February, 2012 MBO

[mitunnelrat]

Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.
George Edward Woodberry

Read more: Success Quotes - BrainyQuote (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_success.html#ixzz1mYpfTMYy)


And that, my friends, is where I'm at on this trip. Success? Or Failure? I'll leave that for you to decide.

The scenario I had in mind for this trip was more of a "get home" concept than a bug out. As such, I ran with very minimal kit - nothing more than I keep on me or in my car. Details can be found here (http://www.shtfready.com/general-discussions-prep-related/my-next-mock-bo-1163-6.html#post21199).

I forgot to get an accurate weight on the pack itself, but I'd estimate its between 15-20 pounds. It was easily and comfortably carried, perhaps the most comfortable I've been hiking out to the woods.

The bag itself is an EOD Utility Bag (http://countycomm.com/minebag.html), which I absolutely love and own two. It will take a lot of abuse and hold together. I had them hooked onto my micro drag bag and they held up under the weight of a full .30 caliber ammo can (which they're exactly sized for) full of .223 ammo. This kit, as its now assembled, will be living under the back seat of my SUV until needed. Its proven itself in its current configuration, and is now my GHB.

Moving on though, it was hovering around 40* and only one hour from sunset when I finally trekked out to the "back 40" at my mom's. I got a late enough start that I intentionally waited that long to simulate what could be more likely than not. How many events happen at ideal times?

Within that hour I selected a campsite free of widowmakers, on level ground with a clear view all around, and a more than adequate supply of tinder, kindling, and firewood available. A paper birch tree
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn165/mitunnelrat/002-Copy-1.jpg
initially caught my eye due to its own tinder properties, but it didn't have any dead pieces laying around so I didn't take much off it. Only a few strips to see how much effort it took to do so. It turns out the outer layers strip off very easily, so caution is required. I hear taking too much of its bark will kill the tree. I'm getting ahead of myself though

As I was looking at the birch tree I saw a couple smaller trees that appeared to be the distance apart I needed, that would orient the tarp to block the prevailing wind out of the west, and had a log laying nearby, and decided (with the items mentioned above) I had a decent campsite right there. So I strung up my first lean-to tarp shelter
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn165/mitunnelrat/001-Copy-1.jpg
I also scrounged some of the same materials from last winter to utilize in a different fashion this time. I laid out pallets to get me off the ground
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn165/mitunnelrat/017-4.jpg

That, my fire pit, and much of my wood collection was done before dark, but I didn't get to all of the pictures right away due to moving through the process, thus the darker shots. For the fire pit, I simply dug a small hole a couple feet in front of my shelter, and placed a tin foil reflector beyond that.
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn165/mitunnelrat/022-1.jpg
The reflector worked well when I had the fire going good. The became an issue later in the night, and led to my eventual defeat.

At the start it was good to go though. I collected some dead, dry leaves from a tree as the bulk of my tinder
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn165/mitunnelrat/004-10.jpg
and kept them in a plastic bag for safekeeping until I was ready to use them. Before I did I had to collect some firewood, which was a prime time to test out the wire saw LUNCHBOX sent me for testing. It came in a cardboard sleeve and sealed plastic bag, and had its markings indicated it was developed/ packaged for the military. It "appeared" much more durable and capable than the commercial saw I've come to loathe, but appearances can be deceiving. I got it to fail too! Sorry LB, but your little saw is flawed...

[mitunnelrat]

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn165/mitunnelrat/013-4.jpg
the paracord loop handle on it broke! I ran it hard thinking it would break like the last one I used, and I "broke" before it did. I wore myself out with it! This little thing is a cutting machine! As I said, it came in a cardboard sleeve, all folded up on itself, like this
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn165/mitunnelrat/008-6.jpg
and cleanly cut branches and a tree of varying sizes (up to 3")
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn165/mitunnelrat/009-4.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn165/mitunnelrat/012-3.jpg
Much of that came in after the loop was broken and retied. I might be at fault for the loop failure though. I somehow managed to drag the saw across my knuckles at one point, so its feasible I hit the loop then too and started it fraying. All in all, and excellent, light weight little tool that I'd highly recommend asking LUNCHBOX for if you'd like one.

[mitunnelrat]

The next little while was pretty sedate. I spent time on facebook mobile, perusing the site, and texting or talking to people as I sipped on hot cocoa
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn165/mitunnelrat/019-3.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn165/mitunnelrat/020-3.jpg
and ate my dinner
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn165/mitunnelrat/021-3.jpg

That little cube is 400 calories of lemon cookie- like goodness. I liked it, and will therefore be stocking more in my main pack for the event of a long range BO. Its not going to be filling, but it will provide the energy you need to keep going. Also, for the record, if you don't want your fireside cocoa fortified with fiber, I'd suggest boiling the water for it on the side opposite of where you're feeding wood into the fire. I didn't mind, but some of you might...

By 8 pm the temperature had dropped below freezing, but I was warm, dry, and snug under my tarp. Life was good. Even when the rain started at 10 pm I was still pretty good, and remained so until just before 1 am. It was then that I was defeated. The rain was steady and hard enough that my already damp wood supply was quickly saturated, and my fire was far enough away I had to continually leave the protection of my shelter to keep it fed and going. Only my outer layers got wet, nothing soaked through, but I could feel my body heat draining as it was getting harder and harder to keep my fire going. I called it a night at 0050 hours. the fire was out before I had my tarp down and gear packed up. I shoveled dirt and snow in on top of it to ensure nothing would flare up, and I was out.

All of my gear performed admirably, so in that I had some resounding success, but I wasn't going to stay out in freezing temperatures without a heat source, and in that I had a failure. There are some lessons learned there. I'm betting ensuring discussion will illuminate them.

I had two things I didn't get to that I wish I had, which is a field test and review of my EOD breacher bar, and some field pics of izzy's little knife. My izzy knife has been seeing almost constant use since I got it, so I'm very confident in its abilities, but I wanted to show it in action for him. It will take a razor edge, cut cordage, shave wood, the saw edge will cut as it should and also work as an MFS scraper quite handily. I've ripped seams and cut stitching on nylon gear with it, the size is convenient enough to keep on almost anywhere. I'm confident it'll perform any small cutting task you ask of it. Its tough enough to work with wood, yet sharp and flexible enough to filet a fish. I'll prove that last this spring or summer.

izzy - I do have one idea for an improvement on it, if you can work out how to do it. I'm wondering if its possible to fashion a handle out of an MFS bar and its striker? Shaping it would be a slow process since the shavings/ powder could flame up, and then there's the trick of affixing it so it would be easy to remove when needed, yet solidly mounted... Just an errant thought. Its outstanding as is, and its low profile makes it very easy to keep around.

That's my trip folks. It was short, and cut shorter yet. I was able to prove my gear, and expose weaknesses in my skills. I stayed safe, but feel like a wuss. I know I could have managed if I needed to, but I stuck to the safety factor I had decided on and built in prior to the trip. No fire = no sleeping outside this trip. I apologize for not having more pictures/ things to say. I'm missing two of my projected product reviews and the 3 daytime hours I was going to use this morning.

Questions, comments, concerns?

[bacpacker]

Good review MTR. All in all I would call the trip an absolute success. Not much you can do to control the rain. The premise of a GHB test is very worthwhile and it seems you were able to try out the utility of the items you had with you for the most part. Just like the real thing would be, it's highly doubtful you'll use every piece of kit you have with you.

To me just knowing you had the items you feel you will need in your AO and that they function as required is a big step up.

[ak474u]

I'm glad you did this, so many people out there will spend the first 2 days of any SHTF cutting their tools out of the packages and reading instructions in japanese, or trying to make rudimentary tools before they can do anything to survive what may come, so... "you done good" Things like this are why I CAN'T WAIT for my boy to get old enuff to be a cub scout, and go camping with his pack/troop whatever, the other dads will probably think I'm wierd trying to cut down trees with hand made tools... lol I'm going to mock up a hacksaw knife for you and take some pics real fast... I have an idea for you, that Izzy may like, and has the ability to produce pretty quickly.

[mitunnelrat]

That would be awesome, ak! Getting out to use this stuff is one of my favorite parts of collecting it. My gear pile stays pretty small this way because things either work, and get used, or they break and get dumped. :D If you can do it I'd say DON'T WAIT! Get out and have a little fun, even if its only for an hour or two specifically for the piece you want to try out.

That OP tarp I used, for instance, got mixed reviews, mostly on the basis of "weak grommets". I don't know how much tension people were putting them through, but they held up find under taut lines for me. I stayed dry under it, and it did a fine job of blocking the wind. I couldn't ask for more in such a small package. My 6'x8' tarp doesn't pack up near as small.

Saws are a funny bit of gear for me. I love the folding saw I use, but this wire saw from LB performed way better than expected, and I'm going to put it in my 2nd line due to its small size and light weight. It was faster than the folder at cutting down a tree, but the folder was easier to use in cutting lengths at fire side. Until I figure out how to select the right sapling as a handle for using the wire saw one handed anyway. Then I'll think about retiring the folder. Even if not, I'll have saws in every level of gear with it in my 2nd line. My main ruck (still a work in progress) has a full size bow saw.

bp, hopefully I never have to use the signaling components for rescue, or test my water purification tablets! I think I used just about everything else on this trip. One thing I want to do is exchange the one quart plastic bag with a platypus bag (http://www.rei.com/product/768123/platypus-plusbottle-1-liter-water-bottle-with-pushpull-cap), which is actually designed to work as a canteen. Its the only thing I can think of that I want to tweak.

[LUNCHBOX]

T-rat, good job. Risking your health at this time and staying out isn't an option in my book. You tested some items and found what works and ways to improve others. Success in itself. As for that wire saw...that cord handle failure was a given, I was just hoping that was the weakest point.

Your tarp set up was nice. If you would have had high winds it may have worked those corners more. You can also make a couple stakes to place it closer to the ground. In the past I have used the rolled rock method if the metal ring has gave. It works.

Your fire reflector can be angled just as your shelter tarp was. I'm sure you weren't building a huge fire so set it up the same angle and it will also aid in keeping your wood dry.

Again, good job.

[ak474u]

Ok, here is a rough version of what I was thinking of for the hacksaw knife. I took 2 scraps of kydex T, and made a handle that is held on with chicago screws, The blade is double the length of the handle, but could be way longer... I used a worn-out hacksaw blade for the example knife. I did drill an extra hole in the handle to make it possible to move the blade up in the handle which gives you about 1 1/2" more blade length. Obviously you can take one screw out of the handle, and flip the blade around when it is dull to have maximum use out of the blade before wearing it out. This is a very short version, but it could be any length really. Here is a set of photos....


hacksaw knife handle pictures by ak474u - Photobucket (http://s993.photobucket.com/albums/af53/ak474u/hacksaw%20knife%20handle/)

[izzyscout21]

Great review MTR. Sorry you had to cut it short, but therres no use in risking yor health for a one nighter.

Glad my little knife is serving you well. I'll see what I can do about the MFS bar. This seems like a neat little hobby for me that could make me a little extra on the side.

[bacpacker]

I like the set up AK. Versitle and your able to use the whole blade over time. Great use of your resources.

[ak474u]

Yea, this one is a very rough version, I may make one with a little more thought involved later, I was rushing to get this one done, and just wanted a mock-up to see if it was a viable option before spending too much time on it.

[mitunnelrat]

LB, I did end up trying to angle the reflector some before I gave up, but I was afraid I'd lose a lot of its capability by doing so. Good to know I can now, thank you.

ak, that really was a cool little idea you had. I like it.

[apssbc]

Awesome work MTR. I don't believe I would call it a failure. Whats the point of risking yourself if there's no reason to. Everything looked good and it seems like your kit worked pretty well. With what you had you did the best you could. Especially given the time frame your had given yourself which is another good thing you did. Its hard enough to set up a hootch in the day with time, let alone doing it a dusk trying to finish before its too dark.

I only have a few suggestions which is more or less personal preference for me and depends on the person. Having the pallets is a great thing elevates you from the ground. I would have tried to maybe put a poncho or even leaves or the such down for a little vapor barrier/insulation over the pallets. It would have made it a little more warm and comfortable.

The other thing I do is carry a few pieces of tinfoil in each of my lines of kit, to make hats out of ;). I use it to build wind breaks for my little stoves, and cover my canteen cup to keep undesirables out of it, seems to help it boil faster.

Thats it overall an excellent job.

[Sniper-T]

How about either a second tarp, or a larger first one? Give yourself some room to keep your wood dry. Consider a second firepit (a small one, just underneath of your tarp, so all but a driving rain will stay off it. works good for the night too, as you can steal some coals from the big fire, and then just reach over to add to the small one.

I might just have to pick up one of those saws...

great review, thanks for sharing.

and the only fail, would have been if you didn't learn something from the adventure

[mitunnelrat]

Seems like I always forget to mention something... This time its that I did have my poncho laid out across the pallets.

The kit isn't big enough to take a second or even a larger tarp. I'm pretty full as it is. My focus is going to be on field craft now so I can more effectively utilize what I already have. I'll reevaluate from there

[Sniper-T]

It looked like mostly deciduous trees there... any coniferous? a leanto over your wood pile covered with layers of pine branches works pretty good to repel water. Or how about those little 'space blankets'? they're light, a few of them would make a 2-1/2" square, and they can be considered a one time use, to cover your wood if nec. or a waterproof/windproof wrap??

[apssbc]

Sniper good call. I love those blankets. They actually work pretty well. I use one under my sleeping bag over my vapor barrier with the shiny side up to reflect the heat back. I also have a emergency bivvy which is a sleeping bag made of a higher quality tin foil. I put it inside my sleeping bag when very cold and keep it in my sere bag so I have something grab and go. Also the GI emergency blankets are od on one side and higher quality.

[mitunnelrat]

Good calls guys, and it ties right in to the realization I had as I cleaned and repacked my gear. I have a mylar blanket in there already. I could have used it as my ground barrier, probably more effectively than the poncho, and then used the poncho to cover my firewood. The only coniferous trees in that area are those my parents put in their yard. They struggle to keep them all growing and alive, so I'd catch hell if I messed with any.

Learning is occurring.

[The Stig]

MI

Did you find yourself getting cold gradually or was it sorta like "bang.....now I'm cold" ?

[mitunnelrat]

It came on gradually over a period of 2.5 hours. I'd layered well with polypropylene and gore-tex, and my fire kept me comfy for several hours up until then, so I never did get past feeling mildly uncomfortable. The temperature was below 32F, so I didn't hang around to let myself experience worse, especially once I knew I'd lose my fire through the night. It took constant monitoring and activity, out of my shelter and in the rain, to keep it going, let alone effective. It died out completely within 10 minutes of ignoring it as I packed up.

I also did a bit of damage to my throat and lungs on this trip. I didn't feel it until a few hours after my initial review, and I'm just about clear of it already, so I suspect its from smoke inhalation moreso than being a cold, but had I stayed out and awake all night incessantly tending the fire this would have been worse, and it wasn't even something I had even considered. I feel pretty good otherwise. I think the cold and damp on top of this, or further exposure to copious smoke from wet wood, would have really messed me up.

Something else I had considered though, but haven't mentioned yet, was the effects of sleep deprivation the next day if I did stay out. One night isn't a big deal, especially if you stay active, but I had to work that next afternoon in my isolated, and very warm guard booth with nothing to do. That would have been ugly as well.