"Only Ones?" PA Shooter suspect in custody...

This is for Gwen, who has supported only allowing the police and military to have firearms ("The military, guard, and cops can have ‘em, but not everyone."). Here's the story:

A guard at the State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill will be charged in the fatal shooting of Enola lawyer Todd Getgen last week at a North Middleton Twp. rifle range, authorities said.

Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed said Raymond Franklin Peake, 64, of Hampden Twp., will be charged with homicide, robbery, aggravated assault and conspiracy in Getgen's death on July 21. A second man, Thomas Franklin Tuso, 34, of Duncannon, also a guard at the prison, will be charged with theft and conspiracy to receive stolen property, Freed said.

This reminds me of another Pennsylvania that was murdered by a LEO...

Good afternoon at the range

After finishing up at the airshow -- which we figured we'd escape early to avoid the traffic jam -- we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather by going up to the range. It was a nice time. Lots of families out shooting today. We ran a few boxes through the M&Ps, I tried out the new HiPoint (expect a range report), and then I took the Browning Xbolt out to 200 yards.

I was pretty tired and had a hard time keeping the reticle on target at 200 yards but even so got all the shots within 6". Not bad. At 100 yards I had some decent groups. At this point I have high confidence hunting within 100 yards. With good conditions I feel good out to 200 yards.

How lucky we are to have a cheap, clean, safe range that usually isn't too crowded with lanes out to 300 yards!

Bear Attack Near Yellowstone

An unidentified bear or two rampaged throughout a crowded campground, killing one and injuring two.  The Fish and Wildlife Warden said that all food was properly secured and that everyone was "doing things right."

More proof that "doing things right" isn't enough, as some people like to believe.  You need to be able and ready to protect yourself, whether with bear mace, a firearm, or both.

On this same subject, we were just up at Denali National Park, taking the parents on the Great Alaskan Tour.  We spent some time at the Wilderness Access Center, and I happened to catch some of the video you are required to watch before you are allowed to camp in the backcountry.  As expected, the video made no mention of firearms.  What was shocking to me is that it also made no mention of bear spray.  Considering the highly effective nature of this spray when used properly, and it's potential to save both people and bears, it seems almost irresponsible to not have some mention of it included in the backcountry video.

Sea Kittens are back!

Don't tell PETA about my freezer... I wonder what they think about our cat eating fresh Alaskan halibut and salmon sea kittens? Is that feline cannibalism for them?

Election Season

This is a non-partisan blog. For various reasons I endorse neither political parties nor individual candidates. However, as I'm sure you noticed, election season is coming up ("July showers bring... lots of election signs all over time?").

Now is the time to register to vote. The primary election is on 24 August so it is already too late to register (if necessary), but you ensure that you are registered for the General election on 2 November. If you are already registered to vote, you can request an Absentee Ballot for the primaries up until 14 August. However, I wouldn't wait until the last minute.

I may conduct some analysis on the candidates on single issues, such as the RKBA. However, expect us to remain non-partisan throughout the season. Whatever your political affiliation, however, you should get out and make your voice heard. There are many elections with important consequences this year and voting is important.

Left Coast Edition: Another Woman and Handguns

Interesting story from an LA denizen that chose to buy a handgun for protection, and some of the reasoning that went into that decision. Hat Tip to Uncle for the link.

I'd like to highlight a few things that she mentions:

• Firearms provide the best defensive option for women vs. numerous male assailants.*
• Firearms provide the best defensive option for the elderly vs. younger assailants.*
• While a shotgun is an excellent home defense weapon, it is not the best weapon for everyone. This woman found a revolver to be more appropriate. Handgun bans do infringe on the law abiding citizen's ability to keep and bear arms for self defense, and in this case, would especially limit the ability of elderly women to defend themselves.

*I'd caveat by saying that avoidance is the best strategy. Minimizing your profile (don't flaunt wealth in a bad neighborhood...) and investing in passive defenses like locks for your doors are the best ideas. But once a robbery, assault, or other adverse incursion has already begun, your options become very limited. While one should only consider using lethal force when in danger of grave bodily injury or harm, at that point, a firearm is one of the best of several bad options.

Don't Tase Me Bro: Part II

Problem bears get destroyed.

"Coltrane (the Anchorage ADFG biologist) said she advised police on Friday that any bear that gets into a house should be killed, whether it agrees to leave or not."

Perhaps a reminder that a "fed bear is a dead bear." The best defense against adverse human-bear interaction is to preempt it with smart practices. Technology like tasers and bear spray can help in the heat of an altercation but a bear that breaks into houses or has learned to get food from humans will probably have to be destroyed by the state eventually anyways.

Don't Tase Me, Bro

Anchorage PD tases black bear.

Denali

Slow posting.... We've been in Denali Park. Heather has taken some amazing photos, we'll share once we download the camera. 13 grizzly sightings though, and tons of awesome ungulates and other critters.

Flying with Privacy

I hate flying. Somehow, despite my profession, I ended up on the "no fly list" (maybe it is an Alaskan thing -- Sen Stevens' wife was on there, so is our Congressman, Don Young...). I often get selected for extra screening, my checked luggage gets rummaged through and delayed, I can't check in online or at the kiosk (thus meaning extra waits...) and so on. I have almost missed flights before. It is obnoxious.

Well, someone hit on a genius idea. It doesn't solve all the problems but it helps with the checked baggage issues: fly with a gun!

You can transport a firearm in your checked luggage. In fact, all sorts of things count as firearms for travel purposes such as starter pistols, flare guns, gun parts, airsoft, etc. so even if flying to a gun-unfriendly jurisdiction you may be able to do this. If you do this, you can transport your luggage in a hard case with a lock on it. A lock with which you are legally required to NOT give anyone else access to, including TSA. That means no searches of your luggage other than x-rays and the sniffer machine.

Additionally, while the airline can't label the case as having a firearm (that would be like a sign that says "Steal me!"), it can put it in the "Don't Lose this Luggage, Seriously Baggage Dudes" pile. That means you're less likely to have your luggage lost or delayed.

It seems like a really good idea to me. I may start trying this to reduce hassle when I fly.

WARNING: The link above is Not Safe for Work. I do not endorse, support, or otherwise encourage "hacking" or any other questionable activity that the above link refers to. I just think the guy has a great idea for enhancing privacy and reducing hassle while flying.

Well that doesn't make any sense!

Today, for absolutely no reason, I took my concealed carry permit out of my purse and looked at it.  What jumped out at me was the boldly printed expiration date falling sometime in the month of September of a year I shall not name.  The date corresponded to the date I was issued the license plus the five year duration of the license.

That makes sense, right?  But wait.

The reason this date jumped out at me is because I very clearly remembered this: "The permit expires on the person's birthday in the fifth year following issuance of the permit. The department may adjust the length of an initial permit so that a permit is not issued for a period of more than five years."

My birthday is in March, not September.

So, the expiration date listed on my license is not correct.  And that just doesn't make any sense at all!

Gear Review: Seattle Sombrero

This year, we dropped a ridiculous amount of cash on outdoor gear at the REI Flagship store in Denver. A lot of it was stuff we genuinely needed for our outdoor activities, but I had one purchase that was just for me: a Seattle Sombrero. I am a dedicated hat-wearer when participating in outdoor activities. They are vital to keep the sun off, keep the rain off, spray bug juice onto (especially 100% DEET; you don't want that on your skin), and to keep branches out of your hair in thick undergrowth. They are also nice as a basket, pillow, or mask (if you want to nap in the sun at mid-day). I've traditionally relied on a GI boonie hat to keep the sun off, but boonie hats have a tendency to get soggy when it rains and they aren't very warm in the cold.

The Seattle Sombrero is produced by Outdoor Research, a firm that makes great gear which is widely used in a variety of applications (backpacking, climbing, mountaineering, NOLS, even military). Here's a picture:




REI carried a variety of nice hats and the price on the Seattle Sombrero originally made me blanch: spend $40 on a hat? Holy cow! There were many light sun hats and a few other waterproof offerings as well. However, many of the waterproof hats which were lighter and less expensive were made of simple non-breathing, non-vented nylon. That is a recipe for a sweaty mess. So, with a bit of trepidation (but faith in REI's 100% satisfaction guaranteed return policy), I ponied up for my Seattle Sombrero. Since then I've used it on several Alaska trips this summer.

THE GOOD: The sombrero is well constructed. I could find no faults with the design and there are no obvious weak points. The chin strap is tied on to two loops rather than sewn to the hats; I like this feature as it is easy to replace the chin strap if desired. If it broke (perhaps from snagging or something) you could easily replace it in the field with para cord or something.
For the aesthetically inclined, the Sombrero comes in a variety of colors. This is nice because some users may want a high-visibility red vs. a subdued forest green and black color scheme.

It also performs as advertised. I've worn in out in the rain and it keeps you 100% dry. The fabric breathes well, avoiding problems with sweat and overheating. Additionally, the brim is wide enough that it will help keep your upper body dry in light rain or drizzle without needing to don rain gear. Nice! The brim also tucks up with some velcro on both sides so you can wear the hat "Aussie style" if it isn't raining.

THE BAD: I haven't found any major "bad" issues yet. I'd say that the biggest issue with this product is price. $40 is a lot to pay for a hat when you can get a GI surplus boonie hat for ten bucks. Still, this is a quality product with good value for the dollar.

THE UGLY: The hat has a warm fabric liner that goes between your cranium and the gore-tex outer material. While this is soft and cushions the hat, it is also warm. This is great when the temperature is cooler (say, less than 60 degrees or so) but when it gets warm and sunny then it can be a bit much, and you can't take off a layer. However, they do call it the "Seattle" sombrero, not the "Houston Hat," so I think it is ok as long as you use it in appropriate climates.

Additionally, I am wary of spraying 100% DEET products onto the brim. I have long applied DEET to the brim of my hat instead of to my skin in order to minimize exposure to nasty chemicals (and thus skin irritation and such). However, some reporting indicates that DEET can have bad effects on breathable synthetic fabrics like gore-tex. I know that this was the case years ago, and am not sure how current stuff holds up. We'll find out!

BOTTOM LINE: I can recommend the Seattle Sombrero if you participate in a lot of outdoor activities in a rainy climate with expected temperatures between 30-60 degrees (i.e., the Pacific Northwest). It might also be appropriate for seasonal use in other parts of the country (i.e. fall-winter-spring), swapped out with a lighter hat for the hot summer months. It is a little pricey but I have been pleased with the performance of this product. I can reccomend it.

Polar Pure and Cold WX

As a long time Polar Pure user, I was curious how it performs at lower temperatures like we have here in AK; I like hiking and hunting and backpacking and even in the summer our streams are glacially fed and very cold. I figure some of my readers may be interested in water purification so I figured I'd share. For those that don't know, Polar Pure is an iodine based water purification system. I like it because it is cheap, light, easy to use, and doesn't leave any bad taste. The shelf life is also indefinite. The only negative I've identified thus far is it has a tendency to discolor water bladders like Camelbaks if you add it directly into the reservoir. If you purify all your water in a Nalgene bottle first then pour the Nalgene into the soft plastic reservoir, then I've never had a problem.



This is the info straight from the manufacturer:

Dear Chris,

Thank you for your question.

The amount of time required for disinfection of your quart/liter of water is based on the temperature of the water being treated. The amount of Polar Pure solution required to disinfect your water is based on the temperature of the solution in the Polar Pure bottle.

Colder water that you are disinfecting will require more time for complete disinfection. Our guidelines for the time required to disinfect your quart/liter of water are based on EPA testing.

EPA tests used an aqueous solution of iodine like Polar Pure as well as other chemicals and chose a treatment time of 20 minutes. EPA tested only two temperatures -- 41 deg. F(5 deg. C) and 68 deg. F (20 deg C).

The "kill rate" at the coldest 41 deg. F water was 85% in the chosen 20 minute treatment time. The "kill rate" for 68 deg. F was 100% in the 20 min. test. EPA did not test the colder water again after the 20 minute treatment time to determine when 100% kill rate was attained, but as you can see at the end of 20 min. it was 85%. A longer treatment time will produce 100% kill rate at the colder temperature but we have no data from EPA regarding how much longer is required. They also did not test the warmer 68 deg. water sooner than the 20 min. time to evaluate when 100% kill was actually achieved.

Because our treatment parameters are based on EPA testing, we cannot suggest specific treatment times with water that is colder than 68 deg. F - this has not been determined by EPA for any chemical disinfectant. We can only advise to warm the water to be treated to 68 deg. F or to increase treatment time.

The only factors to consider in extreme cold conditions are as you suspect - protect the bottle from cracking and increase the treatment time (or warm the water to be disinfected).

I hope this has answered your question. Feel free to contact us again with any other questions or further clarification of this question. You are also welcome to call Bob Wallace any day between 8am and 8pm pacific time at (408)867-4576. He would be happy to discuss this or any other question with you.

Thank you,
Ted Wallace, Polar Equipment, Inc.

Gone Fishin'

Sorry for the slow posting. We've been adventuring outdoors in the glorious Alaskan summer. This weekend we filled the freezer with fish for the year (halibut and silvers, yum!). I expect we'll do more blogging once the cold comes back in a few months...

And this is why I love Alaska...

Today we hopped in the car to go check out the Girdwood Forest Fair.  On the way we decided to stop at Sportsman's Warehouse to get new black bear tags.  As we pulled into the parking lot, I realized we'd completely forgotten that Sportsman's was doing a free black bear skinning seminar at 1pm.  Fortunately, it was only 12:40.

We got our tags and I, figuring that anything involving chopping up dead animals was probably not going to be placed obviously, asked where the seminar was.  "Right out front," was the answer.  Only in Alaska!

We headed out and I staked out a spot right in front.  By the time the bear arrived, there were about a dozen people there to watch.

About the bear... this story was all over a few months ago.  As it turns out, the guy doing the skinning class was the one they bought all their gear from.  Since they seemed like nice kids, he passed them on to a friend of his who had a cabin in Skwentna.  He agreed to let them rent his place for a bit.  Then they went crazy and ended up breaking into cabins and shooting stuff up all over the area.  Anyway, because the cabins were all open and such due to the break-ins, the bears got a little too comfy wandering in and out.  The guy who originally rented the cabin to those two found bear scat in his place and finally got the bear that was doing it.

Back to the class, right after he started skinning he asked if anyone wanted to help.  I, of course, jumped right in.  I got to hold legs, move things around, and even pop out some knuckles.  Way cool.  We definitely learned a lot!

I just think it was so awesome that they could provide that opportunity, and even more cool that they could basically do it in public.  I can't imagine that would fly in many other states.  There were even a few kids brave enough to put on gloves and touch the bear - the little girl was surprised when she touched the nose and got blood on her glove, but she thought it was about the coolest thing ever.

I'm feeling even more confident about field dressing the bear now that I've gotten to try some of the tricky parts and watch the rest.  I'm also signed up for a women-only big game skinning course in the fall, where they'll give us caribou to work on.  I told Chris - if he shoots it, I'll skin it!