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Link – Duck and Cover

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Friend Of The Blog (TM), Tam, over at View From The Porch, has a post up noting that today is the anniversary of the much maligned “Duck And Cover” program from those crazy days of the Atomic/Cold War age.

When I was a kid in grade school we had two kinds of drills – fire drills and shelter drills. Any idiot knows what a fire drill is for, but as a kid it never occurred to me to ask what a shelter drill was for. All I knew is that we pulled the blinds in the classroom, filed into the hallways, and sat along the interior hallways with our backs to the wall. It never occurred to me that this was some sort of program to protect ourselves in case of nuclear attack. Same way it never occurred to me what those pink and blue ‘occupancy certificates’ in each classroom with the CD logo were about.

As the years rolled by, the nattering nabobs of negativism loudly proclaimed that anyone even remotely thinking a nuclear attack was survivable was some sort of stooge or idiot. There will be no survivors, they proclaimed. Never mind that there were quite a few survivors at both cities that were nuked last time someone opened up a can of sunshine. In fact, there were a couple folks who rolled snake eyes twice and got bombed at Hiroshima, transported to Nagasaki for medical treatment, and got nuked again. And lived.

Part of this mindset, I think, comes from the semantic problem of people conflating a fallout shelter and a blast shelter. Would the crowded citydwellers be safe from the devastation of their cities by cowering in the basement of the local fallout shelter? Maybe. Maybe not. But then again, a fallout shelter is for sheltering from…fallout. Whereas a blast or bomb shelter is to protect you from……

If youre sitting at ground zero when someone airbursts a new sun over your head, yeah, its not looking good…although, again, people have survived that. But if you survive the blast, which is likelier the further you are from the center of it, then something like a fallout shelter does make a difference. Which means it in, in fact, survivable.

However, the Soviet-backed and -funded ‘nuclear disarmament’ groups, who interestingly never seemed to bother the Soviets too much about disarming, were quick to hammer home the idea that there simply was no surviving a nuclear exchange and we should pack up those Minuteman silos and trust that the nobler heads will refrain from pushing any buttons.

Dude, I live about three hours from a bed of nuclear missile silos. I have zero interest in being around when an old SS-18 with out-of-date targeting data lands in Great Falls and sends a cloud of debris in my direction. But…I also know its not an ‘On The Beach’ scenario where all you can do is wait for the sunrise and your horrible death.

The ‘Duck And Cover’ drills are laughable in some ways, but in others they were a good idea. They kept people aware of the risks and problems of the Cold War, and certainly lent an air of credibility and purpose to the various local Civil Defense programs and organizations.

Nuclear war is no walk through a meadow…..understatement of the year, there. But it isn’t necessarily the death knell for the entire planet either. No more than Dresden or Hiroshima was.

Video – The Weird History of Milk

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This rolled across my feed this morning, which is rather serendipitous. As I mentioned, there’s some evolutionary/maturity reasoning behind why we drink cow milk and why many of us can’t.


Its an interesting history and, like the history of many foods, has a lot more depth and complexity than you might think.

Nonetheless, I’m still not a fan of milk although I have a slightly better understanding now of why humans consume it.

Shelf-stable at CostCo

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Was up at CostCo the other day and saw this:

This is simply tetra-packed UHT milk. And…you can find UHT milk in the cooler at pretty much any supermarket. So, really, this isn’t necessarily a real find.

I have a love-hate relationship with milk – I hate it and love drinking anything else. Also, there are some questions I have about drinking cow milk. First off, I’m a human, not a cow. Would it not make more sense for me to drink the milk of my own species, which is by its nature, specifically designed for my particular organic makeup? And even then, once humans get past a certain age, milk doesnt provide the same benefits than what it provides when the human is newly minted and still developing. In short, I’m not a cow…how is drinking cow milk a good idea?

However….nothing is better on a bowl of cornflakes. Problem is, if I open a quart of milk there is no way I wind up using it all up before it goes bad. So, for me, the small bottles of UHT milk that last about six months in the fridge, unopened, make more sense.

Anyway, if you hate running out of milk, this is a possible way around that…buy a case, stick it in the fridge (or on a shelf) and youre covered. But…you could also just stroll down to WinCo, find the smaller bottles of UHT milk, stuff ’em in the back of your fridge, and have the same result as this stuff at CostCo.

But, still, its nice to see at CostCo.

Canned roast beef from 2014

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On todays episode of ‘Will It Digest’ – an 11-year-old can of Kirkland Beef.

Not gonna lie, I was actually thinking of just dropping these at an animal shelter or homeless shelter (surprisingly interchangeable) and replacing it with some more recent stuff. But…this is a good chance for a little empirical data gathering, don’t you think?

I should have taken the pic before I opened the can. Didn’t plan ahead.

As always, it smelled exactly the way canned meat always smells – like cat food. Its hideous. But even recently made stuff smells like that. It’s just the nature of canned meats. As usual, once you put the heat to the meat the smell is replaced with a more appetizing smell. Figured I’d do a Green Pepper Beef sorta rice bowl. If youre curious: 1tbsp of hosin sauce and oyster sauce, 2 tbsp garlic, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup chicken stock, pinch of sugar, some red pepper flakes, sliced up pepper, sliced up onion. And make up some rice while youre at it.’

How was it? Delicious. I guess I’ll have a more definitive answer in about eight hours, but it seems just fine. I’m not surprised, most canned food will last a bloody long time. As long as the cans retain their integrity, and are stored in the classic ‘cool dry place’, they’ll last for decades. There are some caveats to that of course….highly acidic foods (tomatoes, pineapples, etc) will not last near that long, regardless of how well you store the cans. But low-acid stuff (which is what meat is) will keep quite a while.

I was reminded how darn good that Kirkland roast beef is last night. It really is an unsung hero of the long-term pantry. And, as shown above, a handy item for making a quick and hearty meal.

While I’m on the subject, a good question would be “Have I ever actually had any problems with canned food?” Actually, yes. I learned the hard way a long time ago that canned tomato products were best used up within a couple years and not much longer than that.

I had a can of enchilada sauce that, when I opened the can, was filled with nothing but water. Also had several cans of roasted red peppers start bulging in a disturbing manner. Those last two were from non-USA sources. I try to stick exclusively to US made/packaged foods when possible. Maybe the canned corned beef from Argentina is tasty but I trust the US food environment far more than I do something in South America….Upton Sinclair not withstanding.

Travel food II

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I made a post a few days ago about the ‘just in case’ dining solution I carry with me in my checked luggage in case I get stuck having to overnight in the airport when I travel. It’s primary features are that it takes up as minimum an amount of space as possible, assumes electricity is available (for the immersion heater), and assumes water is available (for reconstituting the freezedrieds and making hot drinks). These last two are not a tall order, even in an airport that is ‘closed’ for the night. I have spent nights camped out next to an electrical outlet watching movies on my phone, using the airports wifi, wrapped in my woobie, and dining on whatever snackage I packed in my bag.

But what about where water isn’t guaranteed, and neither is electricity? I actually have a somewhat similar setup but it’s a bit more space-intensive.

We’re all familiar with the usual one-liter Nalgene bottles, right? The cool thing about them is that there are a lot of accessories out there designed specifically for their shape and profile…carry pouches, special lids, etc, etc. It’s a lot like the AR…there may be a better choice, but the ubiquity of the item and its tremendous third-party support make it a sensible choice. I must have a half dozen of the Nalgene bottles sitting in my kitchen. Theyre just handy. But…did you know that they make a larger version in that same general design envelope? It’s exactly like your regular Nalgene bottle except slightly longer to accommodate 50% more liquid. Still take the same lids, will still fit most open-top pouches, but gives you an extra margin of liquid for those thirsty days and long trips.

The regular Nalgene is 32 oz. The supersized one is 48 oz. Since the only dimensional difference between the two is overall length and the diameter is the same between the two, cups that are designed to nest over the bottom of the 32oz Nalgene will fit exactly the same on the bottom of the 48oz Nalgene. Convenient. Same for the mouth of the two bottles. Lids, caps, etc, are completely interchangeable.

Although Maxpedition makes the bottle holder I am currently using, other companies make a similar product. The important thing is that they have various attachment points to allow you to carry the whole thing either on a carry strap, MOLLE’d to your gear, or by other means. It’s also really important that it have some type of storage on it for the essentials. With enough MOLLE coverage you can add whatever pouch you like to it to hold your accessories.

48 oz Nalgene bottle carrier on left, 32 oz ("normal size") on right. Larger carrier gives slightly more onboard storage space.

48 oz Nalgene bottle carrier on left, 32 oz (“normal size”) on right.

This is the setup I take with me when I go hunting, fishing, or anywhere I figure I’ll have some kind of al fresco dining experience. It’s strictly for field cooking, although, obviously, water is water. The purpose of this setup is to give me everything I need to crack open some Mountain House, instant oatmeal, ramen, or any other ‘just add hot water’ meal. This is what has worked for me so far, what works for you is up to you to discover. My setup:

  • Maxpedition bottle holder – Keeps everything in one place, has plenty of carry and attachment options, and has a useful-sized accessory pouch for everything below.
  • Nalgene 48 oz. bottle – I hate having to filter water. I carry a LifeStraw in my bag, but for my out-n-about cooking needs a full 48oz of water is usually plenty. A small Sawyer filter would work but any filter is going to either need to be carried separately due to space concerns on the bottle holder. Alternatively, with enough MOLLE you can add a small pouch dedicated to your filter. Maybe.
  • Screwtop drink lid – I have these on all my Nalgene bottles. Makes drinking on the move much easier. High recommend.
  • Esbit Stove – Smaller and more compact than a small butane stove w/ cartridge. Tradeoff is that it doesn’t boil water as quick. But…it does work.
  • Esbit fuel tabs – Hard to have too many of these. They do double duty as emergency firestarters. I keep a handful in my hunting bag.
  • Titanium spork – Any spork or plastic utensil will do. I went the Gucci route because I’m a major gear queer and I like nice things. Get a cheaper plastic one and you’ll be fine. Also threw in the CRKT food tool because I had it laying around.
  • Firestarter – Matches and lighters are my first go-to, but this will light an Esbit tab if you know what youre doing.
  • Matches – Far easier to light pretty much anything with good matches than the other methods. Again, can’t really have too many. Keep ’em dry. We’ve talked about this.
  • Cooking cup – Titanium again. Beacuse. There are plenty of cheaper alternatives out there, but just make sure that your Nalgene bottle will nest inside it.

This is the setup I use for fishing, hunting, or just being afield. A small musette bag filled with freezedrieds, repackaged ramen, instant soup, instant oatmeal, cofffe/hotchoc/tea, and a small water filter would, used in conjunction with the above mentioned kit, make a huge difference in a crisis and not take up much room. In fact, in the back of my truck is a tall .50 can that has a setup almost exactly like that. It’s compact, durable, pretty complete, and can keep me fed for a good bit of time if I’m just sitting in my truck waiting for the snow plow. Might have to dig it out and take some pictures. But this is the setup I use for the ‘running around’ occasions. However, it does have some utility for a small ‘run out the door’ emergency setup if you have a small satchel of freeze drieds to go with it.

 

 

Range day

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The weather warmed up a bit, and the snow has turned into a a slushy mess so…lets go shooting!

First off, I got to shoot the Ruger RXM Glock-clone. It shot just fine and, I thought, was pretty accurate. I also swapped a threaded G19 barrel into it and shot it suppressed. The SIG suppressor I picked up has  been giving me some issues on the RXM and my G17… I think the spring in the booster needs to be changed out for a different one. Need to investigate that. Other than that, the RXM was very nice. I think Ruger may have finally created a centerfire autopistol that the public will want.

After that, it was time to try out the stubby 11.5″ S&W AR. As predicted, it was a little noisy. Threaded the Griffin Abyss suppressor on the end and that tamed it down quite a bit. An interesting gun, and certainly a niche piece, but I have to say the short barrel with the suppressor on it brings the gun to the same size as an unsuppressed AR, but with the advantages of a suppressor…pretty nice.

Last gun to play with was the Angstadt Arms 9mm AR which was a lot of fun to shoot. 9mm carbines are just plain fun. I had a three-lug adapter on the end of it so my Obsidian9 just snapped right on. Then it just sounded like a nailgun. And, again, a lot of fun.

I also helped a friend sight in their new Ruger AR556 MPR. This is a gun I very much like. I don’t think you can get anything better in it’s price range. It has Ruger’s cleaned up 452 trigger, a rifle length gas system, and 18″ 1:8 barrel, and a nice brake on the end. A pleasure to shoot. Strong recommend.

Any day at the range where you don’t come back with more holes in your body than what you started with is a good one. Wet feet aside, I had a good time and it really has been too long since I’ve gotten out to the range.

So, overall pleased with my purchases although I’d like to shot the RXM some more to see how it performs after I adjust the sights a bit.

Travel food

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I’ve learned the hard way to never assume that a) your flights will all go off without a hitch and b) there will be food/beverages available in the airport.

I’ve had some really nasty layovers that turned into sleep-on-the-floor experiences. Most restaurants and fast food in the airport closes around 11pm or so, and after that your only options for food are whatever you can find in a vending machine.

When I travel, I always pack my carry on with an eye towards having to sleep over in the airport. To that end, I bring a compact blanket to sleep under…the Kifaru Wooby, and a small stash of freeze drieds and the necessary gear to prepare it. What does that look like? Glad you asked.

First, everything packs into a Blackhawk utility pouch.

Opening it up, we get this:

A graduated metal cup, a couple Mountain House entrees, a Platypus water bladder, some plastic tableware, and an electric heating element. I don’t drink coffee, but theres room for some small packets of freezedried coffee (or tea) in there.

The Platypus is so I can load up on water and not have to roam around the airport hunting down a water fountain once I’ve settled in and nested down for he night. Why not a hard Nalgene bottle? Bulk, thats why. The Platypus rolls up flat for compact storage when youre not using it and I recommend always having one in your bag because you never know when you’re gonna suddenly develop the need to have some way to keep water portable. Make sure your cup has graduation markings on it…when the freeze dried meal calls for a particular amount of water, its nice to have the markings on the cup so you dont get too much or too little water.

A slightly larger utility pouch would let you stuff maybe one more meal in there, but at that point youre taking up too much space for something that, hopefully, you won’t need to use. From a truly practical standpoint, you could always just head to the McDonalds in Terminal B and stuff forty chicken nuggets in your pockets for later (they’ll keep at room temp for about a day), but why live on CluckPucks if you don’t have to?

Travelin’ man

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Sorry for the radio silence, guys. Real life intrudes as is wont from time to time. Had to fly to Atlanta last weekend for family stuff. Had never been to Atlanta before and…it didnt seem like the South. Or, at least, what most people come to think of as the South. The accents werent nearly as prolific as I was expecting, the weather was gloomy, and, at least where I was, the demographics were rather…homogenous.

When I post about travelling I sometimes get comments from people saying something like “Hey, why didn’t you say you were going to be in XXX? I’d have met up with you and bought you dinner.” Or some variant of that. Truth is, guys, I don’t like to broadcast that I’m traveling for PerSec reasons. You read on the news about how some of these big-time athletes are getting their houses broken into while theyre playing at the Super Bowl or something? It’s like that. So, while I appreciate the sentiment, I just can’t go telling people when I’m going to be away from home.

So after traveling across country in a pressurized tube, breathing recycled air, with several hundred other humans I naturally came down with some sort of crud. At the moment, Nyquil, Kleenex, and my bed are my main focus. I’m hoping this crud burns itself out by Monday so I can go back to work.

And while I’m on the topic of complaining, why the hell doesn’t ‘traveling’ have two L’s?

Bumping a link – Safely Gathered In

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I was re-reading some of my earlier posts about canned food and storage food. While we can all agree that pre-packaged food is often not the healthiest thing for you to eat, I think that we can also agree that when you haven’t eaten if three day you’re probably gong to be a little more forgiving of some MSG or high fructose corn syrup in whatever it is you’ve stumbled across to eat.

Making anything ‘from scratch’ using long-life, shelf-stable food is challenging. Yes, you can open a jar of spaghetti sauce, crack open a can of ground beef, and pull some spaghetti out of a box. Presto – dinner is served. But for anything more complex than that, with more than three or four ingredients, you really have to do some careful menu planning.

This website has been one of my favorites since I found it. It is dormant and hasn’t been updated in years, but theres a pretty lengthy list of recipes, with pictures, for all sortsa meal using genuine long-term, shelf-stable stuff. I highly recommend viewing it: Safely Gathered In . And, yup, its from the LDS/Mormons…naturally. I’mm posting about it because although I’ve mentioned it in the past, there’s always a bunch of recent readers who may not have been around when I last linked to it.

I’ve long thought there needs to be some genuine ‘cooking with storage/stored food’ cookbook. Something that wasn’t just theory, but something with actual hands-on cooking, lotsa photos, and solid metrics about quantities, calories, and fuel consumption. I’ve read a few books that tried to be that, and I thought they failed miserably. Mostly because at some point in the recipe, a fresh ingredient was called for. No, I think a cookbook for using nothing but literal sits-on-a-shelf ingredients would fill a void in the preparedness marketplace. It wouldnt make anone rich, but it’d be nice to have.