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

Spring in ZeroLand….the sun, the greenery, the warm-weather shooting. Ahhhh.

Whats the threat assessments look like these days? Well, tell ya one thing, I would NOT wanna be in Iraq or Afghanistan around Nov. 4…..no better way to tip the election than by launching a massive bombing campaign with the idea of using the televised body count to influence elections.

But thats overseas……

Domestically, its going to be just like what happened in Spain. Bomb/poison/immolate something resulting in a hige body count and hopefully make the Americans vote against Bush to put an end to the carnage. Again, not a concern for me since Im pretty far away from anything stragically valued by either side. Howver, I am not sheltered from the repercussions of such an event. Example, I was 2000 miles from the World Trade Center atrocity, yet Im affected by the repercussions – Patriot Act, airport security, etc, etc.

Speaking of patriots, as all of you know, April 19 is the true Patriots Day. I plan to be at the range with my contemporary musket-equivalent doing what every responsible soul should be doing – familiarizing ones self with the tools of liberty.

I keep wanting to get some bunkerwork done (inventorying, etc, etc) but by the time I get home and have dinner I just don’t feel like doing much of anything. Very bad. But, come hell or Hiawatha, Im gonna get down there and do some work…might even take some pictures to share if you people are lucky.

Spring in ZeroLand….the sun, the greenery, the warm-weather shooting. Ahhhh.

Whats the threat assessments look like these days? Well, tell ya one thing, I would NOT wanna be in Iraq or Afghanistan around Nov. 4…..no better way to tip the election than by launching a massive bombing campaign with the idea of using the televised body count to influence elections.

But thats overseas……

Domestically, its going to be just like what happened in Spain. Bomb/poison/immolate something resulting in a hige body count and hopefully make the Americans vote against Bush to put an end to the carnage. Again, not a concern for me since Im pretty far away from anything stragically valued by either side. Howver, I am not sheltered from the repercussions of such an event. Example, I was 2000 miles from the World Trade Center atrocity, yet Im affected by the repercussions – Patriot Act, airport security, etc, etc.

Speaking of patriots, as all of you know, April 19 is the true Patriots Day. I plan to be at the range with my contemporary musket-equivalent doing what every responsible soul should be doing – familiarizing ones self with the tools of liberty.

I keep wanting to get some bunkerwork done (inventorying, etc, etc) but by the time I get home and have dinner I just don’t feel like doing much of anything. Very bad. But, come hell or Hiawatha, Im gonna get down there and do some work…might even take some pictures to share if you people are lucky.

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

With the advent of wireless internet at the house, theres the option of moving a laptop into the bunker for convenient websurfing of references and the like. Be nice to be able to update spreadsheets and webshop for gear while sitting amidst my preps. And, before you ask, no there will not be a BunkerCam.

Not yet, anyway.

Need to rearrange a few things and inventory a few others. What I need is to find the time. I want to get it done by the weekend so I can maybe do some shooting this weekend.

Havent tried the ground beef yet…been meaning to and I keep blowing it off. But, when I do, I’ll let you know.

With the advent of wireless internet at the house, theres the option of moving a laptop into the bunker for convenient websurfing of references and the like. Be nice to be able to update spreadsheets and webshop for gear while sitting amidst my preps. And, before you ask, no there will not be a BunkerCam.

Not yet, anyway.

Need to rearrange a few things and inventory a few others. What I need is to find the time. I want to get it done by the weekend so I can maybe do some shooting this weekend.

Havent tried the ground beef yet…been meaning to and I keep blowing it off. But, when I do, I’ll let you know.

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

Well, good to be back. Nothing better than being at home (or within 10 minutes of it) with all my gear and goodies. Unleash the North Koreans and let the Chinese do their thing…I’m ready.

Speaking of ready .. (and, really, arent we always speaking of being ready?)..a little gifty for the Commander showed up the other day: an OD Tactical Tailor backpack. (laughs merrily) I am soooooo looking forward to beating the crap out of this thing.

Hey, in other news…a huge greasy and beefy ‘w00t’ to my local SuperWalMart for carrying the packaged ground beef in the MRE type pouch. Me and K. were wandering through the S.WalMart and found this stuff on the shelf. Picked up a 10 oz. package of the ‘italian seasonings’ variety. I am looking forward to trying it out. Expiration date? March 2005! Thats pretty much a solid year! How utterly coo is that? If this stuff tastes any good I am going to be laying in a bunch. Storing meat in a convenient, room-temperature, shelf-stable, lightweight form is a major pain in the ass and this might just make it easier….if this stuff is any good. I’ll let you know.

Observations from long roadtrip:
CamelBak’s are always worth bringing. Makes drinking n’ driving alot easier than you’d think.
Newer GPS’s with street level maps are the way to go. Big time.

Other than that, since the trip went smoothly, there was no need to field test the ‘just in case’ gear.

Ammo cans on sale locally. .30 cal for $3, .50 cal for $4. Bought 20 of each. Never have too many of these things and they are highly useful. (Theyre great for making snowblocks to make igloos in the yard.)

Also got to visit with a Mormon family along the way. Pulled up and saw the shelves of canning jars and #10 cans in their garage and thought ‘Oh yeah, my kinda people.’ Reminds me that I need to network a local Mormon or two and see if I cant get to use their cannery some time. Maybe if I volunteer some time and/or cash. Be nice to fix my own #10 cans o’ goodies.

Posting has been infrequent lately because Ive been so bloody busy. Hopefully with expanded internet access at the bunker I’ll be able to post (and get pics up) more often. But dont hold your breath.

Well, good to be back. Nothing better than being at home (or within 10 minutes of it) with all my gear and goodies. Unleash the North Koreans and let the Chinese do their thing…I’m ready.

Speaking of ready .. (and, really, arent we always speaking of being ready?)..a little gifty for the Commander showed up the other day: an OD Tactical Tailor backpack. (laughs merrily) I am soooooo looking forward to beating the crap out of this thing.

Hey, in other news…a huge greasy and beefy ‘w00t’ to my local SuperWalMart for carrying the packaged ground beef in the MRE type pouch. Me and K. were wandering through the S.WalMart and found this stuff on the shelf. Picked up a 10 oz. package of the ‘italian seasonings’ variety. I am looking forward to trying it out. Expiration date? March 2005! Thats pretty much a solid year! How utterly coo is that? If this stuff tastes any good I am going to be laying in a bunch. Storing meat in a convenient, room-temperature, shelf-stable, lightweight form is a major pain in the ass and this might just make it easier….if this stuff is any good. I’ll let you know.

Observations from long roadtrip:
CamelBak’s are always worth bringing. Makes drinking n’ driving alot easier than you’d think.
Newer GPS’s with street level maps are the way to go. Big time.

Other than that, since the trip went smoothly, there was no need to field test the ‘just in case’ gear.

Ammo cans on sale locally. .30 cal for $3, .50 cal for $4. Bought 20 of each. Never have too many of these things and they are highly useful. (Theyre great for making snowblocks to make igloos in the yard.)

Also got to visit with a Mormon family along the way. Pulled up and saw the shelves of canning jars and #10 cans in their garage and thought ‘Oh yeah, my kinda people.’ Reminds me that I need to network a local Mormon or two and see if I cant get to use their cannery some time. Maybe if I volunteer some time and/or cash. Be nice to fix my own #10 cans o’ goodies.

Posting has been infrequent lately because Ive been so bloody busy. Hopefully with expanded internet access at the bunker I’ll be able to post (and get pics up) more often. But dont hold your breath.

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

I have a roadtrip to do next week. I’ve made my list and am checking it twice… its pretty hard to get into trouble when youre on interstate all the way. Rest stops every 20 miles, a McDonalds every other exit, etc, etc.

But, not taking any chances, I am packing gear ‘just in case’. Could get stuck in snow, might lose a fuel pump in the middle of the night, etc, etc. And , of course, the ever popular getting-held-up-at-a-rest-stop-bathroom.

So, the ubiquitous backpack with sleeping bag, water, flashlight, first aid, ammo, knife, gun, GPS, etc, etc.
==========================
From the ‘Duh! Ya think?’ Department comes this: Terroris attack before elections … rocket scientists. We pay people to come up with this stuff?

Of course theres going to be a terrorist attack (or attempt) before the elections. Spain was a textbook example of a successful terrorist attack, why wouldnt someone else try that here? Time to do some threat assessments, people….oil storage tanks or chemical plant in your immediate area? May wanna keep the truck packed and ready to go on a moments notice.
==========================
“There is but one answer to terrorism and it is best delivered with a Winchester rifle”…attributed to T.R.
==========================
On the other hand, I believe it was Heinlein who said that “The price of freedom is the willingness to do sudden battle, anywhere, at any time, and with utter recklessness. ”
==========================
But, back to the issue of gearing up for Ragnarok…….

The Tactical Tailor pack that I got to examine last week is now high on my list of acquisitions. That kinda quality for only $110 is a bargain. A. Freakin’. Bargain.

I have a roadtrip to do next week. I’ve made my list and am checking it twice… its pretty hard to get into trouble when youre on interstate all the way. Rest stops every 20 miles, a McDonalds every other exit, etc, etc.

But, not taking any chances, I am packing gear ‘just in case’. Could get stuck in snow, might lose a fuel pump in the middle of the night, etc, etc. And , of course, the ever popular getting-held-up-at-a-rest-stop-bathroom.

So, the ubiquitous backpack with sleeping bag, water, flashlight, first aid, ammo, knife, gun, GPS, etc, etc.
==========================
From the ‘Duh! Ya think?’ Department comes this: Terroris attack before elections … rocket scientists. We pay people to come up with this stuff?

Of course theres going to be a terrorist attack (or attempt) before the elections. Spain was a textbook example of a successful terrorist attack, why wouldnt someone else try that here? Time to do some threat assessments, people….oil storage tanks or chemical plant in your immediate area? May wanna keep the truck packed and ready to go on a moments notice.
==========================
“There is but one answer to terrorism and it is best delivered with a Winchester rifle”…attributed to T.R.
==========================
On the other hand, I believe it was Heinlein who said that “The price of freedom is the willingness to do sudden battle, anywhere, at any time, and with utter recklessness. ”
==========================
But, back to the issue of gearing up for Ragnarok…….

The Tactical Tailor pack that I got to examine last week is now high on my list of acquisitions. That kinda quality for only $110 is a bargain. A. Freakin’. Bargain.

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

Pouch food….mmmmm….nothin’ says lovin’ like something almost-fresh from the pouch. Military field rations (MRE’s) as well as Humanitarian Daily Rations (HDR’s) are packaged in heavy foil and vinyl envelopes that are usually called ‘retort pouches’. The food is already cooked…simply heat n’ eat. Pouches can be heated by leaving them on a hot engine, in a pot of boiling water, or even left on some hot sunny road surface. If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you have a more than passing familiarity with such foods. Retort pouch technology, such as it is, like all military technology, eventually trickles up/down into the civilian sector. Prime examples – Chicken McNuggets. Originally a military food idea that went nowhere until McDonalds picked up the ball and ran with it. Or, for a civilian to military example, CamelBak.

Anyway, when I shop at the local Albertsons or Costco I usually keep an eye open for ready-to-eat, no-cooking-required, single-serving, long-shelf-life products to try out and to add to my stockpiles. Foods packaged this way are more expensive but their convenience is worth it, in my opinion. These are the foods that get thrown into a five-gallon bucket with a half-dozen bottles of water, and then squirreled away somewhere. In a hurry, I could simply grab the bucket by the handle and know I’ve got a week of food ready to eat and ready to go.

So, todays experiments:
StarKist Tuna in 3 oz. Foil package
Zatarains New Orleans Style Long Grain & Wild Rice in 8.8 oz. Heavy plastic package
DelMonte Sliced Pears in pull-top 8.5 oz. Can (yeah, can….not a pouch)

The Zatarains was a disappointment. Smelled good but the texture of the rice was what youd expect from a food like rice that has been left to sit sealed in its own moisture for a long time. It was just too mushy to be appetizing. A little salty, but not bad in the flavor department but the texture made it just too unappealing. Rice and spaghetti are two foods that simply cannot store well in their cooked state. Thumbs down.

StarKist tuna was a winner. The packaging removes the need for the tuna to be drained like when its packed in a can. Consequently you get the same amount of tuna but without the heavy can and liquid. Tuna was tasty and seemed a bit more flavorful than the canned variety. A bit dry though, but not enough to be objectionable..make sure to knead and shake the package so that the liquid that is packed with it can be distributed evenly. Packaging is opaque and as heavy as any MRE entrée…big nod of approval for the packaging. I need to decode the date codes to find the anticipated shelf life, but this stuff is a winner. Its also available in ‘flavored’ varieties like lemon pepper and peppered.

Canned fruit, regardless of manufacturer, is usually a safe bet. What appealed to me here was the packaging. Most canned fruit comes in either the usual 15 oz or so ‘normal size’ cans or in the tiny pull-top cans that don’t really offer much in terms of portion. This particular can was a pull top style in the 8.5 oz. Size. Convenient pull-tab can and a reasonable size – good combo. Canned pears are canned pears….these were tender, well fleshed and good. Although cans are much heavier and bulkier than the pouches, when it comes to canned fruit I usually don’t mind the weight. However, these are a good size for keeping a case or two around for quick snacks and desserts during minimal-cooking-time events such as power outages and the like.

My focus in the particular products isn’t so much making them a central part of my food planning (larger packaging with less ‘easy-open-single-serving’ness fills those needs). Rather its for putting a package so that if I get stranded at work or somewhere, I’ll be able to function normally without the effects, both moral and physical, from lack of familiar food.

Pouch food….mmmmm….nothin’ says lovin’ like something almost-fresh from the pouch. Military field rations (MRE’s) as well as Humanitarian Daily Rations (HDR’s) are packaged in heavy foil and vinyl envelopes that are usually called ‘retort pouches’. The food is already cooked…simply heat n’ eat. Pouches can be heated by leaving them on a hot engine, in a pot of boiling water, or even left on some hot sunny road surface. If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you have a more than passing familiarity with such foods. Retort pouch technology, such as it is, like all military technology, eventually trickles up/down into the civilian sector. Prime examples – Chicken McNuggets. Originally a military food idea that went nowhere until McDonalds picked up the ball and ran with it. Or, for a civilian to military example, CamelBak.

Anyway, when I shop at the local Albertsons or Costco I usually keep an eye open for ready-to-eat, no-cooking-required, single-serving, long-shelf-life products to try out and to add to my stockpiles. Foods packaged this way are more expensive but their convenience is worth it, in my opinion. These are the foods that get thrown into a five-gallon bucket with a half-dozen bottles of water, and then squirreled away somewhere. In a hurry, I could simply grab the bucket by the handle and know I’ve got a week of food ready to eat and ready to go.

So, todays experiments:
StarKist Tuna in 3 oz. Foil package
Zatarains New Orleans Style Long Grain & Wild Rice in 8.8 oz. Heavy plastic package
DelMonte Sliced Pears in pull-top 8.5 oz. Can (yeah, can….not a pouch)

The Zatarains was a disappointment. Smelled good but the texture of the rice was what youd expect from a food like rice that has been left to sit sealed in its own moisture for a long time. It was just too mushy to be appetizing. A little salty, but not bad in the flavor department but the texture made it just too unappealing. Rice and spaghetti are two foods that simply cannot store well in their cooked state. Thumbs down.

StarKist tuna was a winner. The packaging removes the need for the tuna to be drained like when its packed in a can. Consequently you get the same amount of tuna but without the heavy can and liquid. Tuna was tasty and seemed a bit more flavorful than the canned variety. A bit dry though, but not enough to be objectionable..make sure to knead and shake the package so that the liquid that is packed with it can be distributed evenly. Packaging is opaque and as heavy as any MRE entrée…big nod of approval for the packaging. I need to decode the date codes to find the anticipated shelf life, but this stuff is a winner. Its also available in ‘flavored’ varieties like lemon pepper and peppered.

Canned fruit, regardless of manufacturer, is usually a safe bet. What appealed to me here was the packaging. Most canned fruit comes in either the usual 15 oz or so ‘normal size’ cans or in the tiny pull-top cans that don’t really offer much in terms of portion. This particular can was a pull top style in the 8.5 oz. Size. Convenient pull-tab can and a reasonable size – good combo. Canned pears are canned pears….these were tender, well fleshed and good. Although cans are much heavier and bulkier than the pouches, when it comes to canned fruit I usually don’t mind the weight. However, these are a good size for keeping a case or two around for quick snacks and desserts during minimal-cooking-time events such as power outages and the like.

My focus in the particular products isn’t so much making them a central part of my food planning (larger packaging with less ‘easy-open-single-serving’ness fills those needs). Rather its for putting a package so that if I get stranded at work or somewhere, I’ll be able to function normally without the effects, both moral and physical, from lack of familiar food.