THE ROUTE RECCE...A Practical Process

The Rockies near Cadomin (photo by V.A. McMillan, 2022)

 The ROUTE RECCE

Ever wonder what it might have been like to be a scout back in the olden days?? Tasked with finding a pass through the mountains or finding a route between two base or hunting camps?? Scouting of yore has become reconnaissance or RECCE. The purpose remains the same, only the tools and time to achieve success have changed. Now you have hours or maybe days to complete a mission, not weeks or months. So, let’s delve into conducting a ROUTE RECCE, shall we…

Conducting a recce is to solve the classic problem by answering the 5 “W”s. The route recce is merely a specific type of recce patrol with the express mission to find the route or prove the route is still passable.

Where: General location or specific route(s), Areas on a map

Why: Purpose or Mission

When: NLT (No Later Than), Start Time/Date, End Time/Date, Season

What: What vehicles? What equipment/gear? What fuel? What food? What water?

Who: The Recce Team

The route recce process, can be broken down into three main steps:

Step One – Conduct a map recce. Meaning gather maps of the area of interest and review the maps to learn as much as you can about terrain, roads, paths, communities, waterways, and other known hazards (like mines, dams, or active logging). Maps can consist of physical paper maps, digital maps, or using online sources like Google Maps SATVIEW.

Step Two – Access any and all OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) to gather the most up-to-date information on your target area. This can include guidebooks, trail reports by previous trail users, blog posts, or vlog reports on YouTube. In addition, you can ask locals in the area, questions about the route and any known hazards to be aware of, such as de-activated logging/resource roads, washed out culverts, or damaged bridges. This step is also a good time to learn where you can resupply enroute – fuel for vehicles, food, or water.

Step Three – Conduct the ROUTE RECCE. This is when you actually get to travel the route in question. The whole purpose of conducting the route recce is to gather firsthand intel on the condition of the route and whether it meets the needs of those who requested the report. Step Three concludes once the route has been traveled, the route report is written, and delivered to requester.

The ROUTE REPORT contains a wealth of information that will aid others in traveling through the area in question. The report can be organized in the following manner, unless instructed to follow a specific format for your organization or group.

The SUMMARY will begin the report to give decision makers who are pressed for time the core information. Use the BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) format, meaning the most important information first.

Follow the BLUF with the 5 “W”s – Where, Why, When, What, and Who.

The next section will be the FINDINGS. In this section you will want to detail:

HAZARDS & OBSTACLES

ROUTE CONDITIONS & WEATHER DURING RECCE

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

LOCATION of:

·       FUEL SOURCES

·       WATER

·       SHELTER/CAMPS

·       REPAIR FACILITIES

·       SUPPLIES

·       COMMS

WATER CROSSINGS

·       BRIDGES

·       FORDS

·       FERRY

·       SWIM

The final section will be the RECOMMENDATIONS, where those conducting the route recce convert their observations into recommendations that will prevent misunderstandings. Key recommendations can include:

ROUTE RECOMMENDATIONS – If there are multiple routes in the area, recommend the route that meets the needs of the organization/group. Include maps with the recommended route clearly marked.

VEHICLE RECOMMENDATIONS – 4x4, Long Wheelbase, Short Wheelbase, Narrow Track, or ATV only. High clearance or load restrictions. Tools, recovery gear, or accessories that would improve travel success along the route, should also be included.

RESUPPLY RECOMMENDATIONS – Whether taking extra fuel jerry cans is necessary or whether ice to refill coolers can be easily obtained along the route. Similarly, is water easily procured or should water jerry cans be carried.

On a recent route recce, I encountered one of those challenges that did not show up during the map recce…namely, that the route was not passable. When approaching the subject area local road signs notified road users that there was a washout, and the route was NOT passable. My intelligence gathering did not end with just believing the posted sign. I went to the top end of the trail and spoke with a local and asked if the route was driveable or not. They let me know that quads can drive the route and some 4x4 get through, too. This meant I was going to have to have a closer look at the obstacle and determine for myself what the situation was. Thankfully, the washout section of the route was passable during dry, late summer conditions. 

The Washout (photo by V.A. McMillan, 2022)

Google SatView of the Washout & Camp

While it was truthful that a section of the road had been washed away in a past flood, the route was passable for those who had a vehicle and driving skills to navigate this obstacle. This was not Darren’s Gap, after all. The not knowing added to the adventure and sense of exploration.

The other part of enjoying this adventure was using my vehicle as my mobile shelter. 

Mountainman's Camp (photo by V.A. McMillan)

As you may recall I did some mods last year to increase the versatility of my vehicle by removing part of my backseats and installing a sleep platform (seen here https://mtnmanblog.blogspot.com/2021/07/tahoe-mods-sleep-platform-designed-by.html). I enjoy being self-contained and highly mobile, which works well when conducting a ROUTE RECCE.

 

Until next time…go out and explore!

Mountainman.

 

COMSEC - Who's Listening? How Do You Know?

 

Radio in the Garden (photo by V.A. McMillan)

COMSEC – Who’s Listening? How Do You Know?

Welcome back. Last month we considered OPSEC (https://mtnmanblog.blogspot.com/2022/07/opsec-hows-your-operational-security.html) and it just makes sense to carry on with a security topic…namely, COMSEC. Which is the short form for Communications Security. Now if you go online and conduct a search for COMSEC you will get many returns. Some for Australia – COMMSEC, which deals with secure online trading. Wikipedia gives a basic high-level overview. And Omitron Security Solutions Group (https://ncms-isp.org/documents/COMSEC_Material.pdf) shares an excellent background document that is worth reviewing if you are getting serious about protecting your communications from others.

You might be saying, “Thanks for the teaser, Mountainman, but hurry up man and get to the point!” What is COMSEC and why the heck should I care?

Good things to those who wait…COMSEC is more than just having hardware – radios, phones, and computers, that can transmit encrypted messages. In fact, for like-minded folks who may never be able to afford such high-tech equipment that has built-in encryption, COMSEC is even more important. COMSEC is a form of discipline to ensure the right message is delivered to the right person at the right time, without unauthorized persons intercepting or interfering with message delivery.

Like, OPSEC, a large part of COMSEC is situational awareness and being aware of what is going on around you. However, it is larger than just the immediate area within your line of sight. Two-way radios, depending on type, frequency, power and antenna, can transmit farther than you can see – even with telescopic optics. Oh…and anybody with a receiver of a similar type, within range can listen to every word you transmit. The airwaves have ears!

A few rules to increase your COMSEC and reduce your likelihood of being targeted by the foe.

RULE #1: Keep Messages BRIEF!

RULE #2: Change OFTEN! [Change Frequency, Change Location, Change Time]

RULE #3: Develop a local lingo and pet phrases.

RULE #4: Develop a backup communications system before you need it!

Brief messages reduce your chance of being noticed on a frequency and make it more difficult for directional finding (DF) equipment to locate you. If you have a long message break it into multiple short messages. This works until you become a problem for someone, and they become interested in you and target you to be located, then the DFing teams will use equipment that will triangulate your position within seconds of your radio breaking squelch. Stay in the background and do not get noticed.

If you are part of an organization that listens to the radio on a regular basis to keep informed of what is happening in the world around you, ensure that if you need to communicate with others in your group, you never, ever transmit from the same location as you are listening from. Following that same train of thought, your transmitting locations should change location often. Same, same for frequencies – change weekly, daily, hourly as is required for your mission. The more you use your comms, the more often you should change the frequency. Check-in times should also be staggered. The name of the game is to stay disciplined and avoid creating patterns. Patterns get noticed!

Make up a language or parts of a language that have meaning to your organization but are boring and innocuous to the rest of the folks listening in on the airwaves. Avoid using “10” codes, although you can get away with saying 10-4 once in a while. However, if a message MUST GET THROUGH developing a method of encryption is an option. One such method from the Cold War era is the One Time Pad (OTP). Cryptography is not my specialty, so I would recommend checking this video from S2 Underground (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzwpmbIWUNc) who knows a lot more about this topic.

Finally, developing a backup system of communications is just good business continuity planning. Assume your favourite comms method will fail. Furthermore, assume it will fail when you need it the most. That is why you see in war movies, the commander shooting his radio before the mission starts. Then he knows why his radio failed him and his unit. Research the use of dead drops or flags (semaphore or other flag signalling techniques) or obsolete methods like Morse Code – which works with sound, light, drawn images, or spacing of objects on the ground/windowsill.

Without comms, operations and business in this modern age become almost impossible. Knowing this NOW means you can plan for it in the future.

Until next time…Keep your ears on Good Buddy!

Mountainman.

OPSEC - How's Your Operational Security?

 

The Foothills, Alberta (photo by V.A. McMillan)

OPSEC – How’s Your Operational Security?

Well Summer has finally arrived, and it is time for a new Blog post. This is a topic that is always in the back of my mind and frequently it becomes the squeaky wheel that needs attention…it does not matter what kind of operation you are part of – family, employment, volunteer, or just kicking back with friends. Everything has an operational security component and those who deny that or ignore that are setting themselves up for failure at some level or other. So, how is your operational security?

Operational Security (OPSEC) is closely related to situational awareness (safe-level-one-lesson-plan-part-1-of-5)  as both share a need to be cognisant of what is going on around you, at all times. What are the threats? What are the opportunities? What resources are available? What are your deficiencies? The answers to these questions will help establish what level of alertness you should be maintaining. As mentioned in previous posts (emergency-readiness-readiness-endurance), you cannot maintain the highest levels of alertness indefinitely. Everyone has a limit on how long they can be fully alert. To aid in managing your resources and maintain a response capability, is where OPSEC comes in. OPSEC is a method to manage vulnerability and reduce the number of directions that energy must be focused to achieve an acceptable level of security and readiness.

You might be asking, so, Mountainman how do we apply this theory to a real-world situation? Glad you asked…let’s use a crime model. Insert either the Italian or Sicilian Mafia or any of the drug cartels around the planet. When these operations were small, family run businesses and the Boss knew everyone in their operation, it was almost impossible for law enforcement or intelligence agents to infiltrate the operation. First, these small operations required a blood oath and a sponsor who would vouch to the integrity of the new member. As the operations became more successful and required expansion, and at times rapid expansion, then things started to develop gaps and holes in operational security. The Boss, captains, lieutenants, and enforcers no longer knew every member of their crew. At this point, not only was infiltration possible it was happening as quickly as agents could be inserted. Once one got in, they would vouch for others and then the operation was compromised. Intel would be leaked, and jobs would begin to be botched or intercepted by law enforcement, intelligence agencies, or the competition. Of course, when rats were caught, they would take a dirt nap and the OPSEC hole would be plugged, at least for a while.

The moral of the story being that small organizations where everyone is well known to each other are less ideal for infiltration by outside agents. That is one solution to protect operations from infiltration. But there are other vulnerabilities…During the Great War and World War Two, posters plastered the walls of train stations, bus stops, and office walls; with messages like “loose lips sink ships” or “the walls have ears”. There are still samples of these poster all over the internet.

Loose Lips Sink Ships - War Poster

The Walls Have Ears - War Poster

This vulnerability of having members of an organization flapping their gums with no regard for the audience – intended or not, shows a distinct lack of organizational discipline and personal discipline. If you want to achieve and maintain OPSEC in your operation, folks in your group need to understand how much damage they can create when the wrong person overhears someone bragging and then rats them outs to an agency or the competition. In a business environment this type of breach could cost you millions when your competition scoops your deal with a supplier. In a more security related operation this type of breach could cost you your freedom or your life. Those who lived through World War Two seemed to understand and comprehend the seriousness of OPSEC even when they were thousands of miles away from any front. Today matters are further complicated by the ease with which information can be shared on social media. There seems to be a psychological compulsion for folks to spill the beans…with friends and enemies, just for likes!!! Whiskey tango foxtrot, over!!! Where has personal responsibility, self-discipline, and self-control evaporated to??

If you are the captain, keep your ship and crew in snug control. Baggy sails and flapping lips could be the end of your voyage – individually and collectively!

Until next time…run a tight ship!

 

Mountainman.

Blacksmithing in The Rockies - Support Your Local Businesses

 

The Rockies (photo by V.A. McMillan, 2022)

Recently, I had the distinct pleasure of attending a weekend blacksmithing course at Stone Wood & Steel Blacksmithing (https://www.stonewoodandsteel.ca/about) and instructed by blacksmith extraordinaire James Greisinger. This was a weekend getaway for the “Dad’s” – sponsored by each of their own families. Thank you to each and everyone that made this weekend possible!! Counting the Mountainman, there were five in our group (no names, no pack drill – anonymity protected).

Stone Wood & Steel - Info Card (Front)

On day one, our group was joined by a group of two and a solo student who finally found a non-conflicting time to attend his Intro to Blacksmithing Class. Enthusiasm was high and everyone was eager to learn. After a morning coffee and introductions, James introduced everyone to the safe conduct in the shop and expected behaviours to ensure projects got completed and no one would get injured. Next came the briefing and demonstration for the first project – a steak turner. Soon after, eight eager hammer wielding terrors were released to the heat of the forge and the resounding chiming of hammers bashing hot mild steel to a fine point on one of the four anvils arranged around the shop. In short order, step one was complete, and everyone was instructed on making the point into a curved point, and then an eye was forged at the other end, complete with a cap lifter for those pesky bottles without screw-off caps. 

Stone Wood & Steel - Info Card (Back)

The afternoon was spent learning the finer details of bending square rod into “S” – curves, flattening the square rod and bending scrolls, and twisting. To aid in this learning each student worked on a fire poker. Unlike shop class back in high school, a million years ago, James affords his students the luxury of making a customized, one-of-a-kind, masterpiece…remember how shop class graded you on whether your fire poker looked like the twenty other fire pokers made in the shop class. Thus, learning is accelerated because you are not trapped in the conformity cycle and are free to learn, do, and produce a forged item that meets your needs. 

 Day two, was just our group. Instruction was focused on what the group wanted to learn. The warm-up project of the day was more leaf work to practice the controlled bashing of steel from round bar into a leaf of whatever leaf shape you needed. I decided I would smash two willow leaves at either end of a short branch. I wanted to make a mounting hook to hold the steak turner I made the day before. This quick project gave me practice of making a leaf or two, drawing out the bar stock, bending curves, and I learned how to punch a mounting hole through the upper leaf. Depending on the metal you are smithing, some finish the forging process harder and more difficult to drill once the project is cold. Learning how to push a hole through hot metal makes life easier later…and it is a cool skill to learn.

Here is my finished steak turner and the willow leaf hook to mount the set to the wall:

Mountainman's Steak Turner & Willow Leaf Mounting Hook

If you have even a tinkling of desire to get close to a forge, heat up some steel, and then bash it with purpose into a useful item, I highly recommend you contact James at Stone Wood & Steel and get yourself and your friends registered for a couple days of blacksmithing!! 

Blacksmithing is a traditional skill that will be collectively lost if folks let the skills die out. Hard to say whether not having a blacksmith in every town across Canada is a blessing or a curse…everyone should have an appreciation for what blacksmithing did to help civilization for the last couple millennia. Of course, some folks prefer cheap crap from Costco instead…who am I to judge. If nothing else, kids today should be exposed to the ambience of the blacksmith shop and be amazed at how things use to be made, one item at a time. Getting time wielding a hammer and have it shape hot metal; now that is learning.

Local businesses are the heart and soul of your community, and if they are not supported, they, too, will die out. So, if you are interested in serving time at a forge and anvil; contact James and setup a course or two for you and your friends. As with my other blog posts that spotlight a private business, I do not get paid or receive kick backs for sharing my experience. I am not the government or some big corporation. If I have a good experience I share it, if I have a poor or bad experience, I usually don’t share, unless sharing will prevent harm to others.

Until next time…get off the couch and get your butt next to the forge and make something awesome with your own two hands, hot steel, and a hammer!!!

Mountainman.

Stone Wood & Steel Brochure:

Front

Back

Mountainman Working It! (photo by T.H., 2022)

Are You Ready? Emergency Preparedness Week 2022

 

Thunder Mountain & the Oldman River (photo by V.A. McMillan, 2022)

Are You Ready? Emergency Preparedness Week 2022

Hard to imagine it is already emergency preparedness week, again, here in Canuckistan. Last year was a very turbulent year between floods and wildfires, and 2022 will likely have more of the same challenges to keep Canadians on their toes. So, ARE YOU READY??

For those south of Calgary, on Saturday 07 May 2022, from 1000h – 1500h CERT Canada will be hosting an open house at their headquarters building in High River, Alberta (#6, 609 Centre St. SW | High River, AB) to conclude emergency preparedness week. They will be sharing information on the CERT program and how you can become involved in emergency preparedness in your own neighbourhood or community. I will be attending this event and copies of The GOOD Plan – Get Out Of Dodge will be available for purchase, at $20 a copy.

 

Public Safety Canada offers some generic emergency preparedness information at their website. Here are a few links that you may find interesting and hopefully helpful:

https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/ep-wk/index-en.aspx

https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/yprprdnssgd/index-en.aspx

https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/hzd/index-en.aspx

https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/plns/mk-pln-en.aspx

https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/kts/index-en.aspx

As readers of this blog might recall I have posted some helpful information, too, as well as a few helpful posts from The GOOD Plan Blog. Here are those links:

https://thegoodplanblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-rule-of-3s.html

https://thegoodplanblog.blogspot.com/2018/02/sip-good-inch-three-parts-of-family.html

https://mtnmanblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/adapt-improvise-overcome-survival.html

https://thegoodplanblog.blogspot.com/2021/01/emergency-readiness-readiness-endurance.html

https://thegoodplanblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-good-plan-get-out-of-dodge-part-1.html

https://mtnmanblog.blogspot.com/2021/11/the-good-plan-available-on-amazon.html

https://thegoodplanblog.blogspot.com/2019/07/evacuation-checklist-appendix-n-for.html

https://thegoodplanblog.blogspot.com/2022/03/neighbourhood-defence-tabletop-exercise.html

https://mtnmanblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/four-squares-to-resource-management.html

https://thegoodplanblog.blogspot.com/2019/08/urban-go-bag-pack-lists.html

Remember when the chips are down, and the skies are raining cats and dogs and the river is rising, only YOU can ensure you and your family survive!! Know your hazards! Make a PLAN! Build your Go! Bag! And always be ready to action your plan!! Disasters do not wait for you and certainly do not accept timeouts, so you can get ready.

Until next time…It is up to you to be prepared.

 

Mountainman.

Neo-Feudalism - A Critical Thinking Exercise

 

Grande Cache (photo by V.A. McMillan)

The Great Reset promises that you will own nothing, and be happy…is the end goal Neo-Feudalism?

To get this chat started, let us take the time to listen to Tommy Salmons and James Corbett:

https://odysee.com/@corbettreport:0/yearzero-esg:2?&sunset=lbrytv

That was fifty-minutes of your life you cannot get back, but it does give a quick peek behind the curtain of the illusion of life. We are living in one messed up era of human history. So, those who believe they own and control the planet want to shackle you in the chains of servitude to live on your knees at their discretion. The new feudalism…you will own nothing and be happy.

Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-feudalism

So, where are the examples of critical thinking? Surely not everyone agrees with this agenda? Where is the discussion? Debate? Democratic process? Does that not require open discussion and hearing from all stakeholders? When did individuals stop thinking for themselves and transfer that responsibility to others?

A quick search of the world wide web, quickly returns many posts on Neo-Feudalism, here are a couple examples:

https://www.technocracy.news/neo-feudalism-the-great-reset-is-not-great-and-not-new/

https://prospect.org/economy/rise-of-neo-feudalism/

Obviously, I am not the only one who is concerned with where this path is leading. The question becomes, how do we (who care) fix this? What can we, as individuals, do to exit from their program? Glad, you asked.

First, educate yourself. Read and learn the history of human existence. Focus on the behaviour by those in power for the last two centuries, of course, some threads could extend further back a few more centuries. Learn and know your history.

Second, understand the relationship between you and what you purchase and who you give your money to and what they plan to do with your money. Are you funding those who want to oppress you?? Some corporations just want to build quality products and earn decent profits. Other corporations are more interested in power and those corporations will use the money you give them to invest in anything that expands their power. Buy local and support your neighbours and help build a stronger local economy.

Finally, become self-sufficient. If you have not already started to increase your self-sufficiency, today is a good day to start. Grow your own food – convert part of your lawn into a garden. Live in a condo complex and are not allowed to have a garden? Why not, practice gardening in planter boxes on your deck or patio? Similarly, increase your stock of food stuffs that can be stored inside your home. Canned goods, rice, dry pasta, and cooking basics like flour, sugar, salt, oil, and spices. It is always the right time to increase your holding of food reserves. 72-hours of preparedness is a nice start; however, two weeks, two months, or two years would be much better. Start slow and steadily improve your preparedness.

Bonus suggestion – TURN OFF YOUR TV!!! STOP WATCHING THE DAILY DOSE OF PROPAGANDA!! Read more books. Find your opinion, again, and share it at every opportunity. Listen to the opinions of others, even if you do not agree with them. Start thinking for yourself and push back to anyone who infiltrates your personal space to oppression you. They will do whatever you let them do. Critical thinking starts with thinking for yourself.

That is enough for today.

Until next time…stand-up for yourself!

Mountainman.

Update: 18 April 2022

Looks like more folks are sharing their thoughts on feudalism:

Dr. Robert Malone: https://rwmalonemd.substack.com/p/techno-facism-techno-feudalism-or?token%2Fs=r&s=r 

A Community Defence Tabletop Exercise Planning Idea

 

Big Rocks (photo by V.A. McMillan)

Living in interesting times, encourages pondering interesting ideas. Our world is a mess. A cacophony of well orchestrated crises and conflict. Interesting times, indeed, …

Knowledge is the best defence to fear, and to this end we will explore how-to defend our own neighbourhood. Let’s work through planning a tabletop exercise for creating a neighbourhood defence plan. Sounds like fun…right?

We need a scenario, a dystopian event to create challenges and context…

For this we will turn to Eric Walters, the author of The Rule of Three trilogy (2014, 2015, 2016):

Here is a trailer I found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrjvkYqFq9c

THE RULE of THRE3 COVER ART

The trilogy is based on an event that impacts a community in Southern Ontario, Canada, and the challenges the members of the community face. These books are aimed at a young adult audience, however, the scenario presented works for all audiences looking to create a tabletop exercise. So, before going any further go read The RULE of THRE3 (2014), the first book in the trilogy, … we will wait.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=the+rule+of+three+eric+walters&crid=2L6494ZUHCBMH&sprefix=the+rule+of+three%2Caps%2C171&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_5_17

The planning discussion will be based on the Neighbourhood Defence Plan developed by SATAS Co for thinking about solutions to the challenges presented in Eric Walters' trilogy:

Neighbourhood Defence Plan - Front

Neighbourhood Defence Plan - Back

If this discussion is of interest, please join me at The GOOD Plan Blog for a deeper exploration of this planning idea:

https://thegoodplanblog.blogspot.com/2022/03/neighbourhood-defence-tabletop-exercise.html 

Until next time...If you read a good book or three,

Challenge yourself to find solutions!

Mountainman.