Monthly Archives: October 2011

Emergency Kit Checklist

by SurvivalGuy Posted on October 31, 2011

I came across this emergency kit checklist on the BePrepared.com‘s website. It’s a concise list and can easily be printed out and used. I would print out a copy for each family member and check off the items as I acquire them. The problem I have faced when getting together an emergency bag is that it’s expensive and when you  multiply by 2 or more it starts too become a serious investment.

I ran the numbers when I first started preparing GO bags for my significant other and myself and I came to the conclusion that I couldn’t pay for everything at once. I decided to buy items slowly over time until I got everything that I thought that we might need. I went with the essentials first. To me that was a good backpack, food, water, a first aid kit, rain gear and a multi-tool.  As time went on I bought additional items for the bags and put more thought into the whole bugging out and possibly never returning back home option. As you build your own bag you will have to make decisions between weight and the gear that you think will make a difference in your particular bug out situation.

Emergency Checklist

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Sig Sauer Academy Handgun Orientation – Handgun 101

by SurvivalGuy Posted on October 27, 2011

In my efforts to impart my hobbies on my better half I signed my girlfriend and I up for the Sig Sauer Academy Handgun Orientation (Handgun 101) class a couple of weeks ago. My significant other has never had any formal training before and I was worried that the formal education would be difficult to digest. Luckily instructors Ken Allen and Taki Okuno at the Sig Sauer Academy in New Hampshire made the class a joy to attend.

The class was about 14 people, half men and half women. We started off the class with an introduction and an overview of the class. Everyone had a instruction booklet, a Sig Sauer sticker and a Sig Sauer hat waiting for them in the class room. Ken and Taki went over the following in the class room before we broke for lunch.

  1. Responsible Firearms Ownership and Applications of the Handgun
  2. Firearms Safety for the home, workplace, and vehicle
  3. Safety Concerns and Practices While Training and While Carrying a Firearm
  4. Safe Use and Handling of Firearms
  5. Locking Devices and Techniques for Firearms to Prevent Unauthorized Access
  6. Potential Dangers (penetration, ricochet, misidentification, accidental discharges, etc.)
  7. Ready Positions
  8. Components and Operation of Modern Pistols and Revolvers
  9. Types, Components, and Purposes of Modern Ammunition
  10. Applicable Laws relating to the possession, transportation, and storage of firearms
  11. General Guidelines on interstate travel with firearms

After lunch we had a quick overview of the mornings instruction and then we went to the indoor range. Ken and Taki started by having us raise our hands and while they sized them up they picked the appropriate sized pistols for us to fire. We were separated into two groups and we were given very specific instruction on how to pick the pistol off the table in front of us, load the magazine and prepare to fire. We started off by firing one round, then two and then four depending on the drill. After finishing the first magazine we made sure everyone had their hands off the guns, the guns on the table and the range was clear. Ken walked down the line explaining to each student what they were doing wrong and how to fix the problem. The great part about Ken and Taki was that they not only did they tell us how to improve our shooting but they also praised everyone on how well they did.

Everyone was pretty excited and amped up after the live firing portion of the class. We went to the classroom and did an after action report in the class room and everyone got a certificate of completion. Ken and Taki took questions from the class and I asked them to recommend an ammo loader and the company that manufactured Taki’s magazine pouch. Taki recommended the LULA Magazine Loader that he tested and recommends whole heartedly. The magazine and flashlight pouches that Taki wore on his belt were molded plastic and very low profile. The company that makes the magazine pouches was Comp Tac.

After the live fire brain dump we went to the back and went over how to disassemble our guns and perform maintenance. Ken and Taki took the time to explain the importance of cleaning our handguns and what lubricants to use to keep the guns running flawlessly. Ken and Taki recommend TW25B grease and Ballistol Sportsmans Oil. Both of these products are used exclusively by Sig Sauer on all of their weapons.

I recommend this class for all of those people who have not had formal training before. Even if you have been using guns half your life like I have you can still pick up some excellent tips that will improve your abilities. I’ve added some pics of the class below.

Sig Sauer P250

Sig Sauer P220

His Target

His Target

Her Target

Her Target

LULA Magazine Loader

LULA Magazine Loader

Comp Tac Magazine Pouches and Holsters

Comp Tac

Ballistol Sportsmans Oil

Ballistol Sportsmans Oil

TW25B Grease

TW25B Grease

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University of Texas- Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection

by SurvivalGuy Posted on October 24, 2011

My significant other turned me on to this great map resource at The University of Texas- Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection. Some maps aren’t up to date but they give you a head start on searching for what you need and are a great reference material. As an added benefit they are in PDF form so you can print them out at your convenience. The University of Texas- Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection can be found here.

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Where to Live to Avoid a Natural Disaster?

by SurvivalGuy Posted on October 20, 2011
Weather disasters and quakes: who’s most at risk? The analysis below, by Sperling’s Best Places, a publisher of city rankings, is an attempt to assess a combination of those risks in 379 American metro areas. Risks for twisters and hurricanes (including storms from hurricane remnants) are based on historical data showing where storms occurred. Earthquake risks are based on United States Geological Survey assessments and take into account the relative infrequency of quakes, compared with weather events and floods. Additional hazards included in this analysis: flooding, drought, hail and other extreme weather.
Avoid a Natural Disaster

The article above is by By MATTHEW ERICSON, JOE BURGESS and BILL MARSH of THE NEW YORK TIMES.

Sources: Sperling’s Best Places; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (tornado map); University of Miami (hurricane map); U.S. Geological Survey (earthquake map)
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Afghanistan IED Video and Wounded Warrior Project

by SurvivalGuy Posted on October 17, 2011

In my time in the military I was never deployed to a combat zone but we had plenty of training accidents that were just as disturbing. One month before I was deployed to South Korea a new 11Mike was on top of a Bradley IFV while the gunner swiveled the turret. The new infantry soldier was caught unawares and got his foot stuck on one of the hand holds and the turret tore him apart at the waist. The soldier died almost instantly but it was an extraordinarily gruesome scene and left many people scarred.

I came across a video on Michael Yon’s website. Michael Yon is a former Green Beret, native of Winter Haven, Fl. who has been reporting from Iraq and Afghanistan since December 2004. I highly recommend his website. The video below is of  a soldier stepping on a land mine and his squad mates giving him first aid. The video is unedited and gory. If you don’t like the sight of blood then I would advise you not to watch this video.

After watching the video I decided to donate 10% of my sites ad revenue from this point on to the Wounded Warrior Project to assist veterans with disabilities since every little bit helps.

Do Not Watch if You Have a Weak Stomach

Watch Your Step Video on Michael Yon’s Website is Here

Wounded Warrior Project

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Workplace Go / GOOD Bag Part 3 – Updated List

by SurvivalGuy Posted on October 13, 2011

I want to thank everyone for all of their input. I redid my list for the city Go Bag after considering every ones opinion. I’m still not going to have any weapons or escape tools due to local laws. My goal is to get out of harms way and not get picked up by the NYPD or any number of federal agencies that are around during a disaster. My most up to date list is below. As the situation changes I might add to the list.

  1. Backup glasses/contacts
  2. Over the glass goggles
  3. Fire escape smoke hood
  4. Particulate respirator
  5. Leather work gloves
  6. Two 16 oz bottles of water
  7. Two granola bars
  8. Two 5 hour energy drinks
  9. Hat with brim
  10. Bandana
  11. Rain jacket and pants
  12. Spare pair of wool socks
  13. V2 LED Lenser Power Chip Flashlight with spare batteries
  14. Multitool Leatherman Wave
  15. Silcock key, used to open water faucets
  16. A book of  matches and a lighter
  17. Hand sanitizer
  18. Small first aid kit containing Celox powder, first aid dressing, eye drops, neosporin spray, band aids, breathe right strips, Benadryl, Sudafed, Advil, Alka Seltzer, Wet Ones face wipes and 2 pairs of vinyl gloves
  19. One Therma Care Heat Wrap for my aching back
  20. Tissues
  21. Chapstick
  22. Off Bug Spray
  23. Emergency contact list, laminated
  24. Mini Eton radio with cell phone charger plus mini usb cable to charge phone
  25. Local map
  26. Compass
  27. 550 cord
  28. Duct tape
  29. One black garbage bag
  30. Back pack
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Perceptual and Memory Distortions During Officer Involved Shootings

by SurvivalGuy Posted on October 10, 2011

I came across an article by Alexis Artwohl, Ph.D. titled Perceptual and Memory Distortions During Officer Involved Shootings on the AELE Law Enforcement Legal Centers website. I found it an excellent read about the perception and memory of officers involved in shooting scenarios. I have never been involved in a situation like this and I hope to never be. I do find that the information in this article to be very informative and the knowledge to be critical. The article is a short read at 13 pages. When you have some time during lunch I would recommend clicking on the link and give it a chance.

Here is the introduction to Perceptual and Memory Distortions During Officer Involved Shootings by Alexis Artwohl, Ph.D. The full article can be read here.

Perception and memory can be quirky, as exemplified by these representative samples taken from actual events. The exact physical processes that govern perception and memory are yet to be fully understood. Given that police officers will be held fully accountable for their every action during an officer involved shooting, the accuracy and truthfulness of their statements will be intensely scrutinized. It is essential that police officers, and everyone who will be second guessing their actions and their statements, have a basic understanding that expecting officers to have perfect and totally accurate recall of any event, including an officer involved shooting, is not realistic. In fact, this basic premise applies to virtually all humans in all situations. The fact that people are almost never capable of total and perfect recall of events is agreed on by all memory researchers as a perusal of any basic textbook on memory will confirm.

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Workplace Go / GOOD Bag Part 2 – Now With a Pic

by SurvivalGuy Posted on October 6, 2011

I managed to get together a bunch of items that I had laying around to make an impromptu workplace Go / GOOD Bag that I wrote about the other day. I decided to have something at the office in case of an emergency that I could add to later instead of waiting around till I made the perfect bag which I would then bring it to the office. I tend to get caught up in the details of prepping for certain situations and I sometimes don’t realize that something is better than nothing and there is no such thing as being prepared for every situation.

In my particular case I will need to have enough in my bag to go about 6 – 8 miles on foot through a large variety of neighborhoods towards my home where I can hunker down or decide if I need to keep moving to get out of the city. I previously walked from work to my house and it took about three hours. A lot of the time was spent avoiding traffic, bicyclists and waiting on street lights. In case of an emergency there will be flocks of people that will slow down my pace and potentially make the walk more interesting ;) I can’t carry any concealed weapons where I live in NY because of the local laws. My grim demeanor and several years of martial arts training is all that I will have going for me.

I decided to modify my previous list to simplify it and reduce costs. I did not want to use anything that I had reserved in my home or car GO Bags and I also took into consideration that someone might steal my bag at work so I did not want to invest too much into the contents. I work with some what decent people when everything is going fine. In case of an emergency my coworkers just might take my bag without me realizing it and that will be that.

So without further proselytizing here is my updated list for an Office Go Bag with a pic. All of the contents of this kit are placed in zip loc bags to keep the items water proof.

  1. Backup glasses/contacts
  2. Two 16 oz bottles of water, not pictured
  3. Two granola bars, not pictured
  4. Particulate respirator
  5. Wind breaker
  6. Spare pair of wool socks, not pictured
  7. Hat with brim
  8. Two pairs of vinyl gloves, not pictured
  9. Small body cloth for wiping away sweat
  10. Led flashlight with spare batteries
  11. Led headlamp with spare batteries, spare batteries not pictured
  12. Hand sanitizer
  13. Small first aid kit containing eye drops, neosporin spray (not pictured),  band aids, breathe right strips, Benadryl, antihistamine, Advil and Alka Seltzer, Six Wet Ones face wipes. The Advil is in the Aleve bottle.
  14. One Therma Care Heat Wrap for my aching back
  15. Tissues
  16. Chapstick
  17. Off Bug Spray
  18. Cheap swiss army knife replica
  19. Two books of  matches, only one box pictured
  20. Emergency contact list located on cell phone, not pictured
  21. Mini Eton radio with cell phone charger, not pictured because I haven’t bought it yet. This will also charge my phone in case of an emergency.
  22. Local map, also not pictured because I haven’t bought it yet
  23. Compass
  24. One black garbage bag
  25. Back pack

Office Go Bag

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Workplace / Office – Go / GOOD Bag

by SurvivalGuy Posted on October 3, 2011

I’m getting together a Go Bag aka Get Out of Dodge Bag for the office where I work. My office is inconveniently located near a major transport hub in a large cities financial district :) The higher ups all have super duper go bags that are company issued for the executives.

I first found out about the executive Go Bags / Get Out of Dodge Bags from the office manager when she accidentally noticed one of these bags by one of the executives desks. The executive was caught unawares and answered truthfully that the company issues them to all of the higher ups in case of an emergency. When the office manager asked about getting them for the rank and file the executive realized that he fucked up by saying too much and started to say that it would be too expensive to issue them to everyone and that it was something that was reserved for certain key personnel. I ‘m not sharing any specific info because I don’t want to lose my job.

The office manager and I are on good terms and she was venting about the situation when I suggested we could get something together that was economical and better than what the executives had. I don’t know exactly what’s in the executive kit but I’m pretty sure that whatever I put together will be better than some mass produced kit. I decided on the following items below. Hopefully they are better than what the corporate kits contain but I won’t really know. So in the mean time here is what I plan on putting in them. I’ll follow up with pictures and the cost of the kit once I put it together.

  1. Over the glasses goggles
  2. Backup glasses/contacts
  3. Particulate respirator
  4. Poncho with hood
  5. 32 oz of water
  6. 5 year shelf life life-boat ration
  7. Led flashlight with spare batteries
  8. Swiss Army Knife or multi tool
  9. Small first aid kit with moleskin and eye drops
  10. Lighter / Matches
  11. Gloves
  12. Bandanna
  13. Emergency contact list
  14. Tissues
  15. Mini Eton radio with headphones
  16. Back pack
  17. Hat with brim
  18. Local map
  19. Compass
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