Fishing and Hunting Can Be Fun

by Chris Vegvary

I’ve been fishing a couple of times in my life, but I couldn’t really appreciate it at the time. You see, I was a kid at the time, and standing or sitting around in one spot for long periods of time while waiting for a something to bite (or get stuck on a boot or some other type of trash) didn’t exactly appeal to me at the time. Not to mention that we always threw back whatever we caught, which really wasn’t too much. Now that those days are over, however, I find myself wanting to go sit in a boat somewhere and fish over the side.

I’ve never cleaned and gutted, or in any way hurt a fish, really, but I’m totally willing to learn how, because I realize at this point in my life that having certain skills can prove beneficial in the event of an apocalyptic situation, or even just in everyday life. While I’ve fired guns and rifles before, I’ve never gone hunting for a deer or anything like that. Again, though, it’s something I would be willing to try, because it’s an important survival skill. Probably not something you think about too much when you’re a kid, but I think that the sooner you realize and come to appreciate activities like hunting and fishing, the better.

I wish that my childhood had consisted of some form of hunting where I would take down a deer, skin it and do all the good, horrifying stuff that you have to do in order to make it edible, and then serve up some venison for dinner. Also, it would be nice to catch a decently sized fish of some kind and fry it up to eat after properly removing all the nasty stuff and making it ready for human consumption. That, or stick it on a plaque, mount it above the fireplace, and watch it sing and dance when I tell it to. Can’t say I’d mind having a large deer head also mounted above the fireplace, looking off to the side slightly as if it heard something right before it got taken out.

I’m not a huge fan of venison or fish, but if a situation came along to force me into eating these things for survival, I could make do. What I wish I could do, however, is make my own barbecue sauce in the wild, because that’s what I need on my venison to make it less tough. Also, I require my fish to be seasoned and cooked to perfection, restaurant-style…but I can live with just normal, fully-cooked fish and barbecue sauce made out of deer or elk blood. I refuse to let this go down any other way.

For some of the best in hunting and fishing supplies out there, I invite you to take a look around at the merchandise geared towards those very things over at www.armynavyshop.com.

Why Do People Like to Go Camping?

by Chris Vegvary

For the life of me, I can’t understand what people find so appealing about living off of nature. Sure, at some point after the zombie apocalypse, or whatever apocalypse is coming, we’re all going to have to fend for ourselves and not be able to rely on technology, but until that day comes, I enjoy the luxuries of living in a home. Those of you who like to be outside with nature more often than not, however, might have to carry around insect repellant to keep bugs from bothering you. Why put up with the hassle? And with no electricity, the only light source you might have is a kerosene lamp. Doesn’t sound like good times.

Maybe you carry an LED lantern, though, but how are you going to charge it in the wilderness? You’re not, that’s how, because there’s no outlets out there. Lucky for you, though, technology has come far enough to give us things like foldable solar chargers and other things of that nature. Do you realize that when camping, you run the risk of coming face-to-face with some of the worst creatures nature has to offer? I suppose it all depends on where you’re at. If you find yourself staring down a bear that’s decided it wants what you’ve got, maybe it would be a good idea to have yourself some bear mace to spray it with. While I would personally never get close enough to mace a bear, you might be the type of person who enjoys that sort of thing. If that’s the case, I’d like to see that someday. Just don’t go out there without the things you need to get by.

The Search For a Good Zippo

by Chris Vegvary

When I look for a Zippo lighter, I never look for the right things. There’s plenty of imitations out there, and I’ve been suckered a couple of times. Admittedly, I look for a good design that’s appealing to my eye without paying attention to the little details. For instance, does the flame stay lit in the wind? As in, if I were dropping it from a certain height into a crowd of zombies standing in a pool of gasoline, should I be worried the flame is going to go out before it reaches its intended target? These are the things I should be thinking about when searching for a Zippo.

Design is still important, but the finer details make all the difference. The imitations that would have you believe they’re real Zippos look the same, but they don’t function exactly the same. The lighter fluid runs out faster, and the wick seems almost flame-resistant. That should not be. At some point, the flint will probably snap off, too, and then it becomes completely useless to me, because I’m lost when it comes to replacing part for a lighter. After all, it’s just a lighter.

However, Zippos aren’t just lighters. They can be your best friend if you end up in a completely dark place with no other source of light, like a flashlight. They can help you start a fire in the wilderness when you don’t have survival tools. It’s hard to tell the difference between the fakers and the real thing sometimes, but if you follow the links throughout the article, you’ll find the real deal available for purchase.

The Importance of a Good Survival Knife

by Chris Vegvary

You know what’s fun? Knives. Not that it’s fun to let children play with or anything, but us adults can enjoy the look, feel, and uses of a good blade. Whether it’s a rubber knife for training or a military-style machete for chopping brush out of the way, knives, blades, and survival items of the like are so important when you’re out there in the wilderness. You may not think it when you’re at home packing for a hunting trip or something, but when you get there, you might wish you had. What could be the reason for that? What if some crazy animal comes out of the woods looking to make you its next meal? That right there is a good reason to carry a knife, even if it’s only for self-defense.

It’s good to have a blade with some chopping power behind it, so keeping it covered and sharpened is important. If you don’t believe me, just go ask Bear Grylls, who is apparently one of the experts when it comes to surviving in the wild. Some of the knives he sells come with important survival tools other than just a knife, including fire starters. Think about being stuck out there in nature with no way home, and all you have is your Bear Grylls survival knife. It’s getting cold and you need warmth. Pull out the fire starter hidden away in the handle and boom, instant campfire (some assembly required). Just remember that it’s always smart to have a good survival knife any time you go out for more than a day.

Is it Fun to Go Hunting?

by Chris Vegvary

I’ve never been hunting before. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever even been given the opportunity. I’ve never felt any particular desire to do it, but I like to think that I would go at least once in my life. While I’m not too keen on shooting an animal (animal person over here) that hasn’t really done anything to me, I can see the need for it if something were to happen to force me into a situation of survival.

In that case, I’d want the proper gear with me, starting with a good hunting knife. I know very little about guns, but I’d know enough to bring along some shooting accessories. Obviously, we want some good eye protection for keeping our line of sight clear. Let’s don’t forget a good pair of boots for trekking through any kind of terrain, because no one likes getting stuck in the mud. Do we want to bring any kind of bug spray or anything to keep the insects away? I say, why not.

But is it going to be fun? I understand there’s a lot of sitting and patience required for hunting. If that’s the case, what do you do in the meantime? Do you read? Listen to music or informational CDs? It sounds boring, but I’d much rather know how in the case of a world-ending event that causes all electronics to no longer work (spoiling the food on my fridge) than not. And in the end, isn’t that what hunting’s really about? No? Ah, I’ll figure it out one day.

Military Technology and its Awesomeness

by Chris Vegvary

What kind of modern world are we living in, where 3D printers exist that can produce fish scales to improve armor, or hypersonic spy planes exist, or a drone the size of a dragonfly can see what you’re doing without you knowing? It’s all happening so fast, and yet, technology works that way. It moves fast. One year, you have the top-of-the-line computer system, and by the next year, it’s been obsolete for the last decade somehow.

Fish Scale Armor?

Robots carry weapons into battle. How much longer before we have an army of Robocop-type (or Terminator-style) androids to do all the ground work for us? Obviously that technology is nowhere near completion, if it’s being considered at all, but one can dream. Drones may also being considered as pets in the future. What’s up, technology? You keep getting better all the time, but I still have yet to see an actual flying car, or a hover-tank, or how about some of that cloaking technology that makes you invisible to the human eye? That’s ok, I believe that one day, all the good stuff us non-military folk want to see in the way of military technology will be provided to us through patience.

Tiny, tiny drones

Build us an android, guys. We want to see something like Bishop from the movie Aliens, something that can function on its own while seeming indistinguishable from another human being. I know it’s going to take time, but when our technology gets to that level, I can’t wait to see what good surprises are in store for the military. Flamethrower sentry units? If they don’t exist, let’s see it happen. I’m not going to pretend to dictate the course of military technology (although that would be awesome), but I do like to suggest things even if I know they’re not necessarily feasible. Who knows what the future will bring…

This android requires a mechanic

But enough about that. While we’re living in modern times, it might be nice to use all the gear you can in order to get the job (whatever that may be) done. Therefore, under this article there are some links to certain military items that you may need to get by in today’s world. Check them out, you just might find several things you like.

Camping supplies - Knives/Tools - Bags/Packs - Hunting supplies

Sufferin Succotash... Flyer's Hats!

Be vewy vewy quiet... I'm hunting wabbits. And fwyer hats.

Even if you don't have a severe speech impediment or a jones for a certain cross-dressing, carrot munching, sarcastic rabbit, you can still be just like that dastardly and dubious hunter, Elmer Fudd. Say what you will about good ol' Elmer, but the man was nothing if not persistant.

I don't know whether it's rabbit season or duck season or even if such seasons actually exist, but I do know this hat is awesome. I mean, what could possibly be better than a hat that makes you resemble a dim-witted cartoon hunter who never actually kills anything. A hat that makes you look like a cat eating alien from the planet melmac maybe. But that hat does not yet exist. This one does. So let's just be thankful for small miracles.