VIDEO: Tips And Techniques To Conserve Your Energy When Hiking

 Tips and techniques to avoid getting tired out too early on a long hike.  

VIDEO: "How to Hike All Day Without Getting Tired"
On The Scout (16 min.)

Supplements For The Backcountry

 Diana Helmuth, writing at Outdoor Life, discusses "How to Eat in the Backcountry — Without Blowing Up Your Stomach." She offers some tips (and warnings) on supplements she has used while backpacking: vitamin B12; caffeine and tea crystals; creatine; Glutamine and Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) which apparently can work wonders for muscle recovery when on backpacking trips; and protein powder. She also has some suggestions for high protein and high fat foods to use while hiking: oatmeal with trailmix; mashed potato soup; whole cheese; and freeze dried coconut milk (for those who don't tolerate dairy milk). And she offers this point about proteins and fats:

I thought protein was only something men had to care about. While I do think our society has a tendency to act like protein is the second coming, turns out, lining your stomach with protein actually does smooth your blood sugar and help you feel full longer. The outdoors is a place to indulge in as many carbs as you want, sure, but in my experience what you really want in the backcountry is the exact opposite of what everyone tells you to eat at home: fat, and tons of it. It sticks to you longer, has the most calories per gram of weight, and doesn’t make you crash. ... 

Weekend Reading #57

 Some longer and more involved reading for the weekend:

• First up this week is the latest newsletter from Defensive Pistolcraft by Jon Low.  A few things that stuck out:
• Jon links to a video called "Principles for the Armed Lifestyle" from the Citizen-Defender YouTube channel and, in particular, a section of the video about have rules where you have predetermined reactions to certain actions or circumstances. But that YouTuber broke one of his own rules in a class when a retention screw dropped out of his holster. That rule was to never carry a weapon in a compromised holster; but rather than fix the issue, he just let it slide. On the way home from class he made a stop. After leaving the vehicle, his pistol fell out of his holster and went skittering across the ground. 

 Jon comments:

[Making pre-decisions] is critically important.  If you've already made the decision that when X happens we immediately execute Y, you can move much faster than the enemy.  It's always the decision that takes time, not the action.  You've practiced the action a thousand times, so your execution is fast.  You haven't practiced  the decision, because ever situation is different and often surprising.  So, it's a hard thing to "practice".

I guess the other lesson is to not procrastinate.

• Speaking of pre-decisions, Jon includes this advice:

 Train yourself to immediately gouge the eyes of the attacker, if someone attacks you with our without a weapon.  No thought, no decision, just immediate action.  It doesn't matter that you succeed or not, this will give you time to get to your gun.  

On that topic, when you go into to claw the eyes with the fingers, come up from below rather than a straight shot, because your hand/fingers will be out of view until the last instant making it harder for the target of your attack to blink or otherwise protect their eyes. 

• Jon quotes this from an article by Karen Hunter: "Too many women believe self-defense is only for people who are athletic, aggressive, young, or physically powerful.  That mindset alone stops countless women from ever building skills that could save their lives.  In reality, you do not have to be athletic or in peak physical condition to be dangerous."  It reminds me of a sales slogan for Colt revolvers in the 1800s: "God created men, Col. Colt made them equal."
• For those of you using a weapon light on your handgun, Jon quotes the following from a trainer: "I was doing exercises with my weapon mounted light (WML) in the dark.  I was using my support side thumb to actuate the light switch on my WML.  The light would not turn on.  The lever seemed to be jammed.  It would not move.  The problem was that I was pressing on the housing of my WML, not on the switch.  Something to practice.  Need to get this straightened out immediately.  And did so." Jon adds the following comment: "Never use your trigger finger to actuate the WML.  Lots of documented cases of officers attempting this and firing their pistol.  Task Overload Confusion.  If you don't understand or don't believe, take Chuck Haggard's class.  Don't be that guy." I only have one weapon light for a pistol, which an Olight that has bilateral buttons on it that are pushed in from the side. I can use the trigger finger to activate the light if I wanted, but since I'm probably going to be shooting it two-handed with a thumbs forward grip, the thumb of the off-hand gives me more leverage  so that it the one I use.  So, at least with my light, the safer option is also the easier option.
• Jon includes a good explanation of your vision in low light settings, including how various factors can result in your seeing something (e.g. a dark blog you mistake for an intruder) when there is, in fact, nothing there.  
• A lot more, so read the whole thing. 
•  Greg Ellifritz has published another Active Response Training "Weekend Knowledge Dump". A few links that caught my attention in particular:
• An article on "Hiking with Trekking Poles" from Swift Silent Deadly. Greg attests to his appreciation for trekking poles. I had tried them years ago and returned to using them a couple years ago. The article goes over the advantages and disadvantages to using trekking poles and some of the features that the author suggest (e.g., he likes the clamping adjustments rather than the twist to tighten style; and he prefers the cork handles). The primary disadvantage he lists is that you have both hands full, but that ignores that you can use just a single trekking pole like a walking staff. It leaves one hand free and works great for narrow trails. However, you will want to use both for heavier loads. You might find this article to be useful: "How to Use Trekking Poles and Hiking Staffs" from REI. It not only goes over why you might want trekking poles, but how to select them, different ways they help when hiking (or even just walking), and tips on how to use them. 
• An article on using handheld light with a long gun. The author illustrates his concepts with an AR style rifle. I'm not sure how they would work with other types of actions. You will notice that the author just uses variants of some of the handgun light techniques. I have to say, though, that it looks far more awkward than using a separate light with a handgun. 
• A link to a good article from the Organic Prepper blog on the topic of a hospital go-bag. Probably something you will use more in your life than a "get home bag" or "bug out bag" (unless those bags pull double duty as a "quick overnight camping bag" as well).
• An article for putting together a DOPE card for a shotgun (i.e. for how it patterns at different distances or with different types of ammo). The author also links to a downloadable DOPE card (.docx format).
• An article from ITS Tactical on adjusting your vehicle's mirrors so you don't have blind spots. In many ways, this is probably the most important of the articles in the list since you probably drive every single day and are more likely to be involved in an auto accident than be the victim of a crime.
• A historical piece providing brief bios of 20th Century lawmen gunfighters: Ralph Friedman, Delf "Jelly" Bryce, Bob Stasch, Frank Pape, and Jim Cirillo. 
• And a video entitled "The 4 Tests Predators Run on Targets." As the author notes, predators generally do not start with violence but use methods to test you and close distance: (i) the "help me" script; (ii) the "moral pressure" script; (iii) confusion or distraction; and (iv) being overly friendly or all smiles to bypass your suspicions. Basically, as the author notes, nice does not equal safe. 
• Finally, an article from Guns Magazine on carrying for the mobility impaired (the author uses an electric wheel chair). The author has specific recommendations for a gun belt ("the thick 1.25″- or 1.5″-wide belts offered by CrossBreed and other leather companies") and holster (Bianchi Model 101, Foldaway Belt Slide Gun Holster). Interestingly, Amazon is selling the holster as a two pack in sizes 10 and 16 which will probably cover almost any size of semi-auto handgun you might own. 

•  The Realist, who contributes articles to this blog, directed my attention to this article: "Government Food Confiscation Laws: How Private Food Stores Were Seized in History and What Legal Mechanisms Still Exist"--Preppers Will. The author begins:

    Most people assume that the food stockpiled in their pantry, freezer, or basement belongs to them unconditionally. Under normal circumstances, they are absolutely right. But history tells a far more complicated story, and the legal frameworks governing food supply, distribution, and access during emergencies reveal a side of government power that most people rarely think about until a crisis forces them to.

    Government food confiscation laws, whether formally codified or embedded within broader emergency statutes, have existed in various forms across nearly every major civilization. And in the modern United States, the legal infrastructure for federally directed food resource management remains very much intact, even if rarely invoked.

    Understanding the history of how governments have seized, rationed, and redistributed private food stores is not just an academic exercise. Whether you are a prepper planning for long-term food independence, a policy researcher, or simply a curious citizen, knowing how these laws work and where they come from gives you a clearer picture of the relationship between individual property rights and state power during crisis scenarios.

    From Stalin’s grain brigades to the U.S. Office of Price Administration during World War II, and from the Defense Production Act of 1950 to the FDA’s modern mandatory recall authority, the legal machinery behind food control has always been more extensive than most people realize.

While we generally think of OPSEC regarding food stores as necessary to prevent a mob of hungry people from showing up at our doors, the more likely scenario might well be police or other law enforcement showing up to confiscate your food items. You might also want to check out my post, "An Example of Why OPSEC is Important" for an example of the application of anti-hoarding laws in place during WWI which resulted in the prosecution of a couple living in Washington D.C. for hoarding. As I noted, "The 'offenders' were caught because they were informed on by a friend of the local 'Food Administrator.'" 

•  Probably more important than the events in the Middle East: "Successful SpaceX Starship 12 launch ends with spectacular fireball." The launch has originally been scheduled for Thursday evening, but then scrubbed; then reset for Friday. From the article:

    SpaceX’s Starship 12 rocket had a successful launch Friday night, before its suborbital test run around the Earth concluded with a stunning fireball explosion as it splashed down in the Indian Ocean.

    The rocket’s launch — the largest and most powerful of its kind — took place at around 6:30 p.m. EST and the 66-minute test flight was deemed a success by SpaceX.

[snip]

     During it’s more than hour-long mission, the rocket didn’t go into full orbit and was a pivotal step in testing how new hardware within Starship fares under real flight conditions, SpaceX said. 

     V3 of Starship 12 contained two key features — the ‘Super Heavy’ bottom booster stage with 33 powerful engines and the Starship, which is the upper part of the spacecraft above the booster that has its own engines.

    A few minutes after launch, the ‘Super Heavy’ booster separated and conducted a ‘boostback’ burn to slow down before splashing down in the Gulf of America — unlike previous missions that attempted landing back at the launch site.

    Meanwhile, the upper Starship spacecraft continued into space and released 22 fake Starlink satellites 20 minutes into the flight.

And Musk must be practicing some OPSEC: "SpaceX confirmed that Friday’s fireball eruption was planned since they don’t plan on reutilizing the experimental spacecraft."

    Glenn Reynolds has published a piece entitled "And Away We Go!" which discusses the import of these developments. An except:

    There are still bugs to work out, and capabilities to add, but what we saw on Friday was a full-fledged interplanetary spaceship. Starship v.3 is big enough to carry cargoes to the Moon and Mars. It uses methane fuel which — as Bob Zubrin demonstrated in the 1990s in support of his “Mars Direct” exploration/settlement architecture — can be manufactured on-site from the Martian atmosphere using 19th Century chemical technology. (I’m positive that Musk has studied Zubrin’s work carefully too.)

    It will also support missions to asteroids, which are loaded with precious and valuable metals, carbon compounds, and other useful stuff. (Even rock is useful for radiation shielding, and using stuff that’s already in space is generally cheaper than launching it from Earth.)

    A moon base is practical with Starship. Artemis, for all the hype, uses NASA’s SLS rocket, which is based on technology over half a century old — Congress mandated that it use Space Shuttle technology — and costs literally billions per launch.

    Large structures in Earth orbit are practical with Starship. Elon wants to build data centers in orbit, and others are following his lead. (As I wrote decades ago, the first Earth explorers brought back spices because they had an enormous value-to-weight ratio; space-based communications is even better because photons don’t weigh anything. Computation is similar. Also, the anti-AI-data-center movement on Earth is just playing into his hands.) Space solar power plants, converting the 24-hour, unfiltered sunlight of outer space into electricity that is beamed to Earth via microwave (a technology long-since demonstrated) are practical with Starship.

    And it’s not just lift capacity. The Musk empire also stresses AI and robotics. When we were thinking about large space structures in the 1970s we assumed they’d be built by humans, like offshore oil rigs. In my Space Law seminar last fall we did some rough modeling on how much faster you could build them using robots controlled by AI. The answer was rough, but clear: Much, much faster. And more cheaply, and without labor issues.

    Elon’s other company, The Boring Company, which specializes in tunneling, is often forgotten, but it’s actually revolutionary in itself. And you know what you need for bases and colonies on the moon and Mars? Tunnels. Lots of tunnels. (Also, later, for asteroid habitats.)

    It’s like he’s been thinking about this stuff all along. It’s like that because he has.

 Read the whole thing.

VIDEOS: Walking Up And Downhill

Warmer weather means that its getting time to be heading back into the mountains and forest. And, to me, that means hiking. 

The first video below offers advice on climbing slopes to make it easier and demonstrates the same, including proper placement of the foot relative to your knee and using a zig-zagging path. Of course, what goes up must come down, so he finished the video with some advice on walking down the hill (specifically keeping your knees slightly bent to better absorb force as you walk downhill). 

The second video goes into more detail into walking down a slope and what to not do and how to correctly take your steps. And thinking about it, I realize that I often do incorrect things when descending a slop, such as side-stepping. He recommends that you always face the direction you are moving, which may require a zig-zag path.   

The importance of all this is to reduce strain on different parts and components of your body in order to avoid injury.  

 VIDEO: "Walk up hills without getting tired"
The Map Reading Company (7 min.)

 VIDEO: "How To Walk Downhill"
The Map Reading Company (7 min.)

Gun & Prepping News #60

Just some gun and prepping related links that I thought interesting or useful:  

•  ".223 Remington"--Terminal Ballistics Research. Terminal Ballistics Research has many articles that examine the efficacy of different calibers for hunting based on the author's real word experience. The article begins by going over the history of the cartridge, its performance as a hunting cartridge, and comments about factory loads and hand loads. An excerpt:

    As a varmint or target shooting cartridge, the .223 is an outstanding performer, inexpensive and capable of great accuracy. As a medium game cartridge, the .223 is under powered if fast killing is to be expected with ordinary chest shots.

    There are however some exceptions to this general rule, though each has its caveats. Some years ago, I discovered that certain heavy weight match bullets can produce relatively good results on some species of medium game. But not all match bullets are equal and one must be mindful of poor downrange energy, limiting the effective range to about 300 yards. One must also have a suitable twist rate to launch these projectiles. I also discovered, many years ago, that tumbling FMJ ammunition had the potential to change the performance of this cartridge on medium game.
 
    A tumbling 55 grain bullet can produce violent, fast killing wounds on lighter medium game along with large exit wounds  as wide as 3”. When full metal jacket ammunition tumbles, the bullet very gradually falls to pieces due to the unsealed base of the bullet allowing jacket core separation. Because the process is gradual, wounding occurs through vitals and bone, rather than on impact resulting in adequate penetration for all but tail on shots on medium game. 

    As with match loads, FMJ ammunition has its caveats. Such performance tends to be unpredictable. The twist rate also in this case, needs to be so slow that the bullet is near the point of poor accuracy. I cannot therefore recommend such a load as being ethical. 

•  "Germany Selects the CZ P-10 C as Their New Service Pistol - the P13"--The Firearm Blog. "The P13 will replace the P8A1, the Heckler & Koch USP, which entered service in 1994," the article reports. If you are not familiar with the weapon--I wasn't--"[t]he P-10C is a striker-fired, short recoil, tilting barrel actioned service pistol, chambered in 9x19 with a standard magazine capacity of 15 rounds."
•  "Trigger Press Casualty"--Tactical Professor. Commenting on an incident where a shooter accidentally shot himself in the hand when clearing a Glock, the author writes:

    When clearing your pistol at the range, take a sight picture on some particular target and observe what the sights do when you press the trigger. When you have to press the trigger to disassemble the pistol, aim at something that will involve the least amount of “damage to property and/or injury to personnel.” Aim at a door frame or something else solid that is more likely to stop a bullet than an interior wall made of Sheetrock.

[snip]

    Establishing grip and taking a sight picture even when you don’t expect the pistol to fire reinforces good marksmanship principles and mitigates safety risks simultaneously. It’s a total WIN WIN. 

• "Rifles: Building a Rifle from a Kit"--Shooting Illustrated. The author puts a pretty positive spin on building a rifle from a parts kit. I have built several. Building an AR is pretty simple and does not require much in specialized tools. Others take more specialized tools and jigs to do a good job that can cost quit a bit on their own, although sometimes you can rent the equipment rather than having to buy it. If you are building an AK you will want to visit the AK-Builder website for tools and jigs and small parts (although they don't seem to be carrying any rivet jaws for bolt cutters). One thing I would caution you about though is the availability of receivers. Many times if you can find a good deal on a parts kit, it probably means that commercial receivers are not available for sale. Sometimes you can find receiver flats (the equivalent of an 80% receiver for rifles that use stamped steel receivers) but they will take a hydraulic press and jigs to properly fold them, and generally a bit of welding for rails or other bits. He also adds that "If we were to go strictly by the number of options on the market, we could conclude that the age of the kit rifle is at hand." That isn't really true. The age of the kit rifle was about 20 to 25 years ago when you could go to any gun show and pick up a Romanian AK kit for $70 or FAL parts kits for $200. AK kits now typically sell for several hundred dollars and FAL part kits are no where to be found. I'm not saying to not do it, but it has a steep learning curve, can be expensive if you have to buy the tools, and can be very frustrating. 
• "The Rimfire Report: Remington's "Ranch Hand" 40 gr CPRN"--The Firearm Blog.  Short take: "For better or worse, Ranch Hand seems like it is basically just a Remington equivalent of CCI Mini-Mag 40 gr Round Nose, which we have yet to cover here on Rimfire Report." The author thought that the standard deviation in velocity was too large for the ammo to be considered "good". Also:

I was able to get some decent groups out of the ammo, but given its slightly wider standard deviation, this definitely isn’t a contender for a high velocity match ammo. Those outliers that make up the extreme spread are likely responsible for some of those fliers.   

But he thought it good enough for hunting small game. 

I wouldn’t necessarily run it in a bolt action, as I saw roughly equivalent accuracy out of my 11/22 takedown, even while using just a red dot. I think for its job description, it’ll probably find itself best suited to semi-automatic guns, possibly used by ranch hands. 

• "The Lion and the Risk-Takers"--Active Response Training.  This is a guest post from Doug Deaton "a retired Texas police officer who now works as an expert witness in use of force court cases." He describes a dream of a lion being harassed by small mammals where the lion occasionally catches and eats one of the small animals without mercy or concern. 

    The lion in this dream is not evil or vindictive. It is not driven by anger or cruelty. It operates according to its nature. Overwhelming power that does not negotiate or reconsider once it is engaged.

    For private citizens in the self-defense world, the lion represents the criminal justice system after a shooting or serious use of force incident draws its full attention. Jailers taking your book-in photo. Prosecutors building a case. Judges enforcing procedure. Juries forming their own narratives. An impersonal, methodical system that becomes largely indifferent to individual intent once momentum takes hold. 

    The lion does not care how articulate your explanation is, or how sorry you are.

And, the small mammals "represent armed citizens who take unnecessary risks. People who intervene in volatile situations that don’t involve them. People who knowingly enter environments where violence is probable. Those who willingly initiate conflicts with strangers."

• "Review: Shield Sights OMSsc Red-Dot Sight"--Shooting Illustrated. I have their RMSsc which has been pretty solid. 

    At first glance the OMSsc (Open Mini Sight subcompact) stands out for two reasons: First, it has a translucent clear acrylic top, a feature that Shield Sights is quite proud of. Second, the OMSsc is one of the physically smallest open-emitter red-dot sights currently available. ...

 

[snip]  

    The OMSsc’s clear acrylic “roof” is its most eye-catching feature. Shield Sights' impetus behind this design choice is that it wanted to provide its end-users with the clearest sight picture possible, the idea being the acrylic’s clear qualities will not obstruct the view downrange, especially around the edges of the sight’s housing. I’ll admit that the OMSsc is the first time I’ve gone hands-on with any Shield Sights product despite the company’s longtime industry presence. But, the fact that it sells both the clear-top OMSsc alongside the more conventional RMSsc indicates how strongly the company feels about the split 6082-T6 aluminum and acrylic housing design. 

•  "Too big of a toolbox ?"--StraightForward in a Crooked World. This 2009 article relates:

     Over the summer I attended a morning conference on Church Security over in Illinois, after the murder of the Reverend Fred Winters back in March. The panel was made entirely of law enforcement officers which held a variety of opinions. Panel members where mainly small town police chiefs and most agreed that ultimately in a mass shooting that members of the church would be the first responders to the crisis. Given Illinois anti self-defense laws their were questions concerning what weapons could be legally carried and used.

    One local police chief went against the grain of his fellow panel members and said

    "you have to remember that this is a law enforcement matter and it is for the Police to respond to. I know you all want to carry a gun, but let me say this as a Chief of Police I don't even let my wife carry pepper spray nor do my teenage children. Any so called self-defense weapon can be taken from you and used against you and they simply aren't worth the risk."

    It was an arrogant and disgusting statement.

    For someone to say likewise that you can be over burden with to many tools is.....well absurd, because frankly I have yet to find in Sun Tsu's Art of War any quote that reads "stick with the basic levels of training and your campaign will go ok."

    Fundamentals are important, but they are the building blocks to further our mindset. We all (myself very included) should always be striving to learn more, train more, think and out think the bad men of the world.

• "Surveillance Detection"--Tactical Professor. If you have a confrontation with someone don't assume that when the parties separate that the confrontation or issue is over. In this article, Claude Warner writes:

     I had an encounter yesterday with some unpleasant people while grocery shopping. When I got back to my car, they pulled up nearby at a somewhat odd angle in the parking lot. Since I wasn’t sure if they planned to initiate a confrontation, I quickly drove out of the lot.

    After such an encounter, it’s prudent to take a Surveillance Detection Route that does not lead directly home afterward. Doing so isn’t particularly difficult but it does require a little thought at the time. You also need to use your rear view and side mirrors regularly during the process. And have a safe place to go if it turns out you are being followed.

    First of all, turn out of the parking lot in the opposite direction that you would take to go home. As you drive, look for signalized intersections to turn onto non-arterial through streets. If possible, hit the red light. Sitting at the red light for a minute will allow you to scan the cars behind you without being an inattentive driver. Make at least three turns watching your mirrors after you turn. Contrary to popular opinion, they don’t all have to be Right Turns. Sitting in the Left Turn lane at a signal will frequently give you a better scan of the cars behind you by using your driver’s side mirror than you can get through the rear view mirror. You’ll also have a slightly longer view of the traffic behind you as they turn.

    What you are looking for is vehicles that repeatedly make the same turns as you do. It doesn’t have to be the same vehicle that was involved in the initial encounter. Pairs of people often have two cars and the other vehicle might be the one following you.

 If you think someone is following you, he advises that you don't go home, but go somewhere safe. Although most people think "police station," he actually suggests going someplace where you can be sure to find first responders: fire stations or emergency rooms at hospitals. Read the whole thing.

• "Nitecore EDC27 Flashlight Review: EDC Pocket Light?"--Option Grey. A flat light which would probably be easier for everyday carry. It is rechargeable and produces up to 3,000 lumens (but only for 8 seconds--but that would probably be enough to disorient an attacker). 
• "How to Siphon Gas Out of a Car? Mastering Fuel Extraction"--SHTF Preparedness. He covers (i) the traditional siphoning method (assuming no anti-siphon valve), (ii) using a fuel transfer pump, and (iii) siphoning from a car with an anti-siphon valve (including an embedded video). 
• "Aqua Tainer 7 Gallon Water Jug With Spigot"--Modern Survival Blog. These come in 4 and 7 gallon sizes, can be stacked, and have spigots which make them easier to use. As for the spigot, "[i]t uniquely fits inside the cap for storage. This prevents it from becoming lost while also being protected from damage when in storage or transit." There were other features that the author liked.
• "How To Clean Berkey Filters The Right Way"--Modern Survival Blog.  He has other information like how to tell when it is time to clean the filter(s) and how to clean the filter housings. But as for the filters themselves:

     Use cool or cold water.

    “Never use warm or hot water or freeze the Black Berkeys as this will likely damage the integrity of the compressed carbon and proprietary impregnated media.” says Berkey.

    Don’t use soap.

    Simply let the water run over the filter while gently or firmly scrubbing the surface area. You might use a type of nail cleaning brush or a slightly abrasive pad like a Scotch-Brite pad.

He has lengthier instructions for cleaning them in a sink and cleaning them in a bucket.  

• "Dental Care After the End of the World"--Urban Survival Site.  Discussing preventative care, recommendations for stockpiling dental hygiene items (toothpaste, brushes, etc.), some herbs to grow that can be used for dental care, how to make some toothpaste substitutes, and some tools and medicines for home emergency dental care. 
• "Disease Vector Awareness and Action, by K.B., M.D."--Survival Blog.  Disease vectors for typhus, dengue, malaria and leprosy. 
• "Tactical vs. Hiking Backpacks: What are the Differences?"--Modern Survival Blog. My first thought was in SHTF, one makes you look like a relatively harmless refugee and the other will get you shot. But what the author notes is that "the hiking backpack is made of lighter weight material," which makes the hiking backpack overall lighter weight. But the tactical backpack is (or should be) more durable:

    This is because the materials they are made from are thicker, more abrasion resistant, more difficult to puncture and less likely to come undone when they are damaged.

    Conversely, the thinner and more delicate the material that an average hiking backpack is made from can be easily damaged from a slash or scrape, and is highly likely to get worse quickly.

    Of course, manufacturer procedures and quality control makes a big difference here: a top of the line hiking backpack will probably prove to be more durable overall than a “flea market special” tactical pack. 

    The reverse is also true, with very cheap hiking packs proving to be shockingly frail, and top of the line tactical packs being almost impervious to damage. 

Another difference he notes is color differences with tactical backpacks using subdued colors or even camouflage patterns in order to avoid attention, whereas hiking backpacks are generally brighter or lighter colors and might be bright enough to draw attention and potential rescue (although I've noticed that hiking backpacks do seem to be more subdued than they were even 5 or 10 years ago). Other difference he notes are that tactical backpacks have more attachment points (e.g., MOLLE) and internal compartments while hiking backpacks tend to be more water resistant. 

• "The Urban ‘Doom Loop’"--American Renaissance. The author begins:

    American cities are in a “Doom Loop.” Quality of life collapses, residents flee or stay home, and cities fall into economic decline. As the economy falters, even more locals flee, and the cycle repeats. Cities may stabilize into something like Detroit or St. Louis.

    Crime is central to the decline, but newspaper headlines and statistics don’t capture it. Statistics may not even be credible, because crime can be “eliminated” by misclassifying it or not enforcing the law. Less obvious but more consequential in the long run, is fear of crime. ...

This fear, the author continues, can be due to large numbers of minorities, numerous homeless people and vagrants. 

Compounding this dread is the ever-diminishing prospect of help from bystanders or even the police. High-profile incidents such as the arrest of would-be Good Samaritan Daniel Penny when he intervened to stop a likely felony-in-progress in the subway are a powerful deterrent, not to mention hesitant police officers in the post-George Floyd era. You’re on your own. 

He concludes:

 Reversing the Doom Loop is about defending civilization. The United States spends billions on exotic high-tech weapons to defend against foreign enemies but refuses to let police stop bands of “youths” headed to Nordstrom to steal Gucci handbags. We now have a Space Force, but elected leaders won’t let Walmart stop shoplifters. Stopping the Doom Loop is not about therapy for crazies or homes for winos; it is about therapy for those who refuse to defend their own civilization.

VIDEO: Ultralight Handgun For Backpacking and Hiking

The author is an avid hiker and backpacker, even having completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. The handgun he decided to carry for that thru-hike was the Smith & Wesson Model 340PD. This is a "hammerless" J-frame made of Scandium with a titanium cylinder making it very light weight. It is rated for .357 Magnum, but as the author makes clear it is very painful to shoot .357 through the weapon (he recommends using .38 Special). However, he picked this weapon for three primary reasons: (i) its light weight and small size made it easy to carry concealed while hiking, (ii) its Scandium (an enhanced aluminum alloy) and titanium construction made it very corrosion resistant, and (iii) it shot a round sufficiently powerful to deal with both human predators and dangerous animals including bears. He also describes his experience carrying it and some tips, including some general self protection tips that don't involve using a handgun. He does mention potential threats on the trail, including the possibility of encountering people engaged in "chemistry" that might have set up in the woods.

    He did, in fact, draw the pistol on one occasion when he was charged by a mother bear after stumbling across her cubs. Fortunately by the time he had drawn and was ready to fire (he was busy hastily backing up), the bear had already scooped up her cups and was retreating, so he didn't wind up needing to discharge the weapon. (He reasons that bear spray would have been enough, but if she had been intent on attacking him I doubt it would work--bear spray is for discouraging curious bears and will not stop an angry bear). 

 VIDEO: "Ultralight Pistol for Backpacking and Hiking"
On The Scout (23 min.)

Gun & Prepping News #20

 Just some articles that caught my attention for one reason or another: 

• First up, Jon Low has a new Defensive Pistolcraft newsletter that you should check out.  Jon includes a lengthy excerpt from Gabe Suarez on why super fast split times are not that important and might actually be detrimental in a gun fight. I like to think of it like driving too fast at night where you are actually "outrunning your headlights"--driving so fast that you cannot perceive let alone react to something that comes within the range of your headlights. In this regard, Jon quotes Suarez as follows:

In my experience, street gunfighting performance doesn’t benefit from lightning fast split times and focusing on them may detract from success.  A student that is focusing on getting the predetermined number of rounds out of his pistol, ostensibly as fast as possible, is not able to read what his adversary is doing (notice I didn’t say “target”) and adapt.  Shooting at the precipice of failure requires mental focus on staying on the trigger and the sights to the exclusion of everything else.  And therein lies the problem. 

Suarez also notes that the speed shooting impairs accuracy. 

     Now because we are not advocating lightning fast shooting and lighting split times does not mean we are advocating being slow.  Read that again if you didn’t get it the first time.  But I am advocating heavily for accuracy over speed.  

     The other matter is that the focus on sub .20/.25 split times require both the shooter and the target to be in fixed points and stationary.  And those of us who’ve done this for real as well as watched videos of real fights know that is extremely unlikely.  If you stand still at such intervals, you will either get shot, or both of you get shot.  When everyone is moving those split times hover as long as .50, and that is just fine.  

     So my opinion on split times - ignore them as they are irrelevant for street fighting.  Focus on perfect accuracy and physical smoothness and you will develop the skills to win the street gunfight with confidence and grace.  

On a completely different subject, Jon includes a lengthy excerpt from a discussion on electronic warfare in the Ukraine conflict used to protect infantry from drones. 

For all the technological progress, war is circling back to its comfort zone:  infantry battles.  You’ll see a difference today, of course.  The infantryman moving on the battlefield in 2025 is more likely than not to be carrying bulky tech-laden contraptions strapped to his back.  These electronic-warfare boxes, equipped with cooling fans, batteries and protruding aerials, are modern-day flak jackets.  Without them, soldiers would be defenceless against the drones that hover and hunt from above.  Similar arrays of mushroom-like boxes and aerials stick out from the roofs of any vehicle approaching the front lines.  

It is a counter-point to an essay I saw yesterday arguing that the era of the infantry is over because of drones. 

    In any event, Jon has many more tips, links, advice, and so on, so be sure to check it out.

• "Fudd Friday: Bring Back Pump-Action Rifles"--The Firearm Blog. Since the successful designs seem to be built off of or modeled on shotgun actions, it shouldn't be too hard. The advantage is a fast and fairly compact action for a woods rifle compared to using a semi-auto; and you don't have to break your shooting hand grip to cycle the action as with a lever action. The article doesn't discuss the disadvantages, but I've read from other sources that the actions can loosen up over time depending on the amount of shooting and the power of the round. 
• "The Best Two .380 Carry Loads?"--Firearms News. The author recommends the 99-grain Federal Tactical HST load ("which," he notes, "is the load which will pass the FBI Ammunition Protocol") and the 60-grain Black Hills HoneyBadger. The author clarifies:

When I write “passes the FBI Protocol”, know that I mean the bullet will penetrate ballistic gel blocks a minimum of twelve inches, whether you’re shooting them into bare gel blocks, blocks covered with the FBI standard “heavy clothing”, or through various barriers (plywood, drywall, sheet metal, auto glass) into the gel blocks. 

The HST Micro also seems to do well in the tests I've watched, although it has a lower velocity than the Tactical loading. The Tools & Targets YouTube channel has done quite a few gel tests of .380 ammo, using both a full sized .380 and pocket sized .380s if this is a topic that interests you. (He tests a lot of other handgun calibers and loads, too).

• "A 25 Round Shotgun Practice Routine"--That Shotgun Blog. Since most shotgun shells are sold in 25-round boxes, the author developed a series of defensive shotgun drills that, together, use 25 rounds. The author has linked to videos illustrating a couple of the drills.
• "Tips & Techniques: A Speedloader For .22s"--American Rifleman. For those who have to singly load shells into a .22 rifle or revolver, the author suggests using the magazine for an M1911-style .22 Long Rifle pistol as a way to carry spare ammo in the field. "The slim magazine can be conveniently carried in a pouch or pocket, with the rounds protected, and individual cartridges can be thumbed into a single-shot chamber, the magazine tube of a rifle or the loading gate of a single-action rimfire revolver," the author writes, adding: "Many popular rimfire pistol magazines do not lend themselves to easily thumbing the top round out into a tube or cylinder, but I have found the M1911 conversion magazines to be ideal." He recommends the 14-round ProMag magazines.
• "Shots Fired with GLOCK-Aimpoint"--The Tactical Wire. Years ago, Glock had adopted the Shield RMSc footprint as the standard for mounting optics to its handguns. But Glock apparently partnered with Aimpoint to develop a new proprietary mounting method where the optic housing "noses into the front slide cut, drops into the slide cut and it’s retained by a non-optic rear sight that has a clamping ledge," tightened down with a pair of screws. In other words, because it is wedged in under slanted cuts in the slide, the slide bears most of the force upon recoil rather than a set of screws as with standard mounting cuts. The question I have is how common is it for the mounting screws of a pistol sight to shear off?
• "Senior Citizen Handguns"--Guns Magazine. The author has some suggestions for those with impaired hand strength and dexterity, such as those suffering from arthritis, on issues such as recoil (e.g., switching from a .45 to a 9mm), weight (selecting a light weight revolver like the Ruger LCR), and some suggestions as to different sights (e.g., Advantage Tactical sights or an optic) and methods of carry (e.g., moving from a strong side carry behind the hip to a cross-draw or using a different type of shoulder holster). 
• "Learn About Body Armor"--Shooting Illustrated. Basically just an overview of the advantages to body armor and changing public perception toward civilian ownership and use of body armor.
• "Soft Loops for Fixed Blade EDC"--Jerking The Trigger.  The author writes: "Soft Loops, especially those with Pull-the-Dot snaps, are an oft-forgotten and VERY underrated way to carry small to medium-sized EDC fixed blades" as it allows the author to "move the knife to my belt, freeing up space in my pockets or on my waistband for other tools." 

There are also other great upsides to soft loops. They are compatible with almost any sheath as long as it has a single rivet or hole that can accept a Chicago screw and is narrow enough to wrap the loop. They can also be used as dangling belt loops for larger knives. They last pretty much forever as long as they have real Pull-the-Dot snaps. 

• "Preview: Lunatec Mist, Shower & Drink Bundle"--American Rifleman. A camping/hiking water bottle that can be pressurized and sprayed through a hose and nozzle to help with cleanup and personal hygiene. It comes in three sizes: 750 ml, 1000 ml, and 1,500 ml.
• "Portable Propane Heaters"--Blue Collar Prepping. A review of the Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Heater for use in camping. 
• "Best Manual Hand Crank Grain Mill Choices versus Budget"--Modern Survival Blog. The author gives his recommendations for hand cranked grain mills--an expensive option (roughly $600), a medium priced option (roughly $300) and a more budget friendly version (about $100 or so)--as well as an electric grain mill.
  
• "6 Uphill Hiking Tips to Prevent Your Legs From Turning Into Jelly"--Popular Science (via Get Pocket). The tips are: (i) take a trail using switchbacks over a straight trail; (ii) take shorter steps; (iii) use trekking poles; (iv) take a break when you need it instead of pushing yourself too hard; (v) don't forget to eat; and (vi) train for your hike by practicing on real hills or, at least, a step machine. 
• "The 12 Best Pocket Knives, According to Our Editors"--Field & Stream. Some different options, some of which you may not have considered before. The article discusses the general criteria they used and provides advice on what you might want to consider when picking out a knife for yourself. 
• "The Best Walkie Talkies of 2025, Tested and Reviewed"--Outdoor Life. Short version:

•     Best Overall: Oxbow Gear Renegade 2.0
•     Best Long Range: Rocky Talkie 5 Watt
•     Best Value: BAOFENG GT-18
•     Best for Emergencies: Cobra RX680
•     Best for Kids: Moico
•     Best for Hiking: Rocky Talkie Mountain Radio

•  "Chilling map reveals where 75% of US population could perish in event of a nuclear attack"--Daily Mail. 

    Every populated city on the East Coast, Midwest, West Coast and South could be targeted, killing up to 250 million Americans - about 75 percent of the country's population, according to the map.

    Parts of California, most of the East Coast and regions in the Midwest would experience severe fallout, radioactive debris that falls to the ground, forcing them to shelter in place for more than three weeks to survive.

    Only Western Texas, parts of Nevada, Michigan and Wisconsin would avoid being instantly obliterated on impact.

The far northern California, far southern Oregon area still looks pretty good. Most of California, however, looks like it will become dead lands.

Gun & Prepping News #15

 Just some articles that caught my attention for one reason or another: 

• First up, Jon Low published another of his Defensive Pistolcraft newsletters last week. One of the comments he makes is: "If you cannot fight, RUN!  Always run." And he backs this up with a link to a video interview of a woman caught in the October 7 attacks, where she and a group of friends fleeing the attack were hiding in a ditch. Another attendee of the musical festival saw them in the ditch and urged them to run because otherwise the terrorist would find them and simply shoot them. She and some others followed him and survived--those that remained in the ditch died. I remember watching a video of an incident from several years ago about something similar to a police officer that had engaged a terrorist armed with a rifle. The officer had taken cover behind a concrete pillar and stayed there a bit too long, because the rifleman had time to move up to the pillar, then pop around one side and shoot the officer. As Jon adds:
  

 Never hide.  Hiding is criminal stupidity.  Only the stupid advise hiding. 
If school administrators are teaching your children to hide, take your children
out of that school. 

On the topic of terror attacks, Jon links to an a piece by Gabe Suarez entitled "Countermeasures To The Vehicle Borne Terror Attacks" addressing some of the things you can do to avoid becoming a victim to a vehicle terror attack like we saw recently in New Orleans.

    Moving to the more "mundane" self-defense against an armed robber or burglar, Jon links to a video about a magic card trick, because knowing misdirection can help you if you are forced to draw a weapon but you don't want your attacker to realize it. And Jon provides some instructions on drawing and presenting a pistol:

     The following is what I consider a correct shot process.  Initially, it is very long and complex.  But with practice (2000) correct repetitions, it will compress in time and become very fast.  Practice the shot process correctly.  Engrain the correct shot process, and you will never lose it, no matter how fast you go.  

     Establish a correct grip while the pistol is still in the holster.  (An incorrect grip will destroy your shot process.)

     Present to the target by pushing the sights straight forward to the target.  (You may want to shoot from a close contact position.  That's a different situation.)  

     When your sights are on the target and you've decided to shoot, move your trigger finger from the register position to the the trigger.  Correctly placing your finger on the trigger.  (I know other instructors teach taking the slack out as you present to the target.  They are WRONG.  They are setting you up for a negligent discharge.  The situation can easily change from grip to shooting.  Two to three seconds for most of us.  Reaction time is 0.25 seconds for an anticipate stimulus.  Much more for an unanticipated stimulus.  The bad guy can drop his weapon and turn to run away in about 0.3 second, depending on which study you read.)  

     Touch the trigger.  Actually, you don't know where the trigger is, because you drew the pistol in a high stress situation.  Perhaps while being punched (George Zimmerman).  Touching the trigger lets you know exactly where the trigger is.  

     Take the slack out of the trigger.  

     Smoothly press the trigger.  If you are striving for a high precision shot, recite your mantra, "Keep pressing.  Keep pressing.  Keep Pressing.  . . ."  While holding your sights on the point that you are aiming at.  (The point, not the area.)  

     Your shot process determines where the pistol is pointed when the striker hits the primer.  Your follow through determines where the pistol is pointed when the bullet exits the muzzle, a millisecond later (more than enough time to move the sights off target).  

     Keep pressing the trigger.  Trap the trigger to the rear.  

     Get your sights back on the target (the one you just shot, not the next one.)  

     Reset the trigger.  

     Take the slack out of the trigger.  

     Assess the situation. 

 There is a lot more there, so be sure to check out the whole thing.

•  If you haven't do so already, be sure to check out Greg Ellifritz's Weekend Knowledge Dump from this past Friday. He has links to articles on tips specific to gun owners in the event of wild fires such as we've seen in California, including insurance and fire resistant safes; concepts of using cover for the civilian gunfighter; tips on carrying a .32 ACP for self-defense; an article from the Tactical Professor on safety when engaged in dry-fire practice with a revolver; what to do with a handgun when using a public toilet; and more.
• What we would expect from decades of waste and mismanagement: "TFB Review: America's New Battle Rifle - The SIG Spear in 6.8x51mm"--The Firearm Blog. Just as I and others have warned, it is a repeat of the adoption of the M14. The author tested the spear using a standard 113-grain FMJ and a 155-grain match ammunition, using the hybrid cases. Some of the takeaways: 
• Not only is it much heavier than the M4 or M16 at nearly 9.5 lbs sans optic, silencer, or magazines, but the weight is all forward making it strenuous to carry and use the firearm.
• The recoil is greater, which will probably require changes to training.
• Of course the ammo is heavier than 5.56.
• Due to the high pressures used to get the necessary velocity, it is extremely loud without a silencer attached.
• It had poor accuracy: the author was getting 5 MOA using the standard 113-grain ammo, and 2.5 MOA using the match ammunition. It was supposed to have a 4 MOA using the standard ammunition.
• It is more involved to field strip than the M4 or M16.
  
• Although supposedly ambidextrous, there is no real provision for left handed operation of the bolt, and the cocking handle apparently can be dangerous when using a scope. 

The author tries to put a bright polish on the whole thing, but it still looks like a turd.

• "Keltec’s Quirky New PR57"--The Truth About Guns. Keltec's latest offering in 5.7 is intended for concealed carry. Although it has a 20-round magazine, it is an internal magazine rather than a detachable box magazine. Supposedly this is to save on weight and complexity. It has some other features. If it had come with night sights or replaceable sights, it would have been better. But still, at just shy of 14 ounces unloaded, it could be a useful carry pistol or backpacker's gun.
  
• "Impact Expansion Bullets: The Better “Hollow Point”?"--Guns & Ammo. As the author explains, traditional hollow points used hydraulic pressure to cause expansion, but may have limited or no expansion if the hollow point becomes clogged or if the round strikes something hard like bone. One solution that had been looked at was to take something similar to a full metal jacket, but with the internal cavity filled with a compressible polymer, so when the bullet hits resistance, the tip collapses upon the polymer which then forces the sides of the jacket out.
  
• "NSSF Releases Most Recent Firearm Production Figures"–Scattered Shots. Unfortunately, the latest data to be released is from 2022. It showed a continued decline in firearm manufacturing from 2020, although it appears that sales were still robust. Also:
  

The estimated total number of firearms in civilian possession from 1990-2022 is 491.3 million, according to data in reports such as ATF Firearms Commerce in the United States, ATF Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Exportation Reports and Congressional Research Service and including the collective ATF Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Exportation Report (AFMER) reports up to the 2022 edition.

 And also noting that "[f]rom 1990 to 2022, 270,799,283 firearms have been made available to the U.S. market." More statistics at the link.

• "Snap Caps & Dummy Rounds for Dry Fire & Malfunction Practice"--Blue Collar Prepping. Tips on making dummy handgun, rifle, and shotgun rounds for practice.
• "Case Metallurgy"--Guns & Ammo. Why cartridge cases are generally made out of brass, but looking at alternative metals that have been used (and problems associated with them) such as steel and aluminum. 
• Related: "Possible Future For Russian Ammunition - Lightweight 5.45"--The Firearm Blog. The Russians are apparently experimenting with a polymer case with a steel base. It will be lighter weight than a wholly steel case--allowing more ammo to be carried--and is supposed to help reduce heat transfer from the firing of the cartridge to the chamber of the weapon.
  
• "Beyond the FGC-9: How the Urutau Redefines the Global 3D-Printed Firearm Movement" – GNET. An excerpt:
  

    On Wednesday, 21 August 2024, the build plans for a highly anticipated 3D-printed pistol-calibre carbine were released on the largely defunct Odysee open-source video hosting platform. While recent years have seen a significant proliferation in the release of new build-plans and files for 3D-Printed Firearms (3DPF), particularly noticeable from 2019 onwards, this Special Extended Insight argues that the release of the ‘Urutau’ should be considered a potential watershed moment with important security implications for several reasons.

    Notably, the Urutau is reportedly much easier to build than the FGC-9, a semi-automatic 9mm firearm primarily constructed with 3D-printed parts and simple tools. The FGC-9 has gained popularity within the 3D-printing firearm community due to its ability to be assembled without any regulated parts. Further facilitating the task, the assembly instructions for the Urutau are exceptionally well-designed. Each step is clearly numbered, accompanied by precise line drawings that illustrate the exact placement and alignment of each component. These well-constructed instructions set a new standard, potentially increasing the accessibility and proliferation of 3DPF, including among extremists and criminals.

• "Editor’s Notebook Handgun Trends"--The Tactical Wire. The two main trends identified were the rise of double-stack, polymer framed 1911 clones; and the rise of Glock clones such as the Ruger RXM. The author notes that the Ruger RXM does not accept the Langdon Tactical Striker Control Device.
• Not everyone is thrilled with Trump's election: "LGBTQ people reveal outrageous reason they're buying guns"--Daily Mail. As one gay man put it, they don't want to be put in concentration camps. So does this mean that they've changed their minds about "big government"?
  
• "GOP Rep. Introduces SAGA Act: If You Like Your AR-15, You Can Keep Your AR-15"--Breitbart. The bill, if passed, would ostensibly "prevent states from banning rifles and/or shotguns that are legal federally." I'm of two minds on this or similar legislation mandating all states recognize carry permits from other states. While I appreciate the federal protection of the right to own and carry firearms, I also recognize that it furthers the precedent of federal control over firearm ownership and possession. If the federal government can grant a right, it can also take away that right. 
• "Virginia Church Disrupts Pre-Attack Surveillance: Are Churches Being Targeted?"--Christian Warrior Training. The article describes a couple obvious surveillance attempts at churches, where the people entered the church, taking photos and videos, and questing church employees about security plans and measures. In the Virginia incident, the men left without being identified; but in the California incident, one of the men was identified by police as having ties to the Taliban.
  
• "The Game is a Foot"--Blue Collar Prepping. Advice on caring for your feet including keeping them clean and dry, protecting them against injury, and keeping the toenails trimmed. On the latter point, the author advises that "keeping our toenails trimmed is important for comfort as well as health. When wearing closed toe shoes, long toenails can impinge against the shoe, frequently leading to pain on even a relatively short walk. Bacteria can also find a cozy home under untrimmed nails." Which is why I've long recommended that preppers need to keep nail clippers and snips, emery boards, and nail brushes to keep their nails (both hand and feet) clean and neat. Good hygiene is half the battle for survival.
• "How one sailor survived 76 days lost at sea after colliding with a whale... and what he learned"--Daily Mail. Revisiting Steve Callahan's 1982 survival experience. An excerpt:

    Callahan ultimately plugged enough holes (sometimes literally), taught himself how to use the solar stills and caught enough food to just barely survive until he was rescued by fishermen on the island of Marie Galant, southeast of Guadalupe. In fact, it was the ecosystem of marine life that had formed around his raft which drew a swarm of birds above - and attracted the attention of his eventual saviors, who correctly figured that fish were nearby.

    'Yes, it was a horrible event, but I saw things, I witnessed things, I learned things about the world and about myself that I could only have done in by going through that,' he said. 'I guess if there's a hopeful message to people, it is that: we go through all these things, but hidden within them are opportunities and gifts, and that includes talking to you right this minute, and doing the film.'

    One lesson that Callahan learned in the two-and-a-half months stranded at sea: just how intertwined the physical and mental are.

    He recalls dreaming about steak as the struggles of his his 'mind', 'body' and 'spirit' all melded into one.

It's why Cody Lundin and other survival experts spend so much time on the mental/spiritual preparations and skills for survival.

•  "My First Thru-Hike Wrecked My Feet. Now I Never Trek Without Toe Spacers"--Outdoor Magazine. The author writes:

    After staying up late one night in an AT lean-to for a tailspin into online medical sleuthing, I realized it was cuboid syndrome, when the pointy joint on the side of your foot shifts slightly out of line for a spell. With just enough bandwidth to stream a few video tutorials, I learned something called the cuboid squeeze and fixed it myself.

     But now, I don’t even need that technique. After 11,000 miles of hiking and countless more miles of road running in almost every state in the country, I simply never leave home without a 1.5-ounce piece of sculpted silicone that’s changed my fitness and the way I travel: toe spacers.

He discusses some different brands, but his recommendation (but also the most expensive) are those from Correct Toes because of how well they have stood up to use. The author also discusses how to use them.

Fears of Attack and No Cell Reception Deter Women Trail Runners

 A couple of weeks ago, Greg Ellifritz posted an article in which he related his encounter on a hiking/running trail with a woman carrying a knife in hand, probably for self-protection (see "The Girl With A Knife"). He was hiking up the trail while the woman with a knife was coming down the trail toward him. With no room really to move off the trail because of how steep was the hillside, the two had to pass on the trail. It presents an interesting "what would you do" scenario, and Greg gives his thoughts and reasoning for how he reacted and defused the situation. He also followed up with a later article more generally discussing self-defense for hikers (see "Hiker Self-Protection Strategies"). See also his article, "Best Backpacking Gun?" (spoiler, he generally uses an S&W 317 "kit gun" carried in a Safepacker Concealment Holster in remote areas where he is unlikely to encounter predators, but will upgrade to a .357 for areas where he is more likely to encounter 4-legged predators or 9mm where a 2-legged predator might be more common). 

    The articles about the woman with the knife were in the back of mind when I read the following from MedicalXpress: "Fears of attack and no phone signal deter women trail runners, finds study." It notes a recent study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, which asked 548 regular trail runners about their preferences and concerns when engaged in the sport, and relates, in part:

    The leading concern for all trail runners (women and men alike) was slipping or falling (55.1%). The concerns of men and women differed, however, when asked about encountering other people or wild animals, and the loss of phone reception on trails.

    Women respondents reported a far greater fear of other people (38.9%) and cougars (32.4%) than men, (12.6% and 21.2% respectively). In addition, 50.8% of women were concerned by loss of reception, compared with 33.8% of men.

 I would bet that hikers have similar concerns. 

VIDEO: The Updated Holey Hiker Bidet

The Holey Hiker Bidet is essentially a perforated cap to put on a water bottle that allows you to squeeze the bottle to eject a shower of water to use as a bidet or a very quick shower to quickly wash off sweat and grim before diving into your sleeping bag. Intended for hikers or campers, I can see it also having use as an emergency prep, especially if toilet paper is in short supply. The original product was 3D printed by the inventor, but the new and improved version is manufactured using injection molded plastic which makes it both lighter and stronger according to the video. 

VIDEO: "Introducing the new Holey Hiker Bidet!"

Paul the Backpacker (10 min.)

For My Readers In The Boise Area: "Ridge to Rivers seasonal trail closures start December 1"

 An article from KIVI Channel 6 on the closures:

Beginning December 1, the following trails will be closed to the public:

• Landslide Loop Trail #70 [ridgetorivers.org]: The two-mile trail located above Hidden Springs is closed annually from December 1 to March 31 for wintering wildlife. 
• 8th Street Extension Road [ridgetorivers.org]: The road is closed to vehicles from the 8th Street Motorcycle Trailhead to the Boise Ridge from December 1 to May 15 every year. The gate will be closed, preventing full-size vehicles from accessing the unpaved road to protect the road and trailhead integrity. 
• Hawkins Range Reserve [cityofboise.org]: The reserve, which is located off N. Bogus Basin Road, features a 5.7-mile directional trail called Hawkins Loop [ridgetorivers.org] and a .6-mile nested trail called Harrow Trail [ridgetorivers.org]. The reserve and all trail access is closed seasonally from December 1 to April 30 to protect critical habitat and important wildlife corridors. 

Trails closing later this winter, weather dependant, date TBD:

• Old Pen Trail #15A [ridgetorivers.org]: In partnership with the Idaho Department of Lands, the City of Boise has permitting authority to close the .6-mile trail this winter to prevent damage to the trail. Trailhead parking will not be affected by this seasonal trail closure. This is the third winter the city will close the trail, in an effort to prevent further damage while slowly improving tread conditions over time.  
• Ridge Crest Trail #20 [ridgetorivers.org]: Due to high clay content, this area in Military Reserve is especially prone to muddy conditions. The 200 yards from the trailhead parking area on Mountain Cove Road to the Archery Range parking lot will be closed. Users will be routed through the Archery Range parking lot to access other trails in this area.

These two trails are expected to remain closed through early March.