CRAZY PREPARED

[Cain]

ah so.
Cain said he used slingshots in peru....  I thought he veered us in a different direction....
actually....
i just wanted to show that video of the old fart with quarter pinging skillz.

incidentally....did anybody check out that last link i posted? (Cain specifically, with your previous mention of information preparedness)
reference - HYST documents: http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/p/0006.html

Yeah, sorry.  I use the terms interchangeably for the traditional sling.  Some practice will give you a rough level of accuracy, but as far as I can tell, that's the limit.

Also, that link is indeed excellent.

[Richter]

From when I've messed around with a sling, it's been pretty easy to get the rock to go where you want within about a 90 degree cone (initially, not assuming arching trajectory).  Some practice can narrow this down to 45 degrees, and the time investment to get more precision just rises exponentially from there.  (Much like practice with any ranged weapon, IMHO.)

While it has simplicity and easily scroungable ammo on its side, the lack of penetrating or killing power limits it to varmint / bird hunting, or scaring wolves / lions off of the livestock.  (Granted, avoiding close - up time with an apex predator is likely worth a little practice too.)Not bad things at all, but if I'm going to give away my position in the bush, I'd rather do it with a spear or arrow, and set traps for the small game. 

[Richter]

Here's something I've been cooking up: Non - Traditional First Aid.
Some common sense, some garage / job site tricks, and some WEIRD stuff.   

Duct tape.  Better than a band -aid in many situations, being more waterproof.  If you have an especially juicy or bleeding wound, some paper towel, TP, or tissue underneath is good as a pad.  Use any kind of antibiotic you have on hand because this is NOT STERILE AT ALL.  It WILL keep you from bleeding everywhere until you can get real medical supplies / help though.  It is also terrific to apply to abrasions.   When you can get the abraded area clean and dry before applying, it'll act like a second skin for a good few hours.   

Super Glue:  It's the base of all "liquid bandage" products.  If you have it, mix in some clove oil to act as an antiseptic, and you've just made your own! I've heard of soldiers using it to seal bullet wounds. 

Grease:  An automotive enthusiast once told the author how you could smear heavy grease into small or medium cuts to stop the bleeding.  The author, doing his own auto work and skinning a knuckle, tried this and CAN say it works.  The cleaning after, and exposure to carcinogens can't lead him to recommend this, however.

Ash:  Ash comes from fire.  Fire sterilizes most things.  Hence, if you need to staunch a little bleeding, ash can work.  It will also promote a HUGE keltoid scar, so don't do this where cosmetic appearances are a concern.

Booze:  Need to clean a wound?  Wash it with red wine or stronger booze.  Again, especially with a heavy red, you may color the resulting scar.

Clove oil:  You'll find this sold most often for "aroma therapy".  It is also a natural antiseptic.  Since oil isn't water soluble, it is harder to clean from a wound, so if you douse a BIG cut or burn in it and you'll have to get it scrubbed out when you reach a hospital.  It's also included with some toothache emergency treatment kits to deaden cavity pain (by killing the nerve.  Again, be aware what you're doing to yourself.)

Dental floss (waxed only) / monofilament fishing line:  CAN be used to suture wounds.  Since they're not sold sterile they have a greater chance of infection.  The dental floss, not being solid (multiple strands, even with wax), can get grown into healing flesh, or let infection in more easily than the monofilament. 

Sea water:  Saline, aka salt water, is often used to rinse wounds in medical setting.  Guess what the ocean is full of.  Be aware of pollution in harbors or near land, but by and large a quick sluice is never a bad thing to wash out a wound with.

Urine:  When it leaves the body, urine is sterile.  CAN be used to wash off a wound when notihng else is available.  Yes, it is gross, and gets even grosser as bacteria and yeasts from the air settle and propagate in it.  Needless to say, only use fresh. 

[fomenter]

i saw a well practised sling user firing rocks into a heavy forest from a field, the accuracy was weak  (your cone angles sound about right) but the force the rocks hit things with was impressive, broken branches, explosions of tree bark, rocks cracking against other rocks. i wouldn't use it to hunt either  but against a crowd a head hit could definitely kill and broken bones are very possible, there may not be many situations where this is useful, but a mob armed with clubs and knives could be deterred or held off by a couple guys with some sling skill, long enough for others to get away i suppose.

[Richter]

Yeah, like Cain mentioned, a group armed with range weapons is SCARY when even SLIGHTLY coordinated.  Works for slings, archers, rocks, or guns, no difference.  The "physics of large numbers", as a teacher of mine liked to call it, means your odds drop RAPIDLY towards DEATH if you stay exposed to such repeated attempts to hit you too long.
Psychologically, unless you can return projectiles at similar range / rate of fire, you're pretty much INSTANTLY demoralized.   

If you want to get Sun Tzu / Musashi / 5th gen. about it, you're facing an opponent with range advantage, who's main interest is keeping that range.  They keep it as long as they have conditions they can fire their projectiles ( requiring ammo, functioning sling, abiltiy to target accurately, and psychological will to do so)  You can either disengage them (aka: RUN), or attempt to remove one of the factors they need to fire and close to your own prefered range.

[fomenter]

adding a working knowledge of the art of war to any crazy prepared kit is a wise move..

[Richter]

I'm sure Cain, Ratatosk, or That One Guy could flesh it out better, but 5th. Gen. thinking is one of the most valuable things you can have for any situation, especially in the "CRAZY PREPARED" vein (as I put in the first blog entry on the topic too).  As an idea, or mindset, it has no weight, takes up no space in a pack or pocket, and is proof against most forms of spoilage or wear.  It can also be a difficult thing to instill perfectly or use on command, and takes up our only truly irreplaceable resource, time, to learn.

[fomenter]

link please i missed this blog some how..

[Richter]

http://www.principiadiscordia.com/blog/

Anything tagged "CRAZY PREPARED" 

[fomenter]

thanks good stuff 

[Richter]

WHY should you be CRAZY PREPARED? 
It could save your ass, or someone else's.  Like this dude did.

http://toolmonger.com/2009/02/17/why-you-should-carry-a-pocket-knife/

Granted, not all of us are going to be saving car wash attendants every day.  Still, this is a practical article on why people carrying tools is a good thing.  This guy was carrying a knife, not becasue he was a punk waiting to jack up an old lady, or some gear freak who goes everywhere in BDU's and cop boots with thousand dollar custom tactical folding knives and flashlight that double as flesh chisels, but because it was a useful tool. 
I'm going to dig around to make sure he wasn't nipped later for any "Concealed Weapon" bullshit.

I'm not going to go overboard and slap him with the Government approved 9/11 "Hero" definition, he doesn't deserve that.  He's a practical person with the stones to jump in and help. 

[Telarus]

CRAZY PREPARED PRO-TIP: When speaking with law enforcement, it ain't a 'knife'. It's a 'sharp' or better yet, a 'sharp tool'.

[Richter]

CRAZY PREPARED PRO-TIP: When speaking with law enforcement, it ain't a 'knife'. It's a 'sharp' or better yet, a 'sharp tool'.

So as to remove any implication of it being weaponry?

[Elder Iptuous]

No, because the police officers have a difficult time spelling with silent letters when writing up your citation.

[East Coast Hustle]