Letter Re: Some Experience with Clothing and Field Gear in Desert Environments

Captain Rawles,
I came across a good post by Erik M., a brother Marine, about the practicalities of humping the brush in full gear, in your archives from last year.  Where he writes from the perspective of an east coast Marine, I thought it would be good to complement that by writing on the same subjects from a west coast Marine’s viewpoint (was stationed at 29 Palms, California), as I’m guessing from his time reference that we were contemporaries, or close to it.  If someone else has done so already, my apologies for having missed it.

For the high desert, and desert southwest environments, I recommend the inexperienced start off with only their cartridge belt/combat harness, and do 3-to-5 miles at a normal walking pace.  Do not do this in the heat of the day, else you risk becoming a heat casualty, regardless of how much water you’re humping.  When it gets 110 Fahrenheit in the shade, you don’t want to be humping anywhere if you can at all avoid it.  Early to mid-morning, and early evening are the most user friendly times for this purpose.  Listen very carefully to your body as well, as your body will inform you in no uncertain terms when it’s time to stop.  Eat lightly beforehand, preferably fruit or something similar, and drink well before you step off.  Being well hydrated here in the desert is even more a necessity than it is in the humidity of the eastern areas.  I will not here address night movement, as I believe I saw that dealt with in other posts.  (Note: Desert tactical movement will eventually become necessary in full daylight, but with good OPSEC, and proper discipline, you can avoid it in most instances. YMMV.)

Once a person is capable of doing five miles in combat harness/cartridge belt, with canteens, and first aid kit only, then step it up by adding the remainder of the pouches that will ride on your harness and belt.  Do this until you are acclimatized to the weight and water requirements, then again with either the actual magazines or weight equal to that load.  Again, rigorously avoid the hottest parts of the day, unless there is no choice.  In my experience, unless you are actively being shot at, there is almost always a choice, so don’t go humping when it’s the hottest part of the day.  Once used to this level, step it up to include your body armor, or tactical vest, if you intend to use any, and repeat the process. (You might wish to do this on a country/county road, as the LEOs are likely to get hinky over folks walking about in tactical gear, in the middle of town, here, and I’d assume the same for elsewhere.)

 At that point, you should be more or less doing a “Boots, Utes, an’ Kevlar” physical training cycle.  Keep in mind, for those who are reading this, that the normal forced march step is a full forty inch step, by the book.  As Erik said, almost a run.  One can, once fully used to the rigors of humping, and with a bit of patience and attention to detail, find a more or less comfortable rhythm, where that extended step will really eat up the ground, without wiping you out before you’ve gotten out of town.  Find yours, as best you can, as quick as you can. 

As for humping the burning desert with 100 pound of gear, and such, I will merely say the same thing I said to my troops when I caught them loading that much garbage in their ALICE pack. You want spare skivvies, socks, cold weather clothes, poncho, and at least one full change of regular clothing.  Don’t bring or wear all that slinky satiny tight nylon taffeta garbage.  You want good solid work clothing, that will stand up to the nastiest beating you can give it, if you don’t have any actual utilities.  All else is already covered elsewhere.  Such things as spare toilet paper, fire starters, mess kit, first aid extras, ammo, and whatnot, are automatically part of your harness, and need not be mentioned here, to my mind.   It is also not necessary, unless you in northern climes, to tote twenty-odd pounds of tent, stakes, and subzero rated mummy bag with accessories.  In the environment of the southwest, and high desert west, you’ll just end up pitching all that in the ditch in favor of more water, and more ammo. 

Does it get cold in the desert? Yep.  Sure does.  Sometimes we’ll have a difference from midday to dew point of some sixty-odd degrees.  That is to say, from an average of 105 plus, down to maybe 40.  On a really rough day it can be more than that, even, but it is exceedingly rare to see temps of less than about 40 at night, in this area.  Thus, unless we’re all unlucky enough to have SHTF in the middle of winter, all that heavy gear is not necessary, and in my experience should be staged at one’s retreat, if possible, beforehand.  As an example, for me it rarely gets cold enough to justify much more than long johns, and a standard field jacket, besides my regular clothing, even in January.  You might choose to keep the mummy bag for really cold nights, or you might choose you go with a lesser bag and augment with a blanket or two.  That’s up to you, so long as your circumstances make the weight worth the effort.

One thing that I feel most compelled to address is the mention of boxer shorts.  I agree with my brother Marine. Get rid of ’em.  For all those wannabe couch commandos and mall ninjas running around who think you ain’t a man unless you wearing boxers, I say this;  The first time you’re out humping the boonies with your life depending on it, sweating your butt off, lugging your whole world on your back,  and those things twist all up in and around your tender bits, you gonna get rubbed raw and bloody with a screaming quickness. Find some good briefs, or maybe some of those hybrid half brief/half boxer legged jobs.  Cotton preferably, for the absorbent qualities, and a little bit of stretch, and same goes for the skivvie shirt, too.  Seriously, with as much as almost all of us will be sweating when things go sour, we’ll do better with the absorbent properties than with the macho/ego picture associated with boxer shorts, and we’ll do a whole lot less screaming in the end.  I speak from hard experience, both personal, and from the perspective of pushing troops once upon a time.  Get rid of the boxers, and save yourself a seriously raw groin/upper thigh area.  And don’t even think about going commando either.  I know it sounds corny, but it’s something that should be considered.  Especially if you are blessed with a pair of thighs that rub in the best of conditions, like I am.

Rest places.  In addition to the rehabilitative issues, such as resting turned ankles and such, I would recommend finding a reasonably sheltered rest area every couple days for tactical reasons.  You’ll want to stop and recon the surrounds every so often on a long hump, even if there are no en route injuries.  This allows things to settle some, and you to get a fair look about to see how the ebb and flow of the Golden Horde, Mutant Zombie Bikers, or even just the locals, is working out.  These stops, not more than a day or two, unless there are injuries present, also afford the chance to scout out watering holes, and if one is lucky, grab a decent canteen cup bath, instead of a quick wipe down, and maybe even some warm chow while you’re treating your refills on water.  Such things can go far to keep your morale meter in the green, when all else is going to hell in a hand basket.  So try to incorporate a rest stop every few days at most, if for no other reason than to catch your breath and have a good look around.  This will also give you a good opportunity to perform other sanitary measures, such as improvised laundry (dry method, or use a rock, if there’s little water), or do cleaning/maintenance on weapons and gear, while eyeballing the territory.  Surprisingly, even your own county that you grew up in can, and most likely will, change dramatically when things get nasty, so these little pit stops will give you a chance to re assess while you rest, and hopefully do it before you have to take off again.  One is a serious believer in the art of the low profile, if you can’t tell:)  Stop, look, and listen when and while you can, so you got better info for when you can’t. And when you can’t, move as discreetly as circumstances allow.  Rule of thumb:  Even if it’s “friendly territory”, it isn’t.  So recon every chance you get, while still making the miles roll by.

All in all, the remainder of that post was pretty much on point, and brings back a number of memories. Semper Fi – J.H.

Economics and Investing:

Courtesy of David N.: Lessons of Argentina crisis ignored in handling of Greece

The latest from The Daily Bell: So Many Lost Decades – Why?

Items from The Economatrix:

Be sure to watch this: Economic Armageddon & You

Factories Busier In June After Spring Slump

Enough of this Greek Farce, Everyone Knows Default is Coming

The Great Misdiagnosis

Selling Gold Teeth in Greece to Make Ends Meet

Jim Rogers:  Boost Food Production At Any Cost Or “No Food At Any Price”

Odds ‘n Sods:

Derek C. suggested an encrypted phone service that makes voice over IP (VoIP) calls.  This is a free Android application called Redphone, and when both phones have registered, “secure” calls can supposedly be placed between the phones. Note that if you have Google Voice installed, you need to log out before you can either register or receive Redphone calls;  however, once registered, you can place Redphone calls while still logged into Google Voice.  Derek notes: “I installed this on my wife’s phone and my phone, so we theoretically have an emergency ‘secure channel’ for communications.   If I want to initiate secure communications with her, I can just start dialing on Redphone.  If she wants to initiate secure communications with me, she must first text me with a codeword, which is a signal to me to log out of Google Voice.  She can then initiate a Redphone call to me.”

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Randy K. thought this was a interesting: The Key to Disaster Survival? Friends and Neighbors

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F.G. sent some news about double standards for “special people”, in California: Good Fence, Good Neighbor? Los Angeles Okays Getty House Plan

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Chad S. sent this article about covert surveillance: Police officers find tiny pocket cams are “silent partners”

Notes from JWR:

Katastrophenvorsorge! The new German hardback edition of my international best-seller “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It” is now in print. The title of the German edition is Überleben in der Krise: Das Handbuch für unsichere Zeiten. It is published by Kopp Verlag, of Rottenburg. If you want to be “Sei vorbereitet für Das Ende der Welt, wie wir sie kennen”, then buy a copy.

OBTW, the Bulgarian edition of the book is also already in print. You can expect to also see the Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and Korean editions available in the next few months.

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Today we present an article by SurvivalBlog’s Medical Editor, Dr. Cynthia Koelker:

Three Disabling Diseases You Can Cure Without Medicine. by Dr. Cynthia Koelker

Serious medical conditions that occur infrequently now will become commonplace at TEOTWAWKI.  Recognizing the symptoms will help you treat these diseases effectively.  Better yet, learn how to prevent them and prepare accordingly.
Case #1
It’s been over a year since you’ve escaped the city for your retreat.  Things are going well, though your teenage daughter is tired of hauling water from the creek. One day you walk with her and are alarmed at how winded she becomes.  She’s been acting fine otherwise, still primping and polishing her nails (though no boys are around).  She hasn’t lost any weight and seems to be eating okay, though she’s become a vegetarian after watching you slaughter a pig.  She has no history of asthma or heart disease, and shows no signs of respiratory infection.  What’s the most likely diagnosis? 
(see answers below)

Case #2
Meanwhile, your toddler is starting to worry you.  He was walking fine when you left the city, but now his legs are starting to bow like a cowboy’s.   Your wife plans to continue breast-feeding him another year yet, believing it will benefit his immune system.  Both of them have remained inside for months to avoid possible radiation exposure.  What could be wrong?

Case #3
It seems your mother is growing old before your very eyes.  At the last minute she agreed to join your family, though she hadn’t done any prepping herself.  Before, she always seemed full of pep.  Now she doesn’t have the energy to help with anything.  Even her voice sounds worn-out and a little hoarse.  Another mouth to feed wasn’t what you had planned on, but you can’t set your mother out on the curb, can you?

Answers:

1.) Shortness of breath occurs when either the lungs or the heart must work harder.  In the absence of heart or lung disease, the most likely condition is iron deficiency anemia.  Without enough blood, the heart must pump harder to keep what little blood remains circulating properly.  Usually the heart rate increases, especially with exercise, and often the blood pressure drops.  In a teenager wearing make-up and nail polish, you may not notice pallor (paleness).  Vegetarians who are not careful to include iron-rich foods in their diet are prone to anemia, especially teenagers who prefer a high-starch diet.  I’ve seen girls whose blood count has dropped to only a third of normal as a result of an iron-poor diet, with or without excess menstrual blood loss. 

Normally a teen whose blood count has dropped low enough to cause shortness of breath would be transfused with red blood cells for quick relief.  Untreated, extreme anemia will lead to congestive heart failure and possibly eventual death.

Fortunately dietary ingestion of iron will resolve the condition (or taking OTC iron pills such as ferrous sulfate 325 mg three times daily).  Iron-rich foods include red meat, liver, dark leafy greens, prunes, raisins, egg yolks, iron-enriched cereal, beans, artichokes, lentils, soybeans, and chick peas.  Make sure to stock foods your family will actually eat.

2.)  Most doctors have never seen a case of rickets – except in pictures.  But if Vitamin D fortified milk is no longer available at the local grocer, and if exposure to sunlight is limited, rickets will recur, particularly in breast-fed infants and toddlers. Although rickets may also be caused by calcium or phosphorous insufficiency, lack of Vitamin D is the most common trigger.  Vitamin D may be supplied through diet (butter, eggs, fish liver oils, oily fishes, and fortified milk and juice) or may be produced in the skin upon adequate exposure to sunlight.  Lacking these options, dietary supplements are recommended (400 IU daily for infants and children).   Adults lacking Vitamin D and/or calcium often develop osteoporosis.

To avoid permanent deformities of the legs, wrists, back, and skull, make sure to include sufficient Vitamin D supplements and/or foods in your prepping supplies.

3.) Don’t be surprised if even your own family omits part of their medical history.  People usually want to appear healthier than they are (except for hypochondriacs).  Many middle-aged and older women have hypothyroidism and are taking thyroid replacement therapy.  However, most will not have experienced full-fledged hypothyroidism.  The disease is usually diagnosed via blood work long before advanced symptoms occur, and patients may not associate their symptoms with lack of thyroid therapy, especially when it takes several weeks to months for symptoms to develop.  Many patients stop their medicine for a week or two now and then, and because they feel no different in the short-term, patients do not understand what would happen in the long-term.

Fatigue is the hallmark of hypothyroidism, often accompanied by dry skin, weight gain, hoarseness, puffy eyes, constipation, and slowed thinking.  Everything slows down.  Severe hypothyroidism may lead to permanent coma unless treated.

Fortunately, the symptoms are reversible with thyroid replacement therapy. Anyone suffering from hypothyroidism currently should stockpile sufficient medicine for years to come.  However, animal sources are also effective, usually in the form of desiccated bovine or porcine thyroid.  Proper dosing requires additional understanding of thyroid function, which I have addressed in several articles at ArmageddonMedicine.net. 

Two Letters Re: Blending In–Unremarkable and Invisible Architecture

Sir,
Happy Independence Day to you and your family. Concerning underground tanks for fuel storage, most states require both lining systems and cathodic protection to prevent leakage into the ground and or ground water. I fully agree with the defensive sense, being a veteran of the US Army and most of my time serving in the Infantry, having prepared many a defensive position.   As such for OPSEC, finding a discreet contractor may present a challenge, and of course the local county may get interested, Hopefully not too much. – Grog  

JWR Replies: Cathodic zinc anodes (commonly called “sacrificial zincs”) such as these have been mentioned before in SurvivalBlog. They are important to use if you bury metal containers for caching, too!

Your mention of bureaucratic nosiness prompts me to mention that this is just one more reason to move to one of the American Redoubt States. In most of those states, no building permits or inspections are required for anything except septic tank installations, if you live outside of city limits.

Jim:
That was an interesting article you wrote about the goal of blending in. My amplification of that is to make a goal of not showing up on the aerial and satellite photos that Google and others have on line. I’m in the middle of 10 acres of old growth woods and the satellite view shows the road leading here swallowed up by the over-reaching trees. And delivery vehicles trying to get here usual go right by the drive.  

For ham operators, the method I use to blend in is by use of wire antennas. Through the trees. My long wire antenna is 250 feet long. My doublet is strung as an Inverted V. Details on doing these antennas that perform every bit as good as more expensive beams and towers is The Wireman’s excellent handbook, now in its fifth edition.  

My scanner and VHF/UHF antennas are all on five television masts and push-up mounts on the rear of the house, not visible even from the front of the house. – Vern

JWR Replies: Keep in mind the drawback to having large trees that screen your house from aerial observation in most cases also put your house at risk of forest fires.

Letter Re: Machine Shop Tool Recommendations

James,
In your blog you recently mentioned Transfer Punches. A more important tool to have is the automatic center punch. These are handy around the shop and in a bug out bag. They are great for emergency egress from an automobile accident. [Since these will shatter the tempered glass used in the side widows of cars.] They are handy, compact and versatile.

The ones made by Starrett, though pricey, are the best quality. I used mine at work for over 20 years and once a year would oil the spring and still have it after 40 years. Quality always wins in the end. I paid less than 1/3 of the current price that long ago.

I have tools that are 40 years old and still in great shape. These include Wiss brand Snips, Vaco nut drivers, Klein tools, etc. For instance, I have my Grandfathers’ and Fathers’ Wiss Wiss bulldog snips as well as my first pair and each pair is as good as new and still sharp after years of metal cutting. I did wear out the aviation L/R pair several times though. (Mostly from cutting sheet steel or metal that was too thick.)

The moral is you still get what you pay for. As always talk to the people who use these tools everyday to find out what are the best and most reliable. – J.H.B.

Economics and Investing:

A New Investment Strategy: Preparing for End Times

Huge rare earth deposits found in Pacific: Japan experts. (A tip of the hat to to Mary M. for the link.)

John R. recommended a piece over at The Daily Bell: Where Will You Go When the Sovereign Debt Volcano Blows?

JBG sent this: Rating Agency Issues Greek Rescue Plan Warning

Items from The Economatrix:

Ron Paul:  US Should Declare Bankruptcy

On-line Retailers Strike Back at Internet Tax Levy

S&P to Deeply Cut U.S. Ratings if Debt Payment Missed

Gas is 24 Cents Cheaper Than Labor Day

The “Economic Recovery” Turns 2.  Feel Better Yet?

US Auto Sales Up in June, But Japan Still Hurting

Odds ‘n Sods:

The Lumberman sent this: India’s rural poor give up on power grid, go solar.

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Freeze Dry Guy (one of our advertisers) has announced a special: 15% back in Survival Bucks on all orders for their “Bugout Buckets”. This offer is only good for the month of July, so order soon.

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Army’s Last Draftee to Retire After 39 Years

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And speaking of longevity in service: 76-year-old Army medic on fourth tour in war zones

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Reader Walt M. mentioned that Matt Bracken has a great new novel out, titled Castigo Cay. Walt said: “I couldn’t put it down.”

Notes from JWR:

I have some good news and bad news about the SurvivalBlog 5-Year Archive CD-ROM: The good news is a price reduction: Beginning today (July 4th), we have reduced the price to just $14.96. The bad news is that since Lulu is getting out of the CD-ROM production business, you will not be able to order this CD-ROM after July 31st. (We are evaluating other vendors, and should have it back in production by mid-September.) Buy one to tuck away, just in case the Internet or the power grids ever go away. (I trust that most of you have at least a small photovoltaic power system to run a laptop.) This CD-ROM has of all of the SurvivalBlog posts from 2005 to 2010. The files on this CD-ROM are fully keyword searchable, and are provided in both HTML and PDF. Effectively, it emulates SurvivalBlog offline, on your PC or Mac. (A less capable version of blog archive is also available for Kindle readers.)

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Have a Happy Fourth of July. Cherish your freedom, and do your best to help restore our lost rights. Support Constitutionalist and Libertarian candidates and vote everyone else out. And please take the time to write your Congresscritters often!

Blending In–Unremarkable and Invisible Architecture

Much of my consulting work revolves around either finding retreat properties for my clients, or helping them design or retrofit houses, once they’ve bought a property. I often have to play the “voice of reason” role, especially with houses that will be within line of sight from neighboring properties or from public roads.

It is important to have a house that blends in with the style of architecture of your neighborhood. Yes, a Monolithic Dome offers great ballistic protection, but if it is the only one in your county, then it will attract attention. My advice: If you want ballistic protection but your house will be in plain view, then either build with insulating concrete forms (ICFs), or build a traditional brick house. If you want to add ballistic protection to a “stick built” (aka “bullet transparent”) house, then add a decorative rock or brick facade, depending on the local style. Only someone who looks closely will notice that it is a thick facing.

If your house will be situated behind a screen of trees, then you will have a lot more leeway in design options. There, you might consider an underground house, for example. But even then, try not to build a house that screams “retreat bunker house.” For example, if you install ballistic shutters, then back them with wood or vinyl panels, to make them look either like storm shutters, or like purely decorative shutters when they are in their normally open position. And if you install a large array of photovoltaic panels, then site them with both solar exposure and privacy from public view in mind.

Don’t build a moat. Instead, construct “decorative” masonry planters to stop vehicles, or “stylish” stepped planters. Either of those will stop 99% of vehicles.

If you buy large fuel tanks, then opt for underground installation. Not only will they be low key, but that will also give them protection from wildfires.

If you buy a backup generator, do your best to keep it out of public view and dampen the noise.

If you have any unusual vehicles (such as a Unimog), then keep it garaged when it is not in use, and and keep your garage door shut.

Anyone with a gun vault bolted to their garage floor should not only keep their garage door shut as much as possible, but also take the extra step of camouflaging the vault. A cardboard refrigerator box is better than nothing, but you might get creative and make it look like an actual refrigerator. (You can get dead, oversized “Frankenfridges” free or at very low cost at dumps, if you ask nicely. Craigslist is also a good source.) Or make your vault look like a paint cabinet, by building a hinged unpainted plywood cabinet with double doors around the vault.

If you are a ham radio enthusiast, resist the urge to buy a giant Yagi or Moon Bounce antenna. Also, consider getting antenna masts that can be telescoped when not in use. Also remember that vertical yagis stick out, but horizontal ones blend in. (They just look like television antennas, to the casual observer.) So consider getting one that pivots for operation in both polarizations. Not only will it give you better OPSEC, but it will give you better versatility.

In conclusion, do your best to make your retreat house unremarkable or invisible. You want to look like “just another hobby farm.” Adding a few kitschy trappings out at the county road helps with the subterfuge.

Pat’s Product Review: Benchmade’s Bedlam Model 860

Pat’s Product Review: Benchmade’s Bedlam Model 860 

The Benchmade 860 Bedlam folder could best be described as a “wicked” knife. I like big folders, as most SurvivalBlog readers know. The Bedlam actually looks bigger than it actually is, with its 3.95″ upswept curved blade – it reminds me of the ancient scimitar type blade. Benchmade uses 154CM stainless steel for the blade material, one of my favorites. And, the Axis lock makes for butter-smooth opening and closing, and the blade stays locked solid when opened, too.

Most people, who have watched one too many Hollywood movies, believe that a knife is used to stab in a hand-to-hand combat situation. Well, that’s not really true. Most strikes with a knife are of a slashing type, and the slashes are usually directed towards the hands, arms, neck and upper body – where they will draw a lot of blood. The late Col. Rex Applegate, taught our  OSS troops, in WWII, to use the knife for slashing, and when the opening presented itself, to go in for a kill, with a stabbing motion, if at all possible. However, slashes to the arms and hands caused a lot of blood loss, and muscle and tendons would be cut, rendering your opponent harmless in short order.

The Benchmade Bedlam is ideally suited for slashing techniques with its long, upswept blade. And, there is plenty of handle to hold onto as well. I couldn’t tell you how many folding (and fixed blade) knives I’ve tested over the years that didn’t have enough handle material to hold onto, and I don’t have large hands – only medium sized. You’ve got to have enough handle to grasp or you’ll lose your knife in short order when using it for self-defense purposes. The Bedlam has plenty of handle to hold on to, with it’s overall length of 9.71″ and the 3.95″ blade.

Ambi thumb studs are also on the blade for easy opening if you’re a southpaw, and the pocket/clothing clip is reversible for a blade tip-up carry. I’ve yet to determine which method I prefer on a folder when carried in my pocket – blade tip-up or blade tip-down, then both seem to work equally well for me. Rockwell hardness of the blade comes in at 58-60 and that’s about perfect for edge retention as well as ease of re-sharpening in my humble opinion. You can also have your blade partially serrated, plain, black BK1 coated or left in the white with a soft satin finish – the choice is yours. Plus, for those living in “Free” states, the Bedlam can also be had in an automatic version – known as the 8600.

Benchmade says the blade is a “modified” Bowie – well, I guess they can call it that if they want. But as I mentioned, the blade is more of an upswept version, that is more akin to a scimitar from the Middle East, from an era long gone. Handle material is black, G10 laminate, and it’s one of the strongest handle materials I know of for a knife, or grips on a handgun – the stuff is almost bullet-proof. There is a texturing on the G10 slabs, that aids in keeping the Bedlam from moving around or slipping out of your hand under harsh use conditions. The handle is also curved, to match the curve of the blade, plus there are finger grooves for proper finger placement. Oftentimes, grooves on knife handles don’t match where I want to place my fingers, on the Bedlam, they are perfectly situated to do the most good, and allow for a secure grip when holding the knife in the fencing grip.

There is also a lanyard hole in the butt of the Bedlam, and if you work over water, make good use of the lanyard so you won’t lose your knife – it happens, when you least expect it, the knife slips out of your hand and falls into the water – never to be seen again. And, the lanyard hole is big enough for 550 para cord to slip through it, too.

The 3.95″ blade looks longer than it actually is, this is due to the upswept blade. The cutting edge is actually longer on a blade that is curved than one that is straight. A curved blade also allows for deeper slashing cuts, too. There are friction grooves on the top of the blade, towards the rear for a secure thumb placement, and this area is curved upward, too – nice touch!

The Bedlam weighs in at 7.10-oz and that’s almost half a pound in weight, which should tell you that this one one robust folder, with plenty of material in the blade, handle and handle scales – this hummer isn’t gonna let you down, under severe conditions. Make no mistake, the Bedlam wasn’t designed for everyday chores, although it can handle some of them. We have a large folder that was designed for self-defense work, and I have no problem with that.

I did some slashing tests with my Bedlam sample, and it easily cut deeply into a pot roast – very deeply, I might add. I did some stabbing tests, and while the knife did well, it did better in the slashing tests, which is what Col. Applegate would have approved of for combat use. Let’s face facts, you’re not gonna use your mall ninja techniques to creep up on a sentry in the middle of the night and take him out – that works in the movies, but not in real-life, at least not in the sense that you and I would be able to do it. Sure, SpecOps military personnel can pull this off – if they have to – but they would rather take out an enemy sentry with a silenced firearm. I see the Bedlam as an outstanding folder for carrying on the street, as a back-up to your firearm, and it would be used for slashing your opponent’s arms, hands and wrists in a do or die situation.

As with all Benchmade products, the Bedlam came hair-popping sharp out of the box – no surprise there. And, as mentioned, there is an automatic version of the Bedlam if you prefer an auto-opening folder (and you live in a jurisdiction where they are legal). I like both versions, but find I can manually open a folder as fast as I can open an automatic – it takes a moment or two to find the button release on an automatic, and I can usually flick open a manually opening folder faster in most cases. And, if your life depends on a fast draw with a knife, I think you might have brought a knife to a gun fight and you’re probably going to lose the fight.

The Bedlam sample I tested retails for $235, a bit on the steep side. Then again, we are talking Benchmade quality, and you’ll never be let down with a Benchmade product at any price. I understand the Bedlam is a super-hot seller, and are a bit hard to find in-stock at times at Benchmade or your local cutlery shop, and it’s no wonder, you get a lot of knife for the money. Check out a Bedlam and see if you don’t agree, that’s it’s one heck of a slasher, and would be an ideal folder for self-defense work.