I like firearms. I believe in guns as a means of protection, against criminals and corrupt government officials. I am also a very bad shooter. In this episode of Squared Away, I’m going to tell you some humbling things about my range day, and what I’ve learned. I’m also going to tell you all about my newest endeavor, drying mint leaves for use as tea.
The Gun
My rifle is Daniel Defense DDM4 V11, and it is an excellent gun. I’ve got it set up with a Modlite OKW head and a Holosun Optics Red Dot. I’ve also got some textured rail covers, which are pretty cheap, but do their job for now. The gun operates flawlessly, and with about 2000 rounds on it over the past year, I’d say I’m on my way to getting it broken in. I’m far from an expert shooter and really don’t have any professional training at all. I definitely need some.
The Optic
Holosun Red Dot’s are making a name for themselves as a cheaper alternative to Aimpoint and Eotech options. They aren’t the greatest thing ever, but they work and they seem to hold zero. My problem? I don’t have my optic zeroed. I know, I’m bad, and I need to get it taken care of, but it’s not super easy when you’re out plinking with the boys. I definitely need to take a day, go out by myself, and practice, adjust, practice, adjust, until I’ve got my optic set up.
The Light
The Modlight OKW head is super bright, super long range, and very high quality. It uses 18650 batteries and has some incredible battery life. But none of that matters if you don’t read the torque specifications on the optic mount. So about halfway into my shooting day, the light began to wobble. It wasn’t anything major, but just enough that I wanted to stop shooting until it was tightened down.
The Plate Carrier
The 5.11 Prime Plate Carrier was an interesting training experience. First, I’ll never undersell what our law enforcement officers and police have to do wearing these things, because they get heavy quick. With that being said, the Prime Carrier has ZERO strap padding, so all of that weight presses down directly on your shoulders, and I quickly discovered that my straps were not balanced correctly. The result was a golf ball sized knot on my left shoulder, which caused a lot of discomfort over the next few days. That issue has since been fixed, and I’m a lot more comfortable wearing it.
All of these issues were definitely operator error issues, and I’m glad I took the time to go out and implement my equipment to learn where I am deficient.
Drying Mint, Raised Garden Beds, Backyard Bushcraft
One of the most obvious uses for mint plants is it’s implementation as a tea. In order to make tea or use mint as a seasoning, it has to be dried. With my first large stems and leaves developing, I chose to go ahead and cut some off to dry. To dry mint properly the old fashioned way, you have to collect it and tie the ends of the stems off with jute twine, then hang it in a dry space. Heat will accelerate the drying process. My hope is that I can try the tea by the end of the week.
I put in two new raised garden beds, and planted watermelon and pumpkin varieties. I also harvested my first tomato of the year (Yum!). The cilantro plants have started growing should be kicking off pretty soon.
Backyard Bushcraft has been a little bit neglected as of late, but I have gotten some stuff done. I’m going to be practicing knots at some time this week, barring any extra work coming up. Life is busy, and I am blessed to continue making things, growing things, and preparing for the future.
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