Originally published at Random Geekage. Please leave any comments there.

A good while ago I ordered Kifaru’s paratarp along with the annex and the peg and pole kit. Unfortunatly due to some error, the peg and pole kit arrived this morning. As any person with new kit does, I tried it out (not for real, that will happen soon).

The nylon bag the kit came in seems pretty substantial. Enough room for the whole system to fit in with a bit of room to spare (more considering the tarp can squash up pretty small). The resulting package is a lot smaller and – more importantly – a lot lighter.

The pegs I find to be pretty naff to be honest. They are made of nylon which is a lot less…flexible than my aluminium pegs but they lack the sharp point to penetrate the earth. A lot of earth accumumates between the ridges which I find undesirable, however they do keep the tarp in place very well and take quite a bit of effort to remove which is a good thing.

The poles is a nice idea. I feel that they could be improved somewhat but I can’t say how. Something is lacking. I may go down the route of using hiking poles (for those that don’t know, the tarp has measurments on it for optimum pole length so you can use whatever you find in the field so long as it is the right length).

The tarp itself I am unsure of. It is ridiculously light (311 grams, 11 oz) which is a major plus but I’m not sure if it is worth the cost. It also feels very thin and I am scared of ripping it (especially due to the cost). Hopefully extensive field testing will eliminate my fears and doubts.

Originally published at Random Geekage. Please leave any comments there.

Secrecy is the keystone of all tyranny. Not force, but secrecy… censorship. When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, ‘This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know,’ the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives. Mighty little force is needed to control a man whose mind has been hoodwinked; contrariwise, no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything you can’t conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him.
–Robert A. Heinlein

Originally published at Random Geekage. Please leave any comments there.

Just found out that I am graduating with Honours from university. BSc (Hons) Computing. Fuck yes.

Originally published at Random Geekage. Please leave any comments there.

I was out for a wander yesterday evening contemplating Bush Buddy stoves when a flash of inspiration hit me. Bush Buddies are quite expensive and are prone to damage if not looked after (V keeps his in its wooden box). What about a simple dirt cheap design for a wood stove?

Materials list:

• Tin can (preferably clean)
• file
• cutting tool

Mark a series of crosses near the top and bottom of the can. These are for the holes for air intake and fume exit. Mark a largish rectangle lengthways near the top. I advise against cutting out the rim around the top so that the stove is more structurally sound.

Cut out the holes by pushing your cutting tool through along the lines you made.

Remember to file down any sharp edges, having to dig out a first aid kit sucks plus blood makes a mess.

Fill with twigs and small sticks the same way as the Bush Buddy, light and sit your pot on top. Voila! A cheap reusable wood powered stove.

The stove didn’t turn out as well as I hoped it would. Went out a lot and had to be rekindled. Also took a while to get water up to any sort of heat. Still, for the price it can’t be beat.

Originally published at Random Geekage. Please leave any comments there.

Just come across a nice recipe of sorts to help stay warm in the bush in winter.

Fill a thermos with:

• hot cocoa
• a stick of cheese
• tablespoon of butter

Sugar, fat and some protein, perfect.

Source (bottom of article)

Originally published at Random Geekage. Please leave any comments there.

I was going to write something witty but I lack inspiration. 22 years on this planet, what to do with the rest of my time…

Originally published at Random Geekage. Please leave any comments there.

Doing my bit to promote the free flow of information

The purpose of this guide is to help you participate constructively in the Iranian election protests through twitter.1. Do NOT publicise proxy IP’s over twitter, and especially not using the #iranelection hashtag. Security forces are monitoring this hashtag, and the moment they identify a proxy IP they will block it in Iran. If you are creating new proxies for the Iranian bloggers, DM them to @stopAhmadi or @iran09 and they will distributed them discretely to bloggers in Iran.

2. Hashtags, the only two legitimate hashtags being used by bloggers in Iran are #iranelection and #gr88, other hashtag ideas run the risk of diluting the conversation.

3. Keep you bull$hit filter up! Security forces are now setting up twitter accounts to spread disinformation by posing as Iranian protesters. Please don’t retweet impetuosly, try to confirm information with reliable sources before retweeting. The legitimate sources are not hard to find and follow.

4. Help cover the bloggers: change your twitter settings so that your location is TEHRAN and your time zone is GMT +3.30. Security forces are hunting for bloggers using location and timezone searches. If we all become ‘Iranians’ it becomes much harder to find them.

5. Don’t blow their cover! If you discover a genuine source, please don’t publicise their name or location on a website. These bloggers are in REAL danger. Spread the word discretely through your own networks but don’t signpost them to the security forces. People are dying there, for real, please keep that in mind.

6. Denial of Service attacks. If you don’t know what you are doing, stay out of this game. Only target those sites the legitimate Iranian bloggers are designating. Be aware that these attacks can have detrimental effects to the network the protesters are relying on. Keep monitoring their traffic to note when you should turn the taps on or off.

7. Do spread the (legitimate) word, it works! When the bloggers asked for twitter maintenance to be postponed using the #nomaintenance tag, it had the desired effect. As long as we spread good information, provide moral support to the protesters, and take our lead from the legitimate bloggers, we can make a constructive contribution.

Please remember that this is about the future of the Iranian people, while it might be exciting to get caught up in the flow of participating in a new meme, do not lose sight of what this is really about.

http://reinikainen.co.uk/2009/06/iranelection-cyberwar-guide-for-beginners/

Originally published at Random Geekage. Please leave any comments there.

On body:

• Well worn boots
• Keys and wallet
• Watch
• Paracord wrapped around right wrist
• Beltline kit (will go over this at a later date)
• Nikon Coolpix S220 camera
• Buff

WebTex PLCE bergen:

• Lid:
  • Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski
  • Collins Gem SAS Survival Guide
  • Notebook and pens
  • Paracord
  • Baggie of cotton balls
  • Baggie of birch bark
• Front pocket:
  • 1000/6000 grit combination stone and nagura stone (not got anything smaller)
  • Folding spade (normally wouldn’t bring this but will be trying a dakota fire hole)
• Main chamber:
  • Section of foam camp mat to act as a seat
  • 2 days of clothes, swim shorts, some sort of acrylic beanie style hat, boonie hat
  • Caldera cone cooking system
  • MSR Titan Titanium 900ml pot with Culinary Upgrade Bag and utensils
  • Folding saw
  • Hygiene kit:
    • Toothbrush and toothpaste
    • Soap
    • Shampoo
    • Towel
    • Loo Roll
  • UK Army sleeping bag and DD Hammocks silk liner
  • Tarp for poncho floor
  • Poncho and ties
  • Possibles Pouch (will also go over this later)
  • First aid kit
  • Inflatable pillow
  • Food (cans, clif bars, trail mix)

Between the lid and main compartment is my self inflating roll mat. External to the pack is my french army 2 man tent which is far too heavy. Unfortunatly my Kifaru Paratarp won’t have arrived by the time of the meet. When it does finally come, the heavy (5.2kg, 11.4lbs) canvas will be replaced with 11 grams of silnylon (yay!). I’m bringing both the tent and my poncho so I can experiment with the poncho while having a known adequate shelter. Lashed through the tiny amount of webbing is my trainers so I can go for a run while at the site.

Originally published at Random Geekage. Please leave any comments there.

A good bushcrafter and survivalist will always depend on one item above all others, the knife. Knives have many useful applications, indeed many tasks are either very difficult or impossible to perform without a knife.

After a small amount of consideration after reading some reviews and watching videos I decided to get Bushcraft Northwest’s BCNW-O1 knife. I am not a knife guru at all (this is my second knife) but I love it to bits.

Mike, the proprietor of the store, is a very cool guy, keeping me updated throughout the transaction and even attempted to get the shipping lower. Excellent customer service, go buy something from him.

I cannot go much further without a criticism of the delivery people. USPS and Parcelforce, you suck. 4 days to cross the atlantic, WTF?! Also, HM Customs, die. Die you thieving bastards. Charging me import duty and VAT, for what? So the government gets to fund things I do not agree with? Again, die. Parcelfarce can also die for their clearance fee.

Vitriol off.

I was surprised at the weight of the knife. Heavier than I thought. Does have a lot of steel though. 3.9mm full tang. Fits in my hand wonderfully. I especially like the thumb scallops, great idea Mike.

I also love the scandi grind that the knife has. Most knifes I have seen have 2 bevels which makes sharpening more difficult in my opinion. The scandi grind makes sharpening very easy, just put the whole bevel on the stone and go.

The leather sheath is also very nice. Seems to be very strong and holds the knife securely. The firesteel holder also holds my firesteel snugly. Neither are likely to come out without direct effort to do so.

I do have a criticism of the sheath though. Due to me being a gear whore, I like the functionallity and appearance of PALS webbing. The sheath does not feature that and I think it would make a great addition, of course being leather, this would be difficult.

Due to the lack of PALS, I put a loop of paracord through the belt loop and suspend the knife on a carabiner.

Aside from that fault, the whole package is very nice. A joy to use. Still need to give it a proper workout and a proper razor sharp edge but soon I will be in the bush having fun.

Originally published at Random Geekage. Please leave any comments there.

Got word from my hosting company, Slicehost, that they are doing breif maintenance on the server this domain resides on. Starting at 4.30 AM GMT this site will be down for 10 mins or so. Nothing major, just an FYI.

Originally published at Random Geekage. Please leave any comments there.

All 3 sessions for week 1 of couch to 5k are done. I don’t really feel any fitter though I suppose it will take some time before the benefits appear. I did feel like quitting 3/4 of the way through this session due to my ankle hurting a lot but once the chimes went to tell me to run again the pain subsided.

Wish the fivefingers would arrive sooner, trainers are carving my heels up.

Originally published at Random Geekage. Please leave any comments there.

A couple weeks ago I found out about c25k, or couch to 5k. I had been meaning to try it but in my usual lazy fashion I didn’t.

Until now. Just did the first part of week 1, alternating running and jogging for 60 and 90 seconds respectively. Not really a massive workout but for a lazy git like me it is more than enough to get the heart going.

Along with the program I am using Podrunner: Intervals which is a set of mixes of some form of electronic/house music with different BPMs for the different parts. Not my ideal music by a long shot but it seems to suit running (wonder how running to Patient Zero’s Rocketballs would work…)

Last time I went for a run, my lungs burned. This time, it is my ankles that hurt. Pain is going down now though. I think it is due to me being on my toes for the running which is something my body is not used to.

Want to get the fivefingers as soon as I can, ditch the trainers that are dying on me.

Damn I feel good.

Originally published at Random Geekage. Please leave any comments there.

Edit: Avagdu let me know of some other stuff that could be worth looking at.

Been talking with V on the R5nger5 IRC channel (irc.freenode.net #r4nger5, come say hi) and the conversation drifted to investments. Various things were discussed which I will go over here.

Traditionally, investing is usually done with stocks or commodities. the problem with stocks is that they don’t really exist (money these days doesn’t really exist either, its what is known as fiat money which means that it is only worth what the state says it is worth and is backed up by people’s faith in the state but that’s something that can be discussed later). Gold is done in more or less the same way but there is (supposedly) a real tangible substance being held in trust.

The problem with that is you don’t get to hold it in your hand so its not really yours. If things go tits up with the company that you have given money to then your money could disappear.

Getting physical gold is also problem. An ingot is pretty damn expensive. Also, you need someplace to store it securely. Another big problem is in a SHTF situation. You will have to take that gold with you. Gold is heavy and doesn’t really do much. You would be better off in the short term with using the space and weight for food and water. If you can securely store your gold in a bug-out location that would be best.

This brings me on to the main focus. Investments should be functional and reliable as well as 100% under your control.

Wogs and r4nger5 know the importance of kit. Kit enables you to carry out tasks and can augment your skills. Getting good kit that will last a while is a great investment. I suggest getting a good knife (many tasks can be done with one). Pig Monkey suggests a backpack and a good pair of boots.

I made the suggestion of wog laminated maps. The ground does not change appreciably on a year to year basis so a good set of maps should last you at least a decade. For those who don’t know, wog lamination is where you take clear packing tape (or other clear strong tape) and cover both sides of the object resulting in a waterproof and tear resistant object. You also have the bonus of being able to write on the map with a pen or china pencil and wipe it off later.

Rechargeable batteries are also an idea. Every day there are more and more electronics coming out and they need power somehow. The majoirity of them are powered by batteries. Rechargeable batteries have the advantage of being reusable, you can hook them up to a solar panel or a small wind turbine and get power for your stuff in the field. The green-ness could also be a consideration. I suggest standardising on one size (or as few sizes as possible) to keep flexibility. AA size batteries are good for size and power output though getting a few leisure batteries could be useful in a more permanent (or less temporary) base. There is a caveat however. Rechargeable batteries have a limited time before the chemicals go bad and they fail to hold a decent charge. Consider them short term investment and don’t store them, use them.

Depending on how paranoid (or concerned) you are about your water supply, some sort of filter is also a wise choice. Folk are putting very bad things in the water these days, fluoride, lithium and there are prescription drugs detected in places.

Highly taxed goods such as tobacco and alcohol may be useful to barter/trade with though tobacco has a shelf life and isn’t as useful as alcohol.

Shelf stable foodstuffs are another valuable asset. Items such as grains, dried and canned food are easy to store and you will thank yourself for preparing if/when civilization collapses.

I would recommend also investing in skills. Even though they are intangible, the results of them can be used to improve your living and even gain regular employment. Getting a driving license is one that immediately comes to mind.

Just some ideas I’m putting out there. If anyone has any other suggestions please feel free to comment.

Originally published at Random Geekage. You can comment here or there.

I am officially done with the education system. Last ever bit of coursework was submitted today. Now I can legitamatly slack off until the parents bug me enough to get a job.

Roll on graduation and the graduation ball.

Now, if USPS would hurry up with my knife I could go out and try out some bushcraft skills I have learned.

Originally published at Random Geekage. You can comment here or there.

Knife is on the way, happy days.

Originally published at Random Geekage. You can comment here or there.

V has informed me that there will be a R4nger5 meet at Rough Hey Wood campsite over the third weekend in June (20/21st). Details are still to be worked out but I believe the usual procedure of turn up on the Thursday or Friday and leave on Sunday or Monday.

Usual activities of bushcraft, drinking and music will take place, hopefully with filming as well. Also, seeing as it is in June, the weather should be much better than last time.

I will be driving down as per usual, if anyone in the central belt of Scotland wants a lift, contact me.

Be there or be sane.

Originally published at Random Geekage. You can comment here or there.

Today is payday (woohoo!) and I have already spent most of the cash I have on a Kifaru ParaTARP (not tipi, I fail) with all the bells and whistles. I now have enough left over for one more purchase. The question is what?

The shortlist consists of a pair of Vibram Fivefinger Flows or the Bushcraft North West BCNW-O1 bushcraft knife. Any input?

Originally published at Random Geekage You can comment here or there.

A few weeks ago, my shaving soap was running low. I was using the Snowcake soap from Lush. Initial performance was good but as I reached the end, very little lather was being produced so it is relegated to hand soap. While in Dundee, I picked up a tub of Lush’s Razorantium product which is one of two they recommend for shaving (the other is scented which I don’t want.

For heavy beards: subdues the strongest stubble.
Men with strong facial growth need an equally strong shaving cream which acts gently. Razorantium beats strong stubble by softening it until it bends over and yields to the razor’s blade, offering no resistance. It does this with linseed gel, cocoa butter and beeswax so that the stubble gets it right at the roots but the skin stays soft. Hairy blokes should all try this.

Sounds good to me. First impression was strange. It claims to be unscented yet there was a peculiar smell, reminded me of bacon which is especially weird since Lush only use vegetarian and vegan products.

To use you simply slather the paste all over your facial hair, work it into the roots and then shave off. It does not lather up which got me at first. They advise using one of their citrus products to help remove the hair and cream from the blade but hot water suffices. The main disadvantage to the cream is it means you have to clean your razor more often (pretty much every shave) but the time saved in lathering more than makes up for it.

Originally published at Random Geekage You can comment here or there.

Just spent the past couple hours creating a theme for my site. It bears a more than passing similarity (yeah, its a blatant copy) to Vavrek’s journal. Much better than anything I could come up with. Very clean, minimal and functional, as well as being very stylish. Full credit goes to Vav for the original design.

Just so you know, I did get Vav’s blessing before rolling this out.

Also, go listen to Vavrek’s music, really good Creative Commons stuff

Originally published at Random Geekage You can comment here or there.

Just received and email by way of the Tayside LUG saying that the new version of Ubuntu, 9.04 (codename Jaunty Jackalope), has just been officially released. The Ubuntu site is very slow so I’m guessing that it is true. Thankfully I upgraded to the release candidate earlier this week so I don’t have to deal with slow package downloads.

Just a heads up to the Ubuntu users out there.