Frogs for Tools.

Entrenchments were a prominent feature of the American Civil War. Earthworks were an established component of sieges but this conflict frequently saw troops digging in at more temporary positions. “Hard Tack and Coffee (p.361)” tells us that each corps of 23,000 men had six wagons loaded with entrenching tools that were provided to units that needed them.

In later wars infantry were issued entrenching tools as part of their personal equipment. SLA Marshal criticised this practice:

“The only amendment that might strengthen them would be to add that rations and ammunition should be specified only in the amounts which reason and experience tell us the Soldier is likely to expend in one day. Beyond that, everything should be committed to first line transport. This includes entrenching tools since twenty heavy and sharp-edged spades will give better protection any day to an entire company than 200 of the play shovels carried by Soldier”

(The Soldier’s Load and The Mobility of A Nation, p.57)

There will be situations where a unit cannot be easily reached by the company train. The best approach most likely lies between the two approaches. A unit will have some tools organic to it but also have access to more substantial items from the company or battalion. For the prudent civilian the approach is similar. One should have portable items with some larger items cached at base, home or with a vehicle.

Level of issue is another issue. Some argue that if the enemy is close half the unit should dig while the other half stands guard, so only half the men should carry entrenching tools. If on a mobile patrol only a couple of tools may be needed. In an urban sweep digging tools are of limited use but there may be a need for crowbars and axes. This last point illustrates something that should be borne in mind in the following passages. For simplicity I may use spade-type entrenching tools for illustration but the proposed ideas are equally applicable to other types of hardware such as axes, mattocks, picks, tomahawks, prybars and so on.

When I was writing about the soldier’s load it became apparent that entrenching tool covers and carriers were rather superfluous. When on the march the entrenching tool is best carried with the rucksack. Rucksacks have numerous pockets, loops and straps that can be used to secure such an item so a carrier that can be affixed to them is redundant. There are times when the rucksack is not carried but the entrenching tool may be needed, and may be needed in a hurry! The various belt mounted carriers in common use take up a lot of room and do not permit the tool to be brought quickly into action. This is why we have numerous images such as the one below. Assault troops ignore their belt carriers and tuck their e-tools through their belts. The belly position is not ideal if the soldier has to crawl or is forced to go prone by enemy fire. A better position is around the right hipbone, as was often done with tomahawks. See my previous blog on fast-drawing of items such as tomahawks.

One function that a carrier or cover does serve is to protect the soldier from the sharp-edges of his tool. There are simpler, lighter and more efficient ways of doing this. The image shows a simple guard used with a tomahawk. For a spade a U-shape can be made from plastic or aluminium tube or siding. Cord or elastic and hooks or simple knots are used to keep this in place. Such constructions do not prevent the soldier from drawing his tool in an emergency. A muzzled pick, tomahawk or spade are still effective weapons.

If a tool does not carry well tucked through the belt a simple “frog” can be constructed. The simplest is to tie a cord into a circle and pass it behind the belt, letting one end to pass through the other to form a simple loop. Loops like this are used to carry hammers on tool belts. If the carry is considered too loose the circle is reduced. Other tricks can be used. It is possible to tie a clove hitch without access to the ends of a cord. This can be done with the hanging part of the loop and the shaft of the tool passed through the centre of the knot. Such a knot can be prevented from collapsing when empty by the simple use of a paperclip or loop of fishing line.

A better frog can be created from nylon strap. Ideally a second strap would be sewn to the outside of the loop, the outer having either a fastex or double-D buckle. The outer strap can be tightened when a more secure grip on the shaft is wanted, the buckle easily released when it is not. To the frog I would add one or two eyelets to which a short length of cord can be attached. For articles such as tomahawks the cord can be passed over the top of the tool and tucked down inside the loop, which is then tightened. This helps secure the tool but is easily released by the action of pulling upwards on the head.

Potentially, items such as machete sheaths and even pistol holsters could be designed to be compatible with the frog.

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Seven tools of EDC.

Today, as I was coming into work I was thinking about “magic number seven”. In short, this is an observation that the average number of related “data chunks” a person can recall is seven, plus or minus two. This is usually specified as for short term memory, but may be relevant to longer term memorization of lists too.

A friend of mine is working on a language-related project. It seemed to me that if you must have lists of categories or affixes then breaking them up into groupings of seven or less might be a good approach.

As it is wont to do, my mind drifted and I began to think about the ninja “six tools of travelling”. I know six is not seven, but bear with me a moment. I remember this list by recalling that three things on it are “flexible”: hat, rope, “towel”; and that three are not: medicine, writing kit and fire tube. As I point out in my earlier article, this list does not include a knife, since telling a ninja or any other sensible person of that era to carry one was probably redundant. If we add knife/ tool to the list it becomes seven.

Ok, I thought, does what I have on me right now meet the criteria of the six/ seven tools of travelling/ everyday carry (EDC)?

• Firstly, I have a hat. It’s cold out and my head has little remaining natural insulation. If it was sunny out and I was planning to spend any time outside I would probably have a hat of a different design.
• Rope, or cordage at least. I have a spare shoelace tucked into the bottom of a pocket. I also have the dental floss in my pocket kit which can be used for a variety of purposes.
• “Towel”. The item the ninja regarded as a towel was a relatively thin, multipurpose item. I have a bandana in my pocket which can serve similar purposes, including as an emergency hat.
• Medicine. My pocket kit contains plasters, painkillers and disinfectant wipes.
• Writing kit. I have a pencil. I can also write things down on my phone.
• Fire. No ninja tube of smouldering charcloth, but I do carry a source of fire. A lighter rides in the same pocket as the bandana and shoelace.
• Knife. I carry a Swiss army knife and a mini-Leatherman squirt and have a Swiss army classic mini-knife on my key ring.

These seven tools do not just represent concrete objects. They also represent broader, more generic categories. For example, the hat also represents shelter, so includes a coat suited to the weather, scarf and gloves should they be needed and the survival blanket I carry. The writing kit also represents communication, so includes my phone and the USB drive I carry. Communication can include signalling, which includes my phone and the whistle and photon light on my keychain. Illumination can be taken as a subset of signalling. The knife also represents tools in the narrower sense, so includes my mini-prybar, diamond sharpening card and the P38-style can opener on the keychain. The knife also represents the requirement for self-defence, where such is permitted.

As can be seen, the “seven tools of EDC” are a good starting point for planning an EDC or larger kit. There are other categories, of course. Money is always useful and documentation may be needed. I carry tape, pins and other items that might be used for repairs. These might be considered a subset of the knife/ tools category. I may add a magnetized needle and a few feet of invisible thread to my little bag of pins and paperclips. None of the seven categories really covers navigation but I do carry a Suunto clipper compass which has proved to be surprisingly useful in town. On the next level up food and water, or the means to procure and prepare them should be addressed. At the EDC level this is addressed by the money and credit card. If you live in a very hot, dry environment carrying a supply of water on your person is prudent.

 

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Useful Pocket Kit.

I may have mentioned before on this blog that I am prone to migraines. I tend to avoid using painkillers unless I have to, but recently my doctor told me my condition was such that I’d be advised to carry more painkillers with me. I’m always in favour of precaution and preparedness, as we know!

If I have to carry some painkillers it seems only prudent to also carry some other items of similar usefulness. Some of my jackets are short on pockets, and I spend a lot of time not wearing a jacket. The logical place to carry this kit was the cargo pocket of my trousers. You are less likely to be separated from your trousers, which is why in my articles on the soldier’s load I recommend the cargo pockets for survival kit, minor injuries kit and other important items.

I will stress here that what is illustrated in the photo is not supposed to be a comprehensive survival kit. There is no means to create fire or cut, since these are already carried elsewhere. And sometimes they are duplicated, or worse. I cringe when I think how many items I have on me that can be used to open beer bottles. This is basically a collection of useful items for everyday carry.

Cargo pocket carry means you do not want a container that is hard or bulky. I selected a cheap first aid kit. It came with a rather nice triangular bandage that was worth the asking price alone. I added placed this in my primary travel medical kit.

To the now emptied pouch I added the following:

• Some paracetamol, and some diclofenac, the latter being good for migraines.

• Some alcohol wipes (can be used as firestarters).

• An assortment of plasters.

• Container of dental floss -90 metres of useful cordage.

• Small bag of safety pins, hair pins and paperclips. Useful for broken zippers or improvising tools. I need more of the larger, springier paperclips since these are more useful.

• Two short lengths of chalk. One light/ white, the other dark/ coloured. For leaving messages and route marking.

• Pencil, wound with about a foot of electrical tape. I should have added the tape first and used the rubber to cap the pencil point. Hindsight is wonderful!

• Foil space blanket. In its own ziplock bag for protection. This squeezed into the pouch, but could be carried outside it within the cargo pocket.

Note each component, other than the pencil, has its own ziplock bag.

Not shown: You could add a small compass to this kit. I already carry a clipper compass elsewhere on my person so this was not a high priority for me. I am also going to add a suitably sized card with Morse code on it, but have not yet had time to print one out while near a laminator.
 

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Fantasy Lock Pick Set

Version 1.1

Recently I described the lock sport kit I have built based around the Dangerfield Serenity kit. The Serenity kit gives a pretty good selection to build a kit around.

A hypothetical challenge has been posed to me. If I was putting together a new kit, perhaps to be associated with this blog and my other writings, what would be my wish-list contents?

The case would have reasonable room for a user to add additional items. Four pockets would be prudent. It would be nice if there was room for my skeleton keys and similar related items. 
 

The contents of the kit effectively divide into three groups: SPP, raking and turning tools. 
 

SPP is the field I have least experience with, but to my mind any kit should include some provision for practising and developing these skills. A kit should have a standard or partial hook and a half-diamond, at least. Notably the Serenity kit did not have a standard hook. Perhaps it was felt that the two reach tools (one angled, one curved) could do the same job. A more conventional hook seems desirable, even if it is just so the user can establish they prefer other tools. The high hook in the Serenity set I have not had much success with. I have even managed to get it stuck in locks. Gonzo hooks seem popular with many SPPers, so this may be a better substitution. I ended up rounding the tip of my high hook into a Gonzo-like hook and it handles somewhat better.

 Standard hook/ euro-hook, Gonzo hook, half-diamond and a couple of reach/ offset tools for good measure seems reasonable for the SPP component, but I am open to suggestions from those with more experience in this field than myself. 

Turning tools: I think a kit should contain several of these, and have provision for the user to add additional examples. Many pickers prefer prybars but I like L and Z shaped tools. The Southern Specialities six-piece set that is included with the twelve-piece Toool set and 2500 Series turning set seems to me like a good basis to start with. I would bend the ends of each tool so the narrower (2.4mm) examples also have a 12mm long nose and the wider (3.18mm) examples also have a 6mm short nose. This gives twelve width/ thickness/ length combinations in a relatively compact package. Perhaps there would be a related prybar set you could take as an option or addition.

Rakes: At least one Bogota! A triple-hump, although I’d not complain if there was a spare also. Perhaps give one triple a standard twist and the other a euro-twist for variety. I have yet to try a double-hump so I would not object if one was included in this kit. My recent experiances suggest more humps are more useful so perhaps a four or five hump Bogota. instead. Some of my easiest SPPs have been with a half-diamond so I would be happy to have a single-hump Bogota included too. This would be my reserve/ alternate half-diamond. There may be a case for making the other half-diamond pick a different size to the Bogota. The selection of rakes would also include something like the Sparrow Octo rake and the Warlock too. The final type of rake would be something that can handle keyways that the Bogotas, Octo’ and Warlock are too big for. This might be something like a snake rake or worm rake, but the wire finger rakes have impressed me recently. Perhaps a five-peak continuous wave and a three-hump Sabana-style? This would be either wire or flat stock, whichever works best. That is eight rakes, including the duplicate triple-hump Bogota. Five SPP tools and six turning tools makes 19 pieces. Perhaps add an adjustable wishbone turning tool to make it an even 20? 

Handles are something that would distinguish this kit. The Dangerfield Bogotas and Sohos in my Serenity kit are designed to double as standard-width turning tools. An additional benefit of this feature is that the tools nest together and take up very little room within a pouch. Four rakes take up less than a centimetre of width. I would like it if the various Bogota rakes in my hypothetical kit were designed the same. These could serve as general use turning tools, reserving the dedicated turning tools for more specialized applications.

The real world Octo rake and Warlock have very wide handles with decorative transfers. For my kit there would be something plainer and less bulky. Perhaps this might be a rod or flat bar with an Octo rake head at one end and a Warlock at the other. The “narrow” rake might also be a double-ended tool: a three-hump Sabana one end, five-peak wave at the other. Flat bar would allow rocking as well as scrubbing actions, the latter difficult with springy wire. ,/div>

What kind of handles should the SPP tools have? Bogota-type handles for these would make for a very compact kit indeed. On the other hand, SPP tools may be used for longer durations than rakes. Perhaps there is merit in giving these more conventional grips, perhaps designed along the lines I suggest in a previous article. The thermoplastic handle on the Sparrow Worm rake seems like a good model. Most of my picks lack handle materials and I have never found that a problem. A case can be made that you get better feedback without. 

The idea of creating a double-ended Octo/ Warlock and narrow rake reduces the number of pieces to 18, but twelve of these are double-ended and/or multi-functional!

Update: I have become fond of the double ended picks in the Honest Dong Shi wave rake kit. I would have no objection to the SPP picks being double-ended as well. Perhaps a hook/ gozo, a reach/ offset and a half-diamond paired with a larger variant, similar to the princess or Goso p-nuckle.

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