Monthly Archives: March 2011

Blackhawk Waterproof Tactical Boots

by SurvivalGuy Posted on March 31, 2011

I purchased a pair of Blackhawk waterproof tactical boots a couple of weeks ago from OpticsPlanet.com’s daily special website Dvor.com. The site had them for under $110 with shipping. The boots were delivered in a few days and  I strapped them on my feet right quick. At first they were a little tight. I wore them for a full day to let the boots form to my feet. After 12 hours I did not have any blisters or hot spots and I did not even notice I was wearing new boots.

I’ve been wearing the boots not stop for three weeks now. They became even more comfortable as time went on. I’ve purchased other high end boots over the internet but I’ve never been satisfied with the quality or the fit of the boot. I usually wound up returning the boots or giving them to a family member that is not as picky as I am. The Blackhawk tactical boots exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend them.

Men's Blackhawk Warrior Wear ZW7 7" Side - zip Waterproof Boots, BLACK, 6.5

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List of Contents – Individual First Aid Kit aka IFAK

by SurvivalGuy Posted on March 28, 2011

I forgot to list the contents of my individual first aid kit in the last post. The complete list of items is below.

Complete List of Contents

    1. 1 Specter Gear medical pouch
    2. 1 Tourniquet
    3. 1 Celox gauze roll
    4. 1 Celox 25 gram granule pouch
    5. 1 Medical shears
    6. 1 Quickclot sport 3.5 x 3.5 in gauze pad
    7. 2 2×2 in gauze pad
    8. 3 large knuckle band-aids
    9. 3 medium knuckle band-aids
    10. 4 large band aids
    11. 3 butterfly closures
    12. 1 small needle tweezer
    13. 4 pks ibuprofen
    14. 1 10 count advil travel bottle (not shown)
    15. 1 chapstick (not shown)
    16. 2 doses benadryl / diphen
    17. 6 doses sudafed
    18. 3 pks triple antibiotic ointment
    19. 5 antiseptic towlettes
    20. 2 alka seltzer
    21. 2 pair vinyl gloves
    22. 1 5×9 in gauze pad
    23. 2 3×4 in gauze pad
    24. 1 4×4 in gauze pad
    25. 2 3×3 in gauze pad
    26. 1 6.5x4in mole foam
    27. 2 3in wide gauze rolls
    28. 2 ft duct tape roll
    29. 1ft duct tape roll
    30. 1 small roll medical tape
    31. 3 safety pins
    32. 1 triangular bandage
    33. 1 elastic bandage
    34. 1 betadine solution ampule
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      Individual First Aid Kit aka IFAK

      by SurvivalGuy Posted on March 24, 2011

      It’s about time that I got my Individual First Aid Kit in order. As most thing this is a work in project and it changes constantly. My current IFAK is encased in a Specter Gear PALS/MOLLE Compatible Modular Individual First Aid Pouch. I combined an Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight and Watertight 7oz First-Aid Kit and a Adventure Medical Kits Trauma Pack with QuikClot and added a SOFTT-W Tourniquet, a CELOX Gauze Roll, 5-Foot by 3-Inch, a 25 gram packet of CELOX First Aid granules, a pair of Medical Shears, a tube of Advil (not shown), sudafed, a couple a packs of Alka Seltzer, a stick of chapstick (not shown) and a some hand sanitizer wipes.

      I put my IFAK on my magazine carrier to use when I go to training classes. It is a little bulky and sticks out a bit from my side but once I start moving around I don’t really notice it. The size is 6 inches wide 7 inches high and 5 inches deep. I estimate it’s weight at about 2 plus pounds. I wanted to have the first aid kit portion of the kit in a separate pouch that  I could easily remove. I made sure to put a small carabiner on it just in case I had to hang it on my gear or put it somewhere else. The first aid kit itself is split into two individual waterproof pouches that allow me to access the individual components. Here are some pics.

      individual first aid kit

      individual first aid kit

      individual first aid kit

      individual first aid kit

      individual first aid kit

      individual first aid kit

      Posted in First Aid, Gear Review | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

      How close is your home to a nuclear power plant?

      by SurvivalGuy Posted on March 21, 2011

      My house is pretty darn close to a nuclear power plant. It makes me uncomfortable but I can’t just move out to the middle of Wyoming to error on the side of safety. It’s a nice thought but I’ve gotten used to a salary and all the nifty bobbles it allows me to buy. In the mean time I bought some anti radiation pills mentioned in a previous post and I have my fingers crossed.

      I know it seams like wishful thinking but the reality of the situation is that you can only do so much to prepare. Thinking about all the things that can go wrong can be crippling. If something happened and several million people started to panic trying to get out of a city would be a horrific experience. I’m preparing as best as I can for the worst and hoping for the best. In the mean time here is a website that can get you started on worrying about your future or if your lucky not at all :)

      nuclear_power_plant_sites

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      Japanese Nuclear Disaster + Potassium Iodide Tablets

      by SurvivalGuy Posted on March 17, 2011

      The potential for nuclear radiation poisoning from the nuclear power plants failing are Japan is very high. My friend who lives on the West Coast was expressing his concern yesterday and I e-mailed him some links to products on Amazon.com. Last night the products were available. Tonight the products are back ordered and not available for several months.

      Last year I had the foresight to buy several packs of iodide pills just in case something happened on the East Coast. I have a lot to be concerned about because there is a high concentration of nuclear power plants here. I hate to think that my life would be dependent on the governments foresight to protect me and my family. They can’t even get pot holes filled around where I live so I don’t give them too much credit.

      I bought the Iosat Iodide tablets below. If anyone is concerned about radioactive poisoning now is the time to get some of these pills before the world supply is depleted for the next several months.

      Iosat Potassium Iodide

      Posted in General, Preparation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

      Restrepo – A Film by Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington

      by SurvivalGuy Posted on March 14, 2011

      I went for a screening of Restrepo — a film by Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington last night. I want to discuss the film a little bit and why I think it is worth seeing. I spent a little over three years in the military as an infantryman. While watching Restrepo I had a smile on my face because it reminded me of a lot of what I did like about the military; the camaraderie, traveling all over the world and shooting really awesome guns. On the flip side there was being exhausted all the time, waking up at 5 am to do physical training and occasionally watching your friends die in training accidents.

      This movie is worth watching because you see it from the soldiers perspective. There isn’t any agenda associated with this movie, it’s as if you’re looking over the shoulder of a soldier. I went through a lot of shit that most civilians would never understand and formed a strong bond with a lot of the guys that I was with. Even though my units never went to combat we completed training that would make most men quit and we did it no matter what the weather was like or how shitty we felt. Whoever watches this movie will get an excellent understanding of the bond us soldiers share and how hard it is to talk to non military people about our experiences. To this day I miss my friends who I served with over the years. May God watch over them.

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      GRAYMAN Satu (sah’-too) Folder

      by SurvivalGuy Posted on March 10, 2011

      I picked up the Grayman Satu folder a few months ago. I saw the pictures on the Grayman’s Knives website and I knew the knife was going to be big. It still did not prepare me for the size of it when I opened the box. It’s one hell of a big knife.  The first thing I did was inspect it closely. The knife did not have any machining marks or scratches and all the screws were tight. The action was initially stiff. I put a little white lithium grease in the action before  I began to open and close the knife a couple of hundred times in each hand over the next several days to loosen it up. I know that may seem a bit obsessive compulsive but it’s the way I get familiar with the action of a folding knife. This way I get very familiar with the knife and opening it becomes second nature in both hands.

      I primarily wanted to use this knife as a hiking knife. I was looking for something very well built that I can put in my pocket or backpack. Since I live on the east coast I have to be more discreet than those of you who live elsewhere. The knife has a really strong clip that will hold on to your pants like a leech. It might be a little to tight in case of an emergency but I’m not carrying this knife as a self defense weapon. You can definitely use it as such but that’s not it’s main purpose. I would like to test this knife further but I can’t bring myself to start chopping at branches just for the hell of it. For now it’s residing in my home waiting for it’s first trip into the woods. Until then I will have to leave you with a bunch of pictures.GRAYMAN Satu (sah'-too) Folder

      GRAYMAN Satu (sah'-too) Folder

      GRAYMAN Satu (sah'-too) Folder

      GRAYMAN Satu (sah'-too) Folder

      GRAYMAN Satu (sah'-too) Folder

      GRAYMAN Satu (sah'-too) Folder

      GRAYMAN Satu (sah'-too) Folder

      Posted in Gear Review, Knives / Tools | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

      5th Amendment or Why You Should Not Speak to the Police

      by SurvivalGuy Posted on March 7, 2011

      5th Amendment

      No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

      I would like to point everyone to these two videos on You Tube. There are two parts. The first half is from the perspective of a defense attorney and the second half is from the point of view of a prosecutor.

      Defense Attorney’s Take on Not Speaking To Police

      Prosecutions  Take on Not Speaking To Police

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