Wednesday Workout (Personal Protection Related) -- Knowing When To Pre-Emptively Strike

 

Sunday With Blackthorn -- Today Randy Couture (Former UFC Champion) Demonstrates One Of His Regular Training Routines

 The video is from 2009. This routine is geared more towards Strength/Endurance as opposed to just Strength. It's a simple, straightforward routine, and Randy explains why he uses lower weights for this program.

 

 

How To Use Headbutting To Get Out Of Bad Grappling Situation

 My old instructor always advised to never deliberately go to the ground during an assault. But if you did wind up on the ground due to a fall or a takedown, to disengage and get up as quickly as you can. You never know if the guy attacking you has grappling skills himself, or whether he has a friend or two to back him up.

Now people from both sides of the "take him to the Ground"  or "stay off the Ground if you can" debate  will argue this to death. People from both sides will cherry-pick Youtube videos to prove their point. Especially regarding the part about the presence of 3rd parties getting involved.

Bottom line,  don't take the chance. 

Now while I personally have trained to acquire some grappling skills, I am not the biggest fan of grappling. The fact is that I'm not that young anymore, and I have a lot of accumulated chronic damage from  assorted accidents, and poor decisions. However, I will heartily recommend that everyone who reads this blog for reasons of personal protection should invest the time and resources in training at least a basic level of grappling proficiency.

Having said all that, the video below is a good example of some things you can do to hurt and thereby get up and get away from an assailant that may find yourself entangled with on the ground. 

 

 

Wheelgun Wednesday -- Today We Discuss Just How Long SnubNose Revolvers Have Actually Been Around

 Would you believe 1837?  You better, and the first one was actually a Colt. Read on people, and be astounded!

 

Small Guns With Big Holes: The Snub Nose Revolver Evolution

by Dennis Adler

 The very first snub nose revolver was a Colt. And you can erase the image of a Detective Special or even a 2-inch barreled Peacemaker from your mind. The first Colt snub nose was a Paterson. It was also the very first Colt revolver, built all the way back in 1837! A small pocket pistol chambered in .28 caliber, Sam Colt called it the No. 1, or Pocket Model revolver. It has since become more popularly known as the Baby Paterson.

To read the rest of this article, click on the link below. 

https://athlonoutdoors.com/article/snub-nose-revolver-evolution/

Hurricane Milton Part 3

 PART 3

Arriving Home And Assessing the Aftermath

Oct 11, 2024 at 12:46pm  

I am back at home. We had some minimal roof and cage damage. Mostly tree limbs down across the area and not huge trees like with hurricane Ian. Several traffic signals out but not terrible.

Our power was on when we arrived yesterday at 6pm. Generator ran for 19 hours and did it's job. All food we stocked in fridge/freezer was good.

Generac whole house generator recommendation: Thumbs up - IF you can spare the $20k! For the normal short term outage that most experience - 2 to 5 hours - they work great. Just like in the commercials. Automatically powers up the entire house after a 2 second delay.

What the commercials don't show is the mandatory yearly maintenance cost. If you pay the local Generac dealer to perform it, it will run from $350 - $650 depending on the level of service you choose. The level is based on the quality of oil, spark plugs, and air filter.

However, for you shade tree mechanics like I was back in the day, you can easily do yourself. If you can change spark plugs, oil, oil filter, and air filter on a 1960's era car, you can do it on the generator. I bought a Generac brand service kit from Amazon for $75 and did it myself. I could probably get the individual components cheaper from the parts store, but I didn't want Generac bitching about the parts quality as is still under warranty.

Speaking of warranties, many fear doing the work yourself violates the warranty. Not true! Generac says you can DIY, but must update the maintenance schedule in the app to show it was done. Simple.

Now, for long term emergency/survival situations, I got an email from Generac that said to shut down the generator after 24 hours run time and check the oil level. There is a specific shut down procedure, but the oil check is just like for a car. Then you must restart using the reverse order. Not as complicated as it may sound. Simple!

Why the oil check? You shade tree mechanics will recall your hot rod started using oil when vales got out of adjustment. You had to keep adding oil until could do a valve job. Same thing here. After 24 hours continuous use, the valves may need adjusting. If it starts using oil and not replaced, it will auto shut off to prevent damage.

If oil is low, just add more till full again. Will need to do this every 24 hours of continuous use. However, after the emergency is over, it will need a valve adjustment in addition to the plugs, oil, and filters. Again, for all your hot rod mechanics, you can do this yourself. It the exact same procedure as on your old car.

It isn't complicated, but a real pain the ass to reach the back two valves. The Generac dealer will charge an additional $350-$400 for the valve job, so I will be doing myself, if needed. I haven't checked the oil level yet as we had power when we got back yesterday and the generator was already off. If I have to perform myself, it will probably involve a lot of cussin' and a couple of wrench throwing hissy fits, but I'll get it done. All the procedures are on You Tube if you need to see for yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJW_51a65sI

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH7BDaSr2sc

 Another factor to consider is Generac only warranties the generator for 5 years. They have a 10 year added warranty you can purchase. I got for free as part of a promotional deal.

So, for your $20k (give or take) you get a stand-by generator that will power your entire house......... for a while anyway!

You definitely need to check the oil every 24 hours minimum. The service maintenance after 24 hours and the valve adjustment after 36 hours of continuous use. If can't DIY, it gets expensive.  With the valve job, it will be $750-$1000 if you pay someone to do it for you. And I just did the annual maintenance in August, so now I will have to perform it again here in October thanks to Milton.

However, it DID keep our food from spoiling when we bugged out. I guess everyone will have to do their own cost-benefit analysis to see if it’s worth it.

Now, as to the solar "generator" (really a power bank that can be solar charged), I bought the Geneverse Home Power Two model. I added an additional solar panel and the splitter that allows charging in line, which is faster.

I did the research and supposed to be one of the better ones. I like it OK, with some caveats. First, must charge from the wall socket before needed. The good new is it retains a charge well. I charged to 100% when I purchased back in the summer and it still had 98% when I did my pre-hurricane check.

That charge should run your fridge/freezer for 2-3 days, plus maybe a minor appliance or two. The bad news is the solar recharge is verrry slow. And that is with two panels with the in-line splitter and FL sunshine. I would need to recharge every day, all day long, to keep charged.

Not that hard. Just put the panels out and plug the extension cord in. But would need to do every morning and re-position the panels every hour or so to keep in direct sunlight. And that is in FL - the sunshine state. For, more northern climates where the sun doesn't shine for days, I don't know.  All I can say is that solar charging doesn't work all that well here. I was disappointed in how slow it charged just using the sun. It does charge, but would have to charge all day, every day. And not run too many things. Just the fridge and maybe a few essentials from time to time as needed.

The good news is it needs no maintenance!

I don't have a portable gas generator, but I suspect not all gold there either. Aside from needing to store gasoline, they probably need some routine maintenance as well. And more of a pain to use unless hook up to a transfer switch. They are cheaper than a whole house or solar generator though.

That is it for generator 101. I'll be posting a list of lessons learned for Milton sometime soon. Stay tuned!



Oct 12, 2024 at 5:07pm  

We are still in clean up mode and dealing with insurance claims. When life gets more settled the wife and I are going to do an AAR. Then, I'll be able to post a more through Milton review.

The biggest thing, though, will be the "should I stay or should I go" decision point. All I can stay is it is not as easy as you would think watching on TV when it actually applies to you.


Oct 22, 2024 at 12:03pm   

The clean up mode is taking longer than I thought and the AAR is scheduled for tomorrow, but thought I would get started with lessons learned.

Before I get to #1, the general situation didn't first look as bad, but closer examination showed more damage. Our lanai cage (you probably don't know what that is unless from FL) will need to be completely replaced. I just thought a screen was ripped but the frame is bent. The roof showed more damage then first thought also. We are dealing with the insurance on these. More about that later.

The area around the beach sustained major damage which is no surprise. What makes it especially bad is coming less than 2 weeks after Helene which also damaged these areas. Business places and homes were just starting to get back to normal when Milton wiped them out again. Most do not have flood insurance (more about that in a moment also) and what they had saved to self-insure was spent on Helene. I don't know if many will ever come back.

Some homes will just be sold for the property value but owners will still be responsible for the clean up. Same for businesses. Many restaurants on the beach are completely filled with sand and were underwater. They would need to replace everything in side the 4 walls to reopen. After they dig out the mountain of sand.

FEMA trucks, utility trucks, etc. are still here. A big camp set up in a strip mall parking lot down the road. Portable trailers, kitchens, bathrooms. Not porta potties either. Serious stuff. And new. People are speculating who they are and why they are there. No govt logos, but a "private recovery company" one said. Hmmm!

Debris pick up is still an issue in older areas that had mature trees. The new build area look like nothing happened. A strange thing is the wind and salt spray turned all the oak leaves, and turned many pine trees and shrubs, brown. The air dried them out but we hope they come back.

With that general assessment lets get to some Lessons Learned:


*** 1. The "It can't happen here" syndrome.

Many, or most people never thought it would happen here. The area went decades with no big hurricanes. Then we had Ian in 2022, and in 2024, Debbie in Aug, Helene in Sept, and Milton in Oct. Each was a different storm with different results. I an and Milton forecasts were mostly wrong and we found ourselves suddenly in the cross hairs at the last minute.

Many here were still not prepared even after Ian. That was supposed to be our "1 in a 100" storm. It was not! Some still do not have generators or even storm shutters. Almost no one has flood insurance. Most did not understand the difference in a flood zone and a storm surge zone, although they do now.

The lesson learned is to realistically assess your risks (instead of living in denial) and prepare accordingly. Just because nothing happened for the last 75 years doesn't mean it won't tomorrow. We all know about the flooding in NC, but I've seen flooding in KY in the last several years in places that never flooded before. We seem to be in a cycle of events where the extraordinary is the norm today.

One big thing to check is insurance. Most people do not have flood insurance and if an unexpected flood damage occurs the normal homeowner policy won't cover it. And don't have to live in a flood zone to be flooded.

Also, photograph/video the home before anything happens and make a list of contents for insurance purposes. Some things like firearms and jewelry might require separate riders. Common sense but most don't do it.

*** 2. “Should I Stay, or Should I Go?”

This is THE biggest misconception I've found. It is MUCH harder to make the decision to evacuate than anyone realizes that has not been in that position. It is NOT easy to abandon one's home! Trust me!

Most will wait too long to decide and either be stuck in a huge traffic jam (and running out of gas), or will be forced to ride it out at home whether they want to or not due to deteriorating conditions. I can tell you that most of the people I know that were in a mandatory evacuation zone did not leave. They were lucky!  The storm lost strength from a CAT 5 to a CAT 3 at landfall. IMO, that was God's hand stilling the storm. If it has come ashore as a CAT 5 many of those people would have drown. The other factor was it was a fast moving storm and didn't have time to really push a lot of seawater on shore, or rain to cause flooding. Again, just a little different circumstances and it would have been body bag city.

I cannot provide an exact answer of exactly when to stay or leave. Too many factors and every situation will be different. I can provide some insights into evacuation, though. First, is leave early if you are going to do so. But few will.

Here is a general rule: By the time it becomes obvious you need to leave, it will already be too late. You will need to leave before the herd is out on the interstate and caught in a 50 miles traffic jam and running out of gas. If you wanted too long (and you will) it is better just to ride it out at home, or get to some type of local shelter, if possible. Leaving early is always better, if not easier.  People will laugh at you but you may get the last laugh.

Ask me how I know? Because it happened to me in Milton. Biggest evacuation order the west coast of FL ever experienced.  Some orders coming only hours before the storm arrived. Those that waited were frantically trying to find accommodations, or just had to ride it out.

We left at 10am Monday morning and traffic was already bad with lines at gas stations (keep your tank full). We had friends that left at 5am the same day and no traffic. We booked a hotel room Sunday morning and already rooms were scarce. Remember the hurricane arrived Wednesday evening ahead of the forecast time. Those that decided to leave Tuesday faced traffic jams and long gas lines. When some zones were evacuated late Tues/early Wed it was too late. Every hotel room in FL was already booked.

Check Lists. Have a check list for prepare the home to leave and another on what to bring with you. The reason is under SNS stress you won't think clearly. You forget important things. You do unimportant things. When have a checklist you just go down the checklist. Of course, every situation will be different. With hurricanes you get a little notice but still not a lot. I spent all day Sat/Sun putting stuff up on high and otherwise preparing the house. All per checklist. Same with preparing to leave. I had a checklist of what to bring and just went down the list.

Route Planning. One tip I learned was P.A.C.E. Stands for Primary/Alternate/Contingency/Emergency routes. These are rank ordered in terms of speed and efficiency. Primary routes will clog up first, so alternate and contingency routes may be better. In Milton, many here were heading north which was crazy because going right into the storm's projected path and every hotel room on I-75 from the GA border to Atlanta was booked. Ask me how I know!   

The reason SNS stress. The primary evacuation routes are I-75 and I-95 north so that is what people remembered under stress. We went south (opposite direction) and traffic was light once we left town. This would be an alternate route. I had topped off the tank on Saturday so no worries there and [passed up everyone lined up a gas stations along the way.

Some friends chose a contingency route being a two lane road running east-west. They also reported light traffic. An emergency route would be to the shelter. I had driven the route in June in my hurricane prep and had it programmed in my GPS, and well as on hard copy map. Alternate routes to the shelter are also advisable in case obvious routes are clogged or blocked.

Accommodations. I already mentioned having a reservation and getting it early. Can always cancel at no charge with 24 hours notice if not needed. Make that reservation early and have a location already in mind. Another lesson learned: hotel generators are not whole house generators. Even though they say they have a generator it may only be for emergency lighting. Don't necessarily expect the restaurant to be open and able to enjoy your TV, A/C, and wi-fi. Speaking of wi-fi, I have my pwn portable hot spot which is nice.

Communication/Navigation. Having a CB radio or scanner allows you to determine traffic delays and road conditions. One lesson learned for me was how valuable On-Star can be.  They provide emergency wi-fi even if didn't opt for the data plan. And the operator will provide direction on the best alternate routes, advise where gas can be found, and general emergency assistance. I upgraded to the primary plan after Milton.

I also have a non cell phone GPS in case cell towers are out. I have heard cell phone GPS will work without cell service but I didn't want to try it. Of course, GPS works off satellites and must be able to communicate with the satellite which it may not during stormy conditions. Emergency hard copy maps with PACE routes marked are always a good idea.

Of course, don't forget the recharge cord and a power bank or three to keep devises charged.


***3. Bugging Out

The first is be able to take "Fast, Decisive Action" (Jeff Anderson). Meaning have a bug out bag packed and ready. Store either in the vehicle or in garage where can just grab as you leave.

Bugging out has gotten a lot of bad press and rightly so. The only reasons to leave, IMO, is fire or water. If your home is going to be burned down, or under water, you don't want to be there. And, as I said, because you dallied in making the decision to leave, you will now not have time to pack. This is an emergency and  need to leave - like NOW!

I have two bug out bags packed just for the hurricane shelter which is a local school. Nothing there and you must bring everything you want/need. Including food and water. These are not hotels and a reason officials say it is a last resort. If one didn't leave early than a shelter is the only answer.

So evacuation and bugging out are two different things. One done early, the other a panicked emergency.

Hurricane Milton Part 2

 Part 2

Decision To Leave And Hitting The Road

Oct 7, 2024 at 4:31pm  


We have made it to our bug out location on the other coast. The county evacuated the first two zones and our zone is on stand by to evacuate. The evaluation orders were issued about an hour before we left and local traffic was already backed up, and we saw long lines at gas stations.

Once going south, though, traffic moved along well. Everyone was going north for some reason I cannot fathom. They are heading right into the storm.

Milton is a CAT 5 175 mph hurricane now and fortunately a fair amount of wind shear exists off the coast which will knock it down to a CAT 3. That is bad enough, but a CAT 5 moving onto that area would be bad news indeed. Especially if Tampa Bay is in the Right Front Quadrant.


I have to laugh at politicians telling people to execute their hurricane plan, because the fact is that they have no hurricane plan. They have no preparation and they have no flood insurance. Every time I ask if people have flood insurance they tell me no because they are not in a flood zone. They have no clue they are in a storm surge zone or even know what a storm surge zone is.

However, Milton may give them a rude education. Already hearing that many people had storm surge or flooding in Helene, only to find out they have no insurance coverage because it was water damage.

With major disasters seemingly the new normal today, I suspect everyone may become preppers.


Oct 7, 2024 at 10:52pm  

The biggest thing to understand is how hard the decision is to evacuate or not. Most people are reluctant to abandon their homes and things. Especially if you might need to quickly attend to what happens during and after a storm.

The decision is harder than you might think. But, if you wait too long, the decision is made for you. As I told my wife, no decision is a decision in itself. You wait too long then the roads are clogged and gas stations out of gas. And then, if it really gets bad, you get to do the panic emergency escape.

OR.... you die! I am hearing NC is finding bodies in attics where they tried to escape the rising waters but died in their attics.

Don't get afraid too late.

You just have to look at the information available at the time and make the best decision you can and then act on it. And, you will not always be correct. Sometimes you are going to leave when things turned out to not be that bad. But that is better than the opposite.

The other big thing is to have a plan in place to able to act fast once the decision is made. Checklists are great when under SNS stress. You are not thinking straight under pressure and checklists take the stress off trying to remember everything and make sure you didn't forget something.

And, even with a checklist, you will probably forget something. Imagine what you would forget without one! I had checklists for emergency supplies, for preparing the house for a strike, and for bugging out, and they were invaluable.

Just having a general plan prevents panic. What I have seen is most will initially be in denial and dismiss the threat. Than, as the threat becomes too real to dismiss, they will start to panic and run to and fro, doing irrational things. Like buying Toilet Paper in the dock workers strike.

1. Access the threats you are likely to face.

2. Make a plan to mitigate the risks.

3. Obtain supplies and equipment to mitigate risks in advance.

4. Act when real risks materialize instead of dismissing.

4. Leave early if evacuate is the answer.

But, I can tell you that tonight, as we speak, that I personally know people that live in evacuation zones that are still home tonight. That do not have proper insurance. And, that have been out today standing in long lines trying to obtain necessary supplies they should have stocked back in June.

It is just human nature.


Oct 8, 2024 at 4:12pm  

Another thing to consider is not just surviving the storm, but the aftermath. Power, water, internet, and cell service will be down for days or weeks. If don't have food and water stocked, a generator, lanterns, etc., then not being to be able to live there anyway. If do have all that will get to practice your survival skills. Not going to be fun!

From what people tell me is on FaceBook, neighbors were shocked about the evacuation and had no idea where to go. Some had no gas. Some just grabbing whatever they could and jumping in the car to go out into massive traffic jams and gas stations running out of fuel.

Others are trying to be tough and saying that it won't be that bad. Like I said though, it is just not a matter of surviving the storm but the aftermath.



Oct 9, 2024 at 3:19pm  

New tip. Once you have done all you can, then stop incessantly watching the news and weather who constantly predict the worst case scenario. This needlessly promotes anxiety and worry. We watch the NHC updates every three hours and then turn it off.

At the other end of the spectrum, I see insane social media posts by people staying in evacuation zones. Some stating wildly inaccurate elevation levels for their homes, and others said they are fine because they have a generator. Then someone else chimed in with a post and reminded them that generators don't run underwater.

It's amazing the capacity that humans have for denial and self-delusion.



Oct 10, 2024 at 8:20am  

AM Update:

Thought I'd give a brief post as we are going to try and make it back home today. There is no power or wi-fi there. Unless the On Star wi-fi is working I won't have any internet.

We need to get back because, in a stroke of genius, we locked ourselves out of our own house if power is out. The generator may shut off after 24 hours and I'm sure I will have more about that later. Basically you to have to shut down your generator after 24 hours and check the oil level due to valves going out of adjustment. If the oil level falls to a certain point, the generator shuts off to protect itself. Something Generac doesn't mention in their commercials.

Not to fear though, because I also bought a solar generator which will be paying off quicker than I expected.

I freaked out a bit around 1 am when the Ring camera and security cameras went off. I was imagining under water, but then I realized it was because the wi-fi went out.

I should have some good feedback, especially on generator maintenance, when I get my wi-fi back. Like I said, not sure when that will be after we get back, unless On Star wi-fi is working.

Stay tuned!



















    

Sunday With Blackthorn -- Today We Discuss Hurricane Prepping -- Hurricane Milton Part 1

 Today's Blog Post is by way of regular contributor Steve Forester. Steve resides in Sunny, but Hurricane/Tropical storm prone Florida. He recently had to deal with both Hurricane Helene and Milton. I'm sure many of you guys have read magazine articles and online advice from Prepping websites about how to prepare for and deal with natural disasters like Hurricanes before, all written by people who are considered subject matter experts. 

Now there's nothing wrong with that, but Steve thought that it might be a good idea to actually give a first hand account of the lead up to, and execution of an actual "Bug Out" plan. The description of the situation as it progressed and the the decisions that were made are from his posts at a small forum that he belongs to. you will see dates and time at the beginning of each post.

I will be presenting these accounts in a 3 or 4 part series over the next week or so. Hopefully, you'll all get something out of Steve's experience.

Part 1

Before The Event

Oct 5, 2024 at 1:12pm  

The tropical disturbance that was in the Caribbean yesterday and not expected to develop, is now in the gulf and expected to rapidly intensify and track right into the west coast by late Tuesday!  

So, now the age old question: do we stay or do we go?

This one looks pretty nasty, and not a lot of time to decide. If things stay on track I-75 N will be a parking lot by Monday in the PM. Maybe earlier. Should really leave tomorrow, but must prepare the house for the storm, pack, etc.

Fortunately, being prepared, I have a checklist to follow on preparing the house, and bug out bags already packed.

I was watching Jeff Anderson's video on preparing yesterday, and he emphasized being ready to take fast, decisive, action.  Even though hurricanes normally present much warning, not always! I didn't expect waking up this morning to be preparing the house this afternoon, and then hitting the road tomorrow.


Oct 5, 2024 at 8:43pm  

This thing has the makings of a perfect storm. A CAT 2/3 which could mean a 4/5. Coming straight into the coast at 90 degrees, and looks like it will arrive at high tide.
This could be worse than anything we have ever seen before. Whoever is in the Right Front Quadrant is going to be in for it good and proper.


Oct 6, 2024 at 9:07pm  

"Do we stay or do we go?" is not an easy decision to make. People do not want to abandon their homes and their belongings - especially when quick action may be required. But, it is better than dying in place. We got a hotel on the opposite coast and will be leaving early tomorrow, but it was a tough call.

Bottom line is if you wait till it is obvious you should evacuate, it will be too late. If you leave and not that bad, the neighbors will sneer at you and call you a 'fraidy cat. If you leave and all hell breaks loose, you are the hero.

Here are some things I know for sure:

1) No one ever said: "I regret I evacuated early".
2) No one ever said: "I wish I had prepared less".

I would rather be over prepared than under prepared.

Speaking of that my hours/days/weeks of hurricane planning paid off. My plans were made. My checklists done. It was just making the decision to stay or go that was painful. And nothing can be done about that.

But, once that decision was made, I only had to execute my pre-made plan, and the check lists were invaluable. I could feel the low grade SNS (Sympathetic Nervous System) stress kicking in and just having to go down the checklists helped to keep it low grade.

This is the key, I think.

I will keep everyone posted. Thought you might be interested in real life prepping and execution rather than reading an article in some magazine by someone who has never done it.

Sorry I've Been Lax With The Blog Post This Week Guys...

 But a small flood in the basement that created quite the mess and killed off my old washing machine has kept me more than occupied the last few days. So, today I bring you another Pearl Of Wisdom from David James.

 

Need I remind you to Pay Attention!! 

 

 

 

Sunday With Blackthorn -- Today We Discuss Why The 10mm Auto Round Nver Caught On After The FBI Ditched it

 It was supposed to be "The Next Big Thing" back in the late 80's and early 90's. Alas, such was not to be after the FBI dumped it in favor of the .40 S&W just 7 years after the adopting the 10mm. From Lucky  Gunner Ammo, we have a video detailing the whole story and the factors (including Gaston Glock and S&W) that resulted in the 10mm becoming another caliber being left in the rear view mirror of firearms development.

 

 

A Little Saturday Humor For Us Older Guys Here At The Blog