Announcement: Contributing Writer At The New Artemis.

Hi, Folks. It's been a rough couple of weeks here since the passing of my dog. Thank you for those of you who left comments or e-mailed me with your condolences. It was much appreciated.

But I do have good news. I recently became a contributing writer for an up and coming website. The New Artemis. It's editor is a very nice young woman. Which is good because we don't see enough of the female side of EDC, I think. I'll be contributing articles as I come up with them. For now you can read my EDC Profile article on my pocket carry.

Announcement: Funeral For A Friend.

It is with a very, very sad heart that I am writing this. At 6:30PM I put my dog down. His health took a plummet in the past week. Lab results confirmed that it was lymphoma. I was given the long shot option of trying treatment at a nearby University vet school. But that long shot wouldn't have given him much more time, if any. So I made the call. My vet and his staff were very kind during the process. In a week or two I will be given his cremated remains in a very nice rosewood box with his picture on it.

Thank you in advance for any well wishes. I know many of you who read my blog were very supportive during his earlier health issues.

Rest in peace.

Sir Winston "Otie" Otis.
2001-2013.

He was my best friend.

Every Day Carry: E.D.C. Survival Kit.

I was asked recently if I also EDC'd a P.S.K. (Personal Survival Kit). The short answer was, yes.

I want to thank John McCann of SurvivalResources.com for an excellent little article on how to put his Pocket Survival Tin into the Witz ID Locker. Brilliant stuff. It's a nice lightweight and slim form factor. Easily transferred from a backpack to a cargo pocket as needed.

Of course it may seem odd to carry a P.S.K. in a largely urban focused E.D.C. bag. True. But many of the principles are the same no matter what the environment is. Signaling. Tools. Navigation. Fairly universal things to a survival situation. At least that is my estimation.

Every Day Carry: Organization Is Key.

GoRuck GR1.

Know where everything is. Especially your trauma kit.

Preparedness: Large Survival Kit.

For a couple months now I've been meaning to totally restructure and replace my large survival kit. Now it's not exactly very large. But as my kits and needs go, it's considered large. Thanks to Best Glide/Adventure Survival Equipment having a lot of great products, I was able to accomplish the task.

One of the main problems I had with my old kit was the container. I didn't like it very much. When I ordered it I wasn't aware of how poorly made it was. Or how it really was far more round and limiting than it appeared. Fortunately the "Adventurer Survival Kit Box" works quite well. Basically a stepped up and rounded version of the old BCB Mess Tin. It's not rated as being capable of cooking or boiling water. But it does boast being fire proof and water resistant. I'm fairly confident that it's extremely water resistant.

Much of the items used were from a pre-existing kit I purchased from Survival Resources.

Contents List...

Assorted Items.

• 25' Type 1A Paracord. A great 100lb test alternative to full size 550.
• 20mm AA-Grade Button Compass.
• Victorinox "Huntsman" Swiss Army Knife.

Signaling.

• Streamlight Nano Light.
• Fox 40 Micro Whistle.
• 18x2.5" Reflective Foil.
• Adventure Medical Kits Mini Rescue-Flash Signal Mirror.

Fire.

• Mini Bic Lighter.
• 8 Tinder-Quick Tabs.
• SparkLite.
• Magnesium+Ferrocerium Rod & Striker.
• 10 NATO All-Weather Matches & Striker.
• Fresnel Lens.

Gear Repair.

• Two 50' Bobbins #69 Thread.
• Five #1 Safety Pins, Three #00 Safety Pins and 4 Standard Safety Pins.
• 2 Large Sewing Needles & 1 Standard Sewing Needle.
• 26x2" Roll of Duct Tape.
• 6x2" Flat Orange Duct Tape.
• 4 Small Buttons.
• Assorted Colored Threads.
• 20' Stainless Steel Wire.
• 20' Brass Wire.

Tools.

• Wire Saw.
• Tops Survival Saw.
• #22 Scalpel Blade.
• DermaSafe Razor & Saw.
• Survival Instructions & Signal Cheat Sheets.
• Pencil & Waterproof Paper.

Water.

• AquaPouch. Includes Pre-Filters and Filter Cone.
• 1 Qt Water Bag.
• 10 MicroPur Water Purification Tablets.

First Aid.

• 2 Antibiotic Ointments.
• 2 Sting Relief Pads.
• 2 Alcohol Swabs.
• 2 Antiseptic Wipes.
• 4 Butterfly Closures.
• 4 Band-Aids.
• 2 Finger Tip Band-Aids.
• 1 Large Band Aid.
• 2 2x2" Gauze Pads.
• 2 Benadryl.
• 2 Immodium.

Fishing. (A combination of two kits available at AdventureSurvivalEquipment.com and SurvivalResources.com. I focused heavily on fishing as a food procurement option in this kit. Namely because water and fish are in abundance where I frequent.)

• Pre-Rigged Swirl Tail Grub, Tiny Shad and Fly Lures.
• Two 2/16 Unpainted Jig Heads.
• Four Artificial Salmon Eggs.
• Two #4 Hooks, Four #6 Hooks, Six #8 Hooks and Six #10 Hooks.
• Two #10 Snelled Hooks.
• Two 6" Wire Wound Leaders.
• Two Line Leaders With #8 Hooks.
• Two #16 Snap Swivels.
• One #14 Snap Swivel.
• Two #14 Barrel Swivels.
• Assorted BB Split Shot Sinkers & #7 Split Shot Sinkers.
• One Orange Stick Bobber.
• 50' 12lb Fishing Line.
• Two 50' Bobbins Braided 20lb Fishing Line.
• One #3 O'Shaungessy Hook & Brad Nail for Gaffing and/or spearing.

The overall weight is just around 2-2.5lbs. Size is right. Too large for pocket carry, though that depends on the type of clothing one might be wearing. Easily stored in a variety of belt pouches available. Some items I may replace with higher end options in the future. I also madd add a few other items in the future as well. It was a fun build. One I might replicate in the future.

Preparedness: Project Complete.

Stay tuned for a complete run down.

General: Doggie Update & Boston Bombing.

Yesterday I spent several hours at my vet's office. For the past few days Otis has been very lethargic. A few other symptoms lead me to grow concerned. Possibly that he was bleeding internally. Suffering from anemic lethargy. It was possibly to be that final trip to the vet with Otis. Around 3:10PM, while waiting in the exam room for my vet to come and examine Otis, I received a phone call. From my father who has taught me much about a great many things. He informed me of what was going on in Boston. I hung up and looked to my dog. He was born on September 11, 2001. I remember the events of that day and the following handful of months well.

Well, to make a long story short. He is suffering from a swelling in the small bowel. Likely from an infection based on blood results. He is on a lot of antibiotics for a good ten days. Already he seems to be improving. Energy level is up.

As for the thugs who were behind this bombing? We will look for them. We will find them. And they will be dealt with. All they achieve is bringing us closer together and knowing how strong we are.

Recently something comedian and actor Patton Oswalt wrote on Facebook something that I think says it all.

"I remember, when 9/11 went down, my reaction was, "Well, I've had it with humanity." But I was wrong. I don't know what's going to be revealed to be behind all of this mayhem. One human insect or a poisonous mass of broken sociopaths. But here's what I DO know. If it's one person or a HUNDRED people, that number is not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the population on this planet. You watch the videos of the carnage and there are people running TOWARDS the destruction to help out. (Thanks FAKE Gallery founder and owner Paul Kozlowski for pointing this out to me). This is a giant planet and we're lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in awhile, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they're pointed towards darkness. But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We'd have eaten ourselves alive long ago. So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, "The good outnumber you, and we always will."

That is all.

Preparedness: Project In The Works.

"Become intimate with everything you choose to equip yourself with."

General: 40,000 Visitors.

Sometime in the night we hit 40,000 visitors. In just under 13 months, too. Very cool.

Every Day Carry: BOGT 2.0 "Survival" Variant.

General: OscarDelta/Last Ditch Kit "Disruptive Thinker" Morale Patches.

Been waiting a while for these to be back in stock. Snatched up two when I got the chance. The concept and idea is very near and dear to my heart. You can read more about it here at Last Ditch Kit.

Every Day Carry: Lightening The Load.

One particular part of my E.D.C. that I wanted to lighten, but not totally delete was my A.M.K. Trauma Pak. I honestly don't know why A.M.K. doesn't vacuum seal these into a more manageable size. A lot of it is really just redundant if you have a separate First Aid Kit with you. This is where keeping it as simple and obvious seems to have eluded me. So, this is where the genius at RedTeams.net comes into play. He recently posted a bit about getting your kit lighter. He cut out all the filler and kept only the most important parts of his trauma kit. QuikClot and a Tourniquet. And fit into one of CountyComm's PCC Pouches.

I've got a couple unused PCC's laying around....

I promptly ripped open my Trauma Pak and dumped it out. Good lord they put a lot of pointless stuff into it, but hey every bit helps sometimes. Much of what was in it, was exactly what was in my E.D.C. First Aid Kit (Which by the way is probably too big. I'll get to that eventually.) and thus pointless to have. Following RedTeam's good example I threw in only what I felt I needed.

For the time being I'm keeping the triangular bandage that comes with the Trauma Pak. I think I will replace it fairly soon with an actual elastic tourniquet. I decided to throw in the little cheat sheet.

Not much bigger than an iPhone 5 (Griffin Survivor).

I love it. Mountable on MOLLE, Pack Straps or a Belt. It's saved me a considerable amount of space in my GR1 as a result. Not to mention the small size makes it more likely for me to carry in a pocket when  I want to ditch the GR1 for just on-person carry. Much thanks to RedTeams.net for the sharing of knowledge.

Preparedness: BOGT 2.0 "Survival Edition" Mod.

If I were going to setup a "Phoenix Foundation" style think tank I would need some awesome custom gear. A "Q-Branch" as it were. Fortunately I've got two candidates for that job. One of them is the brilliant fellow (Or is it fellows? It's a secret, I bet) known only as "SnakeDr." Some time ago I was thumbing through his site, going back through all of the posts. A really interesting kit he created caught my eye. The "BOGT 2.0" which stands for "Bug Out Go Tube." A SERE style kit based around their "GoTubes" platform.

Brilliant stuff. Lightweight ultra-minimalist approach to a survival style kit. I had plans to inquire about when it might be in stock or if it were even in stock. Being that site says it was last updated nearly two years ago, I didn't expect it to be. So I put it off. I took stock of what the components were and figured I would simply throw one together. Then I began to think about my own needs. All the black wouldn't be helpful. I would be coming from a totally different approach. Wanting to be found as opposed to not being seen. Rescue Vs. Evasion.

So, why not make a survival edition? I dumped out my massive supply cache. I had most of the components on hand, thankfully. But a few more specialized pieces I had to wait for. A number of the original components that were used are difficult to come by in the United States. At least I couldn't find any. I originally wanted to make an exact replication with the same materials, but later reversed my decision. I was able to make do with a little help from the god of all internet commerce-Amazon.com for what I needed. I hope that "SnakeDr" views imitation as the sincerest form of flattery.

The BOGT 2.0 "Survival Edition."

• GoTube. Originally I was going to utilize two. But it simply pushed things over the edge of what this setup is meant to achieve. If need be I can add a second very easily. I decided to follow the original creators example again. One half of the tube is wrapped in 3' of electrical tape. The other half in SOLAS reflective tape, something SnakeDr has done before. I wasn't sure if they had SOLAS available in a small enough quantity. Fortunately nearby Ultimate Survival Technologies offers an 8 piece 2x4" pack. I didn't feel comfortable utilizing a "Dog Tag" style mirror. I've had many break on me and bend in my pocket.
• FRS "Folding Razor Saw." I'm a long time fan of the DermaSafe razor and saws. They're pretty much in every kit I own or have put together. It's pure genius that someone thought of putting those two together. I wasn't sure if they came in orange, though. A simple Amazon.com search informed me they were. And sold through one of SnakeDr's other vendors, Vigilant Gear. Turns out they're also made by Ultimate Survival Technologies.
• 4 Tinder Quik Tabs. If there is one thing I have mountains of it's these. To get them as flat as possible to fit, two on either side of the FRS, I warmed them up (Liquifying the wax partially) and then pressed them between two books overnight. Worked out well.
• 14mm Button Compass. I have plenty of 20mm compass, but they were too big. Fortunately I was able to find one at Survival Resources. I could have got 25 for $10 on Amazon, but the quality was suspect. I picked up a second 14mm compass to add to another project I am conceptualizing.
• Light My Fire "Scout" Fire Steel. I would've liked to have gone with something a little smaller, which I am sure I could have. But I have a pile of these in a box. It kept with the orange theme and has a good grip.
• SnakeDr/OscarDelta V-Cutter. I thought about leaving this off. Then I began to wonder. This is largely a pocket kit or something to be dangled from a belt loop. I imagined if I were on a small plane or in a vehicle that I needed to get out of quickly. Might not be able to reach my knife. By all accounts using a V-Cutter of any kind would require less energy and be much quicker than a knife. I have one of these on my keychain and in one of SnakeDr's paracord bracelets on me at all times.
• Photon Freedom Micro-Light. I love these lights. The smallest light with a multi-mode function. Not to mention dimming functions, which in any situation is great. I opted to pass over the "Covert" model originally used. Again I want to be seen. I broke with the original version and kept the keyring. The plastic "dock" just felt too flimsy for my tastes.
• Fox 40 Micro Whistle. I was going to buy one of the ACME whistles. They come in a variety of colors and were available from several vendors. But the shipping just didn't justify the small cost of the whistle. I had on hand a Fox 40 in orange. I tend to prefer Fox 40's over other whistles I've had and used. The plastic just seems much better.
• Cord Keeper. I tossed this in for management. Force down all of the items to the tube for rattle free pocket carry or belt dangling.

I've been E.D.C.ing this for most of the day now. I actually broke with tradition and didn't carry my GORUCK GR1 on my errands today. Just went with my usual pocket carry along with this attached to a belt loop, tucked into my back pocket. I felt confident despite the stripped down approach. Lately I've found there is a lot to be said about "being able to do more with less." Certainly worked for MacGyver. It's left me with a lot to think about.

General: Rules To Live By, Not Die By.

The Rules. We should all have a written list of rules. I am proud to say I have a list in my kitchen of rules. Almost all of them are similar to Red Team's own. Good to know.

Preparedness: A Project Hint.

I'm working on a very small project. I'll give you all a hint. What do you get when you do a mash-up of this, with this?

Stay tuned...

General: Situational Awareness.

Earlier in the year Kelly Black, the better half (She's armed, folks.) of ITS Tactical wrote about an interesting and uncomfortable encounter at a Target. Her experience has been on my mind lately after a recent strange encounter at Wal-Mart. While I am no authority on "security" I feel that sharing and relaying experiences of this nature are helpful.

I tend to have my head on a swivel and paying attention to just about everything when I am out in public. A number of years ago my observations lead to the noticing of a neighbor's home being broken into. The information I was able to relay along with several other witnesses to other break-ins lead the authorities to find the perpetrators. The most concerning was they were largely not stealing the usual things, but primarily focused on stealing firearms. Ever since then I've always tried to be as observant as ever. Also to listen to my gut.

A couple of days ago I made the trip to my local Wal-Mart. It's in the Northern part of town home to a handful of derelict enclaves. A number of very old and abandoned homes line the opposite side of the highway stretching North and South of the Wal-Mart shopping center. All tucked back in the woods. Recently one of the houses was inspected during a county hearing to begin demolition. Inside they found a massive cache of stolen goods. Largely harmless homeless people have called the area home and are often checked on by local authorities during colder weather. But sadly on occasion you get the bad with the good.

I do my best to park beneath a street light. I also do my best to park where I am in direct line of sight of at least two security cameras. While few people are foolish enough to attempt to hold up a 6'2" man, it does happen. A family friend was mugged in the same parking lot in broad daylight several years ago. I kept my eyes peeled during the short walk into the store. In this particular situation I caught sight of a sketchy looking guy. He was walking along the edge of the front of the building. Literally hugging it as if he were trying to avoid the overlapping roof and the cameras on top of it. I thought to myself "that's weird." I continued into the store and that's when the hair on the back of my neck began to stand up.

Most Wal-Mart's (And other Big Box Stores) have security cameras positioned on at the doors. Usually one of those omni-matrix style 280 degree cameras. My particular store lets incoming customers see what the camera sees in the form of a roughly 26" TV suspended from the ceiling. I'm not entirely sure what it's purpose is. Maybe to allow the customer service representatives at the door to keep an eye open for theft. Maybe to allow women to know if someone is coming up behind them. In my case I saw someone coming up behind me. No more than three feet from behind me, hence the hair on the back of my neck standing up.

It was the same guy who had been seemingly avoiding the cameras outside. At first I presumed he was just walking faster than me and indeed did pass me by. What struck me as odd was the entire time his face was obscured, a hat pulled down over his head. I stopped for a moment. He had been using me and my tall stature to avoid the camera at the entrance it seemed. I dismissed it for several minutes. I figured I was over thinking the situation and perhaps was judging someone on their attire and unusual behavior. After a little while I noticed he was hovering behind a woman with her purse in the front of her cart. Briefly she left her purse in the cart and turned away to look at something. He moved in and that was when I walked past him and acted like I wanted to squeeze by. I said "pardon me" and looked him in the eye. He turned around and quickly walked into the opposite direction.

I didn't see him again. During my checkout I spoke to the woman manning the four self-checkout kiosks. I said that there was a sketchy looking guy, etc, etc. She nodded a few times and picked up a phone and spoke to I presume the manager. I got the impression that they were going to probably have the heads of each department keep an eye out. The woman thanked me and I headed out to the car. Looked around the parking lot (massive as they are) but didn't see him. I'm pretty sure he was up to no good, but of course I don't know for certain. Much of the situation is rather hard to convey in text form, I admit. But better to be safe than sorry, I figure.

Preparedness: The Smallest Kit.

"Make Good Art"-Neil Gaiman.

• DermaSafe Razor & Saw.
• Sparklite Firestarter & 4 TinderQuik Tabs.
• SAS Button Compass.
• Survival Instructions.
• 2x3" Size. Fits in change pocket in most blue jeans.

Word from the wise. Never spend countless hours at night surfing people's Flickr favorites unless you want to be inspired and to get creative. I have so much stuff I can just make kits on a whim. Crazy.

Every Day Carry: Woods E.D.C.

This comes as something of a request. Several readers who were quite happy with my E.D.C. asked me  if I carried it all into the woods. The short answer is; no. I have a totally separate  assortment of things that I take with me when I am hiking new or out of the way areas. I call it my "Woods E.D.C." it's generally more than what I usually carry when going for a hike. I'm not one to stay on the path needless to say. And while I'm never really far from much of anything, I play it safe.

• Orange Bandana.
• Bright Red PVC Poncho. Usually I don't like these since they can decay. But The bright color stands out and it's actually as big as my Cold War-era ponchos.
• 25' 550 Cord.
• Victorinox "Huntsman." One of the few SAK's that I feel is balanced enough to warrant being taken into the woods. Pretty much only tools you would need in the woods. A cost effective "beater" knife of superb quality for bushcrafting projects.
• Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight & Watertight .5. Older model that I prefer. I added a few extras. Gauze rolls, medication...etc.
• Adventure Medical Kits Heat Sheets Emergency Bivvy.
• Guyot "Backpacker" Stainless Steel Bottle & GSI Stainless Steel Camp Cup. Sadly Florida is such a tinder box much of the year it's nearly impossible to brew up some tea or coffee in the field.
• Emergency Poncho. Variety of uses.
• Light My Fire Spork. Good for snacking on peanuts & M&M trail mix I make.
• Rayovac Headlamp. A neat little find. Geared towards hunters. Has a 1 Watt main setting with two red and two blue LED's. It also has a diffuser that slides over whichever setting you're using for a flood light effect. Runs off a single Lithium AA.
• Survival Resources "AquaPouch Plus" 1 Liter Bladder & 1 Quart Emergency Water Bag. You can read about them here.
• Outdoor Products 5x7 Backpackers Tarp. Found at Wal-Mart for $9.95. Six eyelets. Basic tent material. Works well for shade.
• Omni-Seal Bag with redundant and core items. See Below.

• Survival Resources Pocket Tin Survival Kit. The best Altoids Tin based kit. More here.
• First Aid Altoids Tin. Replicated the contents of the Adventure Medical Kits "Pocket Medic."
• ESEE & Adventure Medical Kits Survival Literature.
• Red Mini Bic.
• Small Magnesium & Flint Bart.
• Life+Gear Keychain Light.
• Victorinox "Farmer."

Much like with my normal E.D.C. there is a fair amount. The nice thing about this setup is if I want to go lighter I can dump the contents of the Omni-Seal Bag into my pockets or into my OscarDelta UK "Stealth Snatch Bag" along with my water bottle. It's worked well for me for a number of years. Not pictured were of course my cellphone as well as my GPS unit, which when are always with me in my GoRuck GR1 when not hiking. Everything fits nicely with very little weight into my North Face "Recon" pack.

Every Day Carry: The Empty Water Bottle.

For a while now I've been carrying in my E.D.C. bag a 16 Ounce Nalgene. I'm not the kind of guy who always has water with him. I try really hard not to be one of those people. Usually I am always somewhere that a drink can be purchased. But I've been carrying the bottle, small as it is for the sake of having a container. It dawned on me that was one area of my E.D.C. that I was lacking in.

Summer has seem to have come rather suddenly here in Florida. I came home sweating bullets after running a few errands downtown. Let's just say walking a lot on pavement in the city and then getting into a car with a black interior is uncomfortable. I was putting away my collapsible shopping bag into my E.D.C. bag when I noticed the empty bottle in there. I felt rather stupid and certainly could've used a drink while I was out. Then something more important came to mind.

I'm a 3 square meals a day kind of guy. If I miss one or even miss it by an hour I get a bit shaky. I have never been carrying any food. I must confess I've always avoided it because quite frankly I've had one too many power bars turn to dust after being pummeled in a bag. Then I remembered the empty water bottle. A nice crush resistant container. So I figured if I'm going to be taking up the space in my bag with the bottle, I might as well use the empty space inside the bottle.

I'm a big Starbucks Via fan and an old school fan of Nutri-Grain bars. I feel a bit foolish having not figured this out earlier. But you live and you learn. I've got a fair amount of space left despite the 16 ounce being much smaller than the standard Nalgene 32 ounce bottle. I think I'll add a chocolate bar, some gum and a plastic cutlery set next time I get take out.

Medical Update: No Surgery. Yet.

I had my consult this afternoon with my surgeon. He's a great guy and a friend of my Father (45 year veteran surgeon in his own right. My mother is also a retired Trauma Nurse). Took me in right away before rushing off to do emergency surgery. It's nothing at all. Most likely a benign lipoma. Can either take it out or leave it. Cosmetic issue, really. I'll probably get it taken out in a few weeks. Because of the location and these kinds of lipomas have vessels in them, it'll have to be done in the hospital (Outpatient. Local anesthesia.) with proper cauterization tools. Be about 20 or so stitches at the most. Maybe staples. I prefer staples. They're more fun to remove.

Thanks to everyone who sent me well wishes.

The Florida Steampunker One Year Later.

Well, it's gone by rather quickly. Quite a year in the life of kind of thing. Since last March 16th I've had just under 35,000 site visits. A big thing for me. Thank you for coming.

I was hoping to have something special to post over this weekend, but things tend to get into the way. I'm possibly having surgery on Monday. Depends on what my surgeon says. I may be out of commission for a bit. There is a very, very slim chance it could be rather grim. If that is the case I may document is closely here. But thinking positive is what I try to do. And what I will do.

Hopefully there'll be lots of cool adventures, vintage gear and new knives in the second year of The Florida Steampunker.

Steampunk: $25 Steampunk Lamp.

One of the problems with moving into a place that's admittedly too big for me? Not enough lighting. I've been going on for nearly 3 months with a second bedroom with no lights in it. Pretty absurd, I know. At the same time I've been trying rather desperately to find a project to make Steampunk themed lamp with. My original plans failed due to the product I was hoping to use being nearly a fire hazard. But I managed to get around to a rather less embellished version of a Steampunk themed lamp day before yesterday.

For $15 I found at Wal-Mart a brass plated candelabra style lamp. For another $5 I found a cool lampshade. Has French and English calligraphy along with some fleur di lis. For another $5 I had laying around from my original project a neat "Edison Style" bulb.

You can find Edison style and other retro bulbs online fairly cheap. Google it up. It's not quite the project I had hoped it would be, but it satisfied my need for a lamp in the guest bedroom and my need to channel my inner arts & crafts. Not bad for only $25.

General: TSA Will Permit Knives On Flights.

Interesting developments. You can read the story here. I'm glad to see this happening. People who choose to carry pocket knives are not criminals or up to no good. They're often responsible, respected and respectful people.

Home Owning: 2 1/2 Month Update.

The last two weeks have been rather hectic around here. The final "big" project for my new house is complete. New windows. Fortunately I only have 4 windows in my entire house. A small number, that's for sure. The old ones were the original 1975 windows. Single pane, awning crank open windows. They didn't close fully and being single pane with a steel frame meant I was losing a lot of A/C and Heat. I actually had to run out to Wal-Mart at 2AM to buy an extra comforter to go over my Company Store PrimaLoft comforter so I didn't freeze.

One annoyance I learned after they put the new windows in was; I had to buy new blinds. The new windows covered up over the original installation bracket holes. I took it as an opportunity to put in newer, better blinds. Unfortunately the window boxes in my windows aren't trimmed with wood. It's just drywall and corner bead. I'm going to get my miter saw out of storage and add a trim kit to the windows in the future when I do crown molding in the bedrooms. Needless to say it took some doing, but it's done. Thank God I have standard size width windows, too. I didn't have to do any cutting or placing orders for special sizes. In the end I am a lot warmer. Hopefully my electricity will drop down around $25-30 dollars.

I spent an entire day removing wallpaper from the dinning room wall. I hate nothing more than removing wallpaper. It's a huge mess. When I finally got it off it became apparent that the drywall beneath it had never been skim coated or painted at all. This week I'm going to add orange peel texture and then prime and paint it. I'm also going add a trim kit to the dinning room doorway that connects it to the kitchen. It'll match up nicely with the chair rail trim in the dinning room.

It also turns out no one has ever cleaned out either chemically or physically my shower drain pipe. I poured two bottles of the most toxic Liquid Plumber known to man. I hit it with everything just shy of atomic weapons and fowl language. That token fills up and slowly drains kind of clog. It might need reamed out professional. I'm going to try a hydrogen peroxide based foaming pipe cleaner and let it sit.

Ah. Home owning. Interesting and never boring.

Every Day Carry: Tool Kit 2.0.

I'm a firm believer in having certain tools with you pretty much wherever you go. For a number of years I've been carrying one. Largely it's gone through very little alterations. Staying for the most part quite static. In June I did a brief post on it with a contents list. Quite recently it underwent a few modifications. Beefed up in some capacities and dumbed in others. As my "Tiered E.D.C." developed I was able to manage this while still having a comfortable and still wide selection of tools.

I've cut down on much of the redundancies. Eliminating the Leatherman "Wave" with "BitKit" was an obvious decision. But one made with a bit of hesitation. I was finally swayed when the Leatherman "Bit Kit" nearly destroyed a simple #2 Phillips Screw. Having the DocAllen Versa Tool (With Phillips, Slot and Pozidrive Bits) with it's most common selection of bits is more than sufficient. In fact when I moved into my new home I didn't have any of my tools with me. I assembled several new and old pieces of furniture with only the Versa Tool with very little effort. Earlier in the year I had discovered the Kobalt 8-in-1 Mini Driver sets. The Phillips and Slot model is very helpful for small repair work.

The Super Glue and Duct Tape were natural "core items." Ideally I would've liked to have upgraded to Gorilla Glue brand, but putting 30 yards around an old gift card wouldn't have made sense. Gorilla's tape tends to be impossible to work with once it's removed from it's original roll. It's just simply too strong. So I kept the standard off the shelf duct tape in silver and orange. 30 yards a piece on old gift cards. They run about 1/3rd of an inch in thickness. Naturally the Krazy Glue in individual use tubes and in a plastic storage case for a mere $2.99 was crazy (Pun intended!) to pass up.

Classic and often underrated items from the original incarnation were carried over. ZipTies are rather invaluable. Standard small 6" ones tend to be the most commonly effective ones I ever have a need for. The DermaSafe razor blade is indispensable for a wide variety of things. The Fiskar brand folding scissors are incredible. They're probably the best compact/folding scissors on the market right now. There are a few contenders, but for $4.95 you can't get a better deal. I also held onto the simple book of paper matches. You never know.

Despite wanting to cut down on many of the redundancies I decided important to maintain variety in certain items. Namely the CountyComm.com "Bar Series." Believe it or not but I've gotten the most use out of their Pry Bar and Mini EOD Breacher Bars than any other tool I own. Sometimes having a solid piece of tool steel is all you need. I locked myself out of my old house earlier this year. I was able to "pop the door" to get in with the aid of the two curved Pry Bars and the Mini EOD Breacher Bar. CountyComm.com does sell Titanium versions, which would cut down on weight. But I honestly have not had good experiences with consumer level Titanium. Also can you tell I enjoy the Orange Parcord Wraps?

Then there are some tools that I just needed to have. And since getting them have used quite extensively. I kept the 6" Crescent Wrench. When I first moved into my new house, again I didn't have my tools brought over yet, it got a lot of exercise to satisfy my "home repair OCD." I did a lot of tightening of loose plumbing with it. Small ones like this are great for turning on and off water supply lines at the meter, too. Fortunately I was able to randomly come across a pair of 4" Vise Grips at my local Lowes. They've been quite useful as not only a pair of pliers, but also a clamp for a few things. I would still like to find a 4" pair of Tongue & Groove Pliers, though. It seems 6" is the smallest I can find locally.

I should confess that my tools are quite clean. So before I get hate mail from my friendly "Blog Stalker" and his ranting e-mails I say this; I clean my tools quite literally right after I use them. I wipe them down  to get the crud off. Then every six months, or as needed I spray them down with a misting of silicone spray. It seals them and keeps out moisture. Like any tools from a wrench to a firearm you should always keep them clean and in proper working order.