These were on sale a ways back and although the new price is not as good as the old price, for ten bucks these are a very good deal. I tested these out on chain link and barbed wire fencing and the work beautifully. I keep a pair in my truck box in case I need to make an exit off the interstate where these is none. Link.

Now, objectively, you are better off with a set of bolt cutters since they will cut padlocks as well whereas these surplus cutters will not. However, for the money, these are a fine tool to keep in your BOV, truck, or wherever for when getting through some fencing may be all that stands between you and something unpleasant.

I bought three sets last time. I keep one in the vehicle at all times because you never know when you might need to suddenly create your own exit off the roadway.

Originally published at Notes From The Bunker. You can comment here or there.

Looks like a zelt to me.

I think I’ve mentioned it a couple times in the past, but one thing I’ve always wanted to get my hands on and examine is a German zeltbahn. Unfortunately, originals (and even repros) are hard to find at reasonable prices. Fortunately, other countries adopted the basic design and, surprisingly, Sportsmans Guide has some Swedish ones. At least, they look like zeltbahns. Check this out. It isn’t that I necessarily think this design is any better than the current ones (although it is much more imaginitive), but I’d like to have one to examine and experiment with and, if I like it, use as a template for a version using modern materials and camo patterns. I have a copy of the original German (translated) manual for the use, care, and specifications of the Zeltbahn and while it’s an old design I think it has one or two advantages of the modern rectangular one. Regardless, I’m gonna have to order up a couple of these just to goof around with. If nothing else they’ll make nice covers for my bicycle when it’s locked up outside.

Looks like the reports of ‘Jericho’s cancellation may have been a bit…premature. It is reported on various online entertainment websites that the network is rethinking its decision in the face of fan email/mail barrages.

I find this interesting for a couple reasons. Across the board every single forum I’ve been to that mentions the program has countless detractors who say the series isn’t ‘realistic’ or that theres too much ‘interpersonal drama’. And yet when the show does get cancelled theyre outraged. Go figure. I think the series has, in fact, jumped the shark, but am quite willing to continue watching.
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Finally got my 10-rd mags for my CZ550 the other day. This means the only two serious tasks left for this gun are a) new heavyduty sling and swivels, and b) a Pelican case. Once that’s done and the ammo is loaded I will be done spending money on this thing. In an exercise of fiscal recklessness, I shall now tally the damage:
$600 – base gun
$360 – 5 standard mags, 5 10-rd mags
$120 – Picatinny rail base
$30 – rings
$700 – IOR scope (10×56 MP8)
$30 – scope cover and muzzle protector
$20 – scope caps

So that’s..uhm…carry the three…$1860. Add in the case and it’ll just crack $2k. Expensive? Yup. However, its taken me almost two years and change to get this far so it was spaced out over a goodly amount of time. The alternative is a $600 rifle with a Bushnell Sportview and that would be just silly. Optics and guns are expensive. Spending $600-$1200 for a rifle and then putting a $95 scope on it is a bit self-defeating. If all you can afford after the initial outlay for the gun is a cheap scope, well, that’s better than no scope but after a year or two you should be able to move on financially to getting more deserving optics. Yes, you can spend a lot of money on an accurate rifle. You can spend as much money as you’d like. What I did was spend as much money as was needed.

On the other hand, being able to totally pwn everything within a circle a little under a mile across will be worth it. (Fast math – a one-mile circle means that if you were in the center your longest shot would be 880 yards in any direction…not out of the realm of possibility for the .308 since it wont be transonic until around 1100 yds..)

I still have to buy some spare parts for this thing..a few springs, a firing pin, extra screws, that sort of thing but that shouldn’t be more than a hundred bucks or so.

I took the CZ to the range yesterday to test the new mags and fireform some new Lapua cases. Rounds 3 & 4 out of mag #4 failed to feed (bolt rode over). Reloading the mag with another five rounds did not duplicate the problem. I made a note and will test that mag at length on the next trip to the range. I am very much liking the IOR scope and thus far have no problem recommending them. Heavy, but this rifle isn’t a ‘wandering around the boonies’ gun.

The dot in my scope is apparently 1moa since it covered a 1” orange targdot at 100 yds. Fluorescent orange on white is a bit tough to see. Best groups were .70 and .67 for five shots at 100 yards. Worst groups were about twice that, around 1.5”. (Hey, it happens.)
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I continue to be frustrated at the hit-or-miss availability of various ammo and components these days. For example, finding 55 gr. FMJ .223 bullets at a reasonable price(and that’s the focal point here) has been tough. I finally found some after relentlessly hounding my distributors every three days and even then it was only by sheer luck that I happened to make my call the same morning they had a truck come in. Even then I was only able to get one case –6000 bullets – out of it. I remember when 7.62×39 ammo was $90 a case and I was stacking cases up in the bunker thinking this might be a waste of money since AK ammo seemed plentiful and cheap. Now? No regrets. Theres a dozen stories floating around about why ammo and related materials are so expensive these days and, generally, I don’t care why its happening…I care about the result of it happening more than I care about why. However, all the things I hear are of a temporary nature (although on a large enough scale, everything is temporary)…someday the Chinese will be done buying up raw materials, the Venezuelans/American military/Chinese will be done buying ammo, or whatever the reason du jour is and prices will stabilize and, more importantly, availability will increase. In the meantime…well, this is why I stockpile ammo when I can. (And also why a person should reload their own ammo.)
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My Altama jungle boots arrived the other day. They look like the jungle boots Ive seen on various feet my whole life. Hasn’t anyone figured out a way to modify or otherwise modernize these things? No matter. For $30 a pair I get US made boots. Good knocking-around boots for summer. I have a nice set of the suede desert boots and they are, hands down, the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. Theyre a little big at 10W. These ones I ordered are 9.5W and I think that’s the size I’ll order another three pair at. Go back a couple posts and you’ll find a link to the boot deal. I have such a hellacious time finding footwear I like that when I find something that fits and I like I will buy as many pair as I can afford. Sure, there are websites that specialize for wide feet (how wide? EEEEE. That’s 5E kids! I can walk on snow like a moose!) but my footwear needs are a bit more specific. I don’t need a pair of walking shoes or a pair of loafers. No, I need combat boots, desert boots, Mickey Mouse boots, that sort of thing…and finding those in my freakish feet size can be a bit of a challenge. So these jungle boots, which will make excellent everyday wear as well as good summer duty boots, will be ordered en masse as soon as I can free up a hundred bucks for three more pair.
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Mountain House order went in the other day. Everything was on hand except the white rice and the corn. Those will be ready in ‘about two weeks’ I am told. Everything else was ready. So, if you ordered either of those two products you can expect a delay but you can also expect maximum shelf life on those products since they’ll have been packaged most recently.

Mountain House is a division of Oregon Freeze Dry which not only does the MH foods ( a very small part of the biz, I am told) but does other things like freeze drying plasma and other goodies. Since I know theres only a couple places in the country that can freeze dry food on the scale these guys do I inquired if they had any overruns from military contracts. I always ask them this and I am always directed to ask someone else whose voicemail gives me the impression they really don’t wanna deal with it. But this time….success. Turns out they had a hundred or so cases of #10 cans of raw pork chops. Cool, eh? A little freezedried applesauce and some freeze dried vegetables and rice and you can have a pretty decent meal. As expected, like most FD meats, the price was not cheap. However I did order one case to try out. Price is going to be about $39 per can but its pork chops, man! (Normal price, I was told, would be $54 per can…if you could find them) No idea if they are boneless but I cannot see the point to freeze drying a product and leaving the bone in. We shall see.