Several months ago I had issues with foot and joint pain. That resulted in a month and a half of down time. I can’t say I was happy with that development. Complicating things, my talking scale gave up the ghost. It declined to take weights or gave measures varying by as much as ten pounds. Switching the batteries didn’t help. So it’s toast.
There was a period there where I just didn’t want to get back to exercising. I like exercising. It feels great afterward. The catch of course is that one has to find the time and motivation to start the process. I didn’t want to go back to having a sprung back, foot, and elbow; so I waited longer than I had to in order to make sure I was back on my game—that and the lazy is strong when it takes hold. Now I’m back on the wagon with some small changes. For one, I’m taking it much easier during stretches. I’m pretty sure that some of the joint problems I was having were due to attempting to push joints, especially hips and knees, farther than they were designed to go. So I’ve “adjusted” my expectations. Second, I’m exercising every third instead of every other day. My rule is it’s ok to be sore—it is not ok to have significant joint pain since the last session. Throw a couple four year olds around for 6 hours, climb up and down stairs for a day, and stay on your feet for 8+ hours— these things are going to hurt until the weight comes off. So I’m finding a better balance of frequency and intensity that will let me enjoy life while getting fit. If things even up in a few weeks I’m going to move on to the next section on the video past the lunges—which did more damage than good. Seriously, I have no idea how I ever did lunges—stupid knees.
I am feeling better now. It only took a few sessions to make me feel stronger. Which is probably why when my department decided to pimp a “get active” program I signed up. You record the number of steps taken each day, your daily weight, and the number of minutes exercised. The objective is to get to a set goal in each category—thereby advancing your team’s standings. Since I don’t want to let my coworkers down, it’s a nice motivator.
I’m going to hold off checking the weight. Obviously, I don’t have a scale. Every once in a while I need to change things up. I’m going to use this get active initiative to focus on exercising. I need to build up strength. I need to reintegrate exercise into my life. I’m looking forward to using the pedometer. If the one they give me isn’t accessible, I’m going to get a fit bit or some such item. Living more actively would be nice. Being able to actually evaluate how active a week has been would be better. Oh, and with summer coming on, this is the time to get it done.
You may have heard of the game “are you smarter than a 4 year old?” Saturday MX, Squish, and I played a slightly different version called “are you faster than a 4 year old.” It worked like this. We took MX and his new bumblebee transformer bike, complete with training wheels, out to the old NCR trail. I started power walking while Squish got MX settled. MX would then take off like a shot and pass me. When he thought he was far enough ahead, he would look back and taunt me. I would sprint after him, catch up, and the process would start over again. I was impressed that I could catch him in the first place. I was more impressed that he made it 6 miles on his bike without help. It was a good follow-up to my club workout that morning. The weather was clear and crisp—no bugs, dust, muck, just a perfect Saturday afternoon.
Sunday we hosted Easter for MX, Squish, and my family. I tried a few new recipes including scorpion bourbon scalloped potatoes, baked ham with sriracha brown sugar Dijon glaze, and Kielbasa sausage. Things I learned:
1. Precooked ham needs to be cooked at 325 not 350. Looking back, I didn’t distinguish between the bone in and precooked ham recipes—resulting in a wonderfully flavored but slightly over cooked dish.
2. Always be careful to validate the recipe you are using. Different components cook at different speeds so you can’t always substitute on a one-for-one basis and use the same cooking times and temperatures. I almost didn’t follow the direction for the potatoes and would have severely undercooked the dish.
3. Most of my family love spicy food. The rest will tolerate it if the flavor is good enough.
4. Recipe portions lie. They lie about how many people they will serv. They lie about how much material is required to fill a slow cooker. I now have way more potatoes than I know what to do with.
5. Cheese graters are amazing. I don’t know why it took me this long to figure it out, but the ability to add smoked Gouda to any dish is a terribly wonderful discovery.
6. Cooking things in bags has potential. This bares further investigation.
Unfortunately, I was rather ill throughout most of the event. This was particularly sad since I have been collecting laser tag guns for months in anticipation of my tiny relatives showing up. You know you’re doing something right when the first thing the three year old does when he comes through the door is to run up and whisper in your ear “can we play with the nurf guns?” It about broke my heart not being able to play with them. They will be coming back for mothers’ day, so we’ll see if the second time is the charm.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Things to be thankfull for.
The last few weeks have been good to me. Often I get caught up in the troubles of the world. I forget to mention the good things in my life. The Saturday before last I spent the day with Wmtrainguy, Super E, and Ceri. Wmtrainguy introduced me to bloodbowl, a rugby-like game in which various fantasy races compete on a hex board. Dice are used to check skills, randomize ball bounces, assess tackle results, and determine damage. Each race has its own character, skills, and style. I played the orcs (large heavily armored bruisers) while he played the humans (well rounded generalists.) We played through 6 turns out of 8 for the first half. It was fun—as much because I love new games as for sharing the experience with friends. I’m going to get into this game eventually, but not until I get some more games under my belt. I’ve committed myself to finishing some long-standing projects before taking on new ones.
We followed that up with an excellent dinner of grilled lamb and veggies. With super E put to bed, the three adults had mint juleps and talked politics and religion. Normally these are not relaxing or “fun” topics; however the three of us enjoyed a lively discussion free of acrimony. Their house is one of the few places where things are really relaxed. It’s good I don’t go there more often; I’d be tempted to stay.
Friday I took a half day off in order to take 4 of the brunette’s coworkers to the range—three of whom were first time shooters. I enjoy introducing people to firearms. Everyone want’s something different—a chance to assume the mantle of an action hero, the desire to try something new, even the chance to confront one’s fears. We started at the house where I went through my standard safety shtick—the four rules, guns should be respected not feared, some general handling tips, and basic stance/grip coaching. It’s important to me that new shooters get eased into the process. Fear and uncertainty can mar an otherwise rewarding experience. I don’t expect new shooters to remember most of what I say in the initial briefing; but if they retain a few of the points I’m happy. I’m looking to get them somewhat familiar with guns and introduce them to the idea of handling them. The reality is that they aren’t going to get unsupervised access to a firearm until I’m entirely sure they won’t be a danger to themselves and others.
I packed up my colt diamond back, my Ruger 10/22 takedown, my Colt Gold Cup 1911, and the brunette’s Taurus thunderbolt. We checked in, renewed our membership, got our ear and eye protection, and touched base with the range officer. It’s always good to let the guy in charge of range safety know what’s going on. That way he can offer help where needed and keep a second weather eye out for trouble. The brunette and her somewhat experienced coworker set up on one lane with her rifle and his Ruger 9mm while I set up on the other with the Diamondback and the 3 neophytes. Several of Continental’s 12 lanes were occupied—creating an intermittent roar as various shooters went to town. If you want to cure flinching, spend a few hours on a public range. You still notice, but it doesn’t engage the fight-or-flight instinct after the fifteenth time someone cuts loose with a 12 gage.
Side note, It seems that due to recent legislation, people going to a public range in Maryland have to turn in their license or green card to be recorded. This is probably a two or three hour rant—but I’ll keep it to one paragraph for now. The document presentation bit doesn’t bother me. We’d had to do that before for liability reasons. The difference was that then it was for the range’s private use. Now not only is it a liability thing, it’s also a state thing. I knew the state looked over recent range attendees before this—looking for parolees who weren’t supposed to be on premises. In this case it just rubbed me the wrong way—just another example of how Maryland treats gun owners as second class citizens. If we asked voters to do the same thing there would be a huge public outcry. But when thousands of gun owners protest restrictive and pointless gun control laws it means nothing—deep breath.
Back on topic, I spent the session walking people through safe range practices, familiarizing them with the guns, and giving them the confidence to enjoy what they were doing. It’s easy to get people to like shooting. It’s like driving a fast car or going on an amusement park ride—the thrill does the work for you. I also enjoy teaching. There were people in my life who helped me in the beginning—especially squish and the Jew. But they weren’t really experienced shooters either. Teaching new shooters is rewarding because every time someone gets it—that guns are fun as long as treated with respect—I feel like I’ve won a victory.
That evening we had our normal Friday night dinner gathering. Food was excellent. Conversation was outstanding. I may not always agree, heck I usually don’t agree with my friends on everything, but it’s nice to sit down and just let the conversation ride. Our larger group has so many varied experiences and perspectives that large conversations are always enlightening.
1. I spent the rest of the weekend reading, cooking, and getting some quality time with the Brunette. I’m lucky to be married to a woman who loves good books, gaming, and large caliber firearms as much as I do. We just finished reading Gardens of the Moon (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1), an excellent but dense read. We’re on to the second book in the series now.
Life has been good to me ;)
We followed that up with an excellent dinner of grilled lamb and veggies. With super E put to bed, the three adults had mint juleps and talked politics and religion. Normally these are not relaxing or “fun” topics; however the three of us enjoyed a lively discussion free of acrimony. Their house is one of the few places where things are really relaxed. It’s good I don’t go there more often; I’d be tempted to stay.
Friday I took a half day off in order to take 4 of the brunette’s coworkers to the range—three of whom were first time shooters. I enjoy introducing people to firearms. Everyone want’s something different—a chance to assume the mantle of an action hero, the desire to try something new, even the chance to confront one’s fears. We started at the house where I went through my standard safety shtick—the four rules, guns should be respected not feared, some general handling tips, and basic stance/grip coaching. It’s important to me that new shooters get eased into the process. Fear and uncertainty can mar an otherwise rewarding experience. I don’t expect new shooters to remember most of what I say in the initial briefing; but if they retain a few of the points I’m happy. I’m looking to get them somewhat familiar with guns and introduce them to the idea of handling them. The reality is that they aren’t going to get unsupervised access to a firearm until I’m entirely sure they won’t be a danger to themselves and others.
I packed up my colt diamond back, my Ruger 10/22 takedown, my Colt Gold Cup 1911, and the brunette’s Taurus thunderbolt. We checked in, renewed our membership, got our ear and eye protection, and touched base with the range officer. It’s always good to let the guy in charge of range safety know what’s going on. That way he can offer help where needed and keep a second weather eye out for trouble. The brunette and her somewhat experienced coworker set up on one lane with her rifle and his Ruger 9mm while I set up on the other with the Diamondback and the 3 neophytes. Several of Continental’s 12 lanes were occupied—creating an intermittent roar as various shooters went to town. If you want to cure flinching, spend a few hours on a public range. You still notice, but it doesn’t engage the fight-or-flight instinct after the fifteenth time someone cuts loose with a 12 gage.
Side note, It seems that due to recent legislation, people going to a public range in Maryland have to turn in their license or green card to be recorded. This is probably a two or three hour rant—but I’ll keep it to one paragraph for now. The document presentation bit doesn’t bother me. We’d had to do that before for liability reasons. The difference was that then it was for the range’s private use. Now not only is it a liability thing, it’s also a state thing. I knew the state looked over recent range attendees before this—looking for parolees who weren’t supposed to be on premises. In this case it just rubbed me the wrong way—just another example of how Maryland treats gun owners as second class citizens. If we asked voters to do the same thing there would be a huge public outcry. But when thousands of gun owners protest restrictive and pointless gun control laws it means nothing—deep breath.
Back on topic, I spent the session walking people through safe range practices, familiarizing them with the guns, and giving them the confidence to enjoy what they were doing. It’s easy to get people to like shooting. It’s like driving a fast car or going on an amusement park ride—the thrill does the work for you. I also enjoy teaching. There were people in my life who helped me in the beginning—especially squish and the Jew. But they weren’t really experienced shooters either. Teaching new shooters is rewarding because every time someone gets it—that guns are fun as long as treated with respect—I feel like I’ve won a victory.
That evening we had our normal Friday night dinner gathering. Food was excellent. Conversation was outstanding. I may not always agree, heck I usually don’t agree with my friends on everything, but it’s nice to sit down and just let the conversation ride. Our larger group has so many varied experiences and perspectives that large conversations are always enlightening.
1. I spent the rest of the weekend reading, cooking, and getting some quality time with the Brunette. I’m lucky to be married to a woman who loves good books, gaming, and large caliber firearms as much as I do. We just finished reading Gardens of the Moon (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1), an excellent but dense read. We’re on to the second book in the series now.
Life has been good to me ;)
Friday, March 28, 2014
Drinking, more.
Saturday was…interesting. I have a long-standing tradition of attending a local Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ festival. It started off as a one-off thing with MQ. Now it’s a fixture on the schedule. Brewers, distillers, venders, and entertainers flock to the local fair grounds. Good food and entertainment mix with a selection of 60 beers and 40 bourbons/whiskeys. You start with a glass at the door and go forth to sample bravely—no limits other than common sense.
After 6 years of attendance, I have an excellent working knowledge of the regular exhibiters. There’s some variation—someone new, someone old making something new, or something I’ve forgotten. The first year I attended, the second year of the event I believe, I was able to try just about everything. There were only 2-3 rows to work through. I left well drunk, but satisfied that I got my money’s worth. Subsequent years saw an expansion of the event to ever more purveyors of adult libations—good food, good drink, good times. I am now something of an amateur authority on bourbons and to a lesser extent beers. I know what I like, I’ve tried a significant portion of what’s out there, and I’m old enough to appreciate alcohol without having to overindulge to make the point. This year I wanted to try the new, sample the best of the old, and work my way methodically through the venders.
Retrospect, hind sight…these things make my poor assumptions seem glaringly obvious. At the time however, I had every intention of walking through the event, getting lightly drunk, and generally enjoying myself. Things I did not consider—and should have:
• I lost 40 pounds since last year.
• I’ve stopped drinking regularly and/or in quantity.
• Most of the selection I was interested in was bourbon.
• All the bourbon venders were concentrated into one area.
• I assumed that by cutting most of the beer and half of the bourbon from the menu that I would be fine.
What actually happened was that I spent the first hour and a half pleasantly wandering the venders, sampling, and talking to friends. The nine of us kept splitting off and running into each other, making it impossible to stick with one group for the entire time. The stand out offerings included:
• Rowan Creek. This was one of the samples from the high-end bourbon table. A bold, nicely finished bourbon that felt just right. This was also one I liked a couple years ago, on a level with the Jefferson’s reserve.
• High West Campfire. This was a blend of Rye, Scotch, and Bourbon. Much like Dalmore, one of my favorite Scotches, the blend was better rounded than a pure scotch aged in bourbon barrels. It isn’t a drink for purists, but still excellent.
• 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Small Batch. I put this on par with Bookers. The taste was strong, clearly more than 80 proof. It had a well rounded flavor for all of its kick, probably best over ice or with a splash of water.
• Firefly Moonshine: Strawberry. Not bourbon I know. Still, a surprising liquor. This called out to me for inclusion in some sangria. The flavor was perfect for girly drinkage.
• Woodford Double Oaked. I like the normal Woodford reserve well enough. The double oak had a stronger finish than I’m used to, setting it apart from the run-of-the-mill serviceable bourbons. If the price is right this would make an excellent sippin bourbon.
• Laphroaig Quarter Cask. I like strong Scotches as long as they don’t stray too far towards the smoke-centric side of things. The regular Laphroaig ranks high on my good scotch scale. This rises even higher. It has a slightly oakier flavor, but mixes that with a bold strength that never the less manages to smooth out as it goes down.
Of course, my happy bubble of contentment didn’t last. About 90 minutes into the afternoon I could tell the alcohol was going to have its way with me. I had skipped virtually all the beer and a significant portion of the bourbon. I made sure to drink water regularly. In many cases I split samples with friends. In one case I had to physically take the glass away from the 4 roses lady to prevent her from giving me 2 more samples than I actually wanted. It wasn’t enough.
By the time I got to our lunch table, Backus had me full in thrall. This was embarrassing. I don’t think my friends cared that much. I, however, cared very much. Getting a little drunk in private is one thing. Getting sloppy drunk in public is something I’ve abhorred since college. It bothers me more because in this case I took many steps to avoid that end. I had a good time, but I missed out on many of the venders and most of the food.
In some ways it’s a tribute to my healthier lifestyle just how much my capacity has changed. I suppose I should be proud of that. It’s hard for me to look at the positive though, even six days later. I’ve had several alcohol related experiences which have taught me valuable lessons—if you’re going to drink to excess make sure there are people you trust to take care of you, if people only see you when you’re drunk they’ll assume you’re drunk all the time, and no matter how much fun getting drunk is, living life is usually more fun. Those were not pleasant lessons to learn. The upshot is that I really, really, don’t like drinking to the point where I am completely smashed in anything but a private setting, and most of the time not even then.
Regardless, it was a fun time. I’ll exercise more restraint and better judgment in future. There’s the great grapes in May and the Maryland wine Fest in late summer. I’m looking at hitting up great grapes for sure. The other will depend more on timing and finances. Now, back to planning Easter dinner.
After 6 years of attendance, I have an excellent working knowledge of the regular exhibiters. There’s some variation—someone new, someone old making something new, or something I’ve forgotten. The first year I attended, the second year of the event I believe, I was able to try just about everything. There were only 2-3 rows to work through. I left well drunk, but satisfied that I got my money’s worth. Subsequent years saw an expansion of the event to ever more purveyors of adult libations—good food, good drink, good times. I am now something of an amateur authority on bourbons and to a lesser extent beers. I know what I like, I’ve tried a significant portion of what’s out there, and I’m old enough to appreciate alcohol without having to overindulge to make the point. This year I wanted to try the new, sample the best of the old, and work my way methodically through the venders.
Retrospect, hind sight…these things make my poor assumptions seem glaringly obvious. At the time however, I had every intention of walking through the event, getting lightly drunk, and generally enjoying myself. Things I did not consider—and should have:
• I lost 40 pounds since last year.
• I’ve stopped drinking regularly and/or in quantity.
• Most of the selection I was interested in was bourbon.
• All the bourbon venders were concentrated into one area.
• I assumed that by cutting most of the beer and half of the bourbon from the menu that I would be fine.
What actually happened was that I spent the first hour and a half pleasantly wandering the venders, sampling, and talking to friends. The nine of us kept splitting off and running into each other, making it impossible to stick with one group for the entire time. The stand out offerings included:
• Rowan Creek. This was one of the samples from the high-end bourbon table. A bold, nicely finished bourbon that felt just right. This was also one I liked a couple years ago, on a level with the Jefferson’s reserve.
• High West Campfire. This was a blend of Rye, Scotch, and Bourbon. Much like Dalmore, one of my favorite Scotches, the blend was better rounded than a pure scotch aged in bourbon barrels. It isn’t a drink for purists, but still excellent.
• 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Small Batch. I put this on par with Bookers. The taste was strong, clearly more than 80 proof. It had a well rounded flavor for all of its kick, probably best over ice or with a splash of water.
• Firefly Moonshine: Strawberry. Not bourbon I know. Still, a surprising liquor. This called out to me for inclusion in some sangria. The flavor was perfect for girly drinkage.
• Woodford Double Oaked. I like the normal Woodford reserve well enough. The double oak had a stronger finish than I’m used to, setting it apart from the run-of-the-mill serviceable bourbons. If the price is right this would make an excellent sippin bourbon.
• Laphroaig Quarter Cask. I like strong Scotches as long as they don’t stray too far towards the smoke-centric side of things. The regular Laphroaig ranks high on my good scotch scale. This rises even higher. It has a slightly oakier flavor, but mixes that with a bold strength that never the less manages to smooth out as it goes down.
Of course, my happy bubble of contentment didn’t last. About 90 minutes into the afternoon I could tell the alcohol was going to have its way with me. I had skipped virtually all the beer and a significant portion of the bourbon. I made sure to drink water regularly. In many cases I split samples with friends. In one case I had to physically take the glass away from the 4 roses lady to prevent her from giving me 2 more samples than I actually wanted. It wasn’t enough.
By the time I got to our lunch table, Backus had me full in thrall. This was embarrassing. I don’t think my friends cared that much. I, however, cared very much. Getting a little drunk in private is one thing. Getting sloppy drunk in public is something I’ve abhorred since college. It bothers me more because in this case I took many steps to avoid that end. I had a good time, but I missed out on many of the venders and most of the food.
In some ways it’s a tribute to my healthier lifestyle just how much my capacity has changed. I suppose I should be proud of that. It’s hard for me to look at the positive though, even six days later. I’ve had several alcohol related experiences which have taught me valuable lessons—if you’re going to drink to excess make sure there are people you trust to take care of you, if people only see you when you’re drunk they’ll assume you’re drunk all the time, and no matter how much fun getting drunk is, living life is usually more fun. Those were not pleasant lessons to learn. The upshot is that I really, really, don’t like drinking to the point where I am completely smashed in anything but a private setting, and most of the time not even then.
Regardless, it was a fun time. I’ll exercise more restraint and better judgment in future. There’s the great grapes in May and the Maryland wine Fest in late summer. I’m looking at hitting up great grapes for sure. The other will depend more on timing and finances. Now, back to planning Easter dinner.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Drinking Problems
Many years ago, MQ and I attended a beer and bourbon themed festival on a lark. It was one of those…”why not?” things. Since then the annual experience has expanded to most of our friends. Now the blessed weekend is coming. The VIP tickets are purchased. Plans have been made to grab a preparatory breakfast before braving the 200 strong crowds of avid boozers.
My quandary is what to drink. At one time the answer would have been all of it. Now however, the selection has expanded to the point where even my god-like capacity is challenged. Plus, getting dead drunk isn’t fun. I’d really like to be at worst well drunk. Really more like well buzzed, though I realize how unlikely that is. Thus I have some choices to make.
The following are the drinks left on my list. I cut ones I’ve tried before, I can easily get elsewhere, or I’m sure friends will happily try for me (Ceri, looking at you with all those ryes.)
Evan Williams Cherry Reserve
Jim Beam Maple
Jim Beam Cider
Jacob's Ghost
Baker's
Knob Creek Single Barrel
Knob Creek Smoked Maple
High West Son of Bourye
High West American Prarie Reserve
High West Campfire
Buffalo Trace Small Batch
1792 Ridgemont Reserve Small Batch
Blanton's Single Barrel
EH Taylor Small Batch
Firefly Moonshine : Strawberry
Firefly Moonshine : Apple Pie
Firefly Moonshine : Peach
Cabin Fever
Smooth Ambler Very Old Scout
Woodford Double Oaked
Laphroaig 18
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Laphroaig Triple Wood
Flying Dog Truth
Flying Dog Doggie Style
Angry Orchard Crisp
Angry Orchard Green Apple
New Belgium Snapshot
Shiner Farmhouse 966
DuClaw Dirty Little Freak
DuClaw Old Flame
Yards Brawler
Sly Fox Pheonix Pale Ale
Sly Fox Pikeland Pils
Tall Tales Red Headed Step Child
Tall Tales Some Beach Ale
Boulevard Grainstorm Black Rye IPA
Hop City Barking Squirrel
Hop City Mr Huff Pale Ale
Terrapin Hopsecutioner
Leinenkugel Summer Shandy
Leinenkugel Canoe Paddler
Smith & Forge (cans)
Hofbrau
Hofbrau Hefeweizen
The Traveler Beer Co. Curious Traveler
The Traveler Beer Co. Time Traveler
Harpoon UFO White
Harpoon UFO Big Squeeze
Primus Haacht
Shepherd Neame Spitfire
Jolly Pumpkin Fuego Otono
Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial
Saranac Caramel Porter
National Premium
Boon Kriek
Boon Framboise
Duvel Single
Ommegang Hop House
Full Tilt Patterson Pumpkin
Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin
Palm
Estaminet
Anchor Steam California Lager
Anchor Steam Breckle's Brown
Magners Original
Wyder's Pear
Woodchuck Private Reserve Barrel Select
Evolution Sprung
Evolution Exile Red Ale
Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye
Brooklyn Brewery Scorcher
Magic Hat Pistil
Magic Hat Dream Machine
Lancaster Hop Hog
Oskar Blues Mama's Lil Yella Pils
Oskar Blues Old Chub
Union Craft Brewing Balt Alt
DC Brau Public Ale
DC Brau Citizen Belgian Pale
Starr Hill Saison
Dominion Cherry Blossom Lager
Ah, first world problems.
My quandary is what to drink. At one time the answer would have been all of it. Now however, the selection has expanded to the point where even my god-like capacity is challenged. Plus, getting dead drunk isn’t fun. I’d really like to be at worst well drunk. Really more like well buzzed, though I realize how unlikely that is. Thus I have some choices to make.
The following are the drinks left on my list. I cut ones I’ve tried before, I can easily get elsewhere, or I’m sure friends will happily try for me (Ceri, looking at you with all those ryes.)
Evan Williams Cherry Reserve
Jim Beam Maple
Jim Beam Cider
Jacob's Ghost
Baker's
Knob Creek Single Barrel
Knob Creek Smoked Maple
High West Son of Bourye
High West American Prarie Reserve
High West Campfire
Buffalo Trace Small Batch
1792 Ridgemont Reserve Small Batch
Blanton's Single Barrel
EH Taylor Small Batch
Firefly Moonshine : Strawberry
Firefly Moonshine : Apple Pie
Firefly Moonshine : Peach
Cabin Fever
Smooth Ambler Very Old Scout
Woodford Double Oaked
Laphroaig 18
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Laphroaig Triple Wood
Flying Dog Truth
Flying Dog Doggie Style
Angry Orchard Crisp
Angry Orchard Green Apple
New Belgium Snapshot
Shiner Farmhouse 966
DuClaw Dirty Little Freak
DuClaw Old Flame
Yards Brawler
Sly Fox Pheonix Pale Ale
Sly Fox Pikeland Pils
Tall Tales Red Headed Step Child
Tall Tales Some Beach Ale
Boulevard Grainstorm Black Rye IPA
Hop City Barking Squirrel
Hop City Mr Huff Pale Ale
Terrapin Hopsecutioner
Leinenkugel Summer Shandy
Leinenkugel Canoe Paddler
Smith & Forge (cans)
Hofbrau
Hofbrau Hefeweizen
The Traveler Beer Co. Curious Traveler
The Traveler Beer Co. Time Traveler
Harpoon UFO White
Harpoon UFO Big Squeeze
Primus Haacht
Shepherd Neame Spitfire
Jolly Pumpkin Fuego Otono
Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial
Saranac Caramel Porter
National Premium
Boon Kriek
Boon Framboise
Duvel Single
Ommegang Hop House
Full Tilt Patterson Pumpkin
Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin
Palm
Estaminet
Anchor Steam California Lager
Anchor Steam Breckle's Brown
Magners Original
Wyder's Pear
Woodchuck Private Reserve Barrel Select
Evolution Sprung
Evolution Exile Red Ale
Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye
Brooklyn Brewery Scorcher
Magic Hat Pistil
Magic Hat Dream Machine
Lancaster Hop Hog
Oskar Blues Mama's Lil Yella Pils
Oskar Blues Old Chub
Union Craft Brewing Balt Alt
DC Brau Public Ale
DC Brau Citizen Belgian Pale
Starr Hill Saison
Dominion Cherry Blossom Lager
Ah, first world problems.
Review of Echo Sigma's ER2
Emergency preparedness is big business. From doomsday preppers to the walking dead, surviving the dark times has become as much about entertainment as practicality. Surging public interest has driven an entire industry of zombie survival, tactical readiness, bug out bag, and disaster thwarting products—some good, some questionable, and many downright ridiculous. Novice preppers looking for a preconfigured emergency solution are faced with a dizzying array of conflicting advertising. Wading through this storm is often frustrating. What do I actually need? Am I buying quality products? Am I spending too much? Would I be better served building my own kit?
Fortunately, the truth about guns ran a review of the Echo Sigma get home bag when I was struggling with these questions. I was impressed by E-S’s attention to detail, comprehensive approach, and commitment to creating functional tools. Looking through their offerings I found exactly what I needed—a shelter in place kit for two people that broke down into a pair of bug out bags. A few months and one tax return later and my order was placed.
From the manufacturer’s website:
The Echo-Sigma Emergency Roll-Away for Two (ER2) is an all-in-one mobile emergency preparation system. Vital for evacuation or shelter-in-place scenarios, the Emergency System provides food, water, shelter, communications and first aid for two adults for an absolute minimum of three days (much longer with rationing).
Having the entirety of the system housed in an easy to move rolling casing allows you to be able to easily locate and roll your entire system out should you need to evacuate on short notice. Once you're clear of danger or need to continue on foot, the supplied backpacks and hydration systems allow you to stay moving on foot as needed. Your options are open.
You can take delivery of your system and immediately store it in its final storage location with confidence. Every item in this system is pre-configured and ready for immediate use. Pre-configured and ready means:
Pre-configured and ready means:
• Packaging removed from all items.
• All electronics function tested.
• Documentation consolidated into water resistant packaging.
• All items arranged, organized and stowed. Ready for fast access in case of emergency.
Those are some ambitious claims. Experience has taught me that few products in this class are truly “comprehensive.” Most slap a mass of cheap camping gear in a bundle and call it good. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that E-S’s claims were no brag, just fact.
Ordering:
The ER2’s order page gives the customer several options. There is a base component selection included with all kits. After that you can opt to supply your own upgrades or pick from E-S’s suggestions. With the exception of the packs and roller bag, you can choose to cut all of the following.
• Color: You can choose between black and coyote brown for the rolling case and backpacks. The case and packs may be selected in contrasting colors, though both packs have to match. I opted for the classic black look since I live in an urban area. If push comes to shove I want something that has a chance of blending in.
• Multi Tool: You can choose between the Sog S44 Power Plier, its big brother the S62 Power Lock Multi Tool, its cousin the B63 Power Lock EOD multi Tool, and the anemic Gerber dime. I opted to provide my own multi tools as I prefer the solid construction of the Victorinox SwissTool—though the Sogs are quality options if that’s your thing.
• Light: You pick any combination of two from Four Sevens Quark Pro QP2A-X 336 Lumen Flashlight, Fenix LD22 215 Lumen Light, Fenix E25 187 Lumen Light, or the Fenix HL21 LED Headlamp. I chose a pair of LD22s for parts compatibility.
• Radio: Choose between the Midland ER102 Emergency Crank Weather Alert Radio, Midland XT511 Base Camp Emergency Crank 2 Way Radio, or the Etón FRX2 Multi-Power Emergency Weather Radio. I went with the XT511 since it acts as a relay point. With the hand crank, it can charge USB devices in a pinch.
• Camp Knife: You can add a SOG AutoClip Mini Folding Knife, SOG "Escape" Folding Knife, or the SOG Seal Pup Fixed Blade. I have several fixed blade knives already and so opted to supply my own.
• Camp Tool: You can add a SOG FastHawk or a SOG Entrenching Tool. I’ve heard nothing but bad reviews regarding the E-tool—really bad reviews. In contrast the fast hawk gets great reviews within its design limitations. It was a no brainer.
• 2 Echo-Sigma 3-10 Day Provision Packs. Each “pack” holds 3 MREs, 9 ration bars, and 5 liters of water or 18 ration bars and 7.25 liters of water. As the website says, “If an extended state of emergency is anticipated and resupply unlikely, these supplies could be rationed for up to 10 days per person if water and energy discipline is high.” The bigger question in my mind isn’t how long I can make the rations last. I am more interested in how long the rations will last before requiring replacement. There was a time when MREs were made with frees dried components. These would last a while. Modern MREs have a standard shelf life of 3-5 years, less if exposed to high temperatures, moisture, and/or sunlight. Depending on where you’ll be storing the kit, the MRE version may work for you. It will certainly provide a larger variety of flavors than straight ration bars. I am more interested in limiting the frequency with which I will need to refresh components. Thus, I will be making a hybrid provision kit with water, ration bars, and some frees dried meals such as from mountain house.
What’s in the kit:
In addition to the above options, the ER2 comes standard with a variety of equipment. Many of these elements are smaller special purpose packs combined here, but sold individually as well.
• 1 Rolling Load out Bag XL by Sandpiper of California. This is essentially a very large rolling suitcase with side mounted molle attachment channels. In addition to the huge central compartment, the bag has 2 zippered pockets on the right side and a zippered top pocket which can be opened to deploy a heavy webbing pull handle. My case came with a detachable pals strap and snap pouch mounted between the two side pockets. Each zipper uses a knotted cord instead of the normal metal tabs—functional, though I prefer integral tab pulls with paracord knots as a backup. The back of the bag is supported by two plastic reinforcing bars for added rigidity. Three parallel mounted wheels allow the bag to be pulled by the handle. Two pairs of heavy compression straps synch the main compartment. The central bag area can be cut down by zipping up a spacer that reduces the internal volume by about 30%. The compression straps form a very large grab handle which you could theoretically use to carry the kit. In practice the unit is so heavy and bulky when loaded that I would only want to use the handle to lift it short distances. The material and zippers are very heavy duty, strong enough that I’m not worried about breakage even with over seventy pounds of gear inside
• 2 Three Day Pass backpacks by Sandpiper of California. These are decent sized day packs. Each one has molle channels for additional accessories, fittings for a condor outdoor 2.5 liter hydration system (which comes preinstalled as part of the kit), Solid shoulder and belt straps, and multiple pockets for a few days worth of gear. These are serviceable packs—not the top of the line, but solid value day packs made by a reputable manufacturer.
• 2 Echo-Sigma Compact Survival Kits. These are scaled up versions of the Adventure medical pocket survival pack. Each pack includes a survival blanket, water purification tablets, ear plugs, a combination compass and signal whistle, duct tape, and several means of generating fire/light. The components are clearly meant for solid use and not just once and done. The kits come in a zippered clamshell case which has so many pockets and sleeves that I’ve been daydreaming about using them to organize the rest of my gear.
• 2 Echo-Sigma Compact First Aid Kits. This unit has the basics including various sizes of bandage, tweezers, tape, wipes, face mask, and pain killers. I will be adding a set of disposable gloves, an ace bandage, and some antibiotic cream. Each pack comes in a zippered pouch. All the perishable components are sealed in zip lock bags by type. It is set up exactly how I would have packed my own kit if I had built it from scratch.
• 1 Echo-Sigma Hygiene Kit. This kit has _everything_ you would need in a pinch to keep clean. Besides the obvious toiletries, it has bug spray, sun screen, nail clippers, a signal/vanity mirror, toilet paper, sanitary napkins, and 2 types of tampons.
• 1 Coleman Easy Assemble Three Adult Tent and 2 Emergency Ponchos. This is a small tent that fits a queen sized air mattress. The manufacturer calls it a three person tent, but really it’s for two people. The ponchos can be used for additional rain proofing or field expedient shelters.
• 2 Suisse Sport McKinley 0-5F Mummy Sleeping Bags and 2 survivor industries Thermal Sleeping Bag Cocoons. Depending on your area, you can use the cocoons as light sleeping sacks or as liners for the mummy bags. The cocoons are rated as water proof, so even if you don’t use them for their intended purpose, they can function as the foundation for another project. Like most of the gear in the ER2, the mummy bags are solid enough quality to get the job done, but not so top flight that they drive the cost of the kit into the stratosphere.
• 2 32oz. Nalgene Water Bottles and 1 GSI Glacier Stainless Steel Bottle Cup. These are welcome additions to the Condor hydration systems, especially if you want to use water supplements. The bottle cup is a folding handled pot designed to fit over the bottom of the bottle for ease of storage. Especially if you end up camping, this is a nice item for making soups, pasta, and the like. I’ll be buying a second one for redundancy.
• 100 Feet of Military Grade 550 Paracord and 10 Extra Large Zip Ties. Combined with the duct tape in the survival kits, you can make lots of field expedient equivalents with this gear.
• 18 AA Alkaline Batteries. If the ER2 has a weakness it’s here. Alkaline batteries corrode over time. Granted that’s a ways off when you have fresh cells, but when you’re talking about a kit designed to sit in cold storage for years at a time it’s a legitimate concern. One of the first things I’m going to do is swap them out. This is one of the few components that I would have happily paid a couple bucks more to upgrade. Even so, these cells are rated for ten years, so this is more of a want than a need.
• 2 Midland GXT1000VP4 - Two Way Radios. The midland radios are about as good as your going to get in a survival radio at this price point. They are packed with features. Since they are configured by E-S before shipment, they all come set to the same frequency. I am not a radio guy, so I went to Amazon to check them out. While reviews mark them as acceptably functional, there are consistent themes of limited range, easy charge exhaustion on random power packs, and a somewhat clunky UI. Limited testing shows them good out to 2-3 miles in an urban setting with several intervening buildings. I’m reserving judgment until I have time for comprehensive testing, but so far, so good.
• 1 Camp Trowel. This is a plastic hand tool, much like you would use to scoop light soil or sand at the beach. I can see this coming in handy for a variety of tasks. It is not a dedicated digging tool however. One of the first things I added to the kit was a steel hand shovel for real digging. I would like to see a real folding shovel or E-Tool as an option for the kit, something on par with the fast hawk.
• 2 Pairs of Leather Work Gloves, 4 N95 Rated Respirator Masks, and 2 Sets of Protective Goggles. These will be useful if you find yourself actually making it in the wild, the gloves in particular.
• 4 Coleman Hand Warmers.
• 2 Large Waste Bags.
• 1 Travel Sewing Kit. This is another one of those items that when you need, you really need. The kit comes with one; I’ll be getting a second.
• Consolidated documentation.
Design :
This is, to put it mildly, a lot of stuff. I did my time in boy scouts where the SOP was cram all your gear in your pack and hope it all came out well. Later I learned the art of good packing; but in the beginning I just hoped I could find what I needed without having to empty the whole thing on the ground first. Typically when you get a product like this everything is neatly and perfectly packaged for maximum space efficiency. Once you start messing with components, you’ll find that it’s near impossible to get everything packed back down into the ideal arrangement again. With this in mind, I was a little concerned opening the ER2 for the first time. As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about.
Echo Sigma’s design breaks down into modular components. Each piece of the puzzle is arranged so that you can sort through the bag quickly and pull out what you need without fuss. I did a quick inventory of the kit in less than a minute without having to remove anything except to verify which of the multiple kits were which. Everything fits back in its place. The heavier cardboard boxes with the provision packs sit at the bottom of the case, keeping it upright. The tent and sleeping bags are positioned in order to provide structural rigidity. Electronics are positioned facing outward so as not to bump into other elements.
The less obvious and to me, more valuable design feature of the ER2 is the thought that has gone into _every_little_detail of the unit’s organization. I’m blind as a bat and I can reach into the main kit and find anything I want, by touch, in a couple seconds. Each of the redundant kits is organized exactly the same way. So getting to the gear you want, whether it’s grabbing a component from the main kit or a sub component from one of the modular packs is about as straight forward as you can get. If you want a different configuration, all of the mini packs, save the medical kits, come with integral pals straps that can be locked to the case’s external webbing. A lot of the components are better off in the protected main compartment, but using the supplied zip ties or the paracord, there isn’t much you can’t rig to the case’s exterior mounting points. The backpacks are similarly customizable. So, whether you want to live out of the case or the packs, you can put the system together any way you want with a minimal amount of effort.
Finally, Echo Sigma’s claim of:
“You can take delivery of your system and immediately store it in its final storage location with confidence.”
Is spot on. If anything they aren’t giving themselves enough credit. Each part of this kit is removed from the factory packaging and consolidated into the Roller case—usually by means of a smaller clamshell pack. Sub components like bandages, power adapters, and matches are re-packaged with like items in zip lock bags for ease of segmentation. The radio handsets and flashlights are clipped to the webbing on one of the backpacks to keep them from battering around the inside of the case. The fast hawk was placed between the sleeping bags, in its sheath, to keep it from bashing the rest of the gear. The assembly and attention to detail is second-to-none.
Quality and purpose:
The temptation, especially if you’re a gear guy like me, is to look at the ER2 and say that’s awesome! And then bash the individual components. My impression is that E-S had a real challenge when designing this kit. On the one hand, the ER2 is meant to take two people and give them the ability to shelter in place or bug out for 3-10 days in all but the most extreme conditions. That is a very broad mandate—especially when you take into account the differences in what some people will consider “essential.” Meeting that mandate requires a lot of gear.
On the other hand, top flight preparedness and survival tech doesn’t come cheap. If one were to replace the 2 lights in my kit with Mcgizmo haiku XPGs, the ER2’s cost would double. Not to put too fine a point on it, but many of the major components, lights, tents, sleeping bags, knives, multitools, packs, and radios fall at the low end of what many gear snobs would consider worthy of their attention. I don’t consider this to be a mark against the ER2.
The ER2 is designed to sit in your closet for years at a time. When you pull it out, it’s built to get two people through up to a week of shelter in place or bugging out. It isn’t designed to help you survive the end of the world. It would be nice if it came standard with the most bomb proof tech on the market. That being said, I don’t have the disposable income or desire to drop $5,000 or more on a preparedness package that will in all likelihood spend several decades gathering dust. That’s the line Echo Sigma had to straddle with this package. They had to build a comprehensive pre-configured preparedness kit for two people while keeping the end product somewhat affordable. Given that mission, I’m very happy with the result.
Upgrades:
Many preppers will want to use this kit as a foundation for customization. So I’m including a few of my personal modifications that haven’t been mentioned in previous commentary.
• I’m a big believer in training with your tools, not just hoping to read the manual in the middle of an emergency. I’ll be getting a second set of the midland radios for redundancy and training.
• There are two products which I consider universally useful. Between duct tape and super glue, you can fix most medical and practical problems. There’s some duct tape in the kit already, but not enough. I’ll be adding an additional package plus a couple tubes of super glue.
• Anyone who camps a lot knows how important having a good camp knife is—preferably one you can easily sharpen. I have a high quality plane edge hunting knife which I’ll be adding along with an adjustable sharpener. I’m surprised that this kit doesn’t come with at least a smith’s pocket sharpener already.
• I’m a big fan of dedicated storage. It helps organize and improve functionality. After upgrading the batteries, I’ll be adding battery cases and at least one USB recharger. Using the base camp radio, this will let me recharge cells in a pinch.
Conclusion:
Building a preparedness kit is all about compromise—cost vs. quality, quantity of gear vs. portability, scope vs. probable use. People are going to draw those lines differently. I think a lot of people with the motivation and the resources to acquire a $1,200 preparedness setup will want to pick the components themselves. That said, the ER2 solves the problems I need solved, answers some questions I hadn’t thought to ask, and does it all at a very reasonable price. The extra steps Echo Sigma takes to organize, consolidate, and configure the package makes the ER2 the best value comprehensive preparedness kit in its class I’ve seen to date.
Fortunately, the truth about guns ran a review of the Echo Sigma get home bag when I was struggling with these questions. I was impressed by E-S’s attention to detail, comprehensive approach, and commitment to creating functional tools. Looking through their offerings I found exactly what I needed—a shelter in place kit for two people that broke down into a pair of bug out bags. A few months and one tax return later and my order was placed.
From the manufacturer’s website:
The Echo-Sigma Emergency Roll-Away for Two (ER2) is an all-in-one mobile emergency preparation system. Vital for evacuation or shelter-in-place scenarios, the Emergency System provides food, water, shelter, communications and first aid for two adults for an absolute minimum of three days (much longer with rationing).
Having the entirety of the system housed in an easy to move rolling casing allows you to be able to easily locate and roll your entire system out should you need to evacuate on short notice. Once you're clear of danger or need to continue on foot, the supplied backpacks and hydration systems allow you to stay moving on foot as needed. Your options are open.
You can take delivery of your system and immediately store it in its final storage location with confidence. Every item in this system is pre-configured and ready for immediate use. Pre-configured and ready means:
Pre-configured and ready means:
• Packaging removed from all items.
• All electronics function tested.
• Documentation consolidated into water resistant packaging.
• All items arranged, organized and stowed. Ready for fast access in case of emergency.
Those are some ambitious claims. Experience has taught me that few products in this class are truly “comprehensive.” Most slap a mass of cheap camping gear in a bundle and call it good. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that E-S’s claims were no brag, just fact.
Ordering:
The ER2’s order page gives the customer several options. There is a base component selection included with all kits. After that you can opt to supply your own upgrades or pick from E-S’s suggestions. With the exception of the packs and roller bag, you can choose to cut all of the following.
• Color: You can choose between black and coyote brown for the rolling case and backpacks. The case and packs may be selected in contrasting colors, though both packs have to match. I opted for the classic black look since I live in an urban area. If push comes to shove I want something that has a chance of blending in.
• Multi Tool: You can choose between the Sog S44 Power Plier, its big brother the S62 Power Lock Multi Tool, its cousin the B63 Power Lock EOD multi Tool, and the anemic Gerber dime. I opted to provide my own multi tools as I prefer the solid construction of the Victorinox SwissTool—though the Sogs are quality options if that’s your thing.
• Light: You pick any combination of two from Four Sevens Quark Pro QP2A-X 336 Lumen Flashlight, Fenix LD22 215 Lumen Light, Fenix E25 187 Lumen Light, or the Fenix HL21 LED Headlamp. I chose a pair of LD22s for parts compatibility.
• Radio: Choose between the Midland ER102 Emergency Crank Weather Alert Radio, Midland XT511 Base Camp Emergency Crank 2 Way Radio, or the Etón FRX2 Multi-Power Emergency Weather Radio. I went with the XT511 since it acts as a relay point. With the hand crank, it can charge USB devices in a pinch.
• Camp Knife: You can add a SOG AutoClip Mini Folding Knife, SOG "Escape" Folding Knife, or the SOG Seal Pup Fixed Blade. I have several fixed blade knives already and so opted to supply my own.
• Camp Tool: You can add a SOG FastHawk or a SOG Entrenching Tool. I’ve heard nothing but bad reviews regarding the E-tool—really bad reviews. In contrast the fast hawk gets great reviews within its design limitations. It was a no brainer.
• 2 Echo-Sigma 3-10 Day Provision Packs. Each “pack” holds 3 MREs, 9 ration bars, and 5 liters of water or 18 ration bars and 7.25 liters of water. As the website says, “If an extended state of emergency is anticipated and resupply unlikely, these supplies could be rationed for up to 10 days per person if water and energy discipline is high.” The bigger question in my mind isn’t how long I can make the rations last. I am more interested in how long the rations will last before requiring replacement. There was a time when MREs were made with frees dried components. These would last a while. Modern MREs have a standard shelf life of 3-5 years, less if exposed to high temperatures, moisture, and/or sunlight. Depending on where you’ll be storing the kit, the MRE version may work for you. It will certainly provide a larger variety of flavors than straight ration bars. I am more interested in limiting the frequency with which I will need to refresh components. Thus, I will be making a hybrid provision kit with water, ration bars, and some frees dried meals such as from mountain house.
What’s in the kit:
In addition to the above options, the ER2 comes standard with a variety of equipment. Many of these elements are smaller special purpose packs combined here, but sold individually as well.
• 1 Rolling Load out Bag XL by Sandpiper of California. This is essentially a very large rolling suitcase with side mounted molle attachment channels. In addition to the huge central compartment, the bag has 2 zippered pockets on the right side and a zippered top pocket which can be opened to deploy a heavy webbing pull handle. My case came with a detachable pals strap and snap pouch mounted between the two side pockets. Each zipper uses a knotted cord instead of the normal metal tabs—functional, though I prefer integral tab pulls with paracord knots as a backup. The back of the bag is supported by two plastic reinforcing bars for added rigidity. Three parallel mounted wheels allow the bag to be pulled by the handle. Two pairs of heavy compression straps synch the main compartment. The central bag area can be cut down by zipping up a spacer that reduces the internal volume by about 30%. The compression straps form a very large grab handle which you could theoretically use to carry the kit. In practice the unit is so heavy and bulky when loaded that I would only want to use the handle to lift it short distances. The material and zippers are very heavy duty, strong enough that I’m not worried about breakage even with over seventy pounds of gear inside
• 2 Three Day Pass backpacks by Sandpiper of California. These are decent sized day packs. Each one has molle channels for additional accessories, fittings for a condor outdoor 2.5 liter hydration system (which comes preinstalled as part of the kit), Solid shoulder and belt straps, and multiple pockets for a few days worth of gear. These are serviceable packs—not the top of the line, but solid value day packs made by a reputable manufacturer.
• 2 Echo-Sigma Compact Survival Kits. These are scaled up versions of the Adventure medical pocket survival pack. Each pack includes a survival blanket, water purification tablets, ear plugs, a combination compass and signal whistle, duct tape, and several means of generating fire/light. The components are clearly meant for solid use and not just once and done. The kits come in a zippered clamshell case which has so many pockets and sleeves that I’ve been daydreaming about using them to organize the rest of my gear.
• 2 Echo-Sigma Compact First Aid Kits. This unit has the basics including various sizes of bandage, tweezers, tape, wipes, face mask, and pain killers. I will be adding a set of disposable gloves, an ace bandage, and some antibiotic cream. Each pack comes in a zippered pouch. All the perishable components are sealed in zip lock bags by type. It is set up exactly how I would have packed my own kit if I had built it from scratch.
• 1 Echo-Sigma Hygiene Kit. This kit has _everything_ you would need in a pinch to keep clean. Besides the obvious toiletries, it has bug spray, sun screen, nail clippers, a signal/vanity mirror, toilet paper, sanitary napkins, and 2 types of tampons.
• 1 Coleman Easy Assemble Three Adult Tent and 2 Emergency Ponchos. This is a small tent that fits a queen sized air mattress. The manufacturer calls it a three person tent, but really it’s for two people. The ponchos can be used for additional rain proofing or field expedient shelters.
• 2 Suisse Sport McKinley 0-5F Mummy Sleeping Bags and 2 survivor industries Thermal Sleeping Bag Cocoons. Depending on your area, you can use the cocoons as light sleeping sacks or as liners for the mummy bags. The cocoons are rated as water proof, so even if you don’t use them for their intended purpose, they can function as the foundation for another project. Like most of the gear in the ER2, the mummy bags are solid enough quality to get the job done, but not so top flight that they drive the cost of the kit into the stratosphere.
• 2 32oz. Nalgene Water Bottles and 1 GSI Glacier Stainless Steel Bottle Cup. These are welcome additions to the Condor hydration systems, especially if you want to use water supplements. The bottle cup is a folding handled pot designed to fit over the bottom of the bottle for ease of storage. Especially if you end up camping, this is a nice item for making soups, pasta, and the like. I’ll be buying a second one for redundancy.
• 100 Feet of Military Grade 550 Paracord and 10 Extra Large Zip Ties. Combined with the duct tape in the survival kits, you can make lots of field expedient equivalents with this gear.
• 18 AA Alkaline Batteries. If the ER2 has a weakness it’s here. Alkaline batteries corrode over time. Granted that’s a ways off when you have fresh cells, but when you’re talking about a kit designed to sit in cold storage for years at a time it’s a legitimate concern. One of the first things I’m going to do is swap them out. This is one of the few components that I would have happily paid a couple bucks more to upgrade. Even so, these cells are rated for ten years, so this is more of a want than a need.
• 2 Midland GXT1000VP4 - Two Way Radios. The midland radios are about as good as your going to get in a survival radio at this price point. They are packed with features. Since they are configured by E-S before shipment, they all come set to the same frequency. I am not a radio guy, so I went to Amazon to check them out. While reviews mark them as acceptably functional, there are consistent themes of limited range, easy charge exhaustion on random power packs, and a somewhat clunky UI. Limited testing shows them good out to 2-3 miles in an urban setting with several intervening buildings. I’m reserving judgment until I have time for comprehensive testing, but so far, so good.
• 1 Camp Trowel. This is a plastic hand tool, much like you would use to scoop light soil or sand at the beach. I can see this coming in handy for a variety of tasks. It is not a dedicated digging tool however. One of the first things I added to the kit was a steel hand shovel for real digging. I would like to see a real folding shovel or E-Tool as an option for the kit, something on par with the fast hawk.
• 2 Pairs of Leather Work Gloves, 4 N95 Rated Respirator Masks, and 2 Sets of Protective Goggles. These will be useful if you find yourself actually making it in the wild, the gloves in particular.
• 4 Coleman Hand Warmers.
• 2 Large Waste Bags.
• 1 Travel Sewing Kit. This is another one of those items that when you need, you really need. The kit comes with one; I’ll be getting a second.
• Consolidated documentation.
Design :
This is, to put it mildly, a lot of stuff. I did my time in boy scouts where the SOP was cram all your gear in your pack and hope it all came out well. Later I learned the art of good packing; but in the beginning I just hoped I could find what I needed without having to empty the whole thing on the ground first. Typically when you get a product like this everything is neatly and perfectly packaged for maximum space efficiency. Once you start messing with components, you’ll find that it’s near impossible to get everything packed back down into the ideal arrangement again. With this in mind, I was a little concerned opening the ER2 for the first time. As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about.
Echo Sigma’s design breaks down into modular components. Each piece of the puzzle is arranged so that you can sort through the bag quickly and pull out what you need without fuss. I did a quick inventory of the kit in less than a minute without having to remove anything except to verify which of the multiple kits were which. Everything fits back in its place. The heavier cardboard boxes with the provision packs sit at the bottom of the case, keeping it upright. The tent and sleeping bags are positioned in order to provide structural rigidity. Electronics are positioned facing outward so as not to bump into other elements.
The less obvious and to me, more valuable design feature of the ER2 is the thought that has gone into _every_little_detail of the unit’s organization. I’m blind as a bat and I can reach into the main kit and find anything I want, by touch, in a couple seconds. Each of the redundant kits is organized exactly the same way. So getting to the gear you want, whether it’s grabbing a component from the main kit or a sub component from one of the modular packs is about as straight forward as you can get. If you want a different configuration, all of the mini packs, save the medical kits, come with integral pals straps that can be locked to the case’s external webbing. A lot of the components are better off in the protected main compartment, but using the supplied zip ties or the paracord, there isn’t much you can’t rig to the case’s exterior mounting points. The backpacks are similarly customizable. So, whether you want to live out of the case or the packs, you can put the system together any way you want with a minimal amount of effort.
Finally, Echo Sigma’s claim of:
“You can take delivery of your system and immediately store it in its final storage location with confidence.”
Is spot on. If anything they aren’t giving themselves enough credit. Each part of this kit is removed from the factory packaging and consolidated into the Roller case—usually by means of a smaller clamshell pack. Sub components like bandages, power adapters, and matches are re-packaged with like items in zip lock bags for ease of segmentation. The radio handsets and flashlights are clipped to the webbing on one of the backpacks to keep them from battering around the inside of the case. The fast hawk was placed between the sleeping bags, in its sheath, to keep it from bashing the rest of the gear. The assembly and attention to detail is second-to-none.
Quality and purpose:
The temptation, especially if you’re a gear guy like me, is to look at the ER2 and say that’s awesome! And then bash the individual components. My impression is that E-S had a real challenge when designing this kit. On the one hand, the ER2 is meant to take two people and give them the ability to shelter in place or bug out for 3-10 days in all but the most extreme conditions. That is a very broad mandate—especially when you take into account the differences in what some people will consider “essential.” Meeting that mandate requires a lot of gear.
On the other hand, top flight preparedness and survival tech doesn’t come cheap. If one were to replace the 2 lights in my kit with Mcgizmo haiku XPGs, the ER2’s cost would double. Not to put too fine a point on it, but many of the major components, lights, tents, sleeping bags, knives, multitools, packs, and radios fall at the low end of what many gear snobs would consider worthy of their attention. I don’t consider this to be a mark against the ER2.
The ER2 is designed to sit in your closet for years at a time. When you pull it out, it’s built to get two people through up to a week of shelter in place or bugging out. It isn’t designed to help you survive the end of the world. It would be nice if it came standard with the most bomb proof tech on the market. That being said, I don’t have the disposable income or desire to drop $5,000 or more on a preparedness package that will in all likelihood spend several decades gathering dust. That’s the line Echo Sigma had to straddle with this package. They had to build a comprehensive pre-configured preparedness kit for two people while keeping the end product somewhat affordable. Given that mission, I’m very happy with the result.
Upgrades:
Many preppers will want to use this kit as a foundation for customization. So I’m including a few of my personal modifications that haven’t been mentioned in previous commentary.
• I’m a big believer in training with your tools, not just hoping to read the manual in the middle of an emergency. I’ll be getting a second set of the midland radios for redundancy and training.
• There are two products which I consider universally useful. Between duct tape and super glue, you can fix most medical and practical problems. There’s some duct tape in the kit already, but not enough. I’ll be adding an additional package plus a couple tubes of super glue.
• Anyone who camps a lot knows how important having a good camp knife is—preferably one you can easily sharpen. I have a high quality plane edge hunting knife which I’ll be adding along with an adjustable sharpener. I’m surprised that this kit doesn’t come with at least a smith’s pocket sharpener already.
• I’m a big fan of dedicated storage. It helps organize and improve functionality. After upgrading the batteries, I’ll be adding battery cases and at least one USB recharger. Using the base camp radio, this will let me recharge cells in a pinch.
Conclusion:
Building a preparedness kit is all about compromise—cost vs. quality, quantity of gear vs. portability, scope vs. probable use. People are going to draw those lines differently. I think a lot of people with the motivation and the resources to acquire a $1,200 preparedness setup will want to pick the components themselves. That said, the ER2 solves the problems I need solved, answers some questions I hadn’t thought to ask, and does it all at a very reasonable price. The extra steps Echo Sigma takes to organize, consolidate, and configure the package makes the ER2 the best value comprehensive preparedness kit in its class I’ve seen to date.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Surviving
People seem to assume that the guy with the guns is also the guy who is prepared for an emergency. This stems from the fact that many gun guys tend to have the materials on hand to deal with problems whether that’s bad weather or fixing a clogged toilet. This is obviously a bad standard; guns are useful tools but won’t solve most survival problems. Still, I keep running into the fact that outside a few special groups, people of the gun seem to be the only major demographic actually worried about our national unpreparedness.
The more I read on boards and forums, the more I realize that the United States isn’t set up well to deal with major disasters. Case in point, Last year, a California power substation was attacked. A shooter or group of shooters fired 150 small arms rounds at the substation over approximately twenty minutes, inflicting over $16,000,000 in damage. Authorities later found that a fiber optic phone line had been cut in an underground vault preventing early discovery of the danger. Keep in mind that this happened in April 2013. The only reason that it’s coming out now is that a former federal official is pushing for more security for our power grid. The FBI, who has made no arrests in the matter, is characterizing this action as vandalism. This was a major substation for Silicon Valley. The power company was barely able to route around the problem. It took several days to repair the damage. I don’t really care what people want to call the event—terrorism, vandalism, rebellion…etc. The point is that someone threatened the power to one of the United States’ largest technology centers with little to no real effort. More security would be nice, but the thing that has stuck with me is how easy it would be to disrupt power over a large geographic area.
Are we likely to lose regional power for a week or more due to domestic terrorism? That depends on whether you believe that the attack on the San Jose station was an isolated incident or the first step in a larger campaign. I think a better question is what if we have a bad tropical storm or coastal flooding? What if there’s an earthquake? There are any number of ways we might lose power, water, phone service, gas, sewage…etc.
I’m of the opinion that you do what you can within your limits. We picked up a preparedness set up from Echo Sigma with our tax return. It’ll probably look like overkill to anyone who isn’t worried about such things, but that is kind of the point. Every time we get to talking guns with friends, several people say they’ll be coming to our apartment if there’s an emergency. Thing is that guns are really the least part of being prepared. If you need them, then you need them right-freaking-now. But I’m not set up to wage a war—nor would I want to be. Rather, I want enough food, medical supplies, water, communications, heating, lighting, and basic survival gear to handle two weeks or so. If things get worse than that, I have larger problems that a home survival setup won’t be able to fix. It’s flattering that others trust me to handle their problems. There are times though when I wonder why aren’t you making your own arrangements? The answer is that sadly, for many people today the idea of a major FEMA worthy emergency is beyond imagining. They probably would come to us for help if something happened and I would do what I could for them. That said, I wish more people hoped for the best, but planned for the worst.
The brunette and I have been reading John ringo’s “Under a graveyard sky” series.” Reading a zombie apocalypse survival book tends to bring out the “what if” thinking. It also highlights the survivor mindset—you know the person who is always looking for a way to deal with problems. The first book is really excellent. In keeping with Ringo’s track record, the second is less stellar but still a solid read.
Of course, as we were reading that series, lady winter dropped a foot of snow on us over the course of five days. My coworkers stayed home—assuming the building was closed. I ended up making my way across half-plowed roads, unplowed sidewalks, and blocked corners. Even today the snow is piled to shoulder height at many intersections. It wasn’t what I’d call fun—when you walk everywhere and all your normal paths are blocked there are obvious challenges. There was however a sense of accomplishment in being the only guy who wasn’t stopped cold by the weather.
Over the weekend, the brunette and I updated our phones to the newest apple iPhone robo communicator whatchamacallit—5s. Keep in mind I clung to my indestructible flip phone of doom™ until I had no option but to go with the iPhone. Nobody seems to make truly durable phones any more. So if I’m going to be forced down that road, might as well jump in with both feet. I don’t have anything against smart phones per-say; I just like using a phone as a phone. Having the ability to play games, surf the net, text, and use Skype is awesome. It’s also a huge distraction. I don’t do well with distractions. “Oooo shiny...hmm…go away I’m…mmm almost there…level 5…now what were you saying?”
Even so, I’ve really enjoyed customizing ringtones, playing games, and working with siri. I bought a wireless keyboard that pairs nicely—entering contact information and passwords is so-much-easier with a real keyboard. I’ve kickstarted a minimalist case. I ordered a wireless headset. I feel as if I’m about to start a mission on the star ship enterprise instead of just getting a new phone. So we’ll see how things go. I am absolutely not putting email at my fingertips—I’d never get anything done. That said, really enjoying the experience, though with a certain nostalgic plucking of heart strings for my old reliable flip phone. I’d love suggestions for any interesting or useful games/apps.
The more I read on boards and forums, the more I realize that the United States isn’t set up well to deal with major disasters. Case in point, Last year, a California power substation was attacked. A shooter or group of shooters fired 150 small arms rounds at the substation over approximately twenty minutes, inflicting over $16,000,000 in damage. Authorities later found that a fiber optic phone line had been cut in an underground vault preventing early discovery of the danger. Keep in mind that this happened in April 2013. The only reason that it’s coming out now is that a former federal official is pushing for more security for our power grid. The FBI, who has made no arrests in the matter, is characterizing this action as vandalism. This was a major substation for Silicon Valley. The power company was barely able to route around the problem. It took several days to repair the damage. I don’t really care what people want to call the event—terrorism, vandalism, rebellion…etc. The point is that someone threatened the power to one of the United States’ largest technology centers with little to no real effort. More security would be nice, but the thing that has stuck with me is how easy it would be to disrupt power over a large geographic area.
Are we likely to lose regional power for a week or more due to domestic terrorism? That depends on whether you believe that the attack on the San Jose station was an isolated incident or the first step in a larger campaign. I think a better question is what if we have a bad tropical storm or coastal flooding? What if there’s an earthquake? There are any number of ways we might lose power, water, phone service, gas, sewage…etc.
I’m of the opinion that you do what you can within your limits. We picked up a preparedness set up from Echo Sigma with our tax return. It’ll probably look like overkill to anyone who isn’t worried about such things, but that is kind of the point. Every time we get to talking guns with friends, several people say they’ll be coming to our apartment if there’s an emergency. Thing is that guns are really the least part of being prepared. If you need them, then you need them right-freaking-now. But I’m not set up to wage a war—nor would I want to be. Rather, I want enough food, medical supplies, water, communications, heating, lighting, and basic survival gear to handle two weeks or so. If things get worse than that, I have larger problems that a home survival setup won’t be able to fix. It’s flattering that others trust me to handle their problems. There are times though when I wonder why aren’t you making your own arrangements? The answer is that sadly, for many people today the idea of a major FEMA worthy emergency is beyond imagining. They probably would come to us for help if something happened and I would do what I could for them. That said, I wish more people hoped for the best, but planned for the worst.
The brunette and I have been reading John ringo’s “Under a graveyard sky” series.” Reading a zombie apocalypse survival book tends to bring out the “what if” thinking. It also highlights the survivor mindset—you know the person who is always looking for a way to deal with problems. The first book is really excellent. In keeping with Ringo’s track record, the second is less stellar but still a solid read.
Of course, as we were reading that series, lady winter dropped a foot of snow on us over the course of five days. My coworkers stayed home—assuming the building was closed. I ended up making my way across half-plowed roads, unplowed sidewalks, and blocked corners. Even today the snow is piled to shoulder height at many intersections. It wasn’t what I’d call fun—when you walk everywhere and all your normal paths are blocked there are obvious challenges. There was however a sense of accomplishment in being the only guy who wasn’t stopped cold by the weather.
Over the weekend, the brunette and I updated our phones to the newest apple iPhone robo communicator whatchamacallit—5s. Keep in mind I clung to my indestructible flip phone of doom™ until I had no option but to go with the iPhone. Nobody seems to make truly durable phones any more. So if I’m going to be forced down that road, might as well jump in with both feet. I don’t have anything against smart phones per-say; I just like using a phone as a phone. Having the ability to play games, surf the net, text, and use Skype is awesome. It’s also a huge distraction. I don’t do well with distractions. “Oooo shiny...hmm…go away I’m…mmm almost there…level 5…now what were you saying?”
Even so, I’ve really enjoyed customizing ringtones, playing games, and working with siri. I bought a wireless keyboard that pairs nicely—entering contact information and passwords is so-much-easier with a real keyboard. I’ve kickstarted a minimalist case. I ordered a wireless headset. I feel as if I’m about to start a mission on the star ship enterprise instead of just getting a new phone. So we’ll see how things go. I am absolutely not putting email at my fingertips—I’d never get anything done. That said, really enjoying the experience, though with a certain nostalgic plucking of heart strings for my old reliable flip phone. I’d love suggestions for any interesting or useful games/apps.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
The making of an action hero, pt 42
There’s a fine line between sucking it up and needless stupidity. Somewhere between “don’t be a wimp” and “stop you’re wining or I’ll break your other arm” one needs to decide when something is serious enough to see the doctor. I’m not at that point yet, but I’m getting there.
I’ve been restricting physical activity for two weeks giving my foot time to heal. The regular application of anti-inflammatory and heat has helped. I’ve been able to walk relatively consistently rather than going horribly lame as in the past. I’m happy that I haven’t had to make an emergency trip to express care for prescription strength help. But we’re fast approaching the point where if the issue doesn’t fix itself I’m going to see the doctor.
I hate going to the doctor. It costs money, usually requires me to take a day off, requires finding transportation, and often involves getting tests and referrals which suck up yet more time and money. Paradoxically, I like my doctor. He’s honest without being condescending and acknowledges the limitations of real life. I know that if this doesn’t heal up soon it’s more than a simple problem. I need to get it on the record both to get it treated and to make sure that if it recurs there’s a record of the issue. But I really hate going to the doctor.
On the upside, my hip, elbow, and back are all healing up nicely. Not exercising seems to agree with me. I’m down to 281.4 pounds this morning, a 3 pound drop this month in spite of terrible early diet control. Even when we went to taco bell on Tuesday, I got my standard low-cal option. I’ve stuck with the lesser intake work meals and it seems to be paying off. I’ve been transferring money out of my general account to earmarked savings so I don’t have the cash available for incidental meal purchases. I don’t exactly feel better, but I do feel like I’m getting back on track. My goal is to get down less than 280 pounds by the end of January and then keep focused on the diet before exercise for 2014.
I should be exercising, but it seems like every time I really get going I end up putting myself down. I’ve been picking my routine from an instructional DVD with the help of sighted friends. To date my assumption has been that if the video says to do it I should try and do it. That concept is getting trashed. There are a few movements like the ankle stretches, side lunges, and back lunges that just aren’t working. Either I can’t do the movement safely or pushing through is over-stressing joints. So all three of those are out until further notice. I’ll take it easy on the front lunges and work more for cardio than for stretch too. Ok, I’ll do that when my foot comes back which will hopefully be soon. My original goal was to work through the entire DVD by the end of 2014. Now, I’m going to take it slow. I may even cut back to 3 times a week instead of every other day. I’m going to stop focusing on exercise as a primary goal and look at it as an enhancement. The diet has to come first.
One of the things that has really helped with the diet is spice. I love Sriracha. I love hot, flavorful seasoning. We bought a case of 30 oz Sriracha bottles recently and I’m going through one a month. A little bit flavors recipes. A couple tablespoons refresh leftovers and make some unwanted dishes palatable. Spice kicks up your metabolism and aids in digestion. Last year I liked Sriracha and hot spices. Now I love them. I use my tonguespank seasonings on lots of things. I spread Sriracha like ketchup on leftovers. Kicking the food up a couple degrees seems to kill the residual urge to keep eating. I’m looking for new ways to spice up meals, especially lunch.
Intake:
Breakfast=the rest of my leftover banana bread.
Work meal=roast beef and provolone on wheat and an apple.
Dinner=the last of my tropical chicken and rice leftovers.
I’ve been restricting physical activity for two weeks giving my foot time to heal. The regular application of anti-inflammatory and heat has helped. I’ve been able to walk relatively consistently rather than going horribly lame as in the past. I’m happy that I haven’t had to make an emergency trip to express care for prescription strength help. But we’re fast approaching the point where if the issue doesn’t fix itself I’m going to see the doctor.
I hate going to the doctor. It costs money, usually requires me to take a day off, requires finding transportation, and often involves getting tests and referrals which suck up yet more time and money. Paradoxically, I like my doctor. He’s honest without being condescending and acknowledges the limitations of real life. I know that if this doesn’t heal up soon it’s more than a simple problem. I need to get it on the record both to get it treated and to make sure that if it recurs there’s a record of the issue. But I really hate going to the doctor.
On the upside, my hip, elbow, and back are all healing up nicely. Not exercising seems to agree with me. I’m down to 281.4 pounds this morning, a 3 pound drop this month in spite of terrible early diet control. Even when we went to taco bell on Tuesday, I got my standard low-cal option. I’ve stuck with the lesser intake work meals and it seems to be paying off. I’ve been transferring money out of my general account to earmarked savings so I don’t have the cash available for incidental meal purchases. I don’t exactly feel better, but I do feel like I’m getting back on track. My goal is to get down less than 280 pounds by the end of January and then keep focused on the diet before exercise for 2014.
I should be exercising, but it seems like every time I really get going I end up putting myself down. I’ve been picking my routine from an instructional DVD with the help of sighted friends. To date my assumption has been that if the video says to do it I should try and do it. That concept is getting trashed. There are a few movements like the ankle stretches, side lunges, and back lunges that just aren’t working. Either I can’t do the movement safely or pushing through is over-stressing joints. So all three of those are out until further notice. I’ll take it easy on the front lunges and work more for cardio than for stretch too. Ok, I’ll do that when my foot comes back which will hopefully be soon. My original goal was to work through the entire DVD by the end of 2014. Now, I’m going to take it slow. I may even cut back to 3 times a week instead of every other day. I’m going to stop focusing on exercise as a primary goal and look at it as an enhancement. The diet has to come first.
One of the things that has really helped with the diet is spice. I love Sriracha. I love hot, flavorful seasoning. We bought a case of 30 oz Sriracha bottles recently and I’m going through one a month. A little bit flavors recipes. A couple tablespoons refresh leftovers and make some unwanted dishes palatable. Spice kicks up your metabolism and aids in digestion. Last year I liked Sriracha and hot spices. Now I love them. I use my tonguespank seasonings on lots of things. I spread Sriracha like ketchup on leftovers. Kicking the food up a couple degrees seems to kill the residual urge to keep eating. I’m looking for new ways to spice up meals, especially lunch.
Intake:
Breakfast=the rest of my leftover banana bread.
Work meal=roast beef and provolone on wheat and an apple.
Dinner=the last of my tropical chicken and rice leftovers.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Tongue Spank, or how to spice up your day.
I wanted to give a short review of the tongue spank basic spice variants, Smokey bourbon, Garlic and grappa, Wasabi sake, and citrus rum.
Last week I kosher brined a turkey with a mixture of Smokey bourbon blend, black pepper, garlic salt, minced garlic, and fresh sage. I left the bird wrapped in plastic bags for a day for the juices to absorb the flavor. The turkey was then stuffed with a quartered lemon, yellow onion, and blood orange. Finally it was rubbed with olive oil mixed with kitchen bouquet and Elijah Craig bourbon. The turkey was cooked in an electric roaster for 2.5 hours with a light mix of bourbon and water covering the bottom of the pan. Considering that the turkey had been frozen longer than was probably good for it, it came out very well. The rub left a Smokey spicy taste to the meat. The bourbon fumes lightly flavored the skin. The aromatics gave a nice sweet base to the juice. In future I’ll go lighter on the salt and black pepper. The tongue spank Smokey bourbon stands on its own—needing no help to kick ass.
Today I grabbed some cold cuts and veggies from the store and tested out some combinations on my Panini maker. Group favorites included:
• Provolone, pepperoni, minced garlic, garlic and grappa, sliced roma tomatoes, and light mayonnaise.
• Provolone, fresh garlic, Smokey bourbon blend, sliced tomatoes, and light mayonnaise.
• We used the wasabi sake and citrus rum on two similar sandwiches and the flavors weren’t as compatible as I’d like. They were fantastic but not well suited to the available ingredients. I’m going to try the wasabi on a roast beef sandwich for work Tuesday.
Tonight I’m going to sauté chicken in olive oil, fresh sage, cider vinegar, garlic, sriracha, and citrus rum. I’ll then cook in red pepper, yellow onion, pineapple, and Asian veggie mix over brown rice. My hope is that the mix of flavors will compliment the seasoned chicken.
I’m very happy with the tongue spank spices. I haven’t found a good venue for the scorpion bourbon blend yet, but it’s just a matter of time. When I originally kickstarted this I hoped I would end up with one or two good flavors. Each flavor is distinct, well blended, finished with a kick, and at a level where it works as a condiment or cooking aid. A teaspoon of the seasoning makes a spicy flavorful sandwich. Anything more than that and the flavor and spice amp up proportionally, often overwhelming the other elements. The spice blends well with other sauces, such as mayonnaise, spreading the flavor nicely without killing the combined affect. Basically, a little bit of this goes a long way. My only regret is that I only got two of each bottle.
Last week I kosher brined a turkey with a mixture of Smokey bourbon blend, black pepper, garlic salt, minced garlic, and fresh sage. I left the bird wrapped in plastic bags for a day for the juices to absorb the flavor. The turkey was then stuffed with a quartered lemon, yellow onion, and blood orange. Finally it was rubbed with olive oil mixed with kitchen bouquet and Elijah Craig bourbon. The turkey was cooked in an electric roaster for 2.5 hours with a light mix of bourbon and water covering the bottom of the pan. Considering that the turkey had been frozen longer than was probably good for it, it came out very well. The rub left a Smokey spicy taste to the meat. The bourbon fumes lightly flavored the skin. The aromatics gave a nice sweet base to the juice. In future I’ll go lighter on the salt and black pepper. The tongue spank Smokey bourbon stands on its own—needing no help to kick ass.
Today I grabbed some cold cuts and veggies from the store and tested out some combinations on my Panini maker. Group favorites included:
• Provolone, pepperoni, minced garlic, garlic and grappa, sliced roma tomatoes, and light mayonnaise.
• Provolone, fresh garlic, Smokey bourbon blend, sliced tomatoes, and light mayonnaise.
• We used the wasabi sake and citrus rum on two similar sandwiches and the flavors weren’t as compatible as I’d like. They were fantastic but not well suited to the available ingredients. I’m going to try the wasabi on a roast beef sandwich for work Tuesday.
Tonight I’m going to sauté chicken in olive oil, fresh sage, cider vinegar, garlic, sriracha, and citrus rum. I’ll then cook in red pepper, yellow onion, pineapple, and Asian veggie mix over brown rice. My hope is that the mix of flavors will compliment the seasoned chicken.
I’m very happy with the tongue spank spices. I haven’t found a good venue for the scorpion bourbon blend yet, but it’s just a matter of time. When I originally kickstarted this I hoped I would end up with one or two good flavors. Each flavor is distinct, well blended, finished with a kick, and at a level where it works as a condiment or cooking aid. A teaspoon of the seasoning makes a spicy flavorful sandwich. Anything more than that and the flavor and spice amp up proportionally, often overwhelming the other elements. The spice blends well with other sauces, such as mayonnaise, spreading the flavor nicely without killing the combined affect. Basically, a little bit of this goes a long way. My only regret is that I only got two of each bottle.
Friday, January 17, 2014
The making of an action hero, pt41
This has been one of those weeks where I can’t seem to get it right. Last week my foot started acting up. I had already planned to workout at a lesser intensity to avoid aggravating persistent joint pain. Then my Plantar’s started kicking in. Fortunately I could tell right off what was coming and dosed up on anti-inflammatory and soked the foot in hot water. The pain and gimpy walk have persisted, but not to the point where I can’t sleep or to where I need a ride to and from work. I hate injuries. Mostly because they suck on principal but also because they give me a perfectly good excuse not to do things I should be doing, like exercising. There’s a defeatist voice in the back of my head that says that if I stop I’ll never get up the gumption to start again. Not going to let that happen. Still, not exercising right now…grrr.
On the other hand, not exercising has forced me to look at my intake. I was going to do that anyway but the lack of activity has made it a greater priority. I’m down to 283 pounds—a small drop even with no exercise. It’s my intent to end January back at or less than 280 pounds. That will see me making up all my losses. It helps that I’m back with the health shakes in the morning. It helps that I haven’t been drinking coffee in the morning and have slepped better as a result. It helps that we don’t have anything to snack on at home. Mainly though, it helps that I’m out of that holiday slump. I want progress. I want to fix my plantar’s once and for all. If hitting the diet is the only way to do that, so be it. I’m not going to exercise till I’m back at 100%. There’s no point in reinjuring myself. So, back to the diet it is.
Intake:
Morning health shake with oatmeal, mixed berries, spinach, and almond milk.
Work meal=A turkey and Swiss sandwich on wheat bread, two apples, and a couple hand fulls of unsalted almonds.
Dinner will be at a friend’s home where I’ll have one main serving, as much salad as I want, no more than 2 mixed drinks, and possibly apple pie.
On the other hand, not exercising has forced me to look at my intake. I was going to do that anyway but the lack of activity has made it a greater priority. I’m down to 283 pounds—a small drop even with no exercise. It’s my intent to end January back at or less than 280 pounds. That will see me making up all my losses. It helps that I’m back with the health shakes in the morning. It helps that I haven’t been drinking coffee in the morning and have slepped better as a result. It helps that we don’t have anything to snack on at home. Mainly though, it helps that I’m out of that holiday slump. I want progress. I want to fix my plantar’s once and for all. If hitting the diet is the only way to do that, so be it. I’m not going to exercise till I’m back at 100%. There’s no point in reinjuring myself. So, back to the diet it is.
Intake:
Morning health shake with oatmeal, mixed berries, spinach, and almond milk.
Work meal=A turkey and Swiss sandwich on wheat bread, two apples, and a couple hand fulls of unsalted almonds.
Dinner will be at a friend’s home where I’ll have one main serving, as much salad as I want, no more than 2 mixed drinks, and possibly apple pie.
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