What is Polartec? What is the difference between the different types of Polartec?

What is Polartec? What is the difference between the different types of Polartec?

USGI Military Polartec Silkweight Power Dry Thermal Underwear Pants
USGI Military Polartec Silkweight Power Dry Thermal Underwear Pants

Polartec is a special company brand of thermal clothing made from advanced textiles. Their fabrics are designed for the sole purpose of keeping people warm during cold outdoor environmental conditions. The best part is their fabric is lightweight, so you won’t even feel like you’re wearing much clothing at all. But at the same time, you can walk around outside in low temperatures and feel protected from the cold. There are many Polartec fabric choices for you to choose from such as t-shirts, long underwear, pants and more. All Polartec clothing is easy to care for and do not hardly stain.
Polartec has gone beyond just dealing with thermal fabric insulation. They also design fabrics for wind protection, repelling water and flame resistance. Their Windbloc textiles are designed to make heavy wind conditions more comfortable for those that wear the fabric. Windbloc will block the power of the wind by reducing its impact on your body. So if you are in the middle of a thunderstorm, you will still be able to stay warm and comfortable when heavy winds are blowing in your direction. You could also mix this fabric with the Power Dry textiles. Power Dry is specifically designed to repel water, such as rain water from nasty weather. If you were to wear this as outerwear then you will reduce your chances of getting soaked during these rainy conditions as well.
Perhaps one of Polartec’s most impressive lines of textiles is the one that pertains to flame resistance. The Thermal FR, for example, is one of their fabrics that provide comfortable insulation in areas where there is intense heat. So if you are a firefighter or work in hot environmental conditions then you should definitely consider getting the Thermal FR, Power Dry FR or any of the other flame resistance clothing from Polartec. The best part is they are still lightweight, so you can wear them underneath your normal clothes and not even notice.
Polartec is one of the best textile manufacturers in the country. This is the reason why the U.S. military contracts with Polartec to design the fabric for their soldiers’ clothing. As a consumer, you can just go to polartec.com and see for yourself what they are all about. If you are interested in purchasing their clothing, you will see links to all of their clothing retail partners that are authorized to sell their fabric brand such as L.L. Bean, Lowe Alpine and BTC Group.

New Platoon First Aid Kit from Elite First Aid

New Platoon First Aid Kit from Elite First Aid

New Platoon First Aid Kit from Elite First Aid

There are two colors available:

New Platoon First Aid Kits from Elite First Aid
New Platoon First Aid Kits from Elite First Aid

And contents are little different. Let’s start with ACU Platoon First Aid Kit:

New Platoon First Aid Kit from Elite First Aid
New Platoon First Aid Kit from Elite First Aid

Empty Pill Bottle:

Pill Bottle
Pill Bottle

Plastic Tweezers:

Plastic Tweezers
Plastic Tweezers

Two Rolls of Tape:

Two Rolls of Tape
Two Rolls of Tape

Pressure Bandage:

Pressure Bandage:
Pressure Bandage:

Conforming Gauze (2):

Conforming Gauze
Conforming Gauze

Compress Bandage:

Compress Bandage
Compress Bandage

5 ABD Pads:

ABD Pads
ABD Pads

2 Pair of Gloves:

2 Pair of Gloves:
2 Pair of Gloves:

Instant Ice Compress:

Instant Ice Compress
Instant Ice Compress

Sterile Gauze Pads:

Sterile Gauze Pad
Sterile Gauze Pad

Bandage:

Bandage
Bandage

Antiseptic Towelette:

Antiseptic Towelette
Antiseptic Towelette

Pain Reliever Pills:

Pain Reliever Pills
Pain Reliever Pills

Lip Balm:

Lip Balm
Lip Balm

Sterile Alcohol Prep Pad:

Sterile Alcohol Prep Pad
Sterile Alcohol Prep Pad

Providone-Iodine Prep Pad:

Providone-Iodine Prep Pad
Providone-Iodine Prep Pad

Scissors:

Scissors
Scissors

It is strange but contents of the green Platoon First Aid Kit are little different.

Olive Platoon First Aid Kit Elite First Aid
Olive Platoon First Aid Kit Elite First Aid

Elastic Bandage:

Elastic Bandage
Elastic Bandage

Lip Treatment:

Lip Treatment
Lip Treatment

Adhesive Bandage:

Adhesive Bandage
Adhesive Bandage

Condor Summit Soft Shell Tactical Jacket Review: Rain and Snow

Condor Summit Soft Shell Tactical Jacket Review: Rain and Snow

Condor Summit Soft Shell Tactical Jacket Review: Rain and Snow

Condor Summit Soft Shell Tactical Jacket Review: Rain, Snow and Mud
Condor Summit Soft Shell Tactical Jacket Review: Rain and Snow

There are a lot of soft shell jackets available on the market. Condor and Rothco jackets are the most popular ones. They have very similar look, materials and price. But there are some differences between them.

I have chosen Condor Summit Soft Shell Tactical Jacket and really happy with it. I will try to give you as much info as possible in this review.

It is warm, breathable, water resistant and windproof.

Let’s have a closer look at all features of the jacket. It has Teflon coating, YKK zippers and breathable shell technology:

Condor Summit Jacket Features
Condor Summit Jacket Features
Condor Summit Jacket Features
Condor Summit Jacket Features
Condor Summit Jacket Features
Condor Summit Jacket Features

Condor Summit Jacket has a lot of different pockets.

2 shoulder pockets with two 4″x4″ (10x10cm) shoulder patch panels:

Condor Summit Jacket Shoulder Pocket
Condor Summit Jacket Shoulder Pocket
Condor Summit Jacket Shoulder Pocket
Condor Summit Jacket Shoulder Pocket

2 chest pockets:

condor_summit_chest_pocket2

Condor Summit Chest Pocket
Condor Summit Chest Pocket

Left Forearm Pocket

Condor Summit Left Forearm Pocket
Condor Summit Left Forearm Pocket

2 internal pockets:

Condor Summit Inner Pocket
Condor Summit Inner Pocket

Huge back pocket (very handy when you need to take off your gloves, for example):

Condor Summit Back Pocket
Condor Summit Back Pocket

Stow-away hoodie:

Condor Summit Jacket Stow-away Hoodie
Condor Summit Jacket Stow-away Hoodie
Condor Summit Jacket Stow-away Hoodie
Condor Summit Jacket Stow-away Hoodie

Another nice feature is underarm ventilation:

Condor Summit Under Arm Ventilation
Condor Summit Under Arm Ventilation

Here are photos which illustrate what happened after 2 hourse of light rain and one hour of heavy rain:

Condor Summit Soft Shell Tactical Jacket After the Rain
Condor Summit Soft Shell Tactical Jacket After the Rain
Condor Summit Soft Shell Tactical Jacket After the Rain
Condor Summit Soft Shell Tactical Jacket After the Rain

Jacket was dry inside. The material of the Condor Summit Soft Shell Tactical Jacket works very good, you can see lots of water drops on the jacket but it is not wet. Only small areas of the outside layer were wet.

Here are several photos to show what happened to this soft shell jacket after several hours of wet snow:

Condor Summit Softshell Jacket after Snow
Condor Summit Softshell Jacket after Snow
Condor Summit Softshell Jacket after Snow
Condor Summit Softshell Jacket after Snow

Outer shell was mostly dry. Good result.

Highly recommended soft shell jacket. High-quality and inexpensive.

Rothco Fleece Watch Cap Foliage Green (8460) Review

Rothco Fleece Watch Cap Foliage Green (8460) Review

Rothco Fleece Watch Cap Foliage Green (8460) Review

Rothco Fleece Watch Cap Foliage Green (8460) Review
Rothco Fleece Watch Cap Foliage Green (8460) Review

Rothco Fleece Watch Cap Foliage Green, manufacturer code: 8460.

This cap is very warm and soft. But be careful because it is pretty big and may not fit you. I felt that it is too wide and doesn’t cover my ears properly. Also, it is not wind proof, made of pretty thin fleece.

This cap is simple, comfortable, inexpensive but doesn’t have any special features. But if you have big head, it will be perfect choice for you.

What is ECWCS? What layers does this system have?

What is ECWCS? What layers does this system have?

What is ECWCS? What layers does this system have?

What is ECWCS? What layers does this system have?
What is ECWCS? What layers does this system have?

The Extended Cold Weather Clothing System, or ECWCS, is a special clothing system designed by the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center. This system was first created in the 1980s with the sole purpose of keeping soldiers warm when they have to face cold environmental conditions. The system uses a combination of various clothing and accessories made out of protective fabrics in order to accomplish this task.

There have been three generations of this system that evolved over the years. The original first generation system used over 20 pieces of individual clothing. The main articles of clothing were the cotton & nylon trousers and white camouflage parka. The other clothing included undershirts, underwear, polyester shirts, bibs, nylon boots, nylon socks, caps and barrier boots for extreme cold weather. The shirts were made out of polypropylene, which is a thermoplastic that is made to create warmth when cold air hits it.

The second generation system added two new layers made with Polartec fabrics, which are high quality textiles designed to keep people warm during all kinds of outdoor activities. Polartec, formerly Malden Mills, creates these fabrics for both the military and individuals. But the two layers the military uses in this system are the Polartec 200 Fleece Overalls and the Polartec 300 Shirt. The combination of these layers mixed with the previous layers from the first generation system creates cold weather protection for temperatures in the -40°F and 40°F range. The parka even had slight improvements made with the added vents to make it more breathable.

The third generation system is a complete redesign of the older systems. This one has seven newer layers that use three of the Polartec fabrics; Two Polartec Power Dry and the Polartec Thermal Pro High Loft. This third generation system was first used in the actual battle field in August of 2007 by the 73rd Cavalry Regiment who fought in Afghanistan. You may think that Afghanistan is hot all the time because it is a desert environment. The truth is that Afghanistan gets very cold, especially at nighttime. In fact, during the winter season it can get under 30°F. So it is truly beneficial for the U.S. military to have special thermal insulated clothing to keep them as comfortable as possible when fighting the enemy under these conditions.

The ECWCS is always being improved by the U.S. Army and their affiliations with various fabric engineers and manufacturers, like Polartec. The next 30 years may prove to be even more revolutionary for the system than ever before.

It is easy to find and buy ECWCS levels online. There are army issue and commercial issues.

Level 1, Highly breathable, moisture wicking material, Commercial Issue by Rothco

Level 1 – Army Issue

Level 2, light insulation, Commercial Issue by Helikon-Tex

Level 3, insulation layer – Commercial Issue by Rothco

Level 4, Wind Jacket – Army Issue

Level 4, Wind Jacket – Beyond Clothing

Level 5, The key element of the ECWCS clothing system – – Special Forces Issue

Level 5, The key element of the ECWCS clothing system – Commercial Issue by Helikon

Level 6 -Wet weather, hardshell Army Issue

Level 7, Extreme cold weather, Primaloft, Army Issue

Level 7, Extreme cold weather, Primaloft, Beyond Clothing

Building shelter in the forest

Building shelter in the forest

Building shelter in the forest

Building shelter in the forest
Building shelter in the forest

One of the scariest feelings in the world is being lost in the forest and having no means of shelter. Since you are outside in the wilderness, then you will be subjected to cold weather, rain, insects and the native wildlife of the area. The only chance you will have to survive in the forest is to build your own shelter. The quality of the shelter you build will depend on the tools you have available. If you happen to have a knife and rope then it will help. Then you can build a shelter by simply using the natural resources of the forest. These resources include branches, sticks and twigs. On your travels throughout the forest, try to gather as many of these items as you can or at least make note of where they are.

The first step to building a shelter is choosing the location. If you can locate an open field near a body of water, then this will be a great place to build. Just make sure you choose a spot at least 50 yards away from the water. That way the water vapor won’t create coldness and the water won’t flood your shelter. Next you will want to search for three tree branches. They should be thin tree branches that are light enough for you to pick up with your hands. Try to find one long tree branch and two medium sized ones. The idea is that you will brace the three branches upright against each other, almost like a tepee. The only difference is the longer branch will be tied in between the shorter branches that are braced into the ground. You may have to dig little holes with your hands, so the branches are tight and secured in the ground.

Once you have your three branches braced together, you need to find smaller sticks and branches to lean upright against the sides of the longer branch. These smaller sticks will make up the walls of your shelter. The sticks on each side should join together on the top, which is where you tie them together. Then you need to find some leafy twigs and start coating your walls with them. Make sure you find twigs with lots of leaves on them, so you can thoroughly cover the exterior of your shelter. Then you should be able to sneak inside and stay protected from the rain or cold weather. It may even camouflage you from the wildlife as well.

Best Advices to Survive Active Shooter Scenario

Best Advices to Survive Active Shooter Scenario

Best Advices to Survive Active Shooter Scenario

Best Advices to Survive Active Shooter Scenario
Best Advices to Survive Active Shooter Scenario

An active shooter is someone who basically goes on a killing spree with a firearm in a populated area. Some famous examples of this are the Colorado movie theater shootings and the more recent terrorist attack in Paris’ Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in France. These situations both involved gunmen entering a populated building and opening fire on a group of people, which make them active shooters. Even though we hear about these kinds of shootings in the news every day, the chances of it actually happening to you are rare. But still, it is best to stay educated on what to do in these situations in case an active shooter enters your environment.

There is no full proof way to survive an active shooter scenario, but there are safety precautions you can take to increase your chances of survival. The first thing you have to do is know your environment. Be aware of all the exits and areas where you can escape from a deadly encounter. Then make a habit of staying near these exit areas in case an active shooter does come in, and you have to escape. For example, when you go to the movie theater, sit in the back row. Not only will a shooter have trouble seeing you there, but you can make a faster escape that way as well. Remember that real life is not like a video game. If someone with an assault rifle comes into a room you are in and starts shooting, then you won’t want to stick around. You will want to escape right away. Just make sure you are the first to escape because there will be a crowd of people doing the same thing, which is another reason why being near the exit is important.

Now you may be in a situation where you are trapped. Perhaps you are in a classroom with the windows locked and the shooter is blocking the only door to escape. In this situation, the best thing you can do is take cover and try to barricade yourself behind some heavy objects. These could be chairs, desks or any piece of furniture near you. If you have your mobile phone then try dialing 9-1-1 and make them aware of the situation. However, if you are not armed then you will pretty much have to pray the shooter doesn’t come after you. That is why the best way to survive an active shooter scenario is to have your own firearm. Depending on your age and location, you should strongly consider getting a permit to carry a firearm. That way if an active shooter invades your environment, you can barricade yourself from their bullets and then use your own firearm to shoot back at them.

It may sound easy to survive an active shooter scenario by shooting back with your own weapon, but if you have never shot a gun at someone before then it can be quite scary. In a situation where someone is firing an automatic weapon and killing people, you have to be certain that you know how to handle your weapon. That is why if you are going to go through the trouble of getting a gun permit, you should practice shooting your gun at the local firing range. At least that way you can practice your aim and have a better chance of hitting an active shooter. But this still won’t prepare you for the adrenaline rush you will feel when someone points a firearm at your direction. This feeling could easily turn into fear, which will temporarily make you forget everything you learned at the firing range. So if you have no prior military training or experiences getting shot at, then active shooter scenarios may be too scary for you to handle a weapon. It all depends on the kind of person you are and how much real life drama you can take while staying in control.

If you do not believe in firearms or simply do not like shooting them, then you will need to find another way to protect yourself from an active shooter. In some situations, simply talking to the shooter and being friendly with them might help. Again, it depends on the circumstances of the shooting. Some active shooters have particular targets they go after out of an act of vengeance, whereas other shooters just kill everyone in sight. But if a shooter bursts into your classroom or office and doesn’t immediately start firing their weapon, this means they have some reservations about what they are doing. This is a good thing because it means they are likely acting out of emotional pain and not thinking clearly. So if you try talking to the shooter and rationalize the situation to them in a friendly way, they may decide to give up and not hurt anybody else. But whatever you do, don’t purposely put yourself in harm’s way. You should only try talking to the shooter if you are stuck in a room with them and have no other way out.

The last alternative to surviving an active shooter scenario is to play dead on the ground. If you are in a room with a lot of people and a shooter barges into the room shooting everyone, then just fall down to the ground as quickly as possible and play dead. If one of the bullets hits you in a nonfatal area, like your limbs, then try to remain calm and play dead anyway. Chances are the shooter won’t notice which people are being hit with their bullets because they are just shooting everywhere. Remember, the active shooter is probably on an adrenaline rush anyways and the experience of shooting other people is likely a shock to them. This means they are going to move quickly and not stick around very long after shooting up a room. So if this happens in your situation, then stay on the ground and don’t move until the shooter leaves. However, you should only do this if you are surprised by the shooter and do not have time to barricade yourself before they get to you.

In mass shooting situations, the shooter goes unnoticed up until the time they shoot their first victim or group of victims. Then people nearby will hear the gun shots and get into a defensive position. But for those first victims, they don’t have time to get into a defensive position because they are not aware of what is about to happen to them. This makes it very difficult and scary when a mass shooting is sprung upon them out of the blue. It means they won’t have time to barricade or protect themselves from the shooter. So when the shooter bursts into their room, the victims will need to quickly examine their options; escape, shoot back, talk with the shooter or play dead. In such an intense moment, it may be hard to choose the right thing to do. Therefore, you should try not thinking about your options so much during the attack. Just know what your options are right now while you are safe and keep them in your brain. This will make it easier to improvise your decision when an active shooter scenario arises. Hopefully, you will be able to choose the right option that saves your life and the lives of those around you.

Related post: First Aid Kits for Survival

Finding water in the wild

Finding water in the wild

Finding water in the wild

Finding Water in the Wild
Finding Water in the Wild

Many people get stranded in the wild every year. Nobody ever thinks it will happen to them until it does. Everyone from tourists to hikers could find themselves lost in the woods if they go too far away from familiar territory. People in their cars can even end up the same way if they start driving down unmarked dirt roads that they have never been down before and then end up stranded. Whatever the reason may be, it is important that you know how to survive in the wild in case this happens to you.

The most important necessity to have when lost in the wild is water. Someone could survive for an entire month without food, but they could only survive a week without water. But if you are constantly walking around the wild and exerting yourself, then you may only last a few days without water. That is why you need to know how to find drinking water when you are lost in the wild. Now depending on your location, you should be able to find an abundance of water if you know where to look for it. The most common places are lakes, rivers and streams. Just listen for the sound of moving water while in the woods in order to find it. This water should be drinkable, especially if there is a lot of fresh green vegetation surrounding the water. This vegetation means the water is fresh and able to hydrate plants, which means it can also hydrate humans. Plus if you see an animal or bird drinking from the water then that is also a sign of drinkable water.

An alternative to drinkable water on the ground is drinkable rainwater. If you have any spare containers and it starts to rain outside, place the open containers on the ground and let them catch as much rainwater as possible. Do not worry about acid rain or rain that is polluted because you are most likely in a rural area. These kinds of areas don’t have the kind of carbon emissions in the air that big cities have. So the rain will likely be fresh and drinkable after you contain it.

Despite the water being drinkable in the wild, this doesn’t mean it will be totally clean. After all, there are no filters in these waters and there is wildlife all around the walk in the water. So you have to take all of that into consideration. If you have the right tools with you, you could distill the water by boiling it over a burning fire or by using purification tablets. Otherwise, you will need to make the best of it until you find civilization again.

Using solar energy for survival – chargers, water heating etc.

Using solar energy for survival – chargers, water heating etc.

Using solar energy for survival – chargers, water heating etc.

There will be a time in the near future when fossil fuels won’t be so readily available anymore. Either that or you may be in a location that doesn’t have access to the modern conveniences of coal powered electricity and fossil fuels. Did you know that there are over 400 million people in India who do not have electricity of any kind because it is too expensive for them? Between this and the low supply of fossil fuels, people will need to switch to an alternative energy source or face the consequences.

Solar House #1 of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States, built in 1939, used Seasonal thermal energy storage for year-round heating.
Solar House #1 of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States, built in 1939, used Seasonal thermal energy storage for year-round heating.

Solar energy technology is the perfect way for poor people and survivalists to obtain a free power supply. Solar energy panels absorb the UV rays from the sun and turn them into usable energy to work appliances, such as battery chargers and water heaters. If you go on the internet you can find many stores that specialize in selling solar panel products. You can find ovens, cell phone chargers, stoves, lanterns, LED flashlights and outdoor water heaters. The one thing all of these solar products have in common is they use solar panels to absorb the sun’s energy. On the upside, the solar energy that is captured during the day can be stored in the device. That way you can use them at nighttime without requiring the sunlight to activate them.

At the moment, solar energy technology is still very limited in the amount of energy it can actually store. It may be able to charge your cell phone or turn on the lights in a room, but it will take a lot more energy to sustain the power needs of a modern day house. Between television, air conditioners, and computers, these all would require more energy than current solar panels can absorb. However, as a survivalist you won’t be concerned about these conveniences. As long as you can heat up your water and charge your cell phone or laptop batteries, then you will be fine. Just remember to position your solar panels just right in order to absorb as much energy as possible. Generally, those who live in the northern hemisphere should point their panels south and those who live in the southern hemisphere should point their panels north. If you are trying to power your home by putting solar panels on the roof, then you may have a problem if your roof faces east or west. In these cases, you should install the panels on your lawn separately and then connect them to the power grid of your home. Then you can survive on solar energy completely as long as you use simple appliances and small electronics.