The Perfect Survival Gun!!!--Or A Cheap Arm Small Enough To Move

                                          
                                     
                                                 Three Contenders One Favorite                                                             For days now I have been staring bleary eyed for minutes at a time steeped in research.  Pouring over web pages, I have scoured online wisdom for the perfect survival gun.  I even trudged on tiptoe into the sanctum of the local library, where elderly women stand guard with grim tart like faces, over their treasured books.  I smuggled out a book cataloging the many guns available new and used.  I felt like a five year old delving into a gigantic Websters Dictionary.  In short there are guns galore and more added every day.  So I started with some parameters to thin out my options. 
                                    What Am I Looking For In A Survival Gun?
1. It must be affordable.
2. I would like it to be inconspicuous-not a Mosin-Nagant flag pole.
3. I would like it to be in .22 calibur so ammunition is light and abundant.
   
   I can almost hear snorts of disgust at the mention of the tiny, kid sized, but most popular caliber the .22.  Yes, I understand rimfire cartridges are less potent.I understand that in a deadly firefight with a .22 I will be the first to perish in throes of agony.  However, I am choosing a survival gun for normal outings, not a special ops assault rifle.  With the above three things in mind I was able to rule out both .22 rifles and normal pistols.  The .22 rifle by law must be at its shortest around 26 inches long.  this length is just a little to long for me.  The .22 pistols I felt gave up to much practicality because of their short range.  For the normal person the pistol will only be accurate out to an extremely short distance.  So I was now left with guns like the Ruger 10/22 breakaway, and the Henry Survival rifle type of guns.  The Ruger 10/22 while nice, still packs into a large case.  The Henry seems a bit frail. So I wanted something a little different.  When I found the .22 carbine pistol type of guns I was overjoyed. 
   Pictured above is the Ruger Charger.  Sadly it is discontinued.  The Charger is a scaled down 10/22 rifle with a 10 inch barrel and bipod transfigured into a pistol.  While I hate the swirly odd grained factory stock, a nice tactical type pistol stock is available.  Semiautomatic, with a fantastic heritage little is left not to like except its high price even used.

    Now we come to the Berretta ARX 160 .22 pistol.  At $302.00 on Bud's Gun Shop online, this handy pistol with a 9 inch barrel looks ready for war.  Yet maybe that's the problem.  I'm not going to war.  I just need a long pistol brush gun.  Many people see this pistol as ugly.  I'm not worried about its comeliness so much as I am its girth.  Somehow it reminds me of a steak and potato chip feed commando at four hundred  pounds trying to squash himself into my little four cylinder car.  So we'll leave this as a latter option.

 Enter the Kel-Tec PLR .22.  At $291.00 this is the kind of gun I've been looking for.  It has the no nonsense air of a combat rifle.  It's almost as if its mother and father were the Ar-15 and the AK-47.  Understandably this is still a baby gun but it's older brother the PLR 16 shares some similar parts.  For those of you who must have tactical lights and bayonets hanging all over your gun there is a kit that will add the option for about a $100.  I guess you've realized this is my favorite gun.  At 18.5 inches overall, it's pretty compact.  It sports a 10.1 inch barrel.  It can hold 26 rounds. 
    The survival gun like any tool, should be comfortable enough to actually carry.  That's why for me I chose a .22 that's short enough to just tag along!

Making Useless Useful-The Cheap Canteen!

                                                  
 
                                                        A New Use for Uselessness 

     One of the reasons this blog contains the word Minimalist is to highlight the idea of taking less on a hike.  Another good reason to identify as a wilderness minimalist is to spend less for a hike.   Take the quandary of water for instance.  A couple of times I took out my hydration pack, (I still have one), and for several hours grimaced as all that water sloshed around on my back.  For some reason I enjoyed far more the primeval like habit, of attaching two quart army canteens to a waist belt. Chugging down water from them when the need arose was refreshingly simple. To modernize I recently experimented with using the leg pockets on cargo pants to carry a water bottle, but alas the bottle was to large and it felt like the whole hike I had a wet cast glued to my leg. 
   Yet, not disheartened I have been searching for a solution.  I thought first a metal flask would be fine, but alas it carries only some 12 oz of water.  Compare this to my quart canteen 32oz, or my water bottle 24oz.  I even drained out a vanilla extract plastic bottle, but alas it was small, smelled strongly of vanilla, and leaked!  I stalked the grocery store aisles looking at mayonnaise bottles, ketchup, and barbeque bottles.  I finally ended up at Dollar Tree.  I had settled on two Chinese Tupperware reproduction, small 10.5 oz bottles, when I saw it.  There it sat in all of its sugary aloofness.  It was a 1 dollar, squeezable, grape jelly container.  Holding almost 20oz this plastic jug fits nicely into my lower cargo pocket.  Yes the head may protrude.  On the trail I might get a question why I'm drinking grape jelly.  But the satisfaction of finding a solution to my difficult quandary is so much more rewarding.
   Now, I need not spend 5 dollars for a military surplus pilots plastic flask. I don't have to pack a hydration pack or even canteens for a small hike.  Just hand me a couple grape jelly bottles. Empty them out and fill them with water. Then lets head for the mountains.  Yes, trash can easily become a treasure!
  

Death's Frozen Fingers.-A Past Winter Story

                                              

                                                           Tools For Winter

     It seemed like one of those crisp winter days when life stirs, and you joy in even the lightest ruffle of a decrepit leaf.   One of winter's joys is back country driving. Through our hills snake a network of dirt roads, government funded roads.  Men with aching backs in the 30's and 40's, blazed roads through our native jungles in an effort to provide food for their hungry families at home.  This was welfare in yesteryear.
   I thrust my 96 Ford Taurus straight at the y, taking the dirt road instead of the paved mountain pass.  The trees stood like Serbian sentries, weighted down in winters white wool.  A couple birds blinked under the sun's hazy frown.  The road was narrow but it seemed fairly clear.  For months the sun had been lapping up most of the snow from the road.  The car rumbled slowly along at about twenty miles an hour.  Five miles later the scene changed. 
   Suddenly as I turned at a sharp turn my breath seemed frozen.  In front of me yards away stood the graveyard of winter.  A van had careened off to the side, ending up sprawled in a ditch.  Cars and trucks stood silent, stuck in various odd positions.  A Ford 250 had slid straight over the hill almost on the verge of tumbling over.  But for the moment it sat on its haunches a machine hung in the balance of nature's grip.
   I felt sweat breaking out.  Shaking hands clung to the steering wheel.  Slowly the car crawled by these lonely abandoned machines.  Then it happened, the tires lost traction.  The car swung like a pendulum and bumped straight into the craggy hillside. 
   I tried in vain to back up, but the bumper was stuck in such a way that the wheels were spinning on nothing over a ditch.  I finally bundled up ready for a five mile hike out of the woods.  In a couple minutes, I meet men coming back to rescue their vehicles.  Like angels in mechanics greasy clothes, they agreed to help me first.  In a couple minutes they had a plan.  We jacked up the front of the car and put stones under the front wheels.  I clambered inside and with a trembling apprehension I inched the car back onto the road.  Thanking the men profusely, I managed to creep at about five miles an hour down that mountain road with hidden black ice.
   I learned that day that in the winter the sun clears some back roads, but others shaded by trees can still become traps for disaster.  I also learned something many people talk about in reference to survival.  You can only use what you have.  I also learned it's even more important to learn how to actually use what you have.

Edible Plants-Another Weed Treasure!

                            
                                                    Chicory Another Valuable Weed.
   Carl Linnaeus the famous botanist is said to have used Chicory as a natural clock.  On sunny days the bright blue flowers of the Chicory plant open at five in the morning and close at noon.  During the Civil War and even the World Wars, when Americans were scrambling to feed armies that gobbled up supplies; chicory became a primary weed used as a coffee substitute.  Apparently in Louisianan and the surrounding areas, their coffee of choice was the ground up Chicory root.  Be careful if you try to make Chicory coffee yourself.  Although it is caffeine-free it has an even stronger flavor than the coffee bean!  make sure to add a bit more water than usual.
   While all parts of the chicory are edible it's leaves are commonly used with Dandelion to make wild salad. Boiled the Chicory provides another green vegetable for the wondering traveler.  Bacon, vinegar, and eggs, are part of the ingredients needed to make your own Wilted Greens Salad.
     The more I learn about nature, I become acutely aware of the hand of God.  Far from chance, our Creator made an amazing world where even weeds can be used in times of need.

Elias, Thomas S., and Peter A. Dykeman. Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. New  

    York: Outdoor Life, 1982. Print. 

Medve, Richard J., and Mary Lee. Medve. Edible Wild Plants of Pennsylvania and Neighboring States. 

    University Park: Pennsylvania State UP, 1990. Print. 

Survival. Washington, DC: Headquarters, Dept. of the Army, 1987. Print.

    

Edible Plants- Pancakes from my lawn?

                                                                                             
     You are chocking, fumbling, to gasp in a gulp of fresh air.  Through a grimy haze you stumble away from the gyrating wicked orange flames. A dull pounding pain seems to be hammering in your head.  As you reach up you shakily look at your hand in horror.  The sight of crimson blood curls your stomach. No, you are not dreaming this is reality.
   While most of us shrug off the idea that we may ever be destined to crawl back in time due to some tragic circumstances; current events make this scenario all to realistic.  Jets fall out of the sky never to be found again.  Countries are suddenly invaded while civilians scatter in terror.  Now deadly diseases stalk our globe like a morbid Ichabod Crane.  So it seems prudent to learn the basic skills of survival our pioneer forefathers knew years ago.
   Among the most common edible plants in the U.S. is the Broad leaf lawn plantain. I found many of these in my lawn still stubbornly rooted among the grass, even in these chilly days of October.  This common weed used to be called "Englishman's foot," since they originated in Europe.  The plantain's young leaves can be used as a lettuce in a salad.  Cook the leaves for five minutes in boiling water for a sort of wild spinach vegetable.  Leaves boiled for a half hour can form a natural tea for the thirsty traveler.  But the most interesting use is the budded stalk.  Take these seeds and make sure they are dried.  Then they can be ground into a flour.  Two cups of plantain flour mixed with three tsp. baking powder, one-half tsp. salt, three tsp. sugar, two eggs, three tsp. cooking oil, and one cup milk produces your own weed pancakes!
   As a medicine, plantain has been used to cure poison ivy. Soldiers would use the plant as an antiseptic, an astringent to stop bleeding, and also as a poultice.  Plantain tea is also used to stop diarrhea.
   For more information on the many uses of your common weed out front, look up the recipes for Cream of Plantain Soup or Plantain-Broccoli Salad!                                                            

     

Elias, Thomas S., and Peter A. Dykeman. Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. New  

    York: Outdoor Life, 1982. Print. 

Medve, Richard J., and Mary Lee. Medve. Edible Wild Plants of Pennsylvania and Neighboring States. 

    University Park: Pennsylvania State UP, 1990. Print. 

Survival. Washington, DC: Headquarters, Dept. of the Army, 1987. Print.

Snow Dog

                                                       

                                                                                                               

   The air snapped with the frozen breath of winter.  Trees were stooped together like an elderly reunion.  A layer of caked snow filled with remnants of green grass showed where my brother and I had been sledding. We launched off the hill meandered across the lawn and then slid into the open field below.  The air was still except for the soft patter of snowflake feet.  Occasionally a car would crawl by, its engine a low snarl while its wheels swished snow like a mixer. Our shouts mirrored the excitement of country winter.  Then a new sound filled the air.  It was the chugging thumping sound of a country icon.  Soon it came into view, the medium sized tractor, its chains thumping as it bit through winters lace.  Beside the neighbor's tractor romped the faithful German Shepherd Pasha.  She would sniff through the snow her breath exhaling trails of steam.  Then she caught sight of us.  We were back up at the top of the hill again and sliding down.  she came bounding, her legs seeming to cannonade her forward.  We were midway down the hill when she reached us and lept over and above us in a graceful arc.  Her tongue hanging out contentedly, she romped with us some more.  Apparently pleased with her success as a gymnast she repeated her stunt again.  

    As Winter draws closer wrapping us in her cool arms, I think back with fondness to winter memories.  My neighbor is gone now, as is probably his faithful dog.  I wish once again I could walk up the steps to the two story house and walk over to the right edge of the porch where the dog house stood.  Pasha would stand regal her tail slightly wagging.  Once more I would sink my fingers into her course hair and caress her ears.  I wish I could hear the tractor again and watch as master and devoted dog would slowly make their way down to the pond below the field, under the sun's friendly smile.  But at least we have our memories.  Maybe this winter, new memories will bring another smile to our lips.  Simple things in life usually bring the greatest joy!

Are You Ready To Eat Your Lawn? - Edible Plants II-The Dandelion

                       Take two faltering steps beyond the gated castle you call home, and you will probably see one or more of our edible friends pictured above.  Who can mistake the vibrant yellow weed each of us disparages of ridding from our lawns?  It has been railed at, ostracized, and become a general subject of hate speech.  Yet the lowly dandelion provides an entire edible plant, a rare quality.  Dandelion roots roasted and ground are purported to be a substitute for coffee.   Squeeze the stem of the flower and the white gooish, (my new word),substance can be used as glue. The dandelion was originally imported to be used as a medicinal plant.  Apothecaries sold these renegade weeds.  In Maine W.S. Wells and Son used to at one time commercially raise the dandelion.  It inherited part of its name due to its leaves reminding some poetic soul of the fangs of a lion.  Calcium, potassium, vitamin A, thiamine, and riboflavin all reside in the dandelion in large amounts.  But be careful! Dandelion has some medicinal characteristics that make it unsuitable for consumption at night or for use on a  long trip.  Some people suggest eating dandelion blossoms dipped in fritter batter, fried, and then topped off with syrup or garlic salt.  However you ingest these healthy weeds, you're doing both your body and the lawn a favor!      

     

Elias, Thomas S., and Peter A. Dykeman. Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. New York: Outdoor Life, 1982. Print.

Medve, Richard J., and Mary Lee. Medve. Edible Wild Plants of Pennsylvania and Neighboring States. University Park: Pennsylvania State UP, 1990. Print.

Survival. Washington, DC: Headquarters, Dept. of the Army, 1987. Print.

                                                                                                                                                                                           

Edible Forest Fruit-Part 1

           

    A fairly common site through the northeast of the U.S. is this small tree with its bulky cluster of red fruit, labeled either the Smooth Sumac or the Staghorn Sumac.   While each tree is slightly different, they each bear clusters of red edible fruit.  Their poisonous twin the Poison Sumac holds white clusters of fruit.  Even though the red fruit of the first two trees are labeled edible, guides still warn of possible allergic reactions. 

   The red fruit of the Sumac was once exported to Europe by the colonist.  Natural glue can use the whitish sap of the Sumac.  Branches can be hollowed out and become spiles for tapping Maple trees.  in the wilderness a natural straw could also be made from a branch.

   The Sumac fruit can be jellied or become a cold drink.  A tea is made from the hot juice.  To make a Sumac drink, put fruit in boiling water at a ratio of around a cup of fruit to a quart of water.  After fifteen minutes strain fruit add them to the water in your cup and add sugar to your taste. 

   To make a jelly use two cups Sumac extract and two cups Elderberry juice.  Mix both with a package of powdered pectin and five cups of sugar.  After one minute after the mixture has reached a hard boil; remove, skim, and seal in jars.  

Elias, Thomas S., and Peter A. Dykeman. Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. New York: Outdoor Life, 1982. Print.

        

Journal Entry-October 7th, 2014

   I'm running out of time.  Each cool day of October heightens my apprehension. I have set myself the goal to be outfitted for an overnight solo camping trip by November but there is so much left to do.  I am teased by the chance to step back in time.  To learn the primitive skills most of my ancestors once practiced.  Now years later the question nags at me, am I up for it?  Next month is only phase one. It will be a  part of my ambitious goal.  Perhaps it is more than I can handle.  It's late at night as I write this.  A single overhead light pierces the inky darkness in my house as I gather my thoughts.  It is time for inventory.  At least I have the basics.

Uniform
Tru Spec two pocket shirt
Tru Spec Four pocket jacket
Black cargo pants or my newly acquired 1951 field trousers
Repaired Bates Boots (can be substituted for army jungle or desert boots).
poncho
army camo utility hat

Tools
Kobalt Multitool
utility knife
fixed pilot knife
compass
matches and flint
Streamlight flashlight
first aid kit
candle
mace
hydration pack
canteen
sleeping bag

   The problem is I still am in the design phase of my tent project.  My sleeping bag needs a compression sack.  I still have no sleeping bag mat of any kind.  The greatest problem looms large.  I still need a large, well actually huge, backpack! I think I have everything under control.  Plans are ready to be set in motion to fix most of my problems but do I have time?  The clock keeps ticking.  November is almost here!

Old fashioned Wisdom

    Some things are refreshingly old fashioned.  Things like an old knife or a canteen.  FM 21-76 is certainly old.  The information whether reprinted or an actual old manual from the 70's or the 90's is timeless like a dictionary.  Some things change in wilderness living but not much.  This book is somewhere around three hundred pages long employing black and white sketches and text to teach most of the basic wilderness skills.  Poisonous snakes and plants are in color photos in the back.  There is also a worldwide selection of edible plants in color photos.  Survival planning, first aid, and primitive weapons kick off the first chapters.  The search for water leads into chapters discussing edible plants and wild animals; even explaining how to eat them.  Building shelters, fire making and crossing water comes next.  This is just a sample of the wealth of common wilderness knowledge we all need to refresh on now and then.  One of the uncommon tidbits is this; did you know that the liver of the bearded seal is unsafe to eat because it contains to much vitamin A?  Well now you do!  Get this book and explore the old world skills of survival!

The Brits look at Survival.

                                                          

It has to be one of my favorite books ever. Survival is written by the same people as the makers of the Combat and Survival Magazines.  It may have been written in the 80's but it's jammed full of timeless tidbits.  A hundred and eighty-eight pages long it contains a whole section on survival knives and another on boots.  The whole book is packed full of pictures and even some informative list.  One of my favorite sections is where a British soldier's whole load is dissected from the toothbrush to the rifle.  Note this book is about fifty percent composed of military survival content.  I use this as a refreshing alternative to the identical twin survival manuals I always pick up.Following are some section headings. 

Scoff That Ratpack!

The Search For Water.

Purifying Water

Flint Tools

Alternative to Stone

Hunting with Spears

Shelter for Survival.

  This is just a few section headings to wet your appetite! This is not your typical survival manual!  It definitely has a unique old world feel.  From the tea bags in the food packets to the 58 Pattern Webbing Gear displayed, it offers not a new but a different look at survival.

The Uniform

   It was a delicate process, a manly version of quilting.  It was as if time had reverted to the age of the spinning wheel.  First came the BDU jacket.  Then the volleyball net glued onto the back and arms.  Next came the process of dying strips of cut burlap and over days tying them onto the net.  In a month or so the project was birthed as my first ever semi Ghillie suit, made by my own hands.  In a year or so I sold it because really, who needs a tool snipers use?
   When traversing the woods I find that tactical apparel whether camo or black is handy because it is accessorized.  By accessorized, I mean the generous amounts of pockets stashed all over the jackets, pants and even shirts.  Modern touches add Velcro for even more possibilities.  Watch out for Chinese reproductions though of every item even BDU's.  Look for the military fine material lines that certify the cloths are really mil spec, rip stop material.   Some reputable company's like 511, Propper, and Tru Spec make nice new reproduction uniforms.  I personally prefer Tru Spec for my black tactical clothes, and used military surplus for the camouflage outfits. I have grown to love Tru Spec's line.  I find myself making excuses to wear the uniform shirt even when I don't need to.  They make their sizes truly large and truly long.  while many times military surplus items seem made for shorter people.  It's harder to find a tall or a big size in a  surplus coat or jacket.
   One of our national treasure should be the Military Surplus stores our country is privileged to possess.  I enter the sanctum of wars past and become lost in a sea of olive green, black and woodland colors.  I brush against parkas bristling with white faux fur.  I sense a scratchy sensation as I pass wool shirts,balaclavas, and gloves.  Like a platoon you usually discover the still troop of boots waiting for the order to make a new step forward.  Then there's the canteens, duct tape and of course the para cord.  Amongst this mass of pleasurable usefulness lies a wealth of cloths that were in a sense designed for the wilderness.  Abundantly available at flea markets, thrift stores, yard sales, and online; these BDU's (Battle Dress Uniform) are cheap and durable.
   From the M-65 Field jacket with the inner liner which gives the hiker winter protection to the summer jacket, the hiker can cheaply be covered for the rough terrain.  Mix in some new clothes made to similar tough standards and you have a real win. 

Boots-Wilderness Tires

    It's hard to find a comfortable pair of boots, the tires of the wilderness.  I always am drawn to the jungle boots.  The military black hard leather boot with the laces that zigzag up the front so many times you become cross eyed.  You yank the last lace tight, tie them off and those jungle boots are not coming off!  But two hours later a blister is forming on the back of your heel and soon every time you walk pain shoots up from your ankles.  Then you try sneakers but the hard rocks slice into them and you worry you might need foot insurance.  You find the perfect boot that zips up the side and has lots of cushion only to realize now your feet feel like lead weights. When you cross a stream the water rushes to soak your aching feet.
   Eventually if you stand at work all day you will find almost any shoe or boot becomes bearable.  Recently I hiked several miles with dress/work shoes on; leather shoes with heavy soles and I did fine.  But I do have a favorite boot.  It probably is the cheapest shoe I ever bought weighing in at a cost of only twenty-five cents at a yard sale.  It's called the Mickey Mouse boot and its ugly!  The boot looks like an obese rubber balloon designed for midget clown feet, and then the boots must get scurried off and painted black.  They have this port on the back that looks like it's for an air mattress.  Could the boots double as a pillow or some other magical object?  No, rather these boots are military issue boots once worn by pilots.  As pilots travel in high altitudes the boots could change pressure protecting the feet.  In real world terrain I found my foot nestled almost perfectly in these clumsy looking objects.  I felt I could walk for days with nothing worse than warm feet!  The rubber is hard enough that one can clamber over sharp outcroppings without serious fear of the boot getting compromised.
   Some time ago I invested over a hundred dollars of credit card points into some Bates boots.  I was thrilled.  I would finally get a high quality brand new product.  For what seemed like only half a year I wore them to work and watched in horror as they denigrated before my eyes.  I loved the side zipper for ease of egress but the quick wear time was disappointing.  Just recently I pulled them back out and with super glue melted the ripped seam on the side of the boot back together.  I will still attempt to get a bit more wear out of them, but I expected more for the high price paid.
   Perhaps again the morale of the story is test the boots and shoes on short hikes and find your perfect fit.  Remember the adage that a tightly tied boot won't cause blisters.  I'm not sure if that's true but it's worth a try.  If you happen to see a boot balloon for cheap at a yard sale near you snatch it quick.  Maybe clowns wear those boots for a reason other than well..to clown around!