Life Hack? My Response to Bret's Dark Horse Podcast Clip
Here are some thoughts regarding a recent Dark Horse Podcast video. I don't mean this in any way to be insulting. In fact, I enjoyed the video and what Bret had to say. I just don't think he has taken it far enough yet. For more information on the real "life hack" of BAT activation and non-shivering thermogenesis, check out my BAT Man playlist on YT.
As always when filming in my Jeep, sorry about the wind and engine noise. It's just an unfortunate side effect of getting in my daily cold exposure! Also, note that usually I would show my in-car thermometer so nobody has to take my word for what the temperature is. However, today I made the mistake of setting it on top of a bag I had just brought from the house, so it was reading 10-15 degrees high at that point. Just know that it was very frosty outside, and it was every bit as cold inside my Jeep.
I was even sleepier than I realized! Until I reviewed my videos the following day I had no idea that I had I filmed two segments in portrait instead of landscape. Sorry about that.
This was a very quick overnight campout just to practice a few skills and remain accustomed to sleeping in an improvised shelter. I had planned to test out a few other items and skills, but was just too tired and short on time. Hopefully I'll be able to get away more often in the near future. While it wasn't an especially comfy night (especially with the gear failure), it certainly could have been much worse, and I gained some worthwhile insights. Outings like this are great preparation to endure the elements in any actual emergency situations.
NOTE: Be safe! I encourage people to get out and practice skills and test equipment, but start out in a relatively controlled environment and decent weather. Build skills and resistance to discomfort before doing anything extreme. It's always better to test one's limits when safety is not too far away or help is reachable by phone and/or radio.
Some thoughts about how I have benefited from going shoeless on a regular basis. Sorry about the wind noise and roughness of the video. See my BarnBody playlist for some video of barefoot workouts.
The weather was perfect and I needed to get out and stretch my legs! What better way to do that than snowshoeing and a little bit of winter woodcraft practice?
A little scrap of birchbark, a convenient bone-dry dead tree, and a ferro rod were the ingredients for a spontaneous fire, served up a cold layer of crunchy snow. It's been too long since I've started a fire that way, so I wanted to increase the challenge by not pre-cutting firewood from the tree and by building on top of the snow. Remember, all the internet "experts" say that you need to make a platform to build the fire on so that melting snow doesn't put it out! One small fragment of bark to set tinder on couldn't possibly do the job, right?
As a bonus, watch for the moment I jab a pointy stick into my thumb on camera. It bled fairly good for a bit (off camera) but I was able to eventually get it to stop simply by rubbing it in fresh snow repeatedly.
This document shows what Pfizer originally said about efficacy. As they and public health agencies around the world continue to move the goalposts (currently at "prevents severe outcomes"), let's all remember what was originally promised. This document released as part of a FOIA request clearly shows how the millions of "breakthrough" cases should be defined. Don't just take my word for it; follow the links below to official sources and see for yourself. Note that some of these are many pages long and require a lot of scrolling to locate the relevant data.
Pfizer document: https://phmpt.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/reissue_5.3.6-postmarketing-experience.pdf
UK week 13 report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1066759/Vaccine-surveillance-report-week-13.pdf
NSW week 6 report: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Documents/covid-19-surveillance-report-20220303.pdf
NZ current data: https://www.health.govt.nz/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-data-and-statistics/covid-19-case-demographics
Canada current data: https://health-infobase.canada.ca/covid-19/epidemiological-summary-covid-19-cases.html
CDC Director interview article: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/cdc-director-covid-vaccines-cant-prevent-transmission-anymore/ar-AASDndg
I like to find novel ways to get more versatility from my SAR gear. Who doesn't want to have more capabilities with less items carried? This idea worked out great, and will be a regular use for my campouts in the future.
Note that I'm quite sure the manufacturer would recommend against using their product like this, but I will use my equipment in whatever manner I desire. Your mileage may vary...
Emergency litter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P14DCLY
Amazing Wilderness Camp Cot: https://amazingwildernessproducts.com/products/amazing-wilderness-camp-cot
Musings from the nettle and thistle patch, on a hot morning. I was working on heat adaptation, harvesting nettles, and building a little physical and mental toughness. The cameo by two fawns was an unexpected bonus.
It was time to test my muscle endurance and mental toughness again. I had done the challenge before, doing the published two reps every minute on the minute (EMOM), but I wanted to ramp up the difficulty this time. With my strength level still not all the way back where I would like it to be, adding weight on the bar didn't seem to be a good option. How about THREE reps EMOM for thirty minutes straight instead?
I realize that the footage gets rather repetitious (for some reason) and tedious, so feel free to fast forward or skip ahead. Just be sure to stick around for the dramatic conclusion!
Note that I don't recommend this challenge for most people. It's something you generally need to work up to gradually. However, if you already do other high-rep sessions, or if you are strong enough that 315 is an easy warmup weight for you, this may be a good one to try out. If grip is a concern, consider using straps in order to focus on pulling without any worries of dropping it.
The rest of this month I'll be focusing on moving with weights (loaded carry variations, sled pushing and pulling, weighted ladder climbs, etc.). In April I'll return to some occasional high-rep lifting and see how my conditioning is at that point.
No gimmicky, elaborate exercises are needed to work on instability and build the core muscles. It really is basic and simple.
Be sure to watch until the end...
NOTE: I am not a doctor, or even a kinesiologist. Any opinions expressed here are based solely on my experiences in the gym and critical analysis of other videos on YT. Also, be aware that all exercises I describe - surprise! - place the body in inherently unstable positions. Use them at your own risk, and with caution.