tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post8065849936516982449..comments2023-08-15T06:33:53.114-07:00Comments on Bison Prepper: micro worries macro plansJames M Dakinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-3041930472877664002019-05-19T06:02:33.995-07:002019-05-19T06:02:33.995-07:00You'd think with all those damn sheep there......You'd think with all those damn sheep there...James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-5888223463646088722019-05-18T17:57:31.309-07:002019-05-18T17:57:31.309-07:00Thanks for the tips on Wool Blankets. Fortunately ...Thanks for the tips on Wool Blankets. Fortunately I have plenty of time to research them thanks to $$$ but on the negative side we are approaching Winter here. <br /><br />Touch wood, no apocalypse before thenDingonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-31385277324932743912019-05-18T09:20:03.766-07:002019-05-18T09:20:03.766-07:00Sorry about that Dingo. I didn’t take into account...Sorry about that Dingo. I didn’t take into account the exchange rate, and high shipping rates for your region of the world. I can’t speak for your part of the world, but here in the US, the best bargains are found on Ebay.<br /><br />In consideration of the above, I’d just go for the bargain wool blanket. Try to get as heavy and large of a blanket as you can get, with as high of a wool content as possible. A less than 100% wool blanket might still be a decent blanket. Ideally, you want to be able to wrap more than one layer of wool over yourself in colder climes (See the Dave Canterbury video below on wool blankets). Though you could always sew two smaller blankets together, to make one big blanket.<br /><br />Jim is probably right, in that the bargain wool blankets are probably a better buy. Admittedly, I’m a wool blanket snob, and will buy the best if I can afford it. But what I’ve found is that I usually don’t want to risk the expensive blankets for camping, so I end up just using the cheaper blankets regardless. You can also purchase lanolin supplement to restore the water repellent properties to your wool blankets.<br /><br />For the price, this Swiss army style blanket is pretty nice, and it’s heavy (I have one). <br /><br />https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/swiss-army-style-wool-blanket-new?a=1123939<br /><br />Here’s a real Swiss army blanket (used) and it’s a 100% wool ($62 here in the US)<br />https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/swiss-military-surplus-wool-blanket-used?a=2151030<br /><br />I also bought a couple of the Bulgarian H3 blankets. Apparently the wool content is fairly low, and I can’t comment on the long term durability of them. But they are thick and heavy, and very soft. I like them a lot, but unfortunately, they are a standard sized blanket, which isn’t much help for the bigger blokes.<br /><br />https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/bulgarian-military-surplus-wool-blend-officer039s-blanket-used?a=1687351<br /><br />Wool Blankets Winter Camping Part 2 (Jump to the 4:00 mark to cut to the part on wool blankets)<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waNdI9zKYug<br /><br />Elko MinionAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-5298842076454893512019-05-18T06:53:58.837-07:002019-05-18T06:53:58.837-07:00Of course, the BAD thing about 100% wool is the th...Of course, the BAD thing about 100% wool is the thing is a whore to clean. I used to be able to find Woolite soap ( generic ) at the dollar store. Now all I'm finding is the "real" $8 bottle. No thank you. Plus, to dry wool it must lay flat and not be hung up. Two strikes. Obviously, be careful the blanket isn't something stupid like 50% blend, but a 10-20% blend might allow regular washing.James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-37619798722691496152019-05-17T23:14:09.335-07:002019-05-17T23:14:09.335-07:00Thanks for the info & opinion on Wool Blankets...Thanks for the info & opinion on Wool Blankets. One important point to add in favour (see the 'u' in that word? English :-) ) of a 100% wool blanket that wasn't mentioned is it's fire proof (resistance). That's a big plus in my eyes and area. <br /><br />I priced up the Pathfinder landed in Dingoland. Thanks to rubbish exchange rate AND that we're on the other side of the planet I'm looking at over two days salary. Disposable income wise it's.... well let's not go there. However I do have an "income" stream. Here we get $0.10 per can / bottle in a deposit scheme. I scored $20 (no lie) scabbing out of some dudes recycling bin (he had put the cans back into the carton they come in so it was no biggie). Mate at work tells me some people are bringing in $700 a week. Dingonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-66057468020837433412019-05-17T14:15:05.817-07:002019-05-17T14:15:05.817-07:00Yeah, I really need to get over my dislike for sle...Yeah, I really need to get over my dislike for sleeping bags. Too much time spend in them with Uncle Sam. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-3652132498106967132019-05-17T13:10:03.140-07:002019-05-17T13:10:03.140-07:00One good cold weather synthetic bag, would have be...One good cold weather synthetic bag, would have been perfect for your RV needs Jim. You can get one rated for about 0º for around $50 at sportsman’s guide. Totally worth it.<br /><br />When I was still employed, but poor, I camped a few months out of the year to save on motel costs (I lived outside of the area that I worked, and motel costs were eating me alive). I would start in April usually, and it was still cold at night, even in Commiefornia. I brought along my down comforter that I got from sportsman’s guide for $50, and threw it over the top of my sleeping bag, which was already pretty thick. This did the trick, but a better choice is to have a cold weather rated sleeping bag. The synthetic bags are currently priced very friendly; really, a steal, considering.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-50419664508045299652019-05-17T12:30:38.227-07:002019-05-17T12:30:38.227-07:00You are probably correct with the quality issue. ...You are probably correct with the quality issue. I might be giving the $30 blankets too much credit. That doesn't change the fact that you can only buy what you can afford to duplicate, however. And you are correct about synthetics versus wool. While sleeping in the unheated trailer ( and even the unheated B-POD ), JUST wool didn't work. I had to place synthetics under and over the wool. Which is why I wonder how good one sleeping bag is. The worst months in the RV, it was usually in the teens to twenties inside at night. I needed two synthetic thin comforters, two or three wool ( probably about 3 lb each ) blankets and a fake feather comforter on top. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-73640517586579986532019-05-17T11:13:38.101-07:002019-05-17T11:13:38.101-07:00I have my doubts that a cheaper wool blanket can e...I have my doubts that a cheaper wool blanket can even come close in quality to a high end brand Jim. There are many factors to consider. Quality of stitching (cheap one's come apart easy, or shed a lot when washed) wool content (obviously 100% wool is best) as well as the type of wool. That said, it is entirely dependant on your situation. If you have an adequate shelter, then yes, the cheap wool blankets will more than suffice. Now let's try a different scenario, say that of the wilderness nomad dude. Then you would want that heavy weight, higher quality blanket. The early mountain men mostly used the Hudson Bay blankets, and swore by them. That's why I suggested the synthetic bag in my initial post. Because in reality (as much as I love wool blankets; nearly having a sexual fetish for them :D ) the synthetic sleeping bag is simply the better choice, being more durable and warmer than a blanket is capable of being. Also half the price or less, of a high end wool blanket.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-37284625324708084962019-05-17T10:12:16.719-07:002019-05-17T10:12:16.719-07:00Just ignore that guy. Glen Beck assured us we hav...Just ignore that guy. Glen Beck assured us we have a minimum of 100 years of fracking oil. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-67519686496020892372019-05-17T10:05:34.484-07:002019-05-17T10:05:34.484-07:00I have a real problem with $100 blankets. You can...I have a real problem with $100 blankets. You can get three Almost As Good for the same price. When 1 Is None, how many expensive wool blankets or premier AR-15's can you stock? Not saying they aren't worth it, just that you had better be able to duplicate. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-43129153830037796202019-05-17T08:34:40.655-07:002019-05-17T08:34:40.655-07:00@Dingo
Just checked out that pathfinder blanket....@Dingo <br /><br />Just checked out that pathfinder blanket. Considering the size and weight, that’s actually a pretty reasonable price. If you want a bargain blanket, then look for military wool blankets. The problem is that the better one’s have been mostly bought up, and the remaining one’s have gone up in price a lot, but are still reasonable, considering. The Italian wool blankets, when you can find them, are one of the better blankets (100% wool, and heavy; 5.5lbs). The best that I’ve ever seen, was the Dutch navy wool blanket. 100% wool, large, and 6lbs, 6oz (1st link below).<br /><br />($150 US, but clearly the superior blanket)<br /><br />https://colemans.com/dutch-navy-100-wool-blanket-w-red-stripe<br /><br />($125 US. New, but looks like a high quality repro)<br /><br />https://www.amazon.com/Italian-Wool-Blanket-Super-Heavy/dp/B00CX8U1CE/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=italian+army+wool+blanket&qid=1558105860&s=gateway&sr=8-3<br /><br /><br />@peace out. Donnells lake was just a suggestion. That’s not my actual plan, as I own junk land. I was just saying that if you plan to go nomadic as an option, that you will need to find an inhospitable place to weed out the others, but really, if you just went far enough out in an area that is hostile to motor vehicles, you will be ahead of the game. Again, I’m suggesting this to anyone. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-66040369585919073662019-05-17T07:34:29.224-07:002019-05-17T07:34:29.224-07:00They would live in McDonald's if they could.They would live in McDonald's if they could. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-15468786862942687462019-05-17T07:30:41.349-07:002019-05-17T07:30:41.349-07:00Didn't you guys just have a cold snap somewher...Didn't you guys just have a cold snap somewhere?James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-4591664156322666902019-05-17T07:29:36.274-07:002019-05-17T07:29:36.274-07:00I'd say the cheapest here on the menu is one h...I'd say the cheapest here on the menu is one hours wage. Do you guys do the whole "GMO, hormone meat, cellulose addition, factory farm, corporations paying back mergers costs" food? If you are eating more wholesome food, more decentralized, I'd say you are getting a better deal than we are.James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-88711759420085545822019-05-17T07:20:50.510-07:002019-05-17T07:20:50.510-07:00No, I didn't see it. Thank you.No, I didn't see it. Thank you. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-51141614817205071072019-05-17T06:34:33.652-07:002019-05-17T06:34:33.652-07:00Fracking fantasy: The suite of drilling technique...Fracking fantasy: The suite of drilling techniques “have lowered costs and allowed the resource to be extracted with fewer wells, but have not significantly increased the ultimate recoverable resource,” J. David Hughes, an earth scientist, and author of the Post Carbon report, warned. Technological improvements “don’t change the fundamental characteristics of shale production, they only speed up the boom-to-bust life cycle,” he said.solarmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06003692871460203126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-17147420369143502522019-05-17T06:29:53.089-07:002019-05-17T06:29:53.089-07:00You have probably read this, but....https://oilpri...You have probably read this, but....https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/The-Shale-Boom-Is-About-To-Go-Bust.html. solarmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06003692871460203126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-88348429592427737332019-05-17T01:32:00.604-07:002019-05-17T01:32:00.604-07:00Lord Bison. It was me at 1:59 - posting from work ...Lord Bison. It was me at 1:59 - posting from work <br /><br />Last week was mothers day here in Dingoland. My family all have plenty of disposable income. I do not. So of course we went out for lunch. When that happens I always, always order the cheapest thing on the menu. I walk away paying 1 hour 15 minutes wages for my meal. <br /><br />One time, my brother organised a meal at a Japanese restaurant. I looked up the menu & called him back saying GFYS I can't afford those prices. My father picked up the tab. Long story short the bill for the family exceeded my weeks pay. Who TF can afford that? that's ridiculous! Dang, I'm getting angry just thinking about that day. On the upside though... Wowsers was it yummy!Dingonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-65002782299183448822019-05-17T01:26:01.346-07:002019-05-17T01:26:01.346-07:00I was 2:04
I'm thinking about the pathfinder...I was 2:04 <br /><br />I'm thinking about the pathfinder wool blanket. Yeah, I know. Super expensive. They're all expensive. I think it's one of those things it's hard to escape paying decent money. Wool blankets aren't exactly plentiful here in Dingoland. Dingonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-46368483751242331522019-05-16T18:44:33.566-07:002019-05-16T18:44:33.566-07:00@3:15, I would guess most sleeping bags are too bi...@3:15, I would guess most sleeping bags are too big for most residential washer and dryers. Maybe a larger rig at a laundromat? I wear down vests in the winter and a trick I learned was to throw 3 tennis balls in the dryer with them and they break up the balled up feathers so they fluff up. Works excellent. ghostsnipernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-61422871445784510712019-05-16T18:31:02.750-07:002019-05-16T18:31:02.750-07:00These are dingo bucks here. But I worked in a food...These are dingo bucks here. But I worked in a food factory. The company paid less for a 500ml bottle of Vanilla Essence than I did for 50ml at the discount supermarket. Similar cost differentials across the board. <br /><br />But Dingo bucks - roughly $5 per person for a meat & steamed veggie meal. I was losing weight when I'd make an extra serve and take that for lunch. Now I'm eating a pie & coke and for some reason my weight is piling back on. <br /><br />My favourite (cause I'm cheap) is 2 cups of Jasmine rice (it's rice for _a_ meal, not stockpiling so I can justify the extra $$) cooked in the rice cooker (dang I'm lazy) then raw egg mixed in with soy sauce. It's some Japanese comfort food according to my friend. My wife likes to add sweet chilli sauce to it as well. Easy peasy to cook and so very cheap. Cup of rice, an egg and some flavouring. Best thing? Forget the egg & you've got a meal that you can stockpile (soy sauce lasts forever... no really)Dingonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-72240240957918317072019-05-16T18:24:41.600-07:002019-05-16T18:24:41.600-07:00Donnells Reservoir...
I've been there, but hav...Donnells Reservoir...<br />I've been there, but haven't been on the water or explored it. Here are some potential problems. The lake is at 5000', but the surrounding terrain is much higher, with large boulders and rock slabs everywhere. During the winter, it's a cold-air sink, so it'll be significantly colder than the already cold terrain around it. They mention some primitive campsites, but you'd be pretty much landlocked there because of the steep terrain around it. You'd be at constant risk of snow and rock avalanche all winter long. You brought a solar oven to cook with? <br />Not during the winter since the steep canyon walls down to the lake will block the low-angle winter sun. <br />Hypothetically say that NOW you went back to the primitive campsite to cache some supplies. I'm pretty sure that every place where there's enough soil within a safe walk from the campsites are the same places where people are already digging in the ground when they want to defecate. I can't imagine the soil (decomposed granite) would be deep enough to keep squirrels and marmots from easily digging around it. In the winter you wouldn't be able to dig your cache out because the "soil" would be frozen solid. I'm not trying to rain on your parade, just giving some ideas to think about.<br />Peace outAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-788167151931770042019-05-16T18:22:39.148-07:002019-05-16T18:22:39.148-07:00Tell the Coneheads to go to Knotts Berry Farm or R...Tell the Coneheads to go to Knotts Berry Farm or Raging Waters I'm sure they would feel right at home food and people wise.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-84250991810194546362019-05-16T17:29:02.094-07:002019-05-16T17:29:02.094-07:00@2:04 Yes, I was going to mention a wool blanket i...@2:04 Yes, I was going to mention a wool blanket in my last comment, but left it out, because in extreme cold climates, you would have to supplement it with fire, and post collapse, this might not be feasible. This could be an option for some, in less extreme climates. But if you had high quality clothing, than perhaps you could forgo the fire. <br /><br />I got both of my Hudson Bay blankets off of Ebay (Used, but in good condition) for about a $100 each. These were the 4 point. Ideally, you would want at least the 6 point, but you won’t find those cheap on Ebay, or anywhere else for that matter (They’re about $400). There are other high quality brands of wool blanket, but off the top of head, I can’t name them (Pendleton, Filson Mackinaw perhaps?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com