Thursday, February 20, 2014

Ounces are pounds

Like a lot of people, I tend to believe in the old adage "Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it."  I'm always on the lookout for new gear that will let me do more, or stuff that's just interesting.  I'm always forgetting something on every trip, and I tend to compensate by incorporating redundancy in my equipment.  Maybe it's my IT background, but I am firm believer in the notion that "Two is one, and one is none."

That can get one into trouble when dealing with a lot of physical activity.  As a boy, up through my early 20s, I was an avid hiker and camper.  I grew up tromping around the hills of northern West Virginia, both alone and with friends and family.  At first I carried everything but the kitchen sink, finding an excuse for anything if I had room in my monstrous expedition pack, but hiking up and down those endless hills taught me rather quickly that less is often more.  By the time I was 16 or 17, my warm-weather overnight kit consisted of a bolo knife, an old rubberized Army poncho and liner with some pre-cut lengths of paracord for a shelter, a first-aid kit, some MREs and a canteen or two.  I'd eat local plants and occasionally animals if it was the appropriate hunting season, and purify water by boiling it in my canteen cup.  I was young, and agile, and glad to be unencumbered.

Life has its ways of intervening, and I don't get out camping much anymore, much to my dismay.  I've come to like my creature comforts, even when camping.  But I still remember how on a long hike, every ounce felt like a pound by the end of the day.  Considering a proper safari consists of a whole lot of walking, I'm taking a hard, hard look at what I really and truly 'need' outside of base camp.  What I carry, and how I carry it, will become critical.

So first thing's first:  a belt.  I carry a decent amount of stuff on my belt on a daily basis.  Thus, I need a solid, stiff, and durable belt that adjusts to the situation as necessary.  For about 15 years, I've been using belts from The Wilderness.  Their original Instructor Belt is a classic for a reason, but with weight an issue, I opt for the polymer-buckle "Frequent Flyer" model.  With the 5-stitch reinforcement, I've found it plenty stiff for holding up my pistol and accessories all day.  I also like that the nylon and polymer construction is unaffected by rain, snow, sweat or other environmental conditions like leather.  There are a lot of good belts on the market today, but I've not yet had any reason to switch.

Now, what to carry on that belt?  For daily use, I generally have a Leatherman Wave, a SureFire G2 flashlight (though I've upgraded it to a higher-end head and bulb assembly), and my pistol and spare magazine.  When hunting, I add a belt knife for field-dressing game and a spare ammo carrier for my rifle or revolver.  I don't anticipate taking a pistol to Africa (the laws are a bit Byzantine in that regard, from what I'm told), and the safari company will have skinners that are far better at their trade than I could ever hope to be, so I won't likely bring a belt knife (though I'll still have a folding knife, because a blade is useful). 

I've been experimenting with a belt-mounted ammo carrier.  Initially I bought a Rifle Ammo Pouch from Triad Tactical, because I liked some of the features.  I figured I could keep rifle data and hunting licenses in the see-through flaps, and ten rounds each of .30-'06 and 9.3x62mm.  I have no complaints about the quality of this piece of gear, but I just found it to be a bit more than I wanted to carry on a long hunt.  I think it's a great piece of kit for carrying additional ammo on a backpack, or for laying out when you're in a hide or other stationary spot, but it's bulky on my belt and not all that quick to access when it's all folded up and buckled shut.

I also had a Twin Loader from The Wilderness, and I like it quite a bit positioned around 2:00 for a quick reload of the magazine.  But that only holds two extra rounds, and I want a few more.  At a recent safari rifle match, I noticed many competitors with simple, flap-closed cartridge carriers that held four or five rounds.  While attending the Safari Club International convention earlier this month, I happened across several similar items.  I found one from Westley Richards that suited me, and bought it for a reasonable price (they were liquidating some old stock due to a logo change).  I think when combined with the Twin Loader, it'll give me sufficient ammunition on my person for most situations.  

So that takes care of blades, tools, light and ammo.  Next time, I'll talk about one of the most important things you can carry with you into the wild:  water.

16 comments:

  1. A good daypack is a useful item on Safari. All the things you may need during the days activities can be carried and left in the vehicle if not immediately needed. You will be in and out of the vehicle during the day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's something I mean to touch on in a later post. I think it's a great place, for example, to stow that Triad ammo pouch, more water, some more snack bars, and other various items.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It also serves as your carry on bag for your flight over. Everything that you absolutely cant do without such as medications, spare glasses, one set of hunting clothes, etc. goes in your carry on.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Replies
    1. A great point. On my last whitetail hunt, I just happened to have a pack of Kleenex and some wet wipes in my pack, and they came in mighty handy when nature called unexpectedly (and violently).

      Delete
  5. Another lesson learned from our trip: Have few critical items on your person, and have a butt pack or a day pack with other stuff. Your PH and the trackers will gladly take your pack with them wherever you go, but I consider it critical to have a small knife (I carry a lightweight multi-tool that can tighten all the screws on my rifle), a couple cough drops, a lighter and some tissue paper along with my spare ammo ON MY PERSON.

    When we got to the Zambezi, the one hunter in our group that didn't have a way to carry spare ammo had the PH provide him with something he could wear. Our PH considered it critical to carry 10 or more rounds of solids for your DG rifle on your person.

    I carried all the usual emergency stuff I take hunting anywhere else (about 4 lbs of the basic "10 C's") but the trackers would always carry that pack with them. Every time I tried to carry it, the tracker that carried the backpack full of water and emergency supplies for the party would take it from me and sling it over his shoulder. They got offended if I tried to carry it, and I didn't make a big deal about it.

    As usual, YMMV, and I'm jealous of your upcoming trip!

    FormerFlyer

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That sounds like a great idea, and is in line with my theory. I want to carry the immediate basics on me, and have a small bag with some additional stuff that could come in handy or is just nice to have.

      What are your "10 Cs"?

      Delete
    2. So I went and googled the "10 C's" and found it very interesting. It goes in line with a lot of what I already pack in my possibles bag, but the addition of candles and the canvas needle are new to me and intriguing. I'm glad to see that I'm not alone in my love for a few bandanas and 550 cord on the trail. As for 'container', I have always loved my old GI canteen cup. It's great for cooking or drinking, though like all metal vessels, it gets a little unpleasant drinking very hot beverages like coffee or cocoa out of it. I am looking for a good stainless water bottle in the near future. Any suggestions?

      Delete
    3. I bought a few single wall stainless steel 32oz wide mouth water bottles off of amazon. Cost was about $6 each. Fill with water and set it in the fire for safe water or coffee, use the bandana to hold it when hot.

      The other thing I always kept on my person was 2 days worth of my prescription medications. No way I was going to be separated from those.

      FormerFlyer

      Delete
    4. Good point on the prescription meds. I figure I will also take some OTC meds like tylenol/ibuprofen, claritin, and some topical stuff like neosporin. I will also likely bring my IFAK with tourniquet, pressure bandage, chest seal, etc.

      Delete
    5. Kleen Kanteen also makes a very sturdy water bottle. The lid does not leak, some of the cheaper ones do. Enjoy your safari!

      Delete
    6. Awesome, I'll take a look at them. Thanks!

      Delete
  6. Is taking a pistol along possible? I've heard of it before (Ayoob and The Nuge)
    Joe C

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's possible, if you have an invitation to a competitive shooting event like IDPA or IPSC. I'm not sure of all the specifics, and from what I've heard, RSA's gun laws are getting more strict all the time. And people do still hunt with handguns in Africa (though I'm not sure about South Africa specifically)

      Delete
  7. Cough drops. That's genius considering the task at hand. I must add those to my pack and bug out bag.

    While I can't imagine a lot of actual need for this on safari, I consider it important to always have a firestarter. I do keep butane lighters around because they are the most efficient typically, but they do run dry or lose pressure over the years. Cold, wet, wind, and altitude all conspire against them, too. I prefer to have a firesteel, which is usually a rod of ferrocerium "flint" with an attached steel "striker" (somewhat of a misnomer as you don't necessarily strike with it as much as briskly scrape). I always say, "You never know when you might have to set something on fire," so I like to have a way of creating fire for heat, cooking, signaling, or evidence disposal. ;) If you don't carry prefabricated tinder, you must also have a blade to prepare decent tinder from locally sourced items. You also need some education on how to actually use these devices to start a fire. It's not so built-in to our DNA as many of us would like to imagine. YouTube is your friend for this one, and it's easy once you know what to do.

    There are two common units I especially like: 1.) The Strikeforce from UST (formerly made by Gerber), and 2.) the Army model of the Light My Firesteel, the true Swedish army firesteel. Beware, there are numerous counterfeit lookalikes out there, but they are often of inferior quality and do not work as well.

    The Strikeforce is easy to use and throws big sparks, has a cap to protect the rod (more on this in a minute), and a storage compartment for WetFire Tinder cubes.

    The Light My Firesteel is much more basic, much smaller and lighter, and more economical at around $16.00. It is also somewhat more awkward to use and the rod is exposed to damage and the elements all the time.

    Another unit I would like to try but don't own yet is the ExoTac nanoSTRIKER, although it is pricey. It's advantages appear to be small size and weight, durability, a positive knurled grip for wet or numb conditions, and the fact that the rod is o-ring sealed. Once exposed, the ferro rod is highly vulnerable to corrosion from humidity. It should be re-coated with paint to seal it as soon as possible, but encasing it should work well enough.

    I'm not aware of any travel restrictions on these unlike butane lighters, but if anyone has more info I would like to hear it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Excellent thoughts, Mike! I have one of the Gerber strikers, but I don't believe I've used it in years. Next time we go camping, I'll bring it and have you demonstrate. I keep it in a little Pelican-style case with a hand-powered chainsaw and some WetFire tinders.

      Delete