For Women: Other Weapons

Last post we covered some of the issues facing women in regards to firearms. Today I’d like to talk about some non-gunpowder weapons for women, but require some consideration in use.

The most important of these is the bow. Whether simple, re-curve, compound or even crossbow, it is important to ensure that they are appropriate for the woman using them. The first thing to consider is draw weight. It is important to make sure that the bow can be drawn comfortably and consistently, and that getting the bow to full draw not require a heroic effort, although the highest comfortable draw weight is to be aimed for the purpose of getting the best range from the bow.

The trade off to a lower draw weight is less overall power, but this is not as important as it seems at first glance. While bullets kill largely by the amount of kinetic energy they transfer to the target, arrows are different. An arrow usually kills by causing blood loss from the action of the razor sharp broad head mounted on the arrows. As the target moves, it causes more damage with every shift of position. Thus the absolute power of the bow is not as important, as long as the energy is sufficient for penetration into the body cavity.

Due to their generally shorter stature, it is also important for the bow to be sized so that it is not too long and unwieldy for women. This can be difficult with conventional bows, but easier to achieve with compounds. Despite my dislike for the more complicated compound, it may be the best choice in terms of draw weight and fit for women.

There is also the crossbow to consider. Here we get the same draw weight regardless of user, although there are other issues. For example, the same concerns for rifles apply here, where the stock must be fitted to the user. Recoil is not an issue, but cocking the bow might be of some concern. However, where a woman might not have sufficient upper body strength to cock the bow solely by hand, there are devices that can help, from the simple waist hook to mechanical cranks.

Another weapon that may require some thought is the knife, specifically the size of the weapon’s grip. Women in general have far smaller hands than men, and it is important that the handle of any knife be proportioned properly so that a proper grip can be established and maintained. This is more of an issue than ever, as more and more the larger knives are becoming the popular choice for survivalists, and few makers take into account that the hand holding it may be a female hand.

There are other weapons to be considered, such as throwing sticks, spears, atlatls, and slings. While any of them are usable by women, I feel the best choice for women in this group of weapons is the sling, where the power of the weapon is derived from conversion of centripetal force, and not just on raw muscle power; and is a surprisingly effective weapon in skilled hands for hunting small game. As well, modern slingshots are easily used by anyone and are also effective.

Most importantly, regardless of what weapons women choose it is important that time is made to practice. In some cases, such as bows, there may be a necessity for a woman to build upper body strength for maximum effectiveness. Really, there is no earthly reason that women in a survival situation be any less armed or dangerous than their male counterparts

Originally posted October 16, 2011 @MPN

Occupation Forces

First of all, my apologies for not updating this blog in a timelier manner. I got involved in a political campaign along with my other commitments, and there just wasn’t time to do everything. I hope to return to a schedule of a post per week, plus two reposts from the other two blogs for which I write. So on to this week’s post:

Anyone that has the least exposure to any news outlet cannot have failed to notice the ongoing Occupy Wall Street demonstrations. Whether you applaud or revile the people doing the protesting, it is worth looking at these protests as a strong indicator. But indicators of what exactly?

The first thing it indicates is that many, many people believe that the world’s financial system is not only badly slanted against the ordinary person and in favour of corporations and those people on the inside of the financial system, but also that they believe the system is broken and needs a huge overhaul. Again, it is not an issue of whether you believe them right or wrong, but what it means to you.

The most likely result is continued instability in the financial system over the short to medium term. Again, I can only urge what I’ve been urging all along: Get your butt out of debt, minimize the vulnerability of your investments and make sure you have a reserve of cash or other medium of exchange for tough times. And keep preparing.

Keep preparing for what though? Well, I really dislike the look of the financial system in the long term. There is good reason, at least in my opinion, to think that we are going to have a lot of difficulty in avoiding a deep recession or depression that is very wide ranging, perhaps even worldwide in its effects. That is going to lead to a degree of instability that may have serious effects on some countries.

Am I talking about some sort of Rawlesian apocalypse? Very unlikely, but I believe that there is a lot of hardship to come, and those that are prepared for it will come out the other end in far better shape than those that failed to prepare financially and materially.

However, it is also worth noting that the protests are also an indicator of a deep rooted, simmering anger felt by people in our society. As the financial markets have lurched from one bubble (scam?) to another over the last 30 or so years (Remember the S & L scandals in the USA? The dot- com crash?) People have watched their savings, pensions and even their livelihoods be savaged over and over again while those on the ‘inside’ just seem to get richer.

While the protests have so far been largely peaceful, events in England earlier this year have shown how easy it would be for there to be fairly widespread civil unrest. As the economic situation deteriorates, people will be less and less inhibited about committing unlawful behavior. It will not take much more to see the beginnings of the sort of unrest rarely seen in North America to become increasingly common, and you need to make sure your property and person are as well protected as you can make them.

Overall, keep a wary eye on the news and make sure you are not blindsided by the rapid pace of events. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say.

It’s just common sense

Time is on my side

Late again. I'm extraordinarily busy these days, and I'm getting tardy updating this. I have good intentions to post every Sunday, but we know what's paved with those...

Anyway, since we're talking about time. let's talk about time. In most survival blogs, you'll see people talk about loading up and bugging out. Rarely do you see them talk about how long it it will take them to get on the road. Heck, I can't even get out the door in a timely manner for a hike, never mind fleeing a major catastrophe.

Travel times to retreats are generally estimates made by driving the route in clear weather and light traffic, perhaps with a minor fudge factor thrown in for 'realism'. Katrina should have taught us that bug out times can be measured in days, not hours, if you're unfortunate.

That lack of realistic timing can extend to other things. It's all well and good to intend on cutting a half dozen cords of wood to heat your retreat through the winter, but have you ever done it? Do you have a realistic idea of how many person-hours it will take to find, bring home, chop and stack that much firewood?

Or how about those retreat defenses you'll build once you get there? Any idea how much effort and time it takes to create a bunker, or even a trench for a firing position? And while you're doing that, other tasks are piling up. Is it even possible for you and your group to prepare in time?

The answer to that is to use your time effectively now. Chop and stack that wood, or dig your fighting holes, or try to get a few other of the thousand and one things done now that will demand your attention afterwards. At the least, get a realistic idea of how long it will take do those jobs before you need to do them by doing trial runs. It might not be good policy to leave a finished bunker in place, but take a weekend and build it and then disassemble it. At the very least, you'll do it faster when you need to having done it already.

Learn how long it takes to do everything at your retreat, preferably by doing them repeatedly. Remember, unlike the Stones song, time is NOT on your side.

Originally posted September 5, 2011 @ Canadian Preppers Network

Foe Women: Firearms

It’s an appealing movie image: a beautiful but determined woman blazing away with any number of weapons, mowing down foes unflinchingly, firing shotguns freehanded, making impossible shots with .45 s held at impractical angles.

The reality is somewhat different. Very few men can handle weapons the way they do in the movies, and women, due to their lighter frames, shorter stature and smaller hands, are at even more of a disadvantage. Unfortunately, few survival writers take this into account, preferring to pontificate on the ‘best’ weapons and calibers regardless as to their suitability for use by females.

There are a number of things women can do to ensure they are armed with effective weapons that they can handle comfortably. We’ll start with firearms, since that is probably the most ‘macho’ of weapons, and where women have been most poorly served.

First, ignore the bleating of the gun aficionados that argue for a particular caliber or make of weapon. The proper firearm, for men as well as women is the one you can handle comfortably and can use effectively. For women, this comes down to two main issues: recoil and size of weapon. First, firearms such as rifles and shotguns tend to have stocks sized with a particular proportion between butt and fore grip. For some women of shorter stature, this makes for an awkward hold that will affect accuracy and lead to excessive fatigue.

If custom stocks are not an option, you may need to look for weapons particularly sized for women or perhaps the youth market. As well, look at moving down in caliber if necessary. I’d rather have a woman making comfortable, aimed and effective shots with a Ruger 10/22 than doing spray and pray with a heavier weapon unsuited to her.

And that brings us to recoil. If the weapon is of sufficient caliber, it will literally shift a small shooter backwards. I have seen this on a particularly small girl at a range. After every three or four rounds shooting prone, she had to squirm back to her original firing position. She was game, but the weapon she had was obviously far too heavy for her, and she wound up with some spectacular bruises to show for it. Given a long enough time, the bruising recoil will eventually make a shooter shy of the weapon, making effective aim very problematic.

Finally a word about weapon caliber. While you want the most effective round you can get, remember that a light round that hits the target is far more preferable than a clean miss. In fact, in some circumstances, a smaller round may be more devastating. In the recent shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in the United States, it is thought that had she been shot with a less penetrating round, the bullet would have caused more damage internally rather than exiting.

In conclusion, the rifle or shotgun for women is one which is comfortable to hold and to shoot, which they can use with accuracy, preferably with a largish magazine capacity. Everything else is at best secondary.

Handguns are also a problem for some women. Grips tend to be sized for male hands, and again, much BS floats about with regards to caliber and make. The same advice applies: use heaviest comfortable caliber (or even one less), good magazine capacity, comfortable to hold. As I said before, caliber doesn’t really matter. I’ve seen a variety of handguns carried by women, including a seven shot .22 caliber automatic called the Escort. Known as a ‘purse’ gun or ‘belly’ gun, the barrel is so short that it is wildly inaccurate beyond a few feet (hence the ‘belly gun’ appellation: you stick it in the opponents belly and pull the trigger.) It is far from ideal, but I’d rather see that carried than nothing at all. At least if the lady carrying it manages to get several rounds into an attacker, it will likely do the job.

Again, custom models, smaller calibers and so on are all options in handguns as well. As well as sizing the gun to the user, it is important that there is enough training undertaken to make the woman confident and capable in whatever weapon she is carrying.

All in all, there is no reason why women should not be as effectively armed as the men in your group. Anything less is putting your life and theirs at risk.

Originally postewd September 19, 2011 @ MPN

Vehicular Everyday Carry

Bug out bags that are permanently stowed in vehicles are a fine thing. I personally do not stow a large kit in my vehicle on a day to day basis. I do most of my travelling in the confines of a very limited area, and live within a mile and a half of my work. I feel that for me, a bug out bag that rides in the vehicle is unnecessary, although I do tend to load up the vehicle for the occasional longer trip.

That doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good idea for you, but each circumstance is unique. I also feel that I practice vehicular every day carry, which I feel is a good middle ground in my circumstance. Again, I cannot emphasis too strongly that my risks are not yours, and everyone needs to develop plans and techniques suitable for their situation.

So, just what is in my vehicular EDC? There is of course the usual spare tire, tire tool and jack, all of which are regularly checked and maintained. I do not keep spare gas, oil or other fluids in the vehicle unless I am travelling outside of my usual very limited area. There is always a collapsible shovel for getting unstuck, and an extension cord for plugging in during the Canadian winters. That is about the extent of usual directly vehicle related items.

Additionally, I have a First Aid kit on board, one that is considerably more extensive than the cheap kits usually sold for cars, but still compact enough that it stores out of the way. It contains a variety of OTC meds as well as a day’s worth of our prescription medications.

Another item always in my vehicle is bug repellent. It seems to be the one item I always forget when I want it, so I make a point of having it in the car at all times. Saves me a lot of itching and scratching.

Of course, summer and bugs eventually give way to winter here in Canada, so there are other items always on board, the most important of which is a warm wool blanket. One simple layer might mean the difference between life in death if you’re stuck in your vehicle. Emergency food is also carried. Generally, I have roughly 2000 calories in the form of long storage type energy bars, and which are replaced annually. In winter I add a few small containers of peanut butter for the concentrated extra calories.

I also carry a shake type LED flashlight. I favour this over a battery type for the reason that there are no batteries to check, and performance seems to be unaffected by cold, unlike batteries. Changing a tire in the dark is likely the most frustrating experience I’ve ever had, and I plan on never having to do so again.

A roll of toilet paper is carried for ’emergencies’, as well as a few rags for general cleanup. There is generally a selection of rugged cloth grocery bags in the car which might be handy if I need to abandon the vehicle but take as much stuff as possible with me.

I don’t carry a lot of tools in my vehicle, but one that is always in the glove box is a pair of pliers, as it seems to be the single most necessary tool I need in almost any variety of circumstances. I recently added a multi-tool as well, giving me a second gripping tool and a variety of other small tools. I’m of the opinion that carrying a big selection of tools is largely useless with modern vehicles, unless you have the diagnostic devices and spares to fix it as well, and that is a whole other level of preparedness.

There is a generally a pad of paper and a few pens or pencils as well, and usually a dispenser of small plastic garbage bags that might serve any number of purposes, from water carriers to footwear, and who knows what else.

Finally, I keep some supplies for my dog in there, consisting of a plastic container of dog food with plastic bowls that fit over each end, as well as a webbing leash. Most of the time, there is a two liter bottle of water in the car for the dog, but of course it is drinkable by me as well.

All of this stuff is stored neatly and out of the way, and is practically unnoticeable unless you are looking for it. I feel this is just normal stuff that every Canadian should carry or is likely to carry in their vehicle. Sadly, not many Canadians do carry as much as do I, even though I feel what I’ve got in my car is very little in the bigger scheme of things, and far from a full fledged bug out bag.
So what’s the content of your vehicular EDC?

Originally posted August 30, 2011 @ Manitoba Preppers Network