Snow
Yet as I wander through the snow
All alone
Can’t help but feel at home
I wander–Machinae Supremacy’s Winterstorm
Kifaru ZXR compression strap modification
A few days ago I was struck with a flash of inspiration, why not put buckles on the compression straps of my ZXR instead of the ladderlocs? Quicker to decompress the pack with the bonus of lashing things to the pack quickly.
I got my hands on a bunch of split side release buckles from Supply Captain and performed the mod.
First you need to unthread one of the compression straps from the ladderloc and add the male SRB part.
The next part is somewhat tricky. You need to cut off the ladderloc while leaving the nylon loop undamaged. I carefully cut it away with a set of some sort of clippers I had lying around.
Put the female portion of the SRB on the loop then clip the two portions together. Repeat for the other 3 straps.
Replacing each ladderloc only takes a couple of minutes and due to the female buckles having the slot, zero sewing is required.
I think the ZXR is better with the improved functionality. Attaching items to the side of the pack is much quicker and simpler.
A similar thing can be done to the XTL to provide a quick release from the main pack should you need to bail in a hurry, or just to be tacticool.
Sleeping bag comparison
Today I got my grubby hands on a Kifaru 20 degree Fahrenheit Slick sleeping bag. Initial review is very positive.
Massive toebox. I can move my feet to a very comfortable width in the slick bag. My British Army bag is very restrictive in this regard, far too narrow at the foot end. I hate to think how restrictive it would be with boots on.
In terms of size, there is no contest. The Slick bag wins in almost every area.
When it comes to weight, again there is no contest whatsoever. The army bag is significantly heavier than the Slick. Its like comparing a desktop computer to a netbook. Slick bag is so light. Definitely replaces the army bag, no question about it.
No ID
I have been running a sort of experiment for the past couple weeks or so. I have been going without any form of legally recognised identification. Took the photocard part of my drivers license out of my wallet.
In the beginning, I found myself thinking I was doing something wrong. Why was I thinking that way? Is the state conditioning that strong? It isn’t a crime to not have identification. If it was, babies and children should be locked in prison. If you don’t drive you don’t need a license and if you have never left the country you won’t have a passport. Both of those are voluntary, you cannot be compelled to get one for any reason other than to drive or leave the country.
As I am a driver, I am technically supposed to carry both the photocard and counterpart pieces of the license as both are required during a police stop. There is a clause in the legislation which allows me to take both pieces of the license to a police station of my choice within 7 days from the stop so that is not an issue.
Of course, I will carry my passport while in a foreign country as those are pretty much globally recognised.
The only other real use for state issued ID in this country is to prove you are old enough to purchase alcohol. I took my photocard ID to the supermarket last week because I knew I would be buying alcohol but due to the number of people that know me there (I work there) I never got carded. In fact I hardly ever get carded. This is possibly due to my lack of drinking but the times I have been in pubs I have had little to no problems getting drinks.
So it would seem that identification is not needed in this country. For now. It seems that The Powers That Be are hell bent on making it mandatory within a decade or so to carry ID. Of course, I do not agree with this and will resist at every point. Instead, I propose a new idea. We should go back to trusting each other. When I identify myself, you should be able to trust that I am who I say I am. If you don’t believe me, it is down to you to prove that I am lying. Kinda like innocent until proven guilty.