- Taal Volcano Eruption
- COVID 19
- Earthquakes
- And our first typhoon of the year!
Just so you know, we average about 19 every year.
Stay vigilant!
Friday, May 15, 2020
Typhoon "Ambo" Makes Landfall in the Philippines
2020's getting pretty wild.
Stay vigilant!
Stay vigilant!
Monday, May 11, 2020
Visitors from Turkmenistan
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the recent visitors from Turkmenistan.
We are honored by your visit! It is my wish that my humble journal provides helpful information for your well-being and safety vs the undead.
In turn I visited your embassy's website and discovered these wondrous sights and locations.
Yes, Turkmenistan conquers through its beauty. It has a fascinating country, culture, and history.
I wish it would be possible to visit someday. I'm all about the great outdoors, ancient ruins, meeting the locals, and enjoying the food. Just thinking about travel is making me hungry.
Stay vigilant!
hüşgär boluň!
Salam we hoş!
Where the blazes is the "unknown region"??
We are honored by your visit! It is my wish that my humble journal provides helpful information for your well-being and safety vs the undead.
In turn I visited your embassy's website and discovered these wondrous sights and locations.
Images are from the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Yerevan, Armenia and Atlas Obscura.
I wish it would be possible to visit someday. I'm all about the great outdoors, ancient ruins, meeting the locals, and enjoying the food. Just thinking about travel is making me hungry.
Stay vigilant!
hüşgär boluň!
Sunday, May 10, 2020
PHILVOCS Bulletin: 5.5 Earthquake Hits Luzon
Click here to visit the website.
I felt that.
At 3:18 AM a magnitude 5.5 earthquake rocked Metro Manila and southern Luzon. Its epicenter was just off the coast of Batangas City.
While I was watching YouTube, over a dozen of my friends started posting about it on social media. Judging from their strong reactions I could tell that most of them were living in apartment buildings.
My couch wiggled a little with one jolt and that was it. It felt like my dog jumped to sit beside me.
I immediately looked up to my chandelier and half full glass of water on the table, neither showed movement. I knew right away that it wasn't strong in my area.
- What if it was the so-called "big one"? (A magnitude 7.5)
- Would we evacuate?
- Where would we go?
- What if we had injuries?
- Where are our supplies and how will we be affected if the quake made them inaccessible?
These are my 4AM thoughts. They should be yours too.
I took a quick look around the house checking for damage. Nothing. All is well.
Stay vigilant!
Friday, May 8, 2020
The Smashing Coconut Test V: FX Wildcat MK2 .25
Behold, the quietest and most accurate lead-slinger in our collection.
Real-world stuff? I could make nearly single-hole groups at 50 meters and pellet on pellet hits at anything closer.
I ordered a suppressor from a local gunsmith and it matches the performance of imported designs. The OEM moderator was adequate but I got something that would make it inaudible from outside my window.
This belongs at the highest-end category for air rifles. It contrasts greatly to my break-barrel Gamo Whisper IGT in terms of price and performance.
At 45.15 Foot Pounds Energy, it is a little over half the power of a subsonic .22lr.
Accessories:
- Coupled with a Vortex Ranger 1000 range finder and the Hawke Sidewinder 8-32x56 Mil Dot scope, we could land all of our first hits out to a maximum of 200 meters.
- Ammunition featured is the JSB Exact Kings Diabolo airgun pellet. Made in the Czech Republic, these are the gold standard for airgun pellets.
- I added a bipod and rifle sling to enhance its versatility in field conditions.
-----------------------------------
Can it kill a zombie? Let's find out!
I brought along our young Zombie Hunter so she could do all of the shooting.
A. Target:
Three fresh coconut shells with the husks removed for consistency. These simulate the hardness of a zombie skull.
B. Distance: 35 and 50 meters
C. Results:
Zombie brains destroyed!
There were no exit holes at either distance. All pellets expanded completely flat inside the coconut for maximum damage and energy transfer.
The Wildcat is a certified zombie killer.
It has zero recoil and its laser-accuracy lets us hit any eyeball under 100 meters with ease.
As mentioned earlier, the suppressor is a major contributor to this weapon's effectiveness.
Imagine being able to silently eradicate hundreds of walkers without being noticed.
My daughter enjoys shooting this rifle. It is a bit large for her but she is growing very fast and that will cease to be an issue in a year or two.
Click the video to watch the test!
We shot all kinds of things so check out the video for the surprise at the end!
This was tremendous quality time.
Who knows what else we would yeet together?
Stay vigilant!
(Click here to check out to all previous Smashing Coconut Tests starting all the way back to 2011)
Sunday, May 3, 2020
Pistol Caliber Carbines for SHTF
I can remember very clearly how 10 years ago people were saying that the 9mm carbine or submachinegun was obsolete. This was when the 300 BLK platform was the cool kid and anybody who had a short barreled 5.56 was somehow doing it wrong for CQB.
Back then the only PCC I could think of was the Kel-Tec SUB2K.
Back then the only PCC I could think of was the Kel-Tec SUB2K.
The same critics are now singing praises over every new AR9 coming out saying its ideal for home defense and 9mm isn't anemic.
I never thought that carbines were obsolete. The US army has recently acquired a 9mm SMG.
There will always be a place for a pistol caliner carbine before, during, and after SHTF.
For the Zombie Apocalypse, I would recommend one for a few key reasons:
1. Ammunition availability: there was never a great rimfire drought for traditional pistol ammunition. In the Philippines, 5.56 and 7.62 are hard to come by in this present political climate.
2. Superior handling: It may lack the power and range of a proper rifle caliber, but a PCC can help a shooter land quicker and accurate fire in distances up to 100 yards far better than someone using a handgun.
Its so easy, smaller framed people could use it effectively.
More on that later.
3. Size: The smallest ones like the new IWI Uzi can fit inside the smallest of man-bags. An AR9 can be folded and stuffed into a laptop bag. How cool is that?
4. Training opportunities: Many countries such as mine have competitive venues for PCC matches. Just like in the USA, the Philippines has caught... the PCC bug. We even have carry permits for them too because of convoluted gun logic that for once works in our favor.
5. Variety: There is a PCC for everyone. The Angstadt UDP-9, Ruger PC carbines, IWI Tavor 9mm, Norinco MsP5 clone, CZ Scorpion, Sig MPX, JP Enterprise AR9s, CMMG Banshee, and a whole lot more have already seen tournament use here in the Philippines.
6. You could add a suppressor. Against the undead? 'Nuff said!
**********
For our young Hunter I've had two firearms in mind for her, the CMMG Banshee or the Kalashnikov KR-9.
East vs. West!
I'm really a NATO kind of guy and prefer the AR15 ergos aesthetics, but that Russian PDW looks slick, shoots really well, and is ideal for folks who want a gun that's good to go without all the tinkering AR-platform boys like to do.
I am likely to go with the Banshee for my stated reasons, plus parts availability and the delayed blowback technology in its bolt. An edge is and edge.
Think of a suppressed short barreled rifle with an optic that wakes up when you grab it, plus 33 rounds on tap.
With this in her hands she'd be incredibly potent against any foe, living or undead.
Things are looking up. With more choices becoming available to us and careful planning we could vastly improve our defensive capabilities.
Stay vigilant!
Friday, May 1, 2020
Outfitting a Young Zombie Hunter: The Light Reaction Kit
Our goal during a global zombie apocalypse is to survive. My daughter has spent the past few years preparing to do just that. In addition to rigorous academic pursuits, she continues to train in hand to hand combat, wilderness survival, first aid, and firearms.
Capabilities:
Firearms:
The Kel-Tec SU22 was the first firearm she trained with in 2016. The suppressor makes it hearing safe with CCI Standard Velocity ammunition. Averaging 1050 fps with 40 gr. heads, these blast through hard coconut shells at 300 meters. The 3x UTG magnifier combined with the Holosun HS503c lets her engage zeds close-in and push out to medium range.
The Marlin XT-22YR uses Armscor Super Quiet ammunition. They are 40 gr. projectiles but shoot at an average of 875 fps making this rifle inaudible at 50 meters. The rifle has a buttstock bag that keeps extra magazines. Inside I was able to fit 5 more 10 round magazines and a small box of 50 more rounds of ammo. She can easily carry up to 300 more cartridges in her chest rig.
The sidearm is a Metro Arms MAC Classic 1911 chambered in 9mm. We enhanced all of the pistol's internals with EGW parts for top level performance, all installed and tuned by one the best gunsmiths in the country.
Carry ammo is Hornady Critical Duty but I load primarily 147 gr. SWC heads for maximum accuracy.
It is also her competition handgun in IPSC matches. We hope to bring it to California so she could give USPSA rules a go.
Yes that was my 5.11 TacTec Chest Rig, its hers now. With minor adjustments it fits perfectly. I'm particularly fond of how easily the six magazine pouches hold all everything in a very low profile. She can conceal all of this under a jacket.
An essential tool is the Vortex Ranger 1000. This rangefinder has a red LED display so she can stalk prey at nighttime. It is fast and precise so all of her shots land with pinpoint accuracy.
The radio is a Versa Alerto dual band HAM radio. Its basically identical to the popular Baofeng UV5R. We have a few more of these that are always ready to use along with spare batteries.
The medical items could be found at the right side pocket of the photograph. I decided to just put them in there instead of a dedicated medical pouch to minimize bulk.
The gas mask was purchased via VARUSTELEKA in Finland. I'm quite happy about their products services. They ship directly to the Philippines in less than a week's time. We replaced the old army surplus filters with a new one.
The ESSTAC Shooter's belt is fantastic. It has a rigid inner lining that helps keep everything upright. The build quality tells me that this will see decades of use as long as the user's waistline stays generally the same. I love this belt!
I will replace that BLACKHAWK Serpa as soon as our Enhanced Community Quarantine is over with a mid-ride Safariland ALS holster. Its the only thing that I want to change in this entire setup.
The Schrade SCHF13 drop point is her favorite knife, totally loves that thing. Glad to know she has something to use if ammunition ever runs out or to pry open a can to eat.
The 5.11 3x6 Medical Kit was one of our earliest accessories. It carries just enough to control massive bleeding.
Putting it Together
Smart placement is key. She should be able to grab anything instinctively.
Look at how slick her back is. She could put on a survival backpack or sit in vehicles without any difficulty.
The most important thing is to make everything suit the user.
She's had this chest rig long enough to work out the kinks and train with all of the items.
Should SHTF happen, there would be more than one in our household who could save the day. I've been looking forward to putting this article for many years.
She helped me quite a bit on this project. From the photoshoots, suggestions, and practice sessions.
In her language, this was a great 'collab.
She asked me just now what would her dodo (granddad) would say about all of her training. I told her that all of us are immensely proud of her. Thank goodness she likes to learn new things with me. That alone gives us more than a fighting chance.
She's come a long way but we will keep on training, learning more, and equipping better.
Stay vigilant!
The latter skill requires specialized equipment that we have acquired for our young Zombie Hunter.
Light Reaction Kit
This is her baseline equipment for fighting the undead. Its is tailored to utilize her present size and skills. If things go bad, she can put all of this on in a few minutes. With all of this she can silently destroy the undead from afar or in CQB.
At present she has qualified with her rifles to hit eyeball sized targets at 50 meters and brain sized bogeys at 100. She aspires to increase her effective range in due time.
She is also deadly accurate with her sidearm which was custom built with match grade components.
Items can be added according to the mission such as ballistic armor, melee weapons, survival and evasion gear, or additional ammunition.
At present she has qualified with her rifles to hit eyeball sized targets at 50 meters and brain sized bogeys at 100. She aspires to increase her effective range in due time.
She is also deadly accurate with her sidearm which was custom built with match grade components.
Items can be added according to the mission such as ballistic armor, melee weapons, survival and evasion gear, or additional ammunition.
Firearms:
The Kel-Tec SU22 was the first firearm she trained with in 2016. The suppressor makes it hearing safe with CCI Standard Velocity ammunition. Averaging 1050 fps with 40 gr. heads, these blast through hard coconut shells at 300 meters. The 3x UTG magnifier combined with the Holosun HS503c lets her engage zeds close-in and push out to medium range.
The Marlin XT-22YR uses Armscor Super Quiet ammunition. They are 40 gr. projectiles but shoot at an average of 875 fps making this rifle inaudible at 50 meters. The rifle has a buttstock bag that keeps extra magazines. Inside I was able to fit 5 more 10 round magazines and a small box of 50 more rounds of ammo. She can easily carry up to 300 more cartridges in her chest rig.
The sidearm is a Metro Arms MAC Classic 1911 chambered in 9mm. We enhanced all of the pistol's internals with EGW parts for top level performance, all installed and tuned by one the best gunsmiths in the country.
Carry ammo is Hornady Critical Duty but I load primarily 147 gr. SWC heads for maximum accuracy.
It is also her competition handgun in IPSC matches. We hope to bring it to California so she could give USPSA rules a go.
Load Bearing Gear:
click to enlarge
Yes that was my 5.11 TacTec Chest Rig, its hers now. With minor adjustments it fits perfectly. I'm particularly fond of how easily the six magazine pouches hold all everything in a very low profile. She can conceal all of this under a jacket.
An essential tool is the Vortex Ranger 1000. This rangefinder has a red LED display so she can stalk prey at nighttime. It is fast and precise so all of her shots land with pinpoint accuracy.
The radio is a Versa Alerto dual band HAM radio. Its basically identical to the popular Baofeng UV5R. We have a few more of these that are always ready to use along with spare batteries.
The medical items could be found at the right side pocket of the photograph. I decided to just put them in there instead of a dedicated medical pouch to minimize bulk.
The gas mask was purchased via VARUSTELEKA in Finland. I'm quite happy about their products services. They ship directly to the Philippines in less than a week's time. We replaced the old army surplus filters with a new one.
The ESSTAC Shooter's belt is fantastic. It has a rigid inner lining that helps keep everything upright. The build quality tells me that this will see decades of use as long as the user's waistline stays generally the same. I love this belt!
I will replace that BLACKHAWK Serpa as soon as our Enhanced Community Quarantine is over with a mid-ride Safariland ALS holster. Its the only thing that I want to change in this entire setup.
The Schrade SCHF13 drop point is her favorite knife, totally loves that thing. Glad to know she has something to use if ammunition ever runs out or to pry open a can to eat.
The 5.11 3x6 Medical Kit was one of our earliest accessories. It carries just enough to control massive bleeding.
Putting it Together
Smart placement is key. She should be able to grab anything instinctively.
Look at how slick her back is. She could put on a survival backpack or sit in vehicles without any difficulty.
She prefers to keep the magazine pouches open for quick access. Elastic bands in the pouches keep them from falling out. Saying it again: that ESSTAC Shooter's Belt is smokin' hot. The Geissele hat? Top tier swag!
Going stealthy with her Marlin XT-22YR
The Hunter and her knife
That's a pro shooter's grip.
The most important thing is to make everything suit the user.
She's had this chest rig long enough to work out the kinks and train with all of the items.
Should SHTF happen, there would be more than one in our household who could save the day. I've been looking forward to putting this article for many years.
She helped me quite a bit on this project. From the photoshoots, suggestions, and practice sessions.
In her language, this was a great 'collab.
She asked me just now what would her dodo (granddad) would say about all of her training. I told her that all of us are immensely proud of her. Thank goodness she likes to learn new things with me. That alone gives us more than a fighting chance.
She's come a long way but we will keep on training, learning more, and equipping better.
Keep on moving if you want to survive, for even the undead do not stand still.
Stay vigilant!
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