Random Geekage

I have the power!

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:28:25 GMT

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

A few weeks ago I purchased a cheap solar panel for charging my tech while out and about. My original plan was to get 2 of them and attach them to my XTL. When it arrived it was much much smaller than I anticipated. I can fit 5 across the PALS webbing on my XTL.

The panel is a simple affair. Has an internal lithium battery that can be charged via USB to give a full charge before going outdoors and also has a pop out secondary panel for faster charging. Comes with a bunch of adapters for various devices.

Attaching it to my XTL is pretty simple. I glued 2 Maxpedition Tacties which I had modified to give improved functionality (in my opinion) to the back of the panel. I was origially going to film it but my audience is not dumb, gluing 2 things together hardly qualifies as video material.

Malice clips could be used as an alternative to the tacties. I would prefer to use them but I can’t find any retailers in the UK that stock them and I am not paying £20 to ship 4 bits of plastic from America.

The proof of concept works well I think. Sags a little but that’s due to a lack of interweaving that would normally happen on PALS. I attempted to glue in a loop of webbing on each tactie but that failed.

This is my rifle

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:29:56 GMT

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

There are many like it, but this one is mine.

America Trip Pre-planning

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:12:04 GMT

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

I can get to Seattle from Glasgow/Edinburgh for under £600. Immensely doable. I can also get to California for that price but requires 2 stops as opposed to the one to Seattle (no direct flights it seems, shame).

I want to go around springtime. Camping/hiking/other outdoorsy stuff will be done, along with trolling various shops for cool stuff. Timespan about 3-4 weeks or so.

Lets get this ball rolling, hit me up with ideas etc in the usual ways.

Gubbinz Pouch

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:17:47 GMT

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

This originally came out of a need to put bits ‘n bobs someplace so they don’t clutter up my room or get lost. At some point, I decided to just take it with me in case it proved useful. Depending on how I’m feeling, it either rides in the front pocket of my Maxpedition Sabercat or in my Kifaru XTL.

The pouch itself is a Kifaru standard chamber pocket which came with the XTL. 425 denier nylon, plenty strong for small things.

Contents:

Paracord and hair bands
2 boot bands
Tissues
Urban self aid kit
Grimloc carabiner
Clipper lighter
Electrical lighter with torch

The 2 lighters serve different purposes. The clipper has a removable flint sparker so even without gas it is still useful. The electrical one has a small LED torch built into it, not the best thing in the world but when its the only thing you have you will be glad of it. The holster was made for me by V, features a belt loop and a clip to put on keys or what have you.

Camping lessons

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:00:48 GMT

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

So I’m back from my camp up a massive hill with V, tired but happy. Come away with a fair number of lessons.

Camp discipline is important. Keep all your kit tidy and in as small a space as possible, back in your pack is best. This way means you have less hunting around for things.
Don’t bring more kit than is necessary. My Sabercat was completely uneeded and only took up space and weight.
Bring more food than you think you will need. A bag of bannock mix, some couscous and sauce is NOT enough. Noodles, pastas, snack bars, all are cheap and lightweight so bring plenty.
The tip of my hiking pole is sharp enough to pierce my paratarp. Tip goes in the ground, ALWAYS. Also, the annex is pretty pants.
Sleeping on a slope is a bad idea. Invest in a hammock.
Bring cleaning stuff to make life easy when washing up.
Chicken Mug Shot noodle things are utter shit. Avoid.

Boots

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:30:46 GMT

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

In my opinion, good boots and a good rucksack are the two most important investments that should take priority over everything else. With those two items, you are assured mobility, which allows freedom from those who would enslave you.

–Pig Monkey

Much time has passed since PM said that but I am pleased to say that both have been acquired. Picked up a pair of Salomon Mission GTX boots this morning. I am well chuffed with them. Good fit, very comfy, waterproof, lightweight, all desirable features for a boot. They aren’t the most hardcore of boots, not gonna be climbing Everest with them but for every day use, trails and the occasional big hill they should work very well.

Now I need to make a new boot care kit. My old boots are partially leather so the kit is geared towards that. New boots are constructed from suede which won’t work well with black leather boot polish.

Will give the boots a good test at the planned camp Tuesday to Thursday, along with the rest of my kit.

First Aid Thoughts

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:27:54 GMT

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

I’m looking through various every day carry sources and I notice something that is very common. A lot of folk carry some form of first aid kit. A lot of them seem to have very redundant and in my opinion pointless items. I’m sure that there are even folk that carry portable defibrillators.

What do I do for first aid in an urban environment?

Nothing.

I have never had a reason to carry any sort of first aid kit when I’m in the city. The worst thing that has happened to me in the city is I graze my knee or hand if I trip and fall. Hardly something to break out a trauma kit for. I just curse a bit, wipe off any dirt and move on. I am considering putting a few plasters in a ziplock bag, just in case.

What about in a wilderness situation?

Very minimal.

I have had exactly one incident where I needed a plaster when in the woods. I was being stupid and cut myself with my knife. Again, hardly life threatening but I got a plaster from V, whacked it on and went about the rest of the day.

If you are in the wilderness and something truely bad happens, no amount of plasters or over the counter painkillers will help. The best you could probably do is make a splint for a broken bone, make yourself comfortable and attract as much attention as possible.

All I have in my wilderness first aid kit is a few plasters of various sizes. No painkillers, I find they do nothing for me. May add anti-diarrhoea medicine cause that seems like it could be useful. The complete kit takes up very little room. Less than a pocket pack of tissues.

Just some thoughts that popped into my head.

Discoveries

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:47:31 GMT

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

A crusader canteen can fit (more or less) in the side pouch of a Maxpedition Sabercat Versipack
Paracord can be used to attach a leather sheath to PALS webbing
My work is issuing parking tickets and didn’t tell the staff nor do they have the permit system in place yet

Pillows

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:38:20 GMT

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

At home, I have a very nice (if a tad too large) memory foam pillow. This makes for very comfy sleeps. However, it is very impractical to bring such an object into the wilderness, thus a substitute needs to be found.

So far, I have tried many different objects to rest my head on: clothing “footballs” (see Patrolling s1e08 AWOL bag segment); cheap inflatable pillow and tried a camelbak last night. None of these provide the amount of support I am used to. Maybe I’m being too picky but I do find it affects my sleep while camping (wake up far too often, take ages to nod off and I always wake up far too early) so it is something I want to get sorted asap.

Suggestions?

Stop the world, I want to get off

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:05:22 GMT

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

The Children’s Secretary set out £400million plans to put 20,000 problem families under 24-hour CCTV super-vision in their own homes.

Source: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/115736/Sin-bins-for-worst-families

CCTV. Inside houses.

Anyone outside the UK willing to put up with me for a while so I can get on my feet?

Off again

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 08:03:34 GMT

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

Off for another jaunt to London to see Avagdu, Peekok and V for fun and games. Staying at the Thameside YHA hostel. Internet access will be minimal if at all so best way to get a hold of me is call/text/tweet me.

Catch ya on the flip side

Charger Doodad

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:56:05 GMT

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

Due to an error on my part and a lack of preparedness, my phone had the camera application running all night and I neglected to bring the charger. Needless to say, my phone was almost dead. Thankfully due to packing a spare phone for the invasion I could get comms.

This morning, on a hunch I tried V’s USB battery charger thing. He got it as part of a deal with 2 camera batteries. The device is a clamp with a folding USB socket on one end and has two pins that can be moved to make contact with the battery terminals.

When connected correctly to the battery, a green LED on the USB plug lights up. A red one comes on when charging so you know it is working.

Writing on the bottom:

Input DC 5.0V +- 0.25V

Output DC4.8V +- 0.05V MAX 500mA

Suitable for charging original mobile phone batteries from manufacturer

Neat little device. Contemplating creating an urban possibles pouch of sorts with a few bits of useful electrical nicknacks like the charger.

London Invasion Pack List

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:44:37 GMT

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

All packed up for the imminent R4nger5 invasion of London to meet up with Avagdu. Squeezed a bunch of stuff into my 5.11 Rush 24 (proably too much thanks to the huge sleeping bag).

Front Left flap pouch:

Nikon Coolpix S220 digital camera

Front Right flap pouch:

Microfibre cloth
Buff
Grimloc carabiner on outside with boonie attached

Bottom front compartment:

Notebook
Nature and Walking by Emerson and Thoreau
Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski
R4nger5 Campaign Log 1 (may donate it to the 56a Infoshop)
Pens, pencil and permanent marker
Paracord on a carabiner
Map of central London (which will be replaced with a proper one)
Hair brush with hair ties
Tissues

Strapped to the bottom is my self inflating mat. Top zip pouch has my sunglasses.

Main compartment

Hygiene kit
Towel
British Army sleeping bag (which is far too heavy and bulky) Poncho liner (aka ranger blanket) and another synthetic blanket
2 changes of clothes (including Rant 10th anniversary shirt)
EeePC and charger
Crappy inflatable pillow
Avagdu’s goodie bag

Whole lot is fairly heavy (22.4 pounds, less now that the sleeping bag has been removed), hopefully I won’t have to carry it around for long. Will be dumping the main compartment contents at Sloe’s place where we are crashing for the event. Grabbing the 9.55 am National Express train to London King’s Cross, arriving at about 15:50 if all goes to plan. Meeting with Avagdu the next day and then home the day after that. Repeat in August. Gonna be an accomplished nomad one of these years.

Paratarp

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:29:38 GMT

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.

Secrecy and freedom

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:05:09 GMT

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

Honours

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:28:42 GMT

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.

Cheap can stove

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:07:15 GMT

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.

Anti-Hypothermia Brew

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:18:08 GMT

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)

22

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:03:47 GMT

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…

Can’t stop the signal

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:34:47 GMT

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/

R4nger5 Meet Pack List

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:28:02 GMT

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.

BCNW-O1 bushcraft knife

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 16:56:42 GMT

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.

Planned Downtime

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:25:21 GMT

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.

c25k: week 1 complete

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:22:46 GMT

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.

c25k Edit: and another link added

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 10:48:12 GMT

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.