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

Well, the German Flectar parkas arrived this morning. Three size “L” for myself (giving me a total of four sets) and one size “S” for the girlfriend. European sizing tends to be different from American sizing. Europeans tend to be small people so a size “L” to a European would come out as an “M” to us Americans. However, it seems to make sense that the outfit selling the parkas (Sportsmans Guide) would offer them in the American sizing system to avoid confusion. This appears to be the case. I’m 5′9″, 200# with about a 46R and the L works fine. Good lovin’ for $20. I’ll vaccuum seal one of them, stuff it in a cardboard box and keep it in the truck. One will get the same treatment and get put with the grab-n-go gear in the bunker and the third will go into storage.
=====
Also picked up the Mr Heater Buddy. (Read about it here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/commander_zero/38929.html ) It was on sale at Sportsmans Warehouse and I wanted something convenient and portable. Runs off of the 1# bottles so its pretty convenient. CostCo sometimes has 6-packs of the bottles on sale and Ive a couple dozen on hand in the bunker. I’ll get a few more just to play it safe. Still need to get the extra kerosene heater though. I want an extra kero heater so I can keep my basement above freezing in case of a power outage in the winter and thus keep my pipes from freezing.
=====
I am hoping my 26.5mm flares for my HK flare pistol arrive today. If so, mmmmmmmm….testing, testing, testing!!!! With photos, of course.

Well, the German Flectar parkas arrived this morning. Three size “L” for myself (giving me a total of four sets) and one size “S” for the girlfriend. European sizing tends to be different from American sizing. Europeans tend to be small people so a size “L” to a European would come out as an “M” to us Americans. However, it seems to make sense that the outfit selling the parkas (Sportsmans Guide) would offer them in the American sizing system to avoid confusion. This appears to be the case. I’m 5’9″, 200# with about a 46R and the L works fine. Good lovin’ for $20. I’ll vaccuum seal one of them, stuff it in a cardboard box and keep it in the truck. One will get the same treatment and get put with the grab-n-go gear in the bunker and the third will go into storage.
=====
Also picked up the Mr Heater Buddy. (Read about it here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/commander_zero/38929.html ) It was on sale at Sportsmans Warehouse and I wanted something convenient and portable. Runs off of the 1# bottles so its pretty convenient. CostCo sometimes has 6-packs of the bottles on sale and Ive a couple dozen on hand in the bunker. I’ll get a few more just to play it safe. Still need to get the extra kerosene heater though. I want an extra kero heater so I can keep my basement above freezing in case of a power outage in the winter and thus keep my pipes from freezing.
=====
I am hoping my 26.5mm flares for my HK flare pistol arrive today. If so, mmmmmmmm….testing, testing, testing!!!! With photos, of course.

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

Well, as it turns out eBay has an auction going on for the exact scope I want…Dragunov reticle and everything. MSRP is $700, dealer (as best I can tell) is $600. Bidding on this one starts at $299. I’m bidding $400 on it and hoping that will do the trick. I was originally going to hold off on getting rings since I wasnt sure if I was going to get a scope with a 1″ or 30mm tube but, after giving it some thought, Im going to get a set of rings for each in case at a later date I wish/need to swap scopes for some reason. Half of me is hoping I lose the auction since I really cant afford this scope right now but another part of me doesnt want my nice new shiny expensive rifle to sit in the closet all winter without getting a chance to be shot.

Well, as it turns out eBay has an auction going on for the exact scope I want…Dragunov reticle and everything. MSRP is $700, dealer (as best I can tell) is $600. Bidding on this one starts at $299. I’m bidding $400 on it and hoping that will do the trick. I was originally going to hold off on getting rings since I wasnt sure if I was going to get a scope with a 1″ or 30mm tube but, after giving it some thought, Im going to get a set of rings for each in case at a later date I wish/need to swap scopes for some reason. Half of me is hoping I lose the auction since I really cant afford this scope right now but another part of me doesnt want my nice new shiny expensive rifle to sit in the closet all winter without getting a chance to be shot.

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

Well, shoot….for used Steyr-manufactured 20-rd FAL mags at five bucks each wouldnt *you* have ordered fifteen of them too?

I will have 27 magazines for my FAL. Close..but not close enough.

DSA Inc
847-277-7258
Part #117U

When, oh when, are the freakin’ AR15 mags gonna be as cheap as the FAL/HK mags are thse days?!!??!

Well, shoot….for used Steyr-manufactured 20-rd FAL mags at five bucks each wouldnt *you* have ordered fifteen of them too?

I will have 27 magazines for my FAL. Close..but not close enough.

DSA Inc
847-277-7258
Part #117U

When, oh when, are the freakin’ AR15 mags gonna be as cheap as the FAL/HK mags are thse days?!!??!

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

Well, Ive given it much thought and care and although Im not 100% on the matter, it looks like Im going to go with the IOR 2.5-10×42mm scope with the Dragunov style reticle. Of course, the trick now is to come up with the $600 its going to take to buy the bloody thing. Sadly, it wont end there…then I’ll need a good case, cleaning kit, sling, bipod, etc, etc. If I start saving now, and dont stumble across a cheaper one on ebay, I might be able to afford a scope around, oh, March.
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Sportsmans Guide got back in some of the German Flectar parkas with liner that I am a BIG fan of. And, check it out kids, theyre a mere $20, And they beat the US field jacket combo on so many levels. You really should trust me on this..get one. I’ve worn mine in some mighty cold Montana evenings and its warm, comfy, roomy and just a great piece of gear. And only twenty bucks! I ordered three more. Most of the time, the Western European surplus (esp. the ‘Aryan’ countries like Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway) have much better milsurp than the US stuff. By the way, the Flectar pattern really does a nice job of camo…
=====
I received some Blackhawk gear the other day. Some of it I like, some I don’t. (I dont like the fact that ALL of it was made in VietNam). I like the Tactical Tailor stuff as well as theg ear made by Kifaru and a few other smaller US outfits. Anyway, I’ll be posting a review of some of the Blackhawk gear later.
=====
I’ve 2 15-gallon water drums that need to be cleaned and filled. I need to work on that over the next day or two. Also have another SKS that needs degreasing. If youre going to get an SKS (and why wouldnt you???) definitely hold out for the Yugo SKS. A fine example of an inexpensive but high quality weapon. The SKS is not my first choice to run out the door with, but its cheap enough that its my first choice for what to leave in a truck, hidden in the rafters of a cabin, buried in cache or handed out to underequipped party guests. And ammo is less than ten cents a round. How can you beat that? Only thing even comparable in terms of price is a 10/22 and I’d much rather punch holes with the 7.62×39 than the .22 LR.
=====
I should take advantage of the relative quiet of winter to start working on replenishing my ammo stores. Shot off alot of 9mm, .45 and .223 this year and I need to sit down in front of the reloading press and crank out some replacement ammo.
=====
By the way, speaking of camo…Ive a set of the German winter camo. You know, the reversible stuff that goes from solid white to white with pine splotches…not bad. WIll try to get some pics up later in the season.

Well, Ive given it much thought and care and although Im not 100% on the matter, it looks like Im going to go with the IOR 2.5-10x42mm scope with the Dragunov style reticle. Of course, the trick now is to come up with the $600 its going to take to buy the bloody thing. Sadly, it wont end there…then I’ll need a good case, cleaning kit, sling, bipod, etc, etc. If I start saving now, and dont stumble across a cheaper one on ebay, I might be able to afford a scope around, oh, March.
=====
Sportsmans Guide got back in some of the German Flectar parkas with liner that I am a BIG fan of. And, check it out kids, theyre a mere $20, And they beat the US field jacket combo on so many levels. You really should trust me on this..get one. I’ve worn mine in some mighty cold Montana evenings and its warm, comfy, roomy and just a great piece of gear. And only twenty bucks! I ordered three more. Most of the time, the Western European surplus (esp. the ‘Aryan’ countries like Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway) have much better milsurp than the US stuff. By the way, the Flectar pattern really does a nice job of camo…
=====
I received some Blackhawk gear the other day. Some of it I like, some I don’t. (I dont like the fact that ALL of it was made in VietNam). I like the Tactical Tailor stuff as well as theg ear made by Kifaru and a few other smaller US outfits. Anyway, I’ll be posting a review of some of the Blackhawk gear later.
=====
I’ve 2 15-gallon water drums that need to be cleaned and filled. I need to work on that over the next day or two. Also have another SKS that needs degreasing. If youre going to get an SKS (and why wouldnt you???) definitely hold out for the Yugo SKS. A fine example of an inexpensive but high quality weapon. The SKS is not my first choice to run out the door with, but its cheap enough that its my first choice for what to leave in a truck, hidden in the rafters of a cabin, buried in cache or handed out to underequipped party guests. And ammo is less than ten cents a round. How can you beat that? Only thing even comparable in terms of price is a 10/22 and I’d much rather punch holes with the 7.62×39 than the .22 LR.
=====
I should take advantage of the relative quiet of winter to start working on replenishing my ammo stores. Shot off alot of 9mm, .45 and .223 this year and I need to sit down in front of the reloading press and crank out some replacement ammo.
=====
By the way, speaking of camo…Ive a set of the German winter camo. You know, the reversible stuff that goes from solid white to white with pine splotches…not bad. WIll try to get some pics up later in the season.

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

Life as the Zero continues apace.

Had a Zero Moment on the way to Helena yesterday. Couple kids slid off the road and flipped their rig. They were fine but it reminded me that I need to make sure to remember to keep a crowbar in the vehicle for those impromptu victim extractions.
-=-=-
Its very easy to get lulled into a sense of complacency. Wake up in the morning and the heat is on, CNN is on the TV, theres food in the fridge, hot water for the shower, and clean clothes to wear. Life is good. And thats what makes it so maddeningly easy to sometimes fall behind in taking the little steps necessary to make sure that standard of living can be kept if things suddenlt take a turn for the wierd. Case in point – bought a nice, new Blitz 5-gallon steel jerry can for gas. Picked up a nice spigot to go with it. Some Sta-Bil too. And, yet, I still havent just taken the bloody thing to a gas station yet and filled it. Its those little lapses in diligence that are going to put me in a bad situation some day…..
+=+=+
Received an order of gear from Blackhawk the other day. Some odds and ends. Some of the stuff seems good and some..well..not so much. I’ll have some details at a later date. For the moment I think that for web gear, packs, etc, Im going to stick with London Bridge, Tactical Tailor and the like. Prices are a bit higher, but I have been pleased thus far with the TT backpack I got.
=====
While at the Helena gun show I picked up a couple SureFire Nitrolon G2 flashlights. For $30 you get a great little retina-burner. Yes, its a ‘tactical’ flashlight…but you know what? This world we live in sometimes calls for a tactical mindset. Anyway. I picked up one for myself as a ‘disposable’ in case my regular SureFire gets lost or something, and I picked up an extra as a gift for someone. For $30 they might make a decent Xmas gift for the LMI.
—–
Speaking of…I saw a slick little 1970 Bronco (lift kit, 302, winch, extra tank, rebuilt enging, etc) for sale a block from my house. Mmmm…it looks good. Wouldnt mind having something like that for my personal use.

Life as the Zero continues apace.

Had a Zero Moment on the way to Helena yesterday. Couple kids slid off the road and flipped their rig. They were fine but it reminded me that I need to make sure to remember to keep a crowbar in the vehicle for those impromptu victim extractions.
-=-=-
Its very easy to get lulled into a sense of complacency. Wake up in the morning and the heat is on, CNN is on the TV, theres food in the fridge, hot water for the shower, and clean clothes to wear. Life is good. And thats what makes it so maddeningly easy to sometimes fall behind in taking the little steps necessary to make sure that standard of living can be kept if things suddenlt take a turn for the wierd. Case in point – bought a nice, new Blitz 5-gallon steel jerry can for gas. Picked up a nice spigot to go with it. Some Sta-Bil too. And, yet, I still havent just taken the bloody thing to a gas station yet and filled it. Its those little lapses in diligence that are going to put me in a bad situation some day…..
+=+=+
Received an order of gear from Blackhawk the other day. Some odds and ends. SOme of the stuff seems good and some..well..not so much. I’ll have some details at a later date. For the moment I think that for web gear, packs, etc, Im going to stick with London Bridge, Tactical Tailor and the like. Prices are a bit higher, but I have been pleased thus far with the TT backpack I got.
=====
While at the Helena gun show I picked up a couple SureFire Nitrolon G2 flashlights. For $30 you get a great little retina-burner. Yes, its a ‘tactical’ flashlight…but you know what? This world we live in sometimes calls for a tactical mindset. Anyway. I picked up one for myself as a ‘disposable’ in case my regular SureFire gets lost or something, and I picked up an extra as a gift for someone. For $30 they might make a decent Xmas gift for the LMI.
—–
Speaking of…I saw a slick little 1970 Bronco (lift kit, 302, winch, extra tank, rebuilt enging, etc) for sale a block from my house. Mmmm…it looks good. Wouldnt mind having something like that for my personal use.