My LaCrosse boots arrived. These are UNinsulated steel-toed rubber boots with flexible tops and a tightening strap for the calf. I'll be spending several weeks in the rain forest of Ecuador doing trail work, measuring stream flow, etc. Rubber boots are the only practical footwear and the steel toes are for protection against chainsaw nicks. LaCrosse adjustable boots are fine quality, much more comfortable to hike in than the ones with fairly stiff, non-adjustable tops that whack you in the shin every step you take. Most of their boots are insulated for our temperate climate so I was happy to be able to find some for the jungle that weren't. With luck I will be living there in another year or two and wearing this type of boot whenever I venture out of the house.

Picked up a light-weight (40-degree F) sleeping bag and some rain pants at Walmart. Will test the bag indoors tonight. I have a zero-degree bag that's just too much for summertime or for use in Ecuador where I'll need one first. Gotta have more than a blanket when it's 65 degrees and 100% humidity in the cloud forest.

Just polished off a quart of my pressure-canned turkey over the past three days.
I had to test my wares, quality control you know I'll keep the other 13 quarts for TEOTWAWKI, maybe.

This week I filled out and applied for my FID card. Also did some more research on options for my first gun purchase.

I mounted and bore sighted my new scope for my AR. Now I need some decent weather so I can do my final zero on it.

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Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

NRA Certified Instructor for Basic Handgun and Personal protection in the Home.
V.F.W. Life Member
NRA Member
U.S. Army Veteran

I tried my hand at canning meat for the first time today. Our local store had boneless chicken breast on sale for $1.79lb so I bought 10lbs. I'll let it sit on the shelf for a few weeks and then try it. If I live through it I'll let you know.

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And To The Republic For Which It Used To Stand

Canned another 18# of chicken. The first batch is almost 2 weeks old now and still holding the seal. I guess I must have done it right.
Picked up another 25# bag of sugar. It was up $1.50 from the last bag I bought.

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And To The Republic For Which It Used To Stand

I am actually really excited about this week's project! I had two very basic pre-filled, plastic suitcase-style first aid kits. I've acquired more first-aid supplies and they have been getting strewn all over the linen closet because they don't fit into the small plastic cases. Not good for an emergency. I started looking into duffels, totes, and backpacks that had compartments but they were all marketed toward first-responders and cost between $100-350. That just wouldn't fly with my tight budget. So then I thought, "AHA! Scrapbooking totes! They have a handle, wheels, and lots of little compartments!" But even used on Ebay, they were too expensive. Then just by chance, I found this scrapbooking backpack on Amazon for $10!!! Here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013L ... ss_product

It's a fairly large pack, inside there's a large netted area at the back, then two hard plastic inserts, one has numerous clear plastic pockets (ostensibly for embellishments and stickers and such) that perfectly fit different bandages, gauze pads, etc., and the other insert has a large closeable clear plastic compartment (I'm using it for first-aid books) and above that is heavy elastic sewn at intervals to make loops. Then another large area at the back with netted and zippered compartments.

The outside of the pack has a pocket that exactly fits a hydration bladder.

I painted a large white square with a red cross on the outside flap so it's easily recognizable by anyone (even my young children) as a medical kit.

Boy, it sure is great when a project goes exactly as you planned. It's so rare that you really appreciate it when it happens.

Also, I signed up for CERT training which started last Saturday. This Saturday is a 6-hour First Aid course.

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Waste not, want not, use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without.

[quote="Emmysmom200"Boy, it sure is great when a project goes exactly as you planned. It's so rare that you really appreciate it when it happens.[/quote]

I certainly agree! And congrats on a productive week.

This week has been a rewarding and discouraging week simultaneously. My project was to practice my skill with snares. After setting 6 snares in what I viewed to be primo rabbit habitat I was amazed that I caught 2 squirrels! While thinking the experiment through I decided that maybe I should concentrate on squirrels and proceeded to catch a rabbit in what I viewed to be squirrel habitat, (on top of a large downed log)! I am not into making an animal suffer needlessly. So the snares that I lost (3) have me somewhat disturbed. If you haven't tried to set snares, you should. If you want a quiet way to harvest small game, master it. I have a ways to go for the "master" title but am getting there.

Live ready, be ready to live.
Dr Prepper

Planted 2 dwarf peach trees a couple weeks ago.

Inherited a mauser 98 to add to my preps.

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And To The Republic For Which It Used To Stand