Project Camelbum.

“Are you a doctor?”

I had heard the same question a number of times that day. Finally I had worked out the reason. It was a day so hot the locals were bothered by the heat. I was using my three-litre Platypus bottle. The drinking tube projected from the top of my daysac and was clipped with the bite valve near my collar. Many of the locals had come to the conclusion that I was wearing a stethoscope, and must be a doctor!

Platypus are a company that makes flexible waterbottles similar to the better known Camelbacks. I’ll use “camelback” as a generic term for water bladders of this type.

Since their introduction camelbacks and similar designs have widespread use by both civilians and military. Watch footage of troops in Iraq or Afghanistan and you are likely to spot a drinking tube.

Most camelbacks are backpacks. They are either incorporated into packs, carried in packs or worn as packs. There are a number of situations where a military user may have to operate without a pack, even one as small as a three litre camelback. There may not be time to unpack a camelback from a larger pack. It is standard practice for soldiers to carry water in their belt order for such instances. Commonly this is in the form of one or two one-litre waterbottles. Such bottles are not without their disadvantages. Typically they are rigid and if the soldier falls upon one or rolls onto it he can injure himself. If the bottle is only partially filled the sloshing of the water may be audible and reveal the soldier’s position. Drinking from a bottle usually involves removing it from its pouch. Some designs have a mug that fits over the top of the bottle and this must be removed before the bottle can be removed from the pouch.

Suppose there was something like a camelback that could fit on a soldier’s belt order instead of waterbottles? Being a bladder there would be less airspace inside and sloshing noises would be reduced. Such a system would be compatible with a drinking tube and bite value. The wearer could drink whenever he needed to with minimum hassle. The bladder would have some give should the soldier fall on it or roll on it. Perhaps there would be a pressure release valve that would prevent the bladder bursting if it was severely compressed?

I did a little bit of searching and discovered there are bumbags that include water bladders. Cyclists and runners use them but military users seem oblivious to their potential. The designs I came across tended to be 1.5 litre capacity and were only available in non-tactical colours.

Today I tried another track. Two-litre capacity bladders are available. Some are sold on their own as a replacement part. If I acquire one I could then locate a bumbag or similar that could contain it. A bumbag seems like a likely carrier since they come with their own belt and quick release buckle. If necessary they can be worn suspended from a shoulder or hung from the neck, which may be more comfortable if sitting in a vehicle for a length of time.

Keep reading the blog for further progress with this project.

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The Generation That Never Hears "No"

This weekend I was enjoying the company of a friend who teaches guitar. At one point he mentioned the necessity of “self-discipline” and that if a student lacks this all of his teaching was worthless.

This sticks in my mind because it echoes some conclusions I had reached about another body of students. Said students are lazy, self-indulgent, self-centred, sloppy, unfocused, negligent, selfish… basically, think of a negative character trait and you will find it well represented in this group. A single individual like this is tiresome, you can imagine what forty plus in a group are like!

Colleagues and myself have wondered why students have been so bad in recent years. An idea occurred to me the other day. The current generation had been born after corporal punishment had become illegal. (At this point I fully expect certain readers to have thrown their hands in the air and wailed that I am advocating flogging babies with a cat-o-nine tails. Respectfully, I say get over yourselves, this is not about your pet cause. Try to understand what I am saying.)

The current generation are used to getting their own way. The only sanctions they have ever known is being made to sit on the “naughty step” or being told they cannot go to Macdonalds. In the latter instance they probably just screamed their heads off until their parents gave in. Spoilt, selfish children become spoilt, selfish adults.

A friend of mine often passes on articles about narcissistic personalities. I don’t know if a childhood environment can create such personalities but certainly it could nurture and encourage such traits where they already exist. The current culture in this institution undoubtedly encourages the selfish and self-centred further.

This blog is about self-defence and survival. A generation with a high proportion of narcissistic individuals is relevant to both. To groups such as these students each one thinks they are the only person that matters. They are the people who cannot be bothered to dispose of dangerous items safely. The motorists that use their phones while driving. They are the cyclists that run the lights and injure pedestrians (My girlfriend's aunt was killed by just such a cyclist). The only rationale they need is “I want to”. These people are the reason you need to learn to protect yourself.

If you have enjoyed this article or it has been helpful to you please feel free to show your appreciation. Thank you.
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Chinese Blanket Pack

Do you ever think about why the word “pack” is used in terms such as “backpack”? I had not, until I came across a chapter of Horace Kephart’s “Camping and Woodcraft”. As can be seen from the image reproduced below, some packs are literally packages, wrapped in waterproof material and held together by a harness.

The reason I was reminded of this was because I have come across yet another variant of blanket roll. I was reading about China in the first half of the twentieth century. This is a very interesting period of history and I am rather surprised more movies and games are not set in this period and location. The various Chinese factions had to equip millions of fighting men with only limited resources. How they achieved this is relevant to recent topics on this blog.

In the photos below you can see that a pack was created by placing the cargo within a blanket and then rolling each end inwards until they met. In the last photo you can see that a shelter cloth/ rainproof is carried in a horseshoe around the pack so that it is easily accessible.

 

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Blanket/ Cloak.

Many moons ago I described a method of turning an item such as an all-weather blanket into a hooded rain cape. This was adapted from a method of wearing a plaid associated with the Inverness area. An Inverness cape or cloak is something different and today I will describe a way to use a blanket that forms something not unlike an Inverness cape. We touched on this method with the recent post on Japanese shelter cloths.

 

Take one corner of a blanket in each hand and hold it behind you. Place the middle of the side between your hands over your head.

Release the corners and reach down to waist level and gather the blanket around your lower body. Adjust so the lower edge is about mid-calf level or your preferred length. Tie the blanket in place by encircling it with a belt, piece of string or anything similar you have handy.

Fold the cloth over your head back so it forms a collar. The garment can be improved by using a blanket pin to close the throat area. If you are really improvising you can make a pin by sharpening a small stick.

Your blanket now resembles an improvised cloak. It also resembles the greatcoats worn by US soldiers in westerns. The upper section allows good access to your chest pockets or other gear carried in this area. If necessary it can be drawn up over the head to form a cowl. If your legs need more freedom of movement the lower corners can be brought up and tucked through the belt. Military greatcoats were often designed so the skirts could be buttoned up in similar fashion. This is sometimes called “French fashion” since French troops were noted for fighting in their greatcoats.

You can modify a blanket so that it can more easily be worn in this fashion. Sew a cloth tape by its middle to the middle of the blanket at your preferred waist level. If you refer back to the Japanese shelter cloth article you will see the cloth included this feature. To close off the neck the best option is one or more hook and loop fastenings. Loops should be cord and blunt hooks can be made from suitably bent paperclips or other wire. Hook and loop fastenings are less likely to be uncomfortable should you happen to be lying on them when the blanket if used for sleeping in. Even if you use a sleeping bag for sleeping a blanket is a handy thing to have should it turn unexpectedly cold. Using this technique the blanket is a day garment too. You can wear a rucksac while wearing a blanket like this. The front tends to open more which may or may not be a problem. If you do not need the ventilation when carrying a load a couple of extra blanket pins or a blanket scarf can be used. If your pack is small the cloak can be put on over it.

I have described this as being with a blanket but as the Japanese shelter cloth shows us this can also be used with a rain-resistant material. If you carry a rifle and ammunition across your chest the upper “flaps” provide good protection and easy access. Unlike a poncho this rain garment does not need a hole in the centre for a hood, so is less problematic if rigged as a shelter. A separate hood could perhaps be attached near one edge near the neck fastenings if you are modify a cloth for use in this fashion. If the weather is particularly foul a blanket can be worn within a rain cloth.
 

         If you have enjoyed this article or it has been helpful to you please feel free to show your appreciation. Thank you.
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