Pat’s Product Review: Bear & Son Bold Action Folders

I was more than a little anxious to get to the new Bear OPS “Bold Action” automatic folder for SurvivalBlog. For those who may not be aware of who Bear & Son Cutlery are, they have been around since 1991 and have a very extensive line of knives and tools for everyday tasks, as well as for survival, hunting and for collectors. Be sure to log onto their site to see their complete line-up. However, for this article, we’re only looking at their new division of Bear OPS. The stated goal of Bear OPS is to produce the “best knives made in the USA.” Only USA manufactured parts, material, and a dedicated workforce work in this division. They only use premium 154 CM or CPM-S30V steel for these blades and they do their own heat-treat, water-jet and CNC grinding to finish their blades. You also get a Limited Lifetime Warranty on all Bear OPS knives and tools.

My long-time friend, Tom Ables, is handling the outside public relations and marketing for Bear & Son Cutlery. When he told me about the new Bold Action tactical folders from the Bear OPS division, I was more than a little excited to get my hands on a sample or two. Tom Ables spent about 30 years doing the marketing for another major cutlery player, and he knows cutlery inside and out. Now, the new Bold Action automatic folders are only available for those who live in enlightened states that allow automatic folders, or those in the military or law enforcement. However, don’t despair, Bear OPS has a good number of other folders that will take care of your needs if you can’t legally own an automatic folder.

I received two Bold Action folders for this article, one is the AC-110-B4-T – that has a Tanto-style blade, and the other is the AC-1-B4-T that has a modified drop-style point – probably one of the most useful blade styles ever. Either blade style comes in a 3-inch length, and is made from premium CPM-S30V stainless steel, and is .115-inches thick. The blades are heat-treated to a Rockwell hardness of Rc58-60 – not too hard and not too soft – they will hold an edge a good long time, and will be easier to re-sharpen compared to blades having a higher Rockwell hardness. You can also get either Bold Action with a bead-blasted blade or a black Ti coating .Mine came with the latter. The handle material is G-10, which is super-tough, with grip edges for a secure hold. You can also opt to have good-looking Cocobolo wood. Closed length is 4-1/8″ and it weighs 6 ounces. There is a pocket/clothing clip for tip-down carry.

Now, as for the button for the automatic opening on the Bold Action. The button is slightly recessed into the handle – the button is of a good size, too. Several automatic folders I’ve tested over the years, that have opened in my pocket because the button got bumped and it usually resulted in the open blade “stabbing” me in the leg, or a cut to my hand when I reached in my pocket. Some automatic folders now have an additional safety that locks the button so the blade can’t accidentally deploy while in your pocket. The Bold Action does away with any added safety by simply recessing the open button a little bit into the handle scales – nice job, Bear!

I couldn’t find any flaws in the blade or the handle scales on either sample, they were done up right in my opinion. I prefer a slightly longer blade on a folder for self-defense purposes, however the 3-inch blade on the Bold Action is plenty long enough for Every Day Carry (EDC) purposes. To be sure, a pocket knife will probably be used 99% of the time for everyday cutting chores, so the 3-inch blade isn’t any sort of a handicap in my book. The blades opened with authority and locked in place solidly – I can’t say that for all the auto opening knives I’ve tested of the years – so had way too much side-to-side play when opened. This is not the case with the Bear OPS Bold Action folders.

There is also a nice lanyard hole in the butt on the Bold Action folders, and the liners appear to be stainless steel. To open the Bold Action, simple depress the button and the blade flies open and locks in place. To close the blade, use the same button – press in on it, and you can then close the blade, and it honestly does lock in place solidly! What can be simpler? Both the Tanto and Drop Point blades felt good in my hand – not too big and not too small. I like enough handle to hold onto in a folder or fixed blade knife, and even though the blades on these knives are only 3-inches long, there was more than enough handle to hold onto.

I used the Tanto blade more in my testing than the drop point blade – I’m just partial to Tanto-style blades for some reason – nothing I can put my hand on, but I like Tanto blades a bit more than drop point – even though it has been proven that drop point blades are more useful for more tasks. Go figure. Almost daily, UPS or FedEx brings me a package or two, and I reach for whatever folding knife I have in my pockets to cut the boxes open. I also used the Bold Action folders for chores around the kitchen, and I honestly do a lot of cooking in our house, and the Bold Action handled all my kitchen chores from slicing tomatoes to cutting cucumbers and meat. I also spent some time cutting poly rope – now if you’ve ever tried cutting poly rope, you know that a lot of knife blades will simply slip right off this slick rope – no problem for the CPM-S30V blades on the Bold Action. I also tested some wet hemp rope – again, wet rope is very difficult to cut – ask any sailor – and I had no problems with the Bold Action samples.

The Bold Action AC-110-B4-T retails for $230, a good chunk of change. But this is one rugged little automatic folder, that would make a welcome addition as an EDC folder. And, I like the idea of Made In The USA and the Limited Lifetime Warranty. I was pretty impressed with the Bold Action samples. And, I’m going to request some more knives from Bear & Son Cutlery to test for SurvivalBlog readers. They really do have quite an extensive line-up of knives and tools, including Damascus blades, filleting knives, double-edge fighting knives, Bowie hunters, multi-type tools, and multi-blade knives. They also make butterfly knives and a host of other tools – too many to list here. Be sure to check out the   Bear & Son Cutlery web site and the Bear OPS web page for a look at all they have to offer. I’m betting good money you’ll find quite a few knives and tools you’ll want to add to your survival needs or just for collecting. I’m looking forward to testing more of their products. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: Experience with a Restrictive State Pistol Permit Process

Jim,
Thank you for your ‘forward’ as well as the article: Experience with a Restrictive State Pistol Permit Process. We in New Jersey experience similar issues. A regular citizen cannot even obtain a carry permit here. It is basically limited to retired police and that even has to be basically approved or recommended by their former chief. There are limited others that may obtain like private investigators. Even with the concealed carry for retired police they must pay a yearly fee plus qualify (at an additional cost) as if still a police officer two times per year. It really would be nice to be allowed to exercise our second amendment right here. Each pistol must have a permit as well. First you must apply for a Firearms ID card to even be able to purchase ammunition! The process is daunting. You must apply to your local police station. You must be fingerprinted. You must answer and sign a questionnaire about crime/mental health issues.( I don’t particularly see that as so invasive.) But you must also allow them to access mental health records as well as contact your employer! The employer contact is especially intrusive. They may not like guns and what business of theirs to give opinion as to whether or no you can buy a gun! May be a reason for them to let you go but of course they would never say that! Sickening. Family members are going through this now and employer of one is questioning why they want it. None of their business! I guess this state is truly trying to dissuade anyone from even wanting to go through it. Same thing for a pistol permit! And all this takes months. Some of my family members applied two months ago and a letter just went to employer. Also, if you move to a new town, you must reapply for the ID card at that location’s police department. The whole process completed all over! This also happens if you marry and change your name as well — reapply! How is this allowing any privacy to honest crime-free citizens? Thank you and God Bless! – Diana

Recipe of the Week:

Ray T.’s Baked Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

1/2 cup – cooked rice
2/3 cup – Molasses or cane syrup
1 teaspoon – Salt
1 Tablespoon – Butter
1 teaspoon – Cinnamon
4 cups – Milk

Stir together all of the ingredients except the milk. Once they are thoroughly mixed, then add in milk. Stir well. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Bake for the first hour stirring occasionally. Then finish baking without stirring until it is firm, which is usually about 2 hours.

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

19th Century Recipes

Colonial American Recipes

Currently Available as Free Kindle e-Books:

35 Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

Green Smoothies. 50+ Recipes. Nutrition, Life and Health

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics and Investing:

Tossing a bone: Boehner Would Accept ‘New Revenue’ Under ’Right Conditions’. (But soon after, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Republican of Kentucky) put his foot down adamantly: no tax hikes.

Some news from Greece: Sharp rise in overdue debts to the State

Jim Rogers: Money Printing Will Run Amok.

Obama 2.0 & the Fiscal Cliff: Implications for America, the Markets, the Dollar, and Gold

Items from The Economatrix:

Wage Costs Rise More Slowly As US Employers Hold The Line

US Home Sales Dip 1.7% On Tight Inventory

Can Asia Demand Help Gold Break $1,800 Barrier?

Doug Casey:  There’s Going To Be A Huge Change Of Ownership Over Global Resources

US Auto Sales Seen Up 11% In October

Odds ‘n Sods:

News from Maker Faire, Nigeria: Teens Create A Way To Use Urine As Fuel

   o o o

Florida officials order partial recount in tight House race between Rep. West and Democratic challenger Murphy. (Gee, could it perhaps be because of the 113% to 158% voter turnout? See: Massive Voter Fraud in St. Lucie County, Florida. Avalanche Lily says: Obviously they need to more than just re-count the ballots. Have another election, confirm IDs, and use purple dye to prevent ballot stuffing!)

   o o o

Reader S.E.M. gave us: Reason # 1,492,683 not to live in an urban area. And B.B. gave us: Reason # 1,492,684 not to live in an urban area. And C.G. gave us: Reason # 1,492,685 not to live in an urban area.

   o o o

Debbie H. wrote to mention that the text of the classic Richard Graves Bushcraft Books are now available online.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The bottom line in all this is that once the debt collapse begins, it’s the preppers who have the firepower, the skills, the food, the water and the farmland. It’s the veterans, the farmers and the local sheriffs who have the know-how to get through tough times. While Obamabot voters have put America on a collision with economic collapse, they remain clueless of the reality that they are bringing about their own destruction in the process.

After all, who would you rather be hanging with when the collapse comes: Michael Moore, or James Wesley Rawles?” – Mike Adams, in Natural News

Notes from JWR:

November 11th is Veteran’s Day in these United States and Remembrance Day (or Poppy Day) in the UK Commonwealth. (Although in many places the work holiday will be on Monday the 12th, to make it a three day weekend.)

Please take a minute to visit this web page and this photo gallery.

—

This is also the birthday of General George S. Patton, Jr. (born 1885, died December 21, 1945.) The Armistice ending World War I was announced on his birthday That was when he was a 33 year old Colonel, recuperating in hospital from combat wounds to his leg.

—

November 11th also marks Rhodesia’s unilateral declaration of independence (UDI), in 1965. Remember Rhodesia. The citizenry could have done a lot better than electing Comrade Mugabe, who has absolutely ruined the country since 1980. Rhodesia Was Super!

—

Today we present another entry for Round 43 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 43 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The Core Kit: First Aid and Beyond, by Jason J.

Beans, bullets, and Band-Aids are the basics of prepping. Each has its own place, and they each lean on each other. Beans are pretty easy, but expensive. You spend the money, organize yourself and learn to use the food. There are more sources to learn about this than you could ever read, we all know about eating, and you are certain to need food in almost any situation you can imagine! Bullets are really not that complicated. We make it complicated, but as an Army Ranger that has been shot at countless times, I promise you will not question if that was a 5.56 or a 7.62 fired your way. I have hidden from a .22, because they all can kill you! The counter to being shot at has been addressed, mass. Have some weapons you can use, know how to use them, and then be prepared to use them. It is about that simple. About the only things I can think to say from my experience is that rookies practice shooting while pros practice correcting malfunctions and reloading and that two decent guns in two different pairs of hands are usually better than a great gun in one pair of hands. Band-Aids are where I think things get more difficult. We all eat, all can buy guns and practice basic marksmanship, but we do not all get a chance to learn professional medicine or practice the skills we have learned about in books! I suppose if you can find someone to let you practice suturing on them or practice a teach then you have a more committed prep group than I do and you need read no further!

I switched from Infantry to nursing when I realized that no one pays you [in the civilian world] to be infantry. While in the Infantry I did get a chance to learn some great emergency/trauma management. In fact, when I went to medic school there really wasn’t much new to me. Your typical American Infantryman has the skills to stabilize most pre-hospital trauma injuries. Basically, stop the blood, keep the wind going.

I want to address the typical person reading this. I bet the typical reader is most likely to start by going to Wal-Mart and buying a first aid kit, a few over the counter drugs, and learning CPR. This is great! If more Americans would do this it would provide quite a stable situation for us as a community. I also want to talk about the more advanced prepper and the things I bet I’d find in his stores.

I started by buying a typical kit for around $15. I chose it because it said “outdoor” on it (a marketing tool that appeals to preppers) and because is useful before the world ends. I plan to toss it in the wife’s car for the normal bumps and bruises my kids and I receive.

I chose a “Be Smart Get Prepared Outdoor First Aid Kit”. It caught my eye because of the eco-friendly packaging! Who brings a paper bag to the outdoors? The first thing I noticed when I opened it was that it had an anti-theft zip-tie on the zipper! That would have been a real pain for my wife to deal with while my son was screaming about his bleeding thumb on the tailgate. Upon opening it I did notice the sort of compartments I am used to in the emergency packaging I carry as a medic. The kit did not come separated into any real logical order. It looked like someone that had no idea what was what had put things shaped similarly together. This would be a pain.

The kit included:
    12 antiseptic towelettes
    12 alcohol prep pads
    3 antibiotic ointment packets
    2 lip ointment packets
    3 sunscreen lotion packets, SPF 30
    3 burn cream packets
    3 sting relief pads
    1 poison ivy cleanser towelette
    3 insect repellent packets
    4 aspirin tablets
    4 non-aspirin tablets
    2 electrolyte tablets
    15 adhesive bandages: 3/4″ x 3″ (1.91cm x 7.62cm)
    15 adhesive bandages 3/8″ x 1-1/2″ (0.95cm x 3.81cm)
    5 waterproof bandages: 1″ x 3″ (2.54cm x 7.62cm)
    5 butterfly closures
    2 moleskins: 2″ x 2″ (5.08cm x 5.08cm)
    1 waterproof adhesive tape: 1/2″ x 2.5 yd (1.27cm x 2.29m)
    4 sterile gauze pads: 2″ x 2″ (5.08cm x 5.08cm)
    2 sterile gauze pads: 4″ x 4″ (10.16cm x 10.16cm)
    1 sterile gauze trauma pad: 5″ x 9″ (12.7cm x 22.9cm)
    10 cotton tip applicators
    1 instant cold pack: 5″ x 6″ (12.70cm x 15.24cm)
    2 examination gloves
    1 First Aid Guide
    1 pair of tweezers
    2 finger splints
    2 safety pins
    1 Brightstick: 12-hr
    1 outdoor emergency blanket

This looks like a bunch of really good stuff, and it is. There is a reason most kits include some combination of these things. Lets look at each one that is worth looking at. You may be surprised some additional and actual uses for each item and some considerations you should have before you use them:

Antiseptic wipes. These are not sterile! They are real good for cleaning. I find I use this sort of thing to clean my own hands when I work on another person. Realize that every person has unique blood. This includes pathogens. We all have something in our blood we should not pass around. Also, dirt has many, many pathogens in it you should either remove mechanically or deal with chemically. Think of antiseptic as killing most pathogens, not all.

Alcohol pads. Know that there is a segment of our population that is allergic to these. Typically, it is not a huge issue, some redness, swelling, irritation, and minor pain. However, if you find yourself using them there is a reason and an allergic reaction may not help. You need to have another solution. Iodine is one, but the allergy is an even bigger concern. Consider chlorhexidine if you can afford or find it (additional use, extremely flammable, fire starter!).

Antibiotic ointment. This is Neosporin to most of us. I suspect this simple, cheap, and easy intervention can prevent a huge portion of the preventable discomfort many of us may experience. Use it! As I said before, dirt is full of bad stuff. To make my point, bacteria spores can live for decades. Small wounds can and do kill. Even if this were not the case, wounds healing faster and with less pain is a good thing. Buy more.

Lip ointment. I chuckled when I saw this on the Ranger packing list. Weeks later I was borrowing this from other guys. It was mostly a comfort issue. But, as my first Squad leader said, “When in the field; comfort, comfort, comfort!”
Sun screen. See above.

Burn cream. The rule of thumb for a burn is to not get infected! This ointment is not for that sort of burn. Really, if you have a burn that does not break the skin, don’t put ointment on it. Let the heat that has entered you leave. When you take a pot off the stove it is still hot for a while. Putting a cream on it will insulate it. The ointment is useful a bit later. A good way to think about it is how long does your steak take to cool down? In fact, it continues cooking for up to 10 minutes after taking it off the grill. If you have broken the skin barrier, dry sterile dressings are the best first response. Your body is going to be sending fluids to the area. The dry dressings allow the fluid, and the possible invectives, a place to go, away from your body. This prevents secondary complications. For burns that do not cause a breakdown of skin, the cream is really for comfort. Last, don’t pop a blister, that is Nature’s bandage. It is way better for protection and provides a better healing environment than anything you can buy.
Sting relief pad. Comfort issue.

Poison Ivy relief. I have had poison ivy. It is possible to do whatever you need to do with poison ivy. However, it is not fun. Extreme comfort!
Insect repellent. Comfort and prevention. Note that this stuff has an odor you can smell from farther away than you might think. I have noticed it on other people before from quite a distance after a while in the field. People have had infection from insect bites.  Ounce of prevention… Malaria has killed more humans than anything else in the history of humanity. There are seldom perfect answers for every problem.

Aspirin tablets. If the FDA were to consider Aspirin (ASA)[as a new drug] today, you would not find it available over the counter. Be aware that, by order, soldiers are not allowed to use ASA in theater unless there is a very good reason pre-approved by a provider. ASA does help with pain, but it is better understood as an anticoagulant. It does not thin your blood, but keeps you from forming or building clots (a clot on the outside of your skin is a scab). If you have ASA in your blood and suffer a wound, you will not stop bleeding very fast. Additionally, Aspirin has a very real chance to cause gastrointestinal bleeding if you take it often. Your guts will start bleeding! On a positive note, ASA can help reduce the damage from a heart attack and save a life. Aspirin should be kept around, but perhaps not in the field.

Non-Aspirin tablets.  Acetaminophen is the active ingredient you are after when you buy Tylenol. Note, print out or write down the doses for adults and children for all of your medicines. The active drug in all the different packages and forms of most drugs are the same, name brands are not important. The reason the drug looks different in children’s packages is that it is difficult to convince children of certain ages eat a tablet. Mortar and pestle will help here. Liquid medicine and capsules do not store long. Tablets are great. Look into survivalblog.com or any of the numerous sources concerning medication storage. Acetaminophen is not only a pain reliever, but also an antipyretic (fever reducer). Fever = acetaminophen. It will reduce pain, but is processed in the liver. Something to consider for that hangover since your liver is already stressed from the alcohol. Motrin, ibuprofen, is a good alternative. If you have any stomach issue ibuprofen should be the choice in the long term. Alternating is an even better idea. Acetaminophen will not address inflammation, a common reason discomfort is noted. If arthritis is the complaint, ibuprofen will do nothing.

Electrolyte tablets. These are like protein supplements in some ways. If you eat the right foods, they are useless. Drink water, eat food. *– The kit I purchased came with a note inside asking me to request the tablets!! I plan to complain, it is unreasonable to sell an emergency kit and not indicate on the outside that everything on the list is already in the package. Another reason to put your hand on your equipment and know it. — Your body needs electrolytes, you get them in food! Variety of diet prevents most nutrient deficiencies. I would say to eat variety, but I hate when people are redundant, because I do not like that people say the same thing they just said for the sake of saying things again, after saying what they just said, because they just mentioned it and it was already explained earlier… You need all your macro and micro nutrients. 8,000 pounds of wheat might feel good in the basement, but no teeth from scurvy bites better than you will, inability to stop bleeding is a real drain, muscle cramps and twitches turn you into a jerk!

Adhesive bandages. Band-Aids do a few things. One, they keep blood off your shirts and whatever you may brush against! Two, they help stop bleeding. Three, they keep pathogens out of the wound. The biggest thing, they keep stuff out of your wound. Your body will continue to bleed for a little while; this is how your body cleans an injury. The bandage keeps it clean. For my family, I use a bandage after I clean an injury and then put triple antibiotics on it. Usually it is a perfect answer to put the cream on the bandage. Practical point, joints bend. Flex or bend the joint so that movement does not create a limit to range of motion or large gap in coverage. A bandage is an artificial barrier. If you fail to create a clean wound you are creating a dirty, warm, wet, and isolated environment for any pathogen to proliferate.
Waterproof bandages. Want a bandage and be active? Try a waterproof bandage. Don’t jump into Staph creek and think you are good to hook. This is an active bandage. It is a little better. Think about it, do you trust this thing to keep every environmental factor out of your wound? I don’t, but it is better. I would buy more, they are cheap.

Butterfly closures. These are cheap, DIY, limited solutions to a wound an adhesive will not address. It can replace stitches in a few limited situations, but are not complete replacements. These serve to connect tissue. Have a cut on your skin a bandage won’t fix, use a butterfly. However, if the wound is deep enough to see muscle or anything under the skin you may not be fixing anything. You might be holding pathogens in the wound. If it is very deep you may want to consider a wet to dry dressing. This gets into a place where average people can understand and perform, but need to take time to really inform themselves and think about it a lot. I wish there was a class to take to learn these sorts of nursing things without going to nursing school. Many parents and family members get to learn this sort of thing when a family member has a particular need and hospitalization is not really cost effective. A nurse can teach you, at his/her level of comfort in doing so. Maybe volunteering at a hospital or nursing home would expose you to a few of these sorts of skills. At the very least, you would be familiar with more medical issues.

Sterile gauze pads,  2″ x 2″. Small sterile gauze pads are good for covering a small wound that is in a difficult position. Also, they can come into play with the wet to dry dressings. Bottom line, if you keep it so, it is a sterile cloth for putting on a wound. You can also use them to clean a wound; the only trouble is a sterile liquid for mobilizing dirt and debris in the wound. You only get two, use carefully!

Sterile gauze pads, 4″ x 4″. See above, only bigger.

Cotton tip applicators. Q-tips. These are good for cleaning difficult places. Be very careful you are not pushing things deeper in your attempt to clean. Your ears are a perfect example.

Instant cold pack. If you hurt a joint, RICE is a good thing to remember; Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. In the first hours your body is sending fluids to the injury to help it heal. This fluid causes some discomfort. Cold decreases the fluid coming to the area. To let you know how well it works, Ice is the first thing they toss between a woman’s legs after giving birth. People often pass this sort of thing over because it is simple, and they are of course advanced!

Examination gloves. These protect the injured and the person helping. If there is any possibility of fluids getting on you then you should use the gloves. Remember, if I help you, the small cut on my hand could pass something to you while I dress your wound.

First Aid Guide. I always keep these references. I have not used one yet, but I figure it has two good uses. First, I know I am not perfect. If I have time, I look things up. Second, I imagine if I was working on my son while my wife was there, it could be useful to give her something to do. This is not patronizing. It is practical! She may remind me of something and she feels involved. Helplessness is a huge issue for parents.

Finger splints. The big thing to remember is ensuring you do not limit circulation. To keep a digit from moving does not require much. It is really a bit more of a reminder and protector from bumping it against things than keeping the patient from moving it. If the end of the finger feels cold, it may be too tight. Additional note, the finger next to the injured finger provides a decent splint. This leaves your wood splint for additional uses like examination and manipulation.

Brightstick. Chem lights work. It is hard to see things with the light they emit. Practice with the light. It is a great signal device. Make a “buzz saw” by tying the light to the end of two feet of string. Spin it around, very easy to see at night. Remember, once it is on, you cannot turn it off. Bury it, if you must. I can vouch that these are visible while in your pocket.

Outdoor emergency blanket. This is another of those things people do not realize is very useful. You can carry a person with one of these, as long as you do not brush against anything! This thing is a good reflective surface for heat! This is the final step in packaging a person for transport. Do what you can, and then put this on the patient, you just cut all their clothes off! If they say they don’t need it, I bet they don’t.

This sums up what I thought about the kit. Next, I want to talk about other items that the advanced prepper has:

Tourniquet. This is a lifesaver. It is the number one intervention for soldiers! Modern medicine can preserve a limb longer than we used to think. You do not need the expensive ones available for purchase. I have them because I got them for free. For the general public they are expensive. The things to really know is that string will not do. If you have a 550 survival bracelet and that is your plan, you are planning on having no tourniquet and additional injury! You need a wide strap, one inch at least, that compresses the tissue around the vessel. Keep it off the joint. The fast rule, if you are not sure where to put it, put it as high as you can. Make it as tight as possible. The first one I ever put on was interesting. I placed it on an Iraqi soldier. My training had not mentioned that a conscious person may really dislike the tourniquet! It was something of an argument I am amused with now. This was an easy situation where I was able to see when the blood was spilling from his leg, and when it was not. He was in pain from the gunshot. Despite the language barrier, I can tell you the tourniquet seemed worse to him. I kept it on because that is the way to save his life. I have one question for the grid-down prepper; if there is no “next level” of care, what next? Some things are just beyond what we can do without years of school. This is a reality to deal with. I would rather die from hemorrhage than sepsis. This is only an honest consideration to have if you claim any integrity. A book and a surgical kit will not work 99 out of 100 times if you have no real training.

Israeli Dressing/Trauma Bandage. These are great options for dressing a wound fast and tight. They are clean, wrap hard and tight, secure well, and cost a lot. If you got a line on some, go for it, great. If not, there are better things to spend your money on. Cheap gauze and tape can do fine with some practice. The goal with this thing is pressure. We all know pressure helps stop bleeding. The Trauma Bandage keeps the pressure on. If you bleed through it, add more. Do not remove the original material, you may be ripping some of the clot off and starting over again.

Combat gauze/Quik-clot. This falls into the tourniquet area. Great, you stopped the bleeding. If the grid is down and you do not have a medical professional, what next, sepsis? There is also an allergy issue. Shellfish allergy indicates an allergy to many of these options.

SAM splint. These are a bit costly. There are cheaper ways to secure and splint an injury, but these things are awesome! You can immobilize almost any body part, even the neck! Do not play around with them too much. They are just thin aluminum covered in thin foam. Playing with it will create sharp edges and exposed metal. If you have a choice, go for the thin packed ones. They are much easier to stow away than the rolled up sort.

Surgical kit. When you buy these things at a surplus store, know they usually are not sterile. Options to make them sterile can be found on the internet. My wife had the idea to find a tattoo shop willing to help us out. For those not sure of the sort of people working in a tattoo shop realize that they are very regulated and physics works pretty much the same everywhere! Many of these places have an autoclave for their instruments. These machines are very user friendly. I used one in a hospital after a 10 minute class. The wrapper has an ink in it that indicates the correct conditions were met to be considered sterile. Additionally, many of the people that include themselves as preppers have tattoos!

I would also say that surgery is a risk in the best of conditions! This is certainly a time where there can be too many cooks in the kitchen because each cook has his/her own ability to infect the patient. Forget your Rambo illusions and think about being clean. Think stitches, object removal, wound healing, and cleaning. It has been said the reason to have a surgical kit is to have something to put into capable hands. Very true!

Prescription Drugs. I figure there are two main things here, sedation/anesthesia and antibiotics.
I have read about all manner of anesthesia. They all look dangerous. Drinking yourself into a state may have worked a few times in the past, but carries some real consequences. I would love someone to offer a real solution. I doubt there is one because if there was it would be logical to assume that solution would be used today. Playing with consciences is always dangerous. Anesthesiologist/Nurse Anesthetist are very highly trained and have years of school. Do you really think you can mimic this after reading an article online and mixing some solvents from the auto shop? Even if you could do this correctly, you need a very clean room, a plan, a correct diagnosis, good assistance, and many other things. And, you still need to remember antibiotics!

Antibiotics are a more reasonable pursuit. Preppers go for antibiotics sold for fish, find doctors that are ok with their license being on the line with your preps, and some try to keep their past drugs after they feel better, figuring it will help them later. The latter is a very bad idea. First, using only a portion of a prescription leaves the bacteria in your system. You could get sick again, or pass is on as stronger bug for the next person. This means that over time you get super-bugs that are very difficult to treat. The antibiotics we are using for some people now have huge problems and side effects. According to many sources antibiotics for animals are good to hook. However, this is only when you apply the correct antibiotic for a given situation. Penicillin is not going to work for all bacteria. Doctors know which drugs to give based on the location of the infection and the current trends in their area and experience. Your animal drugs are not as specific or broad. I am not saying this is necessarily a bad idea, but that you certainly need to have a hard copy explanation of what you have, when to use it and how to recognize it in simple and reasonable ways. Know how to dose your drug and what a common dose for a child or adult is. Go to the book store and get a nursing drug guide. This will tell you what to look out for while using the antibiotic, possible negative effects, common dose, and when not to use the drug. For the most part, an older used book is fine. The drugs you get from a vet do not change so rapidly that a drug guide from 2005 will be out of date. I strongly suggest a drug guide if you do or do not have prescription drugs.

Some things people don’t think about that are worth having are ways to transport patients, palliative measures/pillows, N95 masks, gloves, sterile blades, Netti-pot, and vitamins. Transporting people correctly limits additional injury and stress.  Pillows can help limit pressure sores after being in the same position for a long time. Palliative measures make people more comfortable, reduces stress, and even help those not injured feel better. If the world ended and you were going to die, being comfortable would be nice. Rotate people’s position every few hours. Just a bit to place pressure on a different spot, this reduces skin breakdown. N95 masks and gloves protect everyone! Sterile blades to cut the umbilical cord are the number one intervention to reduce infection and death after a “normal” birth. A shard of obsidian is not a good answer! A Netti-pot keeps a sinus infection from becoming a bigger problem. Vitamins can help the body heal its self. If you have variety in your diet you should not normally need supplements. If your body has an increased need from injury or illness vitamins can play a big part.

Herbs are an interesting topic and very worth investigating. Mid-level providers are increasingly turning to this old wisdom. However, like any drug there can be consequences and contraindications. You need to know what you are doing before you use your friend or family as an experiment.
Training and knowledge are the biggest part of the puzzle. All the cool, expensive equipment in the world is useless and dangerous in the wrong hands. In some cases, it may even be useless in the right hands. A well-stocked bookshelf is certainly indicated for the prepper, but you actually have to read and consider the information. You will not rise to a medical emergency! You need to have a plan first. Seek out people with the knowledge you want. My experience is that people are happy to share what they know and are interested in.

Some closing food for thought: I attended the survival/preparedness expo in Spokane, WA a few weeks ago. There were many people there spending large amounts of money on preps. In truth, many of them would be better off spending that money on a gym membership to be prepared for TEOTWAWKI! What is the logic of $1,000 worth of gear when you are 50 pounds overweight, pre-diabetic, have decreased cardiac output, decreased mobility, reduced cardiovascular potential, and any host of other problems that come with the sedentary American lifestyle?. Sometimes the answer you have heard all along is the best answer. There are few short-cuts to health and fitness. I question the motivation of a person worried about TEOTWAWKI when they do nothing to prep for the world as we do know.

Letter Re: Four State Constitutional Amendments Renouncing Obamacare

Mr. Rawles,
An interesting subtext in the latest elections is the that five states had amendments on the ballots, that attempt to prevent anyone from being required to purchase health care coverage such as Obamacare.
 
The measures passed in four of these states: Alabama, Missouri, Montana, and Wyoming.
 
A similar amendment failed to pass in Florida.
 
While generally a moot point as Federal law trumps (remember the Civil War, anyone)…this is an interesting perspective on the mood in some states. – R.T.

JWR Replies: It is not surprising that two of those four states are in The American Redoubt. Wyoming’s Amendment A, for example, passed by a whopping 77% to 23% margin. It reads, quite succinctly:

Article 1, Section 38 – Right of Health Care Access
(a) Each competent adult shall have the right to make his or her own health care decisions.  The parent, guardian or legal representative of any other natural person shall have the right to make health care decisions for that person.
(b) Any person may pay, and a health care provider may accept, direct payment for health care without imposition of penalties or fines for doing so.

Resistance to the overbearing Federal government is clearly growing. I expect other States to follow suit in rejecting Obamacare, as well as reserving state sovereignty on issues like abortion, drug laws, control of Federal lands, control of water resources and the right to keep and bear arms.

Economics and Investing:

New coinage composition: Cents action or delay? (Note that December 13, 2012 is the deadline for the report on the new minting recommendations.)

Schrader: Farmland Values Remain Strong Across Spectrum of Quality and Location

Argentines Prepare for Huge Anti-Government March

Some interesting reading on legal tender paper currencies versus the Constitution: The Dollar, Revisited.

Items from The Economatrix:

German Calls For Gold Repatriation Intensify As Fed Refuses To Allow Inspection

Hathaway:  Gold Set Up To Super-Surge To New All-Time Highs

Investors Fear More Than Just A “Fiscal Cliff”

McDonald’s Sales Drops For First Time Since 2003

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader M.E.W. suggested this essay by Dean Kalahar: America Has Sown the Seeds Of Its Own Demise

   o o o

How nice of them to wait until after the election to mention this: After Obama win, U.S. backs new U.N. arms treaty talks

   o o o

More legal trouble for Sheila Dixon, one of Mikey Bloomberg’s cabal of gun-grabbing, graft-greedy mayors: Former mayor charged with probation violation. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.) She called the charges “a setback”. (Coming up $15,000 short may nullify her sweetheart deal with the court, which had allowed her to keep her $83,000 per year lifetime mayoral pension, despite her conviction for embezzlement.) And in related news, after some damning testimony former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s trial on a 38-charge felony indictment has been delayed. Oh, and speaking of our least favorite mayor: Mayor Bloomberg’s Food Police Outlaw Food Donations To City Homeless Shelters.

   o o o

Donald Alley: The preparedness success triad: Tangibles, training, and mindset

   o o o

C.D.V. mentioned this: Stealth Amateur Radio

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, [is] therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:16-20 (KJV)

Notes from JWR:

Today’s article is about the frustrations with the issuance procedures for concealed carry permits. It prompts me to make this introductory comment:

Whenever someone must buy a license or pay a fee to exercise a right, then it is something less than a right. It is in fact a mere privilege, subject to the whim of petty bureaucrats. Fundamental rights are not abstract tokens that are given or sold by other men. They are in fact primary liberties bestowed upon us by God, our maker. Rights are not substantially secured by asking, “Mother may I?” of any government agency. Rights are more properly demanded or boldly seized and then conspicuously exercised regularly. This secures the liberties that have legitimately belonged to us since birth. If need be, lost rights can and must be restored through proscriptive use. If you live in a land where your rights have been marginalized into privileges, then it is either time to change your government, or to change your address. Much like a muscle that atrophies with disuse, any right that goes unexercised for many years devolves into a privilege, and eventually can even be redefined as a crime.

—

November 10th: 1919: The birthday of Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov. He didn’t create a lot of designs, but one of his designs was the prototype for what turned out to be the world’s most plentiful sturmgewehr, rivaling McDonald’s: Over 100 Million Served.

—

Today we present another entry for Round 43 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 43 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Experience with a Restrictive State Pistol Permit Process, by U.C.

First, I live in South Eastern Connecticut not by choice but due to my military obligations. Second, the day I get out of the military will be the last day I live here. I am heading back out West which is where I lived before I joined the military. Third, I survived Sandy just fine. I ensured I had 4G coverage before the storm: Generator, Gas, Grub and Gallons of water. I guess you could add Guns and make it 5G coverage.

On to what I am writing about, the pistol permit process in a liberal / restrictive state. Here in Connecticut you must go through several hoops and roadblocks on the way to buying / carrying any handgun. After much internet research and discussions with the owner of the lone gun store in South Eastern Connecticut, my wife and I started down the road to legal handgun ownership. Notice I said handgun. Here in Connecticut I can walk into Cabela’s, pick any rifle or shotgun they are selling and walk out the same day with as much ammunition as I can buy (with a copy of my military orders stationing me here). Without those orders I would have to wait 14 days.

The first step to the process was to attend a NRA basic pistol shooting course. This despite the fact that I have had training in the military on the M1911, the Browning 9mm, 12 gauge, M16, M14 and M249. At $150 each for my wife and I (expensive but it had to be a weekend class that fit into our schedule) we were well on our way to spending big money in order to exercise our Second Amendment rights. This was on Sunday May 6th of this year. Once we had completed the course and had the certificate in hand we then had to schedule an appointment with our local Connecticut Police Department (Groton) for the interview, application paperwork and finger printing process in order to receive a temporary local permit. The city of Groton only has appointment slots twice a month (2nd and 4th Wednesdays) with limited availability (Chokepoint!). We were “lucky” enough to squeeze in an appointment on the 13th of June (someone cancelled).

On to the appointment: In order to do the appointment my wife and I both had to take half a day off. We showed up early with our filled out DPS-799-Cs and the application (or as my wife calls it, bribe) money required by the city. After a lengthy interview by a local police officer to ensure we were who we said we were and not mentally incapacitated or revolutionaries, he collected our money. That was $70 for each of us to the town of Groton as a local authority fee. Also there was the $19.25 for each of us to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) for the federal fingerprint / background fee. And finally the $50 each for the state of CT fingerprint / background check fee. $278.50 in fees + $300 in classes. We are up to $578.50. This doesn’t include lost wages for my wife to take a half day off for the interview process.

Fairly straight-forward and a little expensive so far. Nothing overly difficult. Now the waiting process begins. The local Groton Police Department is required to get back to us within 60 days in accordance with Connecticut law. My wife and I settled in for what we were sure would be the full 60 days. It is the government of Connecticut after all and we counted on them using every day of the 60. We passed the time working on other preparations to include dehydrating fruit and experimenting with canning. During this waiting period we also purchased several rifles (Mosin-Nagants and others) and learned how to shoot them, break them down, clean and upgrade. Time spent wisely.

August 13th rolled around (61 day point) with no word from the Groton Police Department. Having been in the military for several years I am used to the waiting game and the gross inefficiency of government. I proceeded to wait on calling and gave them another two weeks.
August 27th and still no phone call. So now I start calling. After playing phone tag for a week and a half I finally reach a human on September 6th. She says there is a large backlog due to the large amount of applications and it may be a bit before they can get to us. A bit? To me, “a bit” means maybe the next day at the latest. To the local government a bit seems to be measured in glacial time. And how can they be backlogged? They only accept a limited number of applications twice a month. You would think this would prevent them from being backlogged.

September 10th, my supervisor and my wife’s supervisor receive phone calls from the Groton Police Department to verify information on the background check. Progress! I guess I am perturbed/happy. Happy that there is movement, perturbed that it is taking so long. Knowing the process for background checks should not take no more than two or three weeks after they start I marked down the 26th of September as the day to call and inquire if I have not received word.

September 26th. No word from the local Groton Police Department. Let the phone calls commence. Another week of phone tag ensues before I get to talk to what I am now sure is a poorly programmed robot. I receive the same spiel about “backlogged” and “working on it”. I would have had a better conversation with my neighbors Roomba robot floor cleaner.

So my wife and I patiently wait, yet continue to call on a weekly basis. We are both fairly angry at this point. What was a straightforward simple process has tuned into a denial of our rights by government inefficiency and outright incompetence. Yet we continue to call. Not so much that anyone could say we were harassing. Not angrily so we could be denied for threats or whatever. Polite calls and friendly conversations. I learned long ago that angry conversations with government drones results in paperwork mysteriously lost in a black hole somewhere.

October 10th rolls around and we call the Connecticut Department of Public Safety. After several calls and hours on the phone we receive a “we will look into the issue”. Now it has become a weekly routine. Every Wednesday morning the local Police Department receives a call. Every Wednesday afternoon the Department of Public Safety receives a call.

It is now November 6th and we are still waiting. What is most galling is I am not waiting approval to purchase a handgun. I am not waiting on approval to carry a handgun. I am waiting on the local Police Department to give my wife and I a temporary permit which gives us permission to pay $70 a piece to the State of Connecticut to apply for permanent permits (which expire after 5 years). After we receive these mythical permits we can then legally purchase/own/carry a handgun in Connecticut.

Why not just give up? After all I only have seven months left here before moving to a friendlier state. There are a few reasons for that. One, I am stubborn and will see this through to the end. Two, I want to take the Utah pistol permit class at Cabela’s in East Hartford so I can be legal in more states. I cannot do that without a Connecticut pistol permit.

Maybe there are past problems they have uncovered and that is why they are taking so long. No. I have very high security clearance for my work in the Navy. I go through a complete background investigation every five years. I am about as squeaky clean as they come (and so is my wife). No tickets, no skeletons in the closet, no vices such as drugs, alcohol or gambling and an excellent military record. If anything, the only “vice” I have is preparing. Other than the occasional post on SurvivalBlog I keep OPSEC high and avoid anything that would draw undue attention to me by any of the alphabet agencies.
Even with all my ducks in a row, all the proper forms filled out, all money paid and maintenance of pleasant persona on the phone and in person my wife and I are victims of government inefficiency and stall tactics. I would hazard a guess that Connecticut doesn’t want too many upstanding solid citizens running around with hand guns.

We will keep on preparing. We will keep on planning. We will keep helping our neighbors and anyone around us who wants to prepare. We will continue to learn new skills (cheese making this weekend). We will continue to take our rifles to the gun range and hone our shooting skills.
I have the patience of Job. I can wait this state out.
Some of the lessons I have learned or have had cemented in from this whole process:

  1. Ensure you have all your paperwork in order. I double checked everything. It made the application process go much smoother.
  2. Don’t trust the government to expedite a process they don’t want to complete but are mandated to by law.
  3. Don’t move to Connecticut. If the bureaucracy doesn’t kill you, the taxes will.
  4. Ensure you understand the exact cost of the process. When all is said and done Connecticut will run my wife and I $718.50 before we make our first handgun purchase in this state.

A Cottage Industry Suggestion: Holsters and Slings

It is well-reported that America is a land of 312 million people and somewhere between 310 million and 320 million guns. (There is no firm figure, because thankfully only a small fraction of Americans live in locales with gun registration.) Of those, there are about 80 million handguns in circulation. And of that 80 million, I would venture an educated guess that there are less than 50 million holsters, to match. This is because most handgun owners are not regular handgun carriers. The most lopsided “gun-to-holster” ratios are with .22 rimfire handguns, and large-frame, long-barreled revolvers. I suspect that perhaps only 25% of those handguns have an accompanying holster. There are also more rifles and far more shotguns out there than there are carrying slings for them. (I’d roughly estimate that less than 10% of shotguns have slings.)

These disparities represent a huge opportunity for a post-collapse cottage industry. In a post-collapse world, suddenly almost everyone will want to be armed at all times, and they will be eager to barter to fill those needs.

Get some practice at holster and sling making. Then stock up heavily on leatherworking tools and supplies, tanned cow hides, sheets of brown or olive green Kydex, rolls of brown or olive green nylon webbing (for slings and straps) sewing awls, waxed nylon thread, rivets, snaps, sling swivels, and buckles of various sizes.

Also keep in mind that because of its length and padding, the venerable U.S. military M60 sling is one of the most versatile slings for re-purposing. They can be used with a huge variety of rifles and shotguns. So if you don’t have craft skills, then you can at least buy a pile of those slings to keep on hand for barter. (They are quickly and easily shortened, with a snip of scissors.)

I should also mention that nearly any handgun with a positive external safety lever can be safely carried in a Nalgene water bottle pouch. (Warning: Glocks and other “safety in the trigger”-type pistols can only be carried safely in specifically-made holsters that fully enclose the triggerguard!) Yes, these pouches are bulky and slow to access as a makeshift holster, but they will fit about 80% of handguns. But their bulk also camouflages a pistol–since they don’t look like a holster. That can have advantages in some situations. If it the pouch is too deep, then just add some balled-up pairs of spare socks, or some Israeli battle dressings, or a couple of folded bandanas. And by the way, the same pouches also work reasonably well for carrying shotgun shells and many types of magazines.

Someday, you may be very glad that you stocked up. – J.W.R.