The iPod - a crucial part of your . . . . arsenal?

It looks like iPods have finally come to their own with the tactically-minded set - and I don't mean the ability to bring up "Welcome to the Jungle" every time you find yourself in the middle of a fray.

A company has designed an application for the ubiquitous device that would take the place of a ballistics computer or the standard sniper dope note card taped to the cheek side of your rifle stock.

And you can even download it from iTunes!

Sniper rifle software launched for iPod touch
New BulletFlight program could be a 'killer' app for Apple

A new application has been launched for the iPod touch to help gun users line up a clean shot at their target.

The BulletFlight app, which costs £6.99 to download from the iTunes store, has been developed by Runaway App to turn the iPod touch into a ballistics computer which the company says can provide “quick solutions in the field”.

Users can mount their iPod touch to their rifle, and then use the iPod’s touch-screen to tap in details about the wind conditions, ammunition type, distance to the intended target and even the wind speed.

It even includes data for several different weapons and calibers.

The application features built-in profiles for three weapons – the M110 semi-automatic precision rifle, the KAC PDW, and the 14.5in SR16 rifle – although users can add more weapons into the app.

“Environmental calculations are based on the Sierra Bullet model,” says the BulletFlight iTunes entry. “Up to five ballistic co-efficients with corresponding velocity thresholds may be used for each profile.”

More.

Just when you thought iTunes was only a place to download one-hit wonders and audio books.

McGyver's Tactical Knife?

I saw a new Swiss Army Knife (SAK) in the pages of the most recent Field and Stream that looked like a pretty significant departure from their usual offerings.
It's called the One Hand Sentinel and it looks almost more like a Spyderco-style knife than a SAK. It is an upgrade to their standard Sentinel knife.

I still have my original Recruit from when I was a kid and am excited they came out with a new offering that maintains the original concept, while more in the style of a tactical folder.

Looks like they are going for around $20-25 on eBay - not bad at all for a cool knife and tweezers!

Here are the specs.

Enough on politics . . .


Here is a picture of Ranch Style Beans - the official food staple of all Orion Woods Brigade events.

More on everyone's favorite "Husband Pleasin'" bean.

Jack Bauer Bag Bonding

Coming out of one of our favorite little breakfast joints in San Antonio, an older man walked over to compliment us on our baby. I immediately noticed he was carrying the Jack Bauer "24" bag and mentioned to him that I have the same one.


I started getting the words out of my mouth , but we both spoke in unison:

"It's the Jack Bauer bag."
Immediately we started laughing and shook hands.

It was a true "gear nerd" moment.

Get your own "Jack Bauer" bag for sub-$20.

The World's Most Tactical Jacket?

I got this message from sc0rpi0n earlier today:

Not sure if you ever watch Mythbusters on Discovery Channel or not, but one of the guys on that show (Adam Savage) sometimes wears a jacket that looks really cool. I was inclined to visit the interweb and try to identify just what it was. I tracked down the jacket and manufacturer and, if it wasn’t $600, would have ordered one by now given what I found J Thought you might like this….

http://web.mac.com/kitanica/iWeb/Kitanica%20V.3/Green.html

Holy crap, that is bad arse. But, $600? That's like militarymorons.com kinda money (that dude buys everything).

Check out TAD Gear - easier on the wallet - but not much - http://www.tadgear.com/

I almost bought a Man-Vs-Wild jacket (SAS smock-type action) on eBay, but then I remembered I live in the desert.

Awesome!

BMF Knuckle Guard

Fun with nylon 550 cord.


Still can't figure out what to do with the two loose ends.

Here's the instructions.

Great Customer Service from Cheaper Than Dirt

I just bought a few more items for my kit from cheaperthandirt.com and had a great customer service experience with the company.

I needed to add an EMT pouch to my SAR rig and also wanted to pick-up a radio pouch for my medic vest, where I wouldn't be able to use the radio chest rig.

I got the item in the mail, but the pouch had a broken snap. I called them back on the phone and they immediately sent me over a new one - without needing me to send the original back.


I got the replacement in two days and was able rig the original to work fine on my rig (belt-based, not MOLLE).

So now the vest gets an EMT pouch and radio holder, and the SAR rig gets an EMT pouch as well.

I use my EMT pouches for "quick-trauma" kits - i.e. bleeding, and basic airway - the kind of goods you need really quick without having to fumble through your pack.

They are not as expensive as a similar Blackhawk or Eagle pouch, but definitely get the job done.

While looking through the customer reviews on the page I keyed in on this dude's description of what he uses his EMT pouch for:

I bought this on a whim to just round up some miscellaneous items on my combat gear. Turns out it holds 2 smoke grenades which is perfect, as I was having a heck of a time trying to find good smoke grenade pouches. The internal elastic loops also help secure them fast to the inside, if something were to ever happen to the zipper. With the 2 smokers in there (military pull-ring smoke, not those dry-smoke sportsman type smoke) there is still room to hold other items. I even threw in an AR mag in an emergency and it fit. The molle on the outside is sturdy, as is the entire pouch. I put anything from my spare sidearm mags to an ASEK knife to the outside of the pouch, it gets a little cumbersome, but it's capable and keeps gear close at hand. As others have said, it holds a 500ml IV bag plus accessories, QuikClot, whatever you need. It's one of a few pouches I won't get rid of, it's a permanent attachment on my gear.

Now that is much cooler than what I have in mine.

More Bug Out Bag Goods - The Battle Bag

I was searching around for some info on different BOB options and came across this little gem. The actual article is from 2005, but the info is still very useful.

The author talks specifically about a 'battle bag' - that is a ready-packed bug out bag that is specifically designed for fighting.

A Battle Bag differs from a Bug Out Bag in that the Battle Bag also has to carry fighting supplies. What goes into your Battle Bag is dependent on your primary weapon, secondary weapon
(handgun), whether or not you have a vest to carry other gear (armored or otherwise) and whether or not you intend to wear a gun belt.

A few things I love about this article:

His survival system is based on a shotgun: Ok, so every survival/BOB/EOTW/WTSHTF writer out there knows that a shotgun is a bad idea for a survival scenario, but why? Not only is this the weapon of choice for Mad Max (ok, bad example), but chances are in a purely scrounge scenario the only types of cartridges you are guaranteed to find almost everywhere is .22LR and 12 gauge. There is also ample evidence that the weapon of choice for the frontiersmen were smoothbore shotguns. And if Hollywood has taught us anything - to really make sure you kill the hell out of that zombie - nothing can guarantee second mortality like a shotgun.

He advocates PPE beyond rubber gloves: Not only does the author mention making sure you have eye protection (remember how we can run through the cedar in a paintball mask and not worry about getting poked in the eye?) , he also talks about using a helmet. Think about it - if things are really that bad - there are probably going to be more sharp edges out there than usual.

He combines his LBE, belt, and BOB into one package: Rather than having to kit-out with one of those snazzy Eagle Deployment Bags (which are still cool, mind you), he has the idea to have his primary BOB wrapped with his LBE vest to make it easier to carry . . .

The way I have everything put together, the Battle Bag is full and sits upright. The vest wraps around and over it, with the Bag's handle sticking out the neck opening of the vest. The gun belt wraps around the top slotted through the vest arm openings and the Bag shoulder straps, effectively making them one unit to pick up. The helmet chinstrap is wrapped through some of the webbing on the vest and snapped shut. What I get is one unit that I can pick up by the handle on the Battle Bag as I'm going out the door. If I have the time to "suit up" before I leave, I pull off the gun belt to put it on quick. The helmet comes off the vest, the vest goes over my head, Velcro straps get pushed down, and I'm good to grab the bag and helmet and go out the door.

There is a great picture that shows how everything fits together.

Good stuff!

A Product Whose Time Has Come

I was pouring over the latest issue of Tactical Knives and I noticed an interesting ad on one of the pages.

Tactical Grilling offers the discerning griller the ability to make dinner using the same quality gear that one would use in the woods, paintball field, or in a tac-law enforcement-combat-action scenario.

Talk about upping the ante. I had no idea that I was at a tactical disadvantage while outside on my grill. Currently they only offer extra shingles for beers and/or a spatula, but I am sure the loops on the apron will work with most Molle and PALs gear, so that you can add on a mag or two - just in case those damn neighborhood zombies decide to attack while you are out flipping the brauts.

Any gear-nerd worth his codura should immediately head over to the site and check it out.

To Bug Out or Not Bug-Out?

There is a great romance to the idea of shouldering a pack, grabbing your rifle, and heading off into the wilderness to fend off the coming maelstrom. Most proponents of a good post-TSHTF scenario advocate the use of a bug-out bag or more in more civil terms – a 72 hour pack.

Interest in this type of “backpack survivalism” is so popular that a cottage-industry is starting to spring-up with various gear manufacturers developing 3-day packs that are specific for this use. Eagle Industries and Blackhawk have long carried these types of “patrol” packs, but a pack specific for this use is relatively new. Guns and Ammo magazine - long on the conservative side of the whole “Red Dawn” advertising so prevalent in the 1980s - even recently published an article highlighting a few suggestions in this regard.

Nowhere is this trend more prevalent than in the anti-zombie communities, where advocating a survival system that allows the user to hit the road makes great sense when taken in the logic of that genre. Zombie Squad – the ubiquitous community of zombie fans and eager preparers for the inevitable zombie holocaust – even hosts special events where they help show users how to create these kits.

A friend sent this over from the Texas section of ar15.com:

Bug Out Drill 2007

Tiger Valley will host its second annual Bug Out Drill, September 29, 2007. We will run the same distance as last year, 15 miles, but the physical challenges will be tougher. For those who didn't attend the last event, the idea for this was spawned from reading the survival forum. I, like a lot of people don't believe that something does what it claims without a test; hence, the But Out Drill was born.

As last year the challenge was to move and recover family members who are a distance away. For the sake of argument an EMP has disabled all vehicles, I know some of you have spare parts wrapped in foil, but we have to keep this on an even keel. That means you have to travel the entire rought on foot, no bikes, 4-wheelers Gurka's or Donkey's allowed on the course. You must carry everything you need for the event on your person. We will have a hydration station that you can top off water during the event.

Last years event had 20 physical challenges, everything from having to cut through chain link fence to triage a tactical mannequin. This year I plan on making some of the challenges technically and physically more challenging. I won't go into detail on the plans but nothing is off the table.

We had 27 hard-core contestants compete last year. Everyone made a great effort, and from the feedback, learned allot from the experience. As the concept stated last year, you don't have to complete each event. If the event is to challenging, you can by-pass it and take the penalty. Remember, this event is designed to test you and your equipment, not kill you. We don't want to run those off who might be intimidated at some events.

I need some feedback from you guys on one area. I thought it might be good to require those attending to camp out on Friday night. Pitch whatever survival tent you have and take off in the morning. This idea is still up for grabs so let me know what you think.

The price for the event will be the same as last year, $150.00. I will start getting prizes as soon as I get back from this class in Waco.

Check out http://www.tigervalley.com/ for more details.

The Alpha-Rubicon has posted a criticism of “bugging out” that definitely deserves a read. Their article makes some great points, but unfortunately their recommendation is out of the means of most would-be survivalists and preparedness folks.

Be that as it may, it does make a lot of sense to keep a bag around the house for each family member to use in the event of a forced evacuation. It could keep an evacuee from becoming a refugee.

Food, water and water purification, essential medicines, first aid gear and PPE, defensive gear, pet food, sleeping bags, and other essential gear are all great to include. Individual kits will vary with each user.

Zombie Squad’s Bug Out Gear page.

Always carry your E&E kit

Check out this bit from the news archives:

Kidnapped teen's family describes safety pin escape

BRADENTON, Florida (CNN) -- A 13-year-old boy left bound and gagged in a remote patch of Florida countryside used a safety pin, a stick and his teeth to free himself from captivity, his family said Tuesday.

Clay Moore's stepfather, Steve Kelle, gave reporters details on how the teen escaped after being abducted at gunpoint from his school bus stop in Parrish, Florida, on Friday morning.

The key to his escape was a safety pin that was holding together a rip in Clay's jacket, Kelle said. (Watch how teen used hidden pin to help get himself free )

While his abductor was driving Clay away from the bus stop, the boy took the safety pin off his sleeve and nervously played with it, Kelle said.

When Clay was taken from the truck into the woods, he put the safety pin in his mouth, his stepfather said. Asked later by his parents why he did that, he said he "just thought it would be helpful," Kelle said.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/27/florida.abduction/index.html

This kid did an amazing job with a field-expendent piece of gear, but it would have been much easier if there were a few basic items in the kid's pockets. Not all of these are legal for kids to carry in school, but it's up to parents to decide if the risk of the kid getting into trouble is worth the added safety factor of having the items. In either case, only responsible individuals should carry weapons and tools - whether they are adults or children. I have been around kids who were mature and adults who were not. Mileage varies with conditions in the field.

So what should a basic kit contain?

- Folding saw blade: I am sure a lot of folks would differ on this, but I think a folding hacksaw blade is more versatile and safer than a folding knife blade - especially for smaller hands. Most kids aren't going to be able to carry a knife, but if they can having a small saw is a great addtion. You can sew it to the back of your pants (inside the belt), which helps if your hands are bound behind your back. In the event your hands are bound in the front - you'll have most of their use anyway. It's also small enough to avoid a non-professional search (read: criminals, commies, and shit), though it may be found by a more professionally trained criminal.

- Pocket knife: I carry a blade with me everywhere (see article - What's in Your Pockets?). It's great for most uses, but also very likely to be taken away in the event of capture or kidnapping.

- Another pocket knife: Preferably smaller than the first and in a different location - like your shoe.

Ok, this is basic, but the reality is that if you have a kit that contains everything A) you aren't going to have it with you in an emergency and B) it will likely be taken away as soon as you are captured.

The best thing to help you avoid being the victim of a kidnapping is situational awareness. Teach your kids at a young age to look out for danger and to trust their instincts when they feel like something is wrong.