Vacation Time?

One of my friends recently asked for examples of why you might be separated from your wardrobe (and hence, why you should keep extra clothes in your car or Bug Out Bag). Fires, tornadoes, floods, and other disasters were all mentioned, but I was reminded of recent news articles and an old post of mine.

Back in September of 2016, I wrote about Unexploded Ordinance (UXO). Go back and read it for detailed information, but the TL;DR version is;

• Humans have been using explosives in war for a long time.
• Not all of those weapons went “boom” when they should have.
• Live explosives are scattered all over the world.
• If you find UXO, remember the Three Rs:
1. Recognize the threat,
2. Retreat to a safe distance,
3. Report it to authorities.

There have been a few similar articles in the past couple of months, but while they registered in my memory, they didn't set off any alarms. UXO pops up somewhere in the world at least once a week, but unless someone gets hurt by it you'll rarely see it reported in the news: 

• In April 2018, a large bomb left over from WW2 was found in Bologna, Italy. 
• Also in April 2018, a Civil War artillery shell was found near Myrtle Beach, SC when a family was building a patio next to their house. 
• The same month, a 500 kg (1100 pound) American bomb from WW2 was found in central Berlin, Germany.

The UXO found in Bologna caused the evacuation of about 10,000 people for most of a day while the disposal team removed it. The much smaller shell found near Myrtle Beach was removed without much inconvenience. But the bomb found in Berlin caused the evacuation of over 10,000 people from an area within 800 meters (half a mile) of the site, including the main train station. That meant no traffic in a circle a mile wide in a major metropolitan city. 

Some other things came to mind while I was thinking about this topic.

• Since WW1 and WW2 were so widespread, a lot of the fighting took place in, on, and over the oceans. This means that any beach on any ocean has a chance of UXO washing ashore, especially after a storm has stirred up the ocean floor and moved the sand around on the beach.
• Southeast Asia saw a lot of fighting in the last century, with an estimated fewer than 3% of the UXO being cleaned up in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. 
• Many tropical islands saw action during WW2, including the smaller ones if they were strategically placed. 
• Hawaii is still cleaning up training ranges 70+ years after the end of WW2.

These are all tourist areas with blissfully ignorant people trying to enjoy themselves while on vacation. What are you going to do if the local police have cordoned off your hotel or campground for a day or two while they deal with the leftovers of war? I pray that, since you're reading a prepper blog, you'll have the resilience of mind to take it in stride and switch to an alternate plan while watching the unprepared fumble about trying to deal with the unexpected. Gather as much information as you can (how long is it going to take, where are the boundaries of the exclusion zone, etc.) and find somewhere else to be while the bomb squad is dealing with something your grandpa (or great-grandpa) dropped 50-150 years ago.

If you are traveling for vacation, don't forget your preps or situational awareness. We can't afford to completely turn off our minds, even when we're trying to relax.

Gun Blog Variety Podcast #141 - Be Yourself... No, Not Like That!

I look forward to the day when being a gun owner no longer carries a social stigma.

• Beth received a letter asking for speakers for Career Day at her son's school, but when she told them she was a firearms instructor, they said "Thanks, but No Thanks."
• A man attempted to give girlfriend a ballistic abortion. Sean looks at his permanent record.
• Barron is on assignment this week.
• What’s worse than a rabid gun grabber running an anti-gun organization on Daddy Bloomberg’s money? A rabid gun grabber running a political campaign on Daddy Bloomberg’s money.
• We welcome Special Guest Rob Morse, of the Self Defense Gun Stories podcast, to our Main Topic.
• Tiffany is headed off to NRAAM. Will she once again be the only black woman at a gun rights event? Or is there truly a place for people that look like her?
• Convention season is upon us. Erin gives you tips on how to comfortably survive what she calls "kindergarten for grownups."
• ABC goes Full Gun Grab with "Designated Survivor". Weer'd has the audio and the facts.
• And our plug of the week is Magpul PMAG Glock magazines.

Thank you for downloading, listening, and subscribing. You are subscribed, right? We are available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, and Google Play Music!

Listen to the podcast here.

Read the show notes here.

Thanks to LuckyGunner and Remington for their sponsorship, and a special thanks to Firearms Policy Coalition for their support.

Blue Collar Prepping Transcript:

Convention Survival Strategies

Because I was out all week, I used a previously-written article for my podcast. Therefore, the entire transcript can be found here.

Vacation Time at the BOL

I don't normally take what most people would consider a vacation. The last time I took the family on a vacation was about 15 years ago, and that was a two-week road trip to visit more family. To me, just getting away from the normal day-to-day routine is good enough, but it always seems to come with work attached. I have gotten used to this, and I actually look forward to being able to practice skills that I don't use very often (carpentry, fence-building, tending animals, etc.) when I get the opportunity.

This year my “vacation” will consist of a week of watching the family farm (18+ acres of hills and trees with some pasture) so my Dad can go on a fishing trip. Since the family farm is my primary bugout location (BOL), this will give me a week to inspect, repair, and improve the various pieces of the property that make it a good candidate for a BOL. I will have to work my regular job a few of those days (staffing issues prevent me from taking the whole week off work) so I won't have as much time as I'd like, but I plan on making the most of the time I have.

My tentative plans include:

Check the Perimeter Fencing

Around here, the responsibility for maintaining fences follows the “right-hand rule”: as you look at a fence between your land and a neighbor's, you are responsible for the half of the fence on the right-hand side. Your neighbor is responsible for the other half, which will be on his right-hand as he looks at the same fence from his property. Clearing trees that have fallen on the fence is the biggest part of this job, with replacing the whole thing a close second. Replacing posts and patching barbed wire is a simple job, but getting to the fence can be a challenge in the rolling hills we have.

Update and Improve the Computer Network

I recently switched the farm over to a DSL line from the annoying and expensive dish internet. This saves about $60 a month, and there are no more data caps or speed issues in bad weather. I can understand using the dish internet if that is all that is available, but it has a lot of problems.

I still need to install a new wireless router and do some map work to plan for wider wi-fi coverage. My goal is to have at least minimal wi-fi available for security cameras that can cover the entire acreage. Even without internet access, once the network is set up I will be able to monitor what and who is moving around on the property.

Check and Maintain the Backup Generator

I bought a generator big enough to run one freezer, the refrigerator, and about half of the lights in the house several years ago when we had area flooding threatening the power supply. Mom was diabetic and needed a way to keep her insulin cold, so I bought her a generator. As far as I know it has only been used a few times, and I need to change the oil and make sure it has been stored properly.

Prepare the Area for Fruit Trees

There is a patch of scrub cedar trees that needs to be cleared and replaced with plum trees. Not too far from there is a spot with decent southern exposure that may be cleared for apple and cherry trees, but it is grown up with Prickly Ash saplings. Cedars are easy to cut out, but Prickly Ash is hard to kill; it likes to re-sprout if you don't kill the roots. I may have to invest in some agricultural chemicals capable of doing the job, but first I need to figure out how much space I want to clear.

Repair/reroute the Access Road to the Hilltop

There is a 2 acre flat spot on the top of the major hill, but the road or lane leading up to it is in bad shape; several years of neglect and too much rain have taken their toll on it. I own a surplus M35A2 2.5 ton truck and it can't make it up that road right now. It's time to survey a new route that will avoid the potential for rapid runoff during rainy years, and perhaps try to patch the path we already have. I'm not totally comfortable with only having one way in or out of an area, so I may do both.

Rebuild the Family Shooting Range

One of the valleys has become the family shooting range. With a 60' high hill for a backstop and about 150 yards from side to side, it is sufficient for informal weapons practice. I need to rebuild the target stands, and may lay out space for some permanent shooting benches to be built later. I also need to clean up after a few nephews who don't pick up their trash when they're done and have a talk with them about the paintball obstacles that have recently appeared.

Pest Eradication

Since the house at the farm is in the country, insects and rodents are a constant problem. The cats keep the small rodents at a manageable level, but the spiders and other bugs have gotten out of hand in the garage and (rarely used) basement. 

I have found an insecticide that will kill a wide variety of insects without the odors and hazards normally associated with bug sprays. Being FDA approved for use on food plants, and having a 90-day residual kill, makes this a good option for keeping insects out of a house.

This will be my test run for a future product review of that insecticide.  I'll see how well it works.

Have a Bonfire

One of the nights I am at the farm I will burn a brush pile that has accumulated for the last year. I may invite a friend or two over and sit around the fire drinking a few beers, or I may just sit and watch it burn by myself. 

This has been a rough year for me, losing my Mom, father-in-law, and two aunts within a month. I've also seen three acquaintances buried since Easter, and I think it may be time to sit by a fire and reflect on all of their lives. Some of us need to be around others to mourn, and some of us (like me) need to be alone.

The weatherman is calling for rain most of the week I'll be at the farm, so I guess I'll just have to see how much of my list gets accomplished. Some of it I can do from inside the house, and there are always other things to do to keep me busy if that's what I want.

Con Survival Part 2 - the Outdoor Event

Erin had a lot of really good pointers in her article about surviving various conventions.  I'm doing a quick follow-up on that to cover... dun duh DUNNN ... Outdoor Events.

From spring, all the way through late fall, we're all eager to get outside and go Do All The Things. For me and most of my close friends, that means Renaissance Festivals, camping trips with 200+ other people, bike rallies, and outdoor music festivals like Rocklahoma.

While there are some significant differences in an outdoor event of any size when you compare it to an indoor event like a convention, there are a lot of similarities as well.

Emergency Survival

• While you won't be looking for fire exits when you're outdoors, be mindful of where choke points happen to be, and where the crowd exits from the venue.
• Keep an eye out for emergency personnel such as police, security, EMTs, and fire & rescue. They usually have very distinctive markings to keep them easily identifiable in the crowd.  Move out of their way if you happen to see them coming your way.
• Like indoor locations, knowing where the bathrooms and water fountains are located is crucial. Large outdoor events are likely to have multiple sets of Port-a-Johns posted near the entrances, exits, and scattered in other locations at the site. It's good to know where more than one set is located, in case lines are really bad.
• If you are going to an event like a Renaissance Faire where animals are allowed on a leash, find out where the pet comfort station is located. Often these pet stations include communal watering dishes, faucets, and shade so that you can rest and water your furbaby as needed.  Remember, Fido can get over heated and exhausted just like you can!

Comfort
These are going to be almost a direct repeat of the things that Erin pointed out.

• Bring a water bottle with you. Concession prices are always outrageous, and you don't want to be paying upwards of $3.50 a bottle for a bottle of water or a soda every couple of hours. Refill your bottle every chance you get.
• If the venue allows outside food and drink (some don't), then pack snacks and/or a cooler with your lunch. Once you see the prices at the food vendors, you'll be really happy that you did.
• If the venue won't allow you to bring in a cooler with your snackage and meals, stick a few granola bars or other easily carried, small space-taking snacks in your backpack or purse that gets carried with you. Even in full Renfair costuming with a belt pouch rather than a full pack, my pouch is large enough to carry a couple of granola bars along with everything else that's "necessary" to have with me.
• Breath Mints - oh yes, please, bring breath mints. If you don't use them for your own sake, to get rid of that weird funky taste of dust out of your mouth -- please, for the love of all that's holy and the continued good will of your fellow event goers -- use them for OUR benefit!
• Comfortable Shoes. While this isn't possible for those of us who fall into the "serious Cosplayer/Reenactor/Faire Goer" role that are attempting to exactly duplicate a particular look (trust me, sack boots are not comfortable - not under any circumstances, not ever), it is something that I would strongly recommend for those who are casual attendees, or those going to something like a bike rally or music festival. If you forgo making a fashion statement in order to not feel like cutting your feet off at the ankles at the end of the day,  your feet will thank you.
• Non-constricting Clothing. Obviously if you're someone like me, who wears period appropriate costuming from the skin out, even when its 110° F in the shade in the middle of July in Texas, including all the tight fiddly bits that give a woman that perfect silhouette in costume, then this isn't an option. If you're a normal person with a functioning brain, who isn't into suffering for their art, then loose, comfortable clothing that is weather appropriate for the venue is definitely your best bet.

Communication
Again, most of this is simply a reiteration on what Erin posted, with a few minor variations.

• Keeping in touch is going to be a bugbear. Wifi is probably not going to be available at all, although since we're talking about outdoor venues, you should still get a phone signal --provided the event isn't in a location where there's no phone coverage to begin with!
• Walkie-Talkies can be a workable solution, provided you are ultra careful to check the frequencies you're using. Festival officials at many outdoor events and venues use walkie-talkies for official communications, calling for emergency personnel, and simply coordinating the event. Unless you have no cell service at all, its best to forgo walkie-talkies at outdoor venues.
• Pre-arranged check-in times and places. Agree before you split up on where you'll go if you can't reach each other via phone. Agree on what time you'll meet up for meals or specific festival highlights, and where you'll expect to wait for the rest of your party -- whether that be at the car, near a specific set of toilets, next to the jousting field, or in front of a particular merchant's stall.

Health and Hygiene
Go read what Erin wrote. Then read it again. Then think about how unpleasant you would find it, having to stand or sit next to someone you don't know, for 3 hours at a concert, if you can smell them from 3 feet away. Show the same consideration to everyone else that you expect to have shown to you, and you should be fine.

Convention Survival Strategies

Picture by KJ Photography

& is used with permission.

Now that spring has sprung, conventions across the country are starting up and folks are making plans to visit their favorite cons in the summer and fall. Since I am someone who goes to conventions when time and money permit, I thought I'd share some of my tricks for having a safe (and prepared!) time at a convention.


First Things First: Emergency Survival 
These ought to go without saying but I will list them here:

• Always know where the fire exits are in the convention hall, and be mindful of alternate ways out in case you need to evacuate quickly. 
• Similarly, keep your eyes out for the locations of fire extinguishers and first aid kits. 
• It's also good to know where the bathrooms and water fountains are... and if you don't think that qualifies as emergency survival, you haven't been to enough cons. 

Comfort

• Speaking of water, carry a water bottle with you and drink from it. It gets hot on the con floor and concession prices are usually between "ridiculous" and "highway robbery." Drink cold water to prevent thirst and dehydration, and top off every time you pass a water fountain. 
• Snack foods that keep well in the heat, like granola bars, are also excellent things to have around. 
• Breath mints (like Altoids) not only keep your breath pleasant but also remove nasty tastes from your mouth. 
• In fact, you should have an entire comfort kit with you at cons. A small bag with moleskin, cough drops (both the menthol kind and Ricola), and traveling packs of painkillers (Advil, Tylenol, Aleve) and allergy medication (such as Benadryl). 
• Unless you're a cosplayer dedicated to suffering for your art, have good walking shoes because you can  end up on your feet for 6-12 hours. 
• Any outfit you can't easily remove to use the toilet is just an exercise in suffering. 

Communication

• It can be hard to keep in touch with friends at a con; cell reception may be poor inside the hall, and wifi can range from "awesome" to "nonexistent" (usually "spotty") and from "free" to "pay by the hour". A much better alternative is to get a set of rechargeable walkie-talkies tuned to an unused frequency, as they're easier to hear on a busy con floor than a cell phone ringtone or IM chime and usually give faster response time. Even a short-range walkie-talkie ought to be sufficient for covering the entire main hall.
• Cell phones are better outside the convention (such as when going to eat), so make sure you have everyone's phone number. I didn't when I went to NRAAM in Nashville, and that bit me in the rear end. 
• Have prearranged rendezvous points ("Okay, we'll all meet by the main entrance at 5 pm for dinner") in case someone loses their walkie or experiences technical problems.

Money

• Cons cost money; there's just no getting around that. Between travel expenses, hotel rooms, meals and snacks, and tickets to the con itself, you're already looking at a significant outlay of money. Add to that the acres of really cool things you're likely to find there and it's easy to spend far more than you ever intended. Only attend a convention if you know you can afford to go!
• Many folks, myself included, are fond of bringing along emergency cash in case of unexpected expenses, like needing to fix the car on the way home or finding that once-in-a-lifetime find that you've just gotta have. 
• However, if you're not paying attention it can be easy for your emergency fund to turn into petty cash and be spent faster than you'd like. I like to put my true emergency funds (usually large bills like 100s or 50s) into a place that is secure yet hard to reach, so that I have to consciously be aware that I'm raiding it. My current favorite place is in my shoes, between the sole and the liner. 

Health & Hygiene

• Cram lots of people into an enclosed area and both sweat and odor will happen. It's just a fact of life and there's no getting around it. That said, be considerate: bring deodorant and soap, and use both. Your courtesy will be appreciated. 
• If the smell gets to be too much, take a cue from EMTs and coroners and put a little dab of something pungent, like Vicks VapoRub, on your upper lip. You'll smell it instead of body funk. 
• Taking a hot shower after the convention not only washes sweat, odors, allergens and germs off your body, but also relaxes your muscles and helps you sleep. 
• Resist the urge to stay up late. You need plenty of rest in order to stay healthy and maintain the energy needed to enjoy the rest of the con. 
• Conventions are like kindergarten for adults:  lots of people walking around, coughing and sneezing in an enclosed space and then touching items and each other. There's an excellent chance that you'll come home with what's known as "Con Crud" if you aren't careful, so use plenty of hand sanitizer and immune boosters like Emergen-C. 

http://comicsalliance.com/con-crud/