Hello fellow survivalists,
I'm Caleb and I'm new here (sort of). I used to be active in these forums a number of years ago. I long forgot my last username and login info, so I figured it's time to start anew.
A bit about myself:
I'm a Marine on active duty and have over 8 years in. I will be getting out next year to go to college. I have a number of hobbies and in most of them, there is some survival significance. I personally am not a doomsdayer or a "prepper" as the word is commonly known. I do like to think I plan for an emergency but not to an extreme of hoarding and bunkering in.
A few of my hobbies include amateur radio. I'm a General Class and my display name is my callsign. I've been a ham for a little over a year now and really enjoy it.
Another favorite of mine is hiking. I don't really go to try run up the miles but I've done my share of the AT, and various other trails mostly on the east coast. I was recently informed that I am a "minimalist" hiker as opposed to what I considered myself as which is an ultralite hiker. FYI, a minimalist is a pack weight of 10 lbs or less and an ultralite hiker is 20 lbs or less. Yes, Les Stroud has the best job in the world IMO.
Recently, I've got my dream vehicle which is a new Jeep Wrangler JK, 2-door, soft top. I try to wave at all the other Wranglers on the road as I learned that is what Wrangler owners do. The off-roading bug hasn't bitten me fully yet. But I expect it will once I get a little mud on the tires.
I know firearms and knives are a big topic on these boards, at least they were when I was last on. I am handgun-less at the time, but my plan when I was building my "collection" was to have one gun of every category: pistol, shotgun, rifle. So, armed with that info, I have a Remington 700P long gun, S&W MP-15 general rifle, and a Mossberg 500 Tactical shotgun with the snazzy "cookie cutter" flash hider (Idk why they call it that, the flash isn't even close to being hidden lol). I suppose when I do get a handgun it'll be a Glock again for simplicity reason. I'm a fan of the .40S&W.
What brings me back:
Having hiked a lot and while shedding needless gear and weight along the way, one thing I never got rid of my was EMK Doug Ritter pocket survival kit. I supplemented the kit with a pocket knife, survival blanket, and a water filter straw. That all fit nicely in a small pelican case. That kit has been with me the whole time. I even got a few more for my car and friends. Now, I see there is a plus kit with even more useful stuff. Thankfully, I never had to use my kit other than for fire-starting when I forgot a lighter. The magnifying glass has started many fires. Awesome piece of gear there. But the kit just gives me a good feeling knowing I have some real gear to maybe save my life or somebody else should the need arise. I'm back also, just to rekindle my love for the outdoors and to meet other like-minded people.
I'm looking forward to chatting with other experienced folks and learning new things I didn't know and maybe even pitch in if somebody needs to know something I learned along the way. I look forward to getting my RSK Mk2 but for now, the Cold Steel SRK is the blade of choice. Let me tell you, in Afghanistan, a lot of MREs succumbed to the SRK's bag opening power.
God bless all and 73,
Caleb
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