Category: Field Gear

Letter Re: Observations of a Shopkeeper

I did not enjoy logging on to Survival Blog this evening and reading about how ignorant we are according to “R.R.” Can’t he just educate their customers about the safe handling and proper cleaning of a firearm. I just can’t imagine why R.R. would continue selling such deadly weapons to us imbeciles. Please publish the name of your shop so we can know never to bother you there again. Thank you ever so much, – D.R. HJL Responds: I think you have missed the concept that R.R. was trying to portray. I was a scoutmaster for 11 years as my …


Musings of a Law Enforcement Paramedic – Part 5, by a LEO Medic

This is the conclusion of this five-part article, and this section contains information about gear selection, some tips and tricks that I learned along the way, as long as some links to some training videos. Gear Selection I am a huge believer in redundancy. Things break, get dropped, tear, and get lost. When your car is in the shop and you are driving the rental is when you will need the first aid kit you usually keep in the back. Murphy is alive and well. On My Person On my person, pretty much everywhere I go whether on duty or …


Musings of a Law Enforcement Paramedic – Part 4, by LEO Medic

Yesterday, we read about TCCC and the “MARCH” priorities of field care. We’ll continue with this five-part article by focusing, today, on emergency treatment for dogs because many of us will be depending ours after the SHTF. CANINE ALS/TCCC A very interesting aspect of TCCC that we have found is that it has extremely high carry over to the canine world. Two of my squad mates have working law enforcement canines assigned to them. In addition, we utilize many search and rescue dogs, from bloodhounds to labs for various missions and searches. I imagine most of you reading plan on …


Musings of a Law Enforcement Paramedic – Part 3, by LEO Medic

We are continuing to cover the TCCC “MARCH” Field Care. Yesterday, we covered the “M” representing Massive Hemorrhage. Today, we’ll continue with the A-R-C-H portions and more details to conclude the Tactical Combat Casualty Care Lessons. AIRWAY Head tilt/chin lift and jaw thrust are still recommended, as are nasopharyngeal airway (NPA) use. NPAs are preferred over OPA’s (nose vs mouth), because they do not stimulate a gag reflex. I like NPAs because they are a bit more forgiving when it comes to size (nose to ear!) in that fewer sizes fit a wider range of people, and they provide a …


Musings of a Law Enforcement Paramedic – Part 2, by LEO Medic

Yesterday, we read about certifications and training to prepare to “doctor” your family/group in a post-SHTF scenario. Today, we have part two of this five-part article, looking at first aid in some serious, even under fire situations. TCCC Lessons: In addition to teaching basic EMT, I am a Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC or TC3) instructor, as well as an instructor for the associated Trauma First Responder and Law Enforcement First Responder classes. As anyone in EMS or nursing can attest, one of the first tenants of patient care is that the scene must be safe before care is provided. …


Musings of a Law Enforcement Paramedic – Part 1, by LEO Medic

I am a peace officer by trade, but I am also a paramedic. This article will have five sections to it, based on experiences, thoughts, and training that I have seen and done on a few topics that I think may benefit the readers. The daily sections will be: Certifications/Training Options Tactical Combat Casualty Care Lessons/Training Canine ALS/TCCC Selection of Gear Carried Training Tips A lot of this will be geared towards the retreat group that already has some medical training and for the medical coordinator, but it is applicable to someone looking to start somewhere. First, let me share …


Letter Re: 9 Volt Batteries

Folks, If you’re like me you are heavy in AA and AAA cells and rechargeables, and you’re light in 9v batteries (with none rechargeable). This may be a problem for our 9v devices. I found a couple items that might be of some use: Battery Holder for (8) AA with Standard Snap Connector : BH383 Philmore Battery Holder for (6) AA with Standard Snap Connector : BH363 This allows you to make a 9v battery with AA cells. The connector is the same as a 9v connector. The good news is that this makes a great 9v battery, about 2500mAh …


Scot’s Product Review: Work Sharp

I used to dread sharpening things. Sometimes I would go look for another knife, hoping it would be sharp rather than fixing the one in hand. Other times, I would just make do with the dull one. I’ve sometimes thought that my sharpening phobia might have something to do with how my dad was able to make anything sharp with one of those round axe stones that are coarse on one side and fine on the other with a finger groove around it. He could apply some oil and make short work of most any cutting implement. He passed away, …


Letter Re: EMP

I currently keep my backup mini-iPad in an EMP bag. Do I also need to keep my power supply for it there, too? Thanks – A.B. HJL replies: Yes. In fact, it is probably more important that the charger is in the bag than the ipad. Being an electrical engineer with considerable radio technology experience, I have a perspective that is a bit different than most on the subject. The true danger of EMP is in having antennas or things that act like antennas pick up the electrical energy. If the object in question either has wires or parts that …


Fishing For Survival, by M.K.

I have spent a decent amount of time fishing with my two sons (ages 7 and 9) recently. Watching them learn to go after a stringer of fish has been a real joy. You have all heard the saying, “Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” That thought came to my mind as I was talking my boys through our plan of attack on the little lake near our house. As they continued to cast and reel without bringing anything in, I began to wonder …


In Our House, by K.M.

As of this writing, the Ebola virus has done enough damage to spread fear throughout the globe. There have already been many books written on the horrors this virus brings. In the blink of an eye everyday concerns are pushed back and replaced by fear of the unknown. Being afraid can be a very good thing, unless we let that fear take hold. The resulting panic does nothing but create its own problems. In the simplest words, Ebola is a virus that burns through your body at an alarming rate. As the beginning, symptoms of headache, fever, fatigue, vomiting, and …


Letter Re: How To Survive Without Your Glasses

Regarding the “How to survive without your glasses” post from contributor J.E. on Saturday August 23, those were all good tips, but some folks have sufficiently poor uncorrected vision that rough shapes and colors is all that can be detected beyond a few feet. Planning a self defense strategy with those limitations could wind up being hazardous to everyone around them, friend or foe. Simple myopia (nearsightedness) can be at least partially overcome with magnifying lenses, which is what’s going on when J.E. suggests using binoculars in place of glasses. For those with astigmatism (distortions in the lens of the …


Scot’s Product Review: InstaFire

Fire is kind of a big deal. It keeps us warm, cooks our food, and can signal for help. It’s comforting to sit around one. Being able to have a fire quickly is a very nice thing. InstaFire FireStarter lives up to its name, though you do actually have to go to the bother of striking a match to light it. That’s really not too much to ask for, though, considering the benefit. Yes, there are a lot of things you can set on fire with a match, but unlike a piece of wadded up newspaper, this stuff burns hot …


Introduction to Tactical Combat Casualty Care, by W.H.

This is an introduction to Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), which is the medical training that U.S. troops are currently taught to save lives on the battlefield. TCCC is the result of collaboration between U.S. Special Operations Command, trauma doctors, and emergency medical personnel to address the shortcoming in combat medicine at the start, and actually well into the current Wars On Terror. It is the combination of good medicine with good tactics. It incorporates some procedures that are proven to save lives but in the past 75 years were shunned in the medical community. TCCC has proven to reduce …


Scot’s Product Review: SUN OVENS International All American Solar Oven

I’ve already written about solar cooking (and plan to continue writing about solar stuff), but I will try not to repeat too much from the last review in this one. That said, there was some good generic information there, and you might want to refer back to it . As I continue on this trail, I have come to the All American Solar Oven http://www.sunoven.com/. It is a very high quality, made in the USA product that works extremely well. SUN OVENS is a long time player in the field. The original Sun Ovens came on the market in 1986, …