Post-Apocalyptic Fiction titles now available in print and eBook formats

Some of you are aware that I am involved in writing fiction, in particular post-apocalyptic fiction and sci-fi. These books are written under the pen name JT Sawyer and have largely been available only on Kindle. This past month saw the publication of the first three volumes in the First Wave Series and it is now available in print through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other brick-and-mortar stores throughout the U.S.

This series focuses on a small band of survivors who emerge from a 22-day Colorado River trip to find that the world has unraveled from a pandemic. They must survive and evade the (gasp...) undead while moving across the rugged Arizona landscape. 

Also, going Live tomorrow is the third book in the Carlie Simmons zombie-apocalypse series, The Way Back. This book takes off where volume two ended and follows former Secret Service Agent Simmons and her eclectic band on a harrowing trek through the wilds. This eBook is available at a discounted rate of .99 cents for the next week.

Overland Expo 2015

My staff and I had the great pleasure of teaching at Oveland Expo again this year south of Flagstaff. We had two days of mud, snow, and rain but, as always, a great crowd of enthusiastic explorers from around the globe. We taught numerous classes on bushcraft, basic survival, and emergency kits along with having a chance to scope out the latest Overland gear and vehicle hardware. Gracious hosts Jonathan and Roseann Hanson must not sleep a wink during the entire weekend with all they have planned during this event and with the arrival of thousands of participants pouring into Mormon Lake (whose diameter increased considerably in about 24 hours!).

An amazing rig with rooftop tent parked nearby amongst hundreds of such vehicles that were in attendance.

Vehicle extrication skills and rigging systems were some of the many workshops participants could register for during the three-day event.

There were many vintage vehicles present whose design and durability was a wonder to observe.

For those on the East Coast, the Expo will be running their 3-day event in North Carolina in October. For more info, check out Overland Expo.

A New Take on the Micro-Survival Kit

Recently I had the good fortune of teaching a survival skills class for the fine folks at U.S. Palm in Phoenix. Owners Rob Anderson and Brandon Finch make some of the finest tactical gear on the market today and one of their staff, Greg Beck, showed his micro-survival kit that he always carries with him. Now, bear in mind this kind of kit presupposes that you possess survival skills to begin with, as Greg certainly does, and it would be one notch up from your EDC gear.

The beauty of Greg's kit is in the simplicity. The only thing I would add in are a half-dozen water purification tablets and a few steri-strips and knuckle bandages. Everything here is multi-purpose. Even the alcohol prep pads can be used for firestarting in addition to hygienic needs.

Everything is neatly stored in a multi-tool nylon sheath. To make space for more items, one could substitute the Leatherman with a smaller Swiss-Army knife.

The specific components shown are as follows:

Leatherman Rebar tool

SureFire Titan-A light (AAA battery powered)

Exotac nanoSTRIKER fire starter

Fox 40 whistle

Custom made glow fob

SERE compass

12 feet of 400lb Dyneema cord w/ rubber band

2" x 1.5" signal mirror

(2x) alcohol swabs for tinder

$50 bill

Multi-Tool Pouch

A multi-tool pouch makes for a personal survival kit that you can carry on your belt on short outings.

For more information on their line of tactical gear, visit U.S. Palm.