The B.O.V. Part II

(Part I : The B.O.V. or "Bug Out Vehicle")

That question of personal transportation is coming up again...

Finally now that I am home-owner (oh God, what have I done?) and will be enjoying the long-term process of projects it's certainly a good time to get a truck (again). Not too long ago I had enjoyed owning a '93 S10 Chevy Blazer Tahoe 4x4 as a backup vehicle and all-purpose carry-stuff \ around-town truck. Eventually it was going to become too costly to keep so I sold it to cut my losses. 
But now with a house I am running full circle back to a truck (again), but this time to a traditional pickup truck rather than the old LUV (Light Utility Vehicle) style, which does in fact pre-date the SUV in terminology and purpose.

Working the old '93 Chevy S10 Blazer Tahoe

Besides the everyday errands and slightly larger-sized purchases that require the bed of a pickup I am also thinking ahead to any number of Bug Out scenarios.  What I ended up getting was a decent-condition '98 Nissan Frontier 4x4. With a 2.4L I4 DOHC 16V FI engine cylinder instead of the Chevy's 4.3L V6 OHV 12V FI HO engine the Nissan will certainly have much better gas mileage which will offset its somewhat small factory fuel tank. Also it has manual locking hubs, which are well-known for being much more robust and trouble-free than automatic ones or vacuum-operated 4-wheel drive systems.

A few questions come to mind for this vehicle right away...

*What roles can the truck fill?
*What is its range in the real world?
*How much can it carry and haul?
*How well will it stand up adverse environments both natural and man-made?
*Is it easily modifiable?

It's about practicality, future roles and in times like these... being economically viable as a long term option in regards to normal usage and maintenance. The Nissan will most likely be for quick reconnaissance and short supply runs due to its size, but it can be easily modified for longer range duties if a fuel cell system is added to compliment the original tank. It's a small cab so storage and usability inside is limited. A full-sized CB radio is too big, but a small hand-held style will work just fine.
It's all about finding a good mixture of possibilities that fit your current equipment...

Lake Tahoe - Landscape Changed

Lake Tahoe, Incline Village, Nevada

Too often is the encroaching development of our species the catalyst for the destruction of our own surroundings. Sufficed to say you can see it every time you walk out your front door.  Very recently the Western Black Rhino was just considered extinct.  
In early January 2014 I spent a week at a hotel supporting a Sales Conference located on the northern end of Lake Tahoe. Standing on the shore of the lake itself, looking out was sublime to say the least, but looking back at the monstrosity of a hotel made me a bit depressed. It is a shame that all this is just for profit - nothing more. How far have we come to forget our own environment?

 Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort

I understand the concept of being closer to nature while it being a luxury stay at the same time, but leave a little bit of nature alone.

Why ruin perfection? It's a sad world we live in indeed.

Dr. Strangelove - Truth

(How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Almost Everything in “Dr. Strangelove” Was True

By Eric Schlosser

Alternate Heat - Winter Months Part I

After purchasing an old New England house from 1858 I'm of course finding the biggest challenge in the Winter months is efficiently heating the house. After some research I've narrowed down my options to two rather basic, but seemingly cheap and efficient alternatives to cranking up the thermostats on my oil boiler.

First I believe I will try the tea-candle method in a room in my home and then test the oil lamp one.

Change of Uniform Styles

[Uniform and Camouflage]

For the most part I've stuck with simple OD green and woodland camo BDU's - very simplistic, easy and economical - but also VERY common. Finally I am looking to expand and try something different from the crowd. I've done my fair share of German Flecktarn, Swiss Alpenflage to compliment or switch it up from the traditional U.S. Woodland, but now I'm curious to see what else is out there that I could utilize. 

I've often found myself drawn to Soviet and Russian camo patterns, but they tend to be more or less unusable in my surrounding environments - like the Russian OMON (Otryad Mobilniy Osobogo Naznacheniya\Special Purpose Mobile Unit) uniform, which is more of a snow-oriented camouflage. Sure we have winter here, but it would better to have something that could be used all-year-round.

Russian OMON Camo pattern

There's a number of other patterns the Russians use and for obvious reasons - their area of operation just nationally is so far spread and covers many different terrain and weather types.

After a bit of research I have decided to pursue a particular loadout used by the Russian MVD due to its durability and coloration. In the area I live where we receive the breadth all four seasons and have a great amount of woodland and forests I believe this uniform would suit me best. Only challenge is finding it at a reasonable price. With less common BDUs you almost always run into price. These BDUs run anywhere from $150-$200 and I know they're worth it, but damn that's a pretty penny to pay.

Russian MVD with Gorka E BDUs

Richard Proenneke - Alone in the Wilderness documentary - Excerpts

I've managed to actually see most of the full version of this documentary on Richard Proenneke and found it to be one of the most important documentaries for me personally.

This is an excellent excerpt from the full documentary and I would highly recommend to go and find the full versions on DVD if possible.

Old-World Bolt Action - Soviet Style

The Mosin Nagant is still considered one of the most prolific rifles in world history and finally after years of research and contemplating I got my own. More to come soon.

'39 & '42

Food Review - Failure to Start

I must admit it's a bit challenging to review something when you can't even open it up. Was a little frustrated with this one so I have yet to add it to my Survival Food Reviews page. I will soon though.

Easy to open? My ass it is.

Web Comic - Romantically Apocalyptic

I think someone crawled into my brain and made the perfect web comic series.

Romantically Apocalyptic

A Country's Efficiency - Outside the U.S.

Preface
Many have theorized what would happen to the U.S. during the collapse of society or if essential services disappear what would happen? Most likely chaos - which what just about everyone thinks.

Across the Atlantic
Something tells me that this may not be the case everywhere else. It is unfortunately our reliance on so many things that make us weak - also something not entirely new as a concept. This all came to mind with a recent trip to Denmark under my belt. Sure the country has its very big and bustling capital Copenhagen, which just about everyone has at least heard of. But in all reality the majority of the country is flat, quiet farmland with small towns and villages peppered across the landscape like freckles.

Denmark is not a perfect country and although it has recently been ranked the happiest country in the world I can see some reason for unhappiness. As Americans we all love to complain about taxes and social security taking money out of our paychecks, but you haven't seen nothing. The tax rate in Denmark is about as high as you can get in all of Europe. So all the things you normally buy... make them at least twice as expensive. And cars? Well forget it. There's a 180% tax after buying an automobile. So my Audi A3 rental car that I had over there, which is a reasonable $33k or so in the US costs more like $80-90k here. You don't see many luxury cars in Denmark for this reason. And if you do something nice like an S-class Mercedes or a Jaguar it's probably driven by someone who REALLY has a lot of money. A hundred grand for a top end Merc turns into almost $200,000 real quick. Someone even told me the other day that it cost 12,000 DKK (Danish Krone) or about $2,100 just to get your driver's license.

Decently priced in the U.S., but expensive in DK

There's a flip side to these taxes though. They have free healthcare in this country, and guess what? It actually works. Granted you do still pay for dental and a few other things, but the majority of what you'll have to get done in a hospital or doctor's office in a Danish lifetime will be absolutely free. Education from 1st grade all the way through college is free. Also like most other countries outside of the U.S. there's paid maturity leave. 

Solar Panel Array in Tønder, Denmark

The country of Denmark is also incredibly green - yes both in terms of having a lot of  open farmland AND being an incredibly efficient culture by today's standards. Recycling, alternative energy are the two that come to mind first. During the second week of my trip I stayed at a company-owned office\dormitory that was almost entirely powered and heated by solar power. And the company's buildings are all high efficiency with LED bulbs on motion sensors so they cannot be left on, toilets that have two flush modes to use less water, and they even have implemented energy-saving architectural designs.

So this brings to mind the question: what would happen if modern society came to a halt? What if some kind of war broke out? A natural disaster? What would happen to majority of these people? Well for one a huge portion of these people surrounded by solar panels and huge windmills everywhere certainly could keep their lights on longer. As a culture the Danish seem to be more easily content and are usually considered "easy-going." In the office workplace it seems to be that way as well... employees come in around their starting time and leave around 3pm to 4pm most days. I certainly wish I could get away with that back in the U.S.

Many of them just don't require all the luxuries we take for granted everyday. It's an interesting concept while remaining in Western culture. Quite frankly I think the majority of this country could survive very well after the collapse of national government. They have plentiful resources, a very friendly and even-tempered populace and don't require much to continue living their lives. And you have to remember that huge portions of the population managed to survive the Nazi occupation for the duration of World War II.

Shooting Ranges & Memberships

The LONG wait...

Recently I found myself invited to a local members-only shooting range and realized that I quite liked the atmosphere compared to the hustle and bustle of your everyday range. 
Last month I had applied for a membership at the same establishment and after a couple of weeks they emailed back saying that I could start my membership in June... of 2014.
At first I couldn't believe the long wait, but after seeing what a private range looked like I felt like anyone in their right mind would want a membership at a place like this.
Apparently this isn't an isolated instance of long waits either. I heard that some other ranges not too far away have 2 or even 3 year-long waiting lists and after that you still have to prove yourself to be a viable candidate and in good standing with the NRA.
People seem to be weary of long lines in crowded indoor shooting ranges these days. Can't say that I blame them, because I sure am. Now that Autumn is here I feel like outdoor shooting is in its prime in New England. Being stuck inside an echoing cavern with pistols and rifles going off 10 feet away on either side of me isn't my idea of a good time.

Most private shooting ranges are starting to put a cap on the number of new members and from there the only way you're getting in is almost purely based on knowing the right people. So check for local members-only ranges sooner rather than later because they're filling up quick!

On the upside I got the opportunity to shoot an acquaintance’s S&W .357 revolver. He had hand loads of .38 and .357 ammunition for it and it was a hoot and a half to shoot and sadly I can shoot it better than my own Glock, which I've owned for quite some time. Also had the chance to shoot the tiniest 1911 Kimber I've ever seen or held and was impressed by its manageability even for its small size.

AMD-65 and Glock 30SF after cleaning

Luckily I was able to dust off my Glock 30SF and AMD-65 for the beautiful and cool Fall day and share them with new shooting friends. Still find that I get compliments and inquiries for my somewhat unique-looking Hungarian AK whenever I shoot it, which is nice.

Well here's wishing me luck to getting into a private, members-only range at some point in the future...

Survival Foods - Let Down

Saw this in the store the other day and thought, "Alright! I totally want to do a review on that!" Unfortunately my paranoia about ingredients kept me from buying it. One of the things I avoid more than anything else is MSG and let me tell you it's getting harder and harder to do so. Most often labeled by its full name: Monosodium Glutamate, it's a "flavor enhancer" and thickening agent. But it's also incredibly bad for you. Then again what isn't bad for you in the everyday U.S. diet?
Anyway, it was just a bummer and let down because I was actually kind of excited about this because it looked pretty good and a little different from the usual canned stuff I see.

Well... back to the search I suppose...

(Also see: Food Storage - Purchasing Habits)

"Survival Foods"

Blog Additions
Food

A new addition to the Broadminded Survival page has come! Combining my interest for "survivalism" and my never-ending interest and knowledge in food has birthed a new aspect to this blog: Broadminded Survival Food Reviews. It's a simple concept where I give brief reviews and descriptions of good, storable foods that anybody can buy on a budget all for your knowledge. Yep. Just for you.

I look at all aspects of my bizarre collection of pantry items as well as going out and trying new things when I find them and review them based on 6 basic ratings: Price, Shelf Life, Transportability, Nutritional Value, Taste and finally my Overall score and thoughts.

Sure I talk about a lot of things, but we all still need to eat, right?

Check it out here: Broadminded Survival Food Reviews

Hiatus

Apologies to all for my recent hiatus. Work has been keeping me more busy than usual with... well... work. But also quite a bit of travelling.

More posts coming soon!

"Hurry up and Wait"

Survivalism in Fiction - Writing My Own Apocalypse

For as long as I've been writing (spanning back before high school) I've pondered scribbling down ideas about the end of the world and the few survivors left and their inevitable struggle. 
Of course now with T.V. shows like Doomsday Preppers, Falling Skies, and The Walking Dead, and films like The Book of Eli and The Road center stage it's certainly a concept much more accessible to the masses. 
In college when my writing began to really take form I found that even there I couldn't quite spread my wings and flap on the subject. Not that it was inappropriate, but it just wasn't the right time. I dabbled in some ideas in college though and as my writing (and knowledge) matured over time I found that I could put together stronger and more realistic stories on page.

Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road I feel is still one of the most striking and realistic depictions of the end-all-be-all end of the world story. At the other end of the spectrum in the same genre I read Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collaspe by James Wesley Rawles, which is certainly a much different take on that end of the civilized world. As an actual composed and collected story Cormac McCarthy's wins by a mile, but Rawles does have a lot of interesting technical and logistical information that's incredibly fascinating. I found myself less interested in the characters in their journey for survival, but more so in the equipment they utilized or the tactics they used to defend themselves. While reading I thought to myself "hey that's a pretty good idea on how to secure that door," or "that's a pretty efficient way to store ammunition."

I think finding a middle ground between stories like these is where I'd like to go - whether it'd be a novella, full-length novel or even a screenplay for film or television. To be honest I have been brewing a TV pilot since 2009, but I would like to maybe try my hand at the survivalist angle. I just wish my motivation and skill was more present earlier on because now it isn't a fresh subject anymore. It's a familiar idea in a sea of stories just like it. I know it hasn't been "new" in a LONG time (i.e. Mad Max. 1979), but now it's a pop culture statement.

At this point I think I'd just like to be able to say: "Yes, I did write that and yes I was inspired by X, Y and Z and I'm happy I was able to do it," and have people say I sure remembered him and his work back then. To be acknowledged for bringing at least a new or improved opinion to the table of survival that the world can digest and nod their heads to. But it isn't all about recognition, it's also about getting my opinion out there too, hence Broadminded Survival. It's an external venue for my own thoughts because when I think about things like this most of the day while I'm at work or in bed watching T.V. with my wife I feel like I'm going to explode sometimes. I have to get it out there in some fashion. Whether it's me sketching drawings in a notebook, writing micro fiction or short stories just for myself or working on this blog what it comes down to is that I need to express myself. It's cathartic to say the least and when you have this much pent up inside you all the time it's better to let it out and share it.