Updating Things....

Over the last couple years, I've been selling some old gear and updating. Fortunately, I owned quality stuff I could get top dollar for.

Weaponry optics have all been updated. I chose to go with Illuminated Reticles on everything and standardized on the 2032 battery; buying 30 or more quality spare batteries. Being able to illum your reticle or just place a dot and fire is a very worthwhile benefit. The battery life is usually very substantial. With a hashmarked reticle, you have quality on-the-fly corrections for windage & elevation. In low light, you have recognition.

Many other benefits, particularly with a flip-up objective cover. The Binion Aiming Principal for using an illum reticle when the lens cover is down, enables a floating reticle showing no frontal illum signature while allowing point shooting with great accuracy.

The quality level of low-priced optics has come a great way since the early 00s or 90s. Vortex is among the best in value on their lower lines. Spend $400 or more and they get even better.

If using a Picatinny rail system for scope mounting one optic can serve for several rifles. A grid-type boresighter enables scope-swapping. The Bushnell 74-3333 (iirc) enables keeping your zero grid coordinates in your data book. When swapping, just setup the boresighter and dial your scope to your Zero Coordinates.

Not many scope mounts other than Weaver, Picatinny, or the AR flat top are consistent for swapping. With the boresighter discussed, you can verify the rifle's bore concentricity to scope base. One scope, when adjusted to concentric, should be concentric to all other rifles with above cited bases.

Updating to allow for this versatility can be very effective.

Another area been updating is outdoor knives.

Had lots of mid 90s Cold Steel and Gerbers. Mostly sold and replaced with 1095 TOPS, Esee, and Becker. The knives I sold were very good and turns out collectible. The TOPS just have better edge, heavier construction and full tang with slab handles rather than rubber variants. The Kydex sheaths are more to my liking, especially the Esee Junglas.

In Alaska, I have greater use for XL blades and machetes. While we had lg & sm bowsaws and folding 21" pack saws, we bought several Bahco laplander folding saws. The Bahco laplander saw and mora type knife combo kits are especially good value.

Also have updated our sharpening with a basic worksharp and a DMT set using the angle-adjust base from Lansky. Mostly have used these on our Chicago Cutlery kitchen knives to great result.


Another area I've updated with is that of Bullet Casting. Having a bucket or two of cast wheel weights to melt down for bullet casting is a great idea. While I have Lyman and RCBS molds, I have mostly been buying Lee molds. They cast well and are about 1/3 the price of others, plus come with handles. I use a Lodge cast iron dutch oven w/o feet for lead melting and a cajun cooker for heat. Wheelweight alloy is extremely tough and is great for Alaska.

Have also moved over the years from rag wool socks and duofold type long underwear to Merino wool socks and polypropylene underwear. Spent 4hrs in a frozen swamp one afternoon and the polypro long underwear and Merino sox did not fail me; wet but never cold...

Got a freezer for longterm food storage?

Have found that using 4mil vac pack bags really makes a difference. Whole chickens were very freezer burned if over 12mos old. We began removing the factory pk and using the 3.5 or 4mil vac bags on the already frozen chickens and they taste as-new even 2.5yrs old. We had one, probably from 2020 the other night and it was very tender and tasty.

Have also noticed the hamburger staying somewhat red on the outside, totally red on the inside, even after 12mos. Grocery packed hamburger goes dark after about 3wks otherwise.

If you want great longterm freezer storage, use a vac packer with heavy walled bags.


Something else that is New To Me: ATP AT 205 gasket & seal reconditioner. This stuff works. It's a liquid polymer that renews gaskets and seals, O-rings etc. Worth having a couple bottles on your shelf in case you have oil leaks etc. Might even work to renew Air Conditioner seals etc if you have a Schroeder valve can inject it into. So many big expenses caused by leaking seals. At $30 for 8oz, it's worth a try.

Something more on subject of knives....

Many states have lifted their prohibition on automatic knives. Worth having one of these for one hand convenience. Of course there are many flippers and other assisted opening pocket knives. A push button knife is a great thing for a woman that probably wouldn't practice flipping open a standard lockblade pocketknife.

Something more on subject of knives....

Many states have lifted their prohibition on automatic knives. Worth having one of these for one hand convenience. Of course there are many flippers and other assisted opening pocket knives. A push button knife is a great thing for a woman that probably wouldn't practice flipping open a standard lockblade pocketknife.

Something else I bought for my bug-out kit; a set of Auger Bits with 3/8" hex shank. If you have a Leatherman etc with a drive stud for various bits, you probably have a set of drive stud sockets. These 1/4" to 1/2" auger bits can be used with a Leatherman or carry a SAE socket driver and sockets sized for your set. Mine is 1/4" and 3/8" drive shank.

Auger bits cut smooth and perfect holes. If you're gonna bushcraft, these enable faster and stronger joints. Lots of uses for a pegged structures. Maybe you can whittle a nice hole, but augering one takes only moments.

I am not much on Bushcrafting. I have carried an 80lb backpack with external frame up and over the Sangre De Christo Mts above Santa Fe, mostly above 10,000 feet. In my younger days, sure; but point is with an external framed pack and good waist belt, plus using a walking staff, you can carry about all you might need on an extended outing.

How many hours wasted by Bushcrafting? Firemaking with a bow? Carry a few lighters and dry tinder. With a walking staff, you have a great A-frame for turning your backpacker's poncho into a shelter.

If you're in halfway decent shape, you can carry a good load by using an external framed pack. Can find these often at thrift stores. Buy one, even if just for the alum frame. You can update the waist belt and shoulder straps.

Another idea is to use a USGI Vietnam era ALICE frame and rig your internal frame backpack to it. They are heavy, but very durable. With an ALICE Frame, you can carry tons of stuff since it has a strong shelf. Could probably use an ALICE Frame to carry a large duffel bag, or stack a couple waterproof bags on it. If lucky enough to find a frame and Med. pack, add some straps to the Med pack and you have a great day or 2-3 day backpack.


Regarding Canned Food:
It lasts about forever. Recently ate a 6oz can of Swanson's chicken breast which purchased back in 1995. It was excellent. Used the worst looking can we had just to see. Slather on some mayo and wrap in a tortilla and had a great lunch!

Most all canned food will be good long after expiration, unless can is bulged or is leaking etc. Wash the dust off and inspect, then open and smell. If okay, you should be okay to cook or eat. Fungus or mold is a deal-killer, right?

Swords & Machetes....

Not wall-hangers. Real Deal Swords... Not so much of the Euro style, but shorter, tactical inspired like the APOC line of full tang 1091 spring steel jobs like their single edged saber and double edged broadsword. These have about 24" blades and measure about 32"oal. Edge is very good and can be easily sharpened. Like Katanas? They offer one, and a longer, heavier broadsword.

APOC also offers a couple shorter 17-18" Gladius and Yataghan inspired short swords with blades thicker than most machetes, and some large knives and a hatchet. Good quality and value. In the lower 48, you can get free or low-priced UPS delivery. Chicago Knife Works is a good source for price and free shipping.

I inherited some antique swords that were battle-worn, but updating with modern quality spring steel and tempering is the better approach.


In terms of machetes, I still have 3 older jungle style to use on soft-spined undergrowth which gets very thick in our Arctic Jungle of Southcentral AK, but have found the Ontario large knife choppers, the Ontario & KaBar Kukris, and the United Cutlery Honshu Parang to be more suitable in my area as they all have good full tang and 4mm to 6mm bladestock. These "machetes" will feather-stick and baton even large wood.

Outside my house is pretty deep, non-developed acres of large timber with deep undergrowth growing to 6 or 7 feet at height of Summer. Large tools are called for, unless you are whittling some fine work. The Gerber Australian Bowie and Cold Steel Trailmaster & Recon Scout were just too compromised for this environ. Anyway, these & others were replaced with better steels, better micarta handles, and full spines of .25" allowing max utility.

Updating.... Making improvements while you still can.

I added a couple of new MSR waterworks type filter units I got on Ebay for about $60ea. We had 4, now we have 6. Cheaper than buying replacement MSR parts. UPDATING>>>...

Thanks for the info

Also on the subject of knives....

I have a XL-XXL hand. Most handles-grips-slabs on fixed blade knives are not large enough, plus small grips will slip. I discovered that Wilson or Head brand tennis racquet grip tape does wonders. Many of my larger knives will also be wrapped with 550 Paracord before the racquet tape.

I also prefer a choil to allow choking-up on my longer blades. These are easily ground with a dremel tool using the sanding drums that often come in the various tool packs. The large drum makes a choil just about right. The smaller drum works to enlarge the small gap in front of your finger guard to the point where the big drum will smooth out the diameter you want.

Some guys will remove finish to make a 90 degree spine for striking a ferro rod. I don't use my knife to strike any kind of firestick.


Then there's the idea of Updating Your Firearms....

First, to add greatest versatility to your rifle, handgun, or shotgun, there is no better way than by learning to HANDLOAD. Make your own ammunition... Choose your bullet, evaluate load performance by software or reviewing data manuals. With a collet type bullet puller you can salvage powder and bullets-brass from whatever you can find or scrounge. If boxer-primed, you can salvage primers. Not without some dangers, but there are ways to diagnose powders and test them. Salvaged brass might be reformed to other ctg dimensions. Very valuable gear to have. Not to mention, tailoring your loads by the velocity and ballistic coefficient performance of the bullet you've chosen.

We already talked about Lee molds for cast bullets.

Self-Sufficiency is what Survivalism is primarily about. Most preppers I've met buy gear, but don't really ever use it. Best know how to use medical gear, SW Radio gear, and how to camp, shoot, handload before you are in a crunch.
Developing skills don't happen by reading a book or watching a video.

As far as weapons go.... Most versatile are the common military or mil-legacy ctgs. The .223/5.56, .308/7.62, 30-06 and for defense use, primarily the .45acp.

While you could rebarrel or ream a chamber, the costs and wait for quality gunsmith services are very high and long these days. The old days of going cheap are long gone.

Upgrading to quality rifles like Winchester 70 USRAC, FN-H, some Savage models, Sako & Tikka offers you best CNC designs and quality synthetic stocks with scope mount quality and options offering great performance. The Remington 700 was a very high rated rifle, but after about the E or F serial numbered series' the quality fell way-off. The later models after the conglomerate sale were even lesser quality; then they went bankrupt...

Probably Savage, Tikka, and Sako offer best values and build quality in the order cited, with Sako being a world standard Best for production rifles by major firearm maker.

The .223 Tikka with 1:8 twist and especially their varmint barreled models is about the finest production .223 bolt gun you can buy, especially in stainless. Loading 77gr BTHP match bullets enables these rifles to deliver accurate results well beyond 600yds. Handloading these can be pretty economical as well as enabling match quality with right components.

There are lots of great ctgs out there to choose from, but... 5.56/.223 and 7.62 are great choices in semi-auto or bolt gun. If can only have one, a .30-06 Win 70 Stainless Classic is hard to beat, especially for use with bullets over 180gr.

The AR-15 in 16 or 20" barrel with 1:7 twist and 77gr match bullet ammo would be my choice for all-around use in lower 48, or up on the tundra. Where there are large bears, the .308 AR-10 loaded with 180gr premium bullets would be my choice.

I like the .45acp for single round stopping power. An excellent Colt, S&W, Dan Wesson, Kimber, Springfield Armory etc will handle .45+P and .45super, or can be upgraded to .460 Rowland. 230gr or heavier bullet at 900fps or more delivers a lot of stopping power and penetration. 9mm is just inferior unless you buy super-bullet ammo. How much is Federal Hydra-Shok these days? A .45acp generic roundball will do the job with any placement on the chest.

Upgrades... Make them while you can!

Probably one of the best Upgrades/Updates I've made for close quarter weapons use is the Horseshoe & Crosshair reticle for fast action shooting when using Binion Aiming Concept.

Have you googed the BAC? Trijicon has most detail on how it is employed. They did afterall pioneer the tritium aiming point which is always "on". Primarily, the concept involves immediate access of aiming point and trigger press. More deeply and with illuminated reticles which can be detected-seen when the objective is uncovered, the BAC is used with a covered objective to mask the light signature.

Depending on your vision and alignment of rifle etc at time of trigger press, your point of impact may shift. The shift might vary. Since the illumed light signature, usually red, presents a great aiming point for an enemy, using BAC enables greater viability in a fighting situation. While you will present muzzle flash, with known bullet impact shift (due to practice) and using a uniform weapon presentation, you should be able to make the first round count on a surprised enemy.

For the BAC a black objective flip-up like Butler Creek offers best performance. The plastic engagement sound is likely quieter than a metallic cover like the Leupold. Rear covers are mostly a hindrance to fast employment and double your risk of sound betrayal. Very few natural quick "click" sounds in any surroundings...

The horseshoe-crosshair reticle which are found in many Low Power Variable Optics enable an alternate aiming point than reticle center. Probably want a 2nd focal plane scope so the reticle size never changes. A 1st fp reticle can be very tiny at lowest magnification. For fastest reaction with BAC you don't want to have to change any scope setting.

The horseshoe enables fast, known placement. You are not looking for shot placement through a button hole; you want a fast incapacitating hit. With Practice, BAC shooting becomes as fast as a shotgun. Do you aim a shotgun when hunting fast flying birds or point & shoot? Same speed and surety of getting a hit.

Lester,

You need the Lord...

Well... I can direct you to my thread posted in 2005, maybe 04 "This Is It! The Time Is Now!" my witness about being Told (By The Father) to share my witness of The Born-Again Life, per Ezekiel 36:26-27.

Going on 39yrs of Born-Again Life With Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.


In the opening of this personal witness post, I mention that God Showed me the Nuclear Destruction Of America in a dream in late July/early August of 1988. Ever since, my wife and I have followed God's Guidance and HE Has Made Our Way.

Moving out of the city in 1990 and being Enabled to live self-sufficiently in most respects has all been done In Accord with Father's Guidance and Direction.


We live in Alaska at the literal edge of Wilderness. Since Mar 8, 2004 I have witnessed, carried The Word on several internet forums and to other Christians I have known.

Not many willing to Trust God Fully and Give HIM control of their life, following HIS Will; but you never Know... My Blessing is in writing and carrying HIS Witness.

Weaponry can serve the protection of HIS Innocents. Mere possession can be a deterrent. If not a persuader, best Know How To Use Them... God's Enabling is HIS Great Gift.

Funny how so many Christians can't grasp the Freedom and Delivery life becomes once God Is In Control.

For example, my witness has never been too much about the coming nuclear destruction of the "Gone In One Hour" type per Revelation 14:8...

What I've witnessed of is that by the time God's Angel of Rev. 14:7 gives HIS Witness that God Is Real and HIS Son Comes In Judgment; The Way Unto The Father will be closed. We can only Come Unto HIM through Christ Jesus and our Faith.

Once every living being KNOWS God IS Real, the Age Of Faith will have concluded...

So, my witness for 19+yrs has been If you Love God and Trust HIM Fully with all you are and ever will be, it's Time To Tell HIM So. Many many posts on this since 2004.

Surviving the nuclear event without God is going to be a hellacious torment. KNOWING you could have Trusted HIM Fully and Been Brought Into Living Relationship With HIM, but chose not to, will be worse.

Around 2007, I began posting some of the survival knowledge I'd amassed since 1988. Every few years I've updated the threads or posted new ones.

My life With The Father since 1994 has been beyond all I could have hoped for. Delivery from fear and anxiety... As Jesus Says in John 17:15 "Preserved Against ALL evil". Have Known All Biblical Witness To Be True.

I Know that if you read all my postings of witness in order you would see no variance ever in terms of content related. I have always written God's Truth as HE Has Led me through this life.

Trusting God Fully with all you are and ever will be is not something many can do. As Jesus Witnesses in Matt 22:14 "For many were Called, but few are Chosen!"

It's always had to be Your Choice to give your life to God. Not many can or are broken enough to have to. I was just plain Blessed...

Since 1984...

Sorry for the above typo

Even if we have our shit together, that brings another problem. Keeping it.

Are you ready to kill or die to keep it?

My perspective is: If you are Christian, Claim Christ and The Father; then, you have NOTHING Together Without Born-Again Relationship. Knowing God and Trusting HIM Delivers you from fear and anxiety.

John 17:15 "Preserved Against ALL evil"... Jesus Witnesses this of HIS People. Read the entire chapter. If you see your life depicted there, you're already dead to the world but Alive In-HIM.

There's all sorts of ways to Be Delivered and Preserved, Passed-Over by evil. We live in an area with about 2000 persons within a 50mi radius. Not many people. Nobody moves up here for the easy life. Having a good pantry is a way of life. This is an area in which you can forage your food supply if you work hard at it.

If you can't find it in your heart to Trust God Fully, then what can it hurt to try and be best prepared for what is coming? Just never been my Calling to worry about who lives and dies. God's Will IS Always Perfect!

Nice to have the better gear for durability and capability if you have prepared. Like advising folks that have a natl gas cookstove to get a propane orifice conversion kit, a regulator, some 3/8" copper line & fittings, plus some 25gal propane cylinders. Gonna want to cook when the gas pipelines stop functioning.

To avoid much of the danger, need to prepare for lengthy stints indoors and store everything so you don't risk exposure going outside in the early weeks and months.


The mid-70s era Survivalists saw the econ collapse coming and expected nukes to fly. Who could guess the can could be kicked down the road for almost 50yrs?

Trust God with it all and you got no worries!
HE Will Guide You and Enable your preparations.
Trusting HIM, KNOWING HIM, moves you out of the line of fire...