Metropolitan Dexterity

  What the heck is metropolitan dexterity? It is the ability to collect and use items that are found in an urban setting to survive. Calling it urban bushcraft really doesn't make sense now does it? You may have read about this before and this is just my spin. 

  As the world becomes more and more populated and those populating it continue to gravitate to cities the likely hood of you being in a sub-urban environment when the shtf increases. So why not get familiar with ways to use all of the objects we are surrounded by everyday. There are entire forums dedicated to wilderness survival, but far fewer for urban survival. It makes me wonder how much is out there that we don't know. The likely hood that all the alternative uses for items or ways to manipulate an urban environment have been discovered. I think that it is important to open up a dialogue about these skills. 

  I like to take an object, and sit down with it. If I can take it apart without destroying it I do, then I sit and look at each piece. I try to come up with as many ways to use that object as possible. If it is old or broken I will actually try and make my ideas come to life. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't, but now I know. It's a fun mental exercise that you should try, it helps you to see things in a different way. These are the things that I am talking about when I say metropolitan dexterity.  Intimate knowledge of your surroundings. 

  This is just a start on this subject, and I plan to revisit it. I just wanted to get these thoughts down and the idea out there. I hope that you found this interesting or at least had a good laugh. Thanks for reading. 

VGB

Gerber Multi-Plier 600

Up for review today we have the Gerber Multi-Plier 600. It comes in a black oxide finish, with a tan sheath. The sheath uses tac ties as a belt loop. Included is a small torx wrench for changing or rotating the carbide cutters.

Compared to many other multi-tools on the market the Gerber is very simple. It has only the basic functions. Such as Phillips/flathead screwdrivers, can and bottle opener, and plain/serrated knife blades. It also has an awl and a lanyard eye.

My favorite feature of the Gerber is the lanyard eye. The only downfall of this feature is that when the lanyard eye is in use the multi-tool doesn't fit into the provided pouch. A small notch in the flap of the pouch would fix this. Another feature I like is the tac tie use as a belt loop. It is large enough to accommodate almost any belt width, and makes it easy to transfer the pouch to anything with PALS webbing.

My least favorite thing about the Gerber is the lack of a real saw blade. This is a feature that I frequently use. It has a serrated blade but this doesn't do the job of a real saw blade. I would like to see the serrated blade replaced with a real saw blade. Another thing that I have noticed is that pliers don't withstand a twisting motion very well. They exhibit a lot of flex when used in a twisting motion. Lastly are the carbide cutters, I have shattered these on other Gerber models. I prefer just a solid sharpened steel cutting edge. These hold up better and can be sharpened.

Overall I think the Gerber Multi-Plier 600 is a quality tool. In my opinion it would make a good back up multi-tool. The things that I said I don't like may be because I am hard on tools. If you are looking for a simple multi-tool the Gerber fits the bill.

Your Mental Toolbox

What is the most important thing that you can possess in a bug out/survival/shtf situation that weighs nothing? I will answer that for you; skills. Skill to me means having the knowledge and know how about methods to achieve your goals. Whether your goal is to start a fire or grow a garden. Having a skill and maintaining it can be the difference between life and death or success and failure. Where do we acquire these skills? Read on and find out.

Our skills are the practical application of possessed knowledge. So in order to have or develope a skill we need knowledge. There are many places to find information. My favorite place is inside books. I talked about the importance of books in my previous post Endangered Knowledge.

Next on the list is getting information from people. People that do whatever task/skill you want to learn on a regular basis. A lot of the time these can be obtained for free depending on your interests. There is a lot of good training offered at volunteer fire departments, volunteer sheriff deputy, search and rescue, and the forest service. Many times this training is free, all you have to do is show up!

Don't overlook the wealth of information that our elders have either. In parts of the country there are still people alive that lived large portions of there life without electricity, indoor plumbing, and having to make the things that they needed themselves. I'm sure that they would love the company as much as you would love the stories.

Another option is attending workshops or schools. The classes these institutions offer are another fantastic way to fill your mental toolbox. Again it all depends on what you are looking for. Home Depot offers free classes on gardening and various forms of home improvement, and they have these a couple times a month. There are also colleges and survival specific schools out there. These can be expensive which can make them less attainable. Keep in mind all the local clubs out there. There are amateur radio clubs, orienteering clubs, blacksmithing clubs, and more! Do a quick google search in your area and the results might surprise you.

Now which skill is more important? Ultimately this is up to you. Here are my personal top three. First off for me is medical. The reason this is at the top of my list because it can be the most critical skill you are missing when things don't go as planned. It is also something that can give you piece of mind, knowing that you have the ability to care for a loved one when they need it most is a good feeling.

Next up is fire starting or firecraft. This sounds easy right? Just whip out my trusty zippo, and light some twigs on fire. What happens if you're out of fluid or your lighter is soaking wet? It's something that you don't think of until you're in that situation. It's important to be familiar and practice all the methods you can find. Do it in all the conditions available to you, bad and good. Learn about the materials in your area. Which ones have the lowest ignition point? Experiment with different kinds of tinder and arrangements. The list goes on, but I think you get the point.

Lastly is gardening/foraging. Now is the time to learn how to grow/find your own food. Not when your life depends on it. For gardening learn what grows well in your area, find out what region you are in, learn about cold frames and other methods to extend your growing season. There are a multitude of places to learn about gardening. Foraging on the other hand can be extremely dangerous. I recommend going to a region specific survival school to learn more on this subject.

So once you become proficient in any me of these skills you can just stop doing it, and still be good at it in six months, right? WRONG!!! Your skills need to be practiced! Always strive for that next level of mastery. There is always room for improvement be it methods or material. I challenge you to be the best you can be at whatever it is you do!

Do you want 42,000 free books?

Check out this website. They have multiple different formats available for download and they are all FREE!!!!

http://www.gutenberg.org/

Chocolate+Soda Can=Fire?

So I was perusing the net today and came across an interesting article about firecraft. The article talked about using a chocolate bar and a soda can to start a fire. Stay with me on this I'm not messing with you.

So in order to start a fire using this method here is what you want to do. Take the chocolate bar in one hand, and the soda can in the other. Next hold them about 12 inches apart then hit them together as hard as you- I'm joking!!! Seriously, here are the steps. Take your soda can and turn it over and look at the bottom. This is the side we will be working on. It should be raw aluminum, and free of dents and deep scratches. If your chocolate bar is hard place it in your pocket for a couple of minutes to soften it up. The reason we do this is because we will be using the chocolate as a paste. When it is softened up smear enough on the can bottom to cover it. Now take a cloth and begin to rub the can bottom, reapplying the chocolate as needed. After awhile you should have a nice shiny can bottom.

Now we can use this can bottom as a make shift parabolic reflector to concentrate sunlight, and create a fire! I thought this was really cool, and I really want to try this for myself. I guess junk food can help after all.

Endangered Knowledge

How much value do you place on books, aside from how much you paid for them? To me they are priceless. They hold so much knowledge. We all know the saying "knowledge is power". Power over what? To me it is the power to not only survive but to thrive.

I don't know about you but I can't remember everything that I read. That is why I love books, you can go back and refresh your memory about things that you had forgotten. They were once the holding place for all the knowledge of the earth. What would happen if tomorrow there was no more Internet, no more google. Where would you find the information that you needed? In books!!

I like to refer to my book collection as my survival library. I encourage everyone to start building their own. A broad collection of books is a good collection. Everything from your typical survival guide up to books that cover performing surgery. Don't overlook subjects like electricity, plumbing, and general building practices. I suggest buying two copies of each book. One to read and keep around the house, and another to store.

When storing them I recommend doing so in a fashion similar to food. In a clearly labeled vacuum or just regularly sealed bags, even ziplock bags with an oxygen absorber and a desiccant packet. When placing them in whatever container you choose to store them in be sure to place them in spine down, and be careful not to place them in a way that will deform the spine. This will make them very difficult to straighten. Then put some moth balls in the box and seal it up. Store the box in a cool dry place. As with most important things I would store all my books in the same place.

I can foresee books having a great value in a post collapse society. If I knew nothing about survival I would be willing to trade anything for a book on the subject. So consider by some cheaper ones on sale or even used, and keep them around for barter tools. Another use for books when bartering is determining an objects worth. That way you will know if a deal is fair or not.

As you can see books are very important to us and our society. I hope that you will consider adding books to your preps. Remember knowledge is power!!!

"Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival."
-Winston Churchill

Trash is King

What if I told you that all the fancy gear that you have in your BOB,GHB,INCH, etc was just a waste of space and a huge burden? With a little ingenuity and some basic tools some of may be able to lighten our loads. Sounds great right? The down side for some is the fact that I'm talking about using trash to do this. I know, I know that's gross but when it is down to brass tacks which would you rather have a bunch of weight to burden you or pick up some things along the way?Lets look at how we can make this happen.

Have you ever been on a nice family outing be it a hike, off roading, boating? You are out there enjoying the great outdoors only there is trash everywhere! Modern man has seemingly polluted every square inch of the globe. (No I am not a tree hugger) While this may be bad for the endangered dreaded pig snake, it is a plus for anyone who finds themselves in a survival/bugout situation. I say this because if we use our imagination one can craft all types of tools and equipment from trash.

Lets start with the most important thing, water. Next time you are out and about be it in town or in a rural area take a look around and the odds are you will find a plethora of containers. Granted these might not be the cleanest things around but beggars can't be choosers. Clear soda bottles can be used to sanitize water utilizing the sodis method(more info on that here http://www.sodis.ch/methode/index_EN), glass and cans can be used to boil or pasteurize water. Plastic bags can be used to transport water if you are going a short distance or can find multiple ones. You can use them to store your water also. Plastic bags can be used to collect rainfall and also wrapped over plants in the morning to collect moisture that is released throughout the day. Plastic bags can also be used in the construction of a solar still. The uses of these items are only limited to your ingenuity. Next we will look at food preparation.

Food prep is an important part of survival. The parasites and diseases that wild animals harbor alone are enough to kill someone. We counter this threat with food prep. How will trash help us? We can use the ubiquitous tin can or beer/soda can to make a stove or a container to make a stew. This will allow us to eat wild game without fear of infection. With a stove and pot we can also make teas, and par boil certain plants that must be boiled before eating. Using a stove is also advantageous where a fire could give away your position. It is important to note that when using found containers for this purpose it is important to have a good idea of what was in them before you found them. It would make for a bad day to use a container that had poison in it to cook a meal in, so if you are unsure about it find another one. Now that we have water and food, how will trash help provide us shelter against the elements?



The way that you use trash for shelter will depend on the area and climate that you are operating in. I live in a desert environment, so for me I will want protection from the sun. Depending on the time of year I would also need warmth at night as well. This can be done in many ways. A trash bag could make an effective sun shade that is easily transportable, cardboard boxes, abandon vehicles, can all be used also. For warmth a trash bag stuffed with brush and paper can provide decent insulation. Things like plywood can be used to build a lean to, or to provide insulation to mitigate losing body heat into the ground. Being able to exploit every resource available to you is the most important skill to have in your tool box.

As you can see there are unlimited uses for the things that you can find laying around. I'm not saying that these items are direct replacement for the items in your kit but in pinch you could use them to address your basic needs. With the right mindset and basic tools that you can and should EDC. For me that entails a good folding knife, and a leatherman. With simple tools u can make life a lot better in a bad situation.

Patience is a virtue...

Been tied up with some real life issues lately but, I will be back to posting here soon. Stay tuned!!

Wisdom from General Patton.

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.
-George S. Patton

Here is an interesting read.

http://www.google.com/gwt/x?u=http://cnsnews.com/blog/gregory-gwyn-williams-jr/patriotic-group-build-armed-defensible-neighborhood-fortress&ei=a1DzUJDKDaThkAKF_4HwDw&wsc=pb

Truth.

For those that think epidemics don't happen nowadays.

http://www.google.com/gwt/x?u=http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/01/10/farley-severe-strain-of-flu-reaches-epidemic-proportions-in-new-york-city/&ei=OXnwUNm0KJiExQKdtIDYCw&wsc=bf

A wise man once said...

We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.
-Benjamin Franklin

Here is an awesome book about square foot gardening.

This is a not so new method of gardening that seems to be catching in. The basic idea is getting more food out of less space with less work than traditional gardening. I consider this book a must have for those that live in area with restricted space. It's definitely worth a look.

http://www.amazon.com/Square-Foot-Gardening-Garden-Space/dp/1579548563/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357789900&sr=1-2&keywords=square+foot+gardening

It's bad when people in Russia tell us to fight for our rights

Take a gander at this.

http://www.google.com/gwt/x?u=http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/28-12-2012/123335-americans_guns-0/&ei=lDXuUNuoOJHoxAKc_oCwCg&wsc=bf

President Obama threatening executive order to deal with gun violence

This is just the thing I was afraid of.


http://www.google.com/gwt/x?u=http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/biden-obama-might-use-executive-order-deal-guns_694984.html&ei=jvLtUIKoDYyGxgLBt4DwDA&wsc=bf

Here is an awesome survival focused blog

Thesurvivalistblog.net.
Tons of great articles/info on this site all written for the everyday prepper.

SOG Knives Sogzilla

I received the SOG Sogzilla for Christmas and so far I love it. I think what I like about it the most is the low carry clip. On most knives when they are clipped in you pocket some of the handle is sticking out above the pocket. On the SOG the entire hande is in the pocket and only the clip is exposed. I like this because I feel that it shields the knife from the elements more and is also a little more discreet.

Large folding pocket knife
3.82-Inch straight edge 8Cr13MoV stainless steel blade
Textured glass-reinforced Zytel handle with stainless steel liners
Low carry reversible bayonet pocket clip
Overall length: 8.54-Inches; Weight: 4.8 oz

I got a chance to put this knife to use this past weekend on a Jeep trip up to the mountains to check out the snow. I used to split a few sticks that were around 3/4" thick. I know that folding knifes aren't meant to be batoned, but I wanted to see how it would hold up. It did fine I did notice when making some shavings for tinder that it felt a little dull. It's is right of the box so that was surprising/disappointing. All that being said I still like it, tonight I will hit it with the Lansky and sharpen it up.

Words of wisdom

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-Benjamin Franklin

Streamlight Polytac LED

I don't know about you but I have a flashlight problem. It feels good to admit that finally after all these years. I own many different kinds of flashlights and have been a fan of LED technology since it was relatively new. Just recently I realized that I did not own a tactical flashlight. This is a good investment in ones safety. I think that if you own a firearm, especially a handgun that you intend to use for self defense a tactical flashlight is a must have. Why is it a must have? There are many different uses for a flashlight beyond just illuminating a bad situation. You can use them to temporarily blind an attacker long enough to get to safety or to change a flat tire. I feel strongly that they are a valuable tool, very few people plan for bad things to happen in the dark and doing so could be the difference in a bad day and a very bad day.

This brings us to the Streamlight Polytac LED. In the world of tactical flash lights you can spend a little, and often times the performance of a cheap light will be poor. Or you can go big and pay an enormous amount for an unwieldy 1000 lumen handheld sun. I chose to go with an option that I considered to be middle of the road. Here are the generic specs

C4 LED technology, impervious to shock with a 50,000 hour lifetime
Borofloat glass lens, o-ring sealed
Tail cap push button provides one handed momentary or constant "on"
3 hours of continuous runtime to the 10-Percent output level
Two (2) 3-Volt CR123A lithium batteries with a shelf life of 10-Year

So I paid $35 for this light when a similar Surefure runs around $80. Upon opening this light and putting the batteries in it I must admit I was impressed. I had expected it to be cheap feeling and kind of flimsy but this is no the case. I was happy to find that both the bezel and tail cap are o ring sealed. On top of that it has a glass bezel which in this price range I feel is hard to find. It is also lighter than your typical metal bodied tactical light.

There are few things I don't like about this light. One being that the body isn't textured which could make hanging onto it a challenge in wet environments or even while wearing some gloves. This could be fixed with stippling. If you want to learn more about this check out method burn.com, they do an awesome job. The other thing that I have noticed is that the light will turn on sometimes when pressure is applied to the housing which could be a bad thing depending on your intended implementation of this light. These are the only things that have bugged me about this light and I feel that it is hard to beat for the money. If you're looking for a good, affordable light check out the Streamlight Polytac LED.

-Jacob

Edit 9 SEP 2013 

I just want to give an update on this flashlight's performance. After putting this light through some punishment for about seven months here are some things I noticed. This light goes easy on the batteries and always performed when I needed it to. The only bad thing I can say about this light could be a deal breaker for some people depending on your job. Just recently the light has been turning on when pressure is applied to the side of the tail cap (not the button), and when a very small amount of pressure is applied to the button. This problem really takes away from this lights ability to serve as a realistic choice for a tactical flashlight. In a real life situation your light turning on inadvertently could spell disaster. These are the things I have noticed after seven months with this light. 

-VGB

The after picture. 

Maxpedition Volta

Ever need a neat, organized, and weatherproof way to carry spare batteries for all your electro gadgets? I was in the market for something like this. So I was browsing the web and came across the Maxpedition Volta. Here is the generic product description.

Product Description
Main Compartment: 4.5" x 3" x 0.75" with hook & loop closure: Nylon case made from 1000-Denier coated nylon fabric; Integral drainage grommet on bottom; Fits small camera iPod iPhone and most other cellphones; Fits 5 rounds of 12 gauge shotgun shells. INCLUDES high quality BATUCA battery insert. Exclusive clear & smoke combo color for enhanced visual identification;Slides apart into 2 small individual versatile sections; Holds up to eight (8) CR123 AA AAA batteries; also fits memory cards.

So upon getting mine out of the box I was immediately pleased with the overall quality of the Volta. The stitching is very well done and all edges are nicely bound. The batuca case is very cool, it is after all just a plastic snap closure case but when combined with the nylon pouch it makes an awesome system for hauling spare batteries. Each plastic case holds four batteries, and there is one clear case and one smoke gray case which I really like. The cases have plastic pieces molded in that make each battery fit snugly. Except the AAA they rattle inside the case which could be an issue if your intended use for this product requires high levels of noise discipline. The cr 123 fit tightly in the case and do not rattle, neither do the AA. Something else I like is that even with the case in the pouch you still have room for more stuff!

I would like to see Maxpedtion come up with a means of attaching this pouch that doesn't require another purchase. That would have made this product even better. I also dont like to rely on hook and loop fasteners as the soul means of securing equipment. A buckle or snap would have been nice. Another issue I have with this and all Maxpedition products is that it isn't made in the USA. Buuuutt it was designed here or so it says on the tag. This pouch is made in Taiwan. It is funny that they even put "American design" like that makes a difference. That being said, I believe this to be a quality product regardless of its point of origin, and I will more than likely purchase more Maxpedition gear.

Be on the lookout for a follow up review on this item.
Thanks for stopping by!!
-Jacob

Looking Forward

Here are a few teaser pictures of some item reviews that are in the works! Check back to see the full reviews.

Defend our rights!! Act now!!!

Go to this website and make your voice heard. Now is the time to act, all it takes is a few minutes and words.
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/mail/?alertid=61046526&type=ML

Welcome to Victory Gear!!

Hello and welcome to Victory Gear. This is a blog about my favorite thing... Gear!! I will be posting reviews if things that I own and have used, also I will be highlighting new and innovative gear as I come across it. So stay tuned to the blog and I look forward to hearing feedback from everyone.

Thanks,
Jacob