MAINSTAY 3600 and 1200 Calorie Emergency Food Ration (Energy Bars)

I've been looking for a simple solution to carrying food in my Bug Out Bag, I am in the process of building a Food Bug Out Bag to use in conjunction with my Bug Out Bag but I've run into some concerns.

I originally wanted to have everything in one bag; gear, food, essentials, and protection. But I've run into a problem, I created the bag to have enough supplies for me and my wife to survive for 76 hours in whatever situation you can imagine and I'm limiting the size of my bag to one large day pack. (See previous posts) I want to ensure that one person remains unencumbered so that we can take turns carrying the pack, scouting ahead, or engaging obstacles. I also want to ensure that the pack is small/light enough that mobility is not hindered if we need to move fast through rough terrain. This leaves me with a quite stuffed pack that has no extra room for 76 hours of meals.

Note: I am not advocating leaving the food behind in a Bug Out scenario, I am only stressing that it may be one of the less important items during a hasty departure. If you have time and space to pack food, by all means bring it along.

Here is my thought process behind having no meal type food in the pack; when and if I bug out, I may have only seconds to leave the house. If I have only seconds to depart, I wont have time to pack a suitcase or weigh decisions on what I want to bring, if I don't have time to decide, then when I grab my Bug Out Bag, it has be the one stop shop (and still be able to carry it) to cover most of the scenarios I can realistically plan for.

It must cover the following necessities for life (and in this order):
Safety -
   - Personal Safety, such as the need for a firearm. Like Clint Eastwood says in "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly", "You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."   
Shelter -
    - If you don't have shelter in many situations, you will die. Shelter is a lot of things, from your shoes and coat, to a tarp and a warm fire. Exposed you won't last very long. (Some might say, water should be before shelter, to those people I say, tonight at midnight jump out of bed wearing only your underwear, run (not walk) out of your house all the way to your mailbox or the end of your street, no shoes, no clothes, and tell me which you would rather have next time you depart in a hurry, a gallon of water in a jug, or shoes and a coat.) I can get water most anywhere here in the pacific northwest, but if you have hypothermia and no shelter, all the fresh water in the world won't help you.
Water -
    - Water is specific to your region, get some as soon as you can, purify if you're able, and stay hydrated. Water is heavy and you need to weigh (pun intended) the pro's and con's of carrying 8lbs of water (1 Gallon) or 8lbs of gear.
Food -
    - You will need food eventually, but unless you have a medical condition, you can go for three days without food (many more if absolutely necessary). You will be hungry, but most of us can stand to loose a little weight. A big bag of food alone will not keep you safe or warm. 

So, If you carry food, it can be in a separate bag, grab it if you have time and space to carry it, but the first priority needs to be the immediate future.

This is why I have recently purchased some emergency rations for the BOB, they aren't anything that you would want to eat for regular meals, and even in a Bug Out situation I would want a supply of real food to sustain me. They fit in the pack, don't take up much room and give me an easy 7200 calories (2 Rations at 3600 cal each)

MAINSTAY 3600 and 1200 Calorie Emergency Food Ration (Energy Bars)

 Here is a close up of the 3600 and 1200 ration bar.

So I wanted to test these bars out. I'd like to know before I need them in an emergency if they taste like condensed sea-gull poop, or cause kidney failure.....

On test day I went to visit a gun show about 3 hours away, I awoke early in the morning (around 05:30AM) and ate only the energy bar until about 02:00PM (Lots of water), the day consisted of standing in the cold for hours and walking for a few hours once inside the show. The bar did its job, it was a pretty tasty lemon sugar cookie texture and I didn't have any adverse reactions from eating it. Its no cheeseburger, but it's not too hard to consume.

Make sure you have some water, I can't see myself eating a serving of this without at least a mouthful of water. It tastes good enough that my mouth watered while I ate it, but around 02:00PM I wouldn't have gone so far as to say that I would relish eating this for two or three days straight. In a bug out scenario hopefully you can use this to supplement what food you have brought along or scavenged along the way.

These bars are a good addition to a BOB, and they beat "air sandwiches" any day of the week, order some, keep them in your car and BOB. With a five year shelf life they are a solid stable ration if you ever need them.

Flashlight, SUREFIRE E1B Backup, The Torch of the Future

I recently picked up a new flashlight, I am addicted to flashlights and this one is no exception. I figure it's just one of many, but it's hardly a "flavor of the week".

The Surefire E1B Backup (Not to be confused with the new EB1 Backup) Flash light is exactly what it says, its a backup to a full sized tactical light. I was carrying a Surefire KROMA for a long time, and its just too big for EDC (Every Day Carry), then I switched to a Nightops Gladius, better size but no pocket clip and still a bit too big, it serves me better on my gun belt, or on my nightstand for when things go bump in the night. I don't relish baggy clothes so I've been shopping around for something small and powerful that I can carry every where.

The E1B Backup, fits my needs. I try to keep a flashlight handy all the time, and I prefer to have it clipped in my left pocket. (right side is for my pocket knife)

Here are the Specs taken from the Surefire website.

Dual-output, microprocessor-controlled, virtually indestructible LED

TIR lens produces tightly focused beam with enough secondary light to accommodate peripheral vision

Coated, impact-resistant Pyrex® window protects lens and LED and helps maximize light transmission

Compression-resistant O-ring seals for weatherproofing

Aerospace-grade aluminum body with Mil-Spec Type III hard anodizing in black

“Melted” styling and flutes instead of knurling help save clothing and resist snagging

Sturdy, two-way pocket clip lets you carry flashlight bezel up or down

Tailcap switch: click for constant-on at high setting; click on, then off and back on again within two seconds for low setting

Patented lockout feature prevents accidental activation

High: 110 lumens

Low: 5 lumens

Run Time: High Setting: 1.3 hrs.

Low Setting: 37 hrs.

Weight: 2.8 oz. (w/batt.)

Length: 4.0"

Bezel: 1.0" (diam.)

Batteries: 1 CR123

I like everything about this light, the bright setting is 110 lumens, more than bright enough to shine across the yard and into the trees at dusk, and bright enough to temporarily blind an assailant and work as a weapon light. The secondary setting at 10 lumens is perfect for getting to my car in a dark parking lot, or finding my dropped keys on the floor of a dark movie theater. 

At 37 Hrs of run time on the low setting and 1.3 Hrs on high, it's more than enough to change a car tire in the dark, finish a short hike after night has fallen, or light the area in any of the situations that I find myself in. 

Note: This light is not the same as the EB1, that light runs 200 lumens. This is not confirmed, but from inital reports the EB1 starts out at 200 lumens and slowly dims, ending at a much lower brightness at about 1 Hr. My light, the E1B, starts at 110 lumens and holds that brightness for about an hour. Both lights are worth the purchase, but are completely different in their presentation. Just make sure you research the newest tests before you spend your hard earned money. 

Good Bezel, works as a strike face and allows the light to do a nose stand without getting too hot. Should you set the light down on the bezel, you will be reminded to turn it off from the light leaking out. 

Really great spring steel pocket clip, I don't like to have my flash light "swimming" in my pocket, and I sure don't want to "fish" it out in an emergency. I carry mine bezel down. At the time of this post, I have been carrying this light for a solid 3 weeks, every day, everywhere, and I have yet to accidentally turn it on in my pocket, or have it fall out of my pocket. I do wish it had a lanyard clip, but I can figure that out in the future.

Disassembled, a pretty simple setup, with only one Surefire CR123A battery. Good tight lockup on each of the pieces and thick o-rings for water-resistance at each junction.

Low profile, keeps it from snagging on my hand when I get things out of my pocket, and it sits low enough in the pocket that it isn't overtly visible.

I use a lot of CR123A batteries and if you've ever bought these batteries from a convenience store you know that two in a pack can cost $5 to $14. That can add up fast, I find that I use about 1 CR123A battery a month, they last a long time in lights and I find them superior to any AA or AAA battery. (My EB1 Backup is still on its first battery and I've been using it on low about 3 to 5 min every day) I went hunting for the best deal on CR123A Lithium batteries and the best pricing I've found is from http://www.batterystation.com/cr123a.htm They have 32 batteries for $55, free shipping, and you get this free Otter box, waterproof case to store your batteries. The batteries are "Battery Station Brand" and from the tests I've seen they rank right in between Energizer and Duracell, they have a 10 year shelf life and I've had really great use from them. I'm not a paid rep for this website, they just offer a really exceptional product  at a great price. 

To sum it all up, I've tried a lot of lights, and you get what you pay for. Surefire makes a very reliable product, and every time I've tried a different brand, I've been left wanting. Surefire doesn't make the most advanced flashlight, or even the brightest, but I think they make some of the best in the reliable, no nonsense category  The price tag is high, but I don't like to be left in the dark... plus with the introduction of the EB1, you can get the E1B on sale for a while...

Oh, and did I mention I love Battery Station, they offer Military and LEO discounts as well, check it. 

Till next time, Stay Bright!

Upgraded Robinson XCRs and Battlecomp 1.0

Just a quick post today, ok... maybe not that quick...

I went to the range today to function test my new rifle setups. I've tuned both rifles (See earlier posts) and I've added a few things that I've been gathering up for the last month or so.

I've taken the rifles and added the following, here are some pictures of the completed rifles.....

But first... heres a little intro to muzzle devices:

Note: This is "basic intro", you should understand that there are many, many, muzzle devices which will be exceptions to the definitions I have below, and there are more scientific explanations for those who want a little more indepth.

- Flash Hider: Used to prevent muzzle flash. This is the standard for what you will find on about 95% of all AR-15 type rifles currently on the market. Most commonly you'll see the trusted M-16 Style A2 Birdcage Flash Hider.
- What it does: Hides the flash. As hot gasses exit the muzzle of the rifle into the open atmosphere you get a burst of light/fire, this is problematic for shooting at night, as the flash will reduce your natural adapted night vision, and give away your position. The flash hider disperses these hot gasses so they don't ignite. This makes the flash hider excellent at preventing a large flash.... but very poor at controlling muzzle rise or perceived felt recoil.

- Compensator: Used to control muzzle rise.
- What it does: Directs escaping gasses upward, forcing the barrel downward when firing. This allows for a faster follow up shot by keeping your muzzle on target. As you can imagine, if you are channeling hot gasses upward, rather than diffusing the gasses (Flash hider), you will get a fireball (Big fireball) in your field of vision. This channeling of gasses also makes the rifle sound much louder, which you will notice in a covered range and may be prohibited from using in an indoor range.

- Muzzle Brake: Used to control perceived felt recoil.
- What it does: Directs escaping gasses back and to the side, controlling perceived recoil rearward. When using a brake, you will notice less recoil, (Think, the muzzle device on a shoulder fired .50 Cal BMG rifle) but you still have the large fireball, and if you were impressed by the loudness of the compensator, prepare to see that even more magnified with a brake. This is due to the gasses being directed back and to the sides.

Why not make a super Flash hider/compensator/muzzle brake? Because you only have a finite amount of gas from each round, and in order to maximize your effect (Recoil reduction, muzzle rise, or flash reduction) you can only do one or two of these effects well. Try to combine everything and you will end up with a muzzle device that excels at nothing and is mediocre at everything.

Battlecomp 1.0 - I removed the original M-16 A2 Birdcage Flash Hider, which is great at hiding the flash from your muzzle and preventing dust clouds while lying prone, but does little to nothing for muzzle rise or perceived recoil. I researched the Battlecomp Compensator, took a risk and ordered two... Well worth the coin. (I won't post what I paid, you can Google that on your own) From my first two range visits with them installed I noticed a huge improvement in controlling muzzle rise, not much change in perceived recoil, but the Battlecomp is a compensator, not a muzzle brake so i'm extremely happy with the results. As a side bonus the Battlecomp is also pretty good at reducing muzzle flash. (I can't explain how it does two things well, but I reckon that's why it costs so much...)

If you haven't fired a semi-auto rifle with a good compensator or muzzle brake, you are missing out. Follow up shots are faster and the rifle is more controllable, resulting in a better shooting experience. Don't fall prey to those who say you won't benefit from a compensator or muzzle brake on a .223/5.56 rifle, try it before you knock it (Shoot smarter, Not harder).

Note on Compensators and Muzzle Brakes: These devices can be very noisy and cause bystanders to feel what some people describe as a thump to the chest. In close proximity to someone shooting with a muzzle brake or compensator it can feel like every time the shooter takes a shot, you get thumped hard in the chest and face with the blast. Please be considerate when shooting at a range or in close proximity to others, it may be fun for you, but annoying and distracting for those around you. I re-iterate, the shooter will not feel the full effect of the thump, but those around you will. I would avoid using brakes and compensators at enclosed ranges, and refrain from ever using them at an indoor range with other shooters. (The Battlecomp is very "other shooters" friendly, and its only slightly louder than the original A2, other compensators/brakes I've tested are not so friendly)

Battlecomp 1.0, Still sooty from testing, with white paint from the range (Lil fella gets real hot)

Now the upgrades that I've made
- 2 new Battlecomp 1.0 Compensators (Buy extra crush washers... you've been warned)
- MAGPUL MOE Grip
- MAGPUL XTM Rail covers (Multi-colored, for a Camo-Tacticool look)
- MAGPUL MBUS (MAGPUL Back-up Sight)
- Aluminum Forward Hand Stop/QD Sling Mount
- Aluminum QD Flash Light Mount
- Lancer L-5 20rd Magazine

Enjoy... Until next time.