OK so, I did a lot of thinking about a supposed best survivalist weapon. I figured for this post I would do more of a pros & cons/talking type list to make sure I get all the info without the boring.

The first weapon I would like to propose is the Glock 17L (L is for longs lide). This might sound ridiculous but hear me out on this one. First and foremost it’s a 9mm semi automatic pistol that holds 17 rounds. I’ll go right into the things that appeal most to me about this gun then the downsides and maybe a little hypothetical at the end.

PROS
1. Weight and size. All together it weighs in at like 24oz (670g). That’s light and it’s mostly do to the fact that a lot of the gun is made of high strength polymer i.e. plastic and yes the “I don’t trust plastic guns people” are slowly fading away. Weight is important. The fact that you can put the gun fully loaded on your belt and walk around all day with it is a superb bonus not to mention it’s not in the way. The fact that it’s small enough to hide easily in a back pack or under a loose jacket/vest or even a shirt or pant is even better. It’s not super concealable like some small guns but it’s probably the smallest gun I one could still consider adequate self defense. This may be more or less important depending on the situation. For example, if your trying to appear non-threatening or trying to not let on you have a weapon i.e. You can’t do that with a giant assault rifle on your back.

2. Reliability It’s a Glock, people have laid claims to shooting over 100,000 rounds through them without replacing major parts. The thing was designed well. No it’s not like an AK-47 but yes it will work through the extremes if well attended. Anyone who claims you can pour dirt into the barrel and so and so forth is half full of it anyways. Even if you could why would you not clean/clear you gun before firing? Even if a gun did fire with dirt in the chamber or barrel it would still eventually wear it or ruin it over time if not right away.

3. Efficiency This is probably the last strong point and I think grossly overlooked by many in terms of quality for value. I think the word efficiency get’s a bad rap especially when it comes to guns. To start with 9×19 or 9mm rounds are very cheap not to mention you can find them almost anywhere on the planet where bullets can be found. They were meant to be fired out a semi auto gun as well as have been around for quite some time (over 100years). No it’s not renown as the “crazed native stopper” but yes… it is deemed effective by our military. So it doesn’t have the knock down power of a .45 but usually it holds around twice the capacity, this is called a trade off. And yes smaller rounds have their advantages such as lower recoil which means quicker shots, less noise and generally a more manageable weapon for smaller folks. Anyone who does not take into consideration shooting a .45 can be cumbersome to the shooter is either a pro shooter or full of man ego.

Also the gun is fairly priced. Around $600.00 new which is about the same as many other military/law enforcement type guns in this category. The beauty of the long slide is it’s almost the same as it’s shorter counter part. Just go to an online auction site if your local dealer gives you the “you can’t find it anywhere schpeel” and no you don’t really need an add-on. Personally, I dislike laser sites but highly recommend a tactical light. Don’t cheap out on the light either. A good light will make your pistol a universally effective weapon. This can all be done with a comparable budget to most things. Even a good sword or crossbow is going to run you $300+ only that Glock is probably 100 times more deadly if properly used. Also the ammo is cheap too. You can pick up 1000 rounds of ammo online for less then $100.00. And going back to the knock down power issue. Accuracy is the first factor then size/power. Who is going to be more deadly accurate the person who shot a 1000 rounds through their weapon cause it’s cheap or the person who shoots 100 and then saves the rest of their ammo cause it’s expensive? Price out .44 magnum costs. They’re not cheap. Try and find a 10mm round, good luck!

4. Capacity It holds 17 rounds or 19 if you ad the extension and yes you can buy a 30 round magazine for it too. This is superb. It also speaks to the plausibility of a survival concept. If you have to fire more than 17 rounds you probably should have been long gone by then. Not to say that this is always an option so if it isn’t you should still find a 30 round magazine or an extra 17 round magazine adequate as an extra magazine can be.

5. Accuracy This is where the strengths can also be considered weaknesses in other words a conundrum. Also why I suggest a long slide instead of regular Glock 17. For a out of the box handgun it’s superbly accurate. But compared to thousands of other guns it’s lacking. Usually the effective range for a hand gun is around 45yds tops in the military or 15yds if your talking practical self defense. I think with practice you can put a Glock 17L out further than 60yds. How much further would depend on the target. But really it’s not at all a long range weapon. So yes it’s accurate for what it is but no it’s not ideal for longer ranges. That being said it will be quite effective at closer ranges and for very close ranges I would say ideal.

6. Overall plausibility The over all plausibility could also depend on a whole slew of factors whether it be availability or the application in which the weapon would need to be used. I know that you could kill a deer with it if you had to even a bear (yes a bear) but really by no means is it practical for that. So really it depends and yes you would have to consider what type of options you really would have in a survival type situation as the circumstances would vary. I think the fact that it could be so easily carried is probably the first and foremost logic behind having one.

I have considered using it for hunting as the 6″ barrel and center fire round makes it legal in Wisconsin to hunt deer with it. However, I think that I would be restricted to more of a bow and arrow range and definitely wouldn’t have make sure the shot would be in a vital area. Also, not sure how other hunters would feel about it as some might consider using a 9mm inhuman if you didn’t quickly kill the game. Although if I had a dollar every time someone shot a deer with a high power rifle and it ran away, I’d still be poor, but at least it’d pay for the ammo. Perhaps the gun would also be a better compliment to a larger weapon system in survival circumstances. As in the glock is the gun you always have with you and you can rely on something else for bigger problems.

OTHER THOUGHTS:
1) Another good option for a survival weapon would be the bigger brother to the Glock 17L is the Glock 24 the first thing better than a Glock 9mm is a Glock 40 cal. pistol. And yes follow the link it has been used to kill a Kodiak brown bear. This is a just like the regular glock 40 caliber but like the 17L it has an extra long barrel for more accuracy. Also, 40 caliber rounds are still in the cheaper price range. They are consider more effective at penetration than 45 and 9mm calibers. More powerful than a 9mm less cumbersome than a 45 to shoot. The bullet still has significant knock down power and a high velocity and a readily available supply of ammunition at least in the us.

2) Another suggestion for the pistol would be to make either a temporary shoulder stock and/or lanyard to more accurately aim your shots. I would confidently say that these two items can/will easily put either a Glock 17L or Glock 24 out to 100 yard effective ranges. Simply being able to hold the gun steady is sometimes the hardest part about long range shooting. A 9mm will most definitely go that far with a loss of power I wouldn’t go shooting large or dangerous game with it but it won’t drop nearly as much as a .45 which is a much slower moving bullet. The 9mm relies on it’s higher velocity to make the smaller bullet effective and means it’s trajectory is flatter i.e. it drops less over the same distance/time. Also, I say a temporary stock because adding a stock to your pistol could make it illegal (class 3 without a license) and harder to carry. So something that could be used to hold the pistol steady and against your should allowing you to precisely aim with the sites that could easily be taken off would be ideal. I am working on making a stock that slides in the back space of the gun handle and wedges secure with a chunk of rubber. That way it’s more of a shooting stick against your should as apposed to an actual stock.

There are many circumstances that could be considered a survival situation or a survival challenge. Most are inspired by stories either passed on by word of mouth much like urban legends or great tails of adventure and many published by books. However, in our modern world adventure or survival situations are inspired many through movies and television. Despite the best efforts of actors and directors and movie makers as well as the audience to subdue themselves with the craftiness of a true survivor individual it seems in a lot of ways, to fall short of the real experience. For some people, watching the tube is enough but for the rest……

I would for the sake of understanding my concept classify survivalists, survival-ism, survivors for the sake of this article into several different categories with no personal offense or judgment meant to any. The classifications are purely an unbiased observation of the respectful circumstances these categories encompass. This classification defines the motivations behind why one would want to practice or partake in survivalist activity.

1) Enthusiasm: If you’re like me and have spent tons of time outdoors then you will realize that it is quite relaxing and fun to spend more time doing what you love. Any excuse to get out of the house or test your craftiness in the woods is a good time. This enthusiasm comes from wanted to spend as much time as you can in nature and our natural environment.

2) Curiosity: Many people want to test themselves it’s really that simple. Especially since these types of scenarios whether they be real or fake show up on TV all the time. It’s a bit more of a competitive attribute but as long as it’s done in good sport no need to fret.

3) The unplanned and/or disaster: This is without a doubt one of the strongest and most logically demanding reasons for survival ism although the most difficult to plan for. To be prepared for a disaster is like saying I’m going to be prepared for the rest of my life. It’s very vague and you can spend all your time training to do something and never need to use it and then something can go wrong and you won’t be prepared for that specific situation. But nonetheless. Perhaps this motivation would convince people to realize their mind as their strongest tool.

4) The conspiracy theory: Justify the need and/or logic of being able to survive off of the land and/or their own self sufficient manner in/or out of society because the government as a whole and/or our society cannot be trusted to either fulfill those needs or will disregard our civil rights for other reasons such as war and greed. Although history has proven these scenarios as possible it is kind of hard to predict exactly what could actually go wrong or what wouldn’t in our society today and how to deal with it properly. I think at any given time our society is on the verge of great disaster and/or great accomplishment as whole. Although I would validate this concern simply because it cannot be ruled out just as well….. in most cases it’s a harmless logic to be prepared assuming that being preparedness does not dwell in paranoia or irrational action.

The Survivalist Challenge, A test of survival skills in the wild. Most people think of surviving as something they do everyday some people associate it with great struggles or a means of testing ones willingness to endure. For most though it would probably be associated with adventure movies or drama packed reality TV. For the sake of this blog and it’s contents. We would like to keep it real. It’s easy to get caught up in what the Television portrays as a survival situation but you have to remember that most of TV is about the hype. They would rather sell you adventure with no authenticity and a lot of excitement than reality and boring facts that might actually save your life (despite the fact that it is called reality TV). To keep a truly authentic situation you would need to skip past the theatrics and head to the heart of what our concept of a survival situation is. So, what exactly would make an excellent survivalist challenge?

Their is no good way to simulate an actual survival situation so you’re just going to have to suspend your disbelief. Why, because the idea in the first place of a survival situation is rooted in the idea that a person must overcome a set of circumstances or face immanent danger. How could you simulate this without violating/jeopardizing your own personal safety or the personal safety of others? For example, to simulate a plain crash in a remote area you would have to beat someone up then drag them behind a motor boat for an hour and dump them off in the middle of a remote lake? Obviously these circumstances are not except able. However, there are many ways to practice these situations without putting yourself in danger.

The method that I came up with for developing a survivalist scenario requires a five step planning process.

1) Develop a scenario: be it Hollywood based or your own invention of a survival situation. Describe the event in detail but be sure not to make it too complex. Also, you may want to keep in mind the individual or “survivee” has to survive at the end of this adventure. Something for starters could be surviving a snow storm like Luke Skywalker did in Star Wars.

2) Realize the obstacles: Make a list of obstacles that the individual will have to overcome in order to survive their situation. Be detailed and describe acceptable results of the situation/s being completed. Like what the person would have had to have done to complete the scenarios previously developed. Think of them as goals. For example: “survived a snow storm” is too vague but “spent the night outside in -10 degree weather with only a knife and a blanket” is better. Good would be “outside from 9:00pm-9:00am the next morning in, -10C degree weather moderate snow fall, winter clothes on with a blanket and a knife,”

3) Quantize the goals: Distinguish between ascertainable goals and highly achievable goals. Get rid of anything that is impossible in respect to human limitations as well as legality as well as get rid of anything that’s too easy. Take what you have left and put a numerical value and/or parameters to it. You need something you can measure. So as in the “survived a snow storm” scenario. You could make a stipulation that a person must stay X amount of time in Y amount of temperature with Z equipment. Obviously you don’t want to make it too easy thus negating the survivees ingenuity as well as eliminating any amount of adventure out of the situation.

4) Methods of simulation: Think of way that you could simulate each situation with the resources available to you. Remember this is a controlled simulation, you must make sure that what you are doing is safe. There are a lot of easy ways to do this. It will be important to practice a lot of common sense. Since you cannot accurately depict a survival situation why jeopardize yourself attempting too. Controlled means planned. So for each goal you must provide an alternate and fail safe plan/solution should the survival situations and/or scenarios not work out. This means if you someone intends to stay out all night in -10C snow storm they will need to have immediate access to safety (i.e. a warm house, emergency phone, etc…) as well as assistants checking to make sure this person does not push themselves to far and hurt themselves and/or accidentally injure themselves. It requires a lot common sense on the part of the survivee and the assistants. If you don’t know then don’t do it.

5) DO IT: Find a group of willing participants and do it!

My girlfriend and myself are going backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains (porkies) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I realized that I myself almost always forget something back at the ranch. This is the check list I’m using for the equipment I need to make sure we do not end up S.O.L. in the middle of the woods.

I started off by looking at other checklists and found them a bit long and hard to need. I think it gets to easy to specify what one should bring so perhaps putting the item on the checklist with and giving a little hint of good sense after each item is much more effective than trying to be totally specific. Perhaps later edits will have more concise comments to help others out but I’d like to also keep it simple. So perhaps on a second note/post I should include a list of things to worry about in the woods of Michigan and/or Wisconsin (where I’m from). Hopefully this helps. Here is a link to a downloadable/printable version.

EQUIPMENT
___ Back Pack: 3000-4500 cu. in. or so, you don’t need to fill the thing up but if you do go longer or need more weight small is bad.
___ Sleeping Pad: Therma rest style & thick are nice but foam works too. Nothing requiring a pump.
___ Sleeping Bag: Appropriate for weather could be a fleece blanket could be -40 mummy bag. BTW, the bag ratings are never as warm as they allude to. Keep that in mind.
___ Tent: lightweight & appropriate for weather remember the extra tarp & string. Smaller is good but larger is nicer. I have a really light small for 30 bucks at I can’t remember where. No where near as cool or expensive as a North face or LL Bean but works the same.
___ Small stove: I like Brunton raptor easy, small, light (MSR good but you have to prime and play with fuel, lame!). Although make sure you purchase your fuel canisters before you go cause the local hardware store or gas station may not have them.
___ Stove Fuel: I try to cook on the fire mostly but bring as much fuel as you need. Hence stainless steel pots, pans, knives & forks.

___ 1 medium pot w/lid & pot handle: I prefer all metal (stainless) no plastic/wood handles so you can put it in the fire, found a pot and a bowl that fits on top like a lid at good, all stainless under $8.00. You can loose it, abuse it or leave it and not look back with regret. Anything more expensive and I think your wasting your money.
___ 1 medium bowl: I prefer all metal (stainless) no plastic/wood handles so you can put it in the fire. Would like to add that stainless, although not completely stainless, is quite impervious to any type of stupidity despite what it looks like afterward.
___ Fork, knife, spoon: I prefer small stainless, nice if it folds together. You can pay $20 for a titanium spork if you want to, that’s your business. Regular silverware from your kitchen works fine.
___Map: of the entire area, tell others were you are going (show them on a map they have) and when you’re supposed to get back. This way they know approximately where to find the bodies, lol, just kidding.
___Compass: make sure it works and you know how to use it before you go (cheap compasses don’t work!).
___Flashlight / Headlamp: water resistant & extra batteries. I use phoenix with head adapter $50. You can go more expensive but why? I use Enelope batteries too, cheap, easy, rechargeable, and works in cold weather, get a hand charger and/or car charger adapter for them and you’ll always have chargeable batteries.
___Sunglasses: Mine have my prescription in them; polarized and anti-glare is what you’re looking for.
___First-Aid Kit: Ankle wrap, moleskin, painkillers (Excedrin), antihistamines, band aids, bug-bite-relief (6 most used things). Any worse and you need to get out of the woods. Emergency blankets (why?) dress for the occasion, infrared blankets not going to stop you from freezing to death especially when you could have brought a real blanket. Fishing string & hook why(?) and good luck(!) unless you planned on it before hand. Consider superglue, gorilla tape type things but don’t rely on them for anything really important.
___Pocket Knife & MultiTools: Some sort of multitool or pocket knife thing. I have a Swiss champ & leatherman. Only bring one unless your into them. I prefer the leatherman (got from a bum for $5) because it has a pair of full sized pliers on it. Multitool with knife, pointy poker and screw drivers works wonders. More complicated is extra crap.
___Bowie Knife or Saw: Some sort of multi-tool and a large bowie knife (sharp) for wood processing. Do NOT prefer hatchets, dangerous, not as light or versatile as a large bowie and not as good as an axe and an axe is too much. Hardware store saw can be good too. Those lighter ones with replaceable blades for cutting down small trees or tree limbs.
___Firestarter: 2 different waterproof ways to start a fire (water proof matches, flint & steel, or fire-steel) one always on you the other (usually the bulkier one) somewhere in the pack. You can get magnesium firesteel stick but remember you need a knife to use it same with the regular fire steel stick and flint both of which will also need small tinder to catch the sparks.
___Water/Filter/Bottles: 3 liters on average a day for non active types I use a steripen (batteries work w/flashlight AA) and a clear stream but this is Wisconsin/Michigan (know how to find water). Also water bags instead of bottles is a great idea when backpacking, saves space. I also like stainless water bottles, can defrost in fire or boil in bottle and they’re tough, not like nalgene plastic cracks easy when dropped, can’t be around fire, also no seepage. I have 2-3 24oz stainless steel bottles and they rock!
___Whistle: loud communication device (I bring a coyote call but not necessarily a good idea in wolf territory) also have hand held radio Midland gxt1000 GMRS/FRS something, 32miles weather channel, etc… don’t forget your charged cell phone as an alternative to a radio if it gets reception.
___Insect clothing or repellents: 100% deet, just use less and a head net even better than deet on the face.
___Sunburn preventatives: Depends on the weather and your skin type.
___ Shovel/trowel: Depends on conditions a trowel is needed for pooping. A shovel may work for snow as well. Trowel is light, shovel starts getting heavy.
___ Hand Sanitizer: Any type of hand sanitizer could work the gel stuff etc.. . I like 91% isopropyl alcohol, I have also made a stove out of soda cans that burns 91% isopropyl alcohol but I don’t really use it much cause it’s not as practical for cooking better for warming things up.
___ Toilet paper: Leaves work well but sometimes you like knowing you’re clean. Also, baby wipes score high in that area. Remember you have to properly dispose of whatever shit you create.

CLOTHING
___ Underwear/Socks: Synthetic, spandex, you know what you like. Cotton sucks when wet and I would bring extra pairs cause underwear & socks are lite to carry and you want to be comfortable.
___ Pants: Synthetic, pants that zip off into shorts awesome, preferably cargo. I like tactical pants or milspec type stuff. Cotton sucks when wet.
___ Shirt: Under armor type is best, if I can get away with long sleeve and loose will cause it will stop mosquitoes tight shirts don’t. If its hot short sleeve may have to do. It has to have sleeves though otherwise backpack straps chafe shoulders. $50+ dollar shirts are silly, unless it’s for show or your climbing Mt. Everest but in Wisconsin you can find the same thing cheaper? At Kohls I got 96% polyester 4% spandex shirt = almost the exact same thing as Under Armour, paid $9.00 for a single shirt (Fila brand).
___ Thermal underwear top: I like wool and poly mix, cotton sucks when wet. Remember you don’t have to wear it just have it with.
___ Thermal underwear bottom w/socks: I like wool and poly mix, cotton sucks when wet. Don’t forget the wool socks and synthetic liner sock for comfort. Again wool will chafe in a boot and could rash or irritate the skin.
___ Gloves: I bring work type gloves but also dependent on the weather. Could be skiing gloves or wool mittens if it’s cold. You get what you pay for with gloves.
___ Boots: Hiking or otherwise depends on weather & terrain. Don’t cheap out on your feet $80+. Make sure they’re broken in before you go and have a high ankle. Traditional/Military boats are questionable not always as nice as a pair of hikers. Skis if going cross country but Snow shoes, in Wisconsin maybe Michigan? You’re better off with gators.
___ Sandals: Could be a water shoe but not for hiking for getting wet or when you’re done hiking and want to air out the feet. Water shoe no good for this.
___ Swim gear: whatever you need keep it to a minimum shorts can double as hiking shorts this is bonus.
___ Hat: Depends on the weather, wool balaclava (cold) or synthetic boonie (hot) are my first choices. Also, boonies are great for mosquitoes and rain if it’s not cotton. Remember light colors deflect heat. Dark absorbs. Also, wool can chafe your skin and an extra layer of synthetic balaclava will keep you even warmer.
___ Fleece or thermal under jacket: Depends on weather: Don’t cheap out on the warmth and dryness on this one. In this case $150+ is NOT silly. North face, etc.. could be a regular sweatshirt if it’s summer though.
___ Shell: Top and Pant if necessary. Depends on weather. Don’t cheap out on the warmth and dryness on this one. In this case $150+ is NOT silly. North face, etc..
___ Para cord: 550 cord has excellent weight, strength, size ratio. I carry at least 100ft. enough to hang your food in a tree. Also, might want to consider a bag to hang food in so your backpack doesn’t have to be in the tree all night. But really the cord is key.

Random ITEMS
___ Toothbrush: put it in something so it doesn’t get dirty.
___ Toothpaste: small container
___ Biodegradable soap/scotch bright: I’d use this for everything clothes, hands, hair, pots pans, etc.. non-scented. No, patuli doesn’t count as soap.
___ Medical needs: Anything medical things you might need, like for asthma, prescriptions, allergies, conditions, etc….
___ Light sticks: 2 eight hour light sticks in case of emergency
___ Towels: small absorbent towels. Good HQ camping towels can get expensive but are nice. I just got microfleece shammy thingies from ACE hardware. Cheap and absorb water.

FOOD OPTIONS
Breakfast:
___ Crap to mix into your water: Coffee, Tea, Carnation instant breakfast, Hot chocolate etc…
___ Oatmeal cream of wheat (quaker instant): Cereal needs milk, we’re not taking milk with.
___ Granola, cliff, etc: whatever, not loaded with candy type bars you like.
___ Dried fruit: whatever you like nice to put into oatmeal or cream of wheat.

Lunch:
___ Gorp: aka trail mix: nuts, seeds, dried fruit, m&ms
___ Bagels: Don’t worry about food weight you can always eat your burdens away critters are always willing to help as well.
___ Jerky, salami and crackers: already dry no refrigeration.
___ Peanut butter & honey: Don’t forget the bread.

Dinner:
___ Instant soup (Lipton’s Chicken Noodle & Cream of Chicken)
___ Freeze-dried dinners: Mountain House, Lasagna, Spaghetti, Pasta Primavera, Chili Mac, Noodles & Chicken, Chicken Polynesian, Beef Stroganoff or anything freeze dried or ready to mix with water.
___ Rice: Whole grain, brown or Indian is the best for you but nothing taste better than Jasmine or sticky. Time consuming though consider instant.
___ Instant mashed potatoes: Great idea. Potatoes Ugratin for the ambitious types. No milk though.
___ Mac & Cheese: Or any noodle with a taste powder mix with it. Remember butter is hard to bring but olive oil isn’t. Or just noodles and parmesian is good.
___ Salt, pepper: onion powder, garlic powder, pre-mixed, ground dried herbs, pepper (red or black)
whatever your favorite seasonings are small container.

Good snacks:
___ I like going to the local European Homemade sausage deli and getting smoked sausage especially polish. No refrigeration needed and good.
___ Tiger’s Milk Bars
___ Licorice Sticks
___ Kudos
___ Bear Valley MealPacks
___ PowerBars (Berry)
___ Chewing Gum
___ Gatorade
___ Bagels, English muffins
___ String cheese (individually wrapped)
___ Chocolate & candy
___ Dried fruit (raisins, apples, pears, peaches, bananas)
___ Dried meat and fish
___ Giant pretzels
___ Raw fruit / vegetables
___ Nuts
___ Pop Tarts
___ Fig/Peach/Apple Newtons
___ Crackers