Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Shelving project in the bunker is coming along. Fairly simple .. rip a sheet of plywood into 1' wide strips, dadoe each end, put in a top and bottom piece, line it with shelf standards and add a back piece to brace it. Piece o' cake. I've made three of them and will probably make two more. Efficient storage is the name of the game here.
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Winter is in full swing here and although it hasnt dropped below zero yet, it still gets pretty cold. The surplus flectar parka has been doing a great job and coupled with the thick watchcaps I picked up at WallyWorld I am quite comfy. For gloves im using the usual milsurp wool liners and trigger mitts. For the truly nasty stuff I have a pair of Outdoor Research goretex outer mitts…they have no insulation or anything but provide wind- and waterproof bonuses to whatever Im wearing.
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Had a bit of credit left on some Amazon gift certificates so I ordered up a new book on cottage water systems. Someday when I build the dream house it will have plumbing that will be just Too Damn Cool…. esp. when its configured to provide protection from forestfires.  Then again, since I envision my dream home will have a good bit of concrete to it, I wonder what exactly Im protecting from burning.
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Looking forward to playing some more with my new Omnifuel stove. Time it in regards to boiling a quart of water, etc, etc. Need to sit down with the exploded diagram and figure out what spare parts to order..extra jets and o-rings are a defintite yes.
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One of the things I want to acquire this year is the Nat'l Geographic software (although other companies offer it, Im sure) that prints topo maps. I'd love to be able to review maps on the computer, esp. against GPS coords. Next time Im up at REI I'll have to take a look. Theyd come in handy for geocaching adventures and would certainly be useful if I go camping this year.
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Probably should do alot more camping this year…give me a chance to rotate out some MRE's….

2005 starts…..

My concerns about 2004 failed to materialize… no terrorist attacks near the elections, no Mt St Helens explosion, no invasion from the Lizard Planet, no JFK (John F. Kerry), no real big issues. And this is a good thing.

Of course, it changes nothing…..I still have The List of things to get, still have books to read, still have skills to learn, still have experiences to try, etc, etc.

In other news, Im finally making progress on the shelving for the bunker. Ive been building some stand-alone shelving units and I think Im getting the hang of it. I hate ripping sheets of plywood with a circular saw rather than a table saw, but you go with what youve got. (Sort of the catchphrase of the prepared.)

Still need to play some more with my ultraniftyswellcool Primus Omnifuel stove. Need to pick up a couple butane cartridges for it just to have.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

2005 starts…..

My concerns about 2004 failed to materialize… no terrorist attacks near the elections, no Mt St Helens explosion, no invasion from the Lizard Planet, no JFK (John F. Kerry), no real big issues. And this is a good thing.

Of course, it changes nothing…..I still have The List of things to get, still have books to read, still have skills to learn, still have experiences to try, etc, etc.

In other news, Im finally making progress on the shelving for the bunker. Ive been building some stand-alone shelving units and I think Im getting the hang of it. I hate ripping sheets of plywood with a circular saw rather than a table saw, but you go with what youve got. (Sort of the catchphrase of the prepared.)

Still need to play some more with my ultraniftyswellcool Primus Omnifuel stove. Need to pick up a couple butane cartridges for it just to have.

While I usually review gear for my own needs, since I really only care about the things that matter to me, I’ll pass on a nice little gear review site for all the ‘geardo’s out there: http://www.militarymorons.com/

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

While I usually review gear for my own needs, since I really only care about the things that matter to me, I’ll pass on a nice little gear review site for all the ‘geardo’s out there: http://www.militarymorons.com/

What did Santa (or Santa’s thong-clad minion) get the very undeserving Commander Zero for Christmas? One of these bad boys. Burns gas cannisters, kerosene, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, camp fuel, white gas…anything you dont wanna smoke a cigarette near, this baby will burn it. Yowza!! And since my liquid fuel o’ choice is the lovingly stable and deliciously long lasting kerosene, this thing is going to fit right in. Order up a few spare parts, find a good container to hold it all in and this baby is going to get bumped to the top of the gear list. For those keeping track, i currently was using a Coleman Peak1 multifuel stove with an extra generator for kerosene. Also have an old primus #71 (http://stovecollector.tripod.com/images/primus71_50s_60s_m.jpg) that is all brass and is basically World War One technology..no pumps, no no pressurizing, no fuel bottles. A simple and utterly foolproof little cooker. Its an amazing example of low-technology that equals high-tech and then surpasses it with its no moving parts and unbreakable materials..not a lick of plastic on the thing. (Reference: http://stovecollector.tripod.com/br_primus.htm) However, despite its bulletproofness, one drawback is that its pretty much restricted to the one fuel. The Omnifuel, however, will run on whatever I can find … and extremely useful quality to have when you never know what fuel may be available. I could scavenge out of oil tanks, car gas tanks, truck diesel tanks, kerosene lamps, etc, etc. Truly, a Mad Max-suitable piece of gear.

Mondo cool.

I’ll pull a fuel bottle out of the bunker tonight and try it with camp fuel to familiarize myself.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

What did Santa (or Santa’s thong-clad minion) get the very undeserving Commander Zero for Christmas? One of these bad boys. Burns gas cannisters, kerosene, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, camp fuel, white gas…anything you dont wanna smoke a cigarette near, this baby will burn it. Yowza!! And since my liquid fuel o’ choice is the lovingly stable and deliciously long lasting kerosene, this thing is going to fit right in. Order up a few spare parts, find a good container to hold it all in and this baby is going to get bumped to the top of the gear list. For those keeping track, i currently was using a Coleman Peak1 multifuel stove with an extra generator for kerosene. Also have an old primus #71 (http://stovecollector.tripod.com/images/primus71_50s_60s_m.jpg) that is all brass and is basically World War One technology..no pumps, no no pressurizing, no fuel bottles. A simple and utterly foolproof little cooker. Its an amazing example of low-technology that equals high-tech and then surpasses it with its no moving parts and unbreakable materials..not a lick of plastic on the thing. (Reference: http://stovecollector.tripod.com/br_primus.htm) However, despite its bulletproofness, one drawback is that its pretty much restricted to the one fuel. The Omnifuel, however, will run on whatever I can find … and extremely useful quality to have when you never know what fuel may be available. I could scavenge out of oil tanks, car gas tanks, truck diesel tanks, kerosene lamps, etc, etc. Truly, a Mad Max-suitable piece of gear.

Mondo cool.

I’ll pull a fuel bottle out of the bunker tonight and try it with camp fuel to familiarize myself.

Hmmmm…8.9 earthquake on the other side of the planet. A nice reminder that some Bad Things are just totally unpredictable (at least, in the sense of knowing where or when). I mean, if you live in California you have to know that someday The Big One is coming…you just dont know when. My particular part of the planet isnt know for massive earthquakes but they have happened in the past. Last biggie was around the 1955-era. Yellowstone Park is always threatening to go off, and Mount St, Helens is a few hundred miles west and we did get plenty of fallout from it when it let go.

Still, the most Ive ever felt has ben a 2-point-something that basically shook the bed a little bit and left me wondering ‘what the hell was that’? The Californians who read this will snort and say that they dont even get out of bed for anything below a 3.5, Im sure.

However, having said that, I wonder how many Californians take seriously their responsibility to be prepared for earthquakes. I know that theres obviously a certain amount of government-mandated preparedness in the form of gas valves, house construction, etc, etc. But I wonder how many Californians actually keep the usual stock of food, water, ammo, batteries, etc.

Short of the house collapsing on top of my head, Id say Im pretty well covered for just about anything short of a direct hit. But theres always more stuff to buy…(grumble).

Took the CZ to the range yesterday along with a few LMI’s to try 1000-yard shooting. It was 8 degrees out and thats pretty cold when youre used to 25-30~ degree weather. On the bright side, heat mirage wasnt much of a concern. Wore the Flectar parka and it was up to the task. Shoulda worn warmer socks though…one of the LMI wore a pair of Mickey Mouse/bunny boots and they apparently served him quite well. Looks like Im going to have to hunt a pair of them down and buy them. I was still getting the feel for the CZ and my 9x scope was no match for the distance of 1000 yards so I just shot 100 yard stuff. The LMI were shooting 7mag and .308. I personally thought the .308 would be pretty spent and thus less accurate by the time it got there, but it acquitted itself nicely. Holdover? Well, the conversation went like this: “Okay, sighted in for 300 yards, so its 25 clicks of elevation for 1000”, “Add two more clicks for the colder temperature”, etc. See, at that range you dont just think to yourself “I’ll hold four feet over the target”…no, you calculate your ballistics on a computer, print a little range card with the various distances noted, and then you mark down the correct number of clicks to adjust your scope. Of course, for this to work you need a very good scope (average cost of the scopes used we $900 each) and your ammo has to be quite consistent. When all that is said and done you head down the range and see a group thats about 6 or 7 inches big and you think “Thats horrible” until you realize thats .7 MOA…the equivalent of shooting a .7″ group at 100 yards…and that those shots all would hit a man sized target at well over half a mile away.
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Took the Mr Heater ‘Buddy’ to the range. It worked adequately enough to warm hands and feet but it really works best in an enclosed space. The brain-numbing cold didnt have much of an effect on it although the Coke I was drinking froze in the three minutes I left it alone to go take a leak. Thats cold.
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Things at the house are a bit chilly too. I was negligent in getting the storm windows up so thats a priority for today. Additionally, I need to make sure theres no under-the-door drafts or anything. Heating bill was outrageous last time.
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Im going to ditch the Remington brass and pick up some Lapua or Hornady Match cases. I may be on the right track with the IMR 4895 but I’d like to try some of the Varget or blc2 loads. Any idiot can hit a playing card at 100 yards…I didnt spend this money for 100 yard shooting. I want the maximum effective and accurate range. Not necessarily 1000 yards but probably 600yards or so at least.

Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Took the CZ to the range yesterday along with a few LMI’s to try 1000-yard shooting. It was 8 degrees out and thats pretty cold when youre used to 25-30~ degree weather. On the bright side, heat mirage wasnt much of a concern. Wore the Flectar parka and it was up to the task. Shoulda worn warmer socks though…one of the LMI wore a pair of Mickey Mouse/bunny boots and they apparently served him quite well. Looks like Im going to have to hunt a pair of them down and buy them. I was still getting the feel for the CZ and my 9x scope was no match for the distance of 1000 yards so I just shot 100 yard stuff. The LMI were shooting 7mag and .308. I personally thought the .308 would be pretty spent and thus less accurate by the time it got there, but it acquitted itself nicely. Holdover? Well, the conversation went like this: “Okay, sighted in for 300 yards, so its 25 clicks of elevation for 1000″, “Add two more clicks for the colder temperature”, etc. See, at that range you dont just think to yourself “I’ll hold four feet over the target”…no, you calculate your ballistics on a computer, print a little range card with the various distances noted, and then you mark down the correct number of clicks to adjust your scope. Of course, for this to work you need a very good scope (average cost of the scopes used we $900 each) and your ammo has to be quite consistent. When all that is said and done you head down the range and see a group thats about 6 or 7 inches big and you think “Thats horrible” until you realize thats .7 MOA…the equivalent of shooting a .7″ group at 100 yards…and that those shots all would hit a man sized target at well over half a mile away.
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Took the Mr Heater ‘Buddy’ to the range. It worked adequately enough to warm hands and feet but it really works best in an enclosed space. The brain-numbing cold didnt have much of an effect on it although the Coke I was drinking froze in the three minutes I left it alone to go take a leak. Thats cold.
=====
Things at the house are a bit chilly too. I was negligent in getting the storm windows up so thats a priority for today. Additionally, I need to make sure theres no under-the-door drafts or anything. Heating bill was outrageous last time.
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Im going to ditch the Remington brass and pick up some Lapua or Hornady Match cases. I may be on the right track with the IMR 4895 but I’d like to try some of the Varget or blc2 loads. Any idiot can hit a playing card at 100 yards…I didnt spend this money for 100 yard shooting. I want the maximum effective and accurate range. Not necessarily 1000 yards but probably 600yards or so at least.