I could have also titled this article, “Two Places I Don’t Want to Be Right Now.” We haven’t been out much lately. We were about a week ahead of the curve on “social distancing;” we stopped eating from restaurants, going to the gym, and going to BJJ. My girlfriend works from home and my work is travel-based, so naturally that’s shut down right now. As a result we’ve been pretty isolated.
Eating Through the Quarantine: Favorite Recipes
My girlfriend and I haven’t dined out in over a month, or ordered takeout in three weeks. This isn’t totally because of COVID-19. It’s mostly because we usually cook at home for financial, health, and lifestyle reasons, and dine out only occasionally anyway. We are very atypical. With restaurants closed across the country, many Americans are probably having a hard time. Today I’m going to offer a few of my favorite “quarantine” recipes. Hopefully they spark your imagination.
Scattered Thoughts about the COVID-19 Crisis
Today I want to offer just a few scattered thoughts on the current COVID-19 crisis. There really isn’t a common theme to these, they’re just some thoughts I’ve had as I’ve worked my property of the past few days.
My Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK)
I told you guys a few weeks ago I’d give you a look at my individual first aid kit (IFAK). I was kind of hesitant to do this one. First, don’t do what I do just because I do it. Greg Ellifritz says in his classes that if you have training, you already know what you need. As I recently heard in an episode of Uncensored Tactical Podcast (unrelated to first aid but still applicable), “if you know how, you’ll know when,” or in this case, what. Still, everyone loves a gear article, so here goes.
Micropreparedness: Things You Can Do NOW
It’s a little late in the day to begin preparing for COVID-19/coronovirus. The physical, financial, mental, and emotional preparedness for this should have begun years and months ago. There are some things you can be doing right now to keep a bad situation from getting even worse.
EDC Part III: Vehicle-Carried EDC
Today will wrap up my EDC series talking about vehicle-carried EDC items. I’m going to showcase the stuff in my vehicle, but the point is to give you some ideas about what an effective vehicle-carried EDC system might look like.
Your Dry Practice Plan 4: March 1 – 15
If you carry a gun, you do so because you believe you might be in a gunfight. If you knew you were going to be in a gunfight tomorrow, would you spend some time dry practicing today? We all waste countless minutes per day mindlessly scrolling social media or watching TV. Take just ten of those minutes each day and better yourself. Here is your dry practice plan for the next two weeks.
EDC Part II: The All Purpose EdC (APEC) Pack
Like most gear guys I like the ideas of bug-out bags, I.N.C.H. bags, get-home bags and EDC bags. Unlike most gear guys, I strongly dislike the inefficiencies these bags create. I’ve combined all of my various “bags” into a single backpack that is full of real-world, high-probability gear. There’s no AR pistol, no gas-mask, and no Mountain House meals, but stick with me and I think you’ll see the logic.
Preventative Maintenance: Sistering Floor Joists
Back in the fall I wrote about having a wood stove installed. Along with the hearth pad, I would guess that I’m putting about 500 to 600 extra pounds on my floor in a fairly concentrated location. I decided to head off long-term floor and foundation problems by sistering a few of my floor joists.