Guns ´n´ stuff

[GODSPEED]

@Hendrix

^ That doesn't work from my phone, only from my PC.



Yes, that was a good video!
The stage I would have enjoyed the most is the trench one.

It's been a while I haven't ordered anything from Varusteleka. I am due for some more Scho-Ka-Kola...


A couple years back, they got a big shipment of Sweidsh M90 Pants and Shirts... I was trying to checkout from my phone at work and something wasn't working right with my password for paypal.. when I got home, my sizes we're all gone.

[Hendrix]

@GODSPEED

So want finally overcame reason when my local hunting store had a GRS stock for my Sauer in stock.

Balance wise the result became worse. 😂 But the lighter weight (from 1940g to 1490g) will make a big difference when lugging the rifle around. Also the better sling attachment options should make it easier.

The long and heavy barrel together with the lighter stock shifts the balance point of the rifle significantly forward. My plan originally was to hold of on a new stock and buy a shorter barrel and suppressor. However the government has suggested some changes for our gun laws with voting and decisions being made in January. Today barrels and suppressors are regulated just like actual guns. You need a permit to buy one. The suggestions is to take away the need for motivation to acquire a permit for a barrel for your gun. And to remove the permit entirely for suppressors, instead you will be able to obtain a suppressor if you have gun permit.        

[Hendrix]

4 hours ago, Hendrix said:

 But the lighter weight (from 1940g to 1490g)

 

Clarification. I do not mean the weight of the entire rifle. I mean the specific weight of the stocks.

[GODSPEED]

On 12/6/2021 at 3:13 AM, Hendrix said:

So want finally overcame reason when my local hunting store had a GRS stock for my Sauer in stock.

Hell of a nice stock!!

As much as I like the wood stock, it is kind of bulky. That stock must feel better in hand, more comfortable.

 

I eventually need to try some out for my sks. 😏

[Hendrix]

Yeah, the STR (Scandinavian Target Rifle) is purpose built for competition shooting with diopter sights from prone position.

So in it's original form it is not really a good hunting rifle because of the bulkyness and the weight. Sad since the original feels amazing. But I love the 2 stage trigger, the smoothness of the bolt action 6-lug locking and the all steel sturdyness. So I still prefer the system to a more conventional hunting rifle. I was looking for a Sauer 202 Wolverine before I decided to buy the STR instead.

So with a thinner and shorter barrel it should all come together nicely and become my version of the perfect stalking rifle, if still a bit on the heavy side. My aim is to get the rifle down to about 5.2 kilos.

I was looking at different wooden stocks for the rifle aswell. I decided against it partly because I did not want to make a plastic/pillar bedding for the stock since I lack the tools for it at the moment. And partly because the aftermarket wooden stocks weighted the same or more as the GRS Bifrost.

[GODSPEED]

What caliber does the STR shoot?

 

I would take a wild guess that it's something along the lines of .270, .223, .338,

 

But I really dont know

[Hendrix]

9 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

What caliber...

Mine is a 6.5x55 SWE. It is the most common caliber for the STR. I belive the caliber is very close to .270. They are available in .308W aswell.

And there are "training" systems purchable in .22lr.

Ofcourse there are people modifying their guns to other calibers aswell.

[GODSPEED]

On 12/10/2021 at 3:43 AM, Hendrix said:

Mine is a 6.5x55 SWE. It is the most common caliber for the STR. I belive the caliber is very close to .270. They are available in .308W aswell.

And there are "training" systems purchable in .22lr.

Ofcourse there are people modifying their guns to other calibers aswell.

Only mod I've ever done, because modding stocks and barrels has way too many laws here, is buy another wooden stock for my SKS and I sanded it down, bleached it and gave it the dark red look.

I would have had to put a clearcoat on it, but I don't like how the wood stock feels in hand.

My SKS has the plywood stock, which are way sturdier and don't crack like wood, but it also has a slimmer grip, which to be honest is still a little "crap" compared to amy modern rifle.

 

I was never a fan of the way you hold hunting rifles, I do prefer a pistol grip or something slim I can wrap most of my average size hand around.

[Hendrix]

On 12/22/2021 at 11:53 PM, GODSPEED said:

I was never a fan of the way you hold hunting rifles, I do prefer a pistol grip or something slim I can wrap most of my average size hand around.

Yeah I find that "normal" hunting stocks puts a kind of strain/stress on the wrist making it harder to pull of a relaxed shot. Both my Tikka and Sauer has very straight grips. The grip on the GRS stock for the Sauer is also "severely" angled to the right (tried to get a decent picture of it). Again this takes some stress out of your hand and wrist. Especially when shooting from a prone position.

[GODSPEED]

On 1/3/2022 at 6:46 AM, Hendrix said:

The grip on the GRS stock for the Sauer is also "severely" angled to the right (tried to get a decent picture of it). Again this takes some stress out of your hand and wrist. Especially when shooting from a prone position.

That is pretty darn cool!

It probably isn't the same thing at all, but this kind of makes me think of some soviet rifles that slightly offset the scopes. I've always figured that this would be a little more comfortable and help keep your head a little straighter. But I've never tested this or even handled a rifle with an offset scope, so this is just a theory I made up.

[Hendrix]

22 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

but this kind of makes me think of some soviet rifles that slightly offset the scopes. I've always figured that this would be a little more comfortable and help keep your head a little straighter. But I've never tested this or even handled a rifle with an offset scope, so this is just a theory I made up.

Interesting idea. Never tried one myself, but giving it some thought, for me personally I do not believe I would find it more comfortable. Simply because I place the buttstock of a rifle far closer to the center of my body rather at the end of the shoulder. Also I really like to press my cheek down into the cheek rest of a rifle.

But hey I might be completely wrong! 😂

The way I understood, as far as my very limited knowledge of offset scopes goes, the main reason for them were that the some rifles by could not be fitted with a on top scope mount without inflicting on the repeating action and or reloading etc.

[GODSPEED]

9 hours ago, Hendrix said:

The way I understood, as far as my very limited knowledge of offset scopes goes, the main reason for them were that the some rifles by could not be fitted with a on top scope mount without inflicting on the repeating action and or reloading etc.

You are most likely 100% correct...

Although, for some reason, some rifles, like the Dragunov, have an offset scope. But that has many disvantages...

 

[Hendrix]

https://www.glocktalk.com/threads/why-are-russian-optics-offset.1389644/

 

Found a few answers/guesses over at this forum regarding the dragunov. I found them plausible atleast. Some of them contradicts each other however.

[GODSPEED]

7 hours ago, Hendrix said:

https://www.glocktalk.com/threads/why-are-russian-optics-offset.1389644/

 

Found a few answers/guesses over at this forum regarding the dragunov. I found them plausible atleast. Some of them contradicts each other however.

Makes for an interesting read! 🙂

In my limited experience, well, let's be honest here; as an ARMCHAIR GENERAL - that's better - I would tend to think it helps with keeping a more natural posture of your head. Less bending/twisting. Does it make that much of a difference?


Naturally, this was also developed long before the weaver-mount and the picatinny rails.. and given how populer the pic rails have become across the globe, I think any other system just gets replaced, regardless the advantages offered. It's cheaper to simply attach rails and be able to use all the availalbe mounted accessories than create a new rifle with offset mounts that requires more engineering to get new scope/sight accessories right.


In short, I think your GRS stock grip made me think of that as well in a way. I think it made me think of how various firearms have a varying degree of naturaly pointability. For some reason, one firearm will aim from the hip more accurately than another, simply by the way it grips, the way it feels in hand. That stock, changes the axis of your grip, so introduces a new "algorithm" in your head to compensate, slowing the aiming process.. but at the advantage of comfort and maybe even a more accurate shot (finger/hand tension, due to grip angle/method). In your case, I would be guessing that accuracy is THE primary concern...

...I mean, unless you need the best reflexes to fight off the tide of deer trying to take you down. 🙂

 

I'm not certain what your experience is, and I remember you said you served in the military, so please take my opinion as if it was a box of salt (not just a grain); I've often heard that COMFORT is pretty high on the rank of "modern" military equipment (ergonomics, clothing, equipment) requirements. Military clothing is extremely comfortable, comes in way more sizes and has great adjustability (I keep a few parkas), and I had figured that the offsets on many pre-picatinny-rail-firearms to be a conscious design choice for ease of use and 'comfort'.

 

But it is conjecture from my part. I sometimes tend to over-analyze ridiculous things.. and come up with these funny ideas. 😏

[Hendrix]

I absolutly see your point and I agree that you would like to relieve yourself of as much tension as possible. How you achieve that and what suits a person is up to each individual.

For me personally since I put the rifle so close to the center, I dont really bend my head much, its more like relaxing my head on the cheek rest. Also if you look at the pictures of my Tikka and Sauer, the very end of the butstocks on both rifles has been lowered as much as possible. This raises the rifle closer to my cheek, again so I dont have to bend my neck. Works well for me and I am fairly tall guy (185cm).

But, put enough training in and I figure you can learn to shoot well with anything.

As for ergonomic and military equipment. My own experience is that someone with enough experience told the decision makers what was needed, tryouts were held and the cheapest contestant to pass the test won the contract. But hey, this was back in 2002 and 2003 when I trained as a conscript. We did not have anything as fancy as red dot sights, foregrips, plastic mags and adjustable stocks on our AK5s. About 1/3 trough my training we were supplied with new vests to carry gear instead of the old webbing gear and that was a large difference.

I personally mostly prefear hunting and outdoor gear/clothes compared to military stuff. I find them to have better quality and more comfort.

I dont really find it "fair" to compare military gear to "civilian" gear. I mean, military gear is made for war, and still being made for a (relatively) cheap price.

[Hendrix]

Clarification: When it comes to pure durability, most often military gear (of better quality) beats hunting/outdoor gear.

I should have said that I find hunting/outdoor gear to provide a better quality of performance during usage.

For instance I do own a pair of swedish army "M90" field pants. Only difference is that mine are made from better and thicker fabric and they are green with black details instead of camouflage. Nothing really wrong with them but just like the ones I had during training I find them unnecessary baggy (I am not a thin guy), they make "swishing" sounds when walking. So I find myself becoming a bit clumsy when using them. But they'll will probably last for a decade of continuous usage.

But if I am going hiking, cross-country skiing or something like that, I much prefear my hunting clothes, wich fits me better, are lighter, more comfortable to wear, better pockets and better rain protection. But sure after 4 years of fairly heavy usage they do show some wear and tear. Nothing I so far havent been able to fix though.

[GODSPEED]

8 hours ago, Hendrix said:

I should have said that I find hunting/outdoor gear to provide a better quality of performance during usage.

For instance I do own a pair of swedish army "M90" field pants. Only difference is that mine are made from better and thicker fabric and they are green with black details instead of camouflage. Nothing really wrong with them but just like the ones I had during training I find them unnecessary baggy (I am not a thin guy), they make "swishing" sounds when walking. So I find myself becoming a bit clumsy when using them. But they'll will probably last for a decade of continuous usage.

But if I am going hiking, cross-country skiing or something like that, I much prefear my hunting clothes, wich fits me better, are lighter, more comfortable to wear, better pockets and better rain protection. But sure after 4 years of fairly heavy usage they do show some wear and tear. Nothing I so far havent been able to fix though.

Maybe I should look into some hunting clothing for outdoor stuff. To be honest, I was always attracted to military equipment because of durability.. and I always figured hunting gear was "civilian/urban" gear that has fancy camouflage.


I should have made my thought on "comfort" a little more clear though. So let me try to clarify!

Based on the more active experiences I have outdoors; like playing airsoft in the woods/forest/abandonned buildings, or wild forest 'hiking', between a pair of jogging pants or a pair of real military pants, I would find the military pants more comfortable for myself.

But how do I explain this? If I wear jogging pants at home, that is really comfortable.. but I am not moving much. But when I need a better range of movements (like stretching legs to cross something, or crawl, or kneel), I find a pair of baggy military pants will offer absolute freedom of movement without even feeling any pressure on the pants or restraint from the way most pants are made. And this is not a hard rule towards ALL military equipment though..

I have had the best experiences playing airsoft in dense woods/forest with some cheap russian gorka suit or british and german army trousers. Normal pants feel like a mix of too restraining for stretched movements and when I do stretch, I think a seam will eventually break.

Another example of what I mean for comfort when I compare my own experience is in jackets. My all-time favorite all-weather/winter jacket is my german flecktarn parka. Unlike many camouflages, I can sometimes actually pull it off in a everyday setting (I am not a fan of wearing military clothing to go buy food 😅). Whenever I need to wear a jacket, I always want to wear it because unlike my casual and clean clothing, it does not have any pressure points or snag points when I stretch, bend or move around. I have easy access to my pockets for cell, keys, wallet, sunglasses, toque, etc... If I wear my clean jackets, or even my casual jackets, I have limited pockets; when I stretch one arm around to get my wallet in my breatpocket, I feel the seams under my armpits create pressure.. anyways, I think you get what I mean.


At home, a pair of jogging pants are the ultimate comfort.. and I'll wear nicer fitting pants for any casual activity, like shopping, driving, etc.. but as soon as I need to do extra movements, I always felt like the military clothing I would buy provided me with the comfort of full movement without worrying about damaging, tears or snagging. Or pressure in areas, like under arms.


So, if you tell me that real hunting clothing is even more comfortable than that - I understand quality levels of clothing is important - then I will certainly take a look at some the next time I need to shop for some outdoors clothing.



Oh, and I also hope you understand that when I talk about my airsoft experiences, I do not see that as any kind of "hardcore" experience. I know it is nothing like military experience, not even close. It is a sport one does for the social aspect with friends and in my case, some cosplay and fascination with firearm replicas I could never own in their real form. I enjoy mechanical things, I was the one that would take the gearboxes apart to fix my friends problems, or tune the gears.. so it was also a hobby. When I talk about military clothing, it is also with that fascination from the perspective of a civilian.


 In any case, I appreciate your time sharing in these conversations... not like this is the type of thing I will ever talk about with most ppl! 🙄

🍻

[Hendrix]

32 minutes ago, GODSPEED said:

In any case, I appreciate your time sharing in these conversations... not like this is the type of thing I will ever talk about with most ppl!

Thank you and the same goes back to you. I always find it interesting how other people view things and make their decisions around.

Will get back to you with my thoughts on your latest post, but sadly not untill monday.

If you are interested I mainly use a hunting set (jacket and pants) from a company called Seeland, the specific product/model is called Hawker.

During the winter I use a set from a company called Alaska. Apex APS Blindetech Snow II for model.

I dont know if you are able to find them in Canada.

As I said I will get back to you, in the meantime I hope you have a nice weekend!

🍻

[Hendrix]

So finally got the time to elaborate my thoughts on your latest post. Sorry, this will be a long answer so brace yourself. I made a read through before posting and I really hope you do not get the impression that I am some know-all. I find it hard to express myself in a good way when writing in English, so please keep that in mind. 

An explanation of my experience. To give you a picture of were I come from when it comes to my decisions.

Born 1983, I grew up in a small "town" in rural northern Sweden and still live fairly close to it. Hunting, fishing, hiking, picking berries and mushrooms etc. is close to a religion for a lot of people around here. So large parts of my childhood activities with friends and family revolved around this. Hunting and fishing back then was a cheap way of putting food on the table. We were not poor but money was not abundant either so vacations could not be costly. Renting a cabin somewhere for a week and go fishing was usually the big vacation trip of the year.

After high school (I studied to become an electrician working in industries) it was time for my military service up farther north in Sweden (it was cold). I have never in any way been in real combat nor do I in any way believe I know what it would be like. I was just a regular conscript grunt who most of the time was assigned to carry the squad's support weapon (a FN MAG). I do not in any way see myself as an ex-soldier who served.  

After military service I had a few different jobs (the industries had no demands for electricians back then) and I decided to go to university were I studied to become an Marine engineer.

After graduation I spent about a year working on merchant ships but after the economic crisis in 2009, demand for recently graduated Swedish Marine Engineers was very low. So I was at last lucky to land a job for a consultant company and work as a electrical designer for equipment for industry plants, hydro power plants and the railroad. Today I work as a reviewer of electrical design.

So were am I getting at? I consider myself fairly handy and kind of a jack-of-all-trades. I know a bit of most things but in no way am I an expert at anything. I like to tell people that I know enough to know how little I know. 🙂 Just like you I like to fiddle around with things, fix them and keep them maintained. However I hate fixing cars for some reason. 

I am used to be outdoors and do find I enjoy it no matter if it is raining, snowing, sunshine, +25 or -25 degrees Celsius. Although I find the range +20 to -10 degrees to be pleasurable if I am being honest. Spending time in the outdoors no matter if it is hunting, fishing, foraging, hiking, skiing or just a stroll is something that I always appreciate. Since I turned 30 I have become more comfortable however, old sports injuries and a sleeping disorder due to stress has made me a very light sleeper. Sleeping in a tent for 5 nights is not a fun experience for me anymore, it becomes rather painful after 2 nights and I don't get enough sleep. Also a part of that is that my sleeping pads sucks. So I don't stay outdoors for longer stints anymore. Today it narrows down to day trips and 1 or a maximum of 2 night tenting, 1 - 2 times a year. Longer trips we tend to stay at cabins. Another reason is my wife, she suffers from migraine if she does not get enough sleep after a few nights. Hiking with a migraine infused raging Italian woman for a day back to the car is a blast! 😂

So that's enough about me.

 

On 1/8/2022 at 5:48 PM, GODSPEED said:

toque

Toque? Never seen/heard that word before. Google gave me pictures of caps and beanies?

 

On 1/8/2022 at 5:48 PM, GODSPEED said:

I always figured hunting gear was "civilian/urban" gear that has fancy camouflage

Well some of it definitely is. The sets I have are made out of membrane fabrics, they are soft shell, a little bit stretchy and the fabric is a little bit brushed to be quiet. I would not buy a set of hunting clothes unless I can take a good look at them first hand or look at at least 2 or 3 fairly in depth reviews of them. And I do listen to what the reviewer say because what they see as a negative may not be negative for me, and vice versa. I check the qualities of the material. Does the fabric breathe and how much? I consider 10000 g/m2/24hours to be good for me since I get very warm when moving + I want the set to be supplied with zipper openings under the arms and the side of the pants for better ventilation when moving. How water resistant is it? I would not buy a shell layer jacket or pants unless they at least resists 10000 millimeters of water column. For me this works for some rain, wet underbush etc. My snow camo set is an exception since I don't want to forget about ventilation zippers when I go prone in the snow and start to crawl. Instead the set moves air at 20000 g/m2/24hours.

Durability wise, my experience is that few things beats military gear. It is usually built to last during a long time of neglected usage. The gear works decent or even fine. You can get the job done with them. I mean I do own some military gear that fits my needs. But in my experience they seldom perform great. I do like to take care of my gear and I used it in a careful way. Therefore I find that I get better results out of gear which is not built first hand for durability but quality of usage. Also it is a question of cost. Military gear is often VERY cost effective. I would estimate you most likely have to pay double amount of money for civilian gear that is better enough to make a difference compared to military gear, and still it will probably be less durable. The three hunting sets I own I paid between 275 - 330 US dollar for. A quick check on surplus web stores I can find a replica/copy sets of Swedish M90 clothing for 110 - 165 USD.

I would like to point out that when I write about military gear I talk about the Swedish stuff I used in 2002/2003 and whatever little gear I have seen or used myself since.

Overall I enjoy nice things/good tools and I don't mind paying for them if I do need them. I have learned that I do not need everything and I do not need the most expensive things however. Gear that does not perform well I simply don't use and I can do whit out. I rather buy 1 expensive thing that performs well and lasts, than 2 or 3 things that's kind of ok but breaks or wears out. I do believe that in the long run it is the cheaper way.

You said that you played airsoft. I have never played it myself nor paintball for that matter. It looks fun and I would probably enjoy playing it. I have seen a few youtube videos on it and I get the feeling that it is everything from "hardcore-milsim" to "twitch-shooter" and everything in between? A few of the videos reminds me of the blank fire exercises we had with MILES equipment (google it). Basically it's military laser tag, yupp it is just as fun as it sounds! Anyway, for such use I would probably go for military gear. Why? Simply because of durability. Pushing through dense bush. Crawling on concrete etc. tends to wear on your clothes. Sure I go through and even sometimes crawl trough dense forest areas in my hunting gear but I move careful and quiet  (well try to atleast) so the wear on the clothes is not that rough.

 

My choice for clothing is always based on what I believe is the coldest I need to endure for the day/trip and what activity, all the while still being comfortable to wear. Often I don't wear all layers of clothing when moving around. Instead I add layers when I am going to be still at a place for a longer time. I like to wear clothes with zippers so I can open up or close if the temperature shifts.

As a base layer I use a set of either merino wool or a bamboo. I can complement the bamboo base layer with a merino wool t-shirt if I feel the need for something in between. 

As a second layer I usually wear either a flanell shirt, polyester sweater or wool sweater depending on temperature. For extra insulation I keep a thin wool vest in my backpack.

Sometimes as a "two and a half" layer I wear a vest in waxed G1000 material. 

The third layer would then be one of my hunting sets. Most often the Seeland Hawker one. If it is really cold and I need to be very still at a place for hours I have a insulated jacket and pants I can use. The snow camo set I only use for winter hunting, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

I usually carry a long rain poncho in PU material in my backpack. 100% waterproof and great against wind as well.

Course during the summer months all of this is overkill. I normally wear a thin set of outdoor pants or shorts. T-shirt and maybe a flanell shirt depending on the weather. I Also have a thin and light hard shell jacket I can store in my backpack incase there's wind or rain.

So all of this I mix depending on weather.

Scandinavians have a saying: There is no bad weather, only bad clothes. 🙂

 

I think that's enough for a post/rambling. Hope you don't mind.

[GODSPEED]

On 1/11/2022 at 6:09 AM, Hendrix said:

I think that's enough for a post/rambling. Hope you don't mind.

Absolutely not! Was a pleasure to read actually. It gave me quite a few things to think about.

And yes, a toque is a strange name, even in English, not used that commonly. The one I commonly wear is also called a beanie: https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/sarma-alpaca-beanie/62147

 

On 1/11/2022 at 6:09 AM, Hendrix said:

Scandinavians have a saying: There is no bad weather, only bad clothes. 🙂

With this, I agree 100%.

I often take a look/order from Varusteleka because they have a good selection of surplus and outdoors clothing. I always appreciated some benefits of the low cost of surplus (that you can often get brand new) compared to a comparable quality "civilian" clothing that will cost 2-3x more.

While my outdoors experiences are somewhat different from yours and I can't say I've experienced much in terms of comparing many different layers and their specifics, I appreciate the attention to detail that you bring towards the clothing you wear for the specific occasions. I understand this attention to detail! It also makes a lot of sense considering the things you like doing and the weather in Sweden. I will expand on my own experiences in a bit.

For myself, back when my focus for outdoor clothing was ruggedness due to the nature of the airsoft sport, I appreciated the upgrade in terms of protection from the elements from your typical general clothing store choice. When playing, it offered the ruggedness at the seams for stretchiong and movement (and the freedom), while offering a decent protection if I had to crawl or lay under a tree for any short period of time.

Naturally, the speed of the game, even in large outdoors woods/forest, means you would rarely sit or crawl or stay in the same area for any length of time. On the other hand, I would guess hunting is a 'game' of patience (depending on your hunting style I guess) and clothing that lets you stay dry because of damp ground or bushes would help way more than in a sport where you'll brush right though in a few seconds and not stay put very much. Now that you mention ponchos, I think back at my Airsoft years (and this is making me think of Stalker Shadow of Chernobyl...), I remember a few situations we played in the woods in full heavy rain, and I wasn't yet properly equipped; a poncho would have been so good!
 

About clothing
I spent a good amount of time going through different clothing back then, because of details like how some material would "swoosh" as you walked (not good when trying to stay stealthy right?), some sets were too baggy, some too heavy.. etc..

My favorite set was when I was using a russian mountain gorka, closer to a canvas material (for the colder days naturally); it was extremely breathable, and for my needs with a light spray of wetness protection, it was good enough to keep me dry for hours of play. Very good fit, not too baggy, lots of integrated elastics to keep the material nice and fitted, pretty quiet. Not only that, but those gorka pant/parka sets are pretty cheap even from the good brands. Ideal for a sport that required high abrasion resistance, stretching and weather protection while staying relatively light and very easy on the budget.

I also went through some big brand name military clothing with the ripstop material. While it had natural resistance to rain and becoming wet, it was a stiff material, too "swoowshy" and wasn't always comfortable around the waist when in high movement.

Naturally, like anything else, what was good for me was also what I could afford. Airsoft was an extremely expensive sport (because of my own "Requirements" in quality). For someone with a thicker wallet, there is way more advanced system of layering and outdoor clothing quality than even the decent/good surplus stuff you usually see.

I've been out of airsoft for a few years now, sold off most of the things I used, but I miss the gorka suit. Need to get another one simply for the outdoors stuff.

One of my favorite pieces of outdoor clothing is a set of undergament base layer I managed to get from Varusteleka about 5 years ago or more. They had a short supply of brand new Belgian winter base-layer set. Wow does that thing perform well! It's made of a 100% Polypropylene and from what I had read, it's a material used mostly by alpine skiers. It works really well because I can wear it from really cold days to even warm winter days and it never feels "hot", it seems to protect from cold really well, but I don't overheat with it.

I also really appreciate merino wool and anything made of wool, even in everyday things, I tend to want to stay away from cotton because it has horrible thermal properties and captures moisture too easy.


On the subject of weather/region
The Scandinavian region is among the areas I would like to travel to the most, given the opportunity. Our weather here in Quebec, Canada is pretty similar. While I dislike the extreme highs in summer and extreme lows in winter, I like winter and couldn't go without it!

Not only do you harbour many music bands I enjoy very much 😁, but I have always enjoyed a northern climate over the southern heat. I feel most comfortable between -15C to 18C. I also heat up very quickly with little movement needed, which makes our summers (long periods of 30C and over) very difficult for myself. I tend to prefer being outdoors in winter than in summer.

One of the best documentaries I have watched was a wildlife photographer who followed different animals across the different landscapes in Sweden, Norway and Finland; from the tundra to the mountains and to the fjords! It's breathtaking not only in variety of landscape, but I find the quiet remote loneliness extremely attractive!
 

 

On 1/11/2022 at 6:09 AM, Hendrix said:

I made a read through before posting and I really hope you do not get the impression that I am some know-all. I find it hard to express myself in a good way when writing in English, so please keep that in mind.

Not at all.. you actually come out as someone who cares about detail and what they do accurately. Nice quality!

Well, unless you actually mention it, it would be impossible to know you aren't English or that English isn't part of your mother tongue. I myself speak 50/50 French and Enlgish, so my mind tends to always find words in the language I am not currently using.. so when typing English, I keep finding the right French word, but vice-versa as well. It also fools around with the grammar and the way my sentences come out. I often have to read through it at least once and correct things.


Anyways, sorry if my text breaks into different topics.. I had to write between things and thinking about one thing leads to another. I think I will probably mention a few things in a later post.

[Hendrix]

15 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

Anyways, sorry if my text breaks into different topics.. I had to write between things and thinking about one thing leads to another.

Haha I had the same problem. Hard to cover everything the mind wanders around. 

 

15 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

Varusteleka

Great store, really curious about their Särmä and Särmä TST gear. I will probably look into them the next time I need new clothes (I guess 5 years from now 😂).

 

15 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

Now that you mention ponchos, I think back at my Airsoft years (and this is making me think of Stalker Shadow of Chernobyl...)

Awesome game! Looking forward to see what they make out of Stalker 2.

 

16 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

cotton because it has horrible thermal properties and captures moisture too easy

I couldn't agree more. 

 

16 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

I also went through some big brand name military clothing with the ripstop material. While it had natural resistance to rain and becoming wet, it was a stiff material, too "swoowshy" and wasn't always comfortable around the waist when in high movement.

The jacket I use for rain and wind protection during the summer months is kind of ripstop material called Eco-Shell. According to the producer (Fjallraven) it is supposed to be breathable but I find it to be the exact opposite. It works as a backup shell layer when the weather turns, but I am not impressed with it otherwise. Luckily I got mine from a store who was selling all their products due to closing down so I got it for a fairly cheap price.

 

16 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

The Scandinavian region is among the areas I would like to travel to the most

Bring mosquito protection if you are visiting during the summer! Some rural places here are insane when it comes to mosquitos. But I agree Scandinavia has a lot of shifting scenery to offer. I live close to an area called High Coast which is actually on the UNESCO world heritage list. So we regularly go there for daytrips during spring, summer and autumn. Large parts of Sweden can be fairly boring however, offering little more than miles after miles of nothing but pine forest.

May I recommend this fellow? A Brit who is into busch craft and camping who moved to Sweden. https://www.youtube.com/c/MCQBushcraft If you go to his playlists he has one for Scandinavia and one for Sweden. I live a bit farther south than his videos but the landscape is fairly similar many times especially were I grew up. 

I would say that Norway offers the most dramatic landscape with it's deep fjords etc. It is sometimes surreal.

 

[Hendrix]

@GODSPEED

So an update on our gun laws.

Our Parliament finally decided to remove the requirement for permits for suppressors. From 1st of July this year, we will be able to acquire suppressors by showing our gun permit. Much in the same way we today can aquire ammunition. Earlier one could aquire a suppressor for rifles capabel of firing calibers delivering equal or above 800 joules at 100 meters with a minimum bullet weight of 3,2 grams.

To aquire one for less powerful rifles a person had to either have a severe hearing disability (my tinnitus was not enough) or work professionally with hunting vermin.

So great news! However... The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has suggested/decided that they no longer want the decision making of wich guns are suitable for hunting. Instead they suggest this decision to be transferd to the police (whom today issue gun permits). And the Police has freely admited they want to see much harder and more restrictions regarding guns. They have also said they like to make sure only conventional hunting guns whitout any military background to be legal. What they mean by that? Your guess is as good as mine.

The current government issiued a investigation of wich guns are dangerous. The investigation (one singel person without any gun knowledge) deamed that basically anything above some old bizarre .32 calibre lead bullet, are especially dangerous. AND ESPECIALLY calibers available in either penetrating or expanding bullet types, like fmj or typical hunting bullets. AND VERY ESPECIALLY military calibers are extra especially dangerous.

So I guess in worst case they could easily deam about 95% of the guns in use today as illegal.

[GODSPEED]

On 2/19/2022 at 3:20 PM, Hendrix said:

@GODSPEED

So an update on our gun laws.

My apologies for such a slow response.. I've had such a busy month and haven't been around gaming much the last weeks.

Anyways, that post kind of made me laugh. Kind of hilarious how things just don't make much sense.


I mean, don't get me wrong, I seriously appreciate living in a safe environment; I appreciate efforts that are made to keep us safe and I feel very secure to go out any time of the day/night where I live. But sometimes I feel like some of these things are absolutely a joke!

I mean... I honestly don't even know WHERE to start... the .32 caliber thing is just a real joke, coming from a completely ignorant person.

I mean, do they need to limit hunters to hunting squirrels for you guys to feel safe? It isn't like Sweden (or any other Scandinavian country) seems to be very high in the list of dangerous places.

It's a little like here in Canada, lots of political play when using the gun laws. You've got so many ppl here in our cities who thing guns go around freely killing ppl who want to see ANY sort of projectile as the devil and want it all banned.. when we already live in the safer places of this planet. We have TV commercials talking about gun violence and we need to ban guns.

Yet it has been clearly proven that most gun crime is committed with untraceable firearms off the black market.

So.. maybe EDUCATION should be prioritized to help the maximum of ppl feel like they can get somewhere in life.. and in turn they may not turn to criminal activity.

That's just too difficult, better just ban guns altogether and make yourself sound good on TV to get votes in right?

🙄

[Hendrix]

21 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

My apologies for such a slow response..

No need to apologise, real life has to come first.

 

21 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

do they need to limit hunters to hunting squirrels

Well squirrels are illegal to hunt here so we hardly know what to hunt anymore 😂

 

21 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

It isn't like Sweden (or any other Scandinavian country) seems to be very high in the list of dangerous places.

To be completely fair, gun crime is trough the roof in Sweden in the largest cities (Stockholm, Malmö, Gothenburg). Criminal gangs/constellations are fighting amongs themselves for the controll of the drug trade, or revenge actions against each other. Shootings and explosions occurs more or less daily. Guns and grenades are smuggled in from mostly the Balkans. Sadly most of these crimes are committed by young guys bellow the age of 20.

Ofcourse this is used as an argument for stricter gun control. But what do criminals care about what is legal or not? It is not like they try to aquire guns through legal means. 

Guns has become alot more controversial in Sweden. The criminal problem briefly described above and some strange fear that Sweden will all of a sudden become a crasier USA. Also since alot fewer people goes through conscript military service (untill the early 1990's, 99% of Swedish males went through military service in some way) people are not as exposed to guns, wich makes guns scarier.

Very sad since precision shooting used to be a large sport and marksmanship was highly regarded.

For example in Norway, they still show national precision shooting competitions on tv.

This attitude has seaped down into the shooting clubs aswell. Interest in guns are frowned upon and guns are seen as some necessary evil to be able to compete and practise marksmanship.

The only clubs moving in an opposite direction are those involved in IPSC. Which are growing to the dismay to the more traditional pure marksmanship clubs.

All of this causes hunters, traditional shoters and IPSC shooters to stand divided and weak against the politicians.

[Hendrix]

@GODSPEED Hey man!

The news site I use wrote about the new gun laws being implemented in Canada. Any comments?

According to them they implemented the new laws because of the incriese in shootings among criminal gangs. Although as far as I understood the new laws will only effect leagal gun owners?

Sounds alot like the discussion ocer here aswell sadly. ☹