More on being a Backyardsman

being a backyardsmanI got my first issue of The Backwoodsman – a.k.a. Ritchie’s Magazine – by accident. It had an article about using dandelions for food, something my wife was interested in. I liked it so much I made a point of getting the next issue. That issue had an article that made me a fan for life. Being a Backyardsman by Scott Siegfried was a breath of fresh air. A lot of others must have liked it too, as the article was reprinted in the Nov/Dec 2019 issue of The Backwoodsman. Then in the Jan/Feb 2020 issue, one of the reader requests was for more info on being a Backyardsman. Well now, that’s kind of up my alley. I don’t think I write well enough to submit something to Mr. Richie yet, but I can write here so why not?

More on being a Backyardsman…

Before talking more on being a Backyardsman, it’s probably a good idea to review what a Backyardsman is. According to Mr. Siegfried’s article, “A backyardsman is basically a backwoodsman who sticks closer to home. He enjoys reading about survival, camping, old-timey stuff, self sufficiency, homesteading, etc. Dabbles in some ‘backwoodman-esque’ activities and hobbies. He may have a workshop where he makes…”

Sounds pretty simple, and it is in theory. In reality, things can get in the way. Boring stuff like going to work, paying a mortgage, supporting a family, stuff like that. Aggravating stuff like being stuck in traffic and dealing with building inspectors. Responsibilities lie an elderly parent or a kid in high school who needs extra “motivation” to stay caught up with his homework. In other words, “life happens.” So let’s break this down into some things you can do even when “life” takes up all your time yet you yearn for some Backwoods therapy. Per Mr. Siegfried, a Backyardsman…

…enjoys reading about survival…

I read a lot, probably at least 2 or 3 books a month. I don’t write many book reviews because a lot of the books I read aren’t on Backwoods subjects. There are a lot of books I can recommend to backwoodsmen and backyardsmen though. I think 98.6 Degrees – The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive is a must-read for a backyardsman. Keeping with the survival theme, Left for Dead by Beck Weathers and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer are both excellent. American Insurgents, American Patriots: The Revolution of the People by T.H. Breen is a fascinating look at our county’s founding.

…camping…

I don’t have a book to recommend on camping, but I can recommend camping right now – tonight – even if you have to get up early and go to work in the morning. Impossible? No way. Camp in your own back yard. If you can’t do that, then camp in your garage. If even that is too much of a stretch, sleep on the floor. I did just that last Friday. It gave me the chance to test a sleeping pad I got at Costco and mess around with a ranger taco.

…old-timey stuff…

I’m fascinated by old-timey stuff. When I was a kid I used to get old electronic junk and unsolder the parts to put in my junk box. Can’t do that any more – everything is made to use once then throw it away when it breaks. Even hobby things like model airplanes come ready to fly and hard or impossible to repair when they crash.  Some of the best books for learning how to do things in the old ways are the Foxfire books.

…self sufficiency…

Forgotten Skills of Self Sufficiency by Caleb Warnock is a good introduction to pioneer-type skills. There are a ton of books on different areas of self sufficiency, too many to talk about. Two areas I’m most interested in when it comes to self sufficiency are food and being able to repair things. For general food and living self sufficiency my two favorite books are The Shoestring Girl by Annie Jean Brewer and Self reliance: Recession-proof your pantry, published by Backwoods Home Magazine.

…homesteading, etc…

I’ll revisit this later, but everything I mentioned above is good, especially Backwoods Home Magazine. If you want something actionable right now and you own your home, you can “officially” homestead it. Just check out you’re state’s homesteading laws. Chances are, all you have to do is send in a form with a small payment, and you’re now a legally recognized homesteader. And yes, there are some benefits depending on your state.

Dabbles in backwoodman-esque activities and hobbies.

I’ve been really busy the past year working and planning for a career change. Not much time for outside hobbies in other words. A lot of that is winding down so I should have a lot more time soon. One thing I want to do is set up my own knife forge. I found a copy of The $50 Knife Shop and I’ve got room for a small forge in my back yard. I’m also planing on putting in a fire pit, building a rabbit hutch, and changing my yard around so it isn’t so suburban.

I’ve taken to using Google Maps to look for places close to home I can explore. Lots of interesting things right around here it turns out. Sadly no places to fish close buy, but I did find an abandoned stone building within walking distance of my house. There’s also some old mine tailings in the area I want to check out.

He may have a workshop…

This one is my achilles heel – I have one, but it’s so full of junk it’s barely usable. So I guess one project needs to be cleaning it out. Lots of neat things out there to talk about when I get around to it though…

So for awhile I’m going to only focus on backwoodsman-esque things that can be done around the home, yard, and (very) local area. You know, do a lot more on being a backyardsman. Until next time…

Peace out,
porcupine

Stinky feet and wool socks

stinky feetI have stinky feet. Been that way my whole life and nothing seems to help. Foot powder, vented shoes, whatever – my feet sweat during the day and then they stink. It’s never a problem – heck I’m already married so who cares, right? (Just kidding honey…) But when I went to my wilderness first responder course it became a problem. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is for complete strangers to know you have stinky feet? Well maybe not for you, but for me it was.

Wool socks to the rescue…

Luckily I had some wool socks. I bought them mainly because all the backwoods, bushcraft, prepping, whatever books and blogs tout the benefits of wool clothing for cold weather wear. Wool is naturally flame retardant so it’s better around camp fires than cotton or polyester. It also keeps its insulating ability when wet. Another benefit I’d read about but either ignored or didn’t believe was wool’s odor fighting ability. Would they really work to control the stink? I decided it was worth a try.

It turns out that wool socks are made for stinky feet. To give them a good test, I wore each pair for several days in a row. The first pair I wore for 5 days. After 5 days, the socks still didn’t stink. There was so much dirt and dried sweat in the soles that they were starting to get stiff, so I decided to change. Then I wore 3 more pairs for 3 days each. No noticeable foot odor for any of them. Then I stuffed all the dirty pairs in a plastic bag where they sat for over a month until I got around to getting some Woolite so I could properly hand wash them.

Not all wool socks are created equal

For this trial run, I only tested the 2 least expensive brands I had: American Pride (71% merino wool, $16.84 for 2 pair) and Minus33 (85% merino wool, $13.49 for 1 pair). Both did a great job of keeping my foot odor under control, but the cheaper American Pride socks held up much better. You can see in the picture below the difference in sole wear between the 2 brands – circled area is a Minus33 sock. I guess the much higher wool content of the Minus33 socks affects durability somewhat. The pair in the picture had been worn for 3 days and showed more wear than the American Pride pair I wore for 5 days.

Another thing to watch out for is wool content. For some “wool” socks that info can be hard to find. I have a pair of “wool” socks from Costco I eventually found out are only 28% wool. They’re comfy, but they don’t control odor like the higher wool content socks do. Based on this little experiment, I’d say optimum content is 71% wool because the 85% socks didn’t hold up as good. I still have a few more brands to try though, so my opinion might change. For now it’s pretty hard to beat the American pride wool socks.

One thing to be careful of is that wool socks require special care. Harsh detergents can ruin their odor control, getting them too hot while drying can make them shrink a bunch, and rough handling can destroy their elasticity. None of those are show stoppers, just make sure to wash them properly. Until next time…

Peace out,
porcupine

The best time to plant a tree

The best time to plant a tree“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” I should have listened to my high school guidance counselor. Reviewing the results of my satisfaction test (can’t remember what it was actually called), he told me the results: The two jobs I’d most likely to find satisfying were Minister or Forest Ranger. My response… Really??? I don’t think so!!! I’m gonna be either a hotshot computer programmer or a race car mechanic. What does some old fogey and a “test” know anyway, right? So here I sit 29 years later wishing I’d followed his advice. Stuck in a cubicle, burned out with my IT job, and not spending nearly enough time outdoors. Time for a reset…

The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago…

Twenty years ago I was a newlywed and starting a new career in IT. I’d just come off of 16 years working various mechanic jobs and it was time for a change. IT looked good, so I chose that as my new career field. I should have listened to the words from my HS guidance counselor from 1981. I can’t complain about my job, but I’m burned out. It takes too much time away from my family and too much time away from spending outdoors. I’m also 56 years old. Too young to retire but too burned out to keep doing what I’m doing.

The second best time is now.

I’m working on a career change. This time I want something that will give me more free time or more flexibility. Both would be nice but if I can only have one I’ll take flexibility. Also, after 40 years (counting high school years) of working for other people, self employment is looking very tempting.

I guess technically I could do anything. Maybe even go to seminary and become a minister or go back to school and be a forest ranger. In reality, I’m 56 years old and seminary for my church is 4 – 8 years and I’d have to learn to read both Hebrew and Greek. I don’t know what kind of college degree you need to be a forest ranger, but I’m guessing at least a 4 year degree. Four to eight years of school before I can start over is too long. I should have planted one of those trees 20 years ago.

Find something useful and get good at it…

Last November I took a 2 week wilderness first responder class. I just wanted to learn first aid, maybe a little more advanced than the local 2 day Red Cross classes. I liked it so much I’ve decided to take a wilderness EMT class this summer and get my EMT license.

Also, over the past few years I’ve been taking care of a couple rental properties for my wife. You know what? It’s really hard to find a decent handyman. So I’ve had to do quite a bit of the work myself. I’m not good at everything yet, but some things I can do just as well as some of the handymen we’ve hired. I’ve also built up a pretty good tool collection.

So my options are EMT or handyman. Maybe both? I can get a part time (per diem) EMT gig and do the handyman thing when I’m not doing that. Both options are really useful skills, especially in a backwoods or backwoods home situation. The point is, I could have convinced myself it’s too late to change. Stick it out for another 10 years or so. Be miserable for the next 10 years. Spend too much time at my job and away from home life for the next 10 years. Miss the outdoors for the next 10 years.

Then what? There are no guarantees in life so who knows if I’ll even live 10 more years? The thought of doing what I’m doing now until I (possibly) die really sucks. Maybe the best time to plant this tree was 20 years ago, but the second best time is now. Until next time…

Peace out,
porcupine

Bugging out on foot

Does your bug out plan account for the possibility of bugging out on foot? There are lots of reasons you might have to bug out on foot, so if you’re plans don’t account for it, you might want to update your plans. Just saying… I’m not talking about “tactical” considerations. Actually I’m starting to hate the word. “Tactical.” What does it mean any way? Nothing actually because it’s so over used. Anyway, I’m talking about the practical considerations of bugging out on foot. Like how much can you carry? How far can you walk in a day? You know, all the boring stuff. For now I’ll talk about how far. Next time I’ll talk about how much you can carry.

Bugging out on foot – practical considerations

Bugging out on foot is not the ideal way to bug out. Having a vehicle makes things so much easier. The problem is that vehicles break down. They run out of fuel. They can get stolen or sabotaged. Whatever the reason, you might end up being on foot even if you planned on bugging out in your truck. For this discussion, “vehicle” also includes cars, motorcycles, bicycles, scooters, game carts, shopping carts, converted baby strollers, etc. All of them offer advantages over being strictly “on foot.” All of them can also break or get lost or stolen, putting you back… on foot.

For bugging out on foot, there are 2 practical things you need to think about: how much you can carry and far you can get in an hour or a day. Notice I didn’t say “how fast you can walk.” Normal walking speed and how far you can get in a given amount of time are different. Bugging out on foot is not speed walking.

How far can you walk in a day?

Today I got around to something I’ve been thinking about for awhile – timing myself over a measured distance. I had to drop my wife’s car off for an oil change, so I decided to walk home. Once I got home, I fired up Google Maps to see how far I’d walked. It was a hair over 1-3/4 miles and it took me 29 minutes. That works out to 3-1/2 miles in an hour. Some quick checking showed that my walking speed was a little faster than average for men in my age group (50 – 59). So far so good.

3-1/2 miles in an hour is pretty good for an old fart, especially considering some things. First of all, I’m about 40 lbs. overweight. Second, I slept on the floor last night. It was the first time in a long time, so my back was really sore. My legs were also sore from doing a lot of ladder work yesterday. So I was pretty happy with my speed. Still, there’s lots of room for improvement.

Also, keep in mind it was perfect conditions for walking. Sunny, about 40° F, and calm. The terrain was almost level and I was walking on a paved path. Except for my “extra” 40 lbs, I wasn’t carrying a load (no back pack or bog out bag). I didn’t have to stop and look for things or hide myself. No need to alter my course. There were no obstacles to go avoid or find a way around. So – just because I can walk 3-1/2 miles in one hour doesn’t mean I’ll be able to cover 28 miles in 8 hours.

Going for a walk vs. bugging out on foot

When you’re bugging out on foot, you probably won’t have perfect conditions for your “walk.” At the very least, you’ll be carrying (or at least should be carrying) some gear – most likely your bug out bag. I know for sure that a 20 lb pack cuts my endurance and increases effort by quite a bit. How much it affects you depends on you – your fitness level, experience, etc.  So get ready for it. Maybe you’re in great shape and don’t need this. If so, my hat is off to you. Keep doing what you’re doing (but don’t forget to encourage those who aren’t quite at your level). OTOH I know a lot of people who think they’re not just ready to bug out on foot, they’re MORE than ready – except they’re in even worse shape physically than I am. So for the rest of you…

If you’re overweight, get some self discipline and do what you need to do to lose weight. If you’re out of shape, get some self discipline and start doing conditioning exercises. Better yet, start working on both conditioning and strength. At the very least, start walking more. Then step it up. Start walking with a pack. Ideally, your fully loaded bug out bag. If that’s too heavy for you, guess what? You’ve got some work do do. At least you found out you won’t be able to use your bug out bag to <ahem> bug out with. Better to find out now than when SHTF. Just saying…

Make sure you have comfortable boots. I love my Merrils. Very comfortable and they look nice enough to wear to work. Some of my friends swear by Danners. Brand doesn’t really matter as long as they’re comfortable and durable.

Find some hills to go up and down. Practice walking on rough and rocky trails. Even in the city you should be able to find some. Walk when you think it’s too cold or too hot. Do it in the rain. That would be a great way to find out if your rain gear works before you really need it to work, right? Walk when it’s hot and the sun is beating down on you. Walk barefoot when you have the chance. All of this will help you if ever the day comes when you’re forced to bug out on foot. And if that day never comes??? If that day never comes, count your blessings and be thankful.

In the mean time, enjoy walking. Reap the health benefits. Revel in being outdoors doing what you love even if you’re stuck in the city. There’s a saying “You can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy.” I think it’s also true that “You can take the backwoodsman out of the woods, but you can’t take the woods out of the backyardsman.” Until next time, happy walking.

Peace out,
porcupine

Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag

the perfect bug out bagBuild the Perfect Bug Out Bag by Creek Stewart is a book I really wanted to love. I’ve read some of Creek’s magazine articles and really liked them. I’m also a gear junkie, always looking for ideas (excuses) for things to add to my preps. I read through this a few times looking for a reason to recommend it. Trust me, I really tried. Mr. Stewart knows his stuff, and there is some good info in this book. In the end though, I can’t recommend this book. Instead of picking it apart, I’ll just talk a little about what I didn’t like about it. I also have a couple of suggestions for books that I think are better for those looking for info and ideas on building your perfect bug out bag.

Build the perfect Bug Out Bag

Like I said, I really wanted to like this book. The information seems solid. It’s mostly the presentation I didn’t like. It could be more concise. The first chapter (especially) reads like it was written for someone in middle school, if not younger. The book is sprinkled with phrases like “… is a subject heavily debated…,” “…there are countless other things…,” “…you are almost guaranteed…” and other generalities. While they’re true, if I’m shelling out my hard earned cash for a book, I expect solid, authoritative advice. Especially if I’m a beginner who wants to learn how to build the perfect bug out bag. Equipment lists and generalities don’t cut it. I can find those all over the internet – free.

For example, compare this book to Cody Lundin’s 98.6: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive. Cody’s book is written at an adult reading level. It’s concise, but still manages to be very entertaining. It’s precise and authoritative. He tells you what you need, what it does, why you need it, and how to use it. He doesn’t mind telling you exactly how things are, but he manages to say it without sounding bossy or condescending. He’s obviously confident in his knowledge and skill.

Bottom line…

Creek Stewart is obviously knowledgeable and skilled. That’s what makes it so weird that he comes off as unsure of himself some times. Other times, he comes off as mildly condescending. I realize I probably just pissed off almost all of his fans and friends. That isn’t my intention. I don’t know Mr. Stewart but I am a fan too, and my reaction to this book surprised me. It is what it is though, and I can’t recommend this book. If you’re looking for a book on how to build the perfect bug out bag, there’s nothing here that you can’t get free on numerous YouTube channels or prepping and survival blogs.

If you want a book, I highly recommend Cody Lundin’s. It’s written in the context of a survival kit, but that survival kit could be fleshed out into a full bug out bag (a.k.a. 72 hour kit). Another book that looks like it might be interesting is Build the Perfect Survival Kit, 2nd Edition by John McCann. It covers different sized kits from a small get home bag through a full blown evacuation kit. I’ve been looking through a friend’s copy and I like what I see so far.  Until next time…

Peace out,
porcupine

Winter gardening – green onions

Winter gardening - growing green onions indoorsI’m getting restless. Seed catalogs have been coming in the mail and I’m chomping at the bit to start a garden. Some days the weather is so nice that I’m tempted to start now, at least with some kale or spinach. I’m also feeling kind of guilty – last year we didn’t have any garden. At all. So as someone who professes to be as self sufficient as possible, it’s kind of driving me nuts that I can’t garden. I did buy an indoor grow light to try my hand at micro greens, but that’s in the garage where it’s still getting as low as 16° F some nights. Well, last night right out of the blue my wife asked if we could try growing some green onions inside. Really??? Not just yes, but oh HECK YES…

Baby steps…

The thing is, my wife isn’t a prepper. In fact she has a really bad case of normalcy bias. Also she let me convert our living room into a home gym last year, so I wasn’t going to ask for more space in the house to experiment with an indoor winter garden. So when she asked about growing green onions, indoors, now… it was kind of a miracle. As far as prepping goes, growing green onions in our kitchen isn’t a big deal. Almost nothing in fact. But… baby steps, you know? It gets my wife interested in producing some of our own food. It gives us experience with indoor gardening during the winter. And, well., it should be fun…

Winter gardening – green onions

Green onions are really easy to grow. You don’t even have to start with transplant sets, let alone seeds. We just went to Walmart and got a pack of green onions. Make sure to get ones that aren’t trimmed – they need to still have the roots on the bottom of the bulb.

green onions ready to plant
Tops trimmed, ready to plant. Make sure to not trim the roots on the bottom of the bulb.

You don’t need to make this complicated. The soil needs to be at least 4″ deep, but deeper than 6″ is a waste. Home Depot and Lowes have 6″ deep x 6″ wide x 24″ long rectangular planters that would be perfect. We just used a plastic dish pan I had in the garage. Soil should be something that drains well. I had a bag of potting soil in the garage so I used some of that.

green onions planted
We planted ours in an old plastic dish pan. Make sure the bulb is covered by the soil with the leaf part of the plant above the soil.

Once you have your pots and soil set up, just plant the onions so the transition between the bulb and the leaves is level with the top of the soil. You might be asking “What’s the point? You just stuck some already grown plants into some soil. You could have just eaten them as is without the extra trouble.” If I was eating the whole plant, you’d be right. The nice thing about green onions though is if you just cut the leaves, they’ll keep growing back. So we’ll have green onion leaves as long as I can keep the plants alive.

Peace out,
porcupine

5.11 Covrt 18 Backpack

5.11 Covrt 18 backpackI spent New Year’s Day getting caught up. Don’t want to start the new year already behind schedule, right? My wife wanted my to get our living room/home gym organized so that’s what I did. In the course of that, I needed to find a better place for my Covrt 18 backpack. Lately I’ve been using it as a piece of exercise gear so it was sitting on a stack of weight plates next to the lifting rack. I’ve wanted to write a review for awhile but never got around to it. Anyway, I realized I’ve owned my Covrt 18 for over 2-1/2 years so I guess that’s long enough to have an informed opinion on it. OK, time to write a review…

My 5.11 Covrt 18 Military/Tactical Backpack Review

The Covrt 18 was the second backpack I bought when I first got into prepping, and as I said I’ve had it for a little over 1-1/2 years. According to 5.11, the Covert 18 is:

Designed to appear subtle and inconspicuous, the COVRT18™ is a full-sized covert backpack that provides superior tactical utility and a low-vis appearance. Ideal for CCW use, the backpack features a TacTec System™ compatible hidden pistol pocket, Roll-Down Assault Compartment (R.A.C.™) for MOLLE or web pouches, and a main compartment with a built-in padded laptop sleeve and roomy primary and secondary storage zones. Built from rugged 500D and 420D water resistant nylon, the COVRT18 is made to last, and with a fleece lined sunglasses pocket, QuickTact shoulder straps, adjustable yoke shoulders, compression straps, a flip-down ID panel, and a reinforced grab handle, it’s made for everyday use. There’s a quick access flex cuff channel, too.

I bought it mainly for the CCW compartment and the low visibility (non-tactical) appearance. I decided soon after that putting a gun in a bag that’s easily separated is a really bad idea. Also, I really prefer camo to covert. Camo is not a negative in my area. The Covert 18 quickly got demoted to utility bag status. As such, it gets used and abused a lot. More than any of my other bags in fact… Over 2-1/2 years of abuse, the Covrt 18 has held up remarkably well.

Use and durability

The first use I put it to was my truck bag. In this role, it was always loaded with two heavy water bottles (one in each side pocket), seasonal clothing, and seasonal gear. That means dense stuff (pistol, ammo and magazines, etc.) in summer and bulky stuff (jacket, serape, tarp) in winter. Mostly carried by the carry handle instead of putting it on my back. Usually tossed on the floor or in the back of my truck.

I’ve also used it as a travel bag. In that roll, it was loaded up with my laptop and related gear, 2 meter HT and charger, books, notepad, and pens/pencils. In other words, somewhat heavy stuff with sharp corners and pointy ends. It held up well.

Lately I’ve been using it for rucking. I have 20 lbs of weight wrapped in a blanket and stuffed in the main compartment. I’m 25 lbs overweight, so it simulates carrying a 45 lb pack. Cheaper than a GuRuck bag and more versatile IMO.

Comfort and wearability

The Covrt 18 has nice vented padding on the side that rides against your back, so ventilation is good. The shoulder straps are well padded and comfortable. There is no waist belt, so all the weight is going to be on your shoulders. So far (up to 25 lb load) it’s been OK. I loaded it to 33 lbs (including weight of the pack) once as a test and don’t think I’d go over that. With no weight transfer to the hips, that’s right at the comfort limit.

This pack has a yoke-style shoulder strap system. It’s very comfortable once the pack is on, but the carry handle holds the shoulder straps close together at the top which makes it kind of a pain to get your arms through. Also, the carry handle attachment doesn’t look very strong. I don’t use it when the pack has a heavy load.

Details and specs

The Covrt 18 has a lot of organization. So much that it might even be a little over done. There’s a space for a hydration bladder in front of the main compartment. If you don’t carry a bladder, it’s perfect for stowing maps or a thin, flat notebook. The main compartment itself is roomy, and can hold about as much as you’d want with a 20 lb payload limit. There is a laptop sleeve at the front that can hold up to a 15″ laptop. If you’re using this as a bugout bag, the laptop sleeve is also the perfect size for stowing an all weather space blanket.

Back to the outside of the pack, there’s a fleece lined sun glass pocket on top of the main compartment. It’s actually big enough to hold a lot more than just a pair of sunglasses. Besides my sunglasses, I also keep a pair of readers, a head lamp, and a couple pairs of foam earplugs in a 35mm film can. There’s still room to spare.

Directly behind the main compartment is the EDC/holster pocket. It’s accessible through zippers on both sides and has a velcro panel for attaching a holster. I don’t use my pack for CCW, so it’s another good place to stash a map or other documents. If you do use this for CCW, the pocket is large enough to hold a full size pistol like a 1911 or Glock 17.

Behind the CCW stash point are two smaller compartments: a small stash pocket on top and an organization panel on the bottom. I keep my cell phone and charger in the stash pocket. In the large organization panel, I keep some pens, a notebook, and a shemagh.

Covrt 18 – bottom line

The Covrt 18 has turned out to be a really useful pack for me even though i’m not using it for its original purpose. It works great as a utility pack, range bag, and a rucking bag. It would also work great as an EDC pack. For a bugout bag I’m not so sure… in warm weather, yes. There’s not really enough room inside for a sleep system though, and no easy way to lash one to the bottom of the bag. If you might have to bugout in cold weather, this probably isn’t your pack.

For what it does well, it does very well. Mine has held up to over 2-1/2 years of hard use with no damage and very little wear. I can find nothing bad to say about the quality of this back and would recommend it.

Peace out,
porcupine

Related link:

5.11’s Covert 18 page