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Thursday, February 27, 2014

Small E&E hidden Kit?



TIHK Handcuff Key
First of all I just want to say your book was an eye opener and got me away from the fantasy of Patriots.
I have been revamping my EDC and came across this product:
I was wondering if you had heard of it, effectively it is a universal key to handcuffs, I was curious if you thought this would be a valuable edition to an edc.
You talked about kidnaps in Argentina and you also mentioned criminals getting body armor. I was wondering if they got other equipment such as handcuffs, was it more common for them to tie their captive or use a form of handcuffs?
Again thank you for sharing your experiences in Argentina, it has really helped me instead of relying upon things such as Patriots and lights out for my source of prepping.
Thank you for your time,
-Chris
 

Hi Chirs, thanks for your email.
 Actually, I used to keep a small polymer cuff key and scalpel blade on the inside of my riggers belt, held in place by a bit of gorilla tape. The idea was to have something to open cuffs or cut cord used to tie me up during a robbery or kidnap. Given how common express kidnappings are in Argentina it does make sense.
A polymer cuff key and a small blade can be easily taped to the inside of a thick belt, it doesn’t bother you at all and should you ever need it, it will be there. I haven’t used this cuff key in particular but I would be afraid of losing it if it was just clipped somewhere being so small and all.

Somewhere else along the belt you could put a small ziplock bag with another piece of duct tape, holding a couple quarters and a couple 20 USD bills. 

FerFAL

The New York Times: "Cry for Me, Argentina"




This was posted just a few hours ago in the New York Times. The situation in Argentina is of course pretty bad, and the article does a good job explaining many of the problems (and its main problem, Peronism) . Keep in mind, Argentina is not alone in this mess. The problem is global by now, although as always some countries are better off than others.
FerFAL


USHUAIA, Argentina — A bon mot doing the rounds in post-commodities-boom South America is that Brazil is in the process of becoming Argentina, and Argentina is in the process of becoming Venezuela, and Venezuela is in the process of becoming Zimbabwe. That is a little harsh on Brazil and Ve Argentina, however, is a perverse case of its own. It is a nation still drugged by that quixotic political concoction called Peronism; engaged in all-out war on reliable economic data; tinkering with its multilevel exchange rate; shut out from global capital markets; trampling on property rights when it wishes; obsessed with a lost little war in the Falklands (Malvinas) more than three decades ago; and persuaded that the cause of all this failure lies with speculative powers seeking to force a proud nation — in the words of its leader — “to eat soup again, but this time with a fork.”

A century ago, Argentina was richer than Sweden, France, Austria and Italy. It was far richer than Japan. It held poor Brazil in contempt. Vast and empty, with the world’s richest top soil in the Pampas, it seemed to the European immigrants who flooded here to have all the potential of the United States (per capita income is now a third or less of the United States level). They did not know that a colonel called Juan Domingo Perón and his wife Eva (“Evita”) would shape an ethos of singular delusional power.

“Argentina is a unique case of a country that has completed the transition to underdevelopment,” said Javier Corrales, a political scientist at Amherst College.

In psychological terms — and Buenos Aires is packed with folks on couches pouring out their anguish to psychotherapists — Argentina is the child among nations that never grew up. Responsibility was not its thing. Why should it be? There was so much to be plundered, such riches in grain and livestock, that solid institutions and the rule of law — let alone a functioning tax system — seemed a waste of time.

Immigrants camped here with foreign passports rather than go through the nation-forming absorption that characterize Brazil or the United States. Argentina was far away at the bottom of the world, a beckoning fertile land mass distant enough from power centers to live its own peripheral fantasies or drown its sorrow in what is probably the world’s saddest (and most haunting) dance. Then, to give expression to its uniqueness, Argentina invented its own political philosophy: a strange mishmash of nationalism, romanticism, fascism, socialism, backwardness, progressiveness, militarism, eroticism, fantasy, musical, mournfulness, irresponsibility and repression. The name it gave all this was Peronism. It has proved impossible to shake.nezuela.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Choosing a “Pack Gun”

Hi Ferfal,
Excellent blog!
I am moving to northern idaho in the US and have been looking for an
all around pack gun. There are bears (mostly black and few grizzly),
wolf, mountain lion, coyotes, and possibly strange people (growers,
etc). I had been thinking of getting a wheel gun in 44 mag or larger,
but recently caught wind of the glock G20 in 10mm round. This round is
ballistically similar to .357 mag and in the glock you get 15+1
capacity.
What do you think?
Lance

   Glock 31 works for both two and most four legged predators 

 Hi,

Both 357 magnums and 44 magnum revolvers can be fantastic choices. I would go for Ruger and Smith & Wesson. A 4” barrel model 29 would be very nice, and although heavy loads in 357 magnum do work well, for bigger bears you don’t want to go for less than 44 magnums.
Having said that, if I had to choose I would go for a Glock 31 in 357 SIG since this would be a great choice both for two and four legged predators. Now if you have a significant chance of coming across grizzly bears, then I would go up a notch and go for the Glock  20 in 10mm. It may not be a 44 magnum but 10mm packs a punch, and you can get some powerful ammo from Doubletap and Buffalobore that goes into 44 magnum territory.  As you say, you also get more firepower with Glock 20’s 15 round magazines and follow up shots will be quicker and more accurate than with a DA revolver. The Glocks higher capacity, speed and ease of reloading would also be a big bonus in case you come across dangerous people rather than dangerous animals, which is possible but in general less likely.


FerFAL

Sunday, February 23, 2014

3 Great Knives & Multitools for Women

 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CH5382?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B003CH5382&linkCode=xm2&tag=surviinargen-20
Spyderco Delica 4 $57.03 



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036Z3W56?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B0036Z3W56&linkCode=xm2&tag=surviinargen-20
Leatherman Squirt PS4 $24.70

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PX0LKG?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B000PX0LKG&linkCode=xm2&tag=surviinargen-20
Victorinox Rescue Tool $72.82