Understanding the File System

I'm not talking about computer file systems; I mean the files that are hardened steel tools. Selecting the proper file can be daunting with the massive range of files available and tasks they can perform, but the process becomes much simpler with a bit of information.

At their most basic, files are tools made from very hard steel with an abrasive surface cut into them. They are used to shape material and clean up rough and burred surfaces. Files are classed by two basic criteria: shape and tooth coarseness.

Tooth Coarseness
There are three primary levels of file coarseness. In order of most to least coarse, these are bastard, second cut, and smooth. A coarser file removes material much more quickly, but leaves a rougher, less finished surface. A finer tooth cut is far slower-working, but produces a finish that is smooth to the touch and looks much more polished.

Shape
The shape of the material being worked determines the best shape of file for the task.

• Mill and flat files are squared bars used for general stock removal on flat surfaces. They represent the first thing that comes to most folks' mind at the word "file." 
• Triangle files have three cutting surfaces. They show their best features on inside corners or cleaning burred threads on bolts. 
• Round or "rat tail" files look exactly like the tail of a rat, hence their name. Their shape makes them ideal for filing inside circular holes.
• Half-round files are my personal favorite; if I can only have one file, I'll pick a half-round. One face is flat like a mill file, while the other face is arched to work in rounded areas, and the faces meet at a sharp point, allowing triangle-style function.

Other File-Like Things
Needle files are very small, very fine-cut files. They remove material slower than any of the other files mentioned, but they leave wonderfully polished surfaces. I keep a set around for working on small machined parts or fitting things like firearms.

Rasps look like files, but with teeth more akin to a cheese grater. They're used for rapid removal of very soft materials like wood, plastic, and chitin (horse hooves). They remove material much faster than a normal file, and resist getting clogged with removed debris.

By Simon A. Eugster - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Using Files
File teeth are directional, meaning they only cut one way. They are designed to be pushed forward against the working surface. Pulling a file backward in a sawing motion will not remove any material, but can quickly dull your tool. Instead, push your file forward with even, moderate pressure. At the end of the stroke, lift the tool from the workpiece and reset it for the next stroke.


When selected and run properly, files will provide years of service, sometimes even a lifetime. Keep your axes sharp, your threads clean, and other metal projects deburred.

Lokidude

Urban Camping

The next time an earthquake hits your town, or a hurricane or wildfire hits, (or your mother in law visits -- I am in no position to judge on that one) you may find yourself without a home for a hopefully short period of time. Alternately, you may just find yourself between apartment housing contracts for two weeks.

Couch surfing may not be an option for various reasons, and you may not have the money for a hotel room or even for a traditional campground. For situations like this, I would suggest a potential option: urban camping.

What is Urban Camping?
Like the name suggests, urban camping is camping in the city or suburbs. It means a lot of different things to different people, but at the end of the day it usually comes down to a fancy way of being homeless for a bit.

Urban camping can be in a car, in a camper, or even in a tent, but I don’t really recommend that last one. The difficulty comes in three parts:

1. Where are you allowed to camp? / What do you camp in?
2. Dealing with the elements, including the human one. Make sure to obey the laws very carefully; being arrested for trespassing sucks.
3. Standard camping issues (sanitation, food, hopefully not bears…)

I want to stress something: when you are urban camping, there is a very real risk of having problems with locals. I have never had an issue, and most of the people that I know who do this on a regular basis have not, but the fact is that you are in an urban environment and if you are not careful you may have problems with law enforcement, warranted or not. Stealth is your friend in this, as is the phrase “leave no trace”.

Short Version: Be careful and you should be fine, but urban camping carries risk.

What Do I Sleep In?

Cars

These are fairly innocuous, and finding a place to park that no one minds is much easier to find than a spot for a tent or a spot for an RV.

The biggest difficulty with sleeping in a car is being able to stretch out comfortably. Sedans are typically a little cramped, but even my ‘98 Honda Civic can fit my 300 lb, 5’11” frame in it fairly comfortably with some planning. (I am assuming that you have a compact car of some sort, since it is fairly easy to stretch out in a minivan, SUV, or station wagon.)

• If you can, fold down the back seat of your car, and remove the passenger side front seat. This will give you an area to put down some sort of base for the bed, such as boxes covered by a cut sheet of plywood, or even heavy cardboard, in order to level them out. Put a sleeping bag on top of it, and you have a level, dry place to sleep.
• If you cannot remove the seat, scoot the passenger side seat as far forward as possible. Once you have done that, lean the passenger side seat as far back as you can. Put a pillow on the seat where it meets the back; that does a remarkable job of leveling it out.

Trailers
A camping trailer is awesome, but finding a place to park it and sleep in it is difficult to say the least. Finding someone who will let you  park it on their property is difficult, but not impossible.

If you can find a place to put a camping trailer or RV, you will still have all of the issues you would normally with camping, but it is a much nicer way to camp than the other options. 

Tents

A tent tends to draw a lot of attention, especially from law enforcement, and is an easy victim to vandalism. It has the advantage of allowing you to sleep stretched out, but with the preparation outlined above, you should be able to do that in another vehicle. 

If you have no other option than a tent, I recommend either a backpacking type tent (which can be packed into a small space) or a folding pop-up tent (so that you can get out of there quickly if you run into problems).

http://amzn.to/2CGMRE4

I use this pop-up tent from Zaltana. I have used it October and February in the Spokane Washington area (business conferences with all of the local hotels booked) with just my sleeping bag for insulation, and was fine. It takes me 20-30 seconds (yes, seconds) to set up, and if I decide to stake it down it takes me 2-3 minutes longer. It takes me about 30-60 seconds to put away, once my gear is out of it.




Where Can I Sleep?

First, remember to respect the laws. There are a plethora of online resources on how and where it is legal to park/sleep over night, and I could not even begin to cover every municipality in the USA, let alone other countries. Web searches are your friend.

A rule of thumb that I use is to make sure I don't make a nuisance of myself. If no one knows that you are there, they don’t hassle you. I also recommend finding somewhere out of view of the street if you can, with an easy way to leave if problems arise.

Residential areas tend to have people more willing to call police on odd looking cars, so you are taking chances with those. If you can find a secluded spot, and switch where you sleep, you may have no problems.

Parking Lots

If you are in the parking lot of a business, they are much more likely to be okay with it if you purchase something from them and if you move where you sleep at least every other night. On the occasion that I had to sleep somewhere behind a store, I have made sure to clean up after myself meticulously, and to clean up any trash etc. in the area as well. Employees are much more likely to look the other way if you are not a pest.

Walmart is almost perfect for travelers and people who are urban camping because they have food, camping supplies, and toilets. A lot of Walmarts in the midwest actually have RV parking, and don’t mind people who stay two or three nights in a row in their parking lot.

Truck Stops
I am a big fan of truck stops. They can be a little noisy, but they are right next to major roads, are open 24/7, and have rentable showers. In addition to that, a lot of them expect to have travelers occasionally sleep in their parking lots.

However, I do understand that it can stretch the definition of “Urban” to do this, and it is not always a convenient -- for example, if you have to get to a job site, the commute time can be a bit much.

On Foot/On a Bicycle

If you don't have a car, or have to travel lighter, I recommend finding somewhere on the tail end of a bus route. Heavily trafficked areas tend to be more traveled by law enforcement and by people who are permanently homeless, which can lead to friction that you will probably want to avoid. Finding somewhere at the tail end of a bus route will still get you close to public transport, and if you select carefully, can still allow access to toilets/food for purchase at odd hours.

None of These
If you have none of these as an option, find a spot away from the road a bit. Foot traffic will lead people to you, and you want to avoid that as well. Somewhere a bit darker and a bit out of the way is generally a good idea, as is being willing to move come morning. I strongly recommend somewhere with easy access to a toilet, since public urination is frowned on and can cause problems with law enforcement.

What Do I Need to Have?
I strongly recommend a tarp with some rope at the very least. Even if all you do is wrap up your stuff, it is nice to have a waterproof package, and a tarp can act as an impromptu pup tent, ground cover, bag, and light blocker. Cheaper tarps will let more light through, and are more likely to rip, but a serviceable tarp for this should not cost more than $20, and you can sometimes find them on sale in the $2-5 range.

I also recommend a sleeping bag. I like a canvas bag because if I get strange things on it I can wash and dry it fairly easily, but as long as it is warm, it works. If you can’t get a sleeping bag, a good wool blanket is actually very nice. A blanket and a bag are nice together, if budget allows. Be aware that having just a blanket can be to your advantage if you may need to get out quickly, due to problems with locals, since a blanket takes less time to disentangle yourself from than a sleeping bag.

If you are camping out of a car, I recommend a couple of sturdy cardboard boxes that have been folded to help even out the sleeping arrangements. They look fairly innocuous if they are in the back seat of the car, and can be set up quickly.

I also recommend a good pair of sleeping earplugs (if you feel comfortable blocking out some sound in your environment) and a sleeping mask. Urban camping tends to involve being around a lot more light pollution.

Also, several pairs of good socks. Sanitation is much easier if you have clean socks. Underwear dries more easily than socks do if you have to wear it while it dries.

General Tips
Avoid making a lot of light or noise. Besides being potentially attention getting, it can be just straight up rude to any potential “neighbors” you have.

A small cooler can save you a LOT on food costs. You might get tired of lunchmeat sandwiches, but it will do the job.

A national parks pass can save you a lot of hassle. If you have something nearby, it may be worth it to spend the $80 (at time of this writing) and just camp in one of those. That may not be possible, depending on time of year, but it is sure a heck of a lot cheaper than a normal campground or a hotel.


Be safe. Be aware of your environment. And good luck.

Too Much On My Belt

Not actually Erin.

Picture by KJ Photography

& is used with permission.

That title should actually be "I have too much stuff on my gun belt and that makes it difficult for me to conceal everything, and I can't find good alternate places to put that stuff, and I have trouble paring stuff down," but that would have been excessively wordy.

This is something I call Batman Syndrome and it ties into an article I wrote years ago about how there's a slippery slope between being a prepper and being a hoarder. If you have full-scale Batman Syndrome, your every day carry preps resemble Batman's utility belt, or a police officer's duty belt, or soldier's assault pack. 

To be clear, the problem isn't just having all that stuff with you; it's allowing that stuff to interfere with your life. As an example, if you regularly carry a backpack full of preps, but there's no room for anything else in it and you end up carrying your books (or whatever should be in that backpack) in your arms, you're defeating the purpose of having a backpack in the first place. In my case, I'm trying to avoid becoming the person who carries so much stuff that it's obvious she's carrying, which therefore negates the whole "concealed" aspect.

So why am I sharing this? Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I typically have at least five different things going on in my brain at one time. Usually some of these things are fun, like "I can't wait for the next Marvel movie," or are easily solved in the short term, like "What will I have for dinner?"

However, sometimes my mind grabs onto something which is neither fun nor easily solvable. These are either questions about prepping or worries about my future, and I end up ruminating on those problems until I either solve them or get distracted by something. A problem occurs when the distraction ends up being another worry or question -- I get locked into a pattern where I can't concentrate on anything because most of my brain power is locked into trying to fix various concerns while solving nothing, like a dog chasing its tail. 

In an attempt to break this pattern, I've decided to share with you one of the things which are bothering me. I don't really expect solutions; I'm just hoping that talking them out will clear my head.

Here's what I have on my Every Day Carry gun belt*:

• Glock 26 pistol. It's not a gun belt if it doesn't have a gun on it, so this isn't coming off. 
• 2x 17 round magazines. These aren't coming off either, because they counterbalance the weight of the Glock and keep me from feeling lopsided. Plus, I like carrying 50 rounds. (2 x 17 = 34, plus 15 round magazine in pistol = 49, plus one in the chamber = 50.)
• Tactical flashlight. I have a CL-42 which, while at 420 lumens is not the brightest flashlight out there, has the virtues of being small, lightweight, and free (it was given to me at the Kel-Tec booth a few NRA conventions ago). It's bright enough to do what I need it to do and takes up so little space and weight that it's practically negligible. I see no need to remove or replace it. 
• Tourniquet. No matter which model you carry (CAT or SOFTT-W) or how you carry it (horizontally or vertically), tourniquets are bulky and there's no way to get around that. Still, if I'm going to carry a gun to protect my life or the lives of loved ones, I'm going to carry a TQ for the same reason. This one isn't coming off, either, but I have yet to find an ideal solution. 
• For those curious, I've found the SOFFT-W works better on the Phlster Flatpack, while the CAT works better in the Kley-Zion.
• Ka-Bar TDI, Large. I carry the large version because if I ever need a knife on my belt (as opposed to in my pocket or in a bag), then I'm probably fighting for my life and in that situation I want the largest knife possible in order to maximize damage and distance. The problem with this, though, is that the handle is likewise large and it's easily seen through my clothing. I can be convinced to take this off, but I won't like it. 
• I've tried carrying this unconcealed, but the shape of the handle has lead more than one person to assume it's a pistol. Given that I can't openly carry a handgun in my state unless under certain specific conditions, I feel this invites more trouble than it's worth. 
• I also own the smaller version, but it has its own issues, most notable of which is that the clip on its sheath doesn't work well with my belt and I've yet to find another sheath or carry solution which works any better. 
• Sabre Pepper Gel. This is probably the one item I could most easily be talked out of carrying, because pepper sprays have limited utility. I still like having it, though, because it gives me options that aren't lethal.
• Wound Treatment Kit. I received this as a Christmas Present from Lucky Gunner (alongside another SOFTT-W and Phlster), and I'd really like to carry it because it has means of treating a serious wound in a manner which complement the tourniquet. The problem is that it, and the pouch that it's in, is five inches long, four inches high and two inches thick. It doesn't fit comfortably anywhere on my belt; it's more of a cargo pocket or purse kind of carry. Unfortunately, I don't wear many clothes with cargo pockets and I don't carry a purse everywhere (such as when I'm walking the dog). 
• There's also the fact that by this point, I've used up all the space from 9:00 to 3:00 on my belt, and anything else which is added makes sitting in car seats and at restaurant tables uncomfortable.
  

The final bit of irony about all this is that if I could just carry openly, I wouldn't be worrying about this. Again, the problem isn't carrying all this stuff; it's concealing all this stuff. 

Alas, Florida isn't likely to get open carry, even for permit holders, for the foreseeable future. 

* Not to be confused with my Special Occasion Gun Belt, which involves a  .380 Colt Mustang and a single spare magazine. This is for when I'm going to a nice place or a social event where I don't want to be carrying a lot of gear, but I still want to be armed. 

A Little Pillow Talk about Safety and Penetration

Happy New Year!

This video is the first in a series where I demonstrate the penetrative value of various handgun calibers versus my neighbor's pillow (previously killed here).

Staying Safe and Warm in Winter

It's winter, and around here we've been breaking low-temperature records for at least a week. There's frost and snow in the Carolinas, the East Coast is gearing up for a blizzard, and there's even a snow forecast for Florida,

Staying warm is nice, but staying warm and safe at the same time should be your goal.

• Every winter we hear of house fires started because of a “faulty” space heater.
• Ice storms and blizzards tend to bring down power lines, causing people to use makeshift sources of heat, often without any forethought.
• Candles being used for light during a power outage and kitchen stoves being used to warm a house when the furnace dies (gas stoves can usually be lit with a match if the electricity is out, but don't try the oven) are two other common causes of winter house fires. 
• At least once a winter, the national news will cover the death of a family asphyxiated by carbon monoxide (CO) from a charcoal grill used as a source of heat inside a house. 

Safety is one reason to prep, so how do we stay safe in winter?

Christmas Decorations

• Christmas is over, so everyone who used a real tree should get the dried up, dead, highly flammable tree out of the house by mid January at the latest. If not, keep watering it daily to reduce the drying.
• Unplug Christmas tree lights when nobody is around to watch the tree, even if you use an artificial tree. Fire retardant doesn't mean fireproof, and those presents wrapped in thin paper will catch any sparks that may fall from a bad string of lights.
• Check your strings of lights every year. Any cracking or fraying of wires means that string goes into the recycle bin or trash. Strings of lights are cheap; cleaning up after even a small fire isn't.
• I've seen “retro” tree displays using real candles for lights. Unless you have a sprinkler system or other fire-suppression system installed in your house, this is a bad idea. It may look cool, but it's a disaster waiting to happen.
• Watch the holiday plants. Poinsettias aren't as poisonous as once thought, but holly berries are toxic.
• American mistletoe isn't poisonous, but its European cousin is. Pets and small children are the usual victims, since they'll eat anything they're not supposed to.

Emergency Heat

• Keep flammables away from any source of emergency heat. Clothes, curtains, blankets, and paper should be kept at least three feet away from any heater.
• If you have a wood stove or fireplace for back-up heat, treat it like any other prep you have by practicing its use before you need it. You're not going to reach for a book on first aid while someone is bleeding, so why would you try to run a wood-burner without practice? I covered wood heat 2 ½ years ago in two articles, and the basics haven't changed since then. 
• Do not use any form of cooking grill inside an occupied building. Charcoal and propane can both produce dangerous levels of CO very quickly. Odorless and invisible, CO kills by blocking your blood's ability to transport oxygen. Even with a good furnace, CO alarms are cheap insurance and I highly recommend putting one next to each of your smoke alarms.
• If you plan on using electric space heaters to warm a small area (keeping your feet warm under a desk, under a sink to keep water pipes from freezing, etc.), make sure you have a newer heater equipped with a tip-over switch. Usually a button on the bottom, the tip switch kills the power if the heater falls over.
• Electric heaters draw a lot of power, so most of them will come with a warning against using extension cords with the heater. Common household extension cords are rated for about 5 amps, while most heaters will draw 10 amps or more. Pushing that much amperage through a too-small wire makes it get hot, creating another fire hazard.

Emergency Lighting

• We've covered a lot of different forms of lighting on this blog. Use the search box in the upper right-hand corner and you'll find reviews and thoughts on flashlights, lanterns, and other forms of light.
• Candles and kerosene lamps are common forms of emergency light, and they both generate a bit of heat. I covered lanterns in my “liquid-fueled light” series a few years ago.
• Any time you are using flame as a source of light, you need to keep children, pets, and stupid people away from them. Kids playing with candles cause a couple of fires every year around here (rural towns in a county with a population less than 6,000).
• Never go to sleep with a candle burning. The Army used to have a duty known as “fire watch” back when we lived in wooden barracks that were built before running water was common inside a house. Someone had to stay awake all night just to watch for fires that could take out an entire building in a matter of minutes. Not a bad idea if you're using open fire as a source of light or heat.
• If you're using a battery-powered light for back-up, make sure you have plenty of spare batteries. I tend to buy AA and AAA batteries in bulk packs of 30 or more to save money, and the plastic boxes they come in keep them from being scattered in the junk drawer.

Prepping for winter is just another item on the list where I live, but I know some of you don't normally get temperatures below freezing and the rare winters when you do can be a bit of a shock. Stay safe when you prep for the out-of-the-ordinary weather.

Prudent Prepping: The Year in Review

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Follow along as I build a long term plan via Prudent Prepping. 

This has been a fun year. I've added several new items to my gear, tried to slightly upgrade some others and tossed out one or two... maybe just one.

These are the topics that I covered this year which I feel are most relevant:

Keeping Out of Trouble In the City, or Don't Club Me, Bro!
The cold weather seems to have stalled out the demonstrations, but May is just a couple months away. The Leftists celebrations of The Communist Revolution are right around the corner and that seems to be the start of Protest Season.

One of many Better To Be Safe than sorry posts this year.
I have been in a building that burned, and it isn't anything I want to repeat. The minimum level for my personal safety includes smoke and carbon dioxide detectors in every room, all common areas and an accessible fire extinguisher in the kitchen.

"Aziz, LIGHT!"  
Since I am in Big Box stores daily, looking for bargains there is easy. Inexpensive quality items items are at the top of my list. These lights are one of my better finds.

Being a recovering Hoarder,Keeping Things Organized is a must. 
Once stuff gets out of hand it's almost impossible to recover. Having an actual trunk is similar to an empty closet or empty shelf.

Refreshing my memory of some of  The Important Things in prepping is a good idea.
It's not just this book either, I need to finish re-reading the other books at the top of my list.

If we Had Money To Burn, things would be simpler! 
I would be all saying "Alexa, get me everything on my Amazon shopping list and duplicate it for my friends!" But we are named Blue Collar Prepping for a reason.

Want to do something different? Set out to Be An Example for someone. 
While it is better to be a good example, a bad example can reinforce things faster.

There's so much more that I could list:

• All the other gear upgrades
• Improvements to my stored food 
• My unfinished business with the personal safety side of my preps

Those will have to wait for the BCP 2018  Post-o-rama!


Thanks to all of you who read what I've written, especially those of you who have commented. It really is appreciated!


Just a reminder: if you plan on buying anything through Amazon, please consider using our referral link. When you do, a portion of the sale comes back here to help keep this site running!

If you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!

NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.

Prepper New Year's Resolutions

The new year is a time when most folks start making resolutions -- promises to themselves regarding things they plan to improve in the coming year. I'm not normally a resolution-making type, since an astronomical percentage of resolutions fail in very short order. Instead, my goals are usually task-based and -driven. However, I have a few blogging and prepping goals that seem rather appropriate to discuss and implement with the new year.

My first resolution is to get back to my roots. This year I'll be doing more camping and outdoors preparedness things, and sharing them with all of you. There will hopefully be more hunting and fishing content as well. I also have quite a bit of automotive work coming down the pike, so there will be some instruction and advice on keeping your own motorized equipment running longer and more effectively.

Everybody talks about improving their health, and I'll try (try!) to do some of that. A fitter person can work harder, carry more, and travel further, and remain less susceptible to injury and illness. All of those things make me more valuable and helpful to my family and tribe.

I also plan on upgrading and better organizing my gear and supplies. It's hard to use things properly when you don't know what you have. I'll take you through the process of completely rebuilding my BoB, as my beloved old pack finally self-destructed, and  'll also be turning an eye toward rotating consumable supplies to ensure freshness.

In the recent past, we made some serious upgrades to the photography and videography equipment in our home, so expect me to make and share more video content as well. I have new preps to review, and I'll spend my money so that y'all don't have to.

My final resolution is to try and show folks how to see the world through Angus MacGyver glasses. For those of you unfamiliar, or only familiar with the garbage calling itself MacGyver these days, in the 80s there was an inspirational show about a secret agent Boy Scout who went on globe-trotting adventures. He didn't have any neat James Bond gadgets, not even a gun; the only tools he had were a Swiss Army Knife, his wits, and whatever he found around him. The genius of MacGyver is how he approached a problem: he never had the proper tools, so instead he looked for what would work in a pinch. So often, folks get brain-locked on what they don't have or would like to have, instead of working with what they do have and getting out of trouble. It is a different way of thinking and I hope to share a fair bit of that with you.

It looks to be a busy year around the House of Dude, full of lots of informative and instructive content for everyone.

Lokidude