Never tried inner tube for hanging targets. The sun may eat them here, its brutal on exposed rubber and plastic. We use carriage or regular bolts with the chain on the back. Like you said, the biggest problem is people shoot the chains. I got larger chain, maybe 3/8"? It lasts pretty well for quite a while. I left spare bolts and chain pieces on the ground by the posts holding the target plate so others can fix them also.Originally Posted by SecondsCount
Following the "pack stuff" theme of my earlier posts, I should mention one thing I normally do when sleeping in a tent, in cold weather. prior to bed I drink some hot liquid to warm my core. Then I fill a Nalgene bottle with boiling water, and stick it in the bottom of my sleeping bag. This will put out a BUNCH of heat for quite some time. I also keep a wool watch cap, or balaclava just for sleeping, so as to prevent heat loss through my head, as well as negate the tendency to stick my head inside a sleeping bag, and cause a bunch of condensation from my breath, and end up with a damp sleeping bag.
Just noticed: a .30 cal ammo can will just fit into the hidden storage compartment in the rear passenger floor of late model Dodge Ram trucks:
When around towns, Id eat pasta and other high energy stuff before heading out to camp in winter.
It works in dry climates, but id wear my damp felt innersoles from my pac boots in my down bag, theyd keep my feet warm and dry out by morning. There would be a lot of frost on the foot area of my sleeping bag. The sun usually burned it off, or a fire would dry it out quickly, most seemed to be vapor that condensed on the outside.
I also kept a hat for sleeping. My mummy bag had a hood, when it got down around zero or colder, Id get everything but my face inside. The dog also gets real friendly when its cold and wants in the bag. Id open it to about my knees and the dog would lay up against me, and Id cover her up. With a 100 lb heater laying next to you, the colder stuff doesnt matter as much.
Cold weather in and out of warm/cold, sleeping with guns is part of how the finish gets trashed over time. They get small stains and rust spots. I got over it. I just try to keep them as clean as possible wiping them off, especially trying to keep the bore dry when sleeping out.
When travelling by car in the winter, its sometimes helpful to have some lock de-icer. I discovered its best to keep it in your overnight gear, like the shaving kit bag. Its not handy when its frozen inside the vehicle.
For long international airline trips-
*keep a packet of wet-wipes in your carry on for a quick sponge bath during the flight.
*a comfortable t-shirt with a pocket under a button up shirt is a lot more comfortable than an neck wallet for your passport.
*your passport should always be on your person, never in your luggage
*always travel with a pen
*if you can, break your trips up with overnight stays.
*triple check your luggage for guns, ammo, knives, or other stuff that may cause you to have nice, long chats with foreign police
Have a heat pump at your house? Live in a snowy climated? Rather than get snow / ice buildup that you have to remember to shovel off, get an old pallet and screw a piece of plywood on top of it that's larger than the top of your heat pump. Set the whole contraption on top of the pump and you've got a snow-roof that still lets the fan easily pass air through it.
It's easier to carry two 5-gallon buckets full of whatever, than just one. You also get twice as much work done at a time.
If you're like me and do mobile work of a blue-collar sort, make your steps count. Never walk from the job to the truck, or vise versa, without carrying something that you need to either get or put away. Think ahead so you minimize your wasted time.
If you have a gasoline-powered generator, lawn mower, etc and like to keep gas on hand for it, keep an eye on your gas-powered vehicle's fuel gauge and dump that 5 gallons into it just before it needs fuel. Then fill your vehicle and your gas can at the same time. You'll never have stale fuel again.
Regular old cheap shampoo (no conditioner) makes one of the world's best soaps for people who work with their hands.
Figure out the size of your vehicle(s)' lug nuts and carry a deep 6-point 1/2" drive socket of that size and breaker bar in each vehicle. No more cursing the tire store for failing to use torque sticks on their impacts when they hammered your lug nuts back on. Just don't go crazy with tightness if you use this combo to install the spare - you develop a lot of torque with a breaker bar, and your car likely needs less than 100 ft-lbs torque on the lug nuts.
When shoveling or forking large quantities of loose material, get your forearms down onto your knees / thighs and use the handle as a lever over your knee. No more back injury; a person can work in this position indefinitely.
If you need to jump-start a vehicle with a decent-sized engine, you need large diameter cables. Mine are made from 2/0 welding lead and have been used to jump start bulldozers, road tractors, articulated loaders, and lawn mowers.
When all you have are wrenches and you can't get enough leverage to loosen a bolt, you can lock the box end of the second wrench onto the open end of the first wrench and effectively double your leverage. Done wrong, you can also bust your knuckles doing this.
Hate keeping an oil change decal in the upper corner of your windshield? Pick up a white board and dry-erase marker at Wal-Mart and hang it in your garage. Make rows for each vehicle, and columns for the date, mileage / hours of the last oil change, and any other info you find handy.
Last edited by Welder; 11-18-2016 at 06:11 PM.
Keeping a spare windshield snow and ice brush/scraper hanging on the side of the shed next to where I park eliminated having to get snowy and snow in the door of the vehicle to get the one out of the truck to clean windows off.
A cheapo set of brown cotton gloves, or whatever type you like, makes getting gas and keeping clean hands easier, it also helps if you have to change a tire. I keep a spare set of knee pads in with my jack also.
Stay single, and stay out of debt.
I learned this much too late in life, but consider it valuable advice.
Good thread. No lie...when it clicks for you, the shoe lace thing is a "Listen up! This may save your life some day...". Take a look down at your shoes and see what you see.
This one is for the chairborne rangers pulling shift work: if you are in desperate need of a midwatch caffeine fix and the vending machine just won't take one of your shiny new coins, scuff it up on a piece of metal (there's an exposed metal hinge at the left top of most vending machines, one swipe across it will do). Works every time.
Did you mean Lost River?Malamute, I've used inner tubes in several of the same ways. Good stuff. Interesting thread guys.
Baling twine is extremely handy to have around, as anyone with horses knows. When feeding the neighbors horses, I cut the bale strings by the knots and save some of the strings.
I needed to pull electric wires once, 720 feet to a well pump. The electrician formally in charge at the moment told me to get a spool of bailing twine (the orange or whatever poly-synthetic stuff) at the ranch supply store (Big R). Two spools, maybe a mile or more, for about $25. We used it for that well, I used it on several other projects, just cutting and wadding up and throwing away huge amounts when pulling wires rather than trying to save it (and covered in pulling lube), and it still took almost 10 years to use up one spool. I gave the other full spool to the electrician. Finally ran out, I need to get another couple spools, whats probably enough for the rest of my life, even if I gave half away again.
Baling string is much stronger than I realized. The electrician told me to tie it to my trailer ball of my truck to pull the 720 ft run. Way too hard to pull by hand.
A snow shovel with a 5' handle (6' overall length) is much easier on your back. The angled handle ones didn't help much. The crazy long ones do help. Gotta make your own with a long handle from the hardware store.
Tire chains can save the day. May not use them for years, but,....when that day comes, nothing else will do it.
ETA: wait,...I just watched the ted talk on tying shoes. I didn't know there was a formal way it was done (or that the "taught" way was a granny knot), but as soon as I realized the difference between a granny and square knot, I always tied mine with a square knot which is what the Ted guy was showing.
Everyone should know a handful of basic useful knots.
Running your boot lace through the top eyelet and through the top eyelet of the other boot and tying slip knots in each end keeps the boots together and easy to carry when moving them around or loading in the vehicle. Loose laces dropped inside,...spare socks inside.
In winter I keep a small duffel of cold weather clothes in the truck. Arctic weight Carhartt insulated bibs, Sorrel pac boots and spare liners, fur hat, mittens, gloves, winter socks, gloves. I can go out in the truck and get them if I need them at home. If I need them away from home its hard to get them unless you leave them in the rig. Same with spare ammo. And a spare gun. And all that other junk I carry.
Folding .mil shovels in the truck are the bomb if you need a shovel unexpectedly.
Last edited by Malamute; 11-18-2016 at 07:46 PM.
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