when combined with some medical training.
[Here's another link from KC's note that might prove helpful to some readers.]
Lastly, this idea came to me as I wrote the above. The electronic “books” (Kindle, Nook, etc) might be a viable way to take an extensive library of “How-to”, survival, medical and reference books with you in your G.O.O.D. BOB kit for TEOTWAWKI scenarios.
Serious. A solar panel charger in your kit could be used for many other things as well as the occasional re-charge of the Kindle/Nook. I think the cost-to-benefit ratio is in its favor.
Hope this helps. Please leave my name out of this; I have enough fame and fortune to deal with!
K (Invest in lead; the other precious metal.) C
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
JSMI writes:
Are you some kind of delusionary mountain man? The day you try to make it with a bulging “bug-out bag” is the day you’ll become a sitting-duck target for every hungry redneck without one. Good luck hanging from that cliff with your 75 pound backpack.
75 pounds?
Well, let's add it up:
-----------------------
Hydration backpack = Weight: 2 lbs, 6 oz Capacity: 600 cu. in.
"water weighs 8.33 pounds per gallon there is 128 ounces in a gallon 8.33 divided by 128 equals 0.065 pounds per ounce multiply by 100
equals 6.5 pounds per 100 ounces"
Backpack with full bladder = just under nine (9) pounds.
---------------------
Katadyn weighs 15 oz
205 piece First Aid Kit = 1.2 pounds (shipping weight)
My bottle of New-Skin and a package of MoleSkin from my medicine cabinet = 1.5 oz. The presenter showed personally assembled first aid kits in clear plastic baggies. I choose to go the same route because it's cheaper than buying a kit and you can tailor the contents to your particular needs and locale. I present the 205 piece kit here because it contains more they the presenter or I pack and it's weight is verifiable.
Paper dollar bills and some junk silver coins = 1 oz.
My two LED flashlights and a Leatherman multi-tool weigh in at exactly one pound.
My magnesium fire starter, the same size but Army issue, weighs in at just under 1.5 oz.
100 feet of 550 paracord = one pound (shipping weight)
Quick Clot = .2 oz.
GI metal canteen cup = 10.1 oz (shipping weight)
About five (5) pounds.
------------------------
my about a quarter roll of duct tape = about 4 oz.
Cabela's polartec long sleeve shirt, leather gloves pair of pants, boots & boot socks = 4 pounds
Surplus US Army woodland camouflage Gore-Tex parka = 3 pounds.
Surplus wool Army blanket = 4 pounds I also have surplus nylon poncho liners that weigh in at under a pound. (Being a retired military surplus dealer has its advantages) which I'd use for summer evacuations or in addition to the wool blanket in the cold of winter.
------------------------
About eleven (11) pounds.
So 9 pounds + 5 pounds + 11 pounds = 25 pounds which is a third of 75 pounds and a weight I can easily carry and (dare I say it?) live with.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
To Comment on this article E-Mail Me Unless you specifically ask me not to, I'll post your reply here in the blog so everyone can read it. Of course I'll remove your last name, email address and any other specific information for privacy purposes.
His choice of color (coyote) was good but short of shotgun shells I can't figure out what all the "shotgun loops" would be useful for. And truth be told, all those outside pockets could come in handy.
Any of the military/civilian camouflage patterns in dark green, brown, black or tan or those colors themselves would be as good. (Just stay away from the bright colors like reds, yellows, orange and white.) You'll probably find more of the blend-in and camouflage bags at sporting goods and outdoor stores.
One good thing about the backpack is the fact that it was a hydration pack which lets the wearer drink on the go without stopping to unlimber a canteen.
Water is one of the heaver substances out there weighing in at a tad over eight and a third pounds per US gallon so having all that weight in close to your back not only enables you to carry more water, it keeps the weight in close to your body and leaves room for something else besides a canteen on the belt.
Of course with water being all that heavy you can't carry very much of it without weighing yourself down to the point that mobility is adversely affected. That's were a Katadyn (or similar) water filter comes in. Or you could carry a small amount of household bleach (unscented Clorox) to disinfect as you go.
You'll want a suitably sized backpack for each family member. I've placed a list of links to hydration pack manufacturers at the bottom of this post. (You can find notes on Vehicle Bug Out Bags HERE.)
He chose to pack (without enumerating the contents for viewers) two first aid kits; one of the "Band-Aid variety" for small cuts and abrasions, and the other of the "bandage variety" (including a folding splint) for more serious injuries.
I would suggest that you pack the following two items in your "Band-Aid" level kit because I know from personal experience that both of these products work as advertised.
A bottle of New-Skin liquid bandage which dries rapidly to form a tough protective cover that's antiseptic, flexible, waterproof, and lets your skin breathe. (I've found New-Skin to last lots longer than a Band-Aid particularly on wounds to skin that bends.) Another use for New-Skin is for neutralizing splinters that you just can't seem to get out any other way. A drop of New-Skin on the splinter prevents infection, grabs the splinter preventing it from working its way in deeper and eventually, when the New-Skin finally comes loose days later, pulls the splinter out.
A package of moleskin because bugging out may require a bit of unaccustomed hiking which almost certainly will cause debilitating blisters if not treated immediately. (In my hiking days I'd use the scissors of my Swiss Army knife to cut strips and rectangles of Moleskin to cover sore red areas before they became blisters.)
In your "Bandage Level" first aid kit I highly recommend QuikClot or Celox or some other battlefield proven haemostatic agent for the treatment of deep or severely bleeding wounds.
A metal canteen cup or small pot for cooking and boiling water would be useful too. This brings me to Leather work gloves for use in handling hot things around the campfire as well as handling spiny prickly thorny things.
This brings us to walking boots or shoes, socks, pants, Gore-Tex jacket and a blanket or sleeping bag (in camouflage or a dark dull color) to be stored in a plastic bag to keep dry until needed. One of those large vacuum bags you see advertised on late nite TV would work well here, but any plastic will do.
He had another good idea i.e. packing a wad of small denomination bills in a plastic Baggie for use as long as money is being accepted. He chose small bills because, as he pointed out, there aren't likely to be a lot of people able to make change out there.
If things go from the paper money as legal tender to paper money as fire tinder stage it might be nice to have a few junk silver dimes and silver quarters in there too.
He chose to pack Electrical tape instead of the more versatile Duct tape. I'd choose the Duct tape because, as anyone who's ever compared the stickiness and strength of the two will tell you, Duct tape is stronger and will stick to more stuff. Electrical tape tends to stick to itself better than most other things and it stretches.
The Duct tape you'll find in the store is normally wider (17⁄8 to two or more inches) than Electrical tape which is usually about ¾ of an inch wide. That extra width plus the extra stickiness and strength makes Duct tape useable for more applications (you can always rip Duct tape lengthwise to get narrower pieces) in any situation where you're not repairing electrical wiring.
Please note that duct tape can be used for bandages and holding splints in place as well as dozens of other helpful uses like covering the international orange/reflective white stripes on your kids school backpack that's been pressed into service as a Bug Out Bag because you're on a budget. You'll find silver/gray duct tape at hardware stores and OD (Olive Drab) green and camouflage duct tape at military surplus stores.
In addition to his EDC knife he'd put another folder in the backpack as backup. Of course there was a big sheath knife too. Not a bad idea if you might find yourself needing to cut branches for shelter or fire.
My own choice of EDC knife is a genuine Swiss Army knife in a leather pouch on my belt. I choose a real Leatherman multi-tool for the Bug Out Bag.
Of course we all need fire starters. He chose a magnesium fire starter several BIC disposable lighters. A metal match would also be useful here.
You'll want a hank of 550 cord easily available in sporting and surplus stores. Try to get 50 to 100 feet of the real 550 cord not those cheap imitations. You'll thank yourself for doing so if you ever have to hang off the side of a cliff (been there done that) on a single strand of the stuff.
Two Flashlights; preferably LED flashlights using the same battery and bulbs (cannibalization to make spares) are a good idea in case one goes out when you need it most.
Of course anyone who watches Man Woman Wild, Dual Survival or any of the survival shows knows how to start fires with a nine volt battery and a piece of fine steel wool. So as a backup to your other fire starters why not add a small (many are the size of a pack of cigarettes) portable AM FM radio powered by (of course) a nine volt battery and a piece of fine steel wool in a baggie?
Like most of the other items listed here the cheap radio performs a multiple function i.e. morale booster, communications and fire starter battery holder. Having some idea of what's going on (or at least the official version) keeps you informed no matter where you are and could cheer you up.
The food in the video was just health bars, power bars and candy bars. Nothing wrong with that. This is after all a bag for getting the hell out of Dodge not living out of for months. But remember that the non-canned food you buy in the grocery store, although lighter, is produced and packaged with the expectation that it will be sold and consumed within a few months.
When he mentioned Slim Jims and beef jerky I recalled reading about some of those products found to have mold on them while still hanging on the merchant's rack. I'd eschew Slim Jims and jerky in my Bug Out Bag if it's to be stored unused for a long time; which, hopefully, it will be.
Health and power bars tend to have a lot of grains in them. You might want to stick them in the freezer for two weeks to kill any bug eggs that might develop into larvae while sitting in your backpack waiting for Armageddon.
Then I'd place each bar separately in a baggie evacuating as much air as I could while folding the baggie around the bar and sealing it. Then place several baggied bags in another one repeating the process. Of course the emptied baggies will come in handy if you ever have to eat the contents while on the run.
But why bother?
Why bother rotating (hopefully you'll remember) store bought food that wasn't packaged for long term storage for years while waiting for an emergency you hope will never come when you've got one of natures best all around, and longest lasting, foods right beside those perishables on the grocer's shelf?
Eatable honey has reportedly been found in Egyptian tombs and is as nutritious as any power bar. Additionally, because of honey's antiseptic and antibacterial properties it can be used as a field expedient wound ointment.
Buy a small sealed jar of pure honey and tape the top closed with duct tape. I'd also recommend putting duct tape all around the jar to buffer it during rough handling. I eschew plastic bottles of honey because it's too easy for them to burst when compressed.
The leading hydration pack manufacturers are:
Camelbak
High Sierra
Dakine
North Face
Outdoor Products
0000000000000000000000000000000000000
JW (an international traveler) writes:
"I keep a “minimalist” first aid kit in the glove compartment of my car, along with a few gadgets (to cut seat belt straps, break car windows, etc). I keep a full first aid kit and tool box in my trunk.
When I travel, I have a small tool kit that I carry with the obligatory Leatherman, Swiss Army knife, etc., but have a couple of small, lightweight “unique” items. By memory (so not nearly complete):
Dentist mirror
Magnet on a 8” stick
1’ of magnesium ribbon wire (for fire starting)
Matchbox sized piece of “fire starter”
Waterproof matches
Fully charged extra cell phone battery
Compass
6’ of thin monel wire
3’ #12 electrical wire and a few assorted connectors
Long needle nosed pliers
Small “interchangeable tip” screw driver/wrench set (including metric sizes)
Compass
Eyeglass repair kit
Jeweler’s loupe and small magnifying glass
Small calculator
Small (slightly over matchbook size) book of various pictures to use when no one speaks English (food and car items, hotel/bed, policeman, etc.)
Water purification tablets
Cypro (strong antibiotic)
Pain killers/anti-inflamitory/stomach/muscle-relaxant assorted pills
Antiseptic/anesthetic cream, a few Bandaids
Assorted other doodads that I don’t remember off the top of my head
The kit is about the size of a paperback book in a zip-up “leather” carry case and has proved useful over the years. Many of the “doodads” come from my scratching my head in the middle of nowhere and saying to myself “If I only had a …”
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
000000000000000000000000000000000000
(Cap42 writes:
I wished I had brought mole skin or ducktape on my 24hour hike in Basic. Blisters really suck! I had one on my foot so bad from that hike that when the medic came around the next day and drained it it closed and filled back up over night and he had to cut it open and take the skin off the next day!
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
0000000000000000000000000000000000000
(This note is from "KC" a person I know to be a retired Special Ops medic.)
Lot of good ideas there. As far as what medical gear to take, I guess it depends on what it is you’re preparing for (length of time and conditions expected). Not to mention medical experience of the user; an experienced medical professional would want a LOT more than the average citizen (IV fluids and such) ‘cause they’d feel naked without it.
Th[is] link West Marine Medical Kits is to a (much over-priced) website that caters to boaters. For Godsake don’t BUY this stuff, but get ideas on how they packaged medical kits by length of time, number of people, and type of injury. If you’re putting together a kit for aftermath of a disaster (think Katrina), then a 3-5 day kit augmented with field dressing packs and anti-biotic ointment would do. Anything else could be improvised. Add to it as needed for the amount of people you expect to use it.
One of the kit manufacturers on the West Marine site, Adventure Medical Kits lists the exact items contained in their kits.
The medical kit listing for each of the kits on the Adventure Medical Kits web site has a handy, “printer friendly” button to print the list. Nice for use when building your kits to show what’s inside. Don’t forget to add the expiration dates of any meds you put in the kit. [sealed in clear plastic baggies]
If you’re thinking TEOTWAWKI, you can’t pack enough, and what you do pack better be labeled in Chinese and Russian along with English, ‘cause they won’t ignore the opportunity.
Th[is] link is to the downloadable Emergency War Surgery book that has been studied by combat medics for many years. Very useful when combined with some medical training.
[Here's another link from KC's note that might prove helpful to some readers.]
Lastly, this idea came to me as I wrote the above. The electronic “books” (Kindle, Nook, etc) might be a viable way to take an extensive library of “How-to”, survival, medical and reference books with you in your G.O.O.D. BOB kit for TEOTWAWKI scenarios.
Serious. A solar panel charger in your kit could be used for many other things as well as the occasional re-charge of the Kindle/Nook. I think the cost-to-benefit ratio is in its favor.
Hope this helps. Please leave my name out of this; I have enough fame and fortune to deal with!
K (Invest in lead; the other precious metal.) C
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
JSMI writes:
Are you some kind of delusionary mountain man? The day you try to make it with a bulging “bug-out bag” is the day you’ll become a sitting-duck target for every hungry redneck without one. Good luck hanging from that cliff with your 75 pound backpack.
75 pounds?
Well, let's add it up:
-----------------------
Hydration backpack = Weight: 2 lbs, 6 oz Capacity: 600 cu. in.
"water weighs 8.33 pounds per gallon there is 128 ounces in a gallon 8.33 divided by 128 equals 0.065 pounds per ounce multiply by 100
equals 6.5 pounds per 100 ounces"
Backpack with full bladder = just under nine (9) pounds.
---------------------
Katadyn weighs 15 oz
205 piece First Aid Kit = 1.2 pounds (shipping weight)
My bottle of New-Skin and a package of MoleSkin from my medicine cabinet = 1.5 oz. The presenter showed personally assembled first aid kits in clear plastic baggies. I choose to go the same route because it's cheaper than buying a kit and you can tailor the contents to your particular needs and locale. I present the 205 piece kit here because it contains more they the presenter or I pack and it's weight is verifiable.
Paper dollar bills and some junk silver coins = 1 oz.
My two LED flashlights and a Leatherman multi-tool weigh in at exactly one pound.
My magnesium fire starter, the same size but Army issue, weighs in at just under 1.5 oz.
100 feet of 550 paracord = one pound (shipping weight)
Quick Clot = .2 oz.
GI metal canteen cup = 10.1 oz (shipping weight)
About five (5) pounds.
------------------------
my about a quarter roll of duct tape = about 4 oz.
Cabela's polartec long sleeve shirt, leather gloves pair of pants, boots & boot socks = 4 pounds
Surplus US Army woodland camouflage Gore-Tex parka = 3 pounds.
Surplus wool Army blanket = 4 pounds I also have surplus nylon poncho liners that weigh in at under a pound. (Being a retired military surplus dealer has its advantages) which I'd use for summer evacuations or in addition to the wool blanket in the cold of winter.
------------------------
About eleven (11) pounds.
So 9 pounds + 5 pounds + 11 pounds = 25 pounds which is a third of 75 pounds and a weight I can easily carry and (dare I say it?) live with.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
To Comment on this article E-Mail Me Unless you specifically ask me not to, I'll post your reply here in the blog so everyone can read it. Of course I'll remove your last name, email address and any other specific information for privacy purposes.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Burglary: What One Man Can Build Another Can Break Into
The pyramids prove anything one man can build another can break into. We're able to see the glory of Tutankhamen's burial regalia today because he was buried in a hole in the ground instead of an ostentatious pyramid. The more glorious you make your house look on the outside the more appealing it looks … to crooks.
Here are some tips on reinforcing your doors and windows (and other tricks) to help keep crooks out.
Install double key deadbolt locks on any door with glass in it or within thirty-six inches of a window. Be sure the doors and doorframes you pick are at least as strong as the locks you mount on them.
Putting a double key deadbolt lock at about five feet from floor on a solid core door is an effective defense against having a solid core door kicked in because it's very hard to kick up that high. Be sure to use three inch or longer screws to secure the strike plate just as you would with the double key deadbolt lock at the regular level.
One way to reinforce your doorframe is with the StrikeMaster a long strip of metal that screws through your doorframe into the 2X4's with three or four inch screws.
Or you could go whole hog and mount a safe room door either as the door to your house or for a safe room.
Outward opening exterior doors are more resist kicking in than the same door mounted as an inward opening door provided the hinges and door frame are strong.
Front yard signs and window stickers will discourage most small time burglars. But alarm company contracts are expensive so some companies sell fakes for those who want faux security.
However it does little good to put up fake alarm company stickers on windows if the crook can look in and see there are not relays and wires to an alarm system. You can purchase relays and wires cheaply at Radio Shack, tack'em where they can be seen from the outside and run the wires out of sight.
If you've got the money to spend the Ultimate Lock offers first class protection. Another expensive but quality lock is the Medeco deadbolt lock. Please note that with both these expensive locks it does no good to mount them on a cheap door or weak doorframe.
Another not so cheap lock is the Schlage followed by the Kwikset which is the lock you most probably have on your front door.
When we bought our home and stores one of the first things I did was hire a locksmith to come out and re-key all the locks. Expensive, but worth it to be sure I was the only one able to turn a key and walk into my property.
As long as I was spending the money I had the locksmiths set one combination for all the house door locks and another for the store and warehouse door locks. That way I only had to carry two keys around with me. Like I said expensive: but convenient.
Thankfully Kwikset has recently come out with SmartKey door locks (double deadbolts, deadbolts and knobs) that allow you to key all the locks on your house to one key via what they call a "SmartKey tool.
I've replaced several locks with SmartKey locks and they are still working fine several years later.
A keyless open from the inside only device is The Original Door Stopper® a handy little round palm sized piece of metal that looks good and functions like a lock but needs no key to operate from the inside.
Another open from the inside only lock is a half inch rebar through eye bolts sunk into 2X4's on either side of the door. On an inward opening door the rebar would just slide through the eye bolts. For an outward opening door you'd need to put two more eye bolts in the door itself so the rebar would slide through all four eye bolts.
Obviously this is for a basement door or some other place where looks don't matter. Also, a door secured in this manner can't be opened from the outside unless you are foolish enough to have glass windows in the door or around the doorframe. And sliding the rebar into the eye bolts gets to be a chore if the door is in use all the time. This type of el cheapo locking mechanism is for doors that don't get much use.
Windows
If you don't have bars on all your windows it doesn't matter how many locks you've got on the doors.
Paint the bars BLACK so your mind's eye will dismiss the color making it easier to look through them at what's outside. If you've got lots of money and can't stand the thought of bars on your windows you go with Shattergard or a similar product.
Another way to discourage window attacks is to plant cactus, roses or some other thorny plant under windows.
Bottom Line
A lock, no matter what it costs, is only as break-in resistant as the door it is mounted on and the door is only as strong as the hinges/frame it is mounted on.
0000000000000000000000000000000
J writes:
Great advice. While my apartment is blessed with a steel door (with a Medico deadbolt, steel plate over outside lock, through bolted to the door and angle iron to the steel jam to prevent prying along with the rinky-dink lock supplied by the building) as well as internal bars over the windows to fire escapes (easily removed by pulling pins in case of a fire), I still built an alarm system (not central office connected to going to a loud bell with battery backup anchored to ceiling of concrete outside terrace.
System is "normally live", so if wires are cut, bell goes off. Also used 4" tamperproof screws to close four sides of box cover with a tamper switch, so even if the cover is to be removed - short of knowing ahead what tools to bring, such as heavy hammer and cold chisel, and the nature of the system, the bell will ring for a number of minutes). Bell is 10" and will wake the dead which, considering the dense population packing of the building and neighborhood, should act as a deterrent.
Is this system foolproof? Absolutely not (a local bank had its vault broken into from a drycleaner next door and anyone with enough incentive can penetrate the apartment from an adjoining wall to a neighbor, but it's unlikely that the normal burglar would take this route).
The major security concern, in my case, is not physical penetration, but "social engineering". About a year ago, a couple of "detectives" ran the apartment door bell and when my wife wouldn't open the door without calling the precinct first, they went away. Later we found that they robbed an elderly gentleman down the hall who let them into his apartment.
In my opinion, in all security, whether data or physical, there are a couple of important criteria. The obvious one is the security itself (whether a strong physical perimeter, data encryption or whatever), the second is what I call "authentication". All the security in the world won't protect against a violation of trust on a personal level. I brought this up in a conversation with ***** yesterday (though not using the "A" word) in the context of the ability of people lending their ID cards to friends.
While there are some interesting biometric devices (my traveling laptop, despite the fact that there is never any information stored on it, as I use an encrypted VPN to access a remote computer for my work, has its hard disk encrypted using my fingerprint as a key - well actually did a number of my and wife's fingers in case I get sloppy with a hammer).
While it might be overkill for a home, I saw a demonstration of these [CyberLock also available through TEC Solutions] which was very impressive (and they have matching cylinders for most major lock manufacturers)
J
Wow! Great response J (it sounds like you're almost as paranoid as I am. ;-) The "social engineering" part of your post reminds me that the next step up from burglary (danger to property) is robbery (danger to people) and then there's just plain felons on the run.
Our local news recently ran a story/interview with a woman who'd just come face to face with a fleeing felon. Seems the cops were chasing him through backyards when he tried to smash his way through her back door.
Her strong back door kept him out (good for her) but she got scared and ran out her front door (bad for her) and ran straight into him as he'd given up on her back door and was coming around to the front of her house just as she ran out. They met in front of her garage.
The story detailed exactly what I've been warning my wife about for years as I constantly remind (nag) her to keep all doors locked at all times so I dragged her from her shows in the living room to watch a replay of the story on the bedroom TV with accompanying commentary by yours truly ("See, it really does happen!") as the woman recounted how she'd somehow been able to run back in her front door locking it behind her.
The news story ended with her neighbors recounting how "motorcycle cops and six police cars" pounced on the guy shortly thereafter and my grumbling wife returning to her show.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
JRG writes to add:
Cutting solid wood door stop chocks and pounding into door head, jamb in several locations will help secure a door as well. Have read some folks in Sand Box use this when clearing buildings from insurgents, pounding these into doors in rooms already searched.
JRG
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
To Comment on this article E-Mail Me Unless you specifically ask me not to, I'll post your reply here in the blog so everyone can read it. Of course I'll remove your last name, email address and any other specific information for privacy purposes.
Here are some tips on reinforcing your doors and windows (and other tricks) to help keep crooks out.
Install double key deadbolt locks on any door with glass in it or within thirty-six inches of a window. Be sure the doors and doorframes you pick are at least as strong as the locks you mount on them.
Putting a double key deadbolt lock at about five feet from floor on a solid core door is an effective defense against having a solid core door kicked in because it's very hard to kick up that high. Be sure to use three inch or longer screws to secure the strike plate just as you would with the double key deadbolt lock at the regular level.
One way to reinforce your doorframe is with the StrikeMaster a long strip of metal that screws through your doorframe into the 2X4's with three or four inch screws.
Or you could go whole hog and mount a safe room door either as the door to your house or for a safe room.
Outward opening exterior doors are more resist kicking in than the same door mounted as an inward opening door provided the hinges and door frame are strong.
Front yard signs and window stickers will discourage most small time burglars. But alarm company contracts are expensive so some companies sell fakes for those who want faux security.
However it does little good to put up fake alarm company stickers on windows if the crook can look in and see there are not relays and wires to an alarm system. You can purchase relays and wires cheaply at Radio Shack, tack'em where they can be seen from the outside and run the wires out of sight.
If you've got the money to spend the Ultimate Lock offers first class protection. Another expensive but quality lock is the Medeco deadbolt lock. Please note that with both these expensive locks it does no good to mount them on a cheap door or weak doorframe.
Another not so cheap lock is the Schlage followed by the Kwikset which is the lock you most probably have on your front door.
When we bought our home and stores one of the first things I did was hire a locksmith to come out and re-key all the locks. Expensive, but worth it to be sure I was the only one able to turn a key and walk into my property.
As long as I was spending the money I had the locksmiths set one combination for all the house door locks and another for the store and warehouse door locks. That way I only had to carry two keys around with me. Like I said expensive: but convenient.
Thankfully Kwikset has recently come out with SmartKey door locks (double deadbolts, deadbolts and knobs) that allow you to key all the locks on your house to one key via what they call a "SmartKey tool.
I've replaced several locks with SmartKey locks and they are still working fine several years later.
A keyless open from the inside only device is The Original Door Stopper® a handy little round palm sized piece of metal that looks good and functions like a lock but needs no key to operate from the inside.
Another open from the inside only lock is a half inch rebar through eye bolts sunk into 2X4's on either side of the door. On an inward opening door the rebar would just slide through the eye bolts. For an outward opening door you'd need to put two more eye bolts in the door itself so the rebar would slide through all four eye bolts.
Obviously this is for a basement door or some other place where looks don't matter. Also, a door secured in this manner can't be opened from the outside unless you are foolish enough to have glass windows in the door or around the doorframe. And sliding the rebar into the eye bolts gets to be a chore if the door is in use all the time. This type of el cheapo locking mechanism is for doors that don't get much use.
Windows
If you don't have bars on all your windows it doesn't matter how many locks you've got on the doors.
Paint the bars BLACK so your mind's eye will dismiss the color making it easier to look through them at what's outside. If you've got lots of money and can't stand the thought of bars on your windows you go with Shattergard or a similar product.
Another way to discourage window attacks is to plant cactus, roses or some other thorny plant under windows.
Bottom Line
A lock, no matter what it costs, is only as break-in resistant as the door it is mounted on and the door is only as strong as the hinges/frame it is mounted on.
0000000000000000000000000000000
J writes:
Great advice. While my apartment is blessed with a steel door (with a Medico deadbolt, steel plate over outside lock, through bolted to the door and angle iron to the steel jam to prevent prying along with the rinky-dink lock supplied by the building) as well as internal bars over the windows to fire escapes (easily removed by pulling pins in case of a fire), I still built an alarm system (not central office connected to going to a loud bell with battery backup anchored to ceiling of concrete outside terrace.
System is "normally live", so if wires are cut, bell goes off. Also used 4" tamperproof screws to close four sides of box cover with a tamper switch, so even if the cover is to be removed - short of knowing ahead what tools to bring, such as heavy hammer and cold chisel, and the nature of the system, the bell will ring for a number of minutes). Bell is 10" and will wake the dead which, considering the dense population packing of the building and neighborhood, should act as a deterrent.
Is this system foolproof? Absolutely not (a local bank had its vault broken into from a drycleaner next door and anyone with enough incentive can penetrate the apartment from an adjoining wall to a neighbor, but it's unlikely that the normal burglar would take this route).
The major security concern, in my case, is not physical penetration, but "social engineering". About a year ago, a couple of "detectives" ran the apartment door bell and when my wife wouldn't open the door without calling the precinct first, they went away. Later we found that they robbed an elderly gentleman down the hall who let them into his apartment.
In my opinion, in all security, whether data or physical, there are a couple of important criteria. The obvious one is the security itself (whether a strong physical perimeter, data encryption or whatever), the second is what I call "authentication". All the security in the world won't protect against a violation of trust on a personal level. I brought this up in a conversation with ***** yesterday (though not using the "A" word) in the context of the ability of people lending their ID cards to friends.
While there are some interesting biometric devices (my traveling laptop, despite the fact that there is never any information stored on it, as I use an encrypted VPN to access a remote computer for my work, has its hard disk encrypted using my fingerprint as a key - well actually did a number of my and wife's fingers in case I get sloppy with a hammer).
While it might be overkill for a home, I saw a demonstration of these [CyberLock also available through TEC Solutions] which was very impressive (and they have matching cylinders for most major lock manufacturers)
J
Wow! Great response J (it sounds like you're almost as paranoid as I am. ;-) The "social engineering" part of your post reminds me that the next step up from burglary (danger to property) is robbery (danger to people) and then there's just plain felons on the run.
Our local news recently ran a story/interview with a woman who'd just come face to face with a fleeing felon. Seems the cops were chasing him through backyards when he tried to smash his way through her back door.
Her strong back door kept him out (good for her) but she got scared and ran out her front door (bad for her) and ran straight into him as he'd given up on her back door and was coming around to the front of her house just as she ran out. They met in front of her garage.
The story detailed exactly what I've been warning my wife about for years as I constantly remind (nag) her to keep all doors locked at all times so I dragged her from her shows in the living room to watch a replay of the story on the bedroom TV with accompanying commentary by yours truly ("See, it really does happen!") as the woman recounted how she'd somehow been able to run back in her front door locking it behind her.
The news story ended with her neighbors recounting how "motorcycle cops and six police cars" pounced on the guy shortly thereafter and my grumbling wife returning to her show.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
JRG writes to add:
Cutting solid wood door stop chocks and pounding into door head, jamb in several locations will help secure a door as well. Have read some folks in Sand Box use this when clearing buildings from insurgents, pounding these into doors in rooms already searched.
JRG
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
To Comment on this article E-Mail Me Unless you specifically ask me not to, I'll post your reply here in the blog so everyone can read it. Of course I'll remove your last name, email address and any other specific information for privacy purposes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)