Backpacks, The Real Shoebox of Daily Life

Lately I have been on a back pack kick.  I really like bags for carrying around my EDC items. 

Like I have mentioned before I lived in South Africa for two years and since then I have become very interested in packing light and then traveling.  I really like this blog, it got me really into the whole idea of traveling light.  Travel With Less

Right now the bag that I really want is the Tom Bihn Synapse 25.  I hope that I can buy one really soon.  If/when I buy this bag I will review it here. 

I really want to go back to Africa, also a few back pack ramblings

I lived in South Africa for two years.  I miss it.  I usually miss Africa at night, right now it is 2 A.M. and I miss Africa. 

Earlier today I looked up the price of plane tickets to South Africa, they were not cheap, but I do know that I can save up money and I can make this happen.  I am also looking at ways to lighten the load while I travel.  I really want to get into ultra-light traveling but then I would not be able to carry a knife when I travel.  I have carried a pocket knife since I had a paper route when I was 13 years.  The prospect of not carrying a knife isn't a very happy one.  I feel naked without a pocket knife. 

This blog really got me thinking about traveling the world light.

How to Travel with Less Stuff

It really is cool what the author can fit into a 19 liter bag for six months of traveling.  If he can do it for six months then I could do it for two weeks in South Africa.  At least I think I could. 

In addition to my longing for Africa I am really into backpacks right now.  I recently bought the Osprey Quantam.  I really like it so far, although I haven't taken it on any hikes yet.  I did take it on a cross country road trip and it did just fine.  So far I like it but I really need more time to try it and use it. 

I also seriously like this bag, Tom Bihn Synapse 25.  Although I have a few back packs, for example I kept my Kelty Redtail, which was my EDC bag for the last five years.  I really want the Synapse 25. 

Esse Laser Strike Review

Purpose of the Esee Laser Strike- I have been using the Esse Laser Strike (ELS) since the middle of May.  Just about every week I have gone out and made a fire.  I used the ELS to split pieces of wood to get to the dry inside.  I used it to split wood to make it smaller, for use at the begging of the fire.  I shaved the insides of the split wood to make varying sizes of kindling.

I bought the ELS to bring hiking, and camping. It has a five inch blade that I feel is just right for carrying in a back pack.  If you are car camping or don't mind the weight, then bring a small hatchet or a big knife like the Ontario RTAK II or the Buck Hoodlum.   

Like I said above, I used my for fire prep, I also cut down a small dead tree.  Because it does not have a lot of mass it took a bit of time, but you can do it.

Ergonomics-  I have relatively small hands.  The micarta scales fit my hand very nicely.  The finger choil is placed perfectly and it is very natural to use, in fact I always use it.  The sheath is made out of kydex and very sturdy.  I like sharp jimping on knives, sadly the ELS has jimping but it is not sharp at all and useless.  But the shape of the handles and the finger choil mitigate the poor jimping.

Durability- The ELS blade is made out of 1095 steel.  I like the 1095 steel that Esee uses on their knives.  I have found that it holds an edge very well and it sharpens relatively easy as well.  That said I did put two chips into my blade.  One at the very back of the blade where I hit a staple in the wood that I was splitting.  The other tiny chips are near where the belly of the knife starts.  I think those came from when I was splitting wood and the knife went all the way through the wood and into the ground. 

The micarta grips are darker than when I bought the knife, but I am using it so it makes sense they would get dirty and darken up.  You can wash them if that bothers you. 

The ELS has a black powder coat over the steel because 1095 steel does rust more easily.  When you use the knife hard like I have been the friction from the wood will rub the powder coat off the knife.  That is okay by me.  I think it gives the knife character.  But watch out for rust. 

Value- I bought mine from Blade HQ for $120.  On every order of more than $99 you get free shipping, and I bought some other stuff on the same order.  I know you can find it for cheaper, but then you usually have to pay shipping.  In any case I really like Blade HQ.  If you ever get the chance go to Lehi, Utah and pay them a visit.  They are really nice people, they give great service and have a large selection on knives and other outdoor gear. 

Rating- I give the Esee Laser Strike an 9/10. 

Here is the link to Blade HQ  ESEE Laser Stike from Blade HQ

Umbrella?

Okay so, my girlfriend loves umbrella's.  She hates walking in the rain and she hates being stuck in the sun.  So she uses an umbrella.  Now in the past I had a tendency to poke fun at her for this. 

That was until I saw this video on YouTube.  These look like the most awesome umbrella's ever and I want one.  If I buy one I will post a review.  I will for sure buy one for my girlfriend. 

A plug for Knife Thursday

I love knives.  Ever since my first Swiss Army knife I have loved knives. 

Knives have become an expensive hobby for me.  I just bought my most expensive knife yet.  The Zero Tolerance 0561. 

I think most people that find my blog enjoy knives as well.  If that is the case then Knife Thursday is for you. 

Knife Thursday is a blog/website where people who love knives get together every Thursday and share their pictures and stories.  Usually once a month the staff does a knife giveaway, that you enter by doing something knife related and using your post as an entry. 

You should check it out:Knife Thursday

Summer Carry Guns

I have carried a Glock 22 (that is a .40 S&W) the Smith and Wesson 637-2 (.38 special) and a Walther PPQ (9mm) as my carry handguns.  The Glock 22 was just fine to carry in the winter but it is just too big to carry in the summer time, just because clothing is tighter and you cannot wear the same kind of cover clothing. 

The Smith and Wesson 637 was a fantastic summer carry gun.  I carry it in a Desantis Nemesis pocket holster.  Pocket carry was great, and perfectly safe because I didn't put anything else in that pocket. One thing that I really liked is that if the need arose I could put my hand right on my gun in my pocket and be ready to go.  ( This did happen once where I did have to put my hand on the gun in my pocket).

The Walther PPQ is a great mix of the two guns.  I can carry 15 rounds of +P 9mm in a IWB holster and conceal it underneath a t-shirt.  It is still too big under some circumstances.  I feel that it makes a good mix between a winter and summer carry gun. 



The trigger on the PPQ is a fantastic trigger, it was even better than the trigger of a Springfield Armory Loaded 1911 that I just shot.  That 1911 trigger seemed like it had more creep than my PPQ and it was less predictable. 

Now that I said all of that, I still want the Springfield XDS 9mm.  I would be able to conceal that, even better underneath just a t-shirt.  8 rounds of 9mm is a big step up from 5 rounds of .38 special.  Plus it would be way faster to reload, compared to the Smith 637. 

Cautious Paranoia

I am a firm believer in practicing cautious paranoia.  I heard this term from Jared Diamond.  You may know him as the author of Guns, Germs, and Steel, and The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn From Traditional Societies.  I highly recommend both of those books.  

Jared Diamond started his academic career as an ornithologist in Papua New Guinea.  He had experiences there that gave him the idea for the term cautious paranoia.  He had experiences in New Guinea where if he had practiced cautious paranoia things may have gone differently.

In the first story he was with ten New Guineans.  He was bird watching and doing research and the New Guineans were his guides and porters.  It had been raining all day long and all of them were very tired.  Jared went to sleep in his tent for the night and during the middle of the night he saw someone out side of his tent, he didn't think much about it because he was so tired and he thought it was one of the New Guineans that was in his group.  But there were foot prints outside of his tent and none of his party had been around his tent at night.  The New Guineans freaked out!  Someone had entered their camp in the middle of the night and there was a witch doctor in the area that was known for killing people.  If Jared had practiced cautious paranoia he would have shouted out to his companions and the man would have run away.  Jared reflects that he was very lucky that this man did not kill him. 

I lived in South Africa for two years and I learned how to have Cautious Paranoia there, I do believe that it saved me from being robbed a few times.

Really when it all comes down to it, Cautious Paranoia is another way of saying Situational Awareness, and think ahead before doing something. 

For example: My girlfriend will put her feet up on the dashboard while we are driving on the freeway.  I told her don't do that, if we get in a car accident then the airbag will break your legs and your feet may go through the windshield. Then you are screwed.  That to me, is a great example of Cautious Paranoia.