Working out in the gym in preparation for this summer's mountain adventures had me watching a bunch of TV. Normally, I surf between the various news channels, Dual Survival, Alaska Troopers, and What Not to Wear. I know. Slim. Very slim.
Sometimes a good movie is on, but the closer to the climax, the more commercials. It's almost too much to bear. I mean, who cares about Gieco giving you 15% off when your hero has met his match?
But today I was impressed. I happened on back to back episodes of real survivalists demonstrating high tech and not so high tech products.
Vietnam played a role here. I learned about securing the perimeter with trip wires and flash bombs, fall traps with spikes waiting for the unwary invader, spider holes with an amazing bullet proof "glass" where by one could shoot through the glass from your safe haven, knock out the assailant and yet the enemy could not shoot through it. The defender used a mannequin (otherwise known as a dummy, but that term can be confused with real people) to prove the glass worked.
I loved how he embedded a steel drum sideways into the ground. Easy and strong.
Ok, then another guy built a tree house and utilized some reflective material that camouflages the building by reflecting the very surroundings. Tests showed it worked pretty well. I would wonder about it at night, however, if a beam was directed towards it. This prepper lived in Tennessee and had 30 acres for his bug out.
Next up were extremely talented Alaskan natives. I found myself agreeing with everything. They planned to flee Fairbanks at night, take a boat to their dome ( a green, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, bear and bullet proof structure in the interior.) There they would hunt, fish and live off the land. their water supply was close. Twice a year they 'practiced'. I use the word practice. I suspect they enjoy the hell out it. These are the kind of survivalists one could trust with their lives. You could tell they really knew what they were doing.
I watched his daughter take down a booby trapped pine tree to block passage in the river. Then she climbed a different tree with a deer stand two part system. It made scaling the tree for vantage points look easy. Gotta get me one of these things.
Bottom line, I watched this show a couple years back and was disappointed by the stockpiling of goods in basements that look indefensible.
My strategy includes being highly mobile, staying out west and living off the land. This requires good health, knowledge and practice. I think I'm going to invest in a few more things now that I've seen them in action.
Keeping it real.
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